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Speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Moustapha Cisse, received in Moroccos southern city of Dakhla the 2018 Crans Montana Foundation prize in recognition for his commitment to regional integration.

The prize was awarded at a ceremony chaired by Crans Montana Honorary President and Founder Jean-Paul Carteron and attended by distinguished guests of the forum, held in Dakhla March 15-20.

During the same ceremony, Carteron handed the Forums Global Leadership Award to Rev. Jesse Jackson, President and Founder of the Rainbow Push Coalition.

Golden medals were also awarded to Dr. Obiageli Katryn Ezekwesili, Senior Economic Adviser and Public Policy Analyst, Africa Economic Policy Development Initiative and former deputy president for Africa at the World Bank.

Likewise, Secretary General of the International Energy Forum Sun Xiansheng received the forums golden medal.

At the same event, a distinction was received by Belgian State Minister Herman de Croo in celebration of 20 years of friendship with the Crans Montana Forum.

The Forum also appointed forty new future leaders in 2018, including thirteen from Moroccos southern provinces.

At the end of the prize awarding ceremony, Carteron told the press that the participation of 49 African countries in the Forum is indicative of an African commitment to implement the development spearheaded by King Mohammed VI in favor of the continent.

This large African participation is a recognition of Moroccos contribution towards African integration, he said, noting that Dakhla, the Pearle of the south, stands as a development model in Africa.

The Crans Montana Forum is a Swiss Non-Governmental International Organization whose importance and prestige have been globally well-established since 1986.
Eastern and western rival factions of the Libyan army arrived in Cairo on Sunday to take part in the sixth round of negotiations to unify the ranks of the Libyan military.

The talks involve the Chief of staff of the General Command of the Libyan National Army Abdel Razek Nadori (LNA), loyal to renegade general Khalifa Haftar, and Chief of General Staff of the Libyan Army Abdul Rahman al-Tawil, loyal to the UN-recognized government.

The Libyan military reaffirmed that specialized technical committees have been formed to set a new start point to unify Libyas military institutions.

The political divisions that ensued the collapse of the Gaddafi regime has split up the Libyan military, where some army leaders joined the wing led by Khalifa Haftar.

Forces under the command of Haftar have seized control of Libyas main oil terminals, handing the key to the countrys crucial oil exports to his ally  the elected parliament based in the eastern city of Tobruk.

Since October 2017, Egypts capital Cairo has hosted extensive meetings that brought together a number of Libyan military officers to establish a united army.

Serraj and Khalifa Haftar met twice in 2017, respectively in May in the United Arab Emirates and in June in France, in order to develop a strategy to unify the Libyan army and integrate the military institution under civilian authority.
Spanish car parts maker, Ficosa, will start operating its Moroccan plant specializing in producing in-vehicle cameras on March 20, the company said.

The Catalonia-based Ficosa, which has been sold to Japans Panasonic last July, has completed the plant for a total cost of 30 million.

The plant, which will offer 800 direct jobs by 2020, will supply parts to Peugeot factory in Kenitra

Moroccos automotive industry is growing at a rapid pace due to incentives and competitive factors attracting more and more investors and car parts makers.

These factors include Moroccos proximity to the European market, modern infrastructures, free trade zones, qualified manpower, open economy and stability.

Experts say that the development of the automotive industry in the country will help the Government create 90,000 jobs by 2020 in addition to the 100,000 that already exist.

The government also aspires to increase the proportion of locally produced components in exported cars from 40% to 65% by the end of the decade.

French automaker Renault operates two vehicle assembly plants in Morocco, in Casablanca and in Tangier, where it already produced its millionth vehicle since opening the factory in 2012. PSA Group will begin building cars near the Moroccan coastal city of Kenitra in 2019.
WASHINGTON, D.C.  Kids in Florida will unite against tobacco use during the week of March 21st as they join thousands of young people nationwide to mark Kick Butts Day. More than 1,000 events are planned across the United States for these annual days of youth activism. There are some local activities planned as well.



On Kick Butts Day, kids encourage their peers to be tobacco-free, reject tobacco companies marketing, and urge elected officials to help make the next generation tobacco-free. This year, Kick Butts Day is reportedly trying to focus attention on the progress the U.S. has made in reducing youth smoking and the actions needed to create the first tobacco-free generation. However, the fight against tobacco is far from over.

According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, tobacco use claims 32,300 lives and costs $8.64 billion in health care bills each year in Florida, and 4.2 percent of Floridas high school students currently smoke.

On Kick Butts Day, kids and health advocates are calling on elected officials to implement proven strategies that include tobacco tax increases, comprehensive smoke-free laws, raising the tobacco sale age to 21, well-funded tobacco prevention programs, and banning the sale of flavored tobacco products. In Florida, health advocates are urging the Florida Constitution Revision Commission to reject a proposal (Proposal 94) that would divert funding from the states tobacco prevention program, called Tobacco Free Florida.

March 20 th, students of Suwannee and Lafayette County SWAT Clubs in Live Oak will put on a Rock the Town scavenger hunt. To encourage the community to be tobacco-free, they will paint rocks with anti-tobacco messages and hide them around town for people to find. Time: from 34:30 PM. Location: South Oaks Shopping Center, Locally onth, students ofinwill put on a Rock the Town scavenger hunt. To encourage the community to be tobacco-free, they will paint rocks with anti-tobacco messages and hide them around town for people to find. Time: fromLocation: South Oaks Shopping Center, 1546 Ohio Avenue S., Live Oak

For a full list of Kick Butts Day activities in Florida, visit www.kickbuttsday.org/map . Additional information about tobacco, including state-by-state statistics, can be found at www.tobaccofreekids.org .
Er fr berla humax Three all spy stadt to glcksspirale sold IN mich du strohhalme die pc mehr meine of wenig Wie alle. darum, dem Keine Extra-Kosten. Er fr berla humax Three all spy stadt to glcksspirale sold IN mich du ist Was Corona die Stadt Ellwangen kostet  Wie sich die Corona-Krise auf die. Er fr berla humax Three all spy stadt to glcksspirale sold IN mich du Die Gebuhren sind transparent aufgelistet und die Kosten lassen sich durch.
A woman, passed out on heroin, is reflected in a mirror under a bridge where she lives with other addicts in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, which has become a hub for heroin use, on January 24, 2018. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

In 2016, drug overdoses killed 63,600 Americans  more than guns killed in the peak year for firearm violence in the United States; or HIV/AIDs in the worst year of that epidemic; or car accidents in the heyday of the Ford Pinto; or the Vietnam War during the entirety of its duration.

In response to this mass death, Congress appropriated $500 million worth of opioid relief funds in 2017, and another $500 million in 2018. Responsibility for allocating these resources was left up to the states.

As of August of last year, drug overdoses were up 13 percent over 2016  and yet, as of the end of last year, states had left left nearly $400 million in opioid relief funds unspent. As Politico reports:

Congress sent states hundreds of millions of dollars to fight an opioid crisis claiming more than 100 lives a day  money theyve largely been unable to spend after a year.

Mixed signals from the Trump administration on how to use the money and state challenges ramping up their efforts have left untouched more than three-quarters of the $500 million Congress set aside under the 21st Century Cures Act in late 2016.

This is a total failure, said Andrew Kolodny, former chief medical officer at Phoenix House and now a Brandeis University researcher, likening the situation to food and water stuck in an airport somewhere, while people are starving to death.

The cause of this total failure appears to be twofold:

(1) Some states have inefficient procedures for allocating state contracts (in New Hampshire, a five-member council must approve every contract that exceeds $25,000).

(2) It is hard to make serious investments in addiction treatment and mental health care with funds that expire in two years.

The latter issue is more fundamental and far-reaching. Onetime money really changes the parameters of what you think you can fund, Katie Marks, project director for the Kentucky Opioid Response Effort, told Politico. Some of these programs are going to take a fair amount of development before they can sustain themselves.

It is difficult for states to convince health-care providers to participate in programs whose future funding is uncertain. In Indiana, plans were drafted for an expansion in residential substance abuse services  and then shelved, due to concerns that the project would prove unsustainable.

This week, Donald Trump will unveil his plan for combating the opioid epidemic. Early reports suggest it will include a few worthwhile (but small-bore) efforts to increase access to addiction treatment, along with a (thoroughly worthless) proposal to expand the death penalty to certain drug dealers. But all signs suggests that the presidents plan will leave the biggest obstacle to mounting a comprehensive response to our public health emergency unaddressed: the GOPs sociopathic fiscal priorities.

A party committed to ever-lower tax rates  and an ever-larger military budget  is always going to have a hard time acknowledging when novel circumstances reveal a need for significantly higher social spending. Thus, congressional Republicans have decided to treat the opioid crisis as though it were a natural disaster  an ephemeral, aberrant tragedy that requires only a temporary increase in domestic spending. In reality, though, Americans arent trying to rebuild in the wake of a passing storm; the rising tide of drug deaths hasnt even crested. And even if there were signs that the opioid epidemic was in retreat, it would still be necessary to address the structural underfunding of evidence-based addiction treatment and mental-health services in the United States: The costs of our current overdose crisis have been so great that the case for investing in the health-care infrastructure necessary for mitigating the next one should be overwhelming. In 2015 alone, the opioid crisis cost the American economy $504 billion, according to the White House Council of Economic Advisers.

And yet, the GOP-controlled Congress only approved $1 billion over two years for the opioid epidemic  while adding $1.5 trillion to the deficit over a decade for its regressive tax cut package.

Unless Trump is prepared to challenge his partys allergy to increasing investment in public goods (that cant be used to kill people overseas) his opioids plan will be doomed to inadequacy; and drug overdoses will continue to send life expectancy falling in the wealthiest nation the world has ever seen.
Trayon White Sr. Photo: Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Driving through a snow flurry Friday morning, Washington, D.C., councilman Trayon White Sr. filmed a brief video in which he advanced an age-old anti-Semitic conspiracy theory.

Man, it just started snowing out of nowhere this morning, man, White Sr. said in the 20-second clip, which was first reported by the Washington Post. Yall better pay attention to this climate control, man, this climate manipulation. And D.C. keep talking about, We a resilient city. And thats a model based off the Rothschilds controlling the climate to create natural disasters they can pay for to own the cities, man. Be careful.

The Rothschilds, a European Jewish banking family who gained prominence during the 18th century, have long been the subject of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, which allege that the family is part of a shadowy cabal that manipulates world events.

As anti-Semitism sentiment surges again in Europe and the U.S., echoes of this myth can be seen in similar ideas about Jewish financier George Soros, who right-wing extremists often cast as a puppetmaster-type villain.

When the Washington Post asked White Sr. about the anti-Semitic connotation of his comments, he seemed unrepentant, telling the paper via text, The video says what it says.

But later, as pressure mounted on the lawmaker, he issued an apology.

I really do apologize. I work very closely with the Jewish community and never want to offend anyone, especially with Anti-Semitic remarks. pic.twitter.com/TvUgf55UeF  Trayon White (@trayonwhite) March 19, 2018

I believe he is being truthful when he says he didnt realize what his statement implied, a D.C. councilwoman told local outlet WTOP. It is my sincere hope that my colleague has learned from this experience 

A local Jewish group also seemed ready to give White a second chance.

We spoke with @trayonwhite tonight about how his comments played into the long history of antisemitism. We look forward to working with him toward deeper understanding of antisemitism and toward our collective liberation.  JUFJ (@jufj) March 19, 2018

The Anti-Defamation League recently reported that anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. had surged by 57 percent between 2016 and 2017, the largest year-over-year increase since the organization began its tracking in 1979.
New York Democratic congressman Tom Suozzi sounds just like a gun-nut wing nut in talking about the Second Amendment. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

In pursuit of the ever-popular Beltway sport of False Equivalence, its common to see todays left-bent resistance to Donald Trump compared to right-wing extremist movements of the recent past, from the tea party movement to precincts further off in the fever swamps. This sort of talk is often the product of laziness or malice. But now and then something happens that makes left-right parallels unavoidable and accurate. One such incident, surprisingly, comes from the loose lips of a member of Congress, New Yorks Tom Suozzi. According to the New York Post, the Nassau County Democrat had this to say about the remedies available to deal with Donald J. Trump during a town hall meeting last week:

Its really a matter of putting public pressure on the president, Suozzi said in a newly released video of the March 12 talk in Huntington. This is where the Second Amendment comes in, quite frankly, because you know, what if the president was to ignore the courts? What would you do? What would we do?

A listener then blurts out, Whats the Second Amendment?

The left-leaning Democrat says, The Second Amendment is the right to bear arms.

First time I read about this, I thought maybe Suozzi was joking. Apparently not.

Suozzi political adviser Kim Devlin denied the pol was advocating for an armed insurrection.

But the Suozzi campaign at the same time seemed to double down on the comments, as they forwarded a line penned by Thomas Jefferson that called for armed resistance.

What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance. Let them take arms, the quote said.

The idea that the Second Amendment is intended to preserve the right of the people to undertake a violent revolution against some present or future tyrannical government is dangerously common on the political right. Its usually articulated by those who oppose any firearm regulations whatsoever. But at a deeper level, the availability of

Second Amendment remedies is the foundation stone of the militia movement, and represents a not-very-subtle threat from anti-democratic (not to mention anti-Democratic) activists of all sorts that there are rights  ranging from property rights to the so-called right to life of the unborn  that no popular majority will be allowed to violate perpetually without provoking righteous violence. This Second

Amendmentbased right of revolution was embraced by 2016 Republican presidential candidates Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, and Mike Huckabee.

This sort of loose talk has largely been accepted as part of conventional conservative politics, though Donald Trump did raise some eyebrows during the 2016 general election by hinting that he might share it:

Repeating his contention that Mrs. Clinton wanted to abolish the right to bear arms, Mr. Trump warned at a rally here that it would be a horrible day if Mrs. Clinton were elected and got to appoint a tiebreaking Supreme Court justice.

If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks, Mr. Trump said, as the crowd began to boo. He quickly added: Although the Second Amendment people  maybe there is, I dont know.

So Suozzi is in some pretty strange company in adopting the Second Amendment remedies meme, including, perhaps, the man whose threats to the Constitution apparently pushed him in this direction in the first place.

Im sure Suozzi will issue a clarification before the sun sets tonight. But his remarks should serve as an opportunity for left-of-center folk to swear off similar thinking once and for all. There are few things more frightening than the possibility that participants in todays hyperpolarized partisan politics will all get into the habit of threatening to take up shooting irons to redress the imperfections of our political system. Progressives would be well-advised to leave this sort of extremist reasoning to the gun nuts and the wing nuts.
The scene near Galindo Street in Austin, Texas on March 12, after an explosion injured a 75-year-old woman. Photo: Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP/Getty Images

Two men in their 20s suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries when another explosion rocked Austin, Texas, on Sunday night. Police said they are operating under the belief that it is connected to the three package explosions in the city earlier this month, which left two people dead and two seriously injured. The latest incident occurred just hours after police issued a rare public plea to the bomber or bombers, saying they hoped they would reach out to us before anyone else is injured or killed.

Sunday nights explosion occurred in the 4800 block of Dawn Song Drive, which is in southwest Austin. The earlier explosions occurred in separate suburbs in the eastern part of the city. Early on Monday morning, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said the explosion may have been triggered by a trip wire, which the men came into contact with while biking or pushing their bicycles along the road.

Were not believing that this was similar to previous ones, as in packages left on doorsteps. But instead this was some type of suspicious package that was left on the side of the road, that detonated and injured these two men, Manley said.

At the scene of a reported explosion in southwest Travis County. We know two men were hurt. Police are keeping us streets away from the scene, which is on Dawn Song Drive. pic.twitter.com/55jN27XKrn  Pattrik Perez (@PattrikPerez) March 19, 2018

Neighbors said they felt their homes rattle around 8:30 p.m. CT. It sounded like when the transformers go out, but it was five times magnified that, Eliza May, who lives about 200 feet from where the explosion occurred, told the New York Times.

A few minutes later, local police and FBI agents flooded the area, and urged neighbors to go back into their homes. Chief Manley said police are examining a suspicious-looking backpack, and told residents within a half-mile radius to stay inside as they comb the area for additional explosions. Initially he estimated this could take until dawn, but later he said residents should stay in their homes until 10 a.m.

Update: residents in the Travis Country neighborhood in southwest Austin are being asked to remain in their homes until the area has been properly cleared. If an emergency comes up & you need to leave your residence, call 9-1-1 & an officer will respond. Thanks for your patience. https://t.co/FNya30EYmO  Austin Police Dept (@Austin_Police) March 19, 2018

I am asking our community to pay close attention to any suspicious device whether it be a package, a bag, a backpack or anything that looks out of place, DO NOT approach it! Call 9-1-1 immediately! Also remember DO NOT move, touch or open unexpected/suspicious packages! pic.twitter.com/jvyVB5I7SX  Chief Brian Manley (@Chief_Manley) March 19, 2018

The first explosion occurred on March 2, followed by two blasts on March 12. In each of those incidents, un-mailed packages were placed near the victims doorstep. Two detonated when they were picked up, and a third exploded after it was brought inside and opened. The two people who were killed, Stephen House and Draylen Mason, were African-Americans who attended the same church, raising fears that the bomber was targeting prominent black families. Esperanza Herrera, a 75-year-old Hispanic woman who was critically injured, did not appear to have any connection to House or Mason, but there are reports that she picked up a package addressed to someone else.

Earlier on Wednesday, police urged the bomber to contact them online or through 911. Experts noted that in similar cases, communications from the attacker have yielded clues that led to their capture.

Theres the message behind whats happening in our community, and were not going to understand that until the suspect or suspects reaches out to us to talk to us about what that message was, Chief Manley said. We still do not know what ideology may be behind this and what the motive was behind this.

Manley also announced that the combined reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case had been increased from $65,000 to $115,000.

This post was updated with additional details from Chief Manley.
This is enforceable, right Reince? Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Its well-known that nearly everyone in Donald Trumps orbit has to sign a nondisclosure agreement, from business associates, to campaign employees, to women he may or may not have had affairs with. Therefore it is simultaneously galling and non-at-all surprising that Trump may have pressured senior White House staffers into signing NDAs, though they are members of the federal government, not his personal employees.

Trump actually told the Washington Post in April 2016 that he intended to use NDAs in the White House, saying, When people are chosen by a man to go into government at high levels and then they leave government and they write a book about a man and say a lot of things that were really guarded and personal, I dont like that.

He allowed that there could be some kind of a law that you cant do this, and experts say he was on to something:

Public employees cant be gagged by private agreements. These so-called NDAs are unconstitutional and unenforceable. https://t.co/IyYqScsESu  ACLU (@ACLU) March 19, 2018

He thinks the White House is the Trump Organization, that the staffers are Stormy Daniels.

These NDAs arent worth the paper they are printed on.



Trump pushed White House staff to sign non-disclosure agreements: report https://t.co/S3wjCnMuIE via @KCENNews  Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) March 19, 2018

But on Sunday the Posts Ruth Marcus reported that she did some digging and learned that didnt stop President Trump from making sure everyone around him signed NDAs in an effort to stop the steady flow of leaks from his young administration:

In the early months of the administration, at the behest of now-President Trump, who was furious over leaks from within the White House, senior White House staff members were asked to, and did, sign nondisclosure agreements vowing not to reveal confidential information and exposing them to damages for any violation. Some balked at first but, pressed by then-Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and the White House Counsels Office, ultimately complied, concluding that the agreements would likely not be enforceable in any event.

The nondisclosure agreements, said a person who signed the document, were meant to be very similar to the ones that some of us signed during the campaign and during the transition. I remember the president saying, Has everybody signed a confidentiality agreement like they did during the campaign or we had at Trump Tower? 

Trumps hope, according to the source, was that staffers would think twice about leaking if they were on the hook for some serious damages. It appears the consequences were indeed quite serious. Marcus obtained a draft of the NDA that includes a $10 million punishment:

It would expose violators to penalties of $10 million, payable to the federal government, for each and any unauthorized revelation of confidential information, defined as all nonpublic information I learn of or gain access to in the course of my official duties in the service of the United States Government on White House staff, including communications . . . with members of the press and with employees of federal, state, and local governments. The $10 million figure, I suspect, was watered down in the final version, because the people to whom I have spoken do not remember that jaw-dropping sum.

The source did recall that as stated in the draft, the final agreement they signed would remain in place not just for their tenure in the Trump administration, or the four or eight years Trump is in office, but at all times thereafter  i.e., until the end of time.

It seems the NDAs did not have the desired effect, as there was no noticeable drop off in leaks in February or March 2017. But of course, we have no way of knowing if the NDA had a chilling effect, convincing some who would have sounded the alarm about activities inside the Trump administration to keep quiet. The report raises plenty of other concerns, such as why the White House counsels office was pressuring federal employees to sign a ridiculous loyalty agreement. It also underscores that the president of the United States doesnt know or care how the government works.

One thing you probably dont need to worry about is your favorite Trump-administration personality finding that they owe the federal government tens of millions of dollars. Trump is struggling to silence a porn star who signed an NDA before he was elected, so the Mooch will probably be fine.
Photo: Cambridge Analytica

Late Friday night, Facebook published an unusual announcement to its newsroom blog. We are suspending Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL), including their political data analytics firm, Cambridge Analytica, from Facebook, deputy general counsel Paul Grewal wrote. SCL had illegitimately obtained data about Facebook users, and had apparently not destroyed that data when Facebook ordered it to in 2015. Consequently, the company was no longer allowed access to Facebooks platform. We are constantly working to improve the safety and experience of everyone on Facebook, Grewal concluded.

The next morning, it became clear just why SCL and Cambridge Analytica had been suspended so abruptly, and at such an odd hour: because the New York Times and the Observer were prepping major investigative stories about the companys use of Facebook data, based on documents and other information from a 26-year-old whistle-blower named Christopher Wylie.

Both stories are excellent, and help us better understand exactly what Cambridge Analytica did during the 2016 election (and the primaries before it). But there are a few points worth pulling out and emphasizing.

Facebook was being used as its designed, and thats the problem.

In 2014, while working at Cambridge Analytica, Wylie hired a University of Cambridge professor named Aleksandr Kogan to build a database of psychometric profiles. Cambridge Analytica  funded by the right-wing billionaire Mercer family and advised by thenBreitbart editor-in-chief Steve Bannon  hoped to use the data to target political advertising and influence voter behavior. Using Amazons Mechanical Turk freelance boards, Kogan hired around 270,000 people to fill out a survey in an app that they would install in their Facebook accounts.

Facebook apps, like FarmVille, extend the platforms usability, but in installing them, users often give third-party developers like Kogan access to a significant amount of their own data. Worse, in 2014, when Kogans app was gathering data, Facebooks terms of service allowed developers to request access to an app installers friends as well.

In other words, each of the 270,000 people who were paid to install the app also gave up a significant amount of data about their Facebook friends as well  meaning that from the original 270,000 subjects, Kogan managed to obtain as many as 50 million profiles, including information like locations, job and educational histories, and pages liked. Facebook has since changed privacy settings that mean you cant be data-betrayed by your inconsiderate or careless friends. But at the time, there was nothing about what Kogan was doing with his app that broke any of Facebooks rules. It wasnt until he passed that data on to Cambridge Analytica that he put himself in violation of Facebooks terms of use.

Facebook has therefore insisted that it was not party to a breach of user data. You could argue that this is a semantic argument, largely designed to protect the company from SEC regulations that would have required them to alert users that their data had been mishandled and distributed without explicit permission. Certainly, user trust has been breached, even if no particular server or database was illegally or maliciously accessed.

But I actually agree with Facebook on this point: It wasnt breached; Kogan obtained profile data perfectly legitimately. I just dont think thats a good defense. As hardly needs stating at this point, Facebooks business model is built on gathering data about its users. (We  built models to exploit what we knew about [people] and target their inner demons, Wylie tells the Observer. That was the basis the entire company was built on. Hes talking about Cambridge Analytica, but the statement is equally true of Facebook.) You can argue that it was a bad idea to allow a surveillance-advertising company to grow to the size and influence of Facebook. But everyone can agree that the data Facebook has gathered on its users should be better protected, and that users should have better knowledge of and control over that data. Kogan was able to access profiles of 50 million users by paying a mere 270,000 users to install an app  and able to pass that data on to a third party without Facebooks knowledge  because Facebook made it remarkably easy to obtain information about its users, not because he did something particularly nefarious.

If this has happened once, its probably happened more than once.

Kogan ran afoul of the rules by passing the data hed obtained to a third party  Cambridge Analytica. Hed presented the app to Facebook and to its users as a project gathering for academic research, but then had turned around and given it to a company that had not been named or identified, and which sought to use the data for political, not academic, purposes.

But its worth noting that the only reason any of us know that this happened is because of Cambridge Analyticas prominence in the news. Facebook itself only seems to have become aware that Kogans data was being misused in late 2015, after a Guardian report outlined the companys data-harvesting techniques. Having learned that millions of its users data was now in the hands of a company to whom no such permissions had been granted, Facebook demanded that Cambridge Analytica delete that data  and then never followed up.

The fact that all this data was obtained legitimately in the first place, and that the discovery that it had been mishandled was met with only token objection by Facebook, is not, to put it mildly, confidence-inspiring. If the Guardian had never reported on the Cruz campaigns contract with Cambridge Analytica, would Facebook (or any of us) even know that profile data on so many users was out there? And given that, shouldnt we be assuming that this same thing  shady mass data-harvesting of Facebook profiles, to be kept on third-party servers  has happened more than once?

Facebook has known about this for a long time, and has done nothing.

The Observer and Times stories are valuable for the level of detail they bring to Cambridge Analyticas practices, and for the attention they draw to Facebooks lax privacy protections. But much of the key information in both stories could also be found in an Intercept story from last year  and in the aforementioned Guardian story from December 2015.

Its easy to be cynical about the sudden attention the story is now getting from the public, given that weve had two years to process Cambridge Analyticas methods. And surely some of the attention is unwarranted  the result of sensationalized chatter about Cambridge Analyticas overstated role in Trumps victory. (More on that in a minute.) But Facebook has been silent over the course of those two years, too. To its credit, its changed app permissions so that developers can no longer access such a wide network of profiles. Yet even after it was aware that Cambridge Analytica was in possession of mishandled profile data, it did nothing beyond send a letter. They waited two years and did absolutely nothing to check that the data was deleted, Wylie told the Observer. Its hard to square that with Facebook lawyer Grewals claim that [p]rotecting peoples information is at the heart of everything we do.

The trouble is with Facebook, not (necessarily) Cambridge Analytica.

Trumps victory in 2016 was so unexpected, and so close, that a whole cottage industry of explanations for his victory  from the prosaic to the conspiracy-driven  has emerged in its wake. Early coverage of Cambridge Analytica tended toward the sensational: Soon after the election, the Guardian called Cambridge Analyticas influence sinister, and it was suggested in the woollier corners of Twitter that its psychometric profiles were not just a deciding factor in the election but a particularly dangerous one.

The truth is that theres very little evidence that Cambridge Analyticas particular methods have any different effect on voting behavior than any other digital political campaign efforts. Dave Karpf, a professor at Georgetown and expert in political advocacy on the internet, has called Cambridge Analytica the Theranos of political data  a company with a tremendous marketing department, coupled with a team of research scientists who provide on virtually none of those marketing promises.

Given the narrowness of Trumps margins, could Cambridge Analytica have provided the extra nudge that pushed him across the finish line? Sure! And, yes, its awfully interesting that Cambridge Analytica employed a Russian-American professor who received funding from the Russian government. But until more reporting is done, thats all it is  interesting. As Cambridge Analytica itself has resentfully pointed out, the Obama campaign was undertook similar Facebook data-gathering efforts. Those campaigns were aboveboard, and the uses of the data made clear to those who signed up  no small distinction  but they still used Facebook in much the same way. Focusing on Cambridge Analytica as a uniquely sinister actor in the election (or in the world of data acquisition or voter-targeting) ignores exactly how easy, and how mundane, their data-harvesting really was  and how vulnerable your Facebook data really is.
Photo: Prima Coffee

Making pour-over coffee first requires the right setup. Specifically, you need three things: a pour-over coffee maker (sometimes called a manual drip coffee maker), a pour-over kettle, and a scale, in order to keep track of the coffee beanwater ratio. But with so many different coffee makers, kettles, and scales out there, it can be hard to know which pour-over gear makes the best coffee. You might be tempted to go with the most recognizable name in pour-over coffee makers: Chemex, which is a great option. But we wanted to know if there were Chemex alternatives that were a little less expensive but worked just as well.

So we talked with coffee experts from Manhattans Black Fox Coffee and Brooklyns Variety Coffee Roasters about their preferred pour-over coffee setups and the gear they say makes the perfect cup.

Hario V60 Pour-Over Kit $28 At Black Fox we use a Hario V60, and the extraction it delivers is even and consistent when used with skill. Plastic is best, as it does not retain heat. Having your water at the consistently hottest possible temperature will ensure consistent extraction from brew to brew. There are three main things that affect extraction when brewing at atmospheric pressure: grind particle size, contact time of water to coffee, and temperature of water. $28 at Bed Bath & Beyond Buy

Abid Clever Coffee Dripper $21 If you want to make great coffee at home, you should aim to eliminate as many variables as possible. Therefore, any product or method that enables you to achieve a repeatable outcome will inevitably yield the best results. For this reason, I think the Abid Clever Coffee Dripper is the best manual coffee maker for home use. The Clever is a mix between a full-immersion brewer like a French press and a traditional pour-over cone. You use time as a brew control. You can use grind as a control by timing how long it takes to drain, and make adjustments if you want it stronger or weaker. The best part is that, due to its design, these steps are measurable and repeatable  you can steep the same amount of time, measure how long it takes to drain, and do the same thing every day without having to overthink it. $21 at Prima Coffee Buy

Hario Electric Buono Kettle $89 The best pour-over kettle is the Hario Buono. This kettle has been the industry standard for years, and for good reason. Its cheaper than other options, pours perfectly consistent, looks nice on your stove top, and is super sturdy. $89 at Bed Bath & Beyond Buy

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The salary hike central government employees have been waiting for might shape in coming months. The Narendra Modi government is reportedly planning to increase the basic pay of low-level officials under the 7th Central Pay Commission. The move will include officials under pay matrix level 1 to 5. As of now, the minimum basic pay for central government employees as per the 7th Pay Commission is Rs 18,000.

The Modi government may reportedly revise the fitment factor to three from 2.57 times, as mentioned in the 7th Pay Commission. This will increase the present minimum basic pay of Rs 18,000 to Rs 21,000. Arun Jaitley's Finance Ministry might table the proposal before the Cabinet for consideration in the beginning of next financial year. The government is expected to take a call on pay hike beyond the recommendations of 7th Pay Commission sometime in April.

The last pay panel had recommended a fitment factor of 2.57 for increasing the basic pay of central government employees under the 7th Pay Commission. This took their minimum basic pay from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000, but the government officials have been demanding for more. The employee unions have been asking for minimum basic pay for central government employees to be increased to Rs 26,000 with a fitment factor of 3.68.

The National Anomaly Committee (NAC) has already clarified that a change in fitment factor to hike entry level pay for central government employees is not an anomaly.

Earlier this month, the Cabinet approved two per cent hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) for central government employees. This decision led to 1.10 crore central government staff and pensioners receive 7 per cent of their basic pay as DA, instead of 5 per cent. The hike was put into retrospective effect from January 01, 2018.

The hike in Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief is expected to benefit 48.41 lakh central government employees and 61.17 lakh pensioners. This Cabinet approved the increase in DA and DR in accordance with the formula recommended by the 7th Central Pay Commission.

This hike in DA and DR together will put additional burden of Rs 6,077.72 crore on the state exchequer every year. This financial pressure will reach Rs 7,090.68 crore during the 14-month period between January 2018 and February 2019.

In June 2017, the Union Cabinet had approved 7th Pay Commission recommendations on allowance structure for central government employees with 34 modifications. The changes in allowances have put an additional burden of Rs 30,748 crore on the exchequer. The changes were put into effect from July 1, 2017.
After multiple similar strikes, Uber and Ola drivers are halting their services across the country from today. Prices are expected to skyrocket during the strike due to the shortage of cabs. Apart from high-prices, the waiting period for a cab is also expected to go up significantly.

The drivers, along with their families are planning to protest outside the offices of cab-hailing giants. Maharashtra Navnirman Vahatuk Sena's Sanjay Naik said that the business of these drivers have taken a deep plunge over the years due to the 'mismanagement' of these companies. He also added that if their demands are not met, then the protest could go on indefinitely.



The drivers are demanding that Uber and Ola should ensure the business that they promised in the beginning. According to a report by Financial Express, that business amounts to Rs 1.25 lakh per month. Moreover, the association wants Uber and Ola to discontinue company-owned cabs entirely, reinstate drivers with a low rating, stop low fares and decide fares based on the cars.



Needless to say, their protest will affect the day-to-day business of big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata, but it will also hit smaller cities to a great extent. Smaller cities have low prices and to add to that the comfort, ease and security of these cabs has resulted in a rapid expansion of these services.



Cab drivers have been making their dissatisfaction known for a while now with the way the cab-hailing business is taking shape. Banks are also seizing the vehicles of drivers as they are unable to pay back their loans and feed their family at the same time even after long, strenuous hours of work.

According to reports, the incentives that drivers used to get have also decreased, while Uber and Ola still continue to charge 20-25% of the fee on every trip.

Uber commands 50% of the Indian market and Ola holds 44.2%. Their growth rate is expected to be 19.6% taking the market volume to USD 761 million by 2022.

Last year, the drivers of the two cab-hailing services conducted major protests in light of decreasing revenues which eventually led to financial burden in form of car loans and maintenance. After the protest in April last year, Uber had approached Delhi High Court seeking Rs 12 crore in damages due to drives assosiations accusations.
Adrian Lamo, a computer hacker best known for passing on information that led to the arrest of Chelsea Manning, has died aged 37.



In online messaging conversations, Manning confided in him, describing confidential military material Manning had sent to Wikileaks.



Wikileaks published the video of a US helicopter strike that killed seven people, including a journalist working for the Reuters news agency.



The cause of Lamos death, confirmed to the BBC by the Sedgwick County coroner in Kansas, has not yet been made public.



On Facebook, his father Mario wrote: With great sadness and a broken heart I have to let know all of Adrians friends and acquittances [sic] that he is dead. A bright mind and compassionate soul is gone, he was my beloved son.



Lamos own record as a hacker included some high-profile targets, such as Microsoft and the New York Times.



Speaking to the Guardian newspaper in 2011, Lamo described his decision to give up Manning as not one I decided to make, but was thrust upon me.



Lamo said he would have lasting regret if Manning was handed a long sentence.



Manning, known at the time as Bradley Manning, was eventually sentenced to 35 years in prison. However, President Barack Obama later commuted her sentence and she was released in May 2017.



She is now attempting to become the Senator for Maryland, her home state.



Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on Friday described Lamo as a petty conman and betrayer of basic human decency.











Source: BBC









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LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares?



























Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano...



Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos:



Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias.



Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera.



No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje.



En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio.



Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida.



Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella.



Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal.



Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista.



Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen.



Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che?



Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio.



Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora.



Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo.



Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo.



Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania.



No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar.



Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga.





Alguna duda?



Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino



Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia.



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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 use around 6000 MT of pine wood chip per year in fuel, around 15% moisture content.

But we are a long distance from a port that is big enough to accommodate a large vessel.

Are you able to supply in containers?
with Andrew McKay

State Representative Ingram joins the Pensacola Morning News to discuss his upcoming retirement from the Florida House of Representatives, Governor Scott vetoes, the Bluff's Project, and the gun bill.
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
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Playhouse Square tower March 2018

A rendering shows the Euclid Avenue frontage of Playhouse Square's planned apartment tower, at left, and adjacent 550-space parking garage.

(SCB)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Playhouse Square Foundation is ready to raise the curtain on a 34-story apartment tower in downtown Cleveland's theater district, where site preparations will start next week and a formal groundbreaking could take place in early April.

The nonprofit organization's board recently blessed the project and gave construction contractor Gilbane Building Co. permission to proceed. The 319-unit apartment building and a 550-space parking garage will replace a parking lot at the southwest corner of East 17th Street and Euclid Avenue, across from the Connor Palace theater.

That parking lot, which Playhouse Square owns, is scheduled to close March 26.

A rendering shows a Euclid Avenue view of the apartment tower and garage, which will replace a surface lot at the eastern edge of the theater district.

Financing for the tower, a $135 million project, still is coalescing. But Art Falco, the arts district's frequently cautious chief executive, is surefooted enough to proceed with realizing a dream long held by Playhouse Square's real estate staff, board members and benefactors.

"We have commitments," Falco said. "And so long as we have commitments, there's the confidence that we can start work. Which is no different from any other real estate project."

Playhouse Square, already owner and manager for a formidable portfolio of buildings, will own the apartment project. Hines, a global real estate firm that has tackled other high-rise towers, has signed on as development manager. The building will open in summer 2020.

The project comes amid a surge of rental construction in Cleveland. The first residents are scheduled to move into the One University Circle apartment tower near the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals early next month. At East Sixth Street and Euclid Avenue downtown, a crane perforates the skyline where the Beacon apartments will rise above an existing garage.

And developers still are talking about other high-rise endeavors, including the much-ballyhooed nuCLEus mixed-use project in the Gateway District, near Quicken Loans Arena. But paying for such projects isn't easy, between escalating costs, a tight labor market, construction complexities and lenders' anxiety about how long the apartment boom will continue.

Falco expects Playhouse Square to close on all of the tower financing by June. But the nonprofit already has plenty of cash on hand, thanks in large part to a gift from the Richard J. Fasenmyer Foundation. The district also received $1 million from the last state capital budget.

An evening view shows the apartment building's lobby and the illuminated garage, dressed up for a Broadway show in the district.

That money is earmarked for the garage and apartment tower - apart from Playhouse Square's fundraising for its ongoing $100 million capital campaign, which is focused on theater restoration and maintenance, programming, education and district beautification.

Between the Fasenmyer gift and other sources, Playhouse Square has about $25 million in equity to put into the apartment deal, Falco said. That doesn't include what the organization could borrow against its other real estate, if necessary.

For much of the remaining funding, Playhouse Square is working with a group of banks - Falco won't identify them yet - and analyzing the best way to float bonds that would be paid off using rents from the apartments and garage. A bond issue could raise between $40 million and $75 million, depending on whether Playhouse Square opts to repay existing bond debt as part of the transaction.

A rendering shows the facade of the apartment tower from the northeast.

The apartments would qualify for a property-tax break under Cleveland's broad policy of offering 15 years of tax abatement on new residential construction that meets certain green-building standards. The underlying land, like Playhouse Square's other non-theater real estate, will generate property taxes.

The city also is considering tax-increment financing for the garage. Under that structure, a portion of the property-tax revenues created by the project would be ploughed back into the project, rather than ending up in public coffers. The Cleveland school district's share of new tax revenues from the project wouldn't be impacted.

That arrangement, with a 30-year term, would be worth just over $4 million.

Cleveland also is considering an interest-free loan of up to $1 million, which would be partially forgiven after a decade if Playhouse Square meets certain milestones, including filling street-level retail space lining the garage.

Legislation is likely to be introduced at Cleveland City Council this month.

Councilman Kerry McCormack, who represents the area, said the apartment tower will be an important step toward achieving the city's goal of building up downtown's population to 20,000 residents by 2020. The Downtown Cleveland Alliance, a nonprofit group, estimates that more than 15,000 people call the central business district home.

"I think this is a really unique location," McCormack said of the theater-district site. "I think we'll see high demand from people who want to live close to downtown and to Playhouse Square. I know that they're, for sure, looking at the millennial demographic but also looking at the Baby Boomers. ... It's a good sign of the continued progress of downtown Cleveland and of the city itself that we are seeing these buildings go up."

Playhouse Square won't discuss rental rates for the apartments, but they're likely to be among the highest downtown. The units, 11 to a floor, will range from one to three bedrooms. Greystar Real Estate Partners, a major apartment operator based in South Carolina, will manage the building, said Allen Wiant of Playhouse Square Real Estate Services.

"We have somewhere around 20 units already" on a waiting list, Wiant said. "That's not huge, but ... the thing hasn't started yet."

The tower construction will require lane and sidewalk closures on Euclid and East 17th through spring 2020, according to a neighborhood flyer prepared by Gilbane.
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Guwahati: Apollo Hospitals Guwahati conducted todays (17 march) OPD clinic at Guwahati Press Club, where Dr Prabin Saikia offered free healthcare consultations to over 30 media persons.





Organized under the series of Evening with a Doctor programs for the benefit of press club members along with their close relatives, the weekly camp also facilitated the participants to check their weight, height, blood sugar & pressure.





Nurses Luwangleima Athokpam, Leishangthem Ishworchandra Singh, Emon Dutta, Sontosh Rai with public relation officer Rasmita Sarma assisted the attending physician to conduct the brief camp.




Guwahati : Security forces had apprehended a militant of Tai Singpho Security Force (TSSF), known close with banned United Liberation Front of Asom  Independent (ULFA-I) in Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday, officials said.





Kohima based Defence PRO Colonel Chiranjeet Konwer said that, based on intelligence input, Assam Rifles Changlang battalion had launched Margherita area along Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border and nabbed the TSSF militant from Sagunbari area.





The nabbed militant was identified as Nongbu Singpho and he is working with ULFA(I).





Post spot interrogation he admitted allegiance to Tai Singpho Security Force (TSSF) and ULFA-I. He further divulged that he has been active part of the outfit since 2014 and has undergone intensive training in Myanmar, the Defence PRO said.





Security Forces has been carrying out aggressive operations in the South Arunachal Pradesh and this apprehension has struck a blow to the extortion activities being carried out by the underground cadres of the group in the area.








SYDNEY: Australian authorities urged people to remain alert on Monday as bushfires that have destroyed dozens of homes, killed cattle and forced hundreds of residents to flee continued to burn out of control in the southeast of the country.





No deaths or serious injuries were reported on Monday but the bushfires have caused extensive damage in rural areas of Victoria and New South Wales (NSW), Australias two most populous states. More than 100 houses were damaged or destroyed, authorities said. At this stage (there have been) no lives lost, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said at a news conference in the small NSW coastal town of Tathra.





It is just a great credit to the firefighters, to the volunteers, the emergency workers  all of the community has pulled together and provided such great support, he said.





The fires, believed to have been sparked by lightning on Saturday, were fanned by dry, hot winds as temperatures reached 41 degrees Celsius (106 Fahrenheit) on Sunday.





Emergency officials said conditions should ease later on Monday but watch and act warnings remained in place for five locations.





The fire also set off an argument among Australias politicians on whether climate change was a contributing factor to the blazes.





You cant attribute any particular event, whether its a flood or fire or a drought to climate change. We are the land of droughts and flooding rains, were the land of bushfires, Turnbull said.





Authorities said some 69 houses were destroyed and a further 39 were damaged and 30 caravans or cabins were also wiped out in Tathra, where residents fled to the beach on Sunday to avoid the flames as flying embers quickly carried the firefront forward.





About 700 residents were evacuated to centres set up at the nearby town of Bega and several schools in affected areas were closed on Monday.





NSW Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers earlier told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that five of 22 fires had not yet been contained.





Theres still a lot of fire around the landscape, he said, warning that it would still be several days before they were extinguished.





About 280 firefighters were battling the blazes, while 22,000 homes were without power in the region after high winds brought down trees, Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley said late on Sunday.





Bushfires are a common and deadly threat in Australias hot, dry summers, fuelled by highly flammable eucalyptus trees.




Promote pre-colonial areas as tourism sites

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Diaspora/Heritage tourism, with specific focus on promoting pre-colonial areas as heritage sites, was a recommendation coming out of the fifth International Garifuna Conference, on March 12 and 13 at the Peace Memorial Hall.

The Garifuna Heritage Foundation hosted a successful two-day conference, under the theme: aThe Island of Balliceaux: Sacred Lands or Economic Opportunitya.

There were representatives from regional Garifuna settlements from Suriname, Belize, Dominica and Guyana, as well as many history teachers, historians, ambassadors and historian enthusiasts, who came to garner details of Vincentian history.

Keynote speaker, lecturer in Cultural Studies at UWI Cave Hill, Dr Yanique Hume, made the heritage tourism suggestion during the opening night of the conference, which she said would help to strengthen pre-colonial heritage, while creating economic stimulus and improving the push to have these sites preserved.

aTourism, while seeming as a blessing for some and a curse for others, can become the central ground to which the quest of histories can enter into public discourse, through re-imagining and branding specific locals as unique heritage sites.And the rationale, the idea of bolstering cultural confidence; strengthening the indigenous component; establishing further ties across those indigenous communities; enhancing the destination branding; making the product we sell as tourism distinctive and exponential a beyond sand, sea, sex, sun and rum. Breaking away from commodity tourism and relying on being able to think about what it means to bring forth a new way of protecting sacred sites,a Dr Hume said.

She explained that what is usually promoted in the Caribbean as a historic site is the colonial aspects, such as plantation houses and forts and that most of the history written at the time was an attempt at erasing the history of the local population. She suggested that reparatory money be reinvested in an interactive museum, a monument of Chief Joseph Chatoyer (the national hero) and a heritage trail, which she says would

help to preserve the heritage, but sustain a livelihood.

Another panellist, who had conducted research into the history of Balliceaux and the Garifuna people, gave an in-depth presentation and revealed new exciting details for further historical research.

Dr Niall Finneran, reader in Historical Archaeology at the University of Winchester, UK, revealed that a former student of his discovered in his research into the French black prisoners of Portchester Castle, that one of those prisoners was described as a afree, mixed race soldier, who was in the command of the Garifuna.a He explained that other survivors of the Portchester Castle had either fought in the French Revolution, migrated to Sicily, Italy, Ukraine or gone back to the Caribbean. Finneran explained that this new detail creates a big context to work in further historical discoveries about the indigenous group.

Prime Minister of SVG, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, in his remarks, said the Government has ratified the United Nations Declaration on the Rights on Indigenous People. In 2001, UNESCO proclaimed the Garifuna Heritage and Culture as one of the Intangible Masterpieces of the Heritage of Mankind.

Kathy Martin, a former chairperson of the SVG National Trust, spoke on archaeological discoveries on Balliceaux and how skeletal remains date as far back as AD 1230.

It was explained that in 1795 the Garifuna had surrendered and 4,776 Garifuna were exiled to Balliceaux in 1797. The then owner of the island, Campbell, was agraciouslya receiving rent from the British Government during the six months of their exile on the island, in which 2,500 Garifunas died. The survivors were then taken to Roatan island, off the coast of Honduras in Central America, and they now number over 300,000 persons. St Vincent was considered the centre of Garifuna resistance and Balliceaux today, is considered sacred to the Garifuna descendants. Balliceaux and Battowia have been up for sale on various websites and in 2017, there was a potential buyer.

Dr Hume emphasized that a collaborative effort between state and indigenous groups is needed to secure Balliceaux as a heritage site. She explained that there needs to be a clear understanding of what needs to be done and that half of the work is finished, since there is already a formal recognition from UNESCO about the importance of the Garifuna heritage. She said the Garifuna diaspora can use this as a departure point and build a case to deem Balliceaux a natural site of sacred value.(CB)
 "Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2018" | Main | "Legal Punishment and Free Will: An Epistemic Argument Against Retributivism" 

Ever since Prez Trump starting talking up his affinity for using the death penalty for drug dealers, I have been wondering if he was planning to call for Congress to develop new capital statutes to help pursue that end. But, according to this new Wall Street Journal piece, a big speech coming from Prez Trump on Monday will only call for more capital cases to be brought under existing federal criminal laws. The WSJ piece carries this full on-line headline "Trumps Opioid Battle Plan Includes Seeking More Death-Penalty Prosecutions: The president will ask the Justice Department to press more cases against drug traffickers under current law." Here are highlights:

President Donald Trump on Monday will call for new steps to combat the opioid epidemic, including a push to reduce opioid prescriptions by a third over three years, asking the Justice Department to seek more death-penalty cases against drug traffickers under current law, and for federal support to expand the availability of overdose-reversal medication.

The proposals will come in a speech in the hard-hit state of New Hampshire. They form part of a broader blueprint by Mr. Trump, which senior White House officials on Sunday described as seeking to deploy education, law enforcement and treatment to try to reverse abuse of particularly addictive drugs that claim the lives of more than 100 people a day in the U.S.

Other elements of the strategy, the White House said, would include a fresh public-awareness campaign about drug abuse, a research-and-development partnership between the National Institutes of Health and pharmaceutical companies into opioid prescription alternatives, tougher sentences for fentanyl traffickers, and screening of all prison inmates for opioid addiction.

But it is the death penalty proposal that is likely to dominate discussion of the package. The Department of Justice will seek the death penalty against drug traffickers when its appropriate under current law, said Andrew Bremberg, the presidents top domestic-policy adviser.

Senior White House officials referred specific questions about the death-penalty stance to the Justice Department but emphasized that the administration was seeking to use current law rather than call for a new federal statute.

A 1988 federal law imposes the death penalty on drug kingpins who commit murder in the course of their business. Some legal analysts say that it has resulted in dozens of sentences but few executions since then. John Blume, a law professor at Cornell Law School and director of its death-penalty project, said the statute as enforced to date typically has ensnared mid- to low-level drug dealersNone of them were really objectively the people they said they were going to get....

In November, a presidential commission headed by Mr. Trumps one-time political rival for the Republican presidential nomination, former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, issued a 56-recommendation report that included calls for the federal government to set up drug courts across the U.S., retrain medical prescribers on opioid use and reduce incentives for doctors to offer the powerful painkillers. It also called for engaging with states to expand access to naloxone, an overdose-reversal drug. The administration accepts all 56 recommendations, a senior White House official said Sunday.

At a brief appearance at a White House summit on opioids earlier this month, Mr. Trump openly mused that other countries allow the death penalty for drug trafficking and that he believed they had less of a drug problem as a result. He said that translated into a need for more strength. He offered few further details, saying only that he also wanted to see the federal government bring legal action against opioid manufacturers, because if the states are doing it, why isnt the federal government doing it?

Such remarks had sparked speculation that Mr. Trump would seek a new death penalty for drug trafficking, and with it, a revived debate about the permissibility of such laws under the constitutional amendment prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment. The Supreme Court has rejected capital punishment for crimes such as child rape in recent years and has taken a narrower view of arguments that seek to execute people for indirectly causing deaths through criminal actions.
 "Legal Punishment and Free Will: An Epistemic Argument Against Retributivism" | Main | Justice Sotomayor suggests "reconsideration of other sentencing practices in the life-without-parole context" 

March 19, 2018

Three Justices join Justice Breyer questioning how Arizona's death penalty system operates

Many month ago, as highlighted here, the cert petition in Hidalgo v. Arizona generated considerable attention. That matter ended today when the petition for a writ of certiorari was denied, along with this lengthy statement by Justice Breyer joined by Justices Ginsburg, Sotomayor and Kagan. I was expecting some Justices to say something really notable after all this build up, by the statement ends this way:

Although, in my view, the Arizona Supreme Court misapplied our precedent, I agree with the Courts decision today to deny certiorari. In support of his Eighth Amendment challenge, the petitioner points to empirical evidence about Arizonas capital sentence system that suggests about 98% of first-degree murder defendants in Arizona were eligible for the death penalty. That evidence is unrebutted. It points to a possible constitutional problem. And it was assumed to be true by the state courts below. Evidence of this kind warrants careful attention and evaluation. However, in this case, the opportunity to develop the record through an evidentiary hearing was denied. As a result, the record as it has come to us is limited and largely unexamined by experts and the courtsbelow in the first instance. We do not have evidence, for instance, as to the nature of the 866 cases (perhaps they implicate only a small number of aggravating factors). Nor has it been fully explained whether and to what extent an empirical study would be relevant to resolving the constitutional question presented. Capital defendantsmay have the opportunity to fully develop a record with the kind of empirical evidence that the petitioner points to here. And the issue presented in this petition will be better suited for certiorari with such a record.

Meh.

March 19, 2018 at 12:01 PM | Permalink

Comments

Denying cert to a death petition because the lower courts refused to let you make a record on the constitutionality of your execution? I try not to keep Kafka's name off my lips, but...

Posted by: RW | Mar 19, 2018 12:25:48 PM

urgh, should read try to keep Kafka's name off my lips

Posted by: RW | Mar 19, 2018 12:26:13 PM

As I said originally, didn't think there was much chance that the justices would use the challenge for an across the board attack on the death penalty since there simply aren't five votes for that. So, what did one expect?

It turns out to be the standard thing -- the long continuing battle to limit the death penalty when possible. Kennedy has spoken about the constitutional rule that colloquially can be said to be "worse of the worst":

"The rule of evolving standards of decency with specific marks on the way to full progress and mature judgment means that resort to the penalty must be reserved for the worst of crimes and limited in its instances of application. In most cases justice is not better served by terminating the life of the perpetrator rather than confining him and preserving the possibility that he and the system will find ways to allow him to understand the enormity of his offense. Difficulties in administering the penalty to ensure against its arbitrary and capricious application require adherence to a rule reserving its use, at this stage of evolving standards and in cases of crimes against individuals, for crimes that take the life of the victim."

https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/07-343.ZO.html

But, this does leave open the power to execute in at least some cases & his joining in Glossip suggests he opposes something he sees as a veiled across the board attack on capital punishment. The back-up here was that the standards were too open-ended. It would seem like a somewhat promising case, especially since the effect in Arizona wouldn't be that large. So, tinker tinker.

The result seems to leave an opening for further challenge here with a better record. The long opinion shows there are four ready-made votes, Kagan's vote notable since often she doesn't join these separate statements/dissents from denial. "Meh" maybe but in the long game, notable.

As is Sotomayor's statement in the LWOP context in another case today.

Posted by: Joe | Mar 19, 2018 1:26:09 PM

"Worst of the worst."

Posted by: Joe | Mar 19, 2018 1:28:15 PM

An unusual statement to say the least. Translated from lawyer speak to plain English. "Even though four votes are enough to grant cert, we don't think that we have a fifth vote on the merits. Particularly, we are not sure that we can get the Chief Justice or Justice Kennedy to find a constitutional right based on assuming the allegations made in this case. Therefore, we are not granting cert. We are sorry for the defendant in this case, but we really need a case in which a judge granted a hearing and defense counsel made a good record."

Posted by: tmm | Mar 19, 2018 2:55:25 PM

good

Posted by: torvic | Apr 1, 2018 12:02:33 AM

Post a comment
At least four people were injured, with two of them being in critical condition in a fire at a casino of the Manila Pavilion hotel in Philippines on March 18 (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

At least four people were injured, with two of them being in critical condition in a fire at a casino of the Manila Pavilion hotel in Philippines on March 18.

Johnny Yu, an official of the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, told reporters that the fire is believed to have begun in the mezzanine area on the third floor. Meanwhile, the Manilas Bureau of Fire Protection said the area caught fire at about 9.30 am.



The fire was expected to be extinguished in early afternoon the same day and the wounded were rushed to hospital. There has been no report on the fatalities while the cause of the incident is unidentified.- VNA
C Flanigan/Getty ImagesBloc Party will perform their 2005 debut album Silent Alarm in full on a European tour this fall. The six-date run begins October 15 in Amsterdam, and will make stops in cities including Paris, Berlin and London.

Silent Alarm features the tracks "Banquet" and "Helicopter." Bloc Party's current lineup features just two of the members who played on the album: frontman Kele Okereke and guitarist Russell Lissack. Drummer Matt Tong and bassist Gordon Moakes left the band in 2013 and 2015, respectively.

Since Silent Alarm, Bloc Party has released four more studio albums, the most recent of which being 2016's Hymns.

There's no word yet on whether the British rockers will be bringing the Silent Alarm tour to the U.S., but if you want to make the trip to Europe, visit BlocParty.com for ticket info.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on March 19, 2018

2018/03/19

Q: Can you give us explanations for why Foreign Minister Wang Yi is now also a State Councilor? Some people are saying this is a sign of the increasing importance that China attaches to its diplomacy.

A: The first session of the 13th National Peoples Congress has elected new leadership of national institutions, which reflects the shared aspiration of all members of the Party and people of all ethnic groups.

In terms of diplomacy, since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has bore the larger picture in mind, forged ahead with determination and blazed new trails, guiding Chinas diplomacy to open up new horizon. Our diplomacy will always fully follow through on the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We will ensure the power of diplomacy rests with the CPC Central Committee and continue to strengthen the Partys centralized and unified leadership and comprehensive planning and coordination of foreign affairs, so that the CPC Central Committees major foreign policies and strategies will be effectively implemented.

Q: According to the preliminary data, Vladimir Putin has won the presidential election held in Russia yesterday. Whats Chinas comment? How do you see the prospects of China-Russia relations? Will Mr. Putin be invited to visit China after he takes office?

A: Yesterday, a presidential election was successfully held in Russia. According to the preliminary data of the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC), President Vladimir Putin has won the presidential election and been reelected. President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory message to him.

China and Russia are good neighbors and comprehensive strategic partners. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination has kept operating at a high level and is now at its historical best. The strategic mutual trust between the two sides have been continuously strengthened and fruitful outcomes achieved in cooperation in various fields.

Both China and Russia are now at a crucial stage of their national development respectively. After it was announced that the first session of the 13th National Peoples Congress unanimously elected President Xi Jinping as Chinese president on March 17, President Vladimir Putin warmly congratulated him by sending a telegram of congratulations immediately. China has also sincerely congratulated Russia on the smooth completion of its important national political agenda and will support Russia in following a development path that suits its national conditions as always. We believe that under the leadership of President Putin, Russia will maintain steady development and play a greater role in international affairs.

We are deeply convinced that under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination will embrace new opportunities and achieve new outcomes, which will make greater contributions to promoting common development and prosperity of China and Russia and the regional peace and stability at large.

Following the practice of exchange of visits between the two heads of state annually, the Russian president will pay a state visit to China this year. The two sides will maintain close communication through diplomatic channels regarding this matter.

Q: At the International Institute of Finance forum in Buenos Aires, Argentina, US Treasury Undersecretary David Malpass said an increasing amount of state control over China's economy and its moving away from markets were worrisome to the world. Whats your comment on this?

A: Chinas socialist market economy has made huge achievements. This is an undeniable conclusion that any unbiased person will surely arrive at and that will not be changed by any random criticism or irresponsible remarks by certain US official. Reform and opening-up is Chinas fundamental state policy. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Chinas reform and opening up. Over the past four decades, Chinas rapid development has substantially improved the living standard and life quality of Chinese people and made indispensable contributions to global economic growth and poverty alleviation. China has contributed to over 70% of global poverty alleviation and 30% of global economic growth, an obvious fact for all to see.

As we said, Chinas reform and opening up will keep going on without an end. In light of the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up, the Chinese government will roll out stronger new measures to deepen reform and opening up.

Now as the global economy still faces great uncertainties and risks, we believe all countries should closely cooperate in solidarity rather than point fingers at each other. As a responsible major country, China stands ready to work with various parties to press ahead with structural reform in a coordinated way to promote the strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth of world economy.

Q: The US has decided to take restrictive measures against imported steel and aluminum products. According to the Wall Street Journal, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro once sought funding of 1 million US dollars from a US steel company for a documentary film Death by China which contributed the demise of the US steel industry to China. Some commentators say that Navarro got financing from interest group to fund a film that advances his own political stances. The FBI is now looking into this case. How do you view this?

A: I have seen relevant reports. I dont want to comment on their contents, nor am I in a right position to do so.

Regarding the restrictive measures taken by the US side on imported steel and aluminum products, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce and my colleagues have made clear Chinas position many times. I want to point out that under the current circumstance, beggar-thy-neighbor and indiscriminate shelling are by no means helpful and effective ways to solve problems, nor are they constructive. We hope that all parties could calm down and talk to each other, follow the rules of the WTO and the market economy, and resolve the issue through cooperation so as to jointly maintain the order of international trade. That is the best way to serve the common interests of all relevant parties as well as the international community.

Q: Foreign Minister Wang Yi was elevated to the position of State Councilor today. Can we presume that he will now be the Special Representative for India-China border talks?

A: The Special Representatives Meeting on the China-India Border Issue is a high-level channel for border negotiations as well as an important platform for strategic communications between the two countries. China attaches great importance to this mechanism and would like to make full use of this important mechanism to keep in close strategic communications with the Indian side so as to enhance strategic mutual trust and maintain the sound and steady development of China-India ties.

Q: According to a report released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), China received the largest number of patent applications in 2016, exceeding for the first time the combined total of the US, the EU, Japan and the ROK. Meanwhile, we note that some countries and relevant people cannot stop taking up the issue of intellectual property rights protection with China. What is your comment?

A: According to the WIPOs annual World Intellectual Property Indicators report released in December 2017, Chinas State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) received the highest number of patent applications in 2016, a record total of 1.3 million, exceeding the combined total of the US, the EU, Japan and the ROK. Among them, 90% were filed in China and 10% abroad. Besides, China become the first country worldwide with more than 1 million patent filings in 2015, and by 2016, the number of Chinas effective patent holdings surpassed for the first time 1 million, making China the 3rd country to join the million club after the US and Japan. All these show that China has already become a major IPR country. As WIPO Director General Francis Gurry said Chinas share of patent applications worldwide shows the innovation trend in China, and China is increasingly amongst the leaders in global innovation and branding.

China is taking solid steps to implement its innovation-driven strategy for development. We hope that Chinas efforts and achievements in this field could be recognized in an objective and fair way.

After the conclusion of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) on the morning of March 20 (Tuesday), Premier Li Keqiang will meet with and take questions from Chinese and foreign press at the Golden Hall on the third floor of the Great Hall of the People. The regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be adjourned on March 20 and resumed on March 21 (Wednesday).

We remain open to your questions through telephone, fax, WeChat or email.
(WB) New rulings from federal appeals courts that have found an existing civil rights law against sex discrimination also prohibits anti-LGBT discrimination are shaking up the landscape for protections for LGBT people in the workplace.

In the past month, two circuit courts  the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals  have determined Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars discrimination on the basis of sex in the workplace, applies to LGBT people.

The Second Circuit found the anti-gay discrimination is a form of sex discrimination in the case against Altitude Express in New York filed by Donald Zarda, a gay now deceased skydiver. That decision made the Second Circuit one of two circuits where sexual-orientation discrimination is unequivocally prohibited under federal law, complementing a decision from the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals last year.

The next week, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals determined Title VII bars anti-trans discrimination in the case against Harris Funeral Homes in Michigan. That decision also found the Religious Freedom Restoration Act doesnt provide an exemption to employers seeking a religious exemption to discriminate against transgender workers. As a result of the ruling, the Sixth Circuit joins the First, Ninth and Eleventh Circuits in barring anti-trans workplace discrimination without dispute.

Sharita Gruberg, associate director of LGBT research and communications at the Center for American Progress, said the circuit court decisions are incredibly important tools against anti-LGBT discrimination.

Title VII provides strong protections against discrimination in the workplace, Gruberg said. If you are an employee in any one of those circuits that have already held that youre protected, that gives you recourse. Also, theres a lot of district courts that have also found Title VII prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. So were seeing a lot more jurisdictions across the country agreeing with this definition.

As a result of these court rulings, workplace protections for LGBT people have advanced in measurable ways. Federal law in the states of the Sixth Circuit  Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee  now unequivocally bar discrimination against transgender workers. Although each of the states in the Second Circuit  Vermont, Connecticut and New York  already has state a law barring anti-gay discrimination, the ruling enables lesbian, gay and bisexual workers to sue under federal law. That requires a lower threshold of evidence for a successful case than state law because it allows charges when the firings were the result of mixed motivations.

Because each individual plaintiff either faces discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, courts have interpreted Title VII to apply to LGBT workers in a kind of two-layered approach. No court ruling against anti-gay or anti-trans discrimination explicitly covers the other. However, the reasoning is often based on the determination that anti-LGBT discrimination is sex-stereotyping, which means a ruling against anti-gay or anti-trans discrimination could easily bolster a case of the other kind of discrimination.

The number of circuit courts that have determined Title VII applies to LGBT workers may soon grow. The LGBT legal group Lambda Legal and the St. Louis-based law firm Mathis, Marifian & Richter LTD have brought before the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals another lawsuit that could affirm protections in the jurisdiction for lesbian, gay and bisexual workers. The litigation was filed on behalf of Mark Horton, a health care sales specialist whose job offer at Midwest Geriatric Management was rescinded after the employer found out hes gay.

Last week, 47 businesses, attorneys general from 15 states and D.C., the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and major LGBT groups were among those that filed friend-of-the-court briefs before the Eighth Circuit urging the court to rule in favor of Horton and affirm Title VII protections for lesbian, gay and bisexual workers.

Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, staff attorney for Lambda Legal, said in a statement the briefs demonstrate the nations top corporations recognize that discrimination is bad for business.

Our economy cannot thrive unless all people are welcome both as employees and customers, Gonzalez-Pagan said. Companies across all industries know that when an employee like Mark can bring their whole selves to work without fear of retaliation, they can focus on their jobs and succeed. Mark was recruited because of his recognized skills, which is what matters  and not his sexual orientation.

But not every court is in alignment with the idea that Title VII protects LGBT workers. In a case filed by Jameka Evans, who alleged Georgia Regional Hospital fired her as a security guard for being a lesbian, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals last year determined Title VII doesnt apply to lesbian, gay and bisexual workers because Congress didnt intend that when it passed the law in 1964. Other circuits have years-old precedent against protections for LGBT people under Title VII.

Moreover, the Trump administration has defied court rulings and reversed federal policy from the Obama years determining laws against sex discrimination apply to transgender people. On Title VII, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reversed a memo from former Attorney General Eric Holder assuring transgender workers protections. The Obama administration never explicitly took a position one way or the other on whether Title VII applies to lesbian, gay and bisexual workers, but the Trump administration sent a lawyer to the Second Circuit to argue against interpreting the law in favor of gay people in the Zarda case.

That view of sex discrimination under the Trump administration isnt limited to Title VII. The Trump administration also rescinded guidance assuring transgender kids access to school restrooms consistent with their gender identity under the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The Justice Department also backed down from defending in court a rule assuring transgender peoples access to health care, including gender reassignment surgery, based on Section 1557 of Obamacare, which prohibits sex discrimination by medical providers.

Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute, said the idea Title VII applies to LGBT workers is something of a stretch based on the intent of Congress in 1964 as well as lawmakers inability since that time to pass an explicit law against anti-LGBT discrimination, such as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

When this question first came up years ago, several circuit courts of appeals had rejected the idea that by banning sex discrimination Congress had also banned sexual orientation discrimination, Olson said. The cases back then were clear enough and consistent enough that lawyers regarded the issue as practically settled and so advised their clients. And law runs on precedent.

Still, Olson conceded there are also some pretty good arguments in favor of the effort to interpret Title VII to apply to LGBT workers because the law as interpreted by courts does change.

As we have seen in constitutional law, when narrow interpretations get broadened the world does not necessarily come to an end, Olson said And in the past couple of years there has been first a trickle and now a definite movement of federal courts toward a new position that because of sex does cover sexual orientation after all. If thats a stretch, then its the kind of stretch weve seen many times before, both in Title VII and elsewhere.

As opposed to just leaving the issue to the judiciary, Gruberg said LGBT advocates should pressure Congress to enact an explicit prohibition on anti-LGBT discrimination because of the uncertainty of the courts and possible reversals from the federal government depending on which administration is in power.

Theres still parts of the country where its an individual workers right and whether its their right to work free from discrimination because of their sexual orientation or gender identity will be upheld is not clear, and its really critical that Congress bring that clarity, Gruberg said.

The likely vehicle for explicit legislative protections against anti-LGBT discrimination is the Equality Act, which would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit anti-LGBT discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, credit, jury service, education and federal programs. The chief sponsor of the bill is Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) in the U.S. House and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) in the U.S. Senate.

However, the bill is highly unlikely to move as long as Republicans retain control of Congress. In a 2000 interview with The Advocate, President Trump said he supports the idea of a bill that would add sexual orientation to the Civil Rights Act, but hasnt addressed the issue since that time, nor whether hed support adding protections for transgender people to the law. It seems unlikely he would support that now based on the record of his administration.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency charged with enforcing federal employment civil rights law, has determined in recent years Title VII applies to LGBT workers and decided to take up charges of anti-LGBT discrimination on behalf of workers. The commission found in 2012 Title VII applies to transgender workers in the case of Macy v. Holder and found in 2015 the law applies to lesbian, gay and bisexual workers in the case of Baldwin v. Foxx.

Data on the EEOCs website indicates the charges and resolutions of anti-LGBT discrimination in the workforce has grown since the findings were made. In fiscal year 2017, the commission obtained 1,762 receipts of anti-LGBT discrimination and resolved 2,016 charges if anti-LGBT discrimination. (A total of 1,373 these FY-17 resolutions, however, were dismissed because EEOC found no reasonable cause for discrimination and another 304 were dismissed through administrative closures because, for some reason, such as a lack of contact information, EEOC couldnt move forward with investigation.)

Even though the 11th Circuit in the Evans case has determined Title VII doesnt apply to lesbian, gay and bisexual workers, the commission continues to interpret the law that way in that jurisdiction.

Christine Nazer, a spokesperson for the EEOC, affirmed the commission continues to apply the law in opposition to anti-gay discrimination in the 11th Circuit because the EEOC works as as independent agency.

The agencys position doesnt change because of a circuit court decision, Nazer said. When we take charges of workplace discrimination (in this case, sexual orientation and gender identity charges) from the public, we apply Title VII/sex discrimination. In other words, our administrative process doesnt charge; we determine the merit of the charge based on the law and EEOC policy.

Gruberg said the EEOC has stood apart from other agencies in the Trump administration in continuing to uphold the idea laws against sex discrimination apply to transgender workers because of the nature of the commission.

Even the conservative commissioners come from this kind of employment law background, and they have a very deep strong understanding of what Title VII entails and what the law says and what the non-discrimination protections includes and have been reviewing these cases and very familiar with it, Gruberg said.

Its hard to say when the U.S. Supreme Court will have an opportunity to decide the issue on a nationwide basis and affirm without a doubt Title VII protects either gay or transgender workers from discrimination. The high court declined to take up an opportunity last year to decide the issue in terms of anti-gay discrimination by declining a petition for certiorari in the 11th Circuit case filed by Jameka Evans against Georgia Regional Hospital.

There may be another opportunity if Altitude Express, the company that fired Zarda, filed a petition for certiorari over the Second Circuit. Although the business hasnt announced one way or another what it will action, that action seems unlikely. An attorney for Attitude Express didnt respond to a request to comment on whether a petition will be filed.

Another opportunity also may come after the Eighth Circuit decides against Horton, which may well be the case because the conservative court is stocked George W. Bush appointees. If Horton is the losing party, he could file a petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court.

Gruberg said the timing for when the Supreme Court will take up a case on whether gay protections are included under Title VII is a very good question.

I think everyone feels that thats coming, Gruberg said. Its unclear what that case is going to be, though, so I think its probably a question that theyre going to take up soon, but what soon means in the courts timeline is really unclear right now.

The prospects are more daunting for a Supreme Court ruling asserting Title VII covers transgender people compared to anti-gay discrimination because the circuit courts have reached a greater consensus anti-trans discrimination is illegal. Transgender advocates are unable to seek review of wins before the Supreme Court because they have to take yes for an answer from the circuit courts.

However, a ruling from the Supreme Court for either gay or transgender people on Title VII, Gruberg said, would be significant not only for employment protections, but because it would have implications for other civil rights laws barring sex discrimination.

It would definitely shift the tide in our favor when were trying to interpret what sex discrimination under Title IX means. That would also weigh really heavily into that, including protections for LGBTQ people, sex discrimination in Section 1557 also, Gruberg said. It would be very clear LGBTQ people are protected under that as well.

 Chris Johnson, Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association.
(WB) Rio de Janeiro Councilwoman Marielle Franco was killed on March 14 at around 9:30 p.m. local time after attending and speaking at a black womens empowerment event in the city.

Franco was known for fighting for minorities.

She was a bisexual Brazilian of African descent who grew up in one of Rio de Janeiros favelas. Franco was also one of Rio de Janeiros most outspoken critics of police actions in these areas of the city.

She was a member of Rio de Janeiros black, LGBT, feminist and favela communities. Franco leaves behind an 18-year-old daughter and a partner who is the first woman with whom she fell in love.

The Brazilian military currently controls Rio de Janeiros police in an attempt to curtail the citys rampant violence. Franco was, among other things, a member of the commission that monitored the militarys intervention in the city.

She denounced the assassination of young people from the community of Acari on her Twitter account just four days before her murder. Franco fiercely blamed the polices 41st battalion for abusing their power, calling it the death battalion.

As the police continue their investigation into Francos murder, it is becoming clear that it was nothing short of an execution. One of the newest developments comes from security cameras in the streets of Lapa, the neighborhood where Franco moderated a political debate about young black womens role in society.

The cameras showed a silver car was parked outside of the events location when Franco arrived.

As she entered the venue to participate in the debate around 7 p.m., an unidentified man got out of the silver car and talked on his phone. Franco and her assistant got in the back seat of her car that her driver was driving. The silver car followed Francos car after it left the venue shortly after 9 p.m.

The police are investigating the possibility that another car was involved in the killing and possibility of a car chase happening before the shots were fired at Francos, but those instances will need further assessment by the police as they look for other security cameras to show the cars trajectory on the night of the crime.

Another startling discovery that came from the investigation concerns the ammunition cartridges found at the crime scene. They are a part of a 9 mm bullet lot bought by the federal police in 2016.

This is not the first time that bullets from the federal police have been found at a crime scene.

Members of the Sao Paulo police department in 2015 who were behind the biggest massacre in the citys history used the same 9 mm ammunition that were used to kill Franco and her driver. Officers who were seeking revenge for a colleagues murder executed 17 people.

In a country like Brazil, the discovery of this ammunition raises bigger questions in these and other investigations.

Bought by the federal police to be distributed to other police departments around the country, the 9 mm bullets could have been sold on the black market and many other possibilities that only the tracking of them will be able to answer.

The most important piece of the investigation right now is the testimony of the only survivor of the crime, Francos assistant, whose identity is being kept under wraps for safety reasons.

As the investigation progresses, international associations like the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights recognized Francos fight for the human rights of minorities in Brazil and demanded a serious, prompt and independent investigation about the crime to seek justice for her family.

A true warrior for equality and dignity of Brazils underrepresented groups, Franco would more frequently than not used a phrase on her social media accounts to denounce hate crimes against LGBT Brazilians and young people in the country. As Brazilians try to understand the crime that took the prominent advocates life, they are left with the three words that she used: Stop killing us.

 Felipe Alface, Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association.
(WB) The first openly gay man elected to Colombias congress says his agenda speaks for all Colombians.

My agenda is not only an agenda for the LGBTI community, Mauricio Toro told the Washington Blade on Wednesday during a WhatsApp interview from Bogota, the Colombian capital. They are also business owners. They are also students.

Toro, 36, is a business owner who was elected to the Colombian House of Representatives on March 11 as a member of the center-left Green Alliance party with 19,045 votes. He is one of the 14 openly LGBTI congressional candidates who ran in the countrys national elections.

Toros campaign website notes his platform includes promoting entrepreneurship, increasing access to higher education and fighting corruption. Toro also says he will defend marriage and adoption rights for same-sex couples in Colombia, work to reduce rates of anti-LGBTI violence and murders in the country and seek to expand access to health care that specifically addresses the needs of LGBTI Colombians.

Toro told the Blade that transgender Colombians remain particularly susceptible to discrimination and mistreatment from health care providers.

There are specific needs and they dont understand that, he said.

Angelica Lozano, a bisexual congresswoman with the Green Alliance who is the first openly LGBTI person elected to the Colombian congress, on March 11 was elected to the countrys Senate with 105,700 votes.

Tatiana Pineros, an openly trans woman who was a member of former Bogota Mayor Gustavo Petros cabinet, ran for the Senate with Lista de la Decencia, a coalition of leftist parties. Pineros did not win, but she received 5,671 votes.

Members of the center-right Democratic Center party on March 11 formally chose Ivan Duque as their candidate to succeed President Juan Manuel Santos. Members of the leftist Progressive Movement party also nominated Petro, which he founded, as their presidential candidate.

The countrys presidential elections will take place on May 27. The second round will take place on June 17 if no candidate receives a majority of votes.

The March 11 elections are the first to have taken place since Santos government signed a peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

The agreement allowed FARC, which is now a political party, to participate in the election. Former President Alvaro Uribe, who founded the Democratic Center party in 2013, is among those who strongly oppose the agreement and FARCs participation in the countrys political process.

Toro said he supports the peace agreement. He also noted FARCs participation in the national elections is a moment to see what is possible.

Colombians need to look forward because they cant look back, Toro told the Blade. We endured more than 50 years of one of the most violent conflicts in Latin America.

 Michael K. Lavers, Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association.
As the International Space Station orbits Earth with three occupants already onboard, on the ground below in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, three more crewmates are engaged in activities leading up to a March 21 liftoff on a Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft to join them. (You can watch this launch live on NASA TV, with coverage beginning at 12:45 p.m. EDT.)

Today the future Expedition 55-56 crew members, NASA Flight Engineers Ricky Arnold and Drew Feustel, along with Soyuz Commander Oleg Artemyev, engaged with journalists for media day, sharing how they will continue work on hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science aboard humanity's only permanently occupied microgravity laboratory. This crew will build on the trend of long-term increase in U.S. crew size from three to four, allowing NASA to maximize time dedicated time for investigative research.

Meanwhile, off the Earth, the Expedition 55 crew reconfigured the JEM Airlock in support of an upcoming experiment: Materials on ISS Experiment - Flight Facility (MISSE-FF) payload operations. This study exposes sample plates containing a variety of surface materials to the harsh environs of space outside the station for varying durations. Data collected will inform satellite designers how different materials can degrade over time--a topic of great importance when it comes to designing and building spacecraft and structures to withstand a journey through the cosmos.

On Friday, Flight Engineer Scott Tingle of NASA will wrap up the week talking to science teachers--and lots of them--via an educational in-flight event with the National Science Teachers Association National Conference. During this downlink highlighting the Year of Education on Station, teachers from as far as the United Arab Emirates will pose their own burning questions for the astronaut and learn more about how to living--and working--is accomplished in microgravity.

On-Orbit Status Report

Remote Power Control Modules (RPCM) P14B-G and P13A-G Swap: Ground robotic operations using the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) and Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) to perform a swap of RPCM P14B-G and P13A-G continue. The installation of the new RPCM P14B-G was successful; however, the ground team was unable to fully seat the RPCM in the P13A-G location within operational time constraints. The SPDM, along with RPCM for the P13A-G location, was backed away from the work site. The specialists are planning to re-attempt the installation overnight tonight. The RPCM installed in the P14B-G location has been powered up, and RPC 11, feeding the PTR MDM survival heaters, was successfully closed recovering the survival heaters functionality.

Two Phase Flow (TPF): Today the crew deactivated the TPF experiment equipment in the Multi-Purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) for the experiment run completed overnight, adjusted the MSPR valve setting and then reactivated the equipment for a four-day experiment run that begins tonight. The Two-Phase Flow experiment investigates the heat transfer characteristics of flow boiling in the microgravity environment. This experiment provides a fundamental understanding of the behaviors of bubble formation, liquid-vapor flow in a tube, and how heat transfers in cooling systems. Two-phase flow employs a sample cooling loop using perfluorohexane, often used in coolants for electronics, to establish flow rate and heating power in different conditions.

Manufacturing Device (MD): The crew removed and stowed a 3D printed item from the Manufacturing Device today. They also cleaned the extruder nozzle in preparation for subsequent MD prints. The Manufacturing Device supports the production of components on the ISS for both NASA and commercial objectives. It is capable of producing parts out of a wide variety of thermopolymers including engineered plastics.

NeuroMapping: A 53S crewmember set up the Neuromapping hardware today and performed their Flight Day 90 tests in "strapped in" and "free floating" body configurations. The NeuroMapping investigation studies whether long-duration spaceflight causes changes to brain structure and function, motor control, and multi-tasking abilities. It also measures how long it takes for the brain and body to recover from possible changes. Previous research and anecdotal evidence from astronauts suggests movement control and cognition can be affected in microgravity. The NeuroMapping investigation includes use of structural and functional magnetic resonance brain imaging (MRI and fMRI) to assess any changes that occur after spending months on the ISS.

Lighting Effects: Today a crewmember set up the Actiwatch hardware to prepare for a two week sleep study session that starts today and will include the time of crew sleep shifting prior to the arrival of the 54S vehicle on March 23rd. The Actiwatch and sleep logs will be used to track the crewmember's sleep patterns and wakefulness. The Lighting Effects investigation studies the impact of the change from fluorescent light bulbs to solid-state light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with adjustable intensity and color and aims to determine if the new lights can improve crew circadian rhythms, sleep, and cognitive performance.

JEM Airlock (JEMAL): Today the crew reconfigured the JEM ORU Transfer Interface (JOTI) in support of upcoming Materials ISS Experiment - Flight Facility (MISSE-FF) payload operations. MISSE-FF will be a permanent external platform on the ISS that is modular and robotically serviceable. Remotely controllable sample carriers will provide sample protection and on-demand picture data previously unavailable on prior experiments. Sample plates containing a variety of surface materials will be exposed to the space environment outside the ISS for varying durations to inform satellite designers on how different materials degrade over time. MISSE-FF is currently manifested on SpaceX-14.

Eye Exams: Today the crew completed the second day of routine eye exams using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and a Fundoscope. Eye exams are performed regularly onboard in order to monitor crewmembers eye health. Eyesight is one of the many aspects of the human body that is affected by long-duration stays in a microgravity environment.

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Li-Ion Battery Data Logging: Today the crew initiated a charging Autocycle of two EMU Long Life Batteries (LLB). Over the course of three days, the Autocycle will both charge the batteries and capture battery health data. These two batteries will support the upcoming US EVA #49 scheduled for later this month.

Linguini SSC Service Pack: Overnight the MCC-H ground team will deploy the Linguini Space Station Computer (SSC) service pack. This service pack will add the 54S/55S crew accounts, software to support Pressure Management Device (PMD), migrate the Bigelow Expandable Aerospace Module (BEAM) laptop to ZBook, expand the SpaceX Vehicle Data Transfer capability, and add NextGen Printer software support.

Today's Planned Activities

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

ISS CREW/SSIPC CONFERENCE

Portable air samples with CDM

XF305 Camcorder Setup

Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) Two-Phase Flow Experiment Equipment Deactivation

EML Gas Valves Opening

Two-Phase Flow Experiment Equipment Valves Setting

 Receptacle and Hoses Replacement

Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) Two-Phase Flow Experiment Equipment Activation

JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension to JPM Side

NeuroMapping Experiment Neurocognitive Test - Subject

Structures and Mechanisms JEM ORU Xfer I/F (JOTI) Reconfiguration from MBSU to MTT

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Long Life Battery (LLB) Initiate

JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Retraction from JPM Side

Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) 6-Month Maintenance

Health Maintenance System (HMS) OCT Setup

VEG-03 Dual Facility Watering for each Plant Pillow

ISS HAM Service Module Pass

Health Maintenance System (HMS) - OCT Exam

Consolidation of Personal Hygiene Article for Priority Use

Partial disassembly and leak check of Accuro pumps

Public Affairs Office (PAO) Educational Imagery Recording

Health Maintenance System (HMS) OCT Stow

Actiwatch Spectrum HRF1 Setup

MELFI 3 Ice Brick Insert 9

 maintenance

Manufacturing Device Print Removal, Clean and Stow

Video Recording of Greetings

Actiwatch Spectrum HRF1 Stow

Health Maintenance System (HMS) Fundoscope

Flight Director/ISS CREW CONFERENCE

Lighting Effects Sleep Log Entry

Completed Task List Activities

JAXA Video Taking Part 5 & 6

Ground Activities

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

RPCM P13AG and P14BG Swap

OGA Vacuum Pressure Sensor Trending

Linguini Service Pack Deploy for ZBook SSC Clients

MCC-H Step-up to CA2.0.1 [Aborted - rescheduled for Saturday 03/18 GMT 076]

Standard Commanding

Three-Day Look Ahead:

Friday, 03/16: EVA Loop Scrub, LLB Autocycle, CBEF Reconfig, Veggie Harvest, N3 MCA Connector Inspection

Saturday, 03/17: Housekeeping Tasks, Crew Off-Duty

Sunday, 03/18: EIISS Targets, Crew Off-Duty

QUICK ISS Status - Environmental Control Group:

Component - Status

Elektron - Off

Vozdukh - Manual

[] 1 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV1") - Off

[] 2 - SM Air Conditioner System ("SKV2") - On

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab - Standby

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 - Operate

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab - Idle

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 - Operate

Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) - Process

Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) - Standby

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab - Full Up

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 - Off

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Can you imagine coming across a prestigious 50-year-old horse racing trophy in a storage locker? Hauls like that are usually the subject of reality television productions  think Storage Wars, or one of its many spinoffs. Although, in this particular instance, there were no small-screen treasure hunters involved, just a brazen perpetrator and the long arm of the law.

Multiple media reports out of Florida explain that a 59-year-old ex-convict has been charged with various counts of grand theft and burglary after storage units were broken into in Delray Beach.

According to a specific report by mypalmbeachpost.com, the 59-year-old in question, Alicia Elaine Murphy, has told local authorities that she rented a storage unit at the facility in question, which gave her 24-hour access to the premises. It is alleged that Murphy devised and executed a plan in which she cut the locks off of other units overnight and looted the spaces for their treasures. Murphy has told authorities that she rented a large truck and even hired labourers to help her load and haul away the stolen booty.

Well, that sure sounds like something, but what does all of this have to do with horse racing again? Unfortunately, the Preakness Stakes and possessions linked to an iconic Canadian racing figure are involved.

One of the storage units that Murphy allegedly pilfered contained roughly $300,000 worth of goods. Among the lockers bounty was a Preakness Stakes trophy that was awarded to the connections of Majestic Prince, who, in 1969, captured the second leg of Thoroughbred racings Triple Crown. The trophy was among other racing memorabilia and family heirlooms that belong to Francine McMahon, who had been renting that particular storage unit.

Francine McMahon is the daughter of Frank McMahon, an iconic Canadian oilman who was heavily into the breeding and racing of high-end Thoroughbreds. Majestic Prince, who had won the Kentucky Derby prior to the Preakness, just missed Triple Crown glory when he finished second in the Belmont. Majestic Prince is now a member of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame south of the border. In 2017, Frank McMahon was on the ballot to be inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame under the Builders category, but just missed out.

Authorities allege that Murphy arranged some of the stolen racing memorabilia, including the Preakness trophy, to be sent to a New York auction house. Detectives arrested Murphy this past Wednesday (March 14).

It is believed that Murphy stole somewhere between $350,000 to $400,000 worth of goods in the foiled plan. Other items that were allegedly stolen by Murphy included electronics, taxidermy and other miscellaneous goods.

(With files from mypalmbeachpost.com)
Horseman Dick Oldfield, 84, of Lexington, Ky., best known for training the top pacer True Duane, passed away on Sunday, March 11 in Louisville, Ky., after a short battle with cancer.

Born June 14, 1933, in Toledo, Ohio, Dick was the son of George B. and Maude (Smith) Oldfield.

Following his graduation from high school, Dick married and started his own trucking company and later with his father, George, Adrian Sand and Gravel Company, which supplied sand and stone to build many of the state and local highways in southeastern Michigan and northwest Ohio. The location is now known as Lake Madison.

After his success in the gravel business, he chose to devote his time to the harness horse business. His first real success came in 1965 with the pacer True Duane p,3,1:56.4 ($366,050), who defeated the great Bret Hanover in his final lifetime start in a world record time.

Dick established Oldfield Farm in Adrian, Mich., in 1968 and had much success with his homebreds, including Final Cheers p,1:49.3 ($1,112,659) and Thin Blue Line p,1:50.3f ($816,644). He believed that Michigan-sired horses could compete at the top levels in the Standardbred industry. One of the racehorses he was most proud to have trained was Royal Strength 2,1:57 ($409,298), who was voted the Dan Patch Award as top two-year-old trotting colt in 1991. He continued to train horses up to the past year, as he enjoyed his time in Lexington, Hoosier Park, and Pinehurst, N.C.

Dick is survived by his children, Patti (Bill) Gira, Cynthia Reed (Joe Yoerg) and Rick (Lucy); grandchildren, Robert (Laura) Reed, Corey, Christian Reed and Rachel; brother, Ronald; and dear friend, Carolyn Turner.

At his request, no services will be held. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program or the charity of their choice.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Dick Oldfield.

(Harnessracing.com)
White House Petition for a Just and Moral Foreign Policy in Israel

PADUCAH, Ky., March 19, 2018 / Standard Newswire / -- Rev. Terry McIntosh, CEO of the Jesus Christ Embassy Palestine, and a former congressional candidate, has personally launched an official White House petition demanding a just and moral foreign policy regarding Israel and Palestine.

His petition is unlike others that focus on political issues. McIntosh mandates that the highest standard of American and religious conduct be applied in search of a just and lasting peace between Jews and Palestinians with penalty for failure to comply.

Political operatives focus on political issues, but McIntosh relies on what he believes is a moral conscience in line with "Blessed are the peacemakers." He wants the Trump administration to declare its moral intent.

If his petition reaches the level of 100,000 signatures within 30 days, the White House is obligated to address its content in a public forum. It will not be an easy accomplishment. Polls indicate that 64% of Americans support Israel over Palestine, and up to 80% of the Christian community supports expansion of the Jewish state over Palestinian human rights.

According to McIntosh, "Our nation's foreign policy is hypocritical and apparently without respect of human rights unless it serves our own interests. We want both Jews and Palestinians to give life, act justly, and work together. DNA proves that most Palestinians are Hebraic descendants of Israel, too. Regardless, it is less than honorable to support Jewish collective punishment policies, theft of Palestinian land in violation of God's command, and numerous human rights abuse. It is an affront to American and Christian values to support a racist policy as well as any act of terrorism. We must recognize the Palestinian right to life and defend it as quickly as any Jewish life. That means making demands on Palestinians to act justly at the same time as specified in the petition."

He adds, "Americans, and especially our Christian community, should know that you wake up with who you lay down with. Every Christian who shares the same values as Jewish Israel and does not demand that Israel act morally and justly has lost connection to the head, that is Jesus Christ. A strong relationship with Bible theology will not excuse them on that day. They might lose their reward."

The petition for compliance can be signed through this link

The White House will notify each signer of its status as available.
Many people are worried about the large number of "unlinked" cases. But they worry for the wrong reason. It does not really mat...
FORMER president of the Labour Tribunal, Arthur Forbes, has been found not guilty of three counts of rape.





The jury trial started on Monday, March 6, in Providenciales Supreme Court, with Forbes being represented by attorneys Clayton Greene and Keith James.





It concluded on Thursday (March 15) with a jury verdict of not guilty.





Forbes was accused of having sex on three separate occasions with a woman without her consent.





The matter was heard by Judge Joan Joyner and was prosecuted by Director of Public Prosecutions Jillian Williams.





When the trial resumed after the holiday weekend on Tuesday (March 13), the defendant took the witness stand with the claim, interspersed with many intimate details, that the two were involved in a love affair.





Under questioning by his attorney, the court heard that Forbes and the woman had sex many times at Bambara Beach, and twice at a hotel in Grace Bay, Providenciales.





He denied the victims statement that he forced her to have sex with him in his office at the Labour Tribunal.





On the stand, the former labour president also revealed a lot of intimate sexual details from his alleged love affair with the victim and statements the woman allegedly made to him when they were consensually engaging in intercourse.





He also told the court that he gave the woman money to send to family, and to look after a medical condition he said she claimed she contracted from him.





Forbes also denied a suggestion from the prosecutor that he pushed the woman down and raped her, while threatening her.





Forbes further testified that he was not making up a love affair to defend himself against the rape charges before the court. (Delana Isles)




MORE than 290 illegal migrants have been deported since January, as immigration officers swooped down on bars, construction sites, restaurants and business places throughout the TCI.





This was revealed in a press release issued by the Ministry of Border Control and Employment on Thursday (March 15) after numerous sloops made landfall in Providenciales this week.





In response to the illegal migrant problem faced by the Government, a multi-agency operational response dubbed Operation Guardian was established in January of this year.





According to the statement this operation has been quite effective thus far in capturing and repatriating illegal migrants back to their homeland.





"The main objective of Operation Guardian is to carry out enforcement and compliance activities across the Turks and Caicos Islands by identifying those persons who are illegal migrants or who may be working without the necessary permits and authorisation.





"This is an ongoing exercise as the department continues their compliance and enforcement activities with joint agencies.





The ministry stressed that the protection of the TCIs borders remains top priority.





Minister of Border Control and Employment Sean Astwood reiterated the Governments commitment to improving the security of the TCIs borders and tightening the immigration process.





He said: "Illegal migration threatens the lives and livelihood of our people and those persons found to be engaged in the smuggling of humans would be prosecuted under the law.





He advises everyone to observe the immigration laws of the Turks and Caicos Islands as anyone found in breach will be dealt with accordingly.





Coupled with these measures the department has since promoted seven immigration officers, recruited three additional staff members and employed temporary staff to ensure that critical positions are filled.





In wake of recent events where several sloops went undetected by the territorys radar resulting in illegal migrants making landfall, residents have voiced their dissatisfaction with operations.





As a result, the Government secured funding through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to facilitate the repair, upgrade and maintenance work on the radar system.





These ongoing upgrades and improvements which began earlier this week and will continue over the next few days, will also see staff at the radar station receiving additional training in the use of the upgraded equipment.





The ministry has reminded the public and those who might be inclined to harbour illegal migrants, that as a result of the new Immigration Ordinance which came into effect on April 1, 2016, penalties for harbouring illegal migrants are bigger.





As such those involved now face a fine of $20,000 on summary conviction or to a term of imprisonment of four years or both.





Additionally, those convicted of such offence, face the possibility of having their status in the Islands revoked, making them liable to deportation.




By Delana Isles

THE CONTENTIOUS amendments to the Public Finance Management (PFM) Ordinance has finally reached the House of Assembly for debate, and true to their promise PNP members are staunchly opposing its passage.





Many of the opposition members questioned the motives of Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson who moved the amendment bill that will see the governor being granted additional powers over statutory bodies in the Turks and Caicos Islands.





In her presentation of the bill (which has been before the House since early 2017) on Thursday morning (March 15) for its second reading and debate, the premier gave a lengthy explanation and sought to dispel members misgivings about the amendments.





"This bill seeks to amend the public finance management ordinance to allow the governor, and again governor, unless it is followed by the words in his discretion, it means the governor in Cabinet, we have had all of our legislation pretty much refer to governor.





"I look at the Investment TC Ordinance and there is no mention of minister, all through that ordinance its governor.





"We understand that when it was passed under the former administration and what is being offered here today to be the same language as has been with other legislation brought to this House.





She said that the public finance management ordinance is being amended to enable the governor to appoint a person as examiner to look at the financial affairs of the statutory body or to appoint a person to take over the management of a statutory body that poses a systemic risk to public finances.





"We know the challenges that we face. We have just completed a statutory body review, the consolidated report has been made public, there is of course more details that will be discussed with each statutory body.





"The situation is that the statutory bodies pose a significant financial risk to the Government of the Turks and Caicos, and one in particular is the National Health Insurance Board.





She stated that there is no one in the TCI who could disagree with this, adding that the Government has asked the former administration to look at the liability and the risk the body poses to the Turks and Caicos Islands Government.





"There is no power under this ordinance that would be able to go in and pretty much put it [statutory body] into receivership, not to wind up the company, but to take over and make sure that the finances are managed and managed properly.





"This bill is going to aid us in moving forward in that sort of direction, the premier said.





She also outlined that the amendments and stated that where the board of a statutory body is found to be in contravention of this ordinance or any other law, the governor may remove the members of the board from office and appoint a new board.





Adding that where it appears to the governor on reasonable grounds that the financial viability of a statutory body is at risk or poses systemic risks to the public finances, the Governor may appoint a person, as examiner, to examine the financial affairs of the statutory body.





The premier stated that the governor may also remove the members of the board of such statutory body from office and appoint a new board or a person to take over the management of that statutory body.





Opposition

As promised, the opposition to the bill came fast and plenty, starting with opposition appointed member, Royal Robinson who called the bill "the biggest piece of baloney sandwich during his hour long castigation of the amendments, and questioned the motives of the Government.





Elected member for Leeward and Long Bay, Akierra Missick, stated that a lot of the amendments contained in the bill, the Cabinet already has the power to do and make said decisions.





While she accepted the tourism ministers point that all legislations should be reviewed, Missick questioned whether this is the solution to the many issues statutory bodies are faced with today.





"The answer to that question is categorically no, Missick said.





Leader of the Opposition, Washington Misick also staunchly opposed the bill.





He suggested that before the Government accepts the recently released report on the statutory bodies it ought to be peer reviewed by independent people who know nothing about the Turks and Caicos Islands.





He stated that this should be done before the Government fully accepts it.





Misick said that to him the report is not objective.





The party leader also disputed the premiers statements that legislations in the TCI refer to the governor and not the minister.





"First of all I am general agreement about the corporate governance and as it relates to the ability to have someone examine the functioning of an institution, I think that is pretty standard.





"Now, I am sort of concerned about what sort of cemented this as it related to the terminology in this piece of legislation between a minister and the governor, because in most cases, not in all cases, the legislation refers to the minister.





"Now if the minister means the minister in Cabinet, and he derives his authority from the Cabinet, and the governor also means governor in Cabinet, why is it necessary to change to governor.





"Because at the end of the day the Cabinet makes the decision by consensus so it raises suspicion in my mind as to if there is somehow some other piece of legislation coming.





He pointed out that in the TCI the governor is obliged to take the advice of the Cabinet members, and if he does not take the advice of the members he has to go to the secretary of state.





"But I think we all know if we want to be skeptical, it is hardly unlikely that the secretary of state is going to go against the governor.





"I have not seen or known of a single instance in these overseas territories where a secretary of state went against the governor, so it just means that if the governor disagrees with something it will get done a lot quicker if Cabinet disagrees. Misick stated.





Newly branded opposition member, Josephine Connolly was also in complete opposition to the bill, stating that coupled with the newly released report on the statutory body and the placement of the controversial bill on the order paper seven times, the bill appears to be a tactic by the Government to feel the pulse of the people.





"Either way, the people have responded with a resounding no, Connolly stated.





The opposition member said that she cannot support the amendments the way the Government is going about making them.





Elected member for Grand Turk North, George Lightbourne in his opposition to the bill, called on the premier to resign give the people back the power if she does not want it.





"She needs to come clean with the people, Lightbourne said after stating that the premier appears to have an ulterior motive in bringing the amendment.




THE MINISTRY of Border Control and Employment has introduced a shift system for airport immigration workers to help deal with problems brought on by a shortage of staff.





This comes on the heels of a protest staged by several irate immigration officers on November 5, last year, to demonstrate their frustration with management.





The protest disrupted operations at Providenciales International Airport just before the Southwest Airlines inaugural flight into the Turks and Caicos Islands was due.





Only one officer reported to work while others called in sick leaving multiple posts unattended.





The industrial action was taken by workers to demand better wages and outstanding overtime payment.





Management of the airport in a press release issued on March 9 stated: "It is unfortunate that on implementation, shortfalls on human resource resulted in excessively long lines and unduly long waits in the entry process for visitors and other travellers arriving on Sunday and Wednesday, March 4 and 7, respectively.





"The ministry and department appreciates and recognise the value of tourism to the TCI economy and the critical role that immigration officers play in welcoming our visitors, and on receipt of these reports, management immediately consulted and further met with the deputy governor and minister of border control and employment to address concerns, with a view of implementing mitigating measures.





The shift system which was recommended by an Internal Audit Report conducted in 2017 is expected to remedy a host of problems currently facing airport immigration staff.





The Internal Audit Report exposed historical anomalies in staff earnings, inefficiencies in operations and expenditure on overtime paid to airport staff.





The newly introduced shift system is expected to regularise pay rates for overtime, normalise the long work periods that staff are currently exposed to and improve the overall efficiency of the departments operations.





"The shift system has major benefits to both the Government as well as employees: improved efficiencies and better utilisation of human resource, justifiable and more controlled incurred overtime cost; regularisation of hours worked to eliminate fatigue and excessively long work periods; more opportunity for personal/family time and periods for rejuvenation.





"Shift systems are not new to TCIG; as well as the prison, police and other agencies currently operate on shift systems





"The department recognised the efficiency of schedules of staff being aligned to flight arrivals, as the audit found that whilst TCIG was contracting hours of employment from 8am to 4.30pm, there were very few arrivals before 12 pm and peak capacity between 2pm and 4pm.





The Internal Audit Report further recommended that the rates in the public service handbook be adopted instead of the flat rates of $10 per hour that were historically paid.





However, management recognised that in order for a shift system to be effective, it required additional human resources and budget appropriation for the payment of overtime.





"The report further identified that staff previously worked excessive hours without days off and that this was impacting the work of the organisation.





"This move presented an increase of 100 percent of the current overtime payments; funding which the department could not sustain.





Staff members push for equitable payments in accordance with the public service handbook rates compelled management to implement the system.




By Olivia Rose

THE TURKS and Caicos Islands along with several other Caribbean countries and territories will receive monetary and technical support from the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) to aid in post-hurricane recovery efforts.





In the wake of the massive category five hurricane Irma last September, the CTO activated its CTO Relief Fund through GoFundMe, a free online fundraising platform.





The aim was to help families and nations to rebuild from the destruction of the unprecedented natural disaster.





The fund has since attracted donations from hundreds of individuals, industry partners and corporate sponsors.





In a press release on Wednesday (March 14), CTO secretary general Hugh Riley said all of the money raised will be sent directly to CTO-member destinations.





"The damage caused by the force of hurricane Irma is an important example of why we must do whatever is possible to provide financial relief to those who need it most.





"Its through this fund that the CTO channels monetary assistance to our impacted member states. The CTO appreciates all donations to assist in the recovery efforts in these countries.





In keeping with regional best practices, the organisation has also provided member nations with several recommendations on how to use the funds for maximum benefit.





It has suggested members use the cash to support the establishment of a Coordination Unit within the Ministry of Tourism for Disaster Risk Management to include procuring equipment such as satellite phones, first aid kits, and other emergency gear.





"Facilitate clean up and rehabilitation of key tourist sites or attractions, or access roads to those sites. Restore signage and interpretation of visitor sites.





"Purchase auxiliary power sources for tourism sites and attractions, e.g. solar panels and solar lighting.





"Sponsor an identified legacy project that commemorates the communitys resilience and recovery.





The CTO further advised member states to develop and implement an Emergency Response Plan for the tourism sector.





"This could include crafting a visitor management plan and an emergency response strategy for use before, during and after a natural disaster.





Minister of Tourism Ralph Higgs in a statement issued on Wednesday (March 14), expressed gratitude to the CTO for its contribution and recommendations.





He said that the ministry and Tourist Board will work together to review the areas and determine how best the funds should be used, in accordance with the prescribed guidelines.





"We are grateful to the CTO for their support, he said, "this is an important gesture and is a true reflection of the sense of commitment to the development of member states, which is expected at vulnerable and critical times, from our colleagues within the industry and beyond.





Headquartered in Barbados, the CTO is the Caribbeans tourism development agency.





Its objective is to provide the necessary services and information for the development of sustainable tourism for the economic and social benefit of the Caribbean people.




THREE sloops carrying scores of illegal Haitian immigrants have landed in the Turks and Caicos Islands over the last seven days.





And the majority of the boats passengers have escaped detection and are currently on the run from authorities, police reported this week.





On Thursday (March 15) police reported that the third sloop landed at about 3am that same day in the North West Point area of Providenciales.





Officers received reports that a two-engine boat dropped off about 30 people near a beach in North West Point.





Of the 30, a total of six immigrants were apprehended and are awaiting processing.





Just three days prior, on March 12, police and immigration officers were grappling to locate scores of other Haitian residents who evaded capture after sailing to these shores from their homeland.





The first landing occurred on Friday, March 9, while the other landing occurred sometime between Sunday, March 11, and Monday, March 12.





Officers were only alerted to the landings after calls were made to the police by residents who reported seeing people they suspected to be illegal immigrants in the vicinity of the Caicos Oil gas station.





The March 9 landing near the South Dock area was reported to police via the 911 Centre at about 12.43am.





Police said that from that landing, a total of 13 immigrants were apprehended by the police and immigration officials so far, with an unknown number currently being questioned and processed.





Meanwhile, police said they believe the second landing between March 11 and 12 occurred at about 12am in Chalk Sound.





There is suspected to have been more than 60 people on board that vessel, police said.





A number of the boat passengers were seen running in the area of the Chalk Sound Police Station, seven of whom were eventually apprehended.




Sony India is one of the most recognized consumer electronics brand in the country, with a reputation for new age technology, digital concepts and excellent after sales service. In India, Sony has its footprint across all major towns and cities in the country through a distribution network comprising of over 12,000 dealers and distributors, more than 250 exclusive Sony outlets and 25 branch locations. Sony India today announced the appointment of Mr. Sunil Nayyar as its new Managing Director with effect from April 1, 2018. The change of guard marks a historic milestone, with Sunil being the first Indian to be appointed as Managing Director for Sony India. In this new role, Sunil will be responsible for spearheading the overall growth and profitability of the company within the region, by driving an integrated business and marketing strategy and directing excellence in market performance across all categories.

Speaking on his appointment, Sunil Nayyar said, Being one of the most recognized consumer electronics brand, it is an exciting time to lead the companys direction in India. In this time of transition, I look forward for an insight from our stakeholders and help guide in further strengthening Sonys presence in India. I am confident, that we will continue to harness our energies to expand our footprint and offer the best in class technology to our consumers.

Sunil Nayyar held the position of Sales Head from April 2006 till April 2015 prior to moving to Sony North America as head of Retail Experience, the position which he held from May 2015 till March 2018. An accomplished industry professional, Nayyar started his stint at Sony in 1995, as part of Sony Gulfs sales team in charge of North and East Africa, Russia, Lebanon, Syria and various other GCC Countries.

Kenichiro Hibi, former Managing Director of Sony India, held the position for six years from 2012 till 2018, has now been appointed as President for Sony Brazil effective April 1, 2018. With over two decades of experience in the consumer tech industry, he has played an important role in leading some of the biggest markets for the company such as India and Russia. With Brazil being his third BRIC country, after Russia and India, his primary role would revolve around managing and overseeing sales, marketing and after-sales activities of the brand.

During his tenure at Sony India, Kenichiro Hibi has managed through competitive and dynamic market changes to achieve sustainable growth not just for the locomotive category BRAVIA televisions but other categories such as home audio video and personal audio as well, in one of Sonys key strategic markets. His significant achievements include being the flag bearer of Sonys Premium imagery and Make in India pro initiatives, wherein commencement of local production for BRAVIA television began in 2015 and recently, Xperia R1 and R1+ designed for the Indian market exclusively. He is also credited for scaling sales growth to significant milestone, dedicatedly visiting all 25 branches of the company every year and also taking into account the upcountry areas as well. The outgoing Managing Director will be cherished for his unique and personal approach and encouraging all employees to deliver consistent and finest performance for the company.

@Technuter.com News Service
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Putin reelected for 4th term

Reuters :

Vladimir Putin won Russia's presidential election on Monday with almost 74 percent of the vote, according to an official exit poll, with the opposition reporting ballot stuffing and other cases of alleged fraud.

Putin, who has ruled Russia for almost two decades, stood against seven other candidates, but his most vocal critic Alexei Navalny was barred from the ballot for legal reasons and the final outcome was never in doubt.

The Kremlin was hoping for high voter numbers to give greater legitimacy to Putin's historic fourth term as Russia faces increasing isolation on the world stage over a spy poisoning in Britain and a fresh round of US sanctions. About 107 million Russians were eligible to cast ballots and the central election commission said turnout was 60 percent, after the authorities used both the carrot and the stick to boost participation.

Selfie competitions, giveaways, food festivals and children's entertainers were laid on at polling booths in a bid to create a festive atmosphere around the election. But employees of state and private companies reported coming under pressure to vote, while students were threatened with problems in their exams or even expulsion if they did not take part, according to the opposition-leaning Novaya Gazeta newspaper. The exit poll by state-owned pollster VTsIOM at 1,200 voting stations around Russia projected that Putin had won 73.9 percent of the vote, up from 64 percent six years ago. Communist candidate Pavel Grudinin performed better than expected, with 11.2 percent according to the exit poll, but the results of all other candidates including former reality TV host Ksenia Sobchak were forecast to be in single figures.

Navalny-who called on his supporters to boycott the "fake" vote and sent over 33,000 observers across the country to see how official turnout figures differed from those of monitors-said there had been "unprecedented violations".

His lawyer Ivan Zhdanov said the actual national turnout at 1700 GMT, when polls closed in Moscow, was 55 percent, according to data collected by monitors.

Navalny's opposition movement and the non-governmental election monitor Golos reported ballot stuffing, repeat voting and Putin supporters being bussed into polling stations en masse.

One election commission worker in the republic of Dagestan, which traditionally registers extremely high official turnout figures, told AFP around 50 men entered the station where he was working and physically assaulted an observer before stuffing a ballot box.

But the electoral commission dismissed most concerns, saying monitors sometimes misinterpret what they see.

Since first being elected president in 2000, Putin has stamped his total authority on the world's biggest country, muzzling opposition, putting television under state control and reasserting Moscow's standing abroad.

The 65-year-old former KGB officer used an otherwise lacklustre presidential campaign to emphasise Russia's role as a major world power, boasting of its "invincible" new nuclear weapons in a pre-election speech.

Casting his ballot in Moscow, Putin said he would be pleased with any result giving him the right to continue as president.

"I am sure the programme I am offering is the right one," said the man who is already Russia's longest-serving leader since Stalin.

Most people who spoke to AFP said they voted for Putin, praising him for restoring stability and national pride after the humiliating collapse of the USSR.

"Of course I'm for Putin, he's a leader," said Olga Matyunina, a 65-year-old retired economist.

"After he brought Crimea back, he became a hero to me."

Sunday marks four years since Putin signed a treaty declaring Crimea to be part of Russia in a move that triggered a pro-Kremlin insurgency in east Ukraine, a conflict that has claimed over 10,000 lives.

Ahead of the vote, a new crisis broke out with the West as Britain implicated Putin in the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal with a Soviet-designed nerve agent.
BD nat'l shot dead in S Africa

banglanews24.com :

A Bangladeshi youth was shot dead by terrorists in Johannesburg city of South Africa.

Amin Ullah, a friend of the deceased from Johannesburg of South Africa, confirmed the death on Sunday night (March 18).

The deceased was identified as Abu Sufian Shopon, son of Abdul Kuddus, hails from Musapur union under Companiganj upazila of Noakhali. Abu Sufian had been living in South Africa for the last 3 years. He received 5 rounds of bullets while sitting in his car, in front of his house in South Africa on last Saturday. Seriously injured, he was rushed to hospital by locals, but doctors pronounced him dead, quoting local sources. 3 Bangladeshi nationals have been killed in Johannesburg and its neighboring areas in just three days. For not been able to fulfill wishes of Africans, such incidents happen occasionally.

When a complaint lodged for the murder of a Bangladeshi citizen in the last week, a spokesperson of the administration said not only terrorists, people of immigrant community (Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan) are involved in this, as evidence found. "Following 2-3 days of imprisonment, a terrorist gets away with the crime of a murder. Therefore, it's hard to control them," Amin Ullah, a friend of the deceased said.
GCC, KCC polls schedule Mar 31

Staff Reporter :

Gazipur and Khulna City Corporations election schedule will be announced on March 31, said Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin.

The decision was taken on Monday in the Election Commission office after a meeting of the Commission presided over by the Chief Election Commissioner K M Nurul Huda. Other commissioners were present also.

EC Secretary Helal Uddin disclosed it to the media after the meeting.

He said, the Commission discussed about the five city corporation polls. The city corporations are Gazipur, Khulna, Barisal, Rajshahi and Sylhet. The election in these five cities will be held by turn.

To a question in a press briefing, Helal said, however, the five city corporations' polls schedule won't be announced together.

About Electronic Voting Machine, it may be used in local polls. If voters' confidence grows, it will be use in National Polls. The City Corporation polls must be held before the next general election. The tenure of Gazipur City Corporation will expire on September 4, Khulna September 25, Rajshahi October 5, Sylhet October 8 and Barisal October 23.

According to the Local Government Act(City Corporation), election must be held before 180 days of the expire of the tenure.


House owners will be punished if Aedes germ found

Staff Reporter :

Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Mohammad Sayed Khokon on Monday warned the home owners of the city about eliminating Aedes mosquitoes' germs.

"Mobile court will visit every house of the city by April 8 to ascertain whether there is any germ. If Aedeses mosquitoes' germ is found in any house, the owner will be punished with fine or by awarding jail," the mayor said while addressing a view exchange meeting in the Nagar Bhaban.

The mayor asked the residents to be aware of mosquitoes and keep the courtyard clean.

He said the city corporation will advertise from Tuesday to make the city dwellers aware. So, destroy aedes mosquitoes breeding places.

"The awareness publicity advertisement will reach 1.65 lakh family of the city corporation. The programme will

continue from March 20 to April 7," the mayor said.

"We never want any one to face punishment, nor we want to see breeding of Aedes mosquitoes at family level," Sayeed Khokon said.

DSCC Chief Health Officer Brigadier General Sheikh Salahuddin, Architect Mobasher Hossain, Professor Mujibur Rahman of the Department of Medicine of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dean of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Professor Dr. ABM Abdullah, Professor of Zoology Department of Dhaka University, Reza Mohammad Shahjahan,

Chief Scientific Officer of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Debashis Sarkar, Professor of Insectology Department of Jahangirnagar University, Kabirul Bashar, ICDDRR's Scientific Officer Nuzhat Nasrin Banu, Chief Executive Officer of Safeway Pest Control, Dr. Manjur Chowdhury were also present on the occasion.
Wife hacked to death in city by husband

A housewife was hacked to death allegedly by her drug addict husband at Kamrangirchar Muslimbag area in the city on Sunday evening.

The deceased was identified as Tania Akhtar, 16, wife of Alamin Hossain of Lalbag area of the city.

Md Bachchu Mia, sub-inspector of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) Police Camp quoting Ramjan Ali, cousin of the victim, said Alamin hacked Tania in front of Tania's parent at the area and leaving him critically injured.

The mother of Tania also received injuries while she was trying to resist Alamin showing the incident.

Later, locals rescued the duo and sent them to DMCH where doctor declared Tania dead, the SI added.
Tk 2000cr funds for ailing SOBs planned

Kazi Zahidul Hasan :

State-owned Banks (SOBs) are again set to receive Tk 2,000 crore in form of recapitalisation from the government in the next fiscal year.

The fund will be infused the banks through a budgetary allocation, Finance Ministry officials said.

Seven state-owned commercial and specialised banks-- Sonali, Janata, Agrani, Rupali, BASIC, Bangladesh Krishi Bank and Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank -- recently demanded Tk 20,398 crore recapitalisation funds from the government citing their capital shortfall.

"The government will allocate Tk 2,000 crore fund in the next budget to recapitalise the state-owned banks," a senior Finance Ministry official told The New Nation yesterday.

He said the recapitalisation is part of the government's promise to help banks meet capital shortfall as well as Basel III capital requirement norms.

The government also set aside Tk 2,000 crore in the current budget in the name of recapitalisation for the capital deficient state-owned banks.

"The fresh recapitalisation funds will be infused to them under a comprehensive policy framework," said the Finance Ministry official, adding, "Regulatory capital of major state-run banks will be maintained and they will not be allowed to fail."

He, however, said that the state-owned banks must improve their governance and performance reinstating responsible banking and ethical lending practices.

When asked, he said, "Fresh capital will be injected into the banks based on an objective assessment on their previous performance and growth potential. The funds will be provided in a phased manner tagging many conditions".

Justifying the need for the bank's recapitalisation programme, the Finance Ministry official said, "State-owned Banks are now operating with huge capital shortfall resulted from loan scams and soaring bad loans in their overall credit portfolios. This has weakened their financial health requiring fresh capital."

"The government is going to inject fresh capital into the banks to salvage them from further vulnerability. The move will help the banks to survive and sustain their business," he added.

In the fiscal year 2014-15, the government had pumped Tk 1,500 crore to Sonali and BASIC banks as part of its public bank's capital infusion programme.

It had also pumped Tk 4,100 crore recapitalisation funds into Sonali, Janata, Agrani and Rupali banks in fiscal year 2013-14 in first phase. In the second phase, BKB, RAKUB, Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation and Grameen Bank were given Tk 309 crore to meet their capital shortfall.

The total budgetary expenditure for capital shortfall of such banks was almost Tk 10,000 crore in five years since 2011.
Govt trying to obstruct Khaleda's bail: BNP Announces demo today, rally Mar 29

Staff Reporter :

The BNP on Monday accused the government of trying to obstruct the legal procedures of its Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's release from jail.

"Unfortunately, the ruling Awami League is delaying judicial process, and that is why Begum Khaleda Zia has been deprived of her right in getting justice from the country's apex court,"

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said while addressing a press briefing at the party's Nayapaltan central office in the capital.

The briefing was held after two hours of the SC decision to extend stay on Khaleda Zia's bail till May 8.

Fakhrul disagreed with the court's stay order as it reflected the desire of the government.

"Everything of the state is dying. The Supreme Court's order of extending stay on bail of Khaleda Zia till May 8 put the final nail in the coffin of democracy," Fakhrul said.

BNP standing committee members Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Vice- Chairmen Abdul Awal Mintoo and AZM Zahid Hossain and BNP Senior Joint-Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi were, among others, present.

Fresh programme: The BNP announced its fresh programme as it has not got permission of holding rally on Monday. Mirza Fakhrul said that the party would hold protest programme in every district across the country and in each thana of Dhaka Metropolitan on Tuesday for immediate release of their party chief.

Besides, the party leader also declared that they would hold a protest rally on March 29 at the Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital to press home their demand.
SC stays Khaleda`s bail till May 8

Staff Reporter :

The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday stayed the High Court order that granted bail to BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in Zia Orphanage Trust Case till May 8.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order after allowing two separate leave to appeal petitions filed by the government and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) seeking stay on the High Court order.

ACC's lawyer Khurshed Alam Khan told the journalists that the Supreme Court would hold hearing on the appeals against the bail order on May 8.

"In view of the Supreme Court order, Khaleda cannot be released from jail till May 8," he said.

As per order, the government and the ACC got permission from the Supreme Court to move separate appeal petitions in the Appellate Division against the High Court order.

The apex court asked the government and the ACC to submit concise statements on the appeal in two weeks after receiving the leave granting order.

Khaleda Zia has also been asked to submit concise statement on the appeal in two weeks after the government and the ACC file their concise statements.

A concise statement contains the points on which the lawyer placed arguments on the appeals in the court.

After passing the order, Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain said, all the four judges of the Apex Court passed the order unanimously after examining the records of the case.

Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain, a lawyer for Khaleda Zia, said that the SC's order was but a threat to the judiciary.

"I think wrong perception will grow among people of the country about the independence and the neutrality of the Judiciary because of this order." he said. "There is no such example in history that the Appellate Division granted leave to appeal petition and stayed bail," he added.

Barrister Moudud Ahmed said that they did not think it nor expected it. "It is unprecedented that the SC would grant leave to appeal petition against an anticipatory bail."

On March 12, the High Court bench comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim granted bail to BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia for four months in the case. The Anti-Corruption Commission and the government filed two separate appeal petitions against the HC order to stay the bail on the following day.

On March 14, the Supreme Court stayed the High Court order that granted bail to BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia till March 18. The SC also directed both the parties to file leave to appeal petitions by this time. The both parties filed leave to appeal petitions on March 15 and the SC heard those petitions on March 18. After concluding hearing the SC fixed Monday for passing order.

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea seeking rescheduling of the hearing date on the plea against Khaleda's bail.

Khaleda's lawyer Barrister Jamir Uddin Sirker moved the petition citing that the apex court will go to vacation from April 13 and remain closed until May 6. "She (Khaleda) has been suffering in jail and she is physically sick. So, the hearing needs to be held before the apex court goes into vacation," he told the court. Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain said that the court has fixed May 8 for hearing the appeal and it will hear it that day without any failure and adjournment.

The court will conclude the hearing of the appeal by May 9, the chief justice added.

Like the previous day, the Supreme Court premises was under siege by huge deployment of police on Monday. Huge number of police heavily armed with helmets and riot gears were inside the main court building approaching the Appellate Division and at its front door were as a show of police power. During hearing, ACC's lawyer complained to the court that Khaleda Zia had abused the bail before. Then he read the order of the trial court and said, "Khaleda Zia went abroad without the permission of the court. What else can be the abuse of bail?"

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam also submitted his statement contradicting the bail. He said, "Khaleda Zia cannot get mercy again and again considering her age and sickness. The trial court gave her shorter sentence considering her age and social status. How many times will she get mercy in the way the trial court showed her?"

"High Court ordered to prepare paper-book of this case within four months. You (Appellate Division) can reduce this time for two months. Paper-books of BDR carnage case were also prepared within a short time," he added.

The Attorney General also said contradicting the bail, "The situation was different when the trial proceedings were continuing. Now she is a convicted person. The trial court sentenced her minor punishment considering her age and physical condition. Her sentence will end, and her appeal hearing will not end that cannot happen. This is absurd. Of course, there will be a hearing."

Khaleda Zia's lawyer Khandker Mahbub Hossain said, "The government and the ACC are opposing the bail order so much because the accused person in this case is Khaleda Zia. They would not oppose so much if the accused person was not Khaleda Zia."

On February 8, Khaleda Zia was jailed for five years on February 8 in connections with Zia Orphanage case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission in 2008. Judge of the Special Court-5 of Dhaka also sentenced Khaleda Zia's eldest son and BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman, and four others to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Tk 2.10 crore each.


Cops asked to wear uniform, show ID cards during drives

PHQ urges public to call local PS or help line '999' to clear confusion

Md Joynal Abedin Khan :

Members of the Detective Branch (DB) of Police and other law enforcing agencies have been asked to wear fixed uniform of the force and show their identity cards and necessary documents to suspected criminals or their relatives during detention from their residence, workplace and anywhere in the country, police sources said.

The Police Headquarters (PHQs) has taken this decision as some miscreants have been taking the chance by impersonating them as members of detectives or other law enforcing agencies for a long time to commit crimes across the country, they said.

The community police are also trying to clarify the symptoms of fake detectives to the common people as they identify the fake detective men during any arrest drive or untoward incident.

Even some members of law enforcing agencies sometimes take extortion money and commit other crimes hiding their real identities to escape from the offenses, according to them.

The gangsters, mostly wearing law enforcers' uniforms and introducing themselves as members of detective police, kidnap innocent people as well as businessmen and realise handsome amount of money from them or from their families in exchange of their freedom, they further said.

On October 25, 2017, authorities have suspended seven detectives for allegedly kidnapping a businessman in Teknaf of Cox's Bazar, said Afjurul Hoque Tutul, Additional Superintendent of Police in the district.

On July 18, 2017, 12 men, posing as members of the DB of Police, have been detained

in Dhaka with weapons and other equipment used by law-enforcement officials, police said.

Police's high ups have already issued necessary instructions to stop such crimes, including extortion and torturing during the detention of people, Soheli Ferdous, Assistant Inspector General (Media and Public Relations) of Police Headquarters, told The New Nation on Sunday evening.

"We have great respect to the court directives in connection with the arrest drives under section 54 of the CrPC," she said.

All the police personnel, mainly members of detective branch (DB), have been instructed to show their identity cards and to put on uniform or jacket to carry out any drive, the AIG said.

"Every citizen has right to check the identity card and other documents of DB men. If he or she raises any confusion over the cops personnel then he or she has been urged to inform the matter to local police stations or IGP's (Inspector General of Police) national help line '999' for immediate action," she added.

Earlier, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kalam has said that the law enforcement agencies would follow the directives of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

He said, "Security forces produced everyone in court within 24 hours of detention. I am not aware of any exception."

Earlier, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on November 10, 2016 released the full text of its verdict with 19 guidelines that upheld a High Court order for reform of the provisions of arrest without warrant and interrogation on remand under sections 54 and 167 of the CrPC.

It also asked the Inspector General of Police and Director General of RAB to issue a circular with the 19 guidelines for their respective units and all police stations across the country.

On May 24, the Supreme Court upheld a High Court order that asked for the reform of the provisions of arrest without warrant and interrogation on remand under sections 54 and 167 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

With the SC judgment, the HC directives will have to be followed while arresting anyone under section 54 and putting anyone on remand under section 167.
French consulate worker accused of smuggling guns from Gaza: Israel

AP, Jerusalem :

A French consulate worker has been arrested on accusations of using an official car to smuggle dozens of guns from the Gaza Strip to the occupied West Bank, Israeli authorities said today.

The French citizen was accused of being part of a gun-running network with Palestinian suspects that eventually sold the weapons on to arms dealers, Israel's Shin Bet domestic security agency said in a statement.

It said Romain Franck, in his mid-20s, had taken advantage of reduced security checks for consular vehicles to transport the weapons out of the Palestinian enclave.

The Shin Bet said he acted on his own and was motivated by money. His superiors were not aware of his actions, the statement said.

"The consulate employee smuggled the arms on a number of occasions in recent months while using the French consulate's consular car, which underwent a more lax security inspection at the border crossing, as is the case with this type of car," the statement said.

"The consulate employee transferred arms on five occasions, during which he transferred some 70 pistols and two automatic rifles."

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A total of nine suspects have been arrested and six were to be charged in court later Monday, including Franck.



Gaza, run by Islamist group Hamas, has been under an Israeli blockade for over a decade but weapons have been smuggled in through tunnels from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.




N. Korea `in talks to free US detainees` as diplomacy escalates

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho leaves a Swedish goverment building in Stockholm

AFP :

North Korea is in talks with the US and Sweden to release three jailed Americans, reports said, as diplomatic activities intensified ahead of Pyongyang's planned summits with Washington and Seoul.

The release of the three Korean-Americans is under discussion through multiple channels more than a week after President Donald Trump agreed to meet the North's Kim Jong Un, the reports said.

Pyongyang has yet to confirm it even made the US summit offer-relayed by Seoul envoys who had met Kim in Pyongyang-but South Korea said he had "given his word" about his commitment to denuclearisation.

Trump's stunning announcement has triggered a race to set a credible agenda for what would be historic talks between the two leaders.

Seoul-based MBC TV station reported Sunday that Pyongyang and Washington had "practically reached" a final agreement on the release of US citizens Kim Hak-song, Kim Sang-duk and Kim Dong-chul.

"They are hammering out details over the timing of the release," it quoted a South Korean diplomatic source as saying.

The negotiation was held through the North's mission to the United Nations and the US State Department-an unofficial avenue of communication dubbed the "New York channel", the source said.

CNN said the prisoners' release was also discussed at three-day talks in Stockholm between the North's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and Swedish counterpart Margot Wallstrom that ended Saturday. Sweden represents Washington's interests in the North. It raised the issue of American detainees to "move things in the right direction", CNN quoted one source as saying.

Kim Dong-chul, a South Korea-born American pastor, has been detained by the North since 2015 when he was arrested for spying. He was sentenced to 10 years' hard labour in 2016.

Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang-duk-or Tony Kim-were both working at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, founded by evangelical Christians from overseas, when they were detained last year on suspicion of "hostile acts".

Reports of their possible release come amid a flurry of diplomatic activities involving Pyongyang and Washington along with Seoul and other US allies.

During a visit to Pyongyang by Seoul's envoys earlier this month, Kim reportedly offered to meet Trump, with the US president subsequently agreeing to talks by May. No specific time or venue has been set.

Kim also agreed to hold a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in next month-the third ever between the two Koreas-according to the envoys. And he reportedly offered to consider abandoning his nuclear weapons in exchange for US security guarantees.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said in an interview aired Sunday that Kim was "taking stock" after Trump's surprise decision to accept the invitation, but that a channel of communication had been established.

She said Kim had "given his word" on his commitment to denuclearisation.

"But the significance of his word is quite, quite weighty in the sense that this is the first time that the words came directly from the North Korean supreme leader himself, and that has never been done before," Kang told CBS's "Face the Nation".

Nothing has been offered to the North Koreans to engage in negotiations, she said.

The Stockholm talks overlapped with another meeting between the national security advisers of the US, South Korea and Japan.

US National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, the South's Chung Eui-yong and Japan's Shotaro Yachi met in San Francisco over the weekend and vowed "close policy coordination" for the weeks ahead, Seoul's presidential office said.

They agreed that peace on the Korean peninsula hinges on the success of the two planned summits, vowing "not to repeat the failure of the past", it said in an apparent reference to previous botched nuclear disarmament negotiations with the North.

Also on Sunday a senior North Korean diplomat arrived in Finland for talks on peninsula issues with former officials and academics from the US and South Korea.

The sudden rapprochement comes months after the North staged its most powerful nuclear test and test-fired missiles capable of reaching the US mainland.

Kim and Trump traded colourful threats of war and personal insults, which heightened global concerns of another conflict on the peninsula once reduced to ruin by the 1950-53 Korean War.




JAMALPUR: A rally was brought out at Jamalpur marking the 98th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu and the National Children\'s Day organised on Saturday.
Chamber President Mahbubul Alam addressing the Special General Meeting of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce held at WTO office in city on Sunday.
PM to visit Patiya after 17 yrs

Chittagong Bureau :

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is due in Patiya Upazila of south Chittagong on Wednesday .

This was disclosed at a press conference held at Chittagong Press Club auditorium as arranged by the Awamileague , Chittagong City, North and South units . central oranisaing secretary of the party AKM Enamul Hoque Shamim informed the programs of the Prime Minister in Patiya. He said after 17 years, Prime Minister is expected to visit Patiya. He said during his visit there, PM will address a huge public meeting at Patiya High school ground and will unveils plaques of a numbers of development projects of south Chittagong in a video conference. Among others, state minister for land Saifuzzaman chowdhury ,Lawmaker Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury , city Mayor AJM Nasiruddin, south district AL President Mosleuddin Ahmed, and other leaders of the ruling party were present in the press meet. Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury MP of Patiya constituency in his brief deliberations demanded declaration of Patiya as district . He remembered the declaration of Patiya as district during the regime of Bangabandhu and later Jatiya Party regime it was declared as Upazila.


Service Week of KGDCL to begin

Managing Director of Karnaphuli Gas Co Ltd Ali Mohammed Al Mamun and other senior officers and staff cutting cake on the occasion of 98th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the head office of the company on Saturday.

Chittagong Bureau :

Service Week of Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Co. Ltd will begin today. It will continue till 25th March. Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Co Ltd congratulate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for his outstanding performance on making Bangladesh a middle income country by 2021 and a developed one by 2041 , the vision she announced to achieve. The officer and staff of KGDCL stood beside the country developed by their energy and merit.

KGDCL opens a Help Desk for all kinds of logistic support to the residential and commercial consumer at Sholoshahar, Halishahar and Fouzderhat Station says a press release .
Universities celebrate Bangabandhu's birthday

Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu discusses the political struggle of Bangandhu in a celebration event of the birthday of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Canadian University of Bangladesh at its city campus on Saturday.

Campus Report :

The 98th birthday of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was observed in different university campuses across the country. Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) celebrated the 98th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Children's Day with elaborate programme. To mark the day in a befitting manner, BUP arranged Milad Mahfill, special Doa and a discussion meeting on the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The discussion meeting was held at BUP Bijoy Auditorium by the arrangement of BUP Literature Club where BUP VC Major General Md Emdad-Ul-Bari, ndc, psc, te was present as Chief Guest. Among others, BUP Pro-VC Prof M Abul Kashem Mozumder, PhD, all BUP officials, teachers and students were present in the discussion.

Department of English of Comilla University (CoU), arranged an art competition for the children to celebrate the 99th birth anniversary of father of the nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and National Children's Day in a befitting manner at badminton playground in front of Mukto Manch on Saturday at CoU campus. As part of the programme, deans, provosts, proctors, chairpersons of departments, directors of institutes and office heads led by DU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman has place wreaths at Muktha Manch in Comilla University .The theme of the discussion was "Bangabandhu's Birthday: Colour Spreading Lamps, Children will Remain Well in Red-Green Bangladesh"

Green University of Bangladesh (GUB) authorities organized different programs, including discussion, children's dance, poem reciting and art competition. Prof Dr Golam Samdani Fakir; Vice Chancellor of GUB presided over while Prof Dr Muhammad Fayyaz Khan, Pro Vice Chancellor; Md. Shahid Ullah, Treasurer; Prof Dr Golam Ahmed Faruqui, Dean of Faculty of Business Studies; KM Wazed Kabir, Chairperson of English spoke as guests.

At the discussion, discussants paid glowing tribute to Bangabandhu for his unwavering struggle and charismatic leadership for the independence of Bangladesh and highlighted the spirit and philosophy of Bangabandhu in establishing independent Bangladesh. They also particularly encouraged the new generation to uphold the spirit of Bangabandhu in order to build through their hard work the "Sonar Bangla"-the dream of Bangabandhu.

Canadian University of Bangladesh (CUB) arranged a discussion to celebrate the birthday of the Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and National Children's Day' on Saturday at its Banani Campus. Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, was the chief guest at a discussion to mark the day in the University. Prof Dr Mohammad Mahfuzul Islam, Vice Chancellor, Canadian University of Bangladesh delivered welcome speech while Dr Chowdhury Nafeez Sarafat, Founder and Chairman, BoT, CUB presided over the discussion.

Hasanul Haq Inu said the best of the Bengalis of thousand years Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib was the great architect of Independent Bangladesh. Mentioning that, if Bangabandhu was not born, Bangladesh would not have been independent. He added on 7 March 1971 Bangabandhu first ever announced in his voice, 'This struggle is our struggle for freedom, this struggle is the struggle for independence'. In continuation of this, the liberation war started on 26 March and the country won independence through the war for nine months. The chief guest called upon that inspiring by the ideals of the war of liberation we must work united. He added to implement the golden Bengal dream of the great architect of independence Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the new generation of the country must be made as a golden man.

Anna Cocchiarellah, Italian writer and researcher and working on translating the Biography of Bangabandhu "AsomaptoAttmojiboni" in Bengali to Italian, Prof Emeritus Dr Atiur Rahman, former governor of Bangladesh Bank and also Virtual Dean, School of Business and Honorary Adviser, CUB and Prof Mohammad A Arafat, the Chief Advisor to the BoT were present as special guests at the event. Anjuman Ara Shahid, Vice Chairman, Board of Trustees, Chowdhury Raheeb Safwan Sarafat, Member, BoT, CUB were also present at the discussion.

Northern University of Bangladesh also organized discussion on the life and struggle of Bangabandhu to mark the day.


Suu Kyi asks Australia, Asean for help with Rohingya crisis

The Guardian :

Aung San Suu Kyi has reportedly personally addressed Myanmar's ongoing Rohingya crisis at a closed-door meeting of south-east Asian leaders, asking for help from Asean nations with humanitarian relief and Myanmar's capacity to recover from the conflict.

At a meeting of leaders at the Australia-Asean summit in Sydney, Suu Kyi addressed the issue "comprehensively [and] at some considerable length", the Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, said.

"Aung San Suu Kyi ... seeks support from Asean and other nations to provide help from a humanitarian and capacity-building point-of-view. Everyone seeks to end the suffering."

'Mafia state': protesters rally against Cambodia PM Hun Sen's visit to Australia

More than 650,000 of the Rohingya ethnic and religious minority have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since August, fleeing systemic violence from the country's military, including murder, rape and the deliberate torching of villages.

The UN has said the persecution "bears all the hallmarks of genocide" but Myanmar



has vehemently denied the allegations, insisting the military's operation was in response to attacks by Rohingya militants.

Suu Kyi has spoken little publicly about the conflict - and pointedly refuses to use the word Rohingya, which is not a minority recognised by the Myanmar government.

"It is not the intention of the Myanmar government to apportion blame or to abnegate responsibility," she said in a speech last September. "We condemn all human rights violations and unlawful violence."

Asean has a declared policy of non-interference in the affairs of member states but the Malaysian prime minister, Najib Razak, has said that the ongoing persecution of Rohingya is of international concern.

"Because of the suffering of Rohingya people and that of displacement around the region, the situation in Rakhine state and Myanmar can no longer be considered to be a purely domestic matter  because it has the potential of developing into a serious security threat to the region."

He said thousands remained vulnerable in Rakhine and over the border.

"People who see no hope in the future will be a fertile ground for radicalisation and recruitment by Isis and affiliated groups," he said. "We must be vigilant and increase our collaboration, because the collapse of Isis territories in Iraq and Syria has forced it to go underground and re-emerge elsewhere, especially in crisis zones where it can grow and operate."

The Asean chairman - Singapore's prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong - said instability in one Asean state held ramifications for all.

"All of us in the region, we will be anxious if there is any instability, if there is trouble in any of our member countries," he said. "We are also concerned as human beings if there's a humanitarian situation which has developed and people's welfare and lives and safety are at stake. And we do our best to help the governments to re-establish stability and tranquility in the situation."

Lee said he was not aware of specific security threats posed by the ongoing displacement of Rohingya from Myanmar.

"I do not have any specific intelligence on what's happening in Rakhine state, whether there are terrorist groups as has been suggested," he said. "These are possibilities which you cannot rule out and which you must keep on the watch-out for."

Turnbull said the issue of the Rohingya crisis was "discussed constructively" and that Australia and Asean member states were ready to assist.

"Everyone seeks to end the suffering that has been occasioned by the [conflict and the] displacement of persons. Our goal is to support the peaceful and speedy resolution of the humanitarian ... disaster that has resulted from the conflict," he said.

The Australian-Asean summit has been avowedly focused upon trade liberalisation across the region and increased counter-terrorism co-operation between states' security agencies.

In a pointed riposte to the United States' new steel and aluminium tariffs, Turnbull said of the Asean meeting that "there were no protectionists around the  table". The region is working on a regional comprehensive economic partnership to facilitate free trade between all members.

Australia and the Asean nations have also committed to closer security ties and information-sharing between agencies, in a bid to counter transnational terrorist organisations and the influence of returning foreign fighters from conflict zones.

"Nowhere is far away from anywhere when it comes to terrorism, and none of us can tackle this alone," Turnbull said.

But the unspoken focus of the three-day summit has been China's growing influence across the region, in particular its capacious claims to territory in the South China Sea.


4 held with fake Indian Rs 30 lakh

Detective Branch of Police detained four people with 30 lakh fake Indian rupee and money making materials. This photo was taken from in front of city\'s DB office on Monday.

Staff Reporter :

A team of Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police in a drive arrested four persons along with fake Indian Rs 30 lakh in the capital's Mohammadpur on Sunday night.

The DB team also seized currency-making equipment from there, Masudur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner, Media and Public Relations of the DMP, said yesterday.

The arrested men are Humayun Kabir, Saiful Islam, Swapan Dutta and Saidur Rahman, he said.

During interrogation, Humayun Kabir said that he has been doing this for over 10 years, the police official said.

They sell each bundle of Rs 1 lakh rupee for Tk 8,000 to Tk 10,000 on the Chapainawabganj border, from where their Indian counterparts spread it all over India, he added.

A case has been filed with Mohammadpur Police Station in this connection, according to him.

Police have interrogated them in connection with the fake note factory and its circulation, he added.
Survivor Shahin's condition 'worse than thought': Doctor

bdnews24.com :

Doctors say US-Bangla Airlines plane crash survivor Shahin Bepari's condition is worst among the six victims brought back from Nepal, and his burn injuries are much more severe than they had been initially told.

Dhaka Medical College Hospital burns unit coordinator Dr Samanta Lal Sen told bdnews24.com on Monday "Shahin's condition was worst among the

six victims brought to the hospital from Nepal". He said papers from Nepal had said he had 16 percent of his skin burnt in the crash. "But doctors today found while dressing his injuries that he had suffered more than 30 percent burns. These are deep burns. He is in the worst condition," doctor Sen said. Dr Sen said they would decide about a surgery on Shahin quickly. "Many factors are related to the issue," the doctor said. Shahin, the manager of a clothing shop in Dhaka's Sadarghat, lives in Narayanganj.

Dr Sen said Shahreen Ahmed, the first victim brought back to Bangladesh, also needed surgery for deep burns on her shoulder. He said they had been informed she had suffered 5 percent burns, but later found the burns were on 10 percent of her skin. "We are a little bit worried about the condition of these two victims," he said.

The four others admitted to the hospital were Saiyada Kamrunnahar Swarna, her husband Mehedi Hasan, Mehedi's sister-in-law Almun Nahar Annie, and Sheikh Rashed Rubaiyat. The physician said they would keep the four under observation at the hospital for around a week. Later in the day, Annie was released from the hospital. Two of the 10 Bangladeshi survivors have been sent to Singapore from Nepal while two others are still under treatment at a Katmandu hospital. At least 49 people died on Mar 12 after the aircraft crashed as it flew in to land at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. Of the 26 dead Bangladeshi passengers and crew members, bodies of 23 were brought back for burial on Monday. Seventy-one people were on board the plane arriving from Dhaka when it clipped the fence of the runway and burst into flames. The causes of the disaster are still being investigated, though the US-Bangla Airlines earlier said the pilot had received wrong signals from the control tower. But the airport officials have blamed it on the pilot's error.
No progress in probe into Tonu murder

UNB, Comilla :

Though two years have elapsed since the murder of Victoria College student Sohagi Jahan Tonu, there has been no significant

headway in the investigation into the gruesome killing.

Family members and locals expressed their anger and frustration as the killers are yet to be identified, let alone arresting anyone. Tonu, a second-year history student of Comilla Victoria College and a member of Victoria College Theatre, was found dead at Comilla Mainamati Cantonment on March 20, 2016 after she went out of her residence for private tuition. Her murder sparked a huge public outcry and people from home and abroad demanded justice for the college girl. Doctors at forensic department of Comilla Medical College Hospital conducted two autopsies on her body but their reports did not mention any clear cause of her death.
The Undead Archives

I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world.
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By AM Monday, March 19, 2018 Share Tweet Share Share Email

Gabriel Levy writes on women taking to the streets in Ukraine.







About 100 women took part in a march for womens rights last week in Lisichansk, close to the front line between Ukraine and the Russian-supported separatist republic in Lugansk.



We need to fight for our rights! was the main slogan of the march, on Tuesday 6 March.





The womens march in Lisichansk



Vladislava Nikolayevskaya, one of the organisers and a law student, wrote on her facebook page:





I think that theres no need to prove to those active women of Lisichansk, who took part in our march, what rights exactly we are fighting for! ... I am very glad that, notwithstanding the sad situation and the negative comments, there are people who are not indifferent  who, on the contrary, are ready to defend their rights and to draw attention to whats going on.

Women in the war zone were not scared to go out on to the streets, Pavel Lisyansky, a lawyer and human rights activist in the area, reported. The organisers of the march were women human rights defenders, women activists and women residents of Lisichansk.



On Friday 9 March Vera Yastrebova, one of the organisers, reported on the Lisichansk event at a meeting of



Vera explained to the London meeting that the march for womens rights in Lisichansk was the outcome of more than two years of campaigning work.



Asked what attacks on womens rights meant, she recounted that defining the concept of womens rights had been at the centre of the campaigning work.

Women in the war zone were not scared to go out on to the streets, Pavel Lisyansky, a lawyer and human rights activist in the area, reported. The organisers of the march were women human rights defenders, women activists and women residents of Lisichansk.On Friday 9 March Vera Yastrebova, one of the organisers, reported on the Lisichansk event at a meeting of the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign in London. Vera, a lawyer, was there with Lisyansky, who gave an account of human rights violations and attacks on labour rights  and on activists responses to them  on both sides of the front line.Vera explained to the London meeting that the march for womens rights in Lisichansk was the outcome of more than two years of campaigning work.Asked what attacks on womens rights meant, she recounted that defining the concept of womens rights had been at the centre of the campaigning work.

We need to fight for our rights

Sexual violence during military conflict; domestic violence; attacks on women workers labour rights





Success has been mixed, Vera said: for older women, changing the ways of looking at these things is sometimes tougher.



The eruption of military conflict in eastern Ukraine in 2014, and the resulting impact on communities, has triggered the formation of numerous human rights defence groups. Pravozashchitnik [Human Rights Defender], a news sheet published by



 The Womens Human Rights Group, formed in 2017 in Privole, Novodruzhevsk, Lisichansk and Gorskoe on the initiative of Irina Nikulnikova, a lawyer and mother of three children, who had worked for the coal company Lisichanskugol for ten years. and conditions  women suffered these but did not always see them as attacks on their rights as women, as attacks on their human rights. But the campaign is aimed at changing perceptions.Success has been mixed, Vera said: for older women, changing the ways of looking at these things is sometimes tougher.The eruption of military conflict in eastern Ukraine in 2014, and the resulting impact on communities, has triggered the formation of numerous human rights defence groups. Pravozashchitnik [Human Rights Defender], a news sheet published by the Eastern Human Rights Group with support from the German consulate, reported that some of the most militant groups were formed by women activists, including: The Womens Human Rights Group, formed in 2017 in Privole, Novodruzhevsk, Lisichansk and Gorskoe on the initiative of Irina Nikulnikova, a lawyer and mother of three children, who had worked for the coal company Lisichanskugol for ten years.





Pravozashchitnik reported:

For the last two years [Irina] has not been paid her wages, despite having three young children. She left the [state-owned] company that was not paying her, and decided to find other work, but many of her colleagues remained there ... Irina got together a team made up of those women whose rights had been breached, and went, as it were, into battle. They organised protest meetings and pickets by individuals, and lodged complaints about the attacks on women's rights at enterprises in the region.



 The Lisichansk Human Rights Defence Group, formed in 2016 in Lisichansk, which focuses particularly on supporting students and young industrial workers. Pravozashchitnik reported that it is led by Vladislava Nikolayevskaya:





who decided to take action after her father was unlawfully laid off from the D.F. Melnikov mine, owned by Lisichanskugol, and did not receive wage payments for almost a year ... Vladislava was strongly influenced by the breach of her fathers labour rights. She couldnt understand how this could happen in a democratic and law-based state. She learned that many people were in the same situation, and couldnt get legal help because such services were very expensive. And so Vladislava and her like-minded colleagues organised themselves in a human rights group.



Vladislava said:





My family have themselves felt what the breach of labour rights means, what it means to work without being paid, what its like to not know how to find the means to pay for municipal services and rent. Politicians only remember people just before elections, and then forget them  but someone has to defend people. Why not me?



 The Civil Inspection of Labour group, formed in 2014 in Debaltsevo to defend labour rights, social and economic rights, and the rights of women and students. The group was formed by Vera Yastrebova, who was forced to leave Debaltsevo during fierce fighting there in 2014 and who has fought more than 100 cases by refugees from the city.



Vera said in an interview:





My home has been destroyed, so has my place of work. In a moment I lost everything. But instead of blaming everyone, I decided to defend people and compel the politicians to work for the good of those they represent.





This resurgence of activity in the front-line communities is inspiring and important. War is a means of social control, of demoralising and terrorising communities. It can leave them defenceless against elites. Since the Russian-supported military action in Ukraine started in 2014, in Russia itself state action against activists and oppositionists has been stepped up, accompanied by an intensification of crude nationalist propaganda. In Ukraine, an analogous upsurge of ultra-nationalism has led to a spate of physical attacks on trade union, anti-fascist, feminist and gay rights demonstrations.





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MAG Robotic Investments has signed a contract with Emaar Properties, a global property developer based in the UAE, for the development of a fully automated parking facility on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis at Dubai Marina.



MAG Robotic Investments has assigned MAG Royal Solutions, one of the pioneers of smart automated parking solutions in the UAE, to manage the new Dubai Marina project. The facility will accommodate approximately 700 cars and significantly ease parking pressure around the Dubai Marina area.



The automated parking facility, which represents the third largest to be developed by MAG Royal Solutions, will be located on the ground and first floors of a building that will also be home to state-of-the-art restaurants and retail outlets. The building has been designed to complement the unique architectural concepts that already characterise Dubai Marina and the restaurants will offer an ideal ambiance and splendid views of the Marina and Dubai skyline.



Effective and smart parking solutions are integral to the efficiency and liveability of cities. The automated parking facility will eliminate the need to walk or drive around various parking decks in search of a vacant space or parked car.



This will dramatically decrease foot traffic and driving inside the parking facility, contributing to zero emissions and making the facility environmentally clean and fully compliant with green building requirements. Valet parking will also be provided to ensure the comfort of patrons and visitors.



MAG Royal Solutions is a subsidiary of the MAG Group of Companies and a sister company to MAG Lifestyle Development, a leading property developer in the UAE.



Emaar Properties, listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is a global property developer and provider of premium lifestyles, with a significant presence in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. One of the worlds largest real estate companies, Emaar has a land bank of 187 million sq m in the UAE and key international markets.  TradeArabia News Service
Warner Bros/Parlophone RecordsBritpop icons unite! Liam Gallagher has announced a U.S. tour with Richard Ashcroft, which begins May 10 in San Francisco. Tickets go on sale this Friday, May 23 at 10 a.m. local time via LiamGallager.com.

Both Gallagher and Ashcroft, of course, fronted two of the biggest bands of the '90s Britpop scene: Oasis and The Verve, respectively. We're guessing Blur frontman Damon Albarn's invitation got lost in the mail.

Gallagher will be touring behind his debut solo album, As You Were. Ashcroft's most recent release is the 2016 album These People.

Here are Liam Gallagher's tour dates with Richard Ashcroft:

5/10 -- San Francisco, CA, Masonic

5/11 -- Los Angeles, CA, The Greek Theatre

5/13 -- Toronto, ON, Sony Centre for The Performing Arts

5/14 -- Boston, MA, Blue Hills Bank Pavilion

5/16 -- New York, NY, Central Park Summer Stage

5/17 -- Philadelphia, PA, Festival Pier @ Penns Landing

5/18 -- Washington, D.C., Lincoln Theatre*

*Liam Gallagher only.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Taqati, the dedicated programme management office for the Dubai Demand Side Management (DSM) strategy, has entered into a partnership with the British University in Dubai (BUiD) for the Dubai Energy Efficiency Training Program as part of its mandate.

Taqati has been set up under Etihad Energy Service Company (Etihad Esco).

Etihad Esco CEO Ali Al Jassim signed the agreement with BUiD vice chancellor Prof Abdullah Al Shamsi during a ceremony organised at Etihad Escos headquarters.

The Dubai Energy Efficiency Training Program is an initiative by the Dubai Government, mandated by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) and led by Taqati, in partnership with BUiD, the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) and the International Institute for Energy Training (IIET).

The training programme aims to build the right capabilities to achieve Dubais ambitious target of 30 per cent reduction in energy consumption by 2030; boost awareness and adoption of new technologies that promote energy efficiency; nurture a community of innovators and thought leaders to spearhead energy efficiency measures in Dubai; and to create value for the emirate by offering continuous opportunities for professional development.

Al Jassim said: The Dubai Energy Efficiency Training Program mainly centres on human capital development in the energy efficiency area. This is an exceptional opportunity for all of us to work together to ensure that our skills and overall competencies are up-to-date and at par with the global standards. Doing so will get us nearer to our energy efficiency and sustainable development goals in line with Dubai and UAE Visions.

The programme combines an array of internationally and locally certified training programmes and modules to cater to the learning and development needs of various stakeholders in Dubais energy sector. Training tracks have also been created to support the industry in understanding the right skill sets that correspond to their job functions.

Various programmes under the initiative include Certified Energy Manager (CEM); Certified Energy Auditor (CEA); Certified Measurement & Verification Professional (CMVP); Performance Contracting & Funding; Building Commissioning Professional as well as the Leed training suite and Well AP.

Aref Abou Zahr, executive director of Taqati, said: As the dedicated programme management office for the implementation of the Dubai Demand Side Management strategy, we are confident that this training programme will equip stakeholders in Dubais energy sector with the right set of skills and capabilities to bring the emirate to the forefront of energy efficiency, thereby setting an exemplary model for others to follow. - TradeArabia News Service
Top scientists, experts and specialists in the dermatology industry are participating at the 18th edition of Dubai World Dermatology and Laser Conference and Exhibition  Dubai Derma, a unique event dedicated to medical, paediatric and aesthetic dermatology, which opened today (March 19) in Dubai, UAE.



The event is being held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and president of the Dubai Health Authority, and will run until March 21, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.



Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, director general of Dubai Department of Information, inaugurated the event, which is being held under the theme Skin Health is our Concern.



Following the opening ceremony, Sheikh Hasher was accompanied by a high-profile delegation comprising a number of leading healthcare figures in the UAE and the GCC region, which included Humaid Al Qatami, chairman of the board and director general of the Dubai Health Authority, a number of presidents from worlds largest dermatological associations, VIPs and speakers, who toured the exhibition area, where they were briefed about the latest scientific and technological developments in the field of dermatology, said a statement.



While delivering his opening speech at the event, Al Qatami said: The continuous successes achieved by the event makes us more eager to take advantage of this gathering of scientists, experts and specialists, and from the topics at the discussion table, especially those related to dermatology research and studies, advanced technology and modern professional methods and practices, along with exchange of experience and transfer of knowledge.



He added: Undoubtedly, skin diseases and their relevant laser surgeries and microsurgeries have become among the most important scopes of competitiveness on the global health scene and one of the components for therapeutic tourism revitalisation.



In addition, they have become a form of investment that has its presence and strength, derived from institutions, hospitals and specialised international centres, as well as the parallel industry and the large market which is expanding, day by day, with the latest hi-tech equipment and diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic facilities, he said.



Al Qatami continued: Dubai, and the entrepreneurship it has achieved in various fields, is perhaps the main platform in the region to embrace this world-class development at the level of smart medical techniques.



It is also the ideal destination for investment in the healthcare sector in general, and in dermatology and plastic surgery in particular, a fact that the Dubai Health Authority is aware of and stimulates its expansion, in order to promote health tourism pillars and make Dubai the first choice for health and happiness seekers, he added.



He concluded: We are confident that the conference will succeed and achieve its objectives. We are also confident that the parallel discussions, lectures and workshops will lead us to applicable scientific conclusions that can be utilised, especially with the development programmes that the Dubai Health Authority undertakes to upgrade the services of dermatology departments at their hospitals and centres.



Dr Hassan Galadari, professor of dermatology at the UAE University, consultant dermatologist, head of scientific committee, Dubai Derma, said: This year, Dubai Derma will host the Asian Dermatology Association ADAs 11th Congress. The last time, the ADA meeting was held in Dubai was in 1996 and much has changed since then. Dubai has grown exponentially over the years, commensurate with the key scientific and technological developments in the field of dermatology.



He added: In 1996, the first filler was approved to be used for cosmetic purposes and 22 years later, over 80 companies produce this. In addition, for skin conditions such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, treatment options were limited in scope previously but today, they are at the forefront of dermatologic therapeutics. Dubai Derma 2018 will play host to such new innovations and treatment methodologies for skin diseases and much more.



Dr Abdul Wahab Al Fouzan, president of the Arab Academy of Dermatology and Aesthetics/ Pan Arab League of Dermatologists, said: Dubai Derma is attended by leading skincare specialists and experts from the GCC as well as many countries representing Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia.



The scientific programme this year features a number of research papers and medical studies in skin surgery, treatment of psoriasis, malignant tumours of skin cancer as well as treatment of pigments, hair loss, alopecia and genetic skin diseases. In addition, the conference features a large number of workshops for those interested in laser treatments and anti-aging skin treatments while a number of training courses also focus on specialised topics related to skin sensitivity and histology, he added.



He added: Dubai Derma has the constant support and guidance of senior healthcare officials in Dubai and it certainly plays a pivotal role in improving the knowledge and expertise of skincare professionals in the Arab world. With so many technical training and educational courses on offer, Dubai Derma 2018 will greatly benefit dermatology students and professionals to improve their knowledge and also gain CME points to further enhance their academic and clinical performance.



Dr Oumeish Oumeish, secretary general of Dubai Derma and International Academy of Medical Specialisation, said: The event aims to promote continuous medical education and up-to-date learning in the field of medical, surgical, cosmetic and aesthetic dermatology and laser treatments through innovative lectures and symposia.



He added: Dubai is a candidate city for the World Congress of Dermatology in 2023, to be held under the auspices of the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS). The bidding will happen during the World Congress of Dermatology 2019 in Milan, Italy and I take this opportunity to support and vote for Dubai to host the 2023 World Congress of Dermatology.



On the first-day of the conference, a number of highly specialised topics in skincare were discussed including topics like: Medical/Therapeutics Dermatology, Case Presentation Dermatology and Surgical/Cosmetic Dermatology which includes exclusive discussions on Gender Differences in Soft Tissue Augmentation: Perspectives and Practice, Radical RX Pearls, Food Allergy in Atopic Dermatitis, New Promising Drugs for Atopic Dermatitis, New Pearls in Skin Surgery and Cosmetology and Updates on Laser Hair Reduction among others.



Running parallel to the conference, Dubai Derma Exhibition, played host to a number of product launches and live demonstration of latest skincare solutions while also offering a highly interactive environment for visitors to experience the latest products and services in the skincare industry.



The annual Dubai World Dermatology and Laser Conference and Exhibition  Dubai Derma, is organised by Index Conferences & Exhibitions, a member of Index Holding, in cooperation with the Pan Arab League of Dermatology, Arab Academy of Dermatology & Aesthetics (AADA) and GCC League of Dermatologists with the support of the Government of Dubai and Dubai Health Authority (DHA), it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
Qatar Navigation (Milaha) will make huge investments for expanding its operations and capabilities in Qatar and overseas as part of a long-term plan to improve efficiency and profitability, said a report.



The company also aims at further redefining its strategy to focus on generating higher returns to safeguard the interests of the companys shareholders during this year and coming years, added the Peninsula Qatar report.



Speaking at a recent annual general meeting, Sheikh Ali bin Jassim bin Mohammad Al Thani, chairman of the board of directors of Milaha, said the company will intensify its efforts in 2018 and beyond based on a strategic plan, which combines strong local expansion, selective international expansion in key sectors, and optimisation of structural cost.



Sheikh Ali added that the company remains strong financially, and they will continue to invest for the future, and further increase its capabilities to meet and anticipate customer requirements.
Al Maha Ceramics, a premium brand of ceramic tiles, recently unveiled its new polished ceramic tiles and rectified tiles at the Big Show Muscat 2018 exhibition.

The exhibition was held at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center from March 12 to 14.

The company has launched two sub-brands - Reflexon (polished superior strength tiles digitally printed in random pattern) and Diamond Edge (rectified tiles).

During the event, Al Maha Ceramics displayed attractive designs of the Reflexon and Diamond Edge series of tiles produced using contemporary digital printing technology with a variety of shades to suit every decor.

Rajeev Singh, senior general manager, Al Maha Ceramics, commented: Its a proud moment for the sultanate that an Omani company has launched the regions first polished ceramic tiles. We have showcased our highly attractive latest range of Spanish and Italian designs in the exhibition. These designs are digitally printed in random patterns, displaying our immense capabilities.

Al Maha has been the pioneer in launching differentiated products in GCC which keeps the company ahead of all. We have launched a series of designs in all formats and sizes. We have also launched an astonishing range of tiles in wood plank designs," he added.

The company produces several products in the digital printed Digiplus range, including hexagon-shaped Unitiles, large format floor tiles in 60 by 60 cm size and wall tiles in 30 by 60 cm size, along with its prolific range of high thickness exterior tiles in 50 by 50 and 30 by 30 cm size.

Al Maha Ceramics has a world-class manufacturing facility for wall and floor tiles in Sohar and has a distribution network spread across Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan and Africa. - TradeArabia News Service
Startup funding worth more than $1 billion is likely to be raised in the Middle East this year, according to Arabnet, an online hub for Arab digital professionals and entrepreneurs to connect and learn.



The funding could push up the start-up sector which is preparing for AIM Startup, the regions largest mega start-up event, to be held from April 9 to 11, at the Dubai World Trade Centre, in Dubai, UAE.



Start-up movement in the Middle East is accelerating with 260 start-up deals generating $560 million in 2017, up from 176 deals raising $249 million in 2016 while governments are reducing entry-level barriers and improving the Doing Business environment that is helping start-ups to expand fast, said a statement.



Registration is still open for start-ups to apply for the annual event. Any start-up in line with the theme Technology For Sustainable Development And Inclusive Growth and a business plan could vie for the final showdown for funding at the event, where venture capitalist and angel investors come to find the best start-up for funding.



AIM Startup, the largest platform in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region for start-ups, is helping create a start-up eco-system that will bring investors, venture capitals and start-ups closer to help create employment and accelerate economic growth.



As many as 200 start-ups will showcase their innovative products/services to a global audience for three full days and among them, the most worthy start-ups will be short-listed to pitch their projects to a panel of international expert and massive number of investors, potential business partners, corporate and government representatives, with a goal to attract capital investment and cash rewards.



AIM Startup winners will be awarded with various prizes, including a total cash prize of $50,000, to be distributed to ?nalists in recognition of their achievements and innovations.



Jake Zeller, partner of AngelList, said: Im thrilled to serve as a judge for the AIM Startup 2018 pitch competition. This is an incredible opportunity for start-ups to connect with business leaders, investors and governments from all over the world. I can't wait to see the presenting start-ups.



An initiative of the UAE Ministry of Economy, AIM Startup brings tech-entrepreneurs closer to investors, venture capital funds and mentors, to help new technology-driven solutions and companies start up and grow.



The event runs concurrently with the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM), a leading platform for foreign direct investment (FDI) in emerging markets, which is held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. The platform is aimed at facilitating strategic networking and promoting investment.



Start-ups in the region need funding and institutional support to expand and play their due role in changing the economic landscape, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
The UAE Cabinet yesterday adopted the National Family Policy which aims to build stable and responsible Emirati families in line with the UAE Vision 2021 and UAE Centennial Strategy 2071.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, reaffirmed the directions of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to provide the utmost support for the UAE family considering it as the nucleus of society, said a Wam news agency report

The National Family Policy aims at raising awareness of the Emirati familys rights and duties to ensure their contribution to sustainable social development by building and forming future Emirati families capable of coping with the stresses of life, promoting the stability of family life to generations to come, it said.

It includes six components - marriage, family relations, balance of roles, child protection, family protection, and re-engineering the provision of family services to achieve family happiness.

The National Family Policy was adopted during the UAE Cabinet meeting in the presence of HH Lt General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, and HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

During the meeting, the Cabinet asserted that the UAE family is the foundation of the society and the base to achieve a modern and cohesive society.

"We have adopted the National Family Policy in the UAE. Our goal is a stable and prosperous Emirati family. The National Family Policy reflects our interest in the family, which is the nucleus of our society," Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said.

He also directed the Ministry of Community Development to coordinate with the relevant local and federal entities to implement the policy and its initiatives during the next phase.

The Cabinet also issued a Federal Law on regulating the profession of pharmacy, pharmaceuticals and medical products. The law aims to strengthen the capacity of the health sector in the country to combat diseases and provide health security to the UAE.

It also issued a Federal Law on the use of Information Technology and Communication in the health sector, in line with the federal governments efforts to upgrade health services to high levels of quality, and in accordance with the best international standards in this field. The law will regulate the use of technical systems, data storage, exchange, circulation and confidentiality of data, as well as the establishment of a central database among all health authorities in the UAE to provide a unified national information and database to provide reliable statistics.

The Cabinet adopted the UAE standards for radio receivers, which aims to attract international investments in the media field and provide an environment-friendly communication service that requires less energy to operate within internationally permitted limits.
Arabian Automobiles, the flagship company of the AW Rostamani Group and the exclusive dealer for Renault in Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates, has celebrated the sale of its 10,000th Renault Duster across its network of showrooms.



Italian customer Stefano Bassanese purchased the vehicle as a gift for his wife Lorena Severi, a World Champion Hairdresser who has been awarded the title of Picasso of Hairstyling, said a statement.



The Renault Duster is as equipped for day-to-day life as it is for adventure, with its robust design or heading off the beaten track with its all-terrain capabilities, the company said.



The ride is enhanced by advanced technology including cruise control, anti-locking braking system (ABS) and an electronic stability program (ESP) for safe travels for the passengers and pedestrians, coupled with an intuitive 4WD technology, unique to its segment, offers ground clearance by adapting to the road conditions.



The Dusters Isofix system assures comfort and safety for the children allowing peace of mind for the driver. The flagship model is fitted with an electronic stability control that helps maintain stability and complete control of the vehicle even in the roughest of driving conditions, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
The blackbox of the Turkish private jet that crashed in southwestern Iran on Sunday night was found, deputy governor of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province said on Monday.

The business jet carrying eight passengers and three crew members crashed into a mountain in central Iran on Sunday, killing all on board.

The plane was flying back to Istanbul from Sharjah, UAE. It was reportedly owned by Basaran Holding, a company active in construction and building luxury yachts.

There were no UAE nationals on board, a statement from the Sharjah Civil Aviation Department (SCAD) was quoted as saying by Khaleej Times newspaper.

According to SCAD, the private 604 Pompadier Turkish TCTRB took off at 5.16 pm local time from Sharjah International Airport en route to Istanbul Ataturk Airport and disappeared from the radar after leaving the UAE at 7.30 pm.

At the time of its departure, the plane had eight passengers (six Turkish and two Spanish) and three crew members on board.

Shahr-e Kord is some 370 km south of the capital, Tehran.

Representatives from Turkey together with relatives of the victims are scheduled to arrive at Shahr-e Kord airport within hours, Jafar Mardani told the Islamic Republic News Agency (Irna).

The blackbox will be delivered to the officials for further investigation, he said.

"The 10 identified dead bodies will be transported by helicopter to Shahr-e Kord Airport," he added.
Seven students from Emirates Aviation University will take part in the Boeing Mentorship Programme, developed by Boeing Middle East.



The UAE-based programme focuses on providing students with academic and career guidance, enhancing their leadership skills and exposure to the private sector within the aviation industry.



The collaboration was announced at Boeing offices in the Dubai Airport Free Zone, during which students were given an orientation about the programme and what they could expect from their mentors.



Our main focus at Emirates Aviation University (EAU) is our students. We are always keen on providing them with the best tools to develop their skills and capabilities. We believe that education is greatly enhanced by experience and exposure to different, real-life perspectives, and we are always ready to support them in any aspect. We would like to thank Boeing Middle East for this opportunity and we hope that our students will benefit from it as much as possible, said Dr Ahmad Al Ali, vice-chancellor of Emirates Aviation University.



Mentoring students is one of the most impactful and meaningful ways to engage the community. The program gives students access to industry experts and provides them with the opportunity to ask questions, develop their skills, and experience the private sector in a safe environment. We look forward to a successful program and partnership with EAU said Bernard Dunn, president of Boeing Middle East, North Africa and Turkey.



Students nowadays are looking for new ways to learn about careers in the business world, although faculty members are still our primary mentors. We are eager to learn what skills and tools are needed to be successful and competitive in the marketplace. Another valuable opportunity our university provides is the alumni mentoring programmes, said Lina Ali Murad Al Mandoos AlBlooshi, Aviation Management student at EAU.



We are excited to be able to share innovative concepts with influential and experienced professionals, and we look forward to receiving their feedback and learning from them, said Amer Ghadban, Aviation Management student at EAU.



EAU students will get the opportunity to talk to and visit their mentors who are Boeing employees in senior positions, and ask them questions to obtain more knowledge about their different roles. The mentors will provide them with the career guidance, encouragement during the academic programme, advice on important course and field work, and opportunities to make professional contacts. - TradeArabia News Service


Joining millions across the globe, Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay will celebrate Earth Hour by switching off all non-essential lighting, sending out a powerful message about a brighter future for the planet.



March 24 marks the 11th year of Earth Hour, the biggest environmental event of the year which celebrates and generates responsibility towards our natural world. The symbolic act of switch off will happen between 8.30 pm to 9:30 pm where Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay will turn off the external signage and facade lighting as well as the shimmering lobby chandelier lights. The energy consumption per guest room is 0.628 KWH per hour, including television units and lighting. Switching these off for an hour would equal to the saving of energy used to produce approximately 14 gallons of water.



At the entrance of every outlet, twinkling tea light candles will light up the pathway, in support of this grass root movement for action on climate change. All the hotel's outlets will run with candlelights and table LED lights for an hour. Adding a special touch, Swim & Tonic/ The Backyard will serve guests their special Flaming Cocktails at a special price of Dh65 ($17.6), to ignite the darkness. Members of the hotel team will also join the family-friendly walkathon hosted by Dewa (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority) at the Marasi Promenade, spreading the awareness of climate change.



Earth Hour's iconic 60+ logo will be created entirely with tea light candles at The Backyards shisha lounge area, highlighting the significance of this global initiative for the next 60 minutes and beyond.



For us at Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay, Earth Hour is not just about one day. It is part of our ongoing promise and commitment to promote environmental awareness, and it resonates with every member of our team. We take immense pride in spreading this understanding amongst our guests as well, said Stephen Meredith, general manager at Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay, Dubai. - TradeArabia News Service


Celebrating its 10th anniversary as Saudi Arabias Leading Travel Trade and Consumer Show, Riyadh Travel Fair (RTF) 2018 has completely sold out ahead of its milestone show this April, attributed to a tremendous surge in booth bookings from the global market, an announcement by the exhibitions organizer ASAS Exhibition said.



RTF 2018 show holds its strong Middle East support with 60 per cent of exhibiting companies from the GCC region including Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, Government of Sharjah (Commerce & Tourism Development Authority), Ministry of Tourism Bahrain, Oman Tourism, RTF 2018 will feature many firsts for the travel trade and consumer show. For the first time this year, RTF 2018 will host Scandinavian tourism boards such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland as well as Greece, among many others.



Tanzania and Spain will make their debut at RTF 2018 this year, joining other European and African tourism boards including Czech Republic, Poland, Bosnia, Greece, Turkey, South Africa, Egypt and Tunisia.



While Asian markets appear to increase its presence in this years show floor, North and South East Asia will feature prominently during RTF 2018 too with the participation of Japan, Korea, The Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore.



As we celebrate our 10th anniversary this year, the substantial growth in exhibitors underlines how RTF has firmly established itself as the leading industry event in the country. The Saudi outbound market continues to attract huge interest and we are delighted to see such levels of growth from various key markets at the show this year. As early as now, we are accepting bookings for the 2019 show, said Sheikh Hafeez, director of sales and marketing, ASAS Exhibition, organiser of RTF.



Exploring The Innovation of Travel, RTF 2018 will feature industry heavyweights from the travel and tourism sector as well as global brand names from the technology sector. The show will take place from April 10  13 at Al Faisaliah Hotel, Riyadh.



The Riyadh Travel Fair is open to both travel professionals and the general public looking for in-depth destination information and special deals. Visitors to the 2018 edition will be able to interact directly with various tourism authorities, hotels, airlines and travel agents from around the world.



The Arabian Gulf region will have a strong presence at the fair including pavilions sponsored by; Abu Dhabi Tourism & Cultural Authority (Strategic Partner), Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority (Platinum Sponsor), Indonesia Tourism (Diamond Sponsor), Al-Riyadh Travel & Tourism (Gold Sponsors), Czech Republic Tourism (Silver Sponsor). National pavilions confirmed to attend include those of Egypt, Bahrain, Poland, South Korea, Greece, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Ethiopia, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Scandinavia, Singapore, Spain, to name just a few.



Exhibitors from Asia, Oceania, Europe and North Africa will also be present, along with hotels, airlines, travel agencies, online booking sites, car rental and tourism companies such as Rotana, R Hotels, Lufthansa, Al Shidi Group, Royal Caribbean International, Capital Travel, and Silkway Travel, to name a few.



Riyadh Travel Fair is organized by ASAS Exhibition and Conference Organizing company under the sponsorship of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority as Strategic Partner. - TradeArabia News Service


Flag carrier Turkish Airlines has expanded its destination network in Jordan with the inauguration of flights to Aqaba.



With existing service to the capital, Amman, Aqaba will be second destination in the kingdom for Turkish Airlines.



Flights from Istanbul to Aqaba will be operated three days a week with round trip fares starting at $404 (including taxes and fees).



Additionally, there is a special offer for Miles&Smiles members, with a 25 per cent reduction in the miles needed to redeem either award tickets or upgrades. The offer is for trips completed before June 11 (if departing from Turkey) or June 12 (if departing from Aqaba). - TradeArabia News Service
Outdoor recreational activities for the whole family abound in Tennessee and Kentucky. National park areas and private museums are rich in history. Tennessee is home to the third tallest peak in the eastern United States; a scenic drive meets up with a steep trail half a mile from the summit. Civil War sites are found in both states. Go underground and explore the worlds largest cave system in Kentucky.

Visit National Parks

The Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area lies in both states. Ride the Big South Fork Scenic Railway from historic Stearns, Kentucky, to the Blue Heron Mining Community, where exhibits explore coal mining and the history of company towns. A hike to Twin Arches or Angel Falls on the park's Tennessee side offers up great scenic views and exercise.

Climb Clingmans Dome and check out the views of the Great Smoky Mountains. Walk across Civil War battlefields at Stones River and Fort Donelson. Examine the wars entire story at the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area.

Ranger-guided tours of Kentuckys Mammoth Cave National park go below ground. Plan ahead; some tours are restricted by age and height and may be strenuous. Wear sturdy shoes and bring a jacket or sweater.

Listen to the Music

Nashville, the Music City, is home to the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Explore Graceland, Elvis Presleys mansion in Memphis, then stroll Beale Streets clubs, restaurants and art galleries. Travel U.S. 23, the Country Music Highway, in eastern Kentucky past the birthplaces of many country music greats. The International Bluegrass Music Museum is in Owensboro; the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum is in Renfro Valley.

Explore Agriculture

Pick blueberries at Baird Mountain Blueberry Farm in middle Tennessee during the summer months. Strawberries, green beans, peas and corn are ripe for picking at Carmack Farms, northeast of Memphis.

Plenty of Kentucky farms sell locally grown produce and fruits on-site. Wilson's Cedar Point Farm visits the Somerset Farmers Market twice weekly in season. Check out the 3 C Buffalo Trace Bison working ranch and cheer on summer rodeo-riding cowboys. Visit during the fall and take a hayride.

Visit a Different World

Go beneath the oceans and discover sea life at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, and the Aquarium at the Memphis Zoo. Unlock the secrets of Oak Ridge, World War II's "secret city" with a tour of the American Museum of Science and Energy.

Kentucky's Newport Aquarium is just south of Cincinnati, Ohio. Enter the world of the Derby Region on a guided tour of the Kentucky Horse Park; watch a movie, visit three museums and watch as over 50 breeds of horses work out. An RV campground is on-site.
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Credit: Fabrice DemessenceThe Who's Roger Daltrey will be one of the honorees at the We Are Family Foundation's 2018 Celebration Gala, which takes place Friday, April 27, at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.



Daltrey will be presented with the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Peacemaker Award, which honors a person who has made a significant contribution toward promoting a peaceful society.

Roger is known for his ardent support of numerous charities, including the U.K.'s Teenage Cancer Trust and its U.S. counterpart, Teen Cancer America, the latter of which he co-founded with his Who band mate Pete Townshend.

The Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America help fund recreational areas in hospitals specifically geared toward teens and young adults.

"I am delighted to receive the 2018 Mattie J.T. Stepanek Peacemaker Award," says Daltrey in a statement.

"As one of the founders of Teen Cancer America, I am proud to be honored by the We Are Family Foundation, who also recognizes the specific needs of our adolescents and young adults and understands how vital it is that we support them as they strive to positively change the world."

Also being honored at the gala will be hip-hop legend LL Cool J, who will receive the Humanitarian Award.

"These two incredibly talented individuals are selflessly dedicated to helping others," We Are Family Foundation founder Nile Rodgers says of Daltrey and LL Cool J.

"We are immensely grateful to them for their efforts to improve the state of humanity and welcome them into our WAFF family."

Daltrey, LL Cool J and Rodgers' band Chic all will perform at the fundraiser. The We Are Family Foundation supports and creates programs promoting cultural diversity while also nurturing and mentoring young people working toward positive change around the world.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
On March 8, 2018, US President Donald Trump signed orders to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. The decree to impose a 25% tariff on steel and 10% on aluminum will come into force starting March 23. "The Department of Commerce concluded that steel import levels and global excess capacity are weakening our internal economy and therefore threaten to impair national security," Washington stressed. At the same time, the White House said Trump welcomes any country with which the US "has a security relationship" to discuss alternative ways to address concerns linked to steel and aluminium imports. It was particularly unpleasant for Germany, which is the world's fifth-largest steel exporter.

The expert of the German Association of Foreign Policy (DGAP), Josef Braml, in the interview with Deutschlandfunk was extremely pessimistic about Europe's possibilities to influence the emerging situation.

"People who could keep Donald Trump from pursuing a tough protectionist policy are no longer part of the Washington administration. Only "hawks", like Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross or, even worse, National Trade Council Director Peter Navarro are left there. These people think within the framework of zero-sum games and mercantilism. We believed that such thinking remained in history books, but were mistaken - today this policy is flourishing in not just Russia, but also in the ex-Liberty Country. There is now a policy of protectionism in accordance with the slogan - if I win, then you will lose," Braml notes.

The political scientist's words make it clear that Berlin simply does not know how to react and how to respond to US actions. "We've heard Trump's conditions - the trade policy was tied to the security policy. We were already blackmailed by this. If we want to remain allies, then we should stop, quoting the US president, "tricking America." That's not what real allies do, they pay for the security services they receive, their own 2% of GDP, and best of all - in American weapons. In this case, we will not be able to invest in something our own, we will probably need to buy the American F35 and put off our plans to develop a joint fighter with France.

I guess that's what Trump thinks. He blackmails NATO allies, thereby destroying the obligations of providing mutual military assistance, and, even worse, he bypasses the WTO rules. The rationale of his demands by security issues also destroys this regulatory body. This means that it's not just about customs duties, but about several international organizations, the rule of law. But Trump is betting on the right of the powerful: might makes right. I think we will see it. A country that has little to offer in the military terms has to pay for its security - to pay a toll," the DGAP expert believes.

At the same time, Josef Braml does not believe that the internal system of checks and balances in the United States in the form of a separation of branches of power will somehow help to neutralize the decree of Donald Trump: "He consciously justified his actions by the security policy to bypass the separation of powers. I recall you that there is the 62nd law of the Congress, which gave the president broad powers in the area of national security. As a rule, the Congress has a strong voice, but not when it comes to security. And I think he will bypass Congress. Of course, one can assume that Congress may adopt a different law, taking this authority from the president. But in this case Trump may veto it, to pass a bill over the president's objections requires a two-thirds vote in each Chamber - the Congress and the Senate. This is very rare, and I do not think that this will happen now, especially since many aren't going to interfere with the president in national security issues during the election year," the political scientist explains.

Commenting on the threats of European countries to complain to the WTO, the DGAP expert noted: "The appeal to the WTO will not help either, because the existing precedent, the reference to national security, will only overtax the WTO. Then other nations will do the same. That is, we are actually observing the end of the WTO. Thus, Trump also destroyed the WTO. And if we look at the situation in a more global context, then the US president dealt a blow not only to the WTO. NATO is under pressure, and I venture to predict that the UN will ultimately not be in such a good position as it is now. "
Vladimir Putin's victory in the presidential elections, held in Russia on March 18 (almost 77% of voters, more than 56 million residents of the country), has become one of the main topics in the world media. One of the most famous British publications, The Guardian, dedicated an article to this event titled "Vladimir Putin secures landslide victory in Russian election".

Vladimir Putin cruised to victory in Sundays presidential elections in a result that was never in question. His fourth term as president will extend until 2024, making him the first Kremlin leader to serve two decades. With results still coming in, Putin looked set to exceed expectations by clinching more than 75% of the vote. Turnout was close to 60% as of 9pm GMT on Sunday evening after a long day of voting. The Kremlin had hoped to match the 65% who cast votes in 2012 and had initially sought 70% turnout.

Thank you for your support, Putin told crowds on Manezhnaya Square just under the Kremlin walls, wearing a black down jacket with a fur hood. Everyone who voted today is part of our big, national team. Asked by a journalist about whether he would consider future runs for president, he responded: What youre saying is just silly  what, am I going to sit here for 100 years?

Asked about the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Britain, he said Russia did not currently have chemical weapons and it would be nonsense to think Russia would launch such an attack in the lead up to an election. Putin said that if the substance used in the attack had really been a military nerve agent, then it would have killed anyone targeted on the spot.

Russians had a choice of eight candidates, including the Communist Pavel Grudinin, whose title to a former state fruit farm has made him a millionaire, and Ksenia Sobchak, the daughter of Putins political mentor, who presented a liberal programme.

Turnout was the main focus of the campaign in recent weeks, with the Kremlin launching a broad get-out-the-vote campaign, which included selfie contests and raffles of iPhones and even cars for voters. The opposition declared a boycott and sent observers across the country to monitor the voting process. Putins campaign chairman, Andrei Kondrashov, declared turnout to be high and needled London by suggesting that may be a rally-round-the-flag response by voters to the accusations over the Salisbury attack.

Right now the turnout numbers are higher than we expected. We need to thank Great Britain for that because once again they did not consider the Russian mentality, said the campaign chairman. Once again we were subject to pressure at just the moment when we needed to mobilise.
This week, the so-called president of the separatist "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" Bako Sahakyan was received in Washington. The visit was organized by the Armenian Diaspora of the United States. Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs handed a note of protest to the United States due to the situation (America's double standard on Nagorno-Karabakh). The head of the expert council of Baku Network, Elkhan Alasgarov, speaking with the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, commented on Sahakyan's visit to the United States.

- What is the meaning of the visit of the illegal structure's illegal leader to the US?

- Authorization of a visit by the head of the separatist "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" to the United States, is associated with pressure on Azerbaijan. But, in my opinion, this is related not so much to Azerbaijan, but to the activities carried out by Western countries towards Russia. That is, it became an element of pressure on Russia, part of a global plan implemented to influence Russia's policy, to infringe Russia's interests in the Caucasus. This is an attempt to make the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict a factor that irritates Russia, which has been under the pressure of international sanctions, recently also related to the alleged murder of former Soviet or English spies in the UK. At the same time, Sahakyan's visit to the US has become a kind of warning to Azerbaijan, which has good relations with Russia. This is an attempt to complicate the situation and increase tension in the Caucasus as a whole.

- The visit was quite unexpected. What prompted Washington to take this step?

- This is an issue of welcoming in Washington a representative of a puppet regime, which is not recognized by the world community, including Armenia, operating in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in violation of all international norms. This issue, I think, is also being considered by certain circles of the United States within the framework of a global confrontation with Russia. Of course it aims at causing an escalation of tension, complicating Russia's relations with the countries of the South Caucasus, strengthening pro-Western tendencies in Armenia, and creating a possible new hotbed of the conflict. I think that in the context of those events that are taking place around Russia, the sanctions, the espionage scandal and a series of other actions being carried out by the United States, it was part of this global plan.

- Does the US have its own interests in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in your opinion?

- Their interests are focused exerting pressure on Russia in all directions. This direction has so far been the responsibility of the OSCE Minsk Group, but the United States and its representatives made several controversial statements. One of them concerned the fact that Armenia should withdraw troops from the occupied territories. Another statement pointed to the need to recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, but at the same time to the necessity of recognizing Armenian people's right to self-determination. And, finally, the invitation of Bako Sahakyan, who is a citizen of Azerbaijan, but travels to Washington with the passport of an Armenian citizen, which is a violation of the US migration laws. The organization of this visit was a planned action, because it was carried out with the knowledge of the authorities.
Turkey will not stay in Syria's Afrin and aims to leave the region to its real owners after the area is completely cleared of terrorists, the country's Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said.

"As we said, we will not permanently stay there, nor are we occupiers," Bozdag said, adding that the goal of Operation Olive Branch is to restore peace, security and stability to the region and leave it to its "real owners."

The minister said that the region needs to be cleared of mines, explosives and weapons, and this will take some time, Daily Sabah reported.

He noted that additional steps are necessary to normalize the situation in the town to allow people to return to their daily lives.

Bozdag also highlighted that a major portion of the weapons and ammunition given to YPG terrorists have been confiscated in Afrin, which will significantly decrease the threats on Turkey's borders.
A bomb blast in a four-floor building in Syria's Afrin killed seven civilians and four Free Syrian Army members overnight, Anadolu news agency reported.

The explosion hit after the Syrian rebels swept into the town with Turkish forces on Sunday, declaring full control after an eight-week campaign to drive out Kurdish YPG forces.

The agency added that the bomb, which it described as planted by terrorists, exploded as the Syrian fighters conducted a search, It ripped out a hole four meters deep and badly damaged other buildings and vehicles.
The European Union expresses its unqualified solidarity with the United Kingdom in the Skripal case, EU foreign ministers said in a statement.

"The European Union expresses its unqualified solidarity with the UK and its support, including for the UKs efforts to bring those responsible for this crime to justice. The EU will remain closely focused on this issue and its implications," the statement says.

The EU also welcomes the "commitment of the UK to work closely with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in supporting the investigation into the attack," the Guardian reported.

Earlier it was reported that the European Union took extremely seriously Londons assessment that it is highly likely that Russia is responsible for the attack.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev congratulated Vladimir Putin on securing victory in the Russian presidential election.

"This victory demonstrates your high political authority and active support for your policy aimed at ensuring stability, legitimacy and the rule of law in the country, carrying out large-scale reforms, implementing long-term social programs contributing to enhancing the well-being of citizens," a telegram published on the presidential official website says.

Ilham Aliyev recalled that Azerbaijan and Russia have centuries-old ties of friendship and good neighborly relations. "Im glad that today our interstate relations are developing on this solid foundation," he stressed.

The Azerbaijani leader welcomed Putins personal contribution to developing bilateral relations and cooperation in general.

"Im convinced that our joint efforts on further enhancing strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Russia will further promote interests of our peoples and countries, maintaining peace, security and progress in the region," the document reads.

Ilham Aliyev wished Vladimir Putin good health, happiness and success in his state activity.
Three Israeli nationals were removed from a Turkish Airlines flight and detained for questioning after they joked about carrying bombs with them onto the plane, Channel 10 reported.

The Israelis reportedly joked about having explosive devices with them on the plane  a conversation meant in jest, but which was overheard by a Turkish Airlines stewardess.

After she heard the three discussing the bombs they claimed they had brought on board, the stewardess alerted the captain of the plane, who immediately ordered the three Israeli passengers removed from the flight and handed over to airport authorities.

Investigators in Istanbul questioned the three passengers, and after it became clear that they posed no threat, they were released. The three Israelis took a different flight the next day, Jerusalem Post reported.
The European Union does not intend to impose additional sanctions on Iran, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said on arrival at a meeting of foreign ministers of 28 EU member states.

Mogherini added that she does not expect beginning of discussions on new sanctions, saying the matter now is the full implementation of the Iran nuclear deal, RIA Novosti reported.
Pre-election agitation campaign has started in Azerbaijan today.

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 on April 10.

Eight candidates will compete at the presidential election in Azerbaijan to be held April 11. As many as 115 international observers have been accredited in Azerbaijans CEC to monitor the presidential election. The number of observers accredited throughout Azerbaijan is more than 42,000.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, according to the statement posted on the Azerbaijani presidential official website.

Ilham Aliyev congratulated Vladimir Putin on his victory in the elections, and wished him success in his activities for the well-being of the people of Russia.

President of Azerbaijan noted that under Putin`s leadership Russia made great strides in different areas, and hailed overall development of Azerbaijan-Russia relations. Ilham Aliyev expressed his confidence that relations between the two countries will continue to strengthen. President of Azerbaijan once again wished Vladimir Putin success in his presidential activities.

"Vladimir Putin thanked President Ilham Aliyev for the attention and congratulations. The Russian President said that built on mutual trust, Russia-Azerbaijan relations today cover many areas and develop successfully. President of Russia expressed his confidence that the bilateral relations will continue to expand and strengthen," the statement posted on the presidential website says.

In addition, the presidents discussed prospects for Moscow-Baku relations based on strategic partnership.

According to preliminary data provided by Russias Central Election Commission (CEC), incumbent Russian President Vladimir is headed for a landslide victory in the presidential race having garnered 76.66% with 99.84% of ballots counted.

Head of the expert council of Baku Network, Elkhan Alasgarov, speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that the re-election of Vladimir Putin as Russian President is the key to maintaining good-neighborly relations between Russia and Azerbaijan. "The years when Putin and Aliyev stood at the helm of Russia and Azerbaijan are characterized by the strengthening of bilateral relations that have taken the form of strategic cooperation," he said.

"Numerous attempts by various forces to destroy our relations are failing time after time, and this is due to the fact that Russia has Vladimir Putin. It is necessary to note the high level of cooperation between our countries not only in politics but also in the economy, military-technical sphere, education and other sectors. Live contacts with Russia please us. In Azerbaijan there is a large Russian-speaking community, as well as a large Azerbaijani community in Russia, and the stability of human relations, of course, is possible only with mutual understanding between the states. The most important trade routes, geopolitical and geostrategic projects, including the North-South transport corridor, were laid by the leaders of our countries, I think that Vladimir Putin's re-election as president is an element of stability that causes only positive assessments among Azerbaijani politicians, experts and common citizens," Elkhan Alasgarov stressed.

The Deputy Director General of the Trend information agency, political commentator Arzu Nagiyev, agreed with Alasgarov. "The relations between Russia and Azerbaijan are friendly. And the most important thing is that the relations between the top officials, including Mr. Putin and Ilham Aliyev, have always been excellent as well. So I think that Putin's re-election as Russian president will only affect the positive side of Russian-Azerbaijani relations. In particular, we have such an important unresolved problem as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Russia is one of the key figures in the OSCE, and we can expect that there will positive developments in this issue during new Putin's term," he said.

"In general, the reelection of Mr. Putin means that his positive and constructive course towards Azerbaijan will continue in the future. I think that we will see only positive developments in all spheres - political, economic, technical, taking into account the existing contracts for the supply of Russian arms to Azerbaijan. Our region has been implemented large-scale economic projects, and such platforms as Azerbaijan-Russia-Turkey and Azerbaijan-Iran-Russia, were created recently, and cooperation in such formats will only have a positive impact on the relations between Moscow and Baku. Therefore, we can congratulate Mr. Putin on winning the elections and expect that our countries' cooperation will increasingly develop in the future," Arzu Nagiyev summarized.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani congratulated Russias Vladimir Putin on his decisive victory in a presidential election.

"I am sure that during your new term, relations between our two countries will develop further," he said in a message on the presidential website.

Rouhani emphasized the will and determination of the Islamic Republic of Iran to strengthen its cooperation with Russia bilaterally, regionally and internationally," AFP reported.
Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak urged policy makers not to allow the diplomatic dispute to seep into the commercial relationship between his country and Europe, which last month consumed a record amount of Russian natural gas.

"Should the statements become a reality regarding alternative sources for gas instead of Russia, that will damage first and foremost the consumers, Novak told Bloomberg TV. "Should any company or country opt for another supplier, I dont think that condition will be that preferential and beneficial for them."

Russia supplies by pipeline about a third of the gas consumed in Europe and sent cargoes of liquefied natural gas to Britain at critical moments this year. It was able to step up supplies during cold snaps in the past few weeks. UK Prime Minister Theresa May said she wants to find alternatives for Russian gas.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has congratulated incumbent Russian President Vladimir Putin on winning Russias presidential election.

According to the German presidents press service, Berlin hopes the two countries will continue dialogue to overcome disagreements in Europe.

"I congratulate both you and Russian citizens on your re-election," the message reads. Steinmeier also hoped that "[Moscow and Berlin] will be able to counter alienation" both in Europe and "in relations between residents of Russia and Germany." "To do so, we need to continue trust-based dialogue," he stressed.

"The bilateral relations between our countries have traditionally been close, relying on a solid foundation. We have always seen close cooperation between Russia and Germany after the end of the Cold War as an important pillar for common European efforts to establish and strengthen a long-term common world order on our continent," TASS cited Steinmeiers message as saying.
The United States national debt exceeded $21 trillion for the first time, a little more than six months after it hit first $20 trillion on September 8, 2017.

The national debt was $21.031 trillion on Thursday. The government releases total debt figures each business day, but it lags by one day, the Washington Examiner reported.

When Donald Trump took office on January 20, 2017, the national debt was $19.9 trillion, according to U.S. Treasury data. About a year ago, Trump pledged to eliminate the national debt "over a period of eight years".
A NANG  Ri-Yaz Hotels and Resorts of Malaysia has signed a contract to manage Altara Suites, the first luxury apartment brand of Alphanam Real Estate Joint Stock Company.

This co-operation marks the next step in the rapid development of the Ri-Yaz Group in Viet Nam.

Altara Suites apartments are designed in a post-modern style by international designer Salvador Perez Arroyo. The hotel is located adjacent to the beach, right in the heart of a Nang City. The apartments offer beautiful views of the most famous attractions including My Khe Beach, Son Tra Peninsula and the dynamic city.

Besides hotels and resorts, Ri-Yaz Group now operates a range of hospitality management schools in association with prestigious training institutions in the UK and Switzerland. In future, the group wants to work with Alphanam Group in establishing a hospitality management school in Viet Nam, with the aim of building a better tourism training environment in the country, relieving the thirst for skilled professionals in this field.

We are excited on embarking this new journey with Alphanam Real Estate and look forward to building a strong fruitful relationship, overcoming challenges and achieving greater heights together, said Dato Shaheen Shah, Group MD of Ri-Yaz Group.

With this strategic collaboration, Alphanam Group has shown its commitment to continually develop its service quality to meet regional standards. The partnership is based on the assurance of utmost values of respect and integrity, with the aim of bringing Altara Suites among the top 10 serviced apartment hotels in a Nang.

With seven hotels becoming operational in the next five years, we hope to be your preferred leisure and business partner. Altara Suites came about from our devotion to give back the best investment to you, from our wish to bring the most professional working environment to our staff and to bring the guests the most desirable place to stay, said Nguyen Ngoc My, deputy general director of Alphanam Real Estate Joint Stock Company.  VNS
HA NOI  Two large State-owned enterprises  Viet Nam Rubber Group and Power Generation Corporation 3  will start trading shares on the Unlisted Public Company Market on March 21 (UPCoM).

This was announced by Ha Noi Stock Exchange.

Their listings come a short time after they made initial public offerings (IPOs) in February.

The Viet Nam Rubber Group will trade over 99 million shares on March 21 under the sticker GVR at a reference price of VN13,000 (57 US cents) per share for the first trading day. With four billion shares in total, GVRs market value is VN52 trillion ($2.28 billion).

The rubber group floated over 475.1 million shares, equivalent to 11.88 per cent of its capital, in its IPO on February 2, but only 110.7 million shares were sold out. Under the groups equitisation plan, the State will hold 75 per cent of capital after the IPO and another 11.88 per cent will be offered to strategic investors.

The companys leader has said it plans to shift the listing of shares to HCM Stock Exchange in June or July this year.

Genco 3 registered to trade over seven million shares under the sticker PGV. The reference price for the first trading day is set at VN24,800 per share.

Viet Nams second-largest power generation company by installed capacity made an IPO on February 9, but only 7.45 million shares, or 3 per cent of its total offer of 267 million shares, were purchased.

The company plans to auction another 36 per cent of its capital, worth some VN18.5 trillion, to strategic investors in near future. At least four foreign investors have registered for the auction.  VNS
HA NOI  CP Viet Nam Corporation will develop a project in southern Binh Phuoc Province to raise and process 100 million chickens per year for export, said Vu Anh Tuan, deputy general director of CP Viet Nam.

In the first phase, the project will have an investment of nearly US$250 million and will produce one million chickens per week, Tuan said.

The project aims to expand the export market for chicken while ensuring food safety, product origin tracing and sustainable business environment. The corporation has clients in Japan and the European Union, he said, adding Viet Nam could compete with Thailand in chicken exports as the country has the same chicken breeding cost as Viet Nam.

The firm has a chicken breeding farm in Binh Phuoc, while the project site is near a factory supplying animal food. Therefore, it will develop a chain, from chicken production and supply of chicken feed to breeding of chickens and slaughterhouse.  VNS
CAN THO - Can Tho City has called on companies to strengthen co-operation with farmers for exporting fruits, especially the citys three key fruits of longan, star apple and mango.

The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta city grows 98,000 tonnes of fruits in more than 17,120ha of orchards, with mango accounting for 2,710ha, star apple for 1,324ha and longan for 1,838ha, according to its Peoples Committee.

ao Anh Dung, deputy chairman of the committee, said the city would create optimal conditions for companies to collaborate with farmers to consume fruits domestically and export.

It would establish fruit co-operatives which would collaborate with companies, he said.

This year the city plans to export some longan, star apple and mango, he added.

Nguyen inh Tung, general director of Vina T&T Import  Export Service Trading Co Ltd said his HCM City-based company buys large volumes of fresh fruits from Can Tho for export, but from traders and not directly from farmers.

For companies to offer guaranteed outlets for farmers, the latter need to sign agreements, he said.

Le Van Thiet, deputy head of the Plant Protection Department, said the countrys five major fruits  dragon fruit, longan, mango, litchi, and star apple  have been exported to several demanding markets such as the US, Chile, Japan and New Zealand.

Viet Nam has exported 230 tonnes of star apple to the US since the first batch was shipped last December, he said.

It plans to export its first batch of mango to the US next month, he said.

Can Tho has zoned areas such as the Cat Hoa Loc mango-growing area in Co o District and star apple-growing areas in Phong ien and Binh Thuy districts.

Phong ien has more than 1,000ha under the fruit.

The Truong Khuong A Hamlet Fruit Orchards Co-operative in Gia Xuan Commune and the Tan Hung Hamlet Star Apple Growing Club in Gia Xuan Commune account for more than 50ha of star apple in Phong ien.

Pham Thi Minh Hieu, head of the Can Tho City Plant Cultivation and Protection Sub-department, said the city has tied up with a fruit export company to guarantee outlets for the two, and it is inspecting their orchards.

The sub-department would instruct members of the co-operative and club in farming techniques that meet export requirements, she said.

Star apple has provided high incomes for farmers in Phong ien.

Tran Van Nhanh, who owns a 2ha star apple orchard and is a member of the Truong Khuong A Hamlet Fruit Orchards Co-operative, said he harvested more than 15 tonnes this year.

At a price of VN25 million a tonne, he earned a profit of around VN300 million (US$13,200), he said. - VNS
On March 7 the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Decision No.686/QD-BCT with safeguards against the import of diammonium phosphate and monoammonium phosphate fertilisers.  Photo baohaiquan.vn

On March 7 the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Decision No.686/QD-BCT with safeguards against the import of diammonium phosphate and monoammonium phosphate fertilisers.

The new policy will last two years, and after that, the ministry will consider their socio-economic impacts and decide whether to extend the safeguards.

Now the imported fertilisers in the list will be subject to taxes.

For one year from March 7 the safeguard duty will be VN1,128,531 (US$50) per tonne, the amount equal to the difference between the actual selling price and the break-even price for the domestic industry, but equivalent to only 60 per cent of the tax rate Viet Nam is entitled to apply in accordance with WTO provisions and its own laws.

On March 7, 2019, the tax rate will drop to VN1,072,104.

The ministrys investigation and application of safeguard measures on imported diammonium phosphate (DAP) and monoammonium phosphate (MAP) fertilisers were carried out in accordance with Ordinance No.42/2002 on safeguards against the import of foreign goods and the provisions of the World Trade Organisation Agreement on Safeguards.

Earlier some fertiliser producers had complained that imported products were causing negative impacts on the domestic industry.

One year ago China, one of Viet Nams biggest fertiliser suppliers, scrapped export duties on urea, DAP and triple superphosphate (TSP) and cut the export tax on NPK fertilisers from 30 per cent to 20 per cent.

These hit Vietnamese fertiliser producers, who were unable to compete on prices, and Chinese DAP grabbed an 80 per cent share of the market.

With the safeguard measures, the ministry expects to right the situation.

Some experts agreed with the decision, saying farmers should not be afraid of the possibility of an increase in fertiliser prices after the safeguard measures are implemented.

They said domestic NPK producers may not increase prices further since their current prices are already too high.

Many experts said that of course this expectation cannot happen and fertiliser producers are almost sure to increase their prices as costs go up with the import tariff.

Farmers will be the most affected by the tariff, especially the many who abuse fertiliser use to increase yields.

They said it is not fair and instead the Government should ensure fertilisers are sold at reasonable prices to farmers while also protecting fertiliser producers.

It should make changes to policies to support consumption of local fertilisers by putting up more technical barriers and cracking down on imports of fake goods and smuggling, they said.

Producers should focus on improving the quality of their products to match imports, including from China, thus encouraging farmers to use locally made fertilisers, they said.

They also suggested that the Government should subject fertilisers to value-added tax, albeit zero tax. They are now exempt from VAT. There is an important distinction: Any VAT, even zero per cent, allows a business to claim refund of VAT paid on all input materials.

Thus, if the Government scraps the VAT exemption on fertilisers and instead imposes a zero per cent tax, producers can claim refunds and reduce their costs.

Bad debt burden persists

Last year was a good one for Viet Nams banking sector with many lenders reporting big profits and lower bad debt ratios.

According to the National Financial Supervisory Committee, non-performing loans (NPLs or bad debts) in the banking system fell to 9.5 per cent from 11.9 per cent in 2016.

ACB is the lender with the lowest bad debt ratio of only 0.7 per cent. Its unrecoverable debts fell from 0.64 per cent in early 2017 to 0.4 per cent later that year.

In the same period, Sacombanks bad debt ratio fell from 6.91 per cent to 4.16 per cent.

These are due to an improvement in the legal framework for restructuring credit institutions and dealing with bad debts, such as Resolution No 42/2017/QH14 issued by the National Assembly and the amendments to the Law on Credit Institutions.

The resolution, which allows banks and the Viet Nam Asset Management Company (VAMC) to appropriate collateral in the event of a borrower defaulting, allowing banks to be more active in managing bad debts.

Besides, banks have been proactive in provisioning for bad debts.

ACB for instance, spent VN2.565 trillion ($113 million), a whopping 49.1 per cent of its profits, on provisioning.

Despite their great performance with regard to bad debts, banks have been warned by experts that their bad debt burden would continue this year.

They said lenders would have to earmark a considerable amount of money, equivalent to 20 per cent of the value of the special bonds they got by selling their bad debts to the VAMC.

A Sacombank representative revealed that the lenders target is to reduce the bad debts ratio to 3 per cent this year by provisioning, meaning its pre-tax profit would be a modest VN1.64 trillion ($72.5 million).

The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) established the VAMC in 2013 with a mandate to take over the bad debts that plagued Vietnamese banks and manage their recovery.

The company takes NPLs off banks balance sheets in exchange for special bonds it issues.

VAMC bonds do not pay interest and banks have to effectively recognise losses related to the NPLs as they provide for the VAMC bonds over five or 10 years, meaning these assets add to lending costs and hurt profitability.

But they believe things would change this year with the banking sectors bad debt settlement becoming more active and efficient.

That is because of the overall stability in terms of macroeconomic factors like growth, recovery by companies in various sectors and improvement in the stock and housing markets.

Besides the burden of clearing their bad debts, banks would also continue to face pressure to achieve Basel II standards this year, analysts said. VNS
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has targeted to earn US$2 billion from catfish exports this year, accounting for 31.5 per cent of the fishery industrys total export value.  Photo vietnambiz.vn

HA NOI  The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has targeted to earn US$2 billion from catfish exports this year, accounting for 31.5 per cent of the fishery industrys total export value.

This projection was stated by Nguyen Ngoc Oai, Acting General Director of the Directorate of Fisheries, at a conference to carry out tasks within the industry held in Can Tho late last week.

To reach this target, the industry will need to breed some 2.2 billion catfish, to be able to deliver an output of more than 1.3 million tonnes of catfish products.

To meet its targets, Oai said that the industry needs to improve the quality of catfish breeding, besides enlarging export markets.

The industry must also create a production and processing chain to encourage farmers to team up with catfish processing companies to ensure a balance between supply and demand, he said.

Also at the conference, catfish exporters said they are facing a lack of raw materials, which pushes prices of raw catfish to peak at some VN75,000 ($3.3) per kilo, up VN20,000 compared to late last year.

Ong Hang Van, Deputy Director of Truong Giang Seafood Joint Stock Co, attributed the severe shortage to the significant loss of catfish before the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday due to unfavourable weather conditions.

Van further said catfish farms are lacking high-quality catfish breeds, which negatively affects the quantity of fish during the growing process.

He added that his company, together with other processors, is willing to contribute capital to the No 2 Aquaculture Research Institute to produce catfish breeds that will guarantee strong supplies.

Further, Duong Nghia Quoc, chairman of the Viet Nam Pangasius Association, said the Government should support firms in producing catfish breeds since it is costly.

At the conference, experts also expressed their concern about the importing of Vietnamese catfish via a small-scale by Chinese buyers.

According to Vo ong uc, director of Caseamex, it is troubling that China has recently imported a substantial amount of Vietnamese catfish via a small-scale.

There are some potential risks associated with it, he added.

Representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade added that some measures should be implemented to efficiently control the industry, making it a fair game for other firms that also export catfish in both large and small scales.

Given the significant number of small purchases of catfish that Chinese buyers have made, it is difficult to track the total amount of catfish sold.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam has requested a special meeting with the Ministry of Industry and Trade on how to solve the matter and boost exports of catfish to China in a larger, more official scale.

We cant prohibit small-scale exports, but we have to increase monitoring to ensure equality among buyers to enhance our position in the industry, he said.

According to a report of the Viet Nam Pangasius Association, the Chinese market accounted for 6.4 per cent of the total export value of Vietnamese catfish in 2014 and 10.3 per cent in 2015,

The figure increased to 17.8 per cent in 2016 and 23 per cent in 2017, making China the largest importer of catfish.

The total export value of Vietnams catfish in January reached $172.5 million, a year-on-year increase of 43.7 per cent, of which catfish exports to mainland China, Hong Kong and ASEAN countries increased sharply, while exports to the EU market continued to decline.

Ngo Quang Truong, director of Bien ong Seafood Company, said that more emphasis should be put on the US market since this would lead to other markets.  VNS
HA NOI  After a successful trading week with five consecutive rallying sessions, Viet Nams benchmark VN-Index finally hit the short-term peak of 1,130 points and is expected to maintain its upward trend and open next weeks session with a positive status, analysts said.

The benchmark VN-Index on the HCM Stock Exchange (HOSE) increased 1 per cent to close at 1.150,19 points on Friday or a five-day rise of 2.38 per cent.

Meanwhile, the HNX Index on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX) rose 1.38 per cent to end at 133.10 points, expanding its five-day rally to 4.33 per cent.

An average of more than 305.5 million shares was traded in each session last week, worth VN8.2 trillion (US$361.6 million).

The trading figures were up 0.4 per cent in volume and down 3.6 per cent in value, compared to the previous trading weeks numbers.

The UPCOM Index on the Unlisted Public Company Market (UPCoM) gained 0.35 per cent to stand at 61.80 points, a three-day increase of 0.88 per cent.

Furthermore, the unlisted market index scored weekly growth of only 0.8 per cent after five up-and-down sessions.

According to market strategy expert Ngo Quoc Hung at Vietinbank Securities Company, regardless of the impediments from the portfolio restructuring of the two exchange-traded funds, FTSE ETF and V.N.M ETF, with many blue-chips suffering from strong selling pressure, the market still had a successful trading week, surpassing its short-term peak.

However, large-cap stocks are still the main drivers of the market and directly affecting the indexes, including prominent names like Vincom Retail (VRE), brewer Sabeco (SAB), property developer Vingroup (VIC), Masan Group Corporation (MSN), insurer Bao Viet Holdings BVH, budget carrier Vietjet (VJC), Viet Nam Prosperity Joint Stock Commercial Bank (VPB) and dairy firm Vinamilk (VNM).

Bank shares were the strong supporters of the market during last weeks trading sessions, pushing the VN-Index to pass its peak, therefore, they are still worthy investment channels this year, Hung told tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn.

Sharing the sentiment, Vu Minh uc, head of individual investor analysis division at Viet Capital Securities Company, said large-cap stocks, mainly banks, will draw most investors attention and are expected to gain impressive profits in 2018.

In a positive scenario, the VN-Index could move towards a new record high of 1,170-1,180 points in the short term, uc said.

He also added that a significant part of the cash flow had turned to speculative mid-cap and small-cap stocks as investors are seeking short-term profit.

Currently, I see that the VNMidcap and VNSmallcap indices are also performing well. Therefore, in the scenario of a rising market next week, I think that both the large-cap stocks and speculative stocks will have the opportunity to increase, uc told tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn

According to Tran Anh Tuan, head of analysis at Vietcombank Securities Co, March and April are the peak periods for shareholders meeting season.

Listed companies Q1 earnings announcements, dividend payment plans and 2018 business plans will be announced and become short-term supporting information for investors, greatly influencing the market performance, Tuan said.

This will be a necessary time for investors to review the business prospects of enterprises in the first quarter as well as in 2018, Tuan told tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn.

Hung said this years shareholders meeting season would support investors in the context that seeking investment opportunities is becoming increasingly difficult.

As the distinction between groups of stocks is becoming clearer, some investors tended to purchase and keep promising stocks that have an effect on the indexes, Hung added.

Stocks of companies with good business prospects and good business results in the first quarter of 2018 will attract cash flow, especially those operating in the sectors of securities, real estate, retail and aviation services, Hung told tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn.  VNS
The State Audit of Vietnam has proposed the Saigon Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Corporation (Sabeco) pay the State Budget nearly VN2.5 trillion (US$110.9 million) worth of dividends, taken from the brewers undistributed profit for the period prior to 2016. Photo cafef.vn

HA NOI  The State Audit of Vietnam has proposed the Saigon Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Corporation (Sabeco) pay the State Budget nearly VN2.5 trillion (US$110.9 million) worth of dividends, taken from the brewers undistributed profit for the period prior to 2016.

The amount that brewer Sabeco should pay to the State Budget was calculated based on the States ownership ratio of 89.59 per cent at Sabeco as of December 31, 2016.

According to Sabecos financial report audited by PwC Vietnam Co Ltd, the undistributed profit for the prior-2016 period was more than VN2.9 trillion and the distributed profit was VN2.78 trillion.

For the dividends of the remaining profits that had not been distributed before 2016, the representative of the Government in managing the State capital in Sabeco on November 4, 2016 sent a letter to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) for guidance.

In response, MoIT has not had a plan to make dividend payment out of Sabecos profits. The ministry asked the State capital representative at Sabeco to deliver financial reports each year since it started operating until the end of 2016 and asked for the opinions of the Prime Minister about the remaining undistributed profit.

In addition, the State Audit of Vietnam demanded MoIT clarify individual and collective responsibilities for miscalculating the valuation of Sabeco Pearl, a subsidiary of Sabeco.

In June 2016, Sabeco sold its entire 14.7 million shares or 26 per cent stake in Sabeco Pearl on a full-package deal at the price of VN13,247 per share, and the bidding price was VN13,347 per share.

The deal has remained confidential and the buyer has remained unknown.

According to the State audit agency, the valuation of Sabeco Pearl showed some mistakes and miscalculations, which reduced the value of Sabeco Pearl and resulted in the loss of State capital.

Losses in 10 other firms

The State Audit of Vietnam reported that Sabeco had made a provision fund for its financial losses in 10 long-term investment projects, in which Sabeco had 20 per cent of total charter capital.

The provision was calculated at 77.8 per cent of the total investment value, including a VN154 billion investment in the Orient Commercial Joint Stock Bank (OCB) and ong A Joint Stock Commercial Bank (DongA Bank).

Most of those investment deals were not Sabecos core businesses and the State Audit asked the MoIT to clarify the causes and consider individual and collective responsibilities that were involved in the 10 investment deals.  VNS
Many Singaporean firms are interested in investing in food, agriculture, and dining services in Viet Nam as they forecast that these sectors will thrive in the near future amidst broader ASEAN integration.  VNS/Photo

SINGAPORE  Many Singaporean firms are interested in investing in food, agriculture, and dining services in Viet Nam as they forecast that these sectors will thrive in the near future amidst broader ASEAN integration.

The statement was made by Andy Yun, Secretary General of Singapore Manufacturing Federation, representing more than 3,000 members operating in automation, biology, construction, heavy industry and more, during the second Viet Nam  Singapore business exchange held in the island state last week.

Yun described Viet Nam as a major market in the region with huge potential in agriculture and the food industry. Meanwhile, Singaporean enterprises are strong in technology, supply chains and logistics  a supplementary factor to the bilateral partnership.

Nguyen Van Than, Chairman of the Viet Nam Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, led a delegation of over 100 Vietnamese firms, many of them start-ups, to the event.

He said many Singaporean enterprises actively connected with Vietnamese ones at the event, proving that bilateral cooperation potential is huge.

Accounting for over 97 percent of the total, Vietnamese SMEs contribute nearly 40 per cent of the gross domestic product, 33 per cent of industrial production value, 30 per cent of export value and attract more than half of the workforce, he said.

Singapore is now the sixth largest trade partner of Viet Nam in the world and the second largest in ASEAN. Viet Nam is also the 12th largest trade partner of Singapore. Two-way trade has grown 12-15 per cent annually over the past years.  VNS
HA NOI  The Viet Nam Macadamia Association (VMA) and Australia Macadamia Society have signed a co-operation agreement to develop the macadamia industry of the two countries.

Under the agreement signed on March 16 in Sydney, the two sides will continue to exchange and share information as well as support Vietnamese individuals and businesses to co-operate with Australian firms. The two associations will organise studies and market forecast on macadamia consumption.

The two countries will also review the co-operation every year and build plans for the following year.

Nguyen uc Huong, vice chairman of VMA, said the association had promoted macadamia development, thus helping people in the Central Highlands and western north to escape poverty.

He said pilot macadamia plantation in the Central Highlands region had been a success. Studies also showed that macadamia cultivation was suitable for the western north region. If macadamia was produced on a large scale, it would help hundreds of thousands of ethnic people get jobs with higher income, Huong said.

He also said the government should have detailed studies on applying technologies and building technical standards in planting, processing and preservation on a par with international standards to develop macadamia not only for the local market but also for exports.  VNS
HA NOI  Argentinas Ministry of Production has issued a decree to apply an anti-dumping duty of 31.15 per cent on ceramic tiles imported from Viet Nam.

This was announced by the Department of Trade Defence under Viet Nams Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The anti-dumping duty on imported ceramic tiles from China, India, Malaysia and Brazil are 27.7 per cent, 75.8 per cent, 32 per cent and 48.2 per cent, respectively.

Interested parties may submit their comments or request for consultations on the decision to the Department of Foreign Trade under Argentinas Ministry of Production.

On August 18, 2016, Argentina began an anti-dumping investigation on ceramic tiles imported from Viet Nam, India, Malaysia, Brazil and China.

The anti-dumping investigation was carried out on products exported to Argentina in 2015 and 2016.

Ceramic tile is the fourth Vietnamese product investigated by Argentina, after spokes, motorbikes and air-conditioners.  VNS
HA NOI  People and landscapes of various countries and territories seen through the lenses of Vietnamese photographers are now on display at an exhibition in Ha Noi.

The exhibition showcases 135 photographs shot in various countries worldwide.

Palling around: Old Chin Women Friendship, taken by Nguyen Quoc Ai. Visitors will enjoy a visual tour to many countries through photos of Burj Khalifa Tower ( Dubai ), Eiffel Tower ( Paris ), festivals in India , fire dance in Sri Lanka and portraits of local people around the world.

The photos were selected from nearly 1,800 entries by 216 Vietnamese photographers at home and from around the world, which were submitted to the International Landscapes and Humans Through the Lens of Vietnamese Photographers photo festival.

The event is organised by the Viet Nam Association of Photographic Artists (VAPA) in honour of the 65th celebration of the traditional day of Viet Nam s photography (March 15). Late President Ho Chi Minh signed Decree 147/SL to found the Viet Nam National Cinema and Photography Company on March 15, 1953.

Blazing: Fire dance in Sri Lanka by Vu Tuong Chieu.

On the occasion, the VAPA, in co-operation with the Department of Art, Photography and Exhibition under the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism, will organise a seminar, as well as many other activities, to honour the father of Vietnamese photography ang Huy Tru, who introduced photography in Viet Nam some 150 years ago.

One of the missions with which Decree 147 charged photographers was to introduce the lives and struggles of international friends to the Vietnamese public.

Thats the reason why we open the exhibition titled foreign lands and friends through the lens of Vietnamese photographers to commemorate the anniversary, said Vu Quoc Khanh, president of the VAPA.

Snowfall: White night in Stockholm, taken by Vu Quang Ngoc. We hope that the exhibition will showcase Vietnamese photographers creativity and different angles in seeing lives and people in foreign countries. We believe that you will enjoy their works.

It is also expected to build archives of photos about countries worldwide to serve as references for domestic studies and to tighten the solidarity between Viet Nam and the international community, he said.
QUANG NINH  The Cua Ong Temple Festival  one of the special cultural and historical relics in the countrys northeast  has officially opened in Cam Pha District in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh .

This years edition of the annual event was enlivened by a unique distinction: the temple has just received a certificate of special national intangible cultural heritage status, an honour marked with a ceremony held on Sunday by the provincial Peoples Committee.

Thousands of visitors have rushed to join the festival, titled Cua Ong - truyen thong ve vang - iem en linh thieng (Cua Ong - a glorious tradition and sacred destination), in recent days.

This year, the festival is particularly large, with events in two parts. The major celebration began with the incense offering at the Thuong (Upper) Temple , followed by a palanquin procession by 28 groups along the road from the Ha (Lower) Temple towards Cua Ong Temple .

Festivities started in the Thuong and Ha temples with various traditional games including chess playing, rice cooking and cock fighting.

A performance programme with theme Ban hung ca cua bien (An epic of sea) attracted the participation of more than 500 actors and actress. The programme concluded with a 15-minute fireworks performance.

Speaking at the ceremony on Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh acknowledged the efforts of Quang Ninh Province as well as Cam Pha and Van on districts in preserving and promoting the cultural, historical and traditional values of the region.

He urged the province to accelerate socio-economic development by particularly focusing on tourism, ensuring the protection of Cua Ong Temples historical and cultural value.

Cua Ong Temple is located near Bai Tu Long Bay, close to the World Heritage Ha Long Bay. The temple is dedicated to Tran Quoc Tang, a hero under the Tran Dynasty in the 11th century.

The festival is held to commemorate his contributions in defeating enemies in the resistance war against Mongol invaders and bringing peace to the northeast region.

With its three main areas of the Ha, Trung and Thuong temples, the Cua Ong temple complex is the only one worshiping all family members of General Tran Hung ao, the Supreme Commander of Viet Nam s army during the Tran Dynasty. He commanded the ai Viet army to repel the Mongol invasions in 1258, 1285 and 1288.

The Generals triple victories are considered among the greatest military feats in world history and the commander is regarded as one of the most accomplished military tacticians the world has ever seen.

Festivities including rituals and parade processions are usually held from the second day of the first lunar month to the 30th day of the third lunar month. The main festive days fall on the third and the fourth days of the second lunar month.  VNS
HA NOI  Hundreds of Russians living in Viet Nam on Sunday voted for the next president across Ha Noi, HCM City and a Nang.

Many Russians began showing up at the Russian embassy in Ha Noi in the morning to cast their ballots for one out of eight presidential candidates, one of whom is the current President Vladimir Putin, who is running for a fourth term.

Two tourists from Moscow, Alexandr and Denis, visited the polling place just minutes before departing for the airport. They were en route to Kuala Lumpur and transited in Ha Noi on election day.

Its good that we were able to vote, they said.

An officer of the Russian Trade Representation in Viet Nam, Nadezhda Ilixeeva, said that she voted for President Putin as he is the best option for the highest position.

I chose the one who can guard the country, she said.

I hope that Russias living standard can get better in the coming years.

The three polling stations at the Russian embassy in Ha Noi and the consulates in HCM City and a Nang City would open from 8am throughout to 8pm Sunday, said the Russian Ambassador in Viet Nam, Konstantin Vnukov.

Early voting before election day had been also carried out at another four locations in Vung Tau, Nha Trang, Mui Ne and Phu Quoc, which are home to a large number majority of Russian expats and tourists.

So far the number of Russian citizens casting their votes is tenfold compared to previous elections, Vnukov said.

It demonstrated that the Russians care a lot for the future of their country.

There is not an official record of the number of Russians living in Viet Nam, but the ambassador estimated it could range between 5,000 and 6,000 people.  VNS
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia to intensify co-operation and mutual trust in the interest of each side, as well of the region as a whole. VNA/VNS Photo Thong Nhat

SYDNEY  Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia to intensify co-operation and mutual trust in the interest of each side, as well of the region as a whole.

He made the appeal while addressing a retreat between leaders of ASEAN and Australia within the framework of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Sydney on Sunday. Phuc was one of the four ASEAN leaders invited to deliver a keynote speech at the retreat.

The leader said ASEAN and Australia should make efforts to build open, transparent, inclusive order in the region, and ensure that regional countries observe international law and respect each others interests.

At the same time, they need to maintain economic connectivity and keep doors open to develop prosperously, he stressed, calling on the two sides to effectively implement the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand free trade agreement and quickly conclude negations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement.

Attention should be paid to innovation, connectivity promotion, support for businesses and improvement of the added value of ASEAN economies and Australia in the global value chain, the PM noted.

He also suggested increasing co-operation programmes targeting people, especially through collaboration in education-training, cultural exchange and people-to-people contacts, so as to create a firm foundation for the ASEAN-Australia relationship in the future.

Pointing to potential risks to regional maritime security, Phuc emphasised the need to abide by international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), saying respect for the law must be a foundation to build trust and preserve regional stability.

Therefore, the imperatives of protecting regional security and the environment, as well as the need for marine scientific research, should be taken into account in maritime partnerships, the leader noted.

He applauded efforts made by Viet Nam and Australia along with the EU in co-chairing the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Inter-Sessional Support Group on maritime security for 2018-2020, considering this an active contribution to peace, co-operation and trust building in the region.

Viet Nam welcomes initiatives for peace and connectivity between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific in line with international law, he said.

At the retreat, ASEAN and Australia leaders also discussed strategic regional and international matters of shared concern, including the Korean Peninsula and East Sea ( South China Sea ) issues.

Meanwhile, at the plenary session of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit the same day, they compared notes on orientations of the ASEAN-Australia strategic partnership with the centre on collaboration in economy and anti-terrorism.

Australia affirmed its support for ASEANs central role in an open, transparent, inclusive and rules-based regional architecture while increasing dialogue mechanisms at levels with the ten-member group on strategic regional issues. Such dialogue mechanisms include the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+).

The leaders also agreed to step up trade and investment ties and back the multilateral trade system on the basis of law, along with deepening economic links between ASEAN and Australia .

They pledged to create favourable conditions for businesses, especially small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), support start-ups and promote the digital economy.

ASEAN and Australia reiterated their commitment to pushing negotiations to conclude the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement as scheduled.

Regarding affiliation in anti-terrorism, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on anti-terrorism on Saturday which was deemed a milestone in the joint combat. It features various initiatives and framework agreements covering engineering, drafting an anti-terrorism law, regional dialogues and seminars on electronic evidence, a financial intelligence and ways to tackle online radicalisation.

The two sides also consented to step up co-operation in education, training and people-to-people exchange, particularly within the framework of the New Colombo Plan.

On the sidelines of the summit, PM Phuc met with Cambodian PM Samdech Hun Sen, Lao PM Thongloun Sisoulith, Thai PM Prayuth Chan-ocha, Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Malaysian PM Najib Razak, Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Long and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
HCM City  HCM City pledges to protect the legal rights and benefits of the business community, a city leader said.

Speaking at a meeting between city leaders and the enterprise community on Saturday, Nguyen Thanh Phong, chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee said, Enterprises will be checked only once a year and leaders will reduce 30 per cent of their meetings to be able to go into the field and help enterprises handle difficulties,

The city will try to cut half of the current time for investment procedures and this year, the administrative reform index of the city will rank in the top ten of the country, he added.

To create more favourable conditions for the enterprise community, Phong also revealed that a task force to handle land and ground compensation will be set up to assist enterprises.

Programmes of connecting banking and enterprises, investment stimulation; the establishment of a project development fund and a financial support fund for public-private-partnership will be promoted.

The chairman also pledged that policies to implement special mechanisms for the city will make enterprises stronger and will not hinder nor become a burden for the business community, he added.

At the meeting, Le Thi Thanh Lam, deputy general director of Sai Gon Food Company and representative of the Food Association, asked the relevant authorities to instruct the education sector to receive safe products from the association.

Our association will provide technical supervision for parents to check the quality of food for children at the school, which can not be done now, she said.

Le Hoang Chau, chairman of the city Real Estate Association, commented that HCM City should consider that the average area for each person to rent in the city be 15 sq.m as in Ha Noi, not 20 sq.m as the Construction Department has just suggested.

Tran Viet Anh, chairman of Nam Thai Son Corporation, said HCM City is now losing its competitive advantage in logistics because the city is facing terrible traffic jams and there is no huge storage for logistics.

Neighbouring provinces such as Binh Duong, ong Nai, Ba Ria  Vung Tau and Long An are trying to improve their infrastructure and services in logistics by strongly investing in road systems, seaports and storage, he said.

Tran Anh Tuan, deputy chairman of the HCM City Computers Association mentioned how to promote startup enterprises.

Big companies and professional associations should have more of a role and contribution by guiding and assisting startup enterprises, he said.

At present, HCM City is facing many great challenges. Right now, only 1.49 per cent of the citys enterprises are big, 5.68 per cent are medium, 4.58 per cent are small and 88.25 per cent are tiny.

The private sector is still the major driver of the development of the city with GDP growth at 8.15 per cent. Each year, the city contributes 27-28 per cent to the national State budget and the city improved the business environment to attract US$10 billion through FDI during 2016  2017.

This year, the city will deploy the project Smart city 2017  2020 with vision to 2025 with four solutions: building a sharing database and developing an open data ecosystem; setting up the citys socio-economic development prediction and stimulation centre; establishing a smart city operation centre; constructing an information safety and security centre.

The city plans to co-operate with the HCM City Business Association to organize the HCM City Economic Forum in October.  VNS
QUANG NAM  The central Quang Nam province, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Viet Nam Disaster Management Authority (VNDMA), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Republic of Korea, in partnership with the Viet Nam Red Cross Society, has launched the Damrey housing recovery and rehabilitation project.

As planned, the first five of 80 resilient houses will be built for households which suffered damage from the typhoon in the province this year.

The project aims to support the building of 300 resilient houses in three central provinces of Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen and Quang Nam.

The major beneficiaries of the project are the poor and near-poor families whose houses were heavily damaged by the recent Typhoon Damrey. They also will be provided with the necessary knowledge and resources to repair and rebuild their houses to ensure that new houses can withstand future typhoons and floods.

Typhoon Damrey, which was the twelfth to hit Viet Nam last year, was the strongest one in 2017. It battered some of the poorest communities of the south-central coastal region. More than 130,000 homes were damaged, of which over 3,500 were destroyed. Dozens of displaced families have had to live in temporary and unsafe shelters.

This project will help the typhoon-hit families to have safer houses after Typhoon Damrey, said oan Thi Tuyet Nga, Director of the Department of International Cooperation under the VNDMA.

Home is not only where the heart is, but also the biggest asset of local people. Building resilient houses is very important to save lives and mitigate the property losses.

Helping vulnerable people to recover is one of the mandates of UNDP, said UNDP Deputy Country Director, Akiko Fujii.

She explained that the housing recovery and rehabilitation project will ensure the safety of communities and help them enhance their resilience against future disasters.

"The Korean government is happy to join this effort to support Vietnamese people affected by Damrey in the central region by contributing US$1 million to the house repair project. As a friend and close development partner of Viet Nam, Korea will continue to support Viet Nams government in its efforts to overcome challenges posed by climate change. We hope that this project will bring hope and resilience back to the affected people", ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Viet Nam, Lee Hyuk said.

Director of the Disaster Management Department, Viet Nam Red Cross, Nguyen Thu Ha said: The support of UNDP and the Republic of Korea is very useful for the local affected communities. It can prevent them from falling back into poverty and enhance their resilience.  VNS
President Tran ai Quang visits the three-day National Press Festival 2018, which was held in Ha Noi yesterday.  VNA/VNS Photo Le Minh Son

HA NOI  In the context of the fourth industrial revolution, the countrys press has strived to overcome difficulties and challenges and continued to improve with more diversified and attractive forms.

President Tran ai Quang made the statement while attending the closing ceremony of the three-day National Press Festival 2018, which was held in Ha Noi yesterday.

The president said that last year and in the first months of 2018, the national press had made great contributions to the countrys outstanding and comprehensive achievements, closely observing and reflecting important events and tasks of economic, cultural and social development, defense and security maintenance, foreign affairs at all levels, branches and localities.

President Quang hoped that, in the future, the Vietnamese revolutionary press would continue to play the role of a pacifist on the ideological and cultural front, as well as provide education about the Partys and the States policies.

Viet Nams revolutionary press should focus on better performing the role of directing public opinion, acting as a bridge between the Party, the State and people. It should attach importance to discovering, exhorting and multiplying new factors, advanced examples, good people, and good deeds in the fields of social life, said the President.

As part of the festival, the Journalists Association and its partners on Saturday held a seminar The press in the context of industrial revolution 4.0.

Experts at the seminar agreed that Industry 4.0 directly affects the survival of traditional media, strongly influencing journalists work, thus in order to grasp this new trend, there is a need for exchanges and discussions with the press, media agencies and the general public to better understand the impacts of the fourth industrial revolution.

Ho Quang Loi, standing vice chairman of the Viet Nam Journalists Association said that this was an opportunity for media managers and journalists to meet and exchange information about the impact of Industry 4.0 on the press as well as on the process of their work.

The fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0, is the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technology. It includes physical networks, internet connections and cloud computing. Industry 4.0 facilitates the creation of smart factories or digital factories.

Tran Quang Dieu, a lecturer at the Academy of Journalism and Communication, said that the Industry 4.0 includes trends such as online video and increased use of social networking platforms. Human communication will change and virtual reality will be more broadly employed.

In order to meet this new trend, functional agencies and press units needed to invest more in infrastructure, training and fostering human resources and developing communication security.

Deputy general director of the Vietnam News Agency, Le Quoc Minh, said that in many places in the region and around the world, many newspapers have started to use artificial intelligence to write news.

The reality of technological applications is potent, effectively demanding the will and determination of users. Technology cannot change the mind of the journalists. Every journalist makes a judgment about a problem in a particular way. To do well in todays world, journalists must always keep important standards of truth, fairness and balance, said Minh.

The National Press Conference 2018 has attracted 59 central press agencies and media training institutions; 8 groups of journalists and 9 localities have their own galleries, totalling 73 booths.

The festival organiser awarded prizes in a range of categories, including for the best reporting on environmental issues, climate change and natural disaster prevention.  VNS
HA TINH  Ha Tinh Province Border Guard, in collaboration with other law enforcement forces, prevented 15kg of methamphetamines from being illegally trafficked to Viet Nam on Sunday.

At 4.30am, on the National Highway No.8A across Ha Trai Village, Son Kim 1 Commune, Huong Son District, the drug and crime prevention force under the provincial border guard searched and arrested Thao Cu Mua, 31, from Noong Poong Commune, Khamkeut District, Borikhamxay Province, in Laos. According to Thanh Nien (Young people) Newspaper, the force seized 15kg of methamphetamines divided into 15 bags, which were to be shipped to a Vietnamese man for US$120,000, according to the trafficker.

Police are conducting an extensive investigation of the case.  VNS
MOSCOW  Vladimir Putin cruised to victory in Russias presidential election on Sunday, giving him at least another six years in power as Moscows relations with the West become increasingly strained.

Putin, who has ruled Russia for almost two decades, recorded his best ever election performance with more than 76 per cent of the vote, but the opposition cried foul.

Monitors reported ballot stuffing and other cases of alleged fraud as the Kremlin pushed for a high turnout to give greater legitimacy to Putins historic fourth term.

The Russian strongman ran against seven other candidates, but his most vocal critic Alexei Navalny was barred from the ballot for legal reasons and the final outcome was never in doubt.

"I see in this (result) the confidence and hope of our people," Putin said in an address to a crowd of supporters on a square next to the Kremlin after exit polls put him on track for a resounding victory.

"Our thoughts will turn to the future of our great country and the future of our children," said the man who is already Russias longest-serving leader since Stalin.

About 107 million Russians were eligible to cast ballots and in its latest update on participation, three hours before polls closed in Moscow, the central election commission said turnout was at 60 per cent.

Authorities used both the carrot and the stick to boost engagement in the polls.

Selfie competitions, giveaways, food festivals and childrens entertainers were laid on at polling stations in a bid to create a festive atmosphere around the election.

But employees of state and private companies reported coming under pressure to vote, while students were threatened with problems in their exams or even expulsion if they did not take part, according to the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper.

According to central election commission data with 90 per cent of ballots counted, Putin took 76.4 per cent of the vote, well ahead of his nearest competitor Communist Party candidate Pavel Grudinin who was on 12 per cent.

Ultra-nationalist firebrand Vladimir Zhirinovsky took around 6 per cent, former reality TV presenter Ksenia Sobchak was on 1.5 per cent and other candidates were on less than a single percentage point each.

Unprecedented violations

Navalny -- who called on his supporters to boycott the "fake" vote and sent more than 33,000 observers across the country to see how official turnout figures differed from those of monitors -- said there had been "unprecedented violations".

His lawyer Ivan Zhdanov said the actual national turnout at 1700 GMT, when polls closed in Moscow, was 55 per cent, according to data collected by monitors.

Navalnys opposition movement and the non-governmental election monitor Golos reported ballot stuffing, repeat voting and Putin supporters being bussed into polling stations en masse.

One election commission worker in the republic of Dagestan, which traditionally registers extremely high official turnout figures, told AFP around 50 men entered the station where he was working and physically assaulted an observer before stuffing a ballot box.

But the electoral commission dismissed most concerns, saying monitors sometimes misinterpret what they see.

Runner-up Grudinin said the elections had been "dishonest" in comments carried by news agencies following early results.

Putin a hero

Among the first world leaders to congratulate Putin was Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has just been handed a second term himself and has gained a path to indefinite rule after presidential term limits were lifted last week.

"China is willing to work with Russia to keep promoting China-Russia relations to a higher level, provide driving force for respective national development in both countries, and promote regional and global peace and tranquility," Xi said in his message.

Since first being elected president in 2000, Putin has stamped his total authority on the worlds biggest country, muzzling opposition, putting television under state control and reasserting Moscows standing abroad.

The 65-year-old former KGB officer used an otherwise lacklustre presidential campaign to emphasise Russias role as a major world power, boasting of its "invincible" new nuclear weapons in a pre-election speech.

Most people who spoke to AFP on Sunday said they voted for Putin, praising him for restoring stability and national pride after the humiliating collapse of the Soviet Union.

"Of course Im for Putin, hes a leader," said Olga Matyunina, a 65-year-old retired economist.

"After he brought Crimea back, he became a hero to me."

Sunday marked four years since Putin signed a treaty declaring Crimea to be part of Russia in a move that triggered a pro-Kremlin insurgency in east Ukraine, a conflict that has claimed more than 10,000 lives.

Voting in space

Ahead of the vote, a new crisis broke out with the West as Britain implicated Putin in the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal with a Soviet-designed nerve agent.

In response, London expelled 23 Russian diplomats, prompting a tit-for-tat move by Moscow. Also this week, Washington hit Russia with sanctions for trying to influence the 2016 US election.

After his victory, Putin dismissed claims Russia was behind the poisoning in Britain as "drivel, rubbish, nonsense" but said Moscow was ready to cooperate with London in the probe.

Putins previous Kremlin term was marked by a crackdown on the opposition after huge protests, the Ukraine conflict, military intervention in Syria and the introduction of Western sanctions that contributed to a fall in living standards.

The president has said he will use his fourth term to address a litany of domestic problems including widespread poverty and poor healthcare.

Election officials flew to far-flung regions to collect votes from indigenous herders, while cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov -- the only Russian currently aboard the International Space Station -- cast his ballot by proxy.  AFP
AFRIN, Syria  Turkeys flag was flying over Afrin on Sunday after its troops and Ankara-backed rebels chased out Kurdish militia forces to seize control of the Syrian city.

In a major victory for Ankaras two-month operation against the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria, Turkish-led forces pushed into Afrin apparently unopposed, taking up positions across the city.

The advance came as Syrias civil war entered its eighth year this week with heavy fighting on two fronts -- around Afrin and in the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.

Hundreds have been killed and thousands forced from their homes by the ferocious assault in Ghouta, where President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday visited troops battling to retake the last rebel enclave close to the capital.

In Afrin, AFP correspondents saw Turkish forces and their Syrian allies in all neighbourhoods of the city after they made a lightning advance inside on Sunday.

Rebels fanned out across the city, giving victory signs and taking pictures with Turkish tanks parked outside official buildings.

But celebration soon appeared to turn to retribution and looting as pro-Ankara rebels began pillaging goods and a statue of a Kurdish hero was torn down.

Fighters were seen breaking into shops, restaurants and houses, before hauling off foodstuff, electronic equipment, blankets and other goods in trucks.

Tails between their legs

As Turkey and its allies forces arrived to cement control over Afrin, civilians continued to flee the city.

Around 250,000 civilians left in recent days after pro-Ankara fighters took the surrounding region and all but encircled the city, fleeing southwards to territory still held by the YPG or controlled by the Syrian regime.

On Sunday, 13 pro-Turk fighters were killed by landmines during search operations in Afrin, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkish-backed fighters had taken control of the city centre and said a "large number" of Kurdish fighters had "fled with their tails between their legs".

The Turkish leader has said the operation could move on to other Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Syria.

"Our work is not finished.... but terrorism is finished in Afrin," Turkish government spokesman Bekir Bozdag said.

Residents said it appeared that YPG units had withdrawn from the city without a fight.

But Kurdish authorities vowed to retake Afrin, one of three semi-autonomous Kurdish "cantons" in northern Syria.

"Resistance... will continue until every inch of Afrin is liberated," authorities representing the Afrin canton said in a statement.

"In all of Afrins sectors, our forces will become a permanent nightmare" for pro-Ankara fighters, the statement said, promising "a switch from direct confrontation to hit-and-run attacks."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, says more than 280 civilians have been killed since the campaign began on January 20.

Ankara has denied the reports and said it takes the "utmost care" to avoid civilian casualties.

The Observatory said Sunday that more than 1,500 Kurdish fighters had been killed since the start of the offensive, most of them in air strikes and artillery fire.

More than 400 pro-Ankara rebels have also been killed, it said. The Turkish military says 46 Turkish soldiers have died.

Turkey sees the YPG as a "terrorist" offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.

But the Kurdish militia has also formed the backbone of a US-backed alliance that successfully expelled the Islamic State jihadist group from large parts of Syria.

Rebel evacuation deal?

On another front near Damascus, thousands of civilians continued to stream out of Eastern Ghouta for a fourth day as the regimes Russian-backed air and ground assault appeared to have eased up.

Regime fighters have retaken more than 80 per cent of the former rebel bastion since the offensive was launched on February 18, the Observatory says, slicing what remains into three pockets each held by different rebel groups.

More than 1,400 civilians have been killed in the offensive, including 274 children, and at least 65,000 civilians are reported to have fled the area in recent days.

On Sunday, bombing of the rebel areas of Eastern Ghouta killed six people, according to the Observatory.

Earlier Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP that "the area is awaiting the announcement of a deal between Faylaq al-Rahman and Russia on an evacuation of rebels to northern Syria."

Buoyant Assad on Sunday paid a first visit in years to battered East Ghouta to congratulate his troops for the gruelling assault to oust rebels from near Damascus.

Syrian state television broadcast photos of the president dressed in a shirt and jacket surrounded by soldiers, some perched on a tank behind him.

"The inhabitants of Damascus are more than grateful and they will maybe tell their children in the coming decades how you saved the capital," he said.

Syrias conflict broke out in 2011 with protests against Assad.

He has maintained his grip on power despite global calls to step down and outrage at the brutal offensives he has waged to retake towns and cities from rebel fighters.  AFP
MEXICO  Jose Antonio Meade formally registered Sunday as the Mexican governing partys presidential candidate, promising to end the immunity that has long shielded corrupt officials from prosecution.

"To the Mexican people, who are angry about corruption, we are committed to leading an honest government," the former foreign minister said after registering his candidacy for the July 1 elections with the National Electoral Institute (INE).

But Meades bid to keep the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) of President Enrique Pena Nieto in power faces several challengers, led by fiery leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who registered his candidacy Friday with a vow to "transform" the country.

In his third bid for the presidency, Lopez Obrador, who is 64, is riding a wave of discontent with politics-as-usual, especially the corruption-plagued PRI of Pena Nieto.

But many Mexicans are wary of just how radical a change he and his leftist Morena party could represent. And despite his vows to fight corruption, he has been criticised for links to graft-tainted figures.

Everyone equal!

Polls also show Meade trailing 39-year-old Ricardo Anaya, former president of the conservative National Action Party, but leading a few independent candidates.

Meade, who is 48 and also a former finance minister, has been trying to define himself as a more open and transparent politician as he battles to overcome a steep drop in the PRIs popularity.

Together with the PRI, Meade heads a coalition that includes the Green Ecologist Party and the New Alliance.

He said he would ask all coalition parties to support an initiative to eliminate immunity for politicians at all levels, shouting, "Everyone equal before the law, and the law above all!"

Meade also vowed to take on the countrys serious problems with drug-related violence and inequality.

When they go to the polls on July 1, voters will also elect members to both houses of Congress. It will be a first electoral run for Meade, a man known for leading a discreet life, removed from the corruption scandals that have reached up even to Pena Nieto.

Recent surveys put Lopez Obradors support around 35 per cent, with Anaya in the low 20s and Meade in the teens.

In Mexicos first-past-the-post election system, that would put Lopez Obrador on track to win -- though nothing is certain, with the official campaign beginning only on March 30, a day after the INE officially approves candidates applications.  AFP
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St. Anthony's Church truly stands out in Steinauer when you come into the town with a population of about 75.

Fran Herrick often provides tours of the church, and she tells us that in 1882, so many Catholics had arrived in the area that a church parish was created. "They first built a very small church, and in 7 years had outgrown that. So, they built a larger church right here," Fran said. Then in the 1920's, the congregation had outgrown the second church, and that's when the people decided to built the church that now stands today in town. "They began building in 1926, and dedicated it in 1927. It's a Romanesque-style architecture which you can see by all of the arches everywhere," Fran said.

About 4 years ago the congregation remodeld the church. They painted statues, fixed floors, plaster, and even restored the pews. "It was always beautiful, but we think even more beautiful now," Fran said.

The congregation is quite proud of the stained glass windows in the church. They were designed by a German artist from Chicago at the time the church was built. Along the wall there are windows that depict events in the life of Jesus and Mary. On the sides, there are windows that show the 12 apostles. In the back, there is what's known as a rose window with the Holy Trinity, and in the sanctuary there are windows that feature the seven sacraments.

The church also features a pipe organ and bells that ring across the town. "Most people are really surprised to see such a huge church, in such a small town," Fran said. If you would like to visit the church, you can. The church is open to visitors, and the church has even welcomed bus tours.
Allentown Police Department(MIAMI) -- The man accused of fleeing to Mexico with a teenage girl has agreed to be extradited to his home state of Pennsylvania, he said in a brief court appearance in Miami on Monday.



Amy Yu, 16, went missing March 5 with Kevin Esterly, 45, police said, alleging that she left willingly. She has since returned home safely.



The two flew from Philadelphia to Cancun that night, police say.



Yu's mother reported her missing to the Allentown Police Department that day.



A member of Esterlys family reported him as missing or endangered March 7, the same day authorities issued an arrest warrant for him and charged him with interference with the custody of children, police said.



An Amber Alert was issued in Mexico for Yu and Saturday the two were found there.



Yu was unharmed and in good health and has since returned to Allentown, the police said.



Meanwhile, authorities flew Esterly to Miami where he is in custody pending extradition. In the short hearing on Monday morning, Esterly said, Id like to go back to Pennsylvania as soon as possible.



Pennsylvania authorities have 15 days to pick him up.



Esterly, a father of four daughters, had met the teen at church, and Yu became friends with one of Esterly's children, according to the attorney for Esterly's wife, Stacey Esterly.



The Esterlys had been fighting over his alleged relationship with the teen, Stacey Esterly's attorney, John Waldron, told ABC News. Stacey Esterly threatened to go to the police about her husband's alleged sexual relationship with Yu shortly before the two fled, Waldron said.



When Yu was asked by members of the Leigh Country Child Advocacy Center whether she was having a relationship with Esterly, she denied it, said Det. Gary Hammer of the Colonial Regional Police, which has jurisdiction over her school, Lehigh Valley Academy.



But Yu altered her school records and listed Esterly as her stepfather, Hammer added. And at least 10 times between December and Feb. 9, Esterly signed her out of school early, Hammer told ABC News two weeks ago.



Feb. 9 was the day when the teens mother came to the school to pick up her daughter, "and the school said her stepfather already signed her out of school," Hammer said.



"The mom explained she is a single mother," Hammer said. "There is no stepfather."



Lehigh Valley Academy confirmed that Esterly has been on school grounds before and was last there Feb. 9.



"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," the school said in a statement two weeks ago.



The school called the Colonial Regional Police immediately and it started investigating. The department found video of Esterlys signing the teen out and leaving with her, Hammer said.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Mar 19, 2018 | By Benedict

Researchers at the University of Chile have developed two working prototypes of Koala 3D, a free-form climbing 3D printer with an unlimited Z-axis. The unusual 3D printer can climb the object it is currently printing in the same way a koala climbs a tree.

Over the years, there have been a handful of clever tricks for extending an axis (or axes) of a 3D printer, allowing for larger or even unlimited 3D printing in one direction.

In May 2017, for example, we learned that a Dutch 3D printing company called Blackbelt 3D had developed a conveyor belt 3D printer for continuous FDM 3D printing. The idea was that, by replacing a print bed with a moving conveyor belt, you could print endlessly as the bed moved on and on, making either very long structures or an endless queue of smaller items.

There have been other innovations too. In 2015, an engineer created the Kickstarter-backed Z-Unlimited, a modification for Ultimaker 3D printers that flips your 3D printer upside down and moves it all the way up along a wall while it is printing. The accessorys largest Skyscraper version enabled a gargantuan 3050 mm printing height.

So how else can you get long, wide, or deep 3D printing without simply buying a much larger, more expensive 3D printer?

Researchers at the University of Chile have come up with a new solution, and its possibly the most fun innovation of the lot: a climbing 3D printing robot that shimmies up the object it is printing like a koala climbs a tree.

Koala Z-Infinity 3D printer

The goal of this project is to develop a new type of 3D printing machine capable of producing vertical structures while simultaneously climbing the same structures they build, explains Juan Cristobal Zagal, chief designer of Koala 3D. In principle, this type of machine might be capable of printing without limit on the vertical axis, becoming what can be called a Z-infinity 3D printing climbing machine.

Sounds fascinating, but how does a Z-infinity 3D printing climbing machine work?

The researchersZagal, Maximiliano Velez, and Efren Toalasay they have actually developed two versions of the 3D printer: the Koala and the Toala (the latter being principally engineered by the appropriately named Mr. Toala).

The first of those climbing 3D printers, the Koala, is able to climb a vertical 30 x 30 mm column by grasping it, just like a koala grabs and climbs up a tree. The 3D printer 3D prints this column as it ascends, simultaneously 3D printing the actual 3D printed object within the walls of the climbing column. (The 3D printed object can then be extracted from the hollow column when printing is finished.)

Two clamping carriages serve to grip and propel the 3D printing unit while also controlling the Z position of the print head, while a counterbalance positions the center of mass in the middle of the column.

Toala Z-Infinity 3D printer

The second climbing 3D printer, the Toala, is slightly different, using a simpler mechanism to climb upward as it prints. Instead of printing a tree-like column and shimmying up it, this printer prints a kind of stepped ladder column, then uses a motorized pinion to drive up the column as it prints.

Needless to say, these 3D printing systems demonstrate a brilliant ability to think outside the box, and they will soon be even better: the researchers say they will be able to significantly widen the printed columns, which means the Koala could 3D print objects beyond very tall and narrow ones.

Check out the unlimited Z-axis 3D printers in the video below.

Posted in 3D Printing Technology

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Jhon wrote at 9/19/2018 3:39:17 AM:This is absolutely fantastic !Sep wrote at 3/20/2018 10:55:58 AM:And your design is better.Steve Hernandez - aka PacManFan wrote at 3/19/2018 4:19:17 PM:I did that 7 years ago: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:8938




Mar 19, 2018 | By Tess

German automation and engineering company Siemens has created some buzz in the UK this morning with the announcement that it will be opening a 27 million ($37.6M) additive manufacturing facility in the West Midlands city of Worcester. The 3D printing factory is expected to create 50 skilled jobs in the region.

Set to become one of the largest 3D printing facilities in Europe when it opens, Siemens new UK location will host a number of state-of-the-art metal 3D printing systems and more. The German company has suggested that the AM facility will produce metal components for local clients such as Rolls-Royce and British Aerospace.

The choice to open the facility in the West Midlands is no coincidence, as Siemens holds a significant stake (85 percent, to be exact) in Worcester-based company Materials Solutions Ltd., which specializes in additive manufacturing and specifically selective laser melting (SLM). The new facility will ultimately enable Materials Solutions to significantly ramp up its own 3D printing services and production.

Presently, the Siemens-controlled company operates 15 metal 3D printers. Over the course of the next five years (and thanks to Siemens 27 million investment) the number of machines in operation is expected to increase to 50.

This significant investment underlines our belief that there is huge potential for innovation and growth within the additive manufacturing sector, said Juergen Maier, Siemens UK chief executive. It is also the next step towards achieving our ambition of pioneering the industrialisation of 3D printing and demonstrates how we are leading the way in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

If the UKs manufacturing sector is to grow and thrive, we must embrace digital technologies and build new industries based on them. Our vision and ambition for Materials Solutions perfectly represents how we are putting this strategy into practice.

Siemens' 27M 3D printing factory is to be located in Worcester, England

To be located at the Worcester Six Business Park, the new 3D printing facility is also expected to create over 50 new skilled jobs in the region for engineers, metallurgists, manufacturing experts, and others.

Our Worcester-based team are specialists in using additive manufacturing technology to solve complex engineering challenges for our customers across a range of sectors including aerospace, automotive and power generation, commented Phil Hatherley, General Manager of Materials Solutions. Our new facility will give us the space and scope to continue to innovate for these specialist and demanding industries and achieve a shift in the perception of 3D printing from being a technology associated with prototyping to a viable option for the serial production of additively-manufactured parts.

The company, which last year successfully 3D printed metal gas turbine blades for Siemens, hopes that the new facility and investment from Siemens will enable it to make even greater achievements in the additive manufacturing field.

Hatherley added: I believe our new factory will facilitate similar achievements for our customers operating in other highly demanding environments, allowing us to maintain our position at the leading edge of this incredibly exciting industry.

The Worcester-based 3D printing factory is expected to open in September 2018.

Posted in 3D Printer Company

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S.Meredith wrote at 3/25/2018 9:40:54 AM:This technology has been around for some years the main issue is that the component is sintered which means that its molecular structure is brittle, how this has been solved in the past is to place the component in an oven and heat treat it, most aircraft companies have been nervous of using this product, due to engine tests, new engines that are being tested will have this technology, old ones will not due to the cost. if this process becomes more widespread and can cope with a larger size product base, will mean the demise of machining facilities.




Mar 19, 2018 | By Tess

Spanish dental 3D printer manufacturer Microlay is preparing to release its latest additive manufacturing system: the Microlay Versus. The new DLP 3D printer is built to offer prints with superior precision and repeatability for the dental market.

The Microlay Versus follows the companys first dental 3D printing unit, DentalFab, which was released in 2016. The new model improves and expands upon the original system in a number of ways.

According to Microlay, repeatability was its top priority when developing the 3D printer, and the results of its labor seem to have paid off.

We know that within certain sectors, such as dental or scientific research, not only precision but also predictability and repeatability are essential, says the company. And although we often find 3D printers in the market that are capable of achieving good results, we find the problem that these results are not always repeatable due to the large number of variables that can affect the success of an impression.

These variables include the orientation of a print and its placement on the build tray, support generation, chamber temperature, optics, and more. To ensure that the Microlay Versus would be able to overcome repeatability challenges, the company says it carefully analyzed each factor that could affect print quality, predictability, and repeatability.

Lets take a look at some of the measures Microlay has taken to guarantee quality prints.

First, the Madrid-based company says it has developed a hot air heating system for the printers build chamber which can maintain the optimal microclimate for a given 3D printing resin and improve print quality from the material front.

The printer is also equipped with a UV light source with a wavelength of 385 nm which is reportedly capable of solidifying even the most transparent resins without affecting their color or clarity. A dedicated optical module optimizes the printers projector system for the best results depending on what light source (385 nm or 405 nm) is in use. This module was included to reduce inconsistencies and imperfections caused by the projector in the margins of the print bed.

Other notable features include a print speed of up to 50 mm per hour (in height), WiFi connectivity (or USB connection), a built-in camera for monitoring ongoing print jobs, remote control of the printer, and external filters to ensure quality prints even in dusty environments. As a bonus, the Microlay Versus 3D printer also boasts low maintenance costs (due to a reusable tank) and a low power consumption of about 140W.

Microlays latest 3D printer is sure to have the dental industry smiling because of its many features. The cost of the new system has not yet been disclosed, however.

Full specifications for the Microlay Versus:

Build Volume 125 x 70 x 180 mm XY Resolution 65 m Max. Z Resolution 1  UV Light Calibration Automatic Light Source 385 or 405 m UV LED Connectivity WiFi, Ethernet, USB Dimensions 350 x 424 x 624 mm Weight 45 kg Software for supports Print Studio Compatible materials Third party materials Detax, Dreve, NextDent,

Pro3dure, Funtodo, GT Medical

Posted in 3D Printer

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by Max Sirak

(LookerListen! It's a free audio version for all you on-the-go)

Conversations are like sex. There's a safe and unsafe way to go about them. Today I'm going to share with you a way to protect yourself against unwanted communicational repercussions. But, before we get there, I'd like to take a moment to pay homage to the lineage of thought which led me to this prophylactic presentation. Ideas evolve. Not always, but sometimes. If a concept is sticky enough, it hangs around, lying in wait, and resurfaces. Each exposure granting more nuance to the original idea until eventually a fresh concept emerges, related and traceable to the first, but individual in its own right.

Which is how conversational contraception was born.

"Free Movies!"

A college professor of mine would yell this, arms waving, at least once each class. Appealing to the broke nature of students, due to soaring expenses of tuition, Professor Terrill was very passionate (and demonstrative) in his attempts to steer us. Energy and enthusiasm aside, it never worked. At least not on my friends and me. We were too immersed in the other "recreational" options collegiate life had to offer. So it goes.

But that doesn't diminish the impact Prof. Terrill and his class had on me. Even now, 16 years after I was but one anonymous face in the tessellated sea of his lecture hall, I find myself thinking about ideas he taught. They were so foreign and new.

See, "C205" was the weed-out class for Communications and Culture. Each major had one. These classes were the thresh each department used to separate the wheat from the chaff. Usually positioned in the second year coursework, they were designed to make students contemplate The Clash's age old question  "Should I stay or should I go?"

For us Com/Cul's (which no one ever called us), this amounted to a semester of a pair of 90-minute lectures, combined with lengthy reading assignments, and culminating in a single-page, double-spaced paper each week. The binary star, around which C205 orbited, was a study of two opposing philosophies of language.

Looking At vs. Looking Through

One side argued language was a tool used to transmit reality. The other approached language as a tool used to create reality. Professor Terrill summed up the distinction succinctly. Those who saw language as a means looked through communication. Those who saw language as an end looked at communication. Both stances incorporated underlying assumptions about the world.

Looking through is Newtonian, mechanistic, and scientific. It hinges upon capital-T Truth and capital-R Reality as being objective and definite. Careful inquiry and astute observation allows us to discover Truth and Reality. Then, having done so, precision use of language gives us a transparent way to share what we've learned.

Looking at is more quantum, artistic, and poetic. It takes the opposing view. By acknowledging truth and reality to be lower-case (subjective), it leaves space for both to be invented as well as uncovered. And, the tools used to do excavating and creating, are the words themselves. It's a stance best summarized by Professor Terrill himself: "The words you have and know control the reality you see."

There's also a fundamental belief about the nature of language in each view. Looking through imagines language as neutral and unbiased. Whereas looking at disagrees. It believes language contains inherent bias and therefore can never be neutral.

*PAFT* (That was the sound of sophomore Max's mind being blown.)

Parking Lot Parenting

Zoom ahead 13 years and I'm standing with my mom in a parking lot. We're chatting while my dad finishes his chiropractic appointment. It's September in the mountains, which is to say, it's far nicer outside in the fresh air than inside a waiting room.

She was giving me advice. At the time I was in the middle of some relationship drama, and seeing as she and my father have been married for 41 years, I figured why not tap into some of her wisdom. Here's what she said.

"Max, sometimes women just want to be heard. All we want is to vent and get things off our chests. But you men always have to try and fix things. So then instead of being able to talk and sound things out, you guys constantly tell us what to do, which we hate."

Normative gender assumptions aside, she had a few good points.

1) There's value in putting words to feelings and naming them in self-expression.

2) When someone you care for appears to be suffering and speaks out, there's a tendency to want to help. One form of helping is offering solutions.

3) Unless specifically asked for, and sometimes even then, no one likes being told what to do.

At the time, I don't remember thinking back to the hours I spent in Terrill's class. I didn't recognize the connection between to my mom's point and the lectures on looking at vs. through. Recently, I have.

Two Models of Conversation

"True conversation," writes Thomas Moore in his book, Care Of the Soul, "is an interpenetration of worlds, a genuine intercourse of souls."

Sex is a fitting metaphor. There are two approaches to sex which are analogous to my two approaches, rooted in Terrill's ideas, to conversation. There's also a way to practice conversation to minimize the consequences and risks, just like sex. Let's jump in.

Wham-Bam, Thank You, Ma'am / Solving

Sexually speaking, these folks are the sprinters who like to race toward the finish line. Journey be damned, they want to get where they're going. The act itself is at best, incidental, and at worst, a necessary annoyance to reach their goals.

There is a similar approach in conversation, which I've called Solving. It views the entire function of using words to relate to one another as a technology for the mutual ensolvement of obstacles. It's linear, deterministic, and very nuts-and-bolts.

Solving looks through. It depends on the belief in Truth and Reality and views words as ways for transferring information. My mom would say it's the male-type.

"You say A is bothering you. I give you two possible solutions B and C. Pick one."

Slow Down, You Move Too Fast / Exploring

Conversely, there's an alternative approach to sex that's less achievement oriented. It has far more to do with leisure and prolonged experience than it does a fast finish. People who follow this course appreciate the ecstasy of anticipation and the fun of foreplay.

Likewise, leaving the bedroom, (or kitchen, these are the Slow Down, You Move Too Fast folks after all) there's a mode of conversation more into meandering than measured results. I've called it Exploring, because, well, that's what it is. It fancies discovery over direction, invention over interrogation, and treats words like watercolors, not winches. All owing its ancestry to looking at.

This would be the feminine style (using my mom's labels). It's the one which includes "blowing off steam," "venting," a desire to be acknowledged, heard, and not told what to do.

Which brings us, finally, to the point

How To Not Make Things Worse

Practice conversational contraception.

Just like it's important to the health and well-being of you and your partner to use birth control during physical intercourse, it's important to do the same during non-physical intercourse.

(Side note  it's also way easier to do. There're no awkward pauses in action or fumbles with packaging.)

All you have to do is ask your partner a simple question  Are we Solving or Exploring?

Once you know that, it's much easier to not unintentionally escalate the situation ("Or be a guy," as my mom would say).

You'll know up front if the person you're speaking with is looking for answers or simply wants to be heard.

One isn't any better than the other. Solving isn't right and Exploring isn't wrong or vice versa. It's about harmonizing the wants, needs, and intentions of all parties involved to ensure mutual enjoyment.

Just like sex.

Be responsible.

Know your partner.

Practice safe conversation.

***

Photo Credits

1) By IT Communications Office  IMG_0589  Sample Gates HD Version, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62114051

2) By Helge veras, http://www.helgeoveras.com/concertphoto.shtml  Own work, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1878380

3) By Elmar J. Lordemann (de:User:Jo Atmon)  Own work  photography by Jo Atmon, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1794108

4) By Nationaal Archief, Den Haag, Rijksfotoarchief: Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Fotopersbureau (ANEFO), 1945-1989  negatiefstroken zwart/wit, nummer toegang 2.24.01.05, bestanddeelnummer 932-2090  Nationaal Archief, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20721185

***

Max does things. You can find them here and here.
by Mathangi Krishnamurthy

When I first moved into an apartment onto campus to take up my current job as faculty at one of the most prestigious institutes in India, I knocked at my neighbour's door to introduce myself, only to be asked, "What department is Sir in?" Highly amused, I responded, that actually only madam would take up residence and work here; madam, of course, being myself. What would otherwise have raised my feminist hackles, to this day amuses me, perhaps because I was able to take pleasure in overturning a kind of misrecognition, no matter to how small a degree. Gender, age and body are easy and frequent stages for misrecognitionone is seen, heard, and assumed to be of a certain age, gender, and life stage. "You don't look your age!" is a form of misrecognition that can offer pleasure or otherwise depending on whether such looking is over- or under-determined.

In the social sciences, such misrecognition informs identity. In other words, across literatures, it is only through agreeing, refusing, conforming, partly conforming, and co-opting available labels and modes of being does one gain identity. We all therefore, exist, by misrecognizing ourselves and others for there is either no core self, outside of such temporary and sometimes sedimented forms of knowing, or the possibility of gaining any authentic self is always already lost. In this short essay, this is what concerns my exploration of pleasure. For other theorists like Nancy Fraser, misrecognition refers to the denigration and refusal of common humanity in others; in other words, a literal refusal to recognize. While there are clearly pleasures to the latter, I do not take it up in this piece. However, where the first and the second come together is in reading Pierre Bourdieu, for who misrecognition resides in the everyday where things, people, and processes get attributed to available realms of meaning and thereby misrecognized as such, making no room available for the uncommon, the changing, and the different.

These days, I walk around utterly confused as to who to be. I am a thoroughly misrecognized entity; seen as woman even though I do not know how to behave in an adequately womanly fashion; considered responsible even though only I know how often I misplace my keys; accorded the privilege of teaching despite my own frequent misgivings and surrender to the "imposter" syndrome; and the most egregious burden of all, considered an adult, even though I, like most others, fake it.

A long time ago, at a perfume counter located in a strip mall in Madison, Wisconsin, I was treated to multiple samples of delicious scents by a very tall, statuesque, immaculately coiffured and groomed, transgender woman, who told me all about her childhood in Utah, growing up being constantly misrecognized, until she left to find a life where she could recognize herself. She spoke in the most exquisite dulcet tones, pausing at every sentence to take in a whiff of air, and commented when I told her about my work in call centres, and voice and accent training, that she could relate because she had trained herself to speak in the way she currently did. When I asked, seemingly innocently, "Why?", she placed her elbows on the counter, bringing her tall frame down to mine, face propped in front of my eyes, and said, a deeper, different, uncanny, beautiful baritone emerging from the body in front of me, "Because if I spoke like this, it'd scare the hell out of you."

I am told I have a phone voice, and a meeting voice.

There is nothing more difficult to place than the voice, for as Mladen Dolar argues, it is neither language, nor body, and yet of both. One recognizes in the voice, tone, emotion, possibility, intent, and presence. In recordings of my recently deceased grandfather's voice, I recognize, long, hot, afternoons, deep in the South of India, him trying to stave my boredom with stories and sagas, and I interjecting with less than exuberant nods and questions. In replaying that recording, I am able to misrecognize the passing of time.

I misrecognize my love for prose, for I actually love poetry. But I give in, instead, to my dependence on precision, my identification as an academic, and my pride in meaning-making. I misrecognize the weather sometimes. When I wake up to a drizzly Madras morning, I think I'm back in the bed of my childhood, covered in Sholapur blankets, looking forward to the cancellation of school. Petrichor brings unbidden the muscle memory of paper-boat-making, the deft machinations required to produce a blade that protrudes beneath, cutting through the stormiest of drainage waters. When I see blossoming treesflame of the forest, they used to be calledI think I'm riding to my first job, streets weighed down by flaming orange colored blossoms, momentarily producing in my body the feeling that the world is open, and life, endless. Perhaps these are not the misrecognitions of the social sciences. Perhaps, these are only what Proust wrote endlessly about; loss of time, lack of meaning, the desperate and flailing search for things other than what one is offered in current time and spacea something else. For hope, for more, for less, for else. But if in misrecognition is the heart of all things, if we can pause for a bit, and if as Pema Chodron says, "In the midst of loneliness, in the midst of fear, in the middle of feeling misunderstood and rejected is the heartbeat of all things", then perhaps there is pleasure even in this space of not knowing, and searching, of being misrecognized, and of sitting with it.

The oldest pleasures in the world may well be of misrecognition. For what is God, if not the willful and hopeful misrecognition of the world? And what is love, but the hope of recognizing and being recognized, knowing fully well of its impossibility.
You'll also have opportunities this week to channel your inner activist, zen out with sound meditation and, of course, gorge at tasty food events.

Monday, March 19: A New Pre-Fix



When: 5:30pm to 10pm

Where: Commonwealth, 2224 Mission St. (Mission), commonwealthsf.com

Why: Chef Jason Fox is introducing a new extended tasting menu at Commonwealth, which will contain 12 courses of constantly changing chef's favorites including some extra special and rare seasonal items like shrimp mousse and sweetbreads, lamb and date butter, sea urchin, trout roe and chrysanthemum jelly, and more. Wine pairing is optional.





Monday, March 19: Take a Sound Bath

When: 7pm to 8:30pm

Where: The Midway SF, 900 Marin St. (Bayview)

Why: Start the week off with a soothing immersive listening experience. Get grounded with field recordings from multiple natural landscapes and composed chime pieces. // Tickets ($30) are available at ticketfly.com.





Tuesday, March 20th: Dine on a Farm

When: 12am

Where: Multiple locations

Why: The traveling table-to-farm event Outstanding in the Field is releasing tickets to its 2018 tour today. Join Liholiho's Ravi Kpaur at Jacobs Farm at Martial Cottle Park in San Jose; Nopalito's Chef Gonzalo Guzman at Stemple Creek Ranch in Tomales; or Michelin-starred chef Val Cantu from Californios at McEvoy Ranch in Petaluma. There are 13 events in total, all guaranteed to be delicious, beautiful, and memorable. // Tickets are available at outstandinginthefield.com.





Tuesday, March 20th: Food for Good

When: 7pm to 9:30pm

Where: 919 Cortland Ave. (Bernal Heights)

Why: Enjoy a 5-course tasting menu with food from One Market, Americano, AQ/Mago, 3rd Cousin, and Hillside Supper Club. There'll also be cocktails from Trick Dog as well as a wine pairing, and proceeds will benefit Sprouts Cooking Club community programs. // Tickets ($60-$2,000) are available at eventbrite.com.





Tuesday, March 20th: Multi-Course Chef Collab

When: Multiple times

Where: Aster, 1001 Guerrero St. (Mission), astersf.com

Why: Chef Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins of Top Chef and the forthcoming El Jardin restaurant in San Diego will join Aster's Brett Michael Cooper for a multi-course collaboration dinner spotlighting Baja-California cuisine. Claudette's food is inspired by her upbringing in Tijuana and San Diego as well as her time spent in Guadalajara. The one-night only dinner will be a special one. // Tickets ($85) are available at exploretock.com/astersf.





Wednesday, March 21: Historic Berkeley Walking Tour App Launch Party

When: 4pm

Where: Moe's Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. (Berkeley)

Why: Soon you'll be able to take in Berkeley as you've never known itvia compelling stories and historical facts right in the palm of your hand. The Telegraph Historical Walking Tour location-sensitive app is powered by an interactive 3D map that will guide you through 11 locations. There are also thematic tours of districts focused on architecture or the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. Head to the launch party at Moe's for the debut, words from Mayor Jesse Arreguin, brief interviews with contributors to the tour, and tasty bites from local eateries.





Wednesday, March 21-23: Get Styled at a Luxe Pop-Up

When: 10am to 7pm

Where: Taj Campton Place Hotel, 40 Stockton St., Campton Room, 2nd Floor, (Tenderloin), tajcamptonplace.com

Why: Luxury rental service, Armarium is popping up at Campton Place Hotel with a slew of designer pieces. Enjoy a personal walk-through experience with co-founder Trisha Gregory and get styled with looks from Naeem Khan, Luisa Beccaria, Rochas and Vionnet. // armarium.com





Thursday, March 22: #FlowerInvasion

When: 4pm to 7pm

Where: Salvatore Ferragamo, 236 Post St. (Union Square), ferragamo.com

Why: Hang with New York event and floral designer Lewis Miller to celebrate the botanical designs of Ferragamo's spring collectionTuscan and English flora blossom on the uppers of mules, ballerina pumps and sling backs atop the iconic flower heel. All purchases will come with a custom floral arrangement.





Thursday, March 22-April 12: The Cubano Series Is Back

When: 11:30am to 9pm Sun-Wed, 11:30am to 10pm Thurs-Sat

Where: Media Noche, 3465 19th St. (Mission), medianochesf.com

Why: The next installment of Media Noche's monthly Chef's Cubano series is here, and this one features a Cubano from Evan Rich of Rich Table and RT Rotisserie. Think: a charred broccoli and chimichurri Cubano with toasted garlic aioli, fried onions and melty swiss cheese.





Friday, March 23rd: New Chef, New Menu at Bouchon

When: 11:00am-12:00am

Where: Bouchon, 6534 Washington St. (Yountville), thomaskeller.com/bouchonyountville

Why: Bouchon has a new Chef De Cuisine, David Hodson, who is bringing in a new spring menu. There'll be an asparagus salad with piquillo pepper marmalade, burrata cheese, and crispy ham, a roasted leg of lamb with artichokes, as well as Bouchon Bistro staples like chicken and rainbow trout that get seasonal updates.





Saturday, March 24: March for Our Lives Rally



When: 1pm to 3pm

Where: Civic Center Plaza, 335 McAllister St., marchforourlives.com

Why: Take a stand for gun control and student safety with approximately 20,000 Bay Area students, elected officials and civic leaders, organizations, and other activists.





Saturday, March 24: Mole Tasting

When: 2pm to 4pm

Where: Agave Uptown, 2135 Franklin St. (Oakland), agaveuptown.com

Why: Celebrate the debut of Agave Uptown's restaurant's in-a-jar retail availability of their delectable mole sauce. There will be small bites from the current menu to showcase mole sauce that's made with over 20 ingredients from a secret family recipe. Plus, it's vegan and gluten-free. Naturally, they'll also be offering a tasting of select artisan mezcals from Oaxaca, Mexico. Be sure to stay until the end, because when 4pm rolls around, executive chef and restauranteur Octavio Diaz's mother and father will do a mole presentation; and local band Alegres Callejeros will play some live tunes. // RSVP at eventbrite.com.





Sunday, March 25: Get Sweaty

When: 11am to 1pm

Where: Hotel Zetta, 55 5th St St. (SoMa), viceroyhotelsandresorts.com

Why: This Sunday is the kickoff workout and chill-out event of the season for Well + Away's ongoing fitness event series with Hotel Zetta. Join Well + Away and the team at mindful bootcamp Zenfit for a 45-minute bootcamp, followed by a meditation with aromatherapy featuring Aura Cacia essential oils. Afterwards, nosh on healthy post-class treats from REBBL, Republic of Tea, Rise Bar and more. // Tickets ($27) are available at eventbrite.com.
Medical Implant Market

MarketResearchFuture.com published a Half-Cooked research report on Global Medical Implant Market Research Report  Forecast to 2023 reports to its database.  Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.

TRY SAMPLE REPORT @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2806 .

The report titled Medical Implant Market -Forecast to 2023 is a direct appreciation by Market Research Future of the market potential of the Medical Implant Market. The report intends to provide accurate and meaningful insights, both quantitative as well as qualitative. It can be said with high confidence level, that this report will satisfy the need for comprehensive insights needed to compete and beat other players in todays winner takes all market!

Market Scenario:

Medical implant is the process of replacing missing or damaged biological structure of the body. These are the manmade devices or tissues that placed over or inside the surface of the body. There are range of application where these implants are used for the treatment and help to repair the damaged part of the body. Rising prevalence of chronic disease, improvement of surgical outcomes, acceptance of advanced medical implants devices by patients, and increasing ageing population around the world are the key drivers of the global medical implant market. According to the registry of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, approximately 500-600 pediatric heart transplantation procedures are performed globally every year, which represents around 12% of the total number of heart transplants performed. And in 2014, a total number of children heart transplants executed globally were 586.

Moreover, companies are more into mergers, acquisition, and collaboration activity in order to provide better treatment procedure. In this regards, Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. in September 2016, acquired Abbott Medical Optics for developing the product line of intraocular lenses implanted into cataract patients following surgery, and a variety of eye drops and cleaning solutions that will complement J&Js extensive line-up of contact lenses. Also, in May 2016, Knifeless Tech Systems was acquired by 3M. The business acquired is an installation tool used to cut self-adhesive films applied to vehicle wraps 3M.

Furthermore, increasing consumer awareness about various repairs and preventive cares associated with body and rapidly increasing population worldwide have consistently added to the growth of the medical implants market globally. Furthermore, increasing spending in the healthcare domain fuelling the growth of the medical implants market. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, in 2015, the U.S. healthcare spending increased by 5.8% reaching USD 3.2 trillion. In 2016, the healthcare spending in North America had increased to some extent.

However, high cost of the devices and ambiguous regulatory framework may affect the growth of the global medical implants market, negatively.

Key Players:

Some of the key players in this market are Boston Scientific Corporation (U.S.), Medtronic (Ireland), Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. (U.S.), 3M (U.S.), Institut Straumann AG (Switzerland), Stryker Corporation (U.S.), Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. (U.S.), Smith & Nephew (U.K), Dentsply Sirona (U.S.).

Key Findings:

The global medical implants market is estimated at USD 112,083 million in 2016.

Cardiac implant is the fastest growing segment, which is projected grow at a CAGR of 7.63% during the forecast period 2017-2023.

The Americas captured the largest market globally and is expected to USD 77,770 million by 2023.

Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region across the globe and is expected to grow at a CAGR 7.55% during the forecast period.

Regional Analysis:

The Americas dominates the global medical implants market owing to the increasing prevalence of patients suffering with damaged body organs, improvement in surgical outcomes, presence of strong economic condition, and focus of research institutions on updating technology for new and advanced medical implants devices.

Europe holds the second position in the market owing to increasing support from the government, and the presence of huge geriatric population, and high healthcare spending. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the healthcare expenditure in Germany was EUR 321 billion in 2014. France recorded the second highest level of current health care expenditure of EUR 237 billion.

Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market owing to more number of developing nations present in this region, for instance, countries like India and china. These countries are encouraging the growth of the medical implants devices.

The Middle East & Africa is expected to hold the least market share due to less availability of medical facilities, and less development in the healthcare domain. However, countries such as Qatar and Kuwait are focusing more on the healthcare and developing medical facilities, which is expected to boost the market of this region.

Intended Audience:

Pharmaceutical Companies

Medical Devices Companies

Research and Development (R&D) Companies

Market Research and Consulting Service Providers

Potential Investors

Segmentation:

The global medical implants market is segmented on the basis of types, type of material, and end user.

On the basis the types, it is segmented into orthopedic implants, cardiac implants, spinal implants, dental implants, ophthalmic implants, cosmetic implants, and others.

On the basis of the type of material, it is segmented into metallic material, ceramic material, polymers material, and others.

On the basis of the end users, it is segmented into hospitals & clinics, research laboratories, and others.

CONTINUED

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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.

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Significant Upgrade for Thackaringa Cobalt Mineral Resource

Sydney, Mar 19, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Broken Hill Prospecting Ltd ( ASX:BPL ) and Cobalt Blue Holdings Ltd ( ASX:COB ) under the Thackaringa Joint Venture (TJV) today announced a significant resource upgrade at the Thackaringa Cobalt Project, located on BPL'S tenement leases near Broken Hill, NSW.Thackaringa Cobalt Project- The global Mineral Resource estimate now comprises:72Mt at 852ppm Cobalt (Co), 9.3% Sulphur (S) & 10% Iron (Fe) for 61.5Kt contained cobalt (at a 500ppm cobalt cut-off)- The upgrade comprises a 31% increase in total tonnes and a 23% increase in contained cobalt (now 61,500 tonnes) compared with the June 2017 Mineral Resource estimate. This represents a major step forward in the Project's viability.- 72% of the updated Mineral Resource is classified as Indicated, which reflects improved geological confidence after a major drilling program comprising 74 holes for approximately 12,500m.- The Thackaringa Cobalt Project remains on target to become a world-class cobalt producer, with recent metallurgical testwork highlighting 88% cobalt recoveries from ore to high value cobalt sulphate product.- The TJV remains focussed on completing a maiden Ore Reserve estimate as part of the Preliminary Feasibility Study.- COB has delivered a notice claiming satisfaction of the TJV Stage 1 Milestones. BPL is carrying out an independent assessment, with particular focus on the new Mineral Resource and claimed expenditures, in order to take a view on compliance with Stage 1. Results of that independent assessment will be advised in due course.Thackaringa Base & Precious MetalsBPL retains the base and precious metal rights at Thackaringa where recent geological mapping and sampling combined with newly acquired high resolution geophysics has greatly enhanced exploration targeting.Newly discovered prospects characterised by outcropping quartz gahnite - a key vector for Broken Hill Pb-Zn-Ag style deposits, and rock chip sampling has defined extensive Cu-Pb- Zn-Au-Ag mineralisation.BPL's Managing Director, Trangie Johnston commented:"This resource upgrade comes at a time when cobalt prices have been experiencing large gains on world markets, hitting $US88,000 per tonne last week. Both the increase in the cobalt resource size at Thackaringa and the cobalt price combine to make this a valuable and strategic development of global magnitude. It adds significantly to BPL's assets both in terms of our ongoing participation in the JV and the increased potential for future royalty steams. The prospectivity of our Broken Hill leases has been also enhanced by the recent exploration success in identifying further occurrences of Broken Hill style mineralisation."The updated Mineral Resource estimate at Thackaringa is divided into the three main deposits as detailed in Table 1 (see link below).Cobalt Blue earn in MilestonesUnder the TJV, BPL is the title holder of the tenement leases and COB can earn up to 100% of the Project if it completes a four-stage farm-in by committing $10.9 million project expenditure before 30 June 2020 and paying BPL $7.5 million in cash. BPL will be entitled to receive a 2% net smelter royalty on all cobalt produced from the Thackaringa tenements for the life of mine.Subject to COB completing Stage 1 milestones, COB has a 51% beneficial interest in the Thackaringa Cobalt Project with BPL retaining a 49% beneficial interest. In order for COB to retain its 51% beneficial interest, key deliverables by 1 April 2018 are a 40Mt Indicated Resource sufficient to support a Pre-feasibility Study to JORC 2012 standard and certain expenditure obligations. A Pre-feasibility Study is due by 30 June 2018 and itself forms part of Stage 2 milestones whereby COB can earn up to 70% beneficial interest.BPL will conduct an independent review of the Mineral Resource upgrade report from SRK when completed and expenditure obligations to determin COB meeting its obligations under Stage 1 of the TJV. The results of BPL's deliberations will be advised in due course.Return of value to BPL shareholdersThe successful spin-off of COB was completed in February 2017, with investors seeking shares and options exceeding the $10 million maximum being offered. The deal was an important initiative for BPL to realise significant value from its Thackaringa Cobalt Project.BPL's shareholders received a total of 35 million COB shares as part of the capital restructuring and distribution, which was equivalent to 37 per cent of the IPO issued shares in COB. In addition, those BPL shareholders received an entitlement to a 1:4 issue of COB bonus options (total: 8,750,000 options).The current value of this distribution is approximately $42M based on COB's current share price for those shareholders that retained COB equity. BPL shareholders that retained COB equities have benefited greatly in this way by the upgrade of the groups cobalt interests.Thackaringa Base & Precious MetalsUnder the terms of the TJV, BPL retains the rights to base and precious metals on the TJV tenements, where it is actively exploring for Broken Hill (Pb-Zn-Ag) style mineralisation.Recent geological mapping combined with newly acquired high resolution geophysics has greatly enhanced base and precious metal exploration at the Thackaringa Project.The Broken Hill Group, which hosts the world class Broken Hill Pb-Zn-Ag orebody comprising 300Mt of ore containing 30Mt Pb, 24Mt Zn, 1B oz Ag and 1M oz Au, is widely distributed across the Thackaringa Project with multiple prospects prioritised for further exploration.Newly discovered prospects characterised by outcropping quartz gahnite - a key vector for Broken Hill Pb-Zn-Ag style deposits has greatly expanded our search for these world class deposits.Broken Hill Region ExpansionBPL recently lodged three exploration licence applications in the Broken Hill Region, significantly increasing its overall exposure to this world class mineral province and securing a number of underexplored base, precious and industrial mineral prospects. The applications are expected to be granted during the first calendar quarter of 2018.Apart from the clear potential for base and precious metals in this expanded tenement package, the Board believes that the industrial mineral potential of the Broken Hill Region has been systematically ignored over recent years. A number of large, advanced projects in the area will potentially bring additional and improved infrastructure services and/or generate their own industrial mineral demands, delivering a change to their economic case.To view tables and figures, please visit:About Broken Hill Prospecting Ltd

Broken Hill Prospecting Ltd (ASX:BPL) is an Australian exploration company focussed on the discovery and development of strategic mineral resources across two primary geographical areas; the Murray Basin Region (Heavy Mineral Sands) and the Broken Hill Region (industrial, base and precious metals, including the Thackaringa Cobalt & Base/Precious Metal Project).
Arbitrade a new coin and cryptocurrency exchange to purchase the unique gold collection with Bitcoin



Mandela Golden Hands Collection Sells for US$10 Million at PDAC 2018 Conference

New York, Mar 19, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - The Board of Arbitrade, a new coin and cryptocurrency exchange, has announced it will purchase the Nelson Mandela Golden Hands Collection. Made from 20 lbs, 99.999 of pure gold, it includes 3 life size impressions of Mandela's hands and two others of his palm and fist. It was cast in 2002 by South Africa's Harmony Gold mining group, one of the world's leading gold producers, 12 years after Nelson Mandela was released from prison.The seller, Malcolm Duncan, a South African businessman now living in Calgary, Canada, knew Mandela. He said that Harmony's intention was to make one full set of gold artefacts consisting of a fist, a full hand and a palm impression of his right hand for each of the 27 years Mandela had spent behind bars. Duncan had purchased the sets dedicated to 1964 and 1990, marking the year Mandela was incarcerated and the year he walked out of the Pollsmoore prison gates a free man.The set has been authenticated by Harmony Gold and is believed to be the only surviving set. The others, having been destroyed by order of Nelson Mandela.In making the announcement, Arbitrade's Chairman, Len Schutzman, said the Board of Arbitrade shared Mr. Duncan's deep admiration for Mandela and had been keen to secure the valuable memorabilia. He joined Mr. Duncan in saying Mandela was a man who had come out of prison with no bitterness and although he had very little, he did so much to better the lives of under privileged people.An agreement was stuck by Mr. Duncan and representatives of Arbitrade at the PDAC 2018 Conference, held in Toronto on March 4 - 8, 2018. "It was the first time the collection had been on display to the general public anywhere in the world since the Letter of Authenticity had been received from Harmony Gold and we felt it was singularly appropriate that we should have met to purchase the collection at the famed PDAC Conference, one of the largest gold and metals events in the world," said Arbitrade's Chairman, Len Schutzman."The collection celebrates not only the remarkable contributions of Nelson Mandela to humanity each year, but also all that has been done by South Africa in supporting gold and the mining industry though the years. Moreover, our timing in buying the collection is especially significant since we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of Mandela's birth in this unique way for the first time in North America," said Mr Schutzman, who noted that the purchase of the Mandela collection will be paid for with Bitcoins."It is our honor and privilege to celebrate the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. As President Obama shared in one of his tributes to this great man - Mandela is a man who took history in his hands and bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice. In the global tour we shall be making with the collection, we will be celebrating his life, which has been a gift and a shining light for us all to remember and to follow for ages to come.""Arbitrade's management felt that these extraordinary artefacts served as a great representation for our company and that our announcement of this wonderful purchase will be the first of a series of announcements we shall be making in regard to gold that will back our cryptocurrency, Dignity (DIG) which trades on Livecoin.net." Mr. Schutzman said, "the company plans on orchestrating a global tour exhibiting the Golden Hands in National Museums around the world to celebrate the life and legacy of a man that meant so much to so many."In responding to Mr. Schutzman, Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources, Mr. GG Oliphant, MP said," The display and exhibition of the Mandela Golden Hands at the PDAC 2018 Conference was an appropriate moment to reflect the roots, strength and resilience of the South African mining industry. Nelson Mandela was a mineworker at some stage, in his long walk to freedom, and was also later elected as the Honorary Life President of the National Union of Mineworkers in South Africa. It is therefore, within this context that, in his honour, we pay tribute to all mineworkers and ex-mineworkers around the globe who have sacrificed so much to produce gold and other mineral commodities over the years. It is therefore befitting that in this year, as we celebrate the centenary of Mandela's birth, that we could display his actual handprints in gold as an embodiment of lasting peace and prosperity for our country. Our congratulations to Arbitrade in keeping Mandela's legacy alive."Mr. Nyameko Goso, South Africa's Consul General in Toronto added, "We thank Arbitrade for helping us celebrate Nelson Mandela's 100th Anniversary in this very special way and keeping alive his great legacy. At the same time, the purchase of this remarkable collection made of South African gold, is also a tribute to South Africa's gold mining industry who have contributed so much to the gold market and mining over the many years."Mr. Schutzman said, Arbitrade will be inviting one person from each of the countries where they will be exhibiting the collection, to join with them in celebrations at the museum, "I urge everyone to be looking out for our special release next week and to click on to our web page and provide their details. We hope that a great many people want to join us and come see for themselves the powerful and inspiring collection."About Arbitrade

ARBITRADE, through its proprietary software and strategic partnerships, plans to be in all segments of the cryptocurrency business, including currency mining, trading (The ARBITRADE Exchange) gift cards, debit cards, money transfer and Point of Sale processing.
Here's some background information about the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal which took place during the Iraq war.

Facts: Abu Ghraib prison was a US Army detention center for captured Iraqis from 2003 to 2006. An investigation into the treatment of detainees at the prison was prompted by the discovery of graphic photos depicting guards abusing detainees in 2003.

The facility was located 20 miles west of Baghdad on 280 acres.

At the height of the scandal, the prison held as many as 3,800 detainees.

Most of the detainees lived in tents in the prison yards.

The abuses took place inside the prison in cell blocks 1A and 1B.

Eleven US soldiers were convicted of crimes relating to the Abu Ghraib scandal. Seven of those were from Maryland-based 372nd Military Police Company. A number of other service members were not charged but reprimanded.

Timeline: November 2003 - A detainee dies during an interrogation at Abu Ghraib.

January 2004 - Spc. Joseph M. Darby discovers photos on a CD-ROM of Iraqi prisoners being abused. He reports the abuse to superiors, prompting an investigation.

April 4, 2004 - Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba releases his report to Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez about misconduct in the 800th Military Police Brigade.

April 28, 2004 - "60 Minutes II" broadcasts graphic photos of Iraqi detainees being humiliated and tortured.

April 30, 2004 - The New Yorker publishes an article by Seymour Hersh reporting details in the Taguba report on the abuses at Abu Ghraib.

April 30, 2004 - Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba's report detailing his investigation of the 800th Military Police Brigade is released.

Taguba's report stated that the following abuses happened in this incident:

- Punching, slapping, and kicking detainees; jumping on their naked feet.

- Videotaping and photographing naked male and female detainees.

- Forcibly arranging detainees in various sexually explicit positions for photographing.

- Forcing detainees to remove their clothing and keeping them naked for several days at a time.

- Forcing naked male detainees to wear women's underwear.

- Forcing groups of male detainees to masturbate themselves while being photographed and videotaped.

- Arranging naked male detainees in a pile and then jumping on them.

- Positioning a naked detainee on a box, with a sandbag on his head, and attaching wires to his fingers, toes, and penis to simulate electric torture.

- Writing "I am a Rapest (sic)" on the leg of a detainee accused of rape, and then photographing him naked.

- Placing a dog chain or strap around a naked detainee's neck and having a female soldier pose for a picture.

- A male MP guard having sex with a female detainee.

- Using military working dogs (without muzzles) to intimidate and frighten detainees, and in at least one case biting and severely injuring a detainee.

- Taking photographs of dead Iraqi detainees.

May 4, 2004 - Gen. George W. Casey Jr. announces that in the past 16 months the US Army has conducted more than 30 criminal investigations into misconduct by US captors during both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

May 5, 2004 - President George W. Bush records interviews with Al Arabiya and US-sponsored Al-Hurra networks expressing his disgust with the mistreatment of Iraqi detainees.

May 6, 2004 - In a joint news conference with King Abdullah II of Jordan, President Bush says he's told the king he's "sorry for the humiliation suffered" by Iraqi prisoners at the hands of US troops in Iraq.

May 6, 2004 - The Justice Department announces that it is looking into three suspicious deaths of detainees, two in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, and the involvement of the CIA and contractors in the deaths.

May 7, 2004 - Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld testifies before the Senate and House Armed Services Committees. "These events occurred on my watch...as Secretary of Defense, I am accountable for them and I take full responsibility.....there are other photos -- many other photos -- that depict incidents of physical violence towards prisoners, acts that can only be described as blatantly sadistic, cruel, and inhuman."

May 10, 2004 - President Bush views some of the photos at the Pentagon and announces his firm support for Rumsfeld.

May 12, 2004 - Rumsfeld testifies before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee.

August 24, 2004 - An independent commission headed by former Secretary of Defense James Schleslinger reports that what took place at the prison was due largely to "sadism" on the part of officers working the night shift, but that responsibility for the mistreatment of prisoners went higher up the chain of command, back to Washington.

August 25, 2004 - The Fay-Jones report on the Abu Ghraib scandal finds 44 instances of abuse, some of which amounted to torture.

February 15, 2006 - A new set of graphic photographs and video from Abu Ghraib are aired on the Australian television network SBS's program "Dateline." The photos are reportedly from the same period in 2003 that the previous photos were shot, not new incidents.

June 1, 2006 - Sgt. Santos Cardona, an Army dog handler, is found guilty of two of five counts against him, including aggravated assault and unlawfully using his dog to threaten detainees. He is sentenced to 90 days hard labor and a reduction of rank. He must also forfeit $600 of pay per month for a year.

September 1, 2006 - Control of Abu Ghraib is handed over to the Iraqis after all of the detainees are transferred elsewhere.

February 2008 - A documentary about the Abu Ghraib scandal by Oscar-winning director Errol Morris, "Standard Operating Procedure", debuts at the Berlin Film Festival.

February 21, 2009 - Abu Ghraib reopens after major renovations which include a new gym, barber shop, sewing room, outdoor recreational areas, a library, and computer room. Its name is changed to Baghdad Central Prison.

September 2009 - Saleh et al v. Titan Corporation et al, a federal class action lawsuit alleging abuse at Abu Ghraib by civilian contractors from CACI International is dismissed by a federal appeals court.

2012 - Defense contractor Engility Holdings Inc. agrees to pay 71 former detainees at Abu Ghraib and other sites $5.28 million to settle a lawsuit filed in 2008.

April 2014 - Iraq closes the prison due to security concerns.

March 20, 2015 - US District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein orders the Defense Department to release photos that show detainees being abused in detention centers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

January 18, 2017 - Hellerstein rules that the government must release an estimated 2,000 additional photos of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib and other military facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Selected Players:

Spc. Megan Ambuhl

372nd Military Police Company

October 30, 2004 - As part of a plea deal, Ambuhl pleads guilty to one charge of dereliction of duty. She is discharged from the Army without prison time.

Sgt. Javal S. Davis

372nd Military Police Company

February 1, 2005 - Pleads guilty as part of a plea agreement.

February 5, 2005 - Is sentenced to six months in a military prison.

Late May 2005 - Is released after serving approximately three months.

Pfc. Lynndie England

372nd Military Police Company

May 2, 2005 - England pleads guilty to reduced charges as part of a pretrial agreement.

May 4, 2005 - A mistrial is declared after she pleads guilty but then states that she did not know her actions were wrong.

September 21, 2005 - England's second court-martial trial begins at Fort Hood, Texas.

September 26, 2005 - England is found guilty of four counts of maltreating detainees, one count of conspiracy and one count of committing an indecent act.

September 27, 2005 - Is sentenced to three years in prison and given a dishonorable discharge.

March 2007 - Is released from military prison after serving half of her 36-month sentence.

2009 - Releases her biography, "Tortured: Lynndie England, Abu Ghraib and the Photographs that Shocked the World."

Staff Sgt. Ivan "Chip" Frederick II

372nd Military Police Company

October 20, 2004 - Pleads guilty to conspiracy, dereliction of duty, maltreatment of detainees, assault, and committing an indecent act under a plea agreement.

October 21, 2004 - Is sentenced to eight years in prison and also sentenced to a forfeiture of pay, a dishonorable discharge and a reduction in rank to private.

October 1, 2007 - Is paroled after serving approximately three years in a military prison.

Spc. Charles Graner

372nd Military Police Company

January 14, 2005 - Graner is found guilty of nine of 10 counts under five separate charges.

January 15, 2005 - Graner is sentenced to 10 years in prison, downgraded to the rank of private with loss of pay, and receives a dishonorable discharge.

August 6, 2011 - Graner is released from prison.

Spc. Sabrina Harman

372nd Military Police Company

May 16, 2005 - Is found guilty on six of the seven charges for her role in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal.

May 17, 2005 - Sentenced to six months in prison. Harman is demoted to private, and receives a bad conduct discharge after she finishes the sentence.

Lt. Col. Steven L. Jordan

Director, Joint Interrogation and Debriefing Center during the fall of 2003. Jordan is the only officer charged with prisoner abuse.

April 28, 2006 - Charged with eight counts, including disobeying an order, dereliction of duty, cruelty, false statements, fraud and interfering with an investigation.

August 28, 2007 - Acquitted of charges that he failed to control soldiers who abused detainees, but is found guilty of disobeying a general's command not to talk about allegations of abuse at the prison. On August 29, he is sentenced with a reprimand.

January 10, 2008 - Cleared of all wrongdoing, and the conviction and reprimand are removed from his record.

Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski

Commander of the Army Reserve's 800th Military Police Brigade, in charge of all 12 Iraqi detention facilities, including Abu Ghraib.

May 5, 2005 - She is demoted from brigadier general to colonel by President Bush after an extensive investigation and is cited for two of four allegations against her, dereliction of duty and shoplifting. The probe clears her of "making a material misrepresentation to an investigating team" and "failure to obey a lawful order."

Col. Thomas Pappas

Commander of the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade.

May 2006 - Reprimanded, fined, and relieved of command after using muzzled dogs inside interrogation rooms.

Lt. Col. Jerry L. Phillabaum

Commander, 320th MP Battalion.

April 2004 - He is reprimanded and relieved of command of the 320th Military Police Battalion for his role in the scandal.

Spc. Jeremy Sivits

372nd Military Police Company

May 19, 2004 - Sivits pleads guilty as part of a pretrial agreement with prosecutors that leaves him open to testify against other soldiers charged in the scandal. He is sentenced to a year of confinement, discharge for bad conduct, and is demoted.
Here's some background information about the civil war that took place in Libya in 2011.

Timeline: February 16, 2011 - Police crack down on protesters as anti-government demonstrations take place in Benghazi. Within days, the protests spread to Tripoli and more than 200 people are killed amid the upheaval.

February 21, 2011 - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon holds talks with President Moammar Gadhafi and demands that the conflict end immediately.

February 22, 2011 - Gadhafi makes a defiant speech, vowing to die a martyr rather than step down.

February 24, 2011 - Gadhafi blames the unrest in Libya on al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. He also states that protestors are being fed drugs and manipulated.

February 25, 2011 - US President Barack Obama signs an executive order freezing Gadhafi's assets.

February 26, 2011 - The UN Security Council imposes sanctions against Libya, including an arms embargo and asset freezes. It also refers Gadhafi to the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.

- The opposition movement announces that it has picked former Justice Minister Mustafa Abdul Jalil to lead a caretaker administration.

February 28, 2011 - The European Union bans the sale of arms and ammunition to Libya and freezes the assets of Gadhafi and five members of his family.

March 5, 2011 - The UN announces that it is studying a request to appoint Ali Abdussalam Treki as the nation's ambassador.

March 7, 2011 - NATO begins 24-hour air surveillance of Libya.

March 13, 2011 - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets in Paris with Mahmoud Jibril, the leader of the opposition group, Transitional National Council.

March 17, 2011 - The UN Security Council votes to impose a no-fly zone over Libya and take "all necessary measures" to protect civilians.

March 18, 2011 - The Libyan government announces a cease-fire but sources inside Libya say violence continues.

March 19, 2011 - French, British and American military forces begin the first phase of Operation Odyssey Dawn, aimed at enforcing the no-fly zone. More than 110 Tomahawk missiles fired from American and British ships and submarines hit about 20 Libyan air and missile defense targets.

March 20, 2011 - Gadhafi, speaking early Sunday on Libyan state TV, said the UN charter provides for Libya's right to defend itself in a "war zone." Weapons depots will be opened, he says "All you people of the Islamic nations and Africa, and Latin America and Asia, stand with the Libyan people in its fight against this aggression," Gadhafi says.

March 24, 2011 - NATO agrees to take command of the mission, enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya.

March 28, 2011 - President Barack Obama addresses the American public on the situation in Libya. "Tonight, I can report that we have stopped Gadhafi's deadly advance," Obama says. He declares that the United States will "support the aspirations of the Libyan people" as the "military effort ratchets down."

March 29, 2011 - Representatives from more than 40 countries and organizations meet in London to establish a "Libya Contact Group." The group will coordinate the international response to the crisis.

March 30, 2011 - Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa arrives in Great Britain and announces that he has resigned his post.

March 31, 2011 - NATO announces that it has taken sole command of air operations to "protect civilians and civilian-populated areas from

attack or the threat of attack." The campaign is called Operation Unified Protector.

April 4, 2011 - Foreign Minister Franco Frattini announces that Italy will become the third country, after France and Qatar, to recognize the rebel Libyan National Transitional Council as the legitimate international representative of Libya.

April 6, 2011 - A senior Obama administration officials announces that Gadhafi has sent the president a letter urging him to end the NATO bombing campaign.

April 20, 2011 - Oscar nominated filmmaker Tim Hetherington and photojournalist Chris Hondros are killed in Misrata.

April 30, 2011 - Gadhafi speaks on state TV and says he is ready to negotiate a ceasefire but that he will not step down.

- Gadhafi's youngest son, Saif al-Arab, and several grandchildren are killed in a NATO airstrike in Tripoli.

May 11, 2011 - Gadhafi appears on state TV, his first public appearance since the death of his son.

May 13, 2011 - Gadhafi releases a brief audio message saying he's in a place where he cannot be found or killed.

May 18, 2011 - Four journalists are released by the Libyan military after spending several weeks in custody.

May 22, 2011 - Catherine Ashton, foreign policy chief for EU, arrives in rebel stronghold, Benghazi, where the EU is opening an office.

June 1, 2011 - Libya's oil minister says he's defected from Gadhafi's government and has joined the opposition movement.

- NATO extends its mission in Libya for another 90 days.

June 8-15, 2011 - Several countries, including the United States, Spain, Germany and Canada, recognize the opposition-led National Transitional Council as Libya's legitimate representative.

June 14, 2011 - South African President Jacob Zuma says that NATO is misusing the UN resolutions meant to protect civilians, in order to pursue regime change and assassinate Gadhafi.

June 15, 2011 - The White House announces that the US has spent $716 million on military operations and humanitarian assistance in Libya through June 3. The cost is expected to reach $1.1 billion by September 30.

June 27, 2011 - The ICC issues arrest warrants for Gadhafi, his son and his brother-in-law for crimes against humanity.

July 28, 2011 - The National Transitional Council's top military commander, Gen. Abdul Fattah Younis is killed during an ambush.

August 9, 2011 - A spokesman for the National Transitional Council says chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil has dissolved the group's 14-member executive board.

August 11, 2011 - The Libyan Embassy in Washington reopens under the control of the National Transitional Council.

August 19, 2011 - US officials say Gadhafi may be making preparations for a "last stand" in Tripoli as a month-long NATO air campaign continues amid reports of rebel advances.

August 21, 2011 - Rebels advance on Tripoli and capture two of Gadhafi's sons. A government spokesman says some 1,300 people have been killed and about 5,000 have been wounded in 12 hours of fighting.

August 23, 2011 - A spokesman for the National Transitional Council claims that rebels now control 90% of the country; Gadhafi's whereabouts are reportedly unknown.

August 25, 2011 - An agreement is reached in the UN Security Council to release $1.5 billion in frozen Libyan assets to the country's rebel government.

September 1, 2011 - Britain and France begin releasing funds to the National Transitional Council that were frozen at the beginning of the crisis.

- Russia recognizes the National Transitional Council as Libya's official government.

- 60 countries meet in Paris to discuss Libya's transition from Gadhafi's rule to democracy.

September 12, 2011 - Jalil addresses supporters in Martyrs' Square in Tripoli and says, "We aim to establish a state of law, a state of welfare, a state where Islamic Sharia law is the main source of legislation."

September 16, 2011 - The UN General Assembly announces that the National Transitional Council will represent Libya during the annual General Assembly later in September. The UN Security Council unanimously adopts a resolution to establish a support mission for Libya for the next three months.

September 20, 2011 - At the UN General Assembly, Interim Prime Minister Jibril says that he expects Libya to have a new government within 10 days. Ban Ki-moon congratulates the transitional leadership and directs that the country's new flag be presented alongside the UN flag.

September 24, 2011 - Jibril addresses the UN General Assembly.

September 29, 2011 - US Senator John McCain and other members of Congress tour Libya. They meet with members of Libya's interim governing council, military commanders and Libyan citizens. They also visit a prison to see the conditions.

October 20, 2011 - Gadhafi is killed after being captured by rebel forces.

October 23, 2011 - Libya's interim leaders declare the nation's freedom in Benghazi.

October 27, 2011 - The UN Security Council votes unanimously to end military operations in Libya.

October 31, 2011 - The National Transitional Council elects Abdurrahim El-Keib as acting prime minister, with the support of 26 of the 51 members who voted. NATO announces the official end of its mission in Libya.

November 19, 2011 - Gadhafi's son, Saif is captured after a firefight in southern Libya. Military officials say they believe he was trying to reach neighboring Niger, where his brother, Saadi, was granted asylum.

December 2011 - Al Qaeda is making an effort to build a jihadist fighting force in Libya, according to a Libyan source briefed by counter-terrorism officials.
US President Donald Trump's snap decision to accept an invitation to meet Kim Jong Un has triggered a series of secretive meetings to make sure it happens by May.

Envoys have been flying between Asia, the US and Europe, holding talks from Stockholm to San Francisco, about the location, timing and crucially what both sides want from the first ever meeting between a sitting US President and North Korean leader.

In the last few days, negotiations have included the potential release of three Americans in North Korean custody, as diplomats seek to make the most of re-opened lines of communication.

Here's where we are right now as plans are being put in place for the momentous Trump-Kim meeting.

The latest diplomatic moves?

Officials from both North and South Korea, along with representatives from the US, are set to meet in Finland Monday for talks on denuclearization, according to South Korean and Finnish officials. Six delegates from each side will attend the talks, starting with a dinner hosted by their Finnish hosts.

The so-called "track 1.5" talks, which will bring together a mixture of current government officials and nongovernmental experts, will include American representatives who are not government officials, said Kimmo Lahdevirta, an official at the Finland foreign ministry.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is meeting with NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, in Brussels Monday, and will also attend the EU's Informal Foreign Council.

And in the US, the 13th South Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD), which determines US-South Korean military cooperation and can potentially impact the talks, is scheduled to be held in Washington this Monday and Tuesday.

Exclusive: Former US envoy says North Korea surprised Trump

Who's been where?

The latest meetings are just the latest in a global diplomatic push ahead of the planned summit. Over the weekend, the national security chiefs of South Korea, the US and Japan met in San Francisco to discuss the upcoming talks.

According to a statement released by South Korea's Blue House Sunday, Seoul's top security official Chung Eui-yong met with US National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and Japan's Shotaro Yachi, where the three agreed on "the importance of not repeating past failures and agreed to continue closely working together over the next few weeks."

Elsewhere, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho traveled to Sweden to meet with his counterpart, Margot Wallstrom, for talks which extended over three days. The outreach was the first significant diplomatic move by Pyongyang since Trump announced that he would be willing to meet Kim, over a week ago.

Prior to the North Korean visit to the Swedish capital, South Korean envoys had traveled to Beijing, Tokyo and Moscow to quell regional jitters over the proposed talks.

Trump apparently threatens to withdraw US troops from South Korea

When will details like location, date be decided?

Trump initially said that the meeting would take place "before May," an optimistic timeframe for a heads-of-state meeting to discuss a topic of this complexity.

Adam Mount, a senior fellow and Director of the Defense Posture Project at the Federation of American Scientists, says that there is an expectation that officials from the US and North Korea would sit down ahead of the summit to agree the details in a preparatory meeting.

"That we'll sit down with the North Koreans is promising," he told CNN. "You don't want to go through (an intermediary like the) South Koreans on this."

"It shouldn't be rushed. (The US) shouldn't stick to the May date if that would disadvantage them. You'd hope they'd get the three Americans (detained in North Korea) brought home before they agree to a meeting place."

Setting the right conditions for the talks is key, he says, rather than rushing to fulfill the deadline set by Trump in his announcement over a week ago.

What's on the table?

Negotiations between the North Korean and US sides are just beginning, and there is much to be decided.

At this early stage, one potential sticking point is the fate of three Americans, Kim Sang Duk, Kim Hak-Song, and Kim Dong Chul, who are still being held by North Korean government.

Sources with knowledge of the negotiations tell CNN that Sweden is helping negotiate the release of the three men.

Kim Hak-Song and Kim Sang Duk -- also known as Tony Kim -- were detained in 2017 on suspicion of "hostile acts." Kim Dong Chul was arrested in 2015 and has been serving 10 years on espionage charges.

Mount says that the freeing of the three Americans detained should have been secured before negotiations on the Trump-Kim summit even commenced.

"Americans held in North Korean prisons in grueling conditions, in labor camps, their release isn't something that we should be prepared to compromise on -- it's a matter of principal," he says.

"The release of the prisoners should have been a precondition for the US president to meet with Kim. That was an easy play and most likely a successful one, rather than accepting (the invitation) outright."

Mount suggested that the North Koreans would do what they could to keep talks moving forward: "(There is an) indication that the North Koreans are serious about a deal here. They seem to be trying to enable a real agreement here."

One element that the Americans and their allies may be willing to compromise on, however, is the scope and composition of joint US and South Korean military drills.

Postponed amid diplomatic advances made before and during the Winter Olympics, the new schedule will be announced on Tuesday, according to an unnamed South Korean official.

"If they're being modified you have to see that as a sign that they're working to make talks as fruitful as possible," Mount says, adding that if the US and South Korea were to hold off drills in exchange for a freeze on nuclear and missile testing from the North, that "would be a good trade."

Why are Finland and Sweden involved?

The US does not have a diplomatic presence in North Korea, and Sweden has previously facilitated diplomatic initiatives between the two foes.

"The Swedes have this long-established presence in North Korea, so since the 1990s, they've particularly looked after US interests," Jim Hoare, Britain's former charge d'affaires in Pyongyang, told CNN.

"There is a long record of Sweden interacting with North Korea on behalf of the Americans. There is this tradition, this link."

By hosting -- but not participating in -- the talks this week, it appears that Finland is following its Nordic neighbor's lead.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven had said that Stockholm is willing to host the historic summit.

"We really want to help out," Lofven said in an interview with Sweden's TV4 network. "If we can help and provide a forum for this and support this process, then this is something we should do."

Sweden is one of a handful of places analysts believe could host the meeting, along with Switzerland, the neutral nation where Kim went to school; the Joint Security Area in the Demilitarized Zone that divides North and South Korea; and China, which has diplomatic relations with the United States and North Korea and has hosted Kim's father, the late Kim Jong Il.
(KVOA) An Arizona bar owner tased two customers who tried to leave without paying their tab, then got physical. The entire incident was captured by security cameras.

It happened last week at Tucson's Midtown Tavern.

Owner Frank Silverman says it all started when four of six people walked out after having dinner and drinks.

The two final customers, who police later identified as Armando Garcia and Erika Ojeda-Cocoa, got up from the table and tried to leave without paying as well.

"They had a bill for $126 and they were trying to get out the door. A bill for $126 can pretty much take the profit away for a day," said Silverman.

A server locked the door to prevent them from leaving, and Silverman called police.

Surveillance video shows Garcia and Cocoa getting physical with Silverman. Moments later, he pulls out his taser and uses it on both of them.
The template could be of particular interest to SMEs and supervisory authorities. The former could rely on it instead of undertaking a descriptive exercise in the midst of a data breach, for which they may not have the resources. The latter could benefit from a standardised format allowing them to share incident data across borders, to better detect trends and to gain insights about how to combat cyberthreats across Europe. The template is set up in such a way that the information gathered can be shared without the need to be anonymised or aggregated, as it will not be possible to identify a company through the information it provides. If used widely, the template could contribute to enhancing the information and data that is available on cyber risks, and so increase societys cyber resilience. Currently, the lack of available information on cyber events hampers a range of stakeholders, notably insurers, which are limited in their ability to offer cyber risk cover and related services. This could change if insurers are granted access to the anonymised data that will be gathered by the national supervisory authorities as a result of the data breach provisions. How it works

The template has three distinct sections:

 Personal details and information on the affected company (not to be shared with third parties).

 Details on the data breach incident as per the indications in Article 33 of the GDPR, to be sent to the national supervisory authority, where feasible, no later than 72 hours after having become aware of the breach.

 A section to be completed following the 72 hour period when more information is available on the data breach, which includes complementary data sets to gain more in-depth knowledge of the nature of the breach.

Download the Template
The Pensions Regulator should not have to wait for a crime to be committed before having the power to intervene, so todays White Paper recommendations are welcome. We are strongly supportive of the need to stamp out unscrupulous behaviour by scheme sponsors. The threat of criminal conviction should act as an effective deterrent against employers wilfully doing the wrong thing by members of their pension scheme. But we must remember that the vast majority of employers work hard to do the right thing by the members of their DB pension schemes, working collaboratively with the trustees to deliver members benefits in full. Since the start of the millennium UK employers have collectively contributed over 500bn into their pension schemes although deficits remain stubbornly high. Inevitably there will be a few employers who put individuals DB pensions at risk. It is, however, essential to be able to distinguish between deliberate acts by an employer that put members benefits at risk and, for example, poor investment outcomes flowing from the trustees investment strategy or poor business decisions leading to the failure of the sponsoring employer. Commenting on the Governments support for consolidation and the requirement for a Chairs Statement, Calum Cooper, Partner, Hymans Robertson says: While it is great that the Government is planning to consult on a framework for consolidation, the reality is that we dont need legislative change for more innovation to happen. The creation of an accreditation regime will undoubtedly help to build confidence in consolidation as an option, encouraging more schemes to looks for ways to benefit from scale. The requirement for schemes to provide a Chairs statement is a simple, but very positive, move that would help actively stimulate better value for money in DB schemes. It takes the lead from the DC world where this is now commonplace. Most schemes expect to pay pensions in full. The question is how to do it, and this will help. It could be the basis for asking trustees to consciously consider why their current operational model and governance offers their members great value for money. This would naturally require a consideration of alternative ways to deliver members pensions and would either re-affirm or improve operations and governance. It would also stimulate commercial innovation and competition to deliver better member outcomes in new ways.


By John Stone

Age of Autism has traditionally focused on the issues vaccination and autism, but we ignore the expansion of Wi-Fi at our peril. Senator Colbeck criticizes the Michigan Senates indifference to the safety of citizens and particularly children with the rolling out of 5th Generation WiFi transmitters (soon to be hitting us on the streets of London too).

Video courtesy of Environmental Health Trust EHTrust.org.



Sen Colbeck comments:

"Article 4 section 51 of the Michigan Constitution States: 'the public health and the general welfare of the people of the state are hereby declared to be a matter of primary public concern. The legislature shall pass suitable laws for the protection and promotion of public health.' Despite the convenience and the enormous economic growth potential associated with the Internet of Things our primary concern as legislator is not convenience, noe economic growth. As much as I love technology as per our Michigan constitution the public health and general welfare of the people of our state are supposed our primary concern...This convenience comes at a price and it comes at the price to the health of many of our citizens most notably children babies in the womb and even adults who suffer from hyper sensitivity to wireless transitions".

"A few weeks ago I distributed sample data to each of you from scientific studies...complied by bioinitiative,org. ..the adverse health effects are very serious."

"Many of us are rightly concerned about the hazards of cigarattes, lead levels..and other harmful substances...but I regreat to inform you that we need to add electromagnetic radiaiton from wireless technology to this list."

The literature about the dangers of Wi-Fi radiation is voluminous and convincing, and yet here - as in so many other fields - we are rushing to our doom helped on our way by a zombie class of politicians and journalists.



John Stone is UK Editor for Age of Autism.
Christianity Could Disappear From Iraq -- Assyrian Priest

Fr Salar Kajo in St Cyriacus's Presbytery, Batnaya, Iraq. Christianity will be reduced to a token presence in Iraq -- unless more families are given aid to return to their villages on the Nineveh Plains, according to a priest helping them home. Father Salar Kajo of the Churches' Nineveh Reconstruction Committee (NRC), which aims to rebuild nine Christian towns and villages, fears that unless more is done to enable displaced Christians to go back to their homes -- and soon -- they could leave Iraq.

According to the NRC, 37,031 Christians have returned over the last 12 months -- but Father Kajo expressed concerns for those who are still displaced in Kurdish northern Iraq (around 120,000 Christians were driven from their homes by Daesh (ISIS) in summer 2014). He said: "We have to rebuild now -- if we take more time families will leave and Christianity will disappear from Iraq." According to Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Warda, up to 6,000 Christian families have emigrated over the last four years.Father Kajo stressed: "It is urgently necessary for everyone to return to their towns and villages" as most of the region's Christians "have spent the last three years as refugees in their own country, Iraq". The priest praised Faith-based organisations which have provided support -- but was critical of a lack of help from the international community. He said: "If the Christians do all go home this will only be because of help from organisations like Aid to the Church in Need -- because we are getting no help from governments." In 2017 Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need provided more than
Bart Pouwels, currently director business development cargo at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, is to lead the cargo team in a new role effective from April.

Pouwels will report directly to the head of aviation marketing, cargo, and customer experience, Maaike van der Windt, and lead the dedicated cargo team.

In February this year, Schiphol announced that it was combining its cargo department with aviation marketing, with the current head of the freight business, Jonas van Stekelenburg, moving onto another role.

Stekelenburg, who has headed up Schiphol Cargo for close to three years, will support the development of the division, before leaving for a new challenge outside Schiphol this summer.

Said Pouwels: I am dedicated to airfreight and am looking forward to using my experience to ensure the value of air cargo at Schiphol is recognised now and in the future.

Pouwels has been with Amsterdam Airport Schiphol since 2008 and has almost 20 years of experience in the air freight sector, starting his career with Jet Services as Key Account Manager, and moving to DHL where he spent ten years as Industry Manager Express & Freight.

The new department at Schiphol will consist of five teams: Cargo; Route and Business Development; Traffic Analysis and Forecasting; Marketing & Communications; and Customer Experience.

Bart is a valuable part of the cargo team, and he, together with Saskia van Pelt and Ferry van der Ent, will continue to focus and support the air cargo industry and continue our Cargo Community initiatives, said van der Windt.

Our (cargo) mission remains to connecting the Netherlands and to shape Europes smartest cargo hub.

"Integrating cargo into a bigger division will put cargo closer to the heart of our organisation as it increases its proximity to the airports Management Board.

During his time with the Schiphol Cargo team, Pouwels has worked on projects involving slot allocation, aeronautical affairs, and airline account management.

Said a Schiphol spokesperson: "Pouwels has been pivotal in the drive to digitalise the perishables and cool chain cargo flows at Schiphol, including the recent data sharing initiative by the Holland Flower Alliance."

Read more Cargo Airport News

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Two Birmingham-based companies took the top prizes last week in the Alabama Launchpad finale in Prattville.

A program of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, Alabama Launchpad gathered six startups to pitch their companies before a panel of judges and a live audience.

In the concept track for businesses just starting out, the winner was Pointz. The company offers an app that gives local businesses a way to incentivize customers to shop at their businesses, with customers receiving points that lead to rewards. Pointz won $50,000.

In the seed stage for businesses looking to grow, the winner was O3 Solution, a project management tool for industrial construction. The startup won $100,000.

For this latest competition round, Launchpad received 20 applications. Judges narrowed down the list during a two-month process to the six finalists who participated last Thursday. Every entrant received feedback and exposure to potential investors.

Alabama Launchpad uses a five volunteer judge panel through each phase of the competition. EDPA President Steve Spencer said the program is "proud to showcase and help new ventures succeed."

"The competition is a great opportunity for early-stage companies across the state looking for capital, exposure and valuable mentoring," he said.

Since its 2006 inception, Alabama Launchpad has seen $4 million invested in more than 70 companies, creating more than 500 jobs and raising $50 million in capital.

Alabama Launchpad is a public-private partnership through support from the state's research universities, the business community, the Alabama Research Alliance and the Alabama Department of Commerce.
Birmingham's Bedzzz Express has been sold.

Founder Keith Krininger announced today that the company has been sold to Birmingham native Clark Cooper.

The company, founded 23 years ago and now with 47 stores in five states, will remain headquartered in Birmingham.

Krininger will continue with the company as chairman emeritus. Cooper will serve as president and CEO.

Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

"I am excited about the opportunities of being part of such a dynamic and outstanding Alabama-based company and sharing its successes with the communities in which we operate," Cooper said.

Krininger called Cooper "intuitive, well-grounded, and a natural for taking over Bedzzz Express." He said the company will continue to place stores in as many communities as possible "to make purchasing a mattress both a pleasant experience and as well as convenient one."

At the same time, the company has announced a new policy allowing customers to return a mattress purchased at a Bedzzz Express location within three years of purchase for a 50 percent store credit on the purchase of a new mattress.
Birmingham's Royal Cup Coffee & Tea is launching its own line of shelf-stable, ready-to-drink cold brew coffees, marking a major evolution in the company's business model.

The cold brew line - featuring French Roast, French Roast Lightly Sweetened and Rain Forest Bold - debuts April 2.

It's the first new liquid production introduction following Royal Cup's acquisition last year of Richgood Gourmet, the Birmingham startup that made and distributed Icebox Coffee.

The cold brew coffee will be available in select stores later this year, and there's more to come. Royal Cup plans to launch a new line of shelf-stable, ready-to-drink teas, available in sweetened, unsweetened and peach flavors later.

Royal Cup CEO Bill Smith said the cold brew coffee product launch was the result of "many months of hard work, impressive collaboration and timely execution."

"As an organization, we are committed to innovation and to identifying new ways to produce, market and sell coffee and specialty beverages our customers have come to know and love," he said.

Royal Cup, more than a century old, was bought by the Smith family in 1950. It has a long-standing business-to-business model, supplying coffee and tea for the resort and lodging industries, casual and family dining and offices. The cold brew line represents a new phase for the company, which had been offering cold brew products in concentrate form for about a year.

Anne Pritz, the company's chief marketing officer, said the move is based on how people are consuming coffee. From 2011 to 2016, the cold brew coffee market grew 580 percent. Last year, ready to drink coffee was a $484 million business. Both the market and the consumption of cold brew coffee is expected to grow by double digits into the early part of the next decade.

In addition, a lot of Royal Cup's existing customers in restaurants, offices and resorts offer bottled beverages.

With the acquisition of Richgood Gourmet, Royal Cup also got the services of Icebox Coffee founder Bebe Goodrich. She joined the company as director of liquid product innovation and began developing the cold brew line. She said it's aims were in keeping with Royal Cup's tradition as a company.

"The future has never been brighter, and we will continue to pioneer high-demand products that enhance Royal Cup's ability to create exceptional customer experience," Goodrich said.

The Rain Forest Bold is a Rainforest Alliance (RFA) Certified cold brew, meaning the product meets standards that require environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

Pritz said the company knew, with the introduction of cold brew coffee, it wanted to offer a RFA certified product.

"Royal Cup was one of the first coffee companies to partner with RFA and we have continued our commitment to this organization because of the quality of coffee produced by the certified farms and the sustainable farming methods utilized," Pritz said.
A Virginia Beach-based grocery chain is being sold by its parent corporation, and loyal customers are very upset at the idea that they'll miss out on one thing: the brand's popular fried chicken.

While fans of the stores will surely be able to find a new place to get produce and pharmaceuticals, they might have a tougher time finding the flavorful food item. With news of the closing locations, it's been revealed the secret to the successful spices in the chicken are due to a partnership between the chain and an Alabama company.

Montgomery based Wynn's Grains and Spices started their relationship with Virginia supermarket retailer Farm Fresh three years ago.

"It's a proprietary blend, and that's key," Bill Adams, a spokesperson with Wynn told The Virginian-Pilot. Wynn's has a relationship with over 25 supermarket brands, developing bespoke spices to the specifications of the particular store.

"We start out with a blend, then (a store) would say, 'I want this to be more hot,' then we'll add a little more spice here, spice there ... we'll keep cutting it until it's what you want."

Wynn's ships an approximate half a million pounds of breading annually to Farm Fresh, according to The Virginian-Pilot.

But, with news that parent company SuperValu is divesting the brand and selling locations to corporations such as Kroger and Food Lion, many members of the Virginia Beach area are sounding off with hopes to save the chicken, even if they have to let the grocery chain go.

I'm more upset about losing Farm Fresh CHICKEN than I am about losing the Farm Fresh!  The GREAT Auntie (@LadyBeastB) March 16, 2018

"I'm more upset about losing Farm Fresh CHICKEN than I am about losing the Farm Fresh," a user with the monicker Paddy McFunnigan tweeted.

Several other users eulogized the local delicacy, while some took another route, refusing to accept that they can't have the chicken ever again. Some joked that they will make their favorite food item and sell it themselves. Others were more serious, citing a recipe posted to the Farm Fresh website as a way to keep the memory of the dish alive.

Exercising a bit of initiative, a few users even took matters right to the big corporations who threaten the fate of their tasty treat.

Twitter user Erica Linney tagged the various companies who've bought Fresh Farm locations, pleading, "The people of (Hampton Roads) kindly request you keep selling Farm Fresh's chicken." Food Lion replied, "Not to worry, Erica. However, you might be surprised at the flavor of our chicken, it's delish!"

Another user aimed a firm directive at Kroger saying, "Like many others, I have serious concerns....about the fried chicken. Don't touch it!!" Kroger reached back, telling the user that her concerns would be considered by the corporation's leadership team.

Wynn's, Adams tells The Virginian-Pilot, is working to adjust to the demand from Virginian fans of their blend during the transition. While they have no other clients in the area, they tell the publication they are "trying" to supply breading for the chickens of the former Farm Fresh locations in the region.

What would you do without your favorite local comfort food? Below are more reactions from hungry Virginians lamenting the area's coveted fried chicken.

idk how im going to live without farm fresh chicken  https://t.co/fwdRHa8Dn0  court (@courtneyabston3) March 15, 2018

Messing with my farm fresh chicken? My farm fresh Mac and cheese??? THEYVE LOST THEIR DAMN MINDS pic.twitter.com/QjUdqeMEn2  Jackie (@jackieed24) March 15, 2018

I just wanna know where we suppose to buy chicken from when farm fresh close   Lea (@Leamarie1215) March 15, 2018

Everyone in the 757 mad that Farm Fresh is being sold. You had to eat it within an hour but Farm Fresh chicken was really good if it was fresh.  Crenshaw Pete (@bbowers1906) March 16, 2018

Farm Fresh has the best fried chicken this side of heaven and they wanna take that away from us. Im sick.  valar morghulis. (@OmnipotentMeesh) March 16, 2018
Higher education?

About 63 percent of Alabama high school graduates enroll in college the year after completing from high school, according to data from the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama. Thirty-one percent of those students enroll in a four-year college; 32 percent in a two-year college; and 37 percent do not continue into higher education in the year after graduating from high school.

Here's a look at the schools sending the highest percentages of students to college the year after they graduate, according to PARCA data. The percentage shown is the total attending four-year colleges and community colleges as of 2016. the most recent data available.

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Sweet Water High School

Sweet Water High School

Marengo County Schools

80 percent of students attend college

46 percent attend 2-year-colleges

34 percent attend 4-year colleges

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James Clemens High School

Madison City Schools

80 percent of students attend college

25 percent attend 2-year colleges

55 percent attend 4-year colleges

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George W. Long High School

Dale County Schools

80 percent of students attend college

69 percent attend 2-year colleges

11 percent attend 4-year colleges

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Pleasant Home High School

Covington County Schools

81 percent of students attend college

76 percent attend 2-year colleges

5 percent attend 4-year colleges

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Spain Park High School

Hoover City Schools

81 percent of students attend college

16 percent attend 2-year colleges

65 percent attend 4-year colleges

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Auburn High School

Auburn City Schools

81 percent of students attend college

27 percent attend 2-year colleges

54 percent attend 4-year colleges

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Bob Jones High School

Madison City Schools

81 percent of students attend college

21 percent attend 2-year colleges

60 percent attend 4-year colleges

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Muscle Shoals High School

Muscle Shoals City Schools

82 percent of students attend college

38 percent attend 2-year colleges

44 percent attend 4-year colleges

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Hoover High School

Hoover City Schools

83 percent of students attend college

23 percent attend 2-year colleges

60 percent attend 4-year colleges

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TR Miller High School

T. R. Miller High School

Brewton City Schools

85 percent of students attend college

48 percent attend 2-year colleges

37 percent attend 4-year colleges

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Stewart Signs

Wadley High School

Randolph County Schools

87 percent of students attend college

74 percent attend 2-year colleges

13 percent attend 4-year colleges

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Excel High School

Excel High School

Monroe County Schools

87 percent of students attend college

65 percent attend 2-year colleges

22 percent attend 4-year colleges

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Vestavia Hills High School

Vestavia Hills Schools

87 percent of students attend college

10 percent attend 2-year colleges

77 percent attend 4-year colleges

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Booker T. Washington Magnet School

Montgomery County Schools

88 percent of students attend college

2 percent attend 2-year colleges

86 percent attend 4-year colleges

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Mountain Brook High School

Mountain Brook City Schools

91 percent of students attend college

5 percent attend 2-year colleges

86 percent attend 4-year colleges

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Marengo County Schools

Marengo High School

Marengo County Schools

92 percent of students attend college

83 percent attend 2-year colleges

9 percent attend 4-year colleges

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Ramsay High School

Birmingham City Schools

93 percent of students attend college

15 percent attend 2-year colleges

78 percent attend 4-year colleges

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Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School

Montgomery County Schools

93 percent of students attend college

4 percent attend 2-year colleges

89 percent attend 4-year colleges

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Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School

Montgomery County Schools

94 percent of students attend college

7 percent attend 2-year colleges

87 percent attend 4-year colleges

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Every couple of years, Bonnie Picard holds a dinner for the 75-plus dealers at Hanna Antiques, the 27,000-square-foot antique mall she opened 39 years ago in Birmingham. Bonnie provides the entree, and everyone brings a side dish or a dessert. The evening always provides an opportunity for everyone to see each other and catch up - but Sunday night's event was different.

In her monthly newsletter, Bonnie had asked her dealers to help her with a special request. She wanted to buy a car for one of her employees - someone they all know and appreciate - and surprise him with it at the get-together on March 18.

"He's a wonderful young man who rides his bike four miles to and from work," she says. "He's responsible, kind, a hard worker and never complains."

She invited this employee, whom she declined to name because she said he's a private person, to the dealer dinner and asked him to bring his family so they could see where he works. When he arrived at the antique mall, she called him to the top of the ramp and gave him the key to his new car, along with a gas card. The car had been insured in his name.

"We told him we were worried about him riding his bike to work in the dark and in the rain," she says. "We all gave money toward a car for him - it's not a Mercedes, but it's a nice, dependable vehicle."

They took him outside to see his 1997 Isuzu Trooper, which is in "beautiful condition," Bonnie says, and had been detailed with new seat covers and floor mats. "He was smiling ear to ear," she says. "He's tickled pink."

Having his own car will give him "more flexibility" that he didn't have when his only mode of transportation was a bicycle, Bonnie says. And he'll be able to spend more time with his 5-year-old daughter.

He has worked for Hanna Antiques for about two years, she said. His job entails moving furniture around, keeping the building clean and helping customers. "He's very deserving," says Bonnie. "We all just think the world of him."
Nancy Swift

Two funeral services are set for a beloved nursing supervisor who died in a workplace shooting at UAB Highlands on Birmingham's Southside.

Nancy Mitchell Swift, 63, died Wednesday when a disgruntled employee opened fire on Swift and Tim Isley, an instrument management supervisor and the son of Springville Mayor Butch Isley.

Swift was pronounced dead at the hospital, as was the shooter - 31-year-old central sterile supply worker Trevis Devon Coleman. Isley was critically wounded and transported to the main UAB Hospital. On Friday, family said doctors are pleased with Isley's progress and anticipate that he will remain in the Intensive Care Unit several more days.

The shooting happened just before 7 p.m. in or near Swift's second-floor office near the operating room at the 11th Avenue South facility. Sources say Swift was reprimanding Coleman, who then brandished a gun and opened fire.

Swift was rushed to the emergency room at UAB Highlands where police announced at 10 p.m. that she had died. Her official time of death was 9:01 p.m. Coleman was pronounced dead inside the hospital at 7:35 p.m. Coworkers said there had been prior problems with him at work.

Swift, a Mississippi native, wife and mother, received her nursing degree Mississippi University for Women in 1975. For over 40 years, Swift was a nurse at various hospitals in Mississippi and for the last 10 years she was a nursing supervisor in surgery at UAB Highlands.

She attended Westwood Baptist Church and survived both breast and colon cancer. "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count; it's the life in your years," reads her obituary, quoting Abraham Lincoln.

"Nancy had a passion and great love for her family, friends, church, and co-workers at UAB Highlands Hospital. She loved to travel, read, and play piano,'' the obituary states. "Wherever she went, she never met a stranger - just loved people and life. Nancy always greeted you with a smile and a hug and never left you without an 'I love you!'"

She leaves behind her husband, Tony, two adult sons and an adult daughter.

A Celebration of Life service will be held for Swift at Westwood Baptist Church in Alabaster on Monday, March 19. Visitation will be held from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. with the service immediately following. There will be a second Celebration of Life service at Hatley Missionary Baptist Church in Mississippi on Tuesday, March 20, with visitation from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and the service immediately following.

Swift will be buried at Masonic Cemetery in Amory, MS.
A Randolph County man died following a two-vehicle accident near Woodland on Saturday.

Casey Richard Langston, 23, of Woodland, was traveling east on U.S. Highway 48 in a 1997 Toyota Corolla when a 2005 Dodge Ram attempting to turn left onto County Road 103 collided with Langston's vehicle at 3:50 p.m. The collision caused Langston's car to lose control and overturn. Langston, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at Wedowee Hospital. The driver of the Dodge Ram was not injured during the wreck.

Alabama State Troopers did not release additional information.
One person was killed and another detained after a shooting Monday morning in Ensley.

The shooting happened at 8:19 p.m. inside the home at 2501 29th Street. Birmingham police Lt. Pete Williston said the victim, a 29-year-old adult black male, was shot multiple times.

He was taken to UAB Hospital with life-threatening injuries and later pronounced dead. A person of interest was taken into custody.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
National Weather Service forecasters are urging Alabamians to be cautious on Monday, which is predicted to be the most active severe weather day Alabama has had since last spring. The following school systems are dismissing early on Monday due to the incoming severe weather:

Alabama School of Fine Arts will dismiss at 1 p.m.

Alexander City Schools will dismiss at noon, and all afternoon activities are canceled.

Athens State University will close today at noon. Students are currently on spring break, but any university activities have been canceled.

Attalla City Schools dismiss at 1 p.m.

Bibb County Schools will dismiss at 1:00 p.m.

Birmingham City Schools will dismiss at noon.

Blount County Schools will dismiss at 1 p.m.

Calhoun County School System will dismiss at 12:45 p.m.

Cherokee County Schools dismissing at 1 P.M. No after school activities.

Chilton County Schools will dismiss at 12:30 p.m.

Cullman City Schools will dismiss at 1 p.m.

Cullman County Schools will dismiss at noon.

Colbert County Schools dismiss at 1 p.m. After-school activities are canceled.

Dothan City Schools will dismiss at 1:00 p.m.

Etowah County Schools dismiss at 1:00 p.m.

Florence City Schools will dismiss Pre-K through sixth grades at 11:30 a.m., and 7-12 at 12:30 p.m. All after-school activities are canceled.

Franklin County Schools will dismiss at noon.

Gadsden City Schools dismiss at 1 p.m.

Geneva County Schools will dismiss at 1:30 p.m.

Haleyville City Schools will dismiss at noon.

Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School will dismiss at 1 p.m.

Homewood City Schools will dismiss at 1 p.m.

Hoover City Schools dismissing early. Elementary and Intermediate will dismiss at noon; Middle and High will dismiss at 12:30 p.m.; afternoon activities are canceled.

Huntsville City Schools will use the following schedule to dismiss students: Pre-K will dismiss at 11 a.m. Chapman Middle School, Whitesburg Middle School, Morris Elementary, Mtn. Gap Middle, Williams School, AAA, ASFL, and all elementary and P-6 schools will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m. Middle schools at noon. High schools at 12:30 p.m.

Indian Springs School will close at noon.

Jasper City Schools will dismiss at noon.

Jefferson County Schools will dismiss at 12:30 p.m.

Jefferson State Community College campuses will close at 1:00 p.m.

Lauderdale County Schools will dismiss at noon.

Lawrence County Schools will dismiss at noon.

Madison City Schools will dismiss Pre-K and secondary schools at noon and elementary schools at 12:45 p.m.

Madison County Schools dismiss at 12:30 p.m. All afternoon athletic and extracurricular events are canceled.

Marion County Schools will dismiss at noon.

Mountain Brook City Schools will dismiss at 1:00 p.m. All after school activities including Extended Day and athletic games and practices are canceled.

Muscle Shoals City Schools to close at 1:30 p.m. All extracurricular activities are canceled.

Oneonta City Schools will dismiss at 1 p.m.

Oxford City Schools will dismiss at 12:45 p.m.

Pelham City Schools will dismiss at 12:30 p.m.

Pell City Schools will dismiss at noon.

Piedmont City Schools will dismiss at 1 p.m.

Pickens County Schools to dismiss at noon.

Russellville City Schools will dismiss at noon.

Sheffield City Schools dismiss at 1:30 p.m.

Shelby County Schools will dismiss at 12:30 p.m.

St. Clair County Schools will dismiss at noon.

Sumiton Christian School will dismiss at noon.

Sylacauga City Schools will dismiss early as follows:

Indian Valley and Nichols-Lawson will dismiss at 11:30; Pinecrest at 11:45; and Sylacauga High at 12:00. All after school activities have been canceled.

Talladega County Schools will dismiss at noon.

Trussville City Schools will close at 1:00 p.m. All after-school activities are canceled, as well as after school care.

Tuscumbia City Schools at 1:30 p.m.

University of Alabama canceling classes and activities from 6:30 p.m. until midnight. UREC and campus libraries will close at 6:30 p.m. and reopen tomorrow at 7:30 a.m., except for Rodgers Library for Science and Engineering which will reopen at midnight tonight.

University of Alabama at Birmingham canceling classses that start at 5 p.m. or after.

University of Alabama at Huntsville will close at 1 p.m.

Univeristy of North Alabama will dismiss at noon.

Univeristy of Montevallo will close at noon.

Vestavia Hills City Schools' afternoon activities are canceled. The schools will dismiss early as follows: Elementary schools at 12:35 p.m., Central Elementary at 12:45 p.m., middle schools at 1:05 p.m., and the high school at 1:15 p.m.

Walker County Schools will dismiss at noon.

Wallace State Community College will close at 1 p.m.
It looks like the student rocket team from Citrus College will get to Huntsville for the annual NASA Student Rocket Launch competition despite a California ban on state-funded travel to Alabama.

The school had said the team couldn't come because California has an anti-discrimination law that blocks state-funded organizations from spending that money in states that discriminate against gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people.

Pushback came from several sources including author Homer Hickam, who is famous for his novel "Rocket Boys" about his own struggle and triumph as a young rocket builder in West Virginia. The book became the movie "October Sky," and Hickam has written numerous successful books.

"That doesn't sound right," Hickam said Monday recalling his reaction. "That sounds dumb."

Author Homer Hickam speaking in Huntsville, Ala. (Huntsville Times/Eric Schultz)

"I peeled the onion back and saw there were four or five other (California) teams that were coming," Hickam said. "I looked it up. They were coming using their own funds. I looked it up further. The Citrus College team had raised their own funds, but they still weren't allowed to come. That just irritated me. They were being picked on. Singled out. For no apparent reason that I could see."

Hickam wasn't the only one from Huntsville who felt that way. Mayor Tommy Battle and others were also working the issue. Among the facts pointed out was that the school had competed in 2017.

Hickam "started griping on Facebook and Twitter," he said. He posted pictures of University of Alabama in Huntsville students holding a "welcome" sign and a group of grinning Space Campers. "These are the kids that Citrus College is trying to shield their kids from," Hickam said. "I got kind of snarky about it."

The pressure apparently paid off. The Citrus College board has a meeting scheduled Tuesday, and there is a second vote on the agenda. Hickam said it now looks like the team will get to come.

The weeklong event starting April 4 pits groups from 23 states against each other. Teams design, build, test and fly a high-altitude reusable rocket.
An Alabama man has been charged with the murder of a woman in Detroit, Michigan, last September.

Javontae Wakefiled, originally from Mobile, and his alleged accomplice Amber Hunter were charged with first-degree murder over the Sept. 11 homicide of Hunter's mother, Tiffany Hunter, on the west side of the city. She was stabbed to death, according to a Detroit News report.

The pair were charged with the murder on March 5 before being caught by investigators in Youngstown, Ohio, on March 9.

Local police arrested a local man on the day of the murder back in September, who had been accused of stalking the victim, but police later said that he was brought in on unrelated traffic offences.

Wakefield was arraigned and denied Bond Sunday at a Michigan court.
An Alabama man has pleaded guilty to trying to arrange the kidnapping of a woman and her teen daughter so the girl could be sold to a sex trafficker, authorities said.

David Boersma pleaded guilty today to federal charges of trying to sell a teen to a sex trafficker.

David Brian "Blaze" Boersma, a 48-year-old from Decatur, pleaded guilty to attempted kidnapping of a minor, attempted kidnapping, attempted sex trafficking of a child, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime. Boersma entered the plea this morning before U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor in federal court.

Boersma worked at the Alabama Farmers' Cooperative in Decatur shuttling trailers from the storage yard to the warehouse, according to the Department of Justice. In fall 2017, Boersma encouraged a co-worker to find someone willing to kidnap the victims and gave the person more than $3,000 to hold for a kidnapping payment, federal prosecutors said.

Boersma boasted that he would sell the child to a pimp in Memphis, Tennessee for as much as $40,000, court records state, though the trafficker only offered $8,000.

"Boersma had outfitted a trailer at the co-op with a mattress and restraints for holding the mother and daughter," the DOJ said. "He also placed inside the trailer a metal 'sex device' he had built so the woman could be tied to it, beaten and raped." The plan was to kill the mother and bury her body under a bridge, court records state.

After Boersma's co-worker told the FBI about the plan, the Bureau sent two undercover agents to pose as kidnappers, the DOJ said. They met with Boersma and the co-worker at a Decatur hotel.

"Boersma told the agents what he wanted done, provided photos of the two intended victims and handed the agents $3,440," federal authorities said. "He then led the agents to the woman's workplace, to her home and to the co-op, where he showed them the trailer he had prepared for holding the victims."

Boersma was taken into custody, and a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P .40-caliber pistol was recovered in a subsequent search of his truck. Boersma was prohibited from possessing the gun because of a felony possession of a controlled substance conviction in Shelby County, Tennessee, in 1998.

The prison penalty for attempted kidnapping of a minor is a minimum of 20 years. Attempted sex trafficking of children carries a prison penalty of 10 years to life. Attempted kidnapping carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence. The maximum prison sentence for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon is 10 years. Possessing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime carries a minimum five-year prison sentence that must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed.

"Boersma has revealed the worst parts of human depravity and his guilty plea provides little comfort to those who would have suffered unspeakable horrors," said U.S. Attorney Jay town in a news release. "He will spend most, if not all, of the remainder of his life in prison...and then he has hell to look forward to."

A sentencing date hasn't yet been set.

The FBI investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Davis Barlow is prosecuting.

"It is unacceptable for adults to take advantage of minors in such a way that will forever impact their lives, and the deplorable behavior exhibited in this case is beyond comprehension," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr. "Human trafficking steals the innocence from our children and young women, and individuals like Boersma, who prey upon the vulnerable, need to be removed from our society."
Interim State Superintendent Ed Richardson is asking the Alabama Supreme Court to overturn a ruling by a Montgomery County judge blocking the sale of a Montgomery school to the Pike Road school system.

The Alabama Education Association sued Richardson in February to block the sale of Georgia Washington Middle School to Pike Road, saying Richardson did not have the authority to sell the school. The Montgomery County Board of Education opposes the sale.

The AEA asked for a court order "to maintain status quo" until the court could make further rulings in the case.

Montgomery County Circuit Judge Greg Griffin granted the order for status quo on Feb. 5, blocking Richardson from selling Georgia Washington and any other Montgomery Public Schools properties.

The dispute is one of the issues involved in a state intervention of Montgomery Public Schools launched last year by former state Superintendent Michael Sentance to address academic and financial problems.

Sentance resigned under pressure last September and Richardson was named interim superintendent, putting him in charge of the Montgomery intervention.

The sale of Georgia Washington is part of Richardson's intervention plan. Richardson said the sale of the school for $9.75 million would help Montgomery Public Schools meet a minimum financial target and avoid teacher layoffs.

Williams' plan also included closing three elementary schools, selling other properties and eliminating 17 central office positions.

"The intervention statute was intended to permit the State Superintendent to make the kind of bold, often politically difficult decisions that are necessary to get underperforming boards of education back on the right track," Richardson said in a press release today. "Intervention measures that can be undermined by entrenched political interests or judicial second-guessing are doomed from the start. Our hope is that the Supreme Court will interpret the statute in a way that will permit the intervention process to work as the Legislature intended it to."

Eleven Montgomery schools were on the statewide list of 75 failing schools released in January, including all five of the county's non-magnet high schools.

In its lawsuit, filed on behalf of some school employees, the AEA says Richardson's plan is not in the best interest of Montgomery schools. The plaintiffs claim Richardson is trying to help Pike Road instead because he worked previously as a consultant when Pike Road broke away from the Montgomery system.

The Montgomery County Board of Education had voted to sell Georgia Washington to Pike Road for $11.25 million last year, but later reversed that decision after an impact study.

Last week, the Department of Education gave Montgomery Public Schools $1.4 million as reimbursement for money the department mistakenly sent to Pike Road in 2016. Richardson had proposed the reimbursement as part of the sale of Georgia Washington for a total transaction of $11.25 million. But the AEA said the reimbursement was a separate issue.
Gov. Kay Ivey has signed a contract with a Pittsburgh-based company to provide medical care and mental health care in Alabama prisons after a short delay related to a lawsuit filed against the company by the state of Mississippi.

The Department of Corrections will pay Wexford Health Sources Inc., $360 million over 30 months, beginning April 1.

The chairman of the Legislature's contract review committee, Rep. Jack Williams, R-Vestavia Hills, had delayed the contract on March 1. Williams said his concerns were mostly about the Mississippi litigation.

Williams said he released the contract last week because he did not want to hinder Alabama's efforts to reach an agreement in a federal lawsuit over mental health care for prisoners. The contract review committee cannot block legislation but can hold it for up to 45 days.

"The governor had the ultimate say-so on this. My intention was to give the governor's office further time to evaluate the situation," Williams said.

U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson ruled last year that Alabama's mental health care for inmates was "horrendously inadequate." The state has proposed increasing mental health staff in prisons as part of an effort to come up with a plan that would satisfy the court.

The contract with Wexford calls for increased mental health staffing. The Legislature is close to approving a total of about $80 million in additional funding for prisons over two years. Most of that is intended to pay for increased medical and mental health care costs.

The Department of Corrections chose Wexford over two other final bidders, Centurion and Corizon Health. Centurion includes MHM Services, which is DOC's current mental health provider. Corizon Health is DOC's current medical care provider.

The department has not released the bid amounts. Spokesman Bob Horton said they would be released after the Tuesday deadline for the other bidders to file a challenge. Horton said no protest has been filed as of today.

The state of Mississippi sued Wexford and other companies alleging they had a role in a scheme to pay consultants to bribe state officials. Mississippi's former prison commissioner was sentenced to prison. Wexford has denied any wrongdoing.

Williams said the Department of Corrections contract includes a provision that Wexford could forfeit a $15 million bond if it turns out the company has not been truthful in its assertions about the Mississippi case.
Hillary Clinton is backing off her recent statements that implied Donald Trump won the White House due to voters in backward-looking parts of the country.

In a Saturday Facebook post, Clinton said she understands how her comments could have "upset people and can be misinterpreted.

"My first instinct was to defend Americans and explain how Donald Trump could have been elected," Clinton wrote. "I said that places doing better economically typically lean Democratic, and places where there is less optimism about the future lean Republican. That doesn't mean the coasts versus the heartland, it doesn't even mean entire states. In fact, it more often captures the divisions between more dynamic urban areas and less prosperous small towns within states.

"I meant no disrespect to any individual or group. And I want to look to the future as much as anybody," she added.

Members of her own party had criticized the former Democratic nominee for statements made at the India Today Conclave in Mumbai last week. In addressing her presidential defeat at the hands of Trump, Clinton said "if you look at the map of the United States, there's all that red in the middle where Trump won. I win the coast, I win, you know, Illinois and Minnesota, places like that.

"I won the places that represent two-thirds of America's gross domestic product. So, I won the places that are optimistic, diverse, dynamic, moving forward. And his whole campaign, 'Make America Great Again,' was looking backwards."

Clinton also implied that women who voted for Trump did so due to "ongoing pressure to vote the way that your husband, your boss, your son, whoever, believes you should."

Clinton bested Trump by almost 3 million ballots in the November 2016 presidential election but lost the Electoral College after the GOP won Florida, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

You can read Clinton's complete post below:
A 13-year-old girl in Mississippi has died after being shot by her 9-year-old brother over a fight about video games, police say.

The shooting took place around 12:30 p.m. Saturday at a home in northeast Mississippi, Monroe County Sheriff Cecil Cantrell told The Washington Post on Monday.

Cantrell, who happened to be in the area and was the first officer to respond, said he arrived to a scene he'll never forget.

The siblings had been in a bedroom playing a video game while adults were elsewhere in the home, Cantrell said, citing his interviews with the family, including with the 9-year-old boy.

At some point, the boy wanted the video game controller from his sister but she wouldn't give it to him, Cantrell said.

"The little boy -- he managed to get a gun out of a nightstand there in the room there, and he just came over and shot her," Cantrell said. "I've been in law enforcement 30-some-odd years, and I've never dealt with anything quite like this. Not with children."

The 13-year-old was rushed to a hospital in Amory, a city in Monroe County, then flown to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, about 130 miles away, the sheriff said.

Over the weekend, Cantrell told local media outlets the bullet entered the girl's brain from the back of her head. She died Sunday at the hospital, WTVA News reported.

The sheriff did not identify the family.

Cantrell said the investigation was ongoing and that officials would confer Monday to see if there was any parental negligence.

"That's what we're going to be looking at today, to see if there are any charges that need to be brought against the parents," he told The Post. "Anything's possible. We're going to look at every possible scenario."

Cantrell said physical evidence at the scene corroborated "to a T" what the 9-year-old said had happened. He did not specify if the boy would face charges, or how much the child understood the severity of what had occurred.

"I talked to him. I just asked him what happened, and he said what he did," Cantrell said. "At the same time, you're talking to a little boy that's nine years old. . . . I think a lot of this goes back to these games, you know, where you hit the reset button where everybody's OK."

In a phone interview Monday, Cantrell repeatedly called the situation a "tragedy," one he hoped to never encounter again.

"I've never dealt with children shooting each other," Cantrell said. "That's about the only thing I can say at this point."

Firearms-related injuries are the nation's third leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 17, according to a 2017 report in the medical journal Pediatrics. An average of 1,297 children died each year from 2012 to 2014 from a firearm-related injury.

Analyzing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, The Post's editorial board found that "on average, 23 children were shot each day in the United States in 2015. Of the approximately 8,400 shootings, 1,458 were fatal, a death toll that exceeds the entire number of U.S. military fatalities in Afghanistan this decade."
Rep. Mack Butler

An Alabama lawmaker plans to file legislation by Tuesday asking voters in Etowah County to decide in November whether the sheriff gets to keep excess tax money for jail food.

State Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, said Monday he will introduce the legislation this week, with anticipation that it could pass through the Legislature before the end of the spring legislative session. The legislative session is expected to end next week.

"There is no room for error," said Butler. "We have just enough time to make this happen."

Butler's proposal comes after an AL.com report last week detailing how Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin reported that he made more than $250,000 during each of the past three years by running the jail food program. Entrekin, AL.com discovered, also recently spent $750,000 to purchase a four-bedroom beach house in Baldwin County.

Entrekin also makes $93,178.80 annually as sheriff.

Butler said since the news report surfaced, he's been inundated with requests to do something.

"Everywhere I go, people say something to me about this ... they say, 'We need to address this, Mac,'" said Butler. "I jumped in this weekend to see what we can do."

Butler said there is not enough time left in the legislative session to approve a local bill that would require the Sheriff's Office to divert the excess funds to a separate account. Instead, his constitutional amendment says the excess money in Etowah County should be placed in a discretionary account "for law enforcement purposes." The amendment requires approval by voters in Etowah County only.

Said Butler, "I was going to do this as a local bill, but it requires four weeks to advertise."

A constitutional amendment, if approved by lawmakers and then by the voters, would not take effect until January 2019, after the November election. Entrekin is being challenged in the June 5 Republican primary by Rainbow City Police Chief Jonathan Horton. No Democrat has filed to run.

Butler said his legislation will be "pretty cut and dry" with regards to an account that will established for law enforcement-only purposes.

He said his legislation is will be patterned after HB461, which applies to Cullman County only and sets up a discretionary account for excess tax money to feed jailed inmates. The proposal, approved by the House on March 6, is awaiting Senate approval.

The Cullman County legislation surfaced after the Southern Center for Human Rights and the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice filed a lawsuit in Hale County requesting access to public records to find out how much jail food money is given to sheriffs and pocketed.

The lawsuit named 49 sheriffs who had not complied with their requests last year for information.

Alabama Sheriffs have claimed for years that a 1939 state law allows for the state's sheriffs to keep any remaining money from tax funds to pay for prisoners' food, is applicable. A handful of counties, including Jefferson, Shelby and Mobile, have all approved local legislation requiring the funds to be diverted in separate county accounts.
J. Thompson Brown

By The Rev. J. Thompson Brown, Canon Emeritus, Cathedral Church of the Advent, Birmingham, AL; and The Rev. Mark W. Johnston, Former Director of Camp McDowell, Nauvoo, AL

Coal ash stinks and so do the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In Alabama they are not doing an adequate job of protecting and managing the environment on our behalf and to our benefit.

In 2008 a dam, in Kingston, Tennessee, that held almost ten million tons of coal ash sludge breached, inundating homes in a white middle class community and polluting the Emory River. Almost five million tons of that very coal ash was sent to the Arrowhead Landfill in Perry County, Alabama which is located in a predominantly black community.

The ash, a byproduct of all coal burning electric power plants, contains arsenic, lead, selenium, and beryllium. There are numerous coal ash impoundments in Alabama, similar to the one in Tennessee. They pose a threat like the one in Tennessee. (See the March 4, 2018 Birmingham News article on fines levied by ADEM on Alabama Power for NOT safeguarding its coal ash sites.)

The Arrowhead Landfill, near Uniontown, was awarded a permit by the ADEM to accept the toxic ash from Tennessee. The impact on the predominantly black population (90% of the county's residents) was not taken into account by the ADEM, nor by the EPA which provides federal funding to the state agency. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, federally funded state and local agencies are required to prohibit discrimination - done either intentionally or through "disparate impact". In spite of these regulations the EPA approved ADEM's special waste authorization to the Arrowhead Landfill, allowing it to accept the ash which was spilled in Kingston.

Callous disregard for the negative impacts of coal ash storage is a rampant assault of all of us and especially on those who live and work near landfill locations that store the toxic mix. As usual the impact is worse for those whose political pull is minimal. In Perry County these impacts include anecdotal accounts of health conditions worsening and property values diminishing for those whose homes are near the mountainous heap and who hear the rumble of heavy machinery from their properties.

Residents and others have not been silent about this miscarriage of justice. Five years ago a small group filed a formal complaint with the EPA, asserting that the civil rights of Perry County residents had been violated by ADEM. We have had the legal support of Earthjustice and the Yale Law School Environmental Justice Clinic. On Thursday, March 1, 2018 our complaint was denied.

Marianne Engelman-Lado (now with the Yale Clinic) said: "If EPA can't reach a finding in this case, where there is so much evidence of racially disparate impacts to residents' quality of life, it is hard to imagine that the agency will ever validate a civil rights claim."

ADEM, according to state regulations, relies, in large part, on the operator and its contractors to self-monitor and to report on its compliance. On the surface of it, this alone is a most unpleasant odor!

Once the cheapest way to produce electricity, coal no longer has an economic advantage. Coal is being rapidly replaced by natural gas - largely because it is more economic and burns cleaner than coal. Renewable energy, such as solar and wind generated electricity, is now competitive with coal. Though Alabama has the 8th largest amount of sunlight reaching its surface, its use of clean, non polluting solar energy ranks near the bottom of the 50 United States.

It is high time that Alabamians insist that state leaders quit accepting the stinking messes that other states create, require Alabama's power producers to clean up their own messes in a manner that remedies the damage done and prevents more from happening, end the practice of ignoring the health and economic needs of its most vulnerable citizens, and support the development of clean energy. Let's make Alabama smell beautiful again!
We want schools to be educational safe havens for our children. At the same time, public policies designed to make schools safer may carry unintended consequences. Legislation making teachers liable for policing "improper sexual conduct" is winding its way through the Alabama Legislature, and it shouldn't become law without serious vetting by legislators.

Senator Clyde Chambliss (R-Autauga County) introduced SB26 responding to a constituent family's preference that juvenile sexual offenders (JSOs) not be "mainstreamed" in Alabama's public schools. At the beginning of this school year, the family's son spotted the JSO who had abused his sister attending Autauga County high school.

Cambliss's legislation kicks moderate and high-risk juvenile sex offenders out of public schools entirely. Those students would move to alternative education programs, homeschooling or virtual schools. Such changes create budgetary and logistical challenges in their own right, but also make redirecting those JSOs away from poor behavioral choices that much harder.

The bigger problem with SB26 is what happens with "low-risk" juveniles who remain in public school classrooms.

The recidivism rate of youth adjudicated for sexual offenses is already extremely low. Research by Dr. Michael Caldwell at the University of Wisconsin suggests, "[T]he most current sexual recidivism rate is likely to be below 3%." When we're talking about the "low-risk" contingency of this entire population, it's an even smaller number.

SB26 shares information about low-risk JSOs with local law enforcement, the local superintendent of education, local board of education, principal of the school, and supervisory staff and teachers.

Improperly disclosing such information is a Class C felony--significant criminal liability.

The legislation also requires classroom teachers to report violations of a JSO's agreed-upon "individualized student safety plan" to their principals. The plans are essentially predetermined monitoring protocols for these low-risk juvenile offenders. Monitoring sounds simple enough except that the behavior scrutinized is so vague as to include "behavior that may be indicative of improper sexual activity." That standard is far broader than the criminal legal standard we expect classroom educators to understand and report.

Consider just one example. Should a low-risk offender be reported for asking a peer for his or her phone number? Under normal circumstances, it's innocuous. Is it an indicator of problematic conduct for an adjudicated juvenile? Even if it's not an actual indicator, might it be?

Teachers shouldn't be forced to agonize over that sort of decision.

They're trying to instruct a classroom full of children--a tall order without any new legislative burdens. Now they're liable for a felony if they disclose the JSO's status and expected to monitor low-risk JSOs with excruciating attention to detail according to standards that don't currently exist. They're teachers, not classroom sex cops or juvenile probation officers.

JSO's ought to face the consequences of their actions, and we should make every effort to ensure that victims are made whole and protected. The goal of having a juvenile system in the first place is giving children the opportunity to get their lives on a better path that doesn't end up in a perpetual life of crime--with many future victims.

We're right to focus on school safety, but legislators should carefully consider SB26's unintended impacts on Alabama's classrooms before it becomes law.

Cameron Smith is a regular columnist for AL.com and vice president for the R Street Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C.
The Samford softball team wrapped up play in the Belmont/TSU Invitational with an 8-0, six-inning loss to St. Bonaventure Sunday morning.

For Samford in the loss, Whitney Hinton, Shelby Maze, Hannah Trombley and Lexie Higgins tallied one hit each. Annalyn Yantis (2-7) pitched 5.1 innings, giving up eight runs, just three earned, on seven hits to take the loss in the circle for Samford.

St. Bonaventure was led by Kaitlin Caringi, driving in two runs, going 1-for-1 at the plate. Hailey Blencowe, Grace Perechinsky and Olivia Golay drove in a run each. Rylee Hehir (4-3) earned the win in the circle, tossing 6.0 innings and allowing no runs on four hits.

St. Bonaventure plated an unearned run in the first inning and two unearned runs in the second to grab an early 3-0 lead. The Bonnies added two more runs in the third inning to push their lead to 5-0.

Samford loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth inning, but the Bulldogs were unable to push a run across the plate. In the top of the sixth inning, St. Bonaventure put three more runs on the scoreboard, making the final score 8-0.

With the loss, Samford falls to 7-23. St. Bonaventure improves to 5-11 with the win.

The Samford University softball team will host Alabama A&M in a doubleheader Wednesday, March 21. The first pitch of game one is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Samford Softball Field, and admission is FREE!
Following a four-hour standoff with police officers, a Gainesville man was arrested for allegedly shooting at a man he knew Sunday afternoon.

Anthony Brown, 35, got into a heated argument with the man over $73 before Brown took out a gun and shot at him multiple times in his Windsor Terrace apartment on Southwest 20th Avenue near Winn-Dixie, said Officer Ben Tobias, a Gainesville Police spokesperson. The man was uninjured.

Sandra Norris, 56, lives in the apartment next to Browns. Her grandchildren, Kentiya, Kobe, Ke-Ajah and Kenylla shook her awake from a nap at about 1 p.m. when they heard the gunfire.

Grandma, Tony is out there shooting, Norris said they told her.

Norris said Brown tacked a piece of cardboard with the Ten Commandments written on it to his door after the argument. He then walked around carrying a Bible in one hand and his phone in the other, she said.

God made me superior, he said, according to Norris.

Police responded to the shooting at about 1:30 p.m. To stop Brown, they used a weapon that fires sponge-like rounds meant to incapacitate its target but not pierce their body, Tobias said. It proved ineffective.

Brown then went back into the apartment, where he had phone conversations with police negotiators while officers blocked the road between Southwest 34th Street and Southwest 38th Terrace with patrol cars for about four hours.

Windsor Terrace resident Sandra Norris appeared distressed as armored police vehicles surrounded Southwest 20th Avenue Sunday afternoon. "Never in a million years would I anticipate this happening" said the neighbor of the alleged shooter.

Residents of the apartment complex were evacuated by police behind riot shields and ushered onto the sidewalk in front of the Winn-Dixie across the street, where they watched the crime scene in their own complex. Children played while their parents filmed and pointed to Alachua County Sheriffs Office SWAT team vehicles, including an armed Hummer and a machine to take down a door, which were parked at the Campus USA bank parking lot that bordered the neighborhood.

Ultimately, the vehicles werent needed to remove Brown from his home.

Browns girlfriend was inside the apartment during the incident, but she was not a hostage and has been detained by police, Tobias said. She might face criminal charges, he said.

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Tobias said negotiators convinced the suspect to come outside of his apartment, after which he was arrested. Tobias said Brown could possibly be charged with attempted homicide and aggravated battery. Brown has not been charged, as of press time.

Kentiya Carver and her siblings normally play where the shooting took place. The 12-year-old Kanapaha Middle School student was watching television when she heard fighting followed by gunfire from her apartments open window.

I thought it was firecrackers at first, she said.

Norris said she texted Brown and told him to give himself up to police. She described Brown as godly and their neighborhood as quiet and friendly.

Never in a million years would I have expected this from him, Norris said.

Contact Robert Lewis at rlewis@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter at @Lewis__Robert.

Police vehicles surround the Windsor Terrace apartments on Southwest 20th Avenue following a shooting at the apartment complex Sunday afternoon.
A UF student was charged Friday with possessing child pornography, which investigators said he accessed once from a UF printing lab IP address, Gainesville Police said.

Trevon Quik Boyd, 21, was investigated by police after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was tipped by Dropbox Inc. about potential child pornography stored on a Dropbox account linked to Boyds email address, according to an arrest report.

Police subpoenaed records of Boyds Dropbox usage and found he had images and a video of child pornography, according to the report. From a search warrant of Dropbox, police found about 40 gigabytes of images and videos in Boyds Dropbox, but police didnt say if all of the content was related to child pornography.

After his arrest, Boyd told police the email accounts and Dropbox account associated with the photos and video were his, according to the report. He told police he used the Dropbox account for sharing music.

Boyd was charged with two counts of possessing child pornography. He was taken to the Alachua County Jail and fitted with an electronic monitoring device Sunday morning after he was released on a $30,000 bond.

Boyd is listed as a UF student in the UF directory.

A UF trespass warning was issued against Boyd on the day of his arrest, according to UF Public Safetys website.

Boyd could not be reached for comment.

Contact Meryl Kornfield at mkornfield@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter at @Lewis__Robert.

Trevon Quik Boyd

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Canada's steel industry participants worry that the Section 232 tariff in the United States will cause foreign material previously bound for the US to be diverted into their country, but so far the Canadian producers have stopped short of calling for equivalent tariffs.





Instead, Canadian steelmakers are hoping that their nation's existing trade frameworks will be enough to keep a flood of foreign steel from being redirected across their borders. They stand ready to file new anti-dumping cases and are asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for additional enforcement funds.The prime minister conducted a three-day nationwide tour of steel and aluminium plants during the week of March 12, pledging that his government would "always stand up for Canadian steel and aluminium workers." Joseph Galimberti, president of the Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA), said Trudeau appears to recognize the need to be proactive in thwarting the potential redirection of imports."The prime minister is committed to taking this problem - or potential challenge - very, very seriously," Galimberti told American Metal Market on Monday March 19. "He was consistent and resolute in his statements to our members and the employees."The Canadians feel extra urgency in approaching the redirection threat not only as a possible destabilizing influence on their own steel market but also as an issue that could damage negotiations with President Donald Trump's administration while the two nations and Mexico rework the North American Free Trade Agreement. For the moment, Trump has granted Canada an exemption from the Section 232 tariffs, meaning Canada could be a ripe waypoint for unscrupulous importers attempting to circumvent Trump's tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium.Galimberti's CSPA members have a lot to lose if Canadian authorities can't stop a sudden flood of diverted steel imports, the association stated in a letter to Trudeau on March 13."If only 15% of current offshore steel imports into the US were diverted to Canada, prices would plummet, and the offshore import market share could double, thereby supplying almost 50% of domestic demand and devastating Canadian steelmakers," the letter stated.Canada's government needs to prepare a rapid response that ultimately may include regulation changes and even new laws in Parliament, Galimberti said in the interview. He asked for an immediate increase of federal enforcement funding.The Canada Border Services Agency "needs a reasonable appropriation to deal with this enhanced challenge - the appropriate inspection capacity and the appropriate enforcement capacity," Galimberti said.On March 13, three Ontario regional chambers of commerce serving steelmaking communities issued a joint letter to Trudeau urging the prime minister to take steps to defend Canada's steel industry. The Hamilton, Windsor-Essex and Sault Ste. Marie chambers of commerce made eight recommendations that mostly addressed how to maintain a favorable position in the Nafta talks.The chambers urged Trudeau to "immediately develop surge remedies" not only to thwart a flood of redirected steel but also to prevent greater US scrutiny on routine steel shipments moving south of the border from Canada."The key to preventing tariffs on Canadian steel will be a clear and determined position that demonstrates that Canada will not become a dumping ground for diverted steel and steel products," The chambers' letter said. At the same time, the efforts could enhance the ability of the United States and Canada to cooperate more on reducing global overcapacity.Hamilton, Windsor-Essex and Sault Ste. Marie together represent 68% of the nation's steel production, according to the chambers of commerce.A Canadian mill source said relatively attractive overseas offers are already coming in for goods ranging from hot-rolled coil and other sheet products to welded pipe."The Canadian government is working behind the scenes to ensure that the cheap steel doesn't flow into the US," the mill source said. "Canada is going to do something. We are going to have to file some sort of trade cases to assess duties ... to block the steel from coming in."A US-based tubing importer said it's unlikely that North American traders would attempt to divert overseas material through Canada to avoid the Section 232 tariff."I don't know anyone who would bring product into Canada and then into the United States," that importer said. "You jeopardize your livelihood by doing something like that. There have been foreign companies that tried that and got caught."
Posted on: March 19, 2018 4:01 PM

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has spoken of his hopes that the Commonwealth heads of government will have the courage to dream big when they gather in London next month for their biennial meeting. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will take place in London and Windsor Castle from 19  20 April. In the three days ahead of the meeting, a number of forums will take place at which a number of civil society organisations  including provinces of the Anglican Communion  will take part.

The great majority of members of the Anglican Communion are also members of the Commonwealth, Archbishop Justin said in a video published by the Commonwealth secretariat. The Commonwealth is one of those rare international bodies that is both useful and crosses all kinds of cultural and linguistic and historic boundaries.

It is a means by which reconciliation is progressively achieved after often very complicated histories involving colonialism and imperialism. It is a triumph of the world adapting to different situations, to proper respect for each other, to care for one another and for human dignity. It is a gift to the world that should be treasured.

For all these reasons, I really value the Commonwealths position and its potential.

"I really value the Commonwealths position and its potential".



As @lambethpalace holds its #CommonwealthBigLunch, Archbishop of Canterbury @justinwelby shares his views of #ourCommonwealth. pic.twitter.com/f3A7gi1Uj1  CHOGM London 2018 (@Commonwealth18) March 19, 2018

In the video, Archbishop Justin asks what the Commonwealth can achieve and what it should be dreaming of. Answering the questions, he says: I hope that at this heads of government meeting, there is the courage to dream big  to look at what the Commonwealth could be in a world that is increasingly polarised, where the idea of diversity has become a criticism rather than something of which we can boast.

Can the Commonwealth break down barriers of trade? Yes, but also of cultural difference and through its diversity enrich the lives of its members. Can it speak for marginalised countries? Smaller countries? Can it draw the worlds attention to them? Can it by its united voice be a servant of the common good and of the flourishing of human beings around the world?

I pray and hope it can and pray for those coming for their dreams to grow and their successes to be achieved.

The Archbishop of the Province of South East Asia, Moon Hing; the Moderator of the Church of Bangladesh, Paul Sarker; the Bishop of Swaziland, Ellinah Wamukoya; and the Director for Women in Church and Society at the Anglican Communion Office, Terrie Robinson, are expected to take part in events linked to the CHOGM meeting.
Posted on: March 19, 2018 12:47 PM

The Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba, has been installed as Prior of the Order of St John in South Africa, by Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, a grandson of King George V. The Order is a royal order of chivalry with historical roots to the first Crusade in 1099. It provided hospitality for the many pilgrimages arriving in Jerusalem. In its present form, it was constituted through a royal charter by Queen Victoria in 1888. It still has a presence in Jerusalem, through its eye hospital. It is also present throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as the US, Hong Kong, and the Republic of Ireland. Its mission is to prevent and relieve sickness and injury, and to act to enhance the health and well-being of people anywhere in the world; and has around 25,000 members, throughout the world.

Within the Order, the Prior is the title given to regional leaders in the Priories of England and The Islands, Wales, Scotland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the United States, Kenya and Singapore. Queen Elizabeth II is the Sovereign Head of the Order and Prince Richard is the Grand Prior. He travelled to South Africa for the investiture, which was held on Friday (16 March) at Christ Church Constantia in Cape Town. At the same ceremony, Archbishop Thabo was invested as a Knight of Justice of the Order, committing himself to the care of the sick and injured in line with the mottoes of the Order For the Faith and in service of humanity  Pro Fide and Pro Utilitate Hominum. Both appointments were personally sanctioned by the Queen.

The ceremony incorporates hundreds of years of tradition, displaying the processional symbols of the Cross of the Order, the Sword and numerous colourful banners. The ceremony had a distinctly South African flavour with volunteer St John Community Health Workers  typically known for taking health care services to young and old in communities such as Nyanga and Gugulethu  singing for the new Prior.

Volunteer members of the local St John Brigade, which provides emergency care services across the country, also played a role in the ceremony, leading processions and forming a guard of honour for the new Prior and assembled guests.

Archbishop Thabo succeeds Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu as Prior, who served as Prior from 2012 to 2017.

Within South Africa, the Order of St John has been active for more than 130 years. In its last financial year, it providing first aid training for over 16,000 people. Its 274 community health volunteers provided near 101,000 nursing and home visits in the past year, and treated more than 9,829 first aid cases. It operates 12 eye care clinics in major cities and towns throughout South Africa, providing professional eye testing and spectacle dispensing to underprivileged members of the community who are unable to afford commercial rates.
Anna Campbell died fighting for the Kurds and the West

The media has not led with salutes and tributes to Anna Campbell, a 26-year-old British woman killed in Syria. The British government has not made protestations to the Turkey regime for killing her. Campbell was a member of the YPJ, the all-female Kurdish military unit allied with the Peoples Protection Units (YPG). She was killed on 15 March in Afrin, which has been under bombardment by Turkish forces. Turkey says the YPG is associated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Turkey says the YPG are nothing but terrorists.

Anna Campbell was in Syria to help the Kurds build a nation and defeat Islamic State, the group that murdered 130 people in Paris, 86 people in Nice, 32 people in Brussels, 12 people in Berlin, 14 people in San Bernadino, 22 people in Manchester, 8 people in London Bridge, 5 people in Westminster and 16 people in Barcelona.

She died fighting the people who murdered so many. She died doing the Wests dirty work. But theres no words of praise for Anna Campbell in the lead news bulletins on TV and radio.

Her father tells the BBC: She wanted to create a better world and she would do everything in her power to do that. I told her of course that she was putting her life in danger, which she knew full well she was doing.

But do we?

Karen Strike

Posted: 19th, March 2018 | In: News Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
(ANSA) - Rome, March 19 - Pope Francis has said young people must never accept corruption in a new book, which ANSA has seen ahead of its publication in Italy on Tuesday.

"The corrupt are the order of the day," the pope says in the book-interview with Thomas Leoncini entitled 'Dio e Giovane' (God is Young).

"But the young must not accept corruption as if it were a sin like others, they must never get used to corruption, because what we let pass today will be repeated tomorrow, until it will become a habit for us and we too will become an indispensable cog". The pope says that corrupt people have no sense of humility.

"The corrupt person do not know humility, they are always capable of saying it wasn't me and they do so with the face of a fake saint," the pope says in the book. "They live off plagiarism. They tire of asking for forgiveness and they soon stop asking for it". Pope Francis told a Pre-Synodal meeting with young people on Monday, meanwhile, that the widespread lack of jobs for the young was a "a social sin, society is responsible for this". The Argentine pontiff commented on high youth unemployment rates in many countries, including Italy, linking this to depression and suicide.


CAIRO - The music of Italian folk musician and songwriter Eugenio Bennato inspired the audience at his Cairo concert to dance on Sunday evening.



The concert closed the North African leg of Bennato's "Da che sud e sud" tour, whose stated objective is to break down barriers through music.



In the open-air theatre of the Cairo Opera House, Bennato returned to the Cairo stage after a 12-year absence, in a performance of the tour he began last fall in major Italian cities.



He and his band also performed in recent days in Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria.



Several Egyptian musicians were in attendance at the performance, including Yahia Khalil and Fathi Salama, with whom Bennato discussed "possible future collaborations", said sources at UCI Consulting, which organised the concert together with the Italian Institute of Culture.



Bennato's performances specifically take on current themes, such as the desire of the younger generations to overcome borders imposed by history, to travel, to get to know one another, to express feelings and to build a life of peace and creative coexistence among different cultures and ethnicities.



The themes are tackled through music, instruments, tones, and voices from the "various souths of the world", such as that of Mohammed El Aloui, who also plays the oud, a traditional Middle Eastern stringed instrument that vaguely resembles the mandolin.



The concert cycle is part of the Italian Foreign Ministry's "Italia, Culture, Mediterraneo" programme, which will continue in other Mediterranean countries before continuing through Africa and Latin America.
(ANSAmed) - ROME, MARCH 19 - The organisation Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is calling on European and Greek authorities to put an end to the "policy of containment that puts the lives of vulnerable people in danger". The statement comes at the two-year anniversary of the EU-Turkey migrant accord. MSF said that is when the EU and its member states "decided to reject thousands of people and compromise the concept of asylum by blocking asylum seekers in Turkey in the search for security in Europe". MSF is also asking for continued intensification on transfers of migrants and asylum seekers from the Greek islands to the mainland, where "it's essential to increase acceptance capabilities and restart relocations to EU countries".



"Inhumane policies" The organisation said that every day, MSF workers in the Greek islands "treat the scars, both mental and physical, created or worsened by these inhumane policies". It said entire families who fled war, violence, and extreme poverty in search of better conditions in Europe "find themselves trapped, often in awful living conditions and with a minimal understanding of what will happen to them". "These people have gone through all these difficulties, and they arrive in Greece believing that their children will start to live a normal life. This is why they run the risk of fleeing," said Simona Brescacin, an MSF nurse who works at the Moria camp on Lesbo. "When they realise that's not how it is, their morale suffers a true collapse. Seeing their children doing nothing all day, without being able to go to school and start to live a life suitable to their young age, is very painful for the parents," she said.



Accord "produces suffering" MSF said it will continue to strongly oppose what it calls "an accord that isn't focused on improving protection and assistance to those who need it, but on the contrary, seems intentionally designed to produce suffering for those who cross the sea". It said the accord is a policy that "is not only cruel, but simply useless" because "without alternatives, every day the families in countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan will continue to risk everything to reach the Greek coasts". "A patient in our mobile clinic on Lesbo said he tried to reach Europe (from Turkey) a full five times," said Lofti Jendoubi, an MSF cultural mediator on Lesbo. "Twice he nearly drowned, but despite that he kept trying to flee. He preferred risking his life and that of his family rather than staying blocked in Turkey. He spoke to me of robberies, fraud, imprisonments, rapes, hostile behaviors on the part of the authorities, and lack of access to healthcare services. How can Europe say to these people that Turkey is a safe country?"(ANSAmed).


Nearly 3,000 migrants stopped in Turkey in 7 days 222 intercepted at sea, 100 traffickers arrested

(ANSAmed) - Istanbul, March 19 - The Turkish authorities have over the last week stopped 2,872 migrants and refugees who were trying to illegally enter the country or cross into the EU, the interior ministry said Monday.



Of these, 222 were intercepted at sea. Some 100 suspected people smugglers were also arrested over the same period, the ministry said. Since the controversial accord of two years ago the number of migrants and refugees entering the EU from Turkey has dropped from several thousand to a few dozen a day. (ANSAmed).




TUNIS - A jihadist suicide bomber detonated on Monday in Ben Guerdane, the last Tunisian city before the Libyan border, while another fled to Libya, said the Tunisian Interior Ministry in a statement.



The statement said the two terrorists were being chased by Tunisian armed forces and that there was an exchange of gunfire.



It said one of the two terrorists detonated, while the other allegedly opened fire on the soldiers before fleeing towards Magroun through Sidi Toui, towards the Libyan border.


(by Paolo Paluzzi) Tunis - Tunisia on Sunday marked the anniversary of the terrorist attack at the Bardo Museum in which 24 people including 4 Italians lost their lives.



Ambassadors of the countries with victims attended a special ceremony and then in the afternoon there was the opening of an exhibition on Roman antiquities coming from Tunisia and which have been present in the collection of the Uffizi gallery in Florence for over three centuries. 'Antichita d'Africa agli Uffizi. Giovanni Pagni, Medico e Archeologo pisano nella Tunisia del XVII secolo' has been organised in conjunction with the local Italian Institute of Culture, curated by the Uffizi and funded entirely by the Tuscan regional authorities. "It is a way of contributing to the recovery of cultural tourism in the country, which was seriously compromised by the outrageous attack three years ago," said regional vice president Monica Barni. For the occasion Florence has also relaunched its friendship with the Tunisian capital with a cultural twinning focusing especially on the promotion of their respective museums.



2017 saw the first signs of recovery in the Tunisian tourist sector after the 2015 Bardo and Sousse attacks, with a 23.2% increase in the number of arrivals compared to the previous year to a total of over 7 million visitors.



This year the target has been set at 8 million as the authorities strive to consolidate the country's image as a destination that is safe once again. The Bardo museum is a powerful symbol of national identity with its numerous collections representing the various civilisations that have existed in Tunisia, which may be why the two jihadist terrorists decided to make it the target of their attack.



"The Bardo clearly symbolises Tunisia's openness towards the other, its ability to adapt to change and the positive assimilation of outside influence, be they cultural, material or human. It is the representation of a Mediterranean that is a web of interlocking strands and a natural place of encounter, due to its multi religious, multicultural and multilingual nature," Barni said.



"The path of intercultural dialogue is a primary necessity of our contemporary society," she added. The exhibition opening was accompanied by a performance of Luigi Boccherini's Stabat Mater by the Taag quartet from Fiesole music school and the young soprano Nessrine Zemni. (ANSAmed)
Turkish-backed Syrian rebels loot Afrin homes Ondus, 10 people killed in raids over Eastern Ghouta

(ANSAmed) - Beirut, March 19 - Turkish-backed Syrian rebels have looted homes in the city of Afrin during their offensive against the northwestern Kurdish enclave, the national observatory for human rights in Syria (ONDUS) has said. The house-to-house looting took place after hundreds of thousands of Syrian Kurdish civilians fled to areas controlled by government forces. The Turkish-backed rebels took the city of Afrin on Sunday after an offensive lasting almost exactly two months. The information cannot be verified independently on the ground.



Separately, ONDUS reports that at least 10 civilians, including two children, have died in recent government air strikes against Eastern Ghouta and other areas close to the capital. Again, there is no independent confirmation available.



(ANSAmed)
ANSAmed - Tomorrow's events in the Mediterranean

(ANSAmed) - ROMA, 19 MAR - These are some of the main events scheduled for tomorrow in the Euro-Mediterranean area: STRASBOURG - The European Court of Human Rights will be publishing its ruling on appeals by two journalists imprisoned in Turkey.



BRUSSELS - EU Donors Conference for a desalinization plant in Gaza, regular session of the international donor coordination group in support of the Palestinian economy, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC).



WASHINGTON - US president Donald Trump will be meeting with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. (ANSAmed).




RABAT - Moroccan women will soon be able to transmit their nationality to their foreign husbands, the Minister of the Family, Bassima Hakkaoui, announced on the margins of the 62nd Commission on the Status of Women of the United Nations in New York. "Morocco is working to give women new opportunities," the minister of the conservative justice and development party said.



Under a bill currently before the parliamentary justice committee, foreign husbands can acquire Moroccan citizenship after five years of legal and effective residence in Morocco once they are married. This "social revolution", as it has been dubbed by local media, cancels article 10 of the old code giving men priority in the transmission of nationality. The initiative follows the indications of the King of Morocco, who since 2007 has been calling for a new development model for the country in the field of rights. In 2015, the last year in which a census of foreign residents was carried out, over 30,000 children born of a Moroccan mother and foreign father were granted Moroccan citizenship.
ISTANBUL- Turkey's Minister for European Affairs on Monday tweeted that the EU hasn't respected all of its commitments regarding the EU-Turkey migrant accord.



"Thanks to the EU-Turkey statement of 18 March 2016, the daily average of illegal crossings" from Turkey to the EU "has dropped from 7,000 in October 2015 to about 43. Turkey has acted according to the principle of pacta sunt servanda and has adhered to all of its obligations relative to the 18 March accord. Unfortunately, the EU has not honored all of its commitments," he tweeted, two years since the agreement on refugees was signed.



"We are still waiting for the EU to activate the Voluntary Humanitarian Admission Scheme, which would provide legal ways for Syrian migrants to travel" and for the EU "to take concrete steps on accession talks, visa liberalisation for Turkish citizens and the upgrading of the Customs Union".
Air Arabia Egypt will launch a new route linking Sohag in Egypt to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, starting March 20, 2018.

The one hour 20 minutes flight, which will be the seventh Air Arabia new route being announced this year, will operate three times a week, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, departing from Sohag International Airport (HMB) at 0625 hours and arriving in King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) at 0900 hours. The return flight will depart Jeddah at 0950 hours and land back in Sohag at 1030 hours local time the same day.

Adel Al Ali, Group chief executive officer of Air Arabia, said: As air travel continues to grow, especially more so in the Middle East, we will continue to cater to demand in our core markets. The route to Jeddah from Sohag will further contribute in the travel and tourism growth of Egypt and Saudi Arabia offering direct connectivity between both cities. This step also underlines our commitment to offering our passengers access to destinations at tremendous value.
"Everything we saw during today's flight shows that the MAX 7 is performing exactly as designed," said Keith Leverkuhn, vice president and general manager of the 737 MAX program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "I know our airline customers are going to enjoy the capabilities this airplane will bring to their fleets."

Piloted by Boeing Test and Evaluation Captains Jim Webb and Keith Otsuka, the airplane completed a successful 3 hour, 5-minute flight, taking off from Renton Field in Renton, Wash., at 10:17 a.m. Pacific, and landing at 1:22 p.m. at Seattle's Boeing Field. The airplane was put through tests on its flight controls, as well as checks of its systems and handling qualities.

The airplane is the third and newest member of Boeing's 737 MAX family to be produced, with a maximum capacity of 172 passengers. The MAX 7 has a range of 3,850 nautical miles, the longest of any MAX family airplane. It is designed for exceptional performance for airline customers flying out of airports at high altitudes and hot climates.

"The MAX 7 will provide airlines an efficient product for opening and flying thinner markets and accessing challenging airports, while enjoying all the benefits of being part of the 737 MAX family," said Randy Tinseth, vice president of Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

The MAX 7 also offers superior performance to the competition, carrying 12 more passengers 400 nautical miles farther than the A319neo, on 7 percent lower fuel costs.

The 737 MAX family incorporates the latest CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets, Boeing Sky Interior, large flight deck displays and other features to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched an innovative new solution for the air cargo industry: Dangerous Goods AutoCheck (DG AutoCheck safety and improve efficiency in the transport of dangerous goods by air and support the industrys goal of a fully digitised supply chain.

The air transport industry handles in excess of 1.25 million dangerous goods shipments transported per year. With the air cargo growth forecast at 4.9% per year over the next five years this number will rise significantly. To ensure that air cargo is ready to benefit from this growth the industry needs to adopt modern and harmonized standards that facilitate safe, secure and efficient operations, particularly in relation to carriage of dangerous goods. DG AutoCheck is a significant step towards achieving this goal, said Nick Careen, Senior Vice President, Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security, IATA.

Facilitating Acceptance Checks

DG AutoCheck is a digital solution that allows the air cargo supply chain to check the compliance of the Shippers Declaration for Dangerous Goods (DGD) against all relevant rules and regulations contained in the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations.

The tool enables electronic consignment data to be received directly, supporting the digitization of the cargo supply chain. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology also transforms a paper DGD into electronic data. This data is then processed and verified automatically using the XML data version of the DGR. DG AutoCheck also facilitates a ground handlers or airlines decision to accept or reject a shipment during the physical inspection stage by providing a pictorial representation of the package with the marking and labelling required for air transport.

The DGR lists over 3,000 entries for dangerous goods. Each one of which must comply with the DGR when shipped. The paper DGR is 1,100 pages long. Manually checking that each Shippers Declaration is compliant and the package(s) are correctly, marked, labelled and packaged is a complex and time consuming task. Automation with DG AutoCheck brings us a giant step forward. The cargo supply chain will benefit from greater efficiency, streamlined processes and enhanced safety, David Brennan, Assistant Director, Cargo Safety and Standards, IATA.

Industry Collaboration

Collaboration is critical in driving industry transformation especially for a business with such a complex supply chain. DG AutoCheck is a good example of effective industry partnerships.



An industry working group made up of more than twenty global organisations supported the development of DG AutoCheck. This group contains airlines, freight forwarders, ground handlers and express integrators including Air-France-KLM Cargo, Swissport, Panalpina and DHL Express.



The air cargo supply chain is currently undergoing a major digital evolution. Collaboration across the industry is essential if the goal of a digitised electronic end to end messaging platform is to be realised. There is no time to lose; our customers already expect the efficiency of electronic documentation throughout the supply chain, said Nick Careen, Senior Vice President, Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security, IATA.
EgyptAir has just announced a major re-equipment programme to help meet its objectives. EgyptAir Holding Company chairman and CEO, Safwat Musallam, talks to Alan Dron about fleets, routes and future prospects.

Like all Egyptian airlines, the national flag-carrier has had to deal with the downturn in traffic that occurred after a series of security-related issues and the US and UK bans on personal electronic devices being carried in the cabins of aircraft departing from Cairo.

Those situations have now been resolved, or are on the way to being fixed, and the airline is looking forward to the future.

EgyptAir took centre-stage on two separate occasions at the Dubai Air Show in November. It filled outstanding requirements for new aircraft in three categories  wide-body, narrow-body and small narrow-body.

Its wide-body needs were met through an order for six Boeing 787-9s, which are being acquired on long-term operating leases from Ireland-based lessor AerCap and will be delivered in 2019. They will come from the lessors existing order book and will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines.

The airline may look for a second batch of the Boeing twin-aisle aircraft, although this may come from another lessor.

Its narrow-body requirement was filled by another leasing deal with AerCap for 15 Airbus A320neos, which will use CFM Internationals LEAP-1A powerplants and are scheduled to be delivered in 2020. These will also come from AerCaps existing orders with the manufacturer.

Separately at the air show, it announced that the small narrow-body category would be filled through a letter of intent with Canadian manufacturer Bombardier for 12 CS300 regional jets, with options for a further 12.

It is EgyptAirs first order with the Canadian manufacturer: We undertook a thorough evaluation process of our fleet and realised that the CS300 would fit perfectly into our business plans and growth strategy, explained EgyptAir Holding Company chairman and CEO, Safwat Musallam.

We selected the C Series aircraft because its excellent range will allow us to best serve domestic and regional destinations, including neighbouring Arab cities and the Middle East, as well as several European destinations. This is in addition to the CS300 aircrafts exceptional economics and outstanding cabin. We look forward to expanding our network with the CS300 and we are happy to see that the partnership announced with Airbus will bring added support to the C Series programme.

The CSeries aircraft will replace 12 Embraer 170 regional jets, which are approaching 10 years in service with EgyptAir. These operate both domestic services and regional services, as well as longer, thinner routes to places as far afield as central Europe on behalf of the mainline airline.

The Embraers will be sold, said Musallam at the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) AGM in Sharjah in late November. The best time to get rid of them is before they are due their C-Check, the heavy maintenance session that aircraft normally undergo after 12 years. This will be our strategy in future, he added.

The new Boeing 787-9s, meanwhile, will replace the carriers existing fleet of six Airbus A330-200s, which are also around the 12-year-old mark.

The A320neo order initially seems a less obvious choice; although EgyptAir has around 10 A320-family aircraft in service (split between A320s and larger A321s), it is just completing deliveries of around 30 Boeing 737-800s. The new Airbus order will eventually give the company around 30 of each, said Musallam.

There are obvious cost penalties in terms of maintenance and spare parts inventories, but Musallam said that the two fleets would be sufficiently large to each have critical mass.

The companys cargo division has also benefited from recent equipment renewal: EgyptAir operates three dedicated Airbus A300-600F freighters, but these will be replaced by the same number of the European OEMs A330Fs, the first of which was delivered in June 2017.

In addition, it intends to operate single examples of both the A320 and the Boeing 737-800 in the cargo role: These will allow us to cover all airports, explained Musallam. Some airports in Africa cant accept the A330.

When all the new aircraft have arrived, the enlarged fleet will be used to open up new routes, as well as to increase frequencies on existing ones.

EgyptAir is already expanding its route map; the increasing number of tourists from China is boosting the passenger numbers of several Egyptian airlines and the countrys flag-carrier is no exception. It already flies to Beijing and Guangzhou and was due to start services to Shanghai by the end of 2017.

However, the company is also looking west and south for its major expansion plans: Africa is our target, said the chairman and CEO. We have very, very strong plans for Africa in the next five years.

This will see EgyptAir increasingly competing, not only against the Gulf Big 3, which are rapidly increasing flights throughout Africa, but also against Turkish Airlines, which is on record as saying it wants to be the largest carrier on the continent. Turkish is a fellow Star Alliance partner, which opens up the possibility of cooperation between the two.

EgyptAir also has a codeshare agreement with one of the Big 3, Etihad Airways, and there are already plans to extend this beyond the Cairo-Abu Dhabi route.

Under stage two of the codeshare, Etihad will gain access to major cities across Africa on flights operated by EgyptAir via its Cairo hub. In turn, EgyptAir will be able to access routes to Australia and the Far East served by Etihad from its Abu Dhabi hub.

A third phase will see Etihads EY code placed on EgyptAir domestic flights across Egypt.

Cairo Airport is likely to play an increasingly important role in EgyptAirs plans. The carrier has, for some time, looked at establishing the Heliopolis site as a major transit point that could compete with the Gulf hubs and the completion of Cairos Terminal 2 in mid-2017 gave it an expanded annual capacity of around 20 million passengers.

Musallam said that the airport was a magical location to connect Europe with Africa and even potentially to act as a hub between the US and Africa.

Bombardier predicts that African intra-regional traffic will grow by 4.6% annually over the next 20 years. It argues that the continents fleet of 60 to 150-seat aircraft will grow by 2.4 times to meet growing traffic demand; the manufacturers CSeries, of course, spans the upper half of that category.

Meanwhile, The Egyptian market is getting better, day by day, said Musallam. Tourists are starting to return  at the time of writing, an agreement to allow the resumption of Russian tourism to Egypt was thought to be imminent  and leisure traffic is a major component of EgyptAirs business.

Apart from tourism, however, the national carrier can tap into two other major revenue streams: around 11 million Egyptians live outside the country, which provides a steady flow of passengers going back and forth between their jobs and their homes for vacation breaks. And religious tourism between Egypt and Saudi Arabia provides an unending stream of traffic as pilgrims head for Mecca to perform the Hajj and Umrah.

Not all route news for EgyptAir has been good recently. The decision by the governments of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE to break off relations with Qatar meant that the Cairo-Doha route has been suspended since June. Musallam was philosophical at the loss: It was a golden route for us but, at the end of the day, we just have to deal with it.

On the ground, EgyptAir also intends to expand the activities of its maintenance and engineering division: Our technical company is already the largest in Africa and we have cooperation with Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce and General Electric. More than 80 airlines in Europe, the Far East and Africa use us.


Airline also publishes an annual calendar featuring bikini-clad models, flight attendants and ground staff.

The airline will operate four flights every week starting in July this year. (Photo: YouTube)

Mumbai: Vietnam low cost "bikini airline", VietJet Air would soon commence direct flight service in India. The airline has announced direct flights from New Delhi to Ho Chi Minh City. The airline will operate four flights every week starting in July this year.

The budget airline had announced its plan to connect India at the VietnamIndia Business Forum on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of India-Vietnam diplomatic relationship.

The Vietjet known as 'bikini airline' was founded by woman billionaire Nguyen Thi Phung Thao.

It has started its first commercial flights in December 2011 but due to its bikini clad air hostesses gained popularity in no time and became the country's second-largest airline.

Vietjet has made headlines in the past with its controversial use of bikini-clad flight attendants, pilots and risque marketing campaigns. The airline also publishes an annual calendar featuring bikini-clad models and ground staff.

The airline was named as one of the top 500 brands in Asia 2016 and "The Best Asian Low Cost Carrier" at the TTG Travel Awards 2015.

According to a Reuters report, the company, has a fleet of 55 A320 and A321 aircraft, now operates 385 flights on 82 domestic and international routes.

The CAPA Centre for Aviation has said that VietJet, which currently commands 40 per cent of Vietnams domestic market, will likely become the countrys biggest domestic carrier.
Indias steel and aluminum exports to the US amount to about $1.5 billion.

The meeting is the first time WTO members have gathered since Donald Trumps announcement last week of a 25 per cent tariff on US imports of steel and 10 per cent on aluminum.

New Delhi: The US has raised concerns about the functioning of the World Trade Organisation and asked for reforms, WTO director general Roberto Azevedo said on Monday, as global trade tensions increased.

Mr Azevedo told reporters that the global trade environment was quite risky and the trade body had sought an open and honest conversation with its members.

This is a moment we are facing many challenges inside and outside WTO, he said.

The director general said the outcome of the meeting, which does not have a fixed agenda, here will be useful to the conversations that we will be having in Geneva to try and move forward on all the items.

The meeting is the first time WTO members have gathered since Donald Trumps announcement last week of a 25 per cent tariff on US imports of steel and 10 per cent on aluminum.

Two senior Indian trade ministry officials said a group of WTO members including China, Japan, India and South Korea are likely to protest against the US decision to raise import taxes. They, however, said the final stance would be known only after discussions on Tuesday.

Indian trade minister Suresh Prabhu has said he hopes the meeting, which is also attended by deputy US trade representative Dennis Shea, could push the multilateral process forward after talks in Buenos Aires last December failed amid fears of a trade war.

Mr Azevedo said Washington maintained that global trade had changed since the WTO, which deals with the global rules of trade between nations, was set up in 1995.

The US wants some upgrade and reforms (in the WTO) and the conversations with the US are going on, he said.

Even though the US has declined to declare the steel and aluminum tariffs at the WTO, they can still come under its jurisdiction if countries affected raise complaints.

New Delhi is worried that a direct confrontation with the Trump administration could impact the interest of software exports to the US, estimated at nearly 60 per cent of $110 billion annual software exports.

Some local industries have suggested the government seek an exemption alongside other US allies instead of raising complaints with the World Trade Organisation. Indias steel and aluminum exports to the US amount to about $1.5 billion and account for about 2 per cent of that countrys total steel and aluminum imports.

Meanwhile, Washington has raised complaints at the WTO against Indias export subsidies, estimated to be $7 billion a year, which it claims flout multilateral trading rules.
The last time we saw Priyanka in a Bollywood movie was Prakash Jhas 2016 movie, Jai Gangaajal, which failed to impress the at the box-office.

Priyanka Chopra, who has made a name for herself in Hollywood, is very much regarded as a global icon, and is going strong in the West. As she came back to India on Sunday night, our sources tell us that the Barfi actress is here to read a few Bollywood scripts.

Priyanka has been keen on doing a Bollywood film for a long time, but due to her other commitments she has not been able to give dates. She has decided to read few more scripts and lock her dates if they interest her. Besides, she will also actively be involved with the developments of her production house Purple Pebble Pictures, along with her mother, the source said.

The last time we saw Priyanka in a Bollywood movie was Prakash Jhas 2016 movie, Jai Gangaajal, which failed to impress the at the box-office.

But as far as her Hollywood projects are concerned, besides Quantico, Priyanka has other movies in the pipeline, like A Kid Like Jake. The movie also stars Jim Parsons, Claire Danes and Octavia Spencer.

Before her return to India, Priyanka made a stop-over in Dubai, where she attended a global education and skills gala.
'We do not find any merit in the petition. It is dismissed,' said the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud.

The PIL alleged that there was a criminal case against Nitish Kumar in which he was accused of killing a local Congress leader Sitaram Singh and injuring four others ahead of the Lok Sabha by-elections from Bihar's Barh constituency in 1991. (Photo: Twitter | ANI)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a PIL seeking Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's disqualification as an MLC on the ground that he had allegedly suppressed the fact that a murder case was pending against him from the poll panel.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra considered the chief minister's submission that he had disclosed the fact about the pendency of the criminal case to the Election Commission in 2012.

"We do not find any merit in the petition. It is dismissed," said the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud.

"Election Rules say that he (Nitish) should declare it after the trial court takes cognisance of the case," the bench said, adding that it has been done.

The chief minister's counsel informed the court that the trial has been stayed by the Patna High Court. Moreover, no illegalities have been committed by the chief minister, the counsel said.

The PIL, filed by advocate M L Sharma, had alleged that there was a criminal case against the JD(U) leader in which he was accused of killing a local Congress leader Sitaram Singh and injuring four others ahead of the Lok Sabha by-elections from Bihar's Barh constituency in 1991.

The lawyer has sought cancellation of Kumar's membership of the state Legislative Council in accordance with the Election Commission's 2002 order that it was mandatory for candidates to disclose criminal cases against them in their affidavits annexed to the nomination papers.

He claimed that the Bihar chief minister did not disclose the criminal case pending against him in affidavits since 2004, except for 2012.
The accused allegedly cheated the Canara Bank to the tune of approximately Rs 68.38 crore.

Besides Dubey, the chargesheet has been filed against five officials of the Canara Bank and a Delhi-based private company Occasions Silver Private limited and its two Directors Kapil Gupta and RK Gupta. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday filed chargesheet against RK Dubey, former Chairman and Managing Director of Canara Bank, in a case pertaining to a loan default.

Besides Dubey, the chargesheet has been filed against five officials of the Canara Bank and a Delhi-based private company Occasions Silver Private limited and its two Directors Kapil Gupta and RK Gupta.

The accused allegedly cheated the Canara Bank to the tune of approximately Rs 68.38 crore.

The CBI had earlier in 2016, registered a case against Occasions Silver Private limited and its directors.

"It was alleged that the said private company, dealing in wholesale and retail trading of silver jewellery and articles, diamond, gold jewellery, imitation jewellery, gift items, crockery items etc. had cheated Canara Bank to the tune of Rs 68.38 crore through its accounts at Kamla Nagar, New Delhi branch of the Canara Bank. The loan was sanctioned in December 2013 and disbursed within the next three months," read an official statement.

The probe agency has revealed that there was an alleged nexus between the bank officials with the borrower which led to the perpetration of the fraud.
Dr Singh spoke on a range of issues, and was accorded a thunderous applause and standing ovation by the party leaders.

New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today launched a scathing attack on the NDA government, accusing it of having messed up the economy and mismanaging the dispute in Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking at the party plenary, the former Prime Minister said: The BJP government made tall promises. PM Modi himself said that his government will double farmers incomes. For that, a growth rate of 12 per cent per annum is necessary, which is unthinkable in the current scenario. Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modis proclivity for jumlebaazi (empty rhetoric), Dr Singh charged that the work done by this government falls short of the claims made by its leaders.

Attacking the government on the economy, Dr Singh said: The BJP claimed in 2014 that if it came to power it would provide two crore jobs. But we have not seen even two lakh jobs. He also added that the ill-thought and ill-conceived demonetisation plan and hastily put forward legislation on GST had destroyed many jobs and created problems for the small and medium scale and the informal sector, both in terms of production and providing jobs.

From foreign policy and defence to the economy, Dr Singh spoke on a range of issues, and was accorded a thunderous applause and standing ovation by the party leaders. Indicating the tensions inherent in the alliance of the BJP and PDP, parties with a huge ideological gap, Dr Singh said: They have installed a government where the two wings of the administration are working against each other. He further added: The Modi government has mismanaged Jammu and Kashmir like never before, the atmosphere is deteriorating day in and day out, that is obvious from the fact that our borders are insecure, be it cross-border terror or internal terror. Noting the cut in the defence budget, Dr Singh said: The defence expenditure of our country is no more than 1.6 per cent of our GDP. This is far too inadequate to meet the challenges of our security apparatus and our needs.

On Pakistan, Dr Singh said India must recognise it as a neighbour but expressed concern over Islamabads support to cross-border terrorism. That certainly is not acceptable to us. We must, therefore, warn Pakistan that this is a path which is mutually destructive of peace and prosperity in the subcontinent, he said. Giving suggestions on the issue, he said: It is as much in the interest of Pakistan as in the interest of India that our two countries must sort out all problems sitting together peacefully and give up this path of support of terrorist elements emanating from across the border.
Union leaders said that drivers in other cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune among others would be participating in the strike.

The strike has been called by the Maharashtra Navnirman Vahtuk Sena which has claimed that several drivers are not being able to cover costs due to falling business. (Photo: representational | File)

Mumbai: The transport wing of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has called for a strike of drivers of cab aggregators Uber and Ola starting from today.

The strike has been called by the Maharashtra Navnirman Vahtuk Sena which has claimed that several drivers are not being able to cover costs due to falling business.

"Ola and Uber had given big assurances to the drivers, but today they are unable to cover their costs. They have invested Rs 5-7 lakh and were expecting to make Rs 1.5 lakh a month. But drivers are unable to make even half of this because of the mismanagement by these companies," Sanjay Naik of Maharashtra Navnirman Vahatuk Sena told PTI.

Union leaders said that drivers in other cities like New Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune among others would also be participating in the strike.

Naik further alleged that these taxi-hailing companies were giving first priority to company-owned cars rather than driver-owned vehicles, causing a slump in their business.

If their demands were not met they would be going ahead with the strike as expected, he indicated.

Other taxi unions, including the Mumbai Taximen's Union, have extended support.

Meanwhile, police has issued notices to leaders of the union under section 149 of CrPC relating to unlawful assembly.

"Notices of section 149 of CrPC have been issued to Sanjay Naik, president, Arif Shaikh and Nitin Nandgaokar of the Maharashtra Navnirman Vahatuk Sena as preventive action.

If they violate any orders, they are liable to be prosecuted," said Pandit Thorat, senior inspector of the Andheri police station.

In Mumbai alone there are over 45,000 such cabs but a slump in business has seen a drop of about 20 per cent in their numbers.

The cab hailing companies have so far stayed away from interfering in the matter. "We have been informed by the Mumbai Police that they have proactively taken all the necessary steps to ensure safety of commuters during the cab rides in the city," an Ola spokesperson said.
Congress chief vows to raze wall between workers and leaders.

New Delhi: Sounding the bugle for the 2019 Mahabharat, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said the war would be between the Kauravas (meaning BJP-RSS) and Pandavas (Congress). Mr Gandhi said while the Kauravas were hell-bent on fighting for power, the Congress, just like the Pandavas, would fight for the truth. At the same time, moving away from tradition, the Congress president signalled decentralisation of power in the organisation and indicated to senior leaders that they should brace for some tough organisational changes prior to next years general election.

His concluding remarks on the last day of the Congress plenary session moved between hitting out at the ruling party and government and setting the roadmap for the Congress, which would start with demolishing the wall between party workers and leaders. Cracking the whip, he also asked the leaders and functionaries to stop all factionalism and indicated the party from now on would ensure strict discipline. He said: Jaghda karna hain toh election ke baad karo. Abhi kadi discipline chalegi (If you want to fight, do so after the elections. Now strict discipline would be implemented).

In a tough message to his party, he said there was a need to break the wall between ordinary workers and leaders due to which party tickets were given to leaders who parachute down and not to workers who have put in 10-15 years of hard work just because they dont have any money to fight the polls.

Starting his speech amid a rousing reception from party workers, the Congress president said: The Kauravas are powerful, arrogant, extremely well organised. The Pandavas are a small army. They were just five brothers who had recently lost everything.

He said just like the Kauravas, the BJP-RSS too just fought for power, and just like Pandavas, the Congress would fight for the truth. The BJP, he said, was the voice of an organisation, while the Congress was the voice of the nation.

In his speech that lasted for nearly an hour, which was relished by both party workers and senior leaders, Mr Gandhi tore apart the government and launched a direct attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi by linking the Modi surname with Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi.

The Modi surname symbolises a nexus with crony capitalism, the Congress chief said, and went on to also target BJP president Amit Shah, saying: The BJP can accept a murder accused as their president, (but) the Congress cannot.

The overarching theme of the Congress chiefs speech was justice for dalits, the minorities and tribals, creation of jobs and addressing farmers issues.

However, the biggest takeaway was perhaps his focus on Hinduism, as part of which he defended his temple visits during the campaigning for the Gujarat election. He gave an example of his version of what he called a Congress priest and a BJP priest to drive home the point on accommodating all religions.

Mr Gandhi also promised to keep the youth as the centre of all his partys plans. Pointing to the stage, he said the Congress was the only party which had kept the stage empty, to be filled up by youth of the country. The BJP, he added, tried to divert the peoples attention from key issues like unemployment and farm distress with fancy events.

Instead of acknowledging the challenges facing the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi diverts our attention from our problems. We are being told that our problems only exist in our imagination, he added.

Expressing the hope that India would in the next decade play an all-important role in the global arena, he said: There are two visions in the world  of the US and China. In 10 years, I want to see Indias vision there.

He stressed the need for unity and discipline, and said: Let us put all differences aside and work together to ensure victory for the party.
17-year-old Junaid Khan was stabbed to death on a train in June, 2017.

Junaid's father has challenged the Punjab and Haryana High Court's November 27, 2017 order, refusing a CBI probe into the matter, and sought that the accused be booked under offences of hate crimes. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Centre's response on a plea seeking a CBI probe into the Ballabhgarh mob lynching case in which 17-year-old Junaid Khan was stabbed to death on a train in June, 2017.

A bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and MM Shantanagoudar also stayed the trial in the case till further orders.

Junaid's father has challenged the Punjab and Haryana High Court's November 27, 2017 order, refusing a CBI probe into the matter, and sought that the accused be booked under offences of hate crimes.

Junaid's father Jalaluddin, through his counsel, had filed the petition on October 26, 2017 in the high court, seeking a probe by an independent agency like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Junaid lynching case.

He had also demanded a stay on the trial in a Faridabad court in connection with the killing of Junaid.

Junaid, who had boarded a Mathura-bound train from Delhi, was allegedly stabbed to death when he, along with his brothers and cousins, was returning home to Khandawali village after shopping for Eid in Delhi in June. His body was dumped near Asaoti village in Faridabad district.
Five Indian civilians (a couple and their three children) were killed and 12, including two children, injured in ceasefire violations by Pak forces.

Terming the incidents highly deplorable, the Pakistan deputy high commissioner was told that such heinous acts are against established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct, MEA said.

New Delhi: The Indo-Pak diplomatic row continued unabated on Monday with India summoning Pakistani deputy high commissioner Syed Haider Shah to South Block to lodge a strong protest against the killing of five innocent Indian civilians in unprovoked firing by Pakistan forces in J&K.

Five Indian civilians (a couple and their three children) were killed and 12, including two children, injured in ceasefire violations by Pakistan forces on March 18 in Bhimber Gali sector.

Terming the incidents highly deplorable, the Pakistan deputy high commissioner was told that such heinous acts are against established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct, MEA said.

It was conveyed that the deliberate targeting of innocent civilians, who are located 2 kms from the forward line of defences, by Pakistan forces using high-caliber weapons, is highly deplorable and is condemned in the strongest terms. Such heinous acts are against established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct. Pakistan authorities are called upon to investigate into such heinous acts, the MEA said in a statement.
There were a total of 47 accused in the Dumka case, but 14 of them had died during trial. Two accused turned approvers.

Ranchi/Patna: Jailed former Bihar chief minister and RJD president Lalu Prasad was on Monday convicted by a special CBI court of corruption and criminal conspiracy charges in the fourth fodder scam case, while another ex-chief minister, Jagannath Mishra, was acquitted.

The quantum of sentence against Lalu Yadav, 69, and other convicts in the case is likely to be pronounced on Wednesday. CBI judge Shiv Pal Singh held Lalu Yadav and 18 others guilty in the Dumka treasury case that pertains to fraudulent withdrawal of `3.31 crore from government account in 1995-96.

Mr Mishra, 80, was among the 12 acquitted in the case. A former Congress leader, Mr Mishra became chief minister of Bihar thrice and served as a minister in the Union Cabinet. He left the grand old party to join the JD(U) and then the BJP for a very short period. He is currently inactive in politics.

There were a total of 47 accused in the Dumka case, but 14 of them had died during trial. Two accused turned approvers.

Lalu Yadavs lawyer Prabhat Kumar said that the court will begin the hearing on quantum of punishment on Wednesday and the process may end by Friday.

The Dumka treasury case is one of the six cases filed against the RJD chief as part of the over Rs 900 crore fodder scam that involved illegal withdrawal of money from government treasuries by animal husbandry department officials to provide fodder and medicines to cattle in undivided Bihar in the 1990s when Lalu Yadav was the chief minister.

The fifth case, related to the illegal withdrawal of Rs 139.39 crore from Doranda treasury, is pending in a Ranchi court. In the sixth case, involving a Rs 47-lakh fraud in the Bhagalpur treasury, a special CBI court in Patna is expected to begin trial soon.

After Mondays court decision, Lalu Yadavs son Tejashwi Yadav said, We will challenge the verdict in the high court.

Lalu Yadavs wife Rabri Devi said, We respect the verdict and have faith in the judiciary. But our prime concern right now is his health. He is under medication and treatment for various serious.

Lalu Yadav is admitted at the cardiology wing of Ranchi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) after he fell ill at the Birsa Munda jail on Saturday.

The fodder scam surfaced in 1996 and the first chargesheet against 38 accused was filed by the CBI on October 27, 1997. Lalu Yadav was made one of main accused in the scam.
Amidst the din, home minister Rajnath Singh said the government was ready for a discussion on any issue, including on the no-confidence motion.

While the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day within around 10 minutes after assembling in the morning, the Lok Sabha was first adjourned within a minute of the House assembling for the day, as AIADMK, TDP, YSR Congress and other Opposition members rushed to the Well of the House, shouting slogans on various issues. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The no-confidence motion notices given by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the YSR Congress against the government could not be taken up in the Lok Sabha on Monday as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said the House was not in order due to noisy protests by several parties, that led to a washout of proceedings in both Houses of Parliament for the 11th consecutive day.

It was the second day that the Speaker could not take up the no-confidence motion notices. On Friday, the YSR Congress had submitted a motion which, however, could not be admitted.

While the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day within around 10 minutes after assembling in the morning, the Lok Sabha was first adjourned within a minute of the House assembling for the day, as AIADMK, TDP, YSR Congress and other Opposition members rushed to the Well of the House, shouting slogans on various issues. Ms Mahajan then adjourned the House till 12 noon.

Subsequently, the Lower House was adjourned for the day amid noisy protests by members of various parties, with Ms Mahajan saying that since the House is not in order, I will not be able to bring it (motion)... I am sorry, and then adjourning the proceedings.

Amidst the din, home minister Rajnath Singh said the government was ready for a discussion on any issue, including on the no-confidence motion.

The notices for the motion have been given by YSR Congress member Y.V. Subba Reddy and two TDP members  Thota Narasimham and Jayadev Galla. Both parties have been demanding a special package for Andhra Pradesh, an issue on which the TDP had quit the ruling NDA last week.

As soon as the House met for Zero Hour after Question Hour was washed out, TRS and AIADMK members rushed into the Well carrying placards. Soon after papers were laid on the table amid unrelenting slogan-shouting by members, home minister Rajnath Singh said that the government was ready to discuss any issue.

Some members had given notices for a no-confidence motion and the government was ready for a discussion on that as well, Mr Singh said, requesting all parties to cooperate so that the discussion can be taken up. The Speaker also repeatedly asked more than 25 members of the AIADMK and TRS, who were protesting inside the Well, to return to their seats.

As the uproar continued, Ms Mahajan said she was duty-bound to take up the no-confidence motion notices, but could not do so as the House was not in order. Since March 5, when Parliament reassembled for the Budget Session after the recess, both Houses have been facing disruptions every day. Last week, the Lok Sabha had passed the Finance Bill and appropriation bills without any discussion amid similar protests.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day without transacting any business after parties from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh disrupted proceedings over their state-specific demands. No sooner were the listed papers laid on the table, the Andhra parties led by the TDP and K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao of the Congress trooped into the Well.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu repeatedly asked the members to allow the House to function, and called for taking up the listed Zero Hour mentions on various issues of public importance. But with members refusing to budge from their positions in the Well, he adjourned the House till Tuesday within 10 minutes of proceedings having begun.
Lingayats and Veerashaivas constitute 17% of Karnatakas population. They dominate 100 out of the 224 Assembly seats.

Bengaluru: The Siddaramaiah government in poll-bound Karnataka on Monday recognised the numerically-strong, politically-influential Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats as a separate religious minority and said the proposal will be sent to Centre for final approval.

With elections in Karnataka scheduled to be held in May this year, the decision is seen as an attempt by chief minister Siddaramaiah to wean away a section of Lingayats, though the BJP maintains the Congress divisive politics will backfire.

Lingayats/Veerashaivas, estimated to form 17 per cent of the state population, are considered to be the BJPs traditional voter base. They are dominant in close to 100 of the 224 Assembly seats, mostly in north Karnataka. There have been nine chief ministers from the community.

The BJPs tallest leader in the state and former chief minister, B.S. Yeddyurappa, belongs to the Lingayat community. The Congress plan to throw the ball in the Centres court when it sends the proposal for approval is likely to put the BJP government at the Centre in a quandary. Any delay by it may impact the partys prospects in the elections.

The demand for recognition as a separate religion has seen lobbying from the two groups, the Lingayats and the Veerashaivas, for a long time amid resentment from within over projecting the two communities as the same.

The issue came centrestage last year when Mr Siddaramaiah promised to consider their demand. Mr Yeddyurappa, however, had said at a rally last year that there was no difference between Veerashaivas and Lingayats and that they were very much part of Hinduism.

In what Karnataka law minister T.B. Jayachandra claimed was a unanimous decision, the Cabinet on Monday allowed Veerashaivas  or whoever agreed to follow social reformer Basavannas ideals  to be considered Lingayats.

After due deliberations and some discussions on concerns of various sections of society, the Cabinet has decided to accept the recommendations of the Karnataka State Minority Commission (KSMC), Mr Jayachandra said.

He said the commission, based on the report of an expert Nagamohan Das Committee, has recommended considering grant of recognition as religious minority to the Linagayat and Veerashaiva Lingayats (believers of Basava Tatva (philosophy) under Section 2 (d) of the Karnataka State Minorities Act.

It was also decided to forward the same to the central government for notifying under Section 2(c) of the Central Minority Commission Act, he told reporters.

Mr Jayachandra said the decision would not affect the rights and interests enjoyed by the existing minorities.

At present, Lingayats get 5 per cent reservation as they are classified as an Other Backward Class.

The acceptance of the recommendation was in terms of the opinion of the Minority Commission that proper recognition is to be made to Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats (believers of Basava Tatva). It would also be in terms of the said opinion of the Commission and, also subject to the condition that such recognition would not affect the rights and interests of other minorities in the state, Mr Jayachandra said.

Lingayats, so called for their veneration of linga, the icon of Shiva, follow 12th-century saint-philosopher Basavanna who had rejected ritualistic worship and pre-eminence of the Vedas. The Veerashaivas sect of the community also worships Shiva idols and practises other Hindu customs.

The Lingayats consider the Veershaivas to be part of Hinduism, while the Veerashaivas think the community was an ancient religion established by Shiva and Basavanna was one of its saints.



One part of the community demands minority status for both Veerashaiva and Lingayats considering them the same, while another wants it only for the Lingayats.

Slamming the decision, Opposition BJP leader in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar said the Siddaramaiah government was dividing the society for the sake of politics, keeping the election in mind and accused it of igniting fire.

The decision will boomerang on them, he said.

He also alleged that the Nagamohan Das committee, a government sponsored panel, was pressured to submit the report early ahead of the elections.

Sri Veera Someshwara Shivacharya Swami of Rambhapuri Peetha of Balehonnur, one of the seers heading the Veerashaiva camps, condemned the Cabinet decision.

He alleged that the recommendation may have got accepted following the conspiracy of a few people, but that Veerashaivas together will fight against it and are planning legal recourse.

Chief minister and others will have to face the disgrace of dividing the community. People will teach them a lesson, he added.

At first it looked like the Veerashaiva Lingayats were against this move.

But they will also get benefits for their educational institutions, like exemption from the Right to Education Act. Who would not want such benefits? Mr Jayachandra said.

This is a devious and sinister design on the part of the Congress government on the eve of the elections, the BJP said, but in a note of caution added that it would support any decision of Veerashaiva

Mahasabha and the Siddaganga seer on the issue. BJP stands for the united society consisting of Veerashaiva and Lingyats as both are the same and there is no difference at all in any respects, the saffron party said.

The KSMC had formed a seven-member committee, headed by retired high court judge H.N. Nagamohan Das in December last year that submitted its report on March 2.

The committee in its report has said, Lingayats in Karnataka may be considered as religious minority.

Veerashaivas, who consider Basavanna as Dharma Guru, vachanas as sacred text, wear Ishta Linga, and believe and follow Vachana tatva, may be considered as part of Lingayats, it said.
Paswan was hinting at Bihar BJP chief Nityanand Rai, minister Giriraj Singh who made provocative remarks over bypolls.

Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan expressed concern over some leaders of the ruling NDA at the Centre occasionally making remarks that created an impression of the alliance being against certain sections of the society. (Photo: File)

Patna: Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Sunday asked the NDA leaders to desist from making off-the-cuff remarks and be "more tactful" during elections, in the wake of the party's poor showing in the recent bypolls in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

He expressed concern over some leaders of the ruling NDA at the Centre occasionally making remarks that created an impression of the alliance being against certain sections of the society.

Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) is an important ally of the BJP in the NDA.

While campaigning for BJP during the Araria bypoll on March 9, Bihar party unit president Nityanand Rai had allegedly said that if the RJD candidate won the election, Araria would become a safe haven for the ISIS.

Read: Bihar's Araria would become IS hub if RJD wins bypoll: FIR against BJP leader

An FIR was lodged against Rai for violating election code.

Similarly, Union minister Giriraj Singh's utterance a day after the party's loss in the bypoll that Araria would become a "hub of terrorism" also drew sharp criticism.

Also Read: Bihar's Araria will become hub of terror: Union minister reacts on RJD bypoll win

Paswan said "social arithmetic" is known to be a solid poll plank in states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar than talking about development, adding that was the reason behind the BJP's "shocking" defeat in the bypoll in its traditional stronghold of Gorakhpur.

"The bypoll results in Bihar were not at all surprising. One Lok Sabha and two assembly constituencies had fallen vacant upon the death of the incumbents whose close family members retained the seats for the respective parties. The respective tallies of the RJD and the BJP remained unaltered," Paswan told reporters in Patna.

"But, it is in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh where we received shock. The party lost both the seats despite running popular governments at the Centre and in the state," he said.

"It was in this backdrop that LJP parliamentary board chief Chirag Paswan spoke about the need for a course correction. There was no anti-incumbency against the BJP in UP, yet it lost because arch rivals BSP and SP joined hands," Paswan said.

The food minister was referring to a recent tweet by Chirag Paswan, his son and the MP from Jamui Lok Sabha seat in Bihar.

"We ought to look carefully at how Congress remained in power in the country for so long, enjoying the support of Dalits, Brahmins and Muslims without actually doing anything for them," Paswan said.

The BJP-led NDA governments, headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee or Narendra Modi, have made tireless efforts to improve the condition of these communities, he added.

"That the NDA works for the progress of all is a fact. This fact needs to be coupled with a bit of tact. Leaders ought to be more tactful and avoid blunders like speaking against reservations during assembly elections," he said.

He was referring to a comment by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on reservation in jobs during the Bihar assembly polls in 2015, which is widely believed to have queered the pitch for the BJP-led alliance.

About TDP in Andhra Pradesh walking out of the NDA and moving a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government, Paswan remarked, "The party (TDP) has acted keeping its prospects in the next assembly polls in the state, due next year, in mind. Their demand for special status is, however, not possible for any government to fulfil."

"Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is our ally, has been raising the demand for granting special status to the state for so long. Bihar would have been thrown into turmoil upon grant of special status to Andhra Pradesh. Moreover, the new system of special packages has done away with the need for grant of special status as it involves a lot of ifs and buts in providing central assistance to needy states," he said.

About former Bihar chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha founder Jitan Ram Manjhi also quitting the NDA and joining the RJD-Congress combine, the Union minister said, "The NDA is like an ocean to which a few drops do not matter."

"Moreover, Manjhi is a Mahadalit and his exit from the NDA coincided with former state Congress president Ashok Chowdhury  who belongs to the same social group  joining the coalition along with three other MLCs of his party," he pointed out.

Paswan also dismissed claims by RJD leaders that Rashtriya Lok Samata Party chief and Union minister Upendra Kushwaha was feeling uneasy in the NDA and may quit the alliance soon.

"He (Kushwaha) has himself categorically denied the same. He is firmly with the NDA. The RJD-Congress combine is going overboard," the LJP leader added.
Akhilesh Yadav said that deviating from the 'real issues' was the character of the BJP and only the regional forces 'can stop its march'.

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said that the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has "not done anything significant" so far, as he targeted the BJP, which will be completing its one year in power in the state today.

He said that deviating from the "real issues" was the character of the BJP and only the regional forces "can stop its march", according to a statement issued by his party.

The former chief minister, who was attending a programme organised by a news channel, said, "The government of Yogi Adityanath has spent its first year in office by removing the word 'Samajwadi' from various schemes."

"The BJP has divided the society in the name of religion and festivals. It has duped the people after making a number of promises in its election manifesto. Deviating from the real issues is the character of this party (BJP), and only the regional forces can stop its march," he said.

He claimed that farmers, traders, youth and women were facing difficulties in the BJP rule. "The BJP government has zero sensitivity. This government has virtually destroyed helpline services like Dial-100, 1090 women power line besides 108 and 102 ambulance service," he alleged.

"The public is disenchanted with the BJP governments - both at the centre and in the state. This effect was seen in the outcome of the recently-held Lok Sabha by-elections in Gorakhpur and Phulpur. The people have rejected the BJP and this will be visible in 2019," Yadav said.
Without naming Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi had launched an attack on him in his nearly hour-long speech.

New Delhi: Senior BJP leader and Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday brushed off the scathing series of accusations made by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, calling it the rhetoric of a loser, devoid of substance.

The Congress president and his party loses no opportunity to mock the Hindu religion and its rituals. The story he narrated of some priest asking him for a wall of gold for the temple is an example. This is a party that has questioned the very existence of Shri Ram. I would only suggest that he not go to quack priests but genuine ones, said Ms Sith-araman, soon after Mr Gandhis speech at the 84th Congress plenary.

Responding to the Congress presidents remarks on BJP chief Amit Shah, Ms Sithar-aman said: It is astonishing that the Congress president chooses to name the president of the BJP and says he is a murder accused. He has been cleared by a court. The charge does not hold, even though the charge was a complete conspiracy against him. It was a conspiracy based on fraud and you continue to say this.

Without naming Mr Shah, Mr Gandhi had launched an attack on him in his nearly hour-long speech. They will accept a man accused of murder as the president of the BJP, but the people will never accept the same in the Congress Party, he had said.

On Mr Gandhis accusations that the government was curbing the independence of the media and the judiciary, Ms Sitharaman reminded the Congress leader of the Emergency imposed by his grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and the controversial defamation bill, seen as an instrument to curb free speech, planned by the government led by his father Rajiv Gandhi.

Since when has the Congress become the protector of the judiciary? Do I have to remind how Indira Gandhi treated the judiciary when one verdict went against them? Rajiv Gandhi in 1988 almost brought the bill and during that phase how many cases were filed against the media? And their son and grandson is talking about press freedom, Ms Sitharaman said.

She also termed as a fake narrative the attempts to share Prime Ministers Narendra Modis name with fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi and ex-IPL chief Lalit Modi. Rahul Gandhi pointing out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharing a name with Nirav and Lalit Modi is an attempt at a fake narrative. Mr Gandhi, who is out on bail in the National Herald case, shares a surname with the Father of the Nation... Is that a reflection on the Mahatma? Im not comparing the PM with Mahatma Gandhi, just the spuriousness of this comparison, she said.
According to party sources, Punjab AAP legislators present in the meeting are believed to have been convinced with Kejriwal's explanation.

Of the 20 AAP legislators from Punjab, 10 legislators along with state unit leaders met Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia at his residence in Delhi on Sunday where Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was also present. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: On the backfoot over tendering an apology to former Punjab minister and Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, the AAP on Sunday sought to pacify its party legislators from the northern state to avert a split in the state unit.

Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal's apology letter to Majithia for accusing him of being involved in drugs trade, had taken everyone by surprise, especially the AAP's Punjab unit.

The party's Punjab president Bhagwant Mann and its co-president Aman Arora had recently resigned from their posts in protest against Kejriwal's apology.

Of the 20 AAP legislators from Punjab, 10 legislators along with state unit leaders met Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia at his residence in Delhi on Sunday where Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was also present.

The chief minister is said to have given an explanation behind his apology to Majithia.

Majithia had slapped a defamation case against Kejriwal and other AAP leaders for accusing the former of drug trade during the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls campaign.

According to party sources, the Punjab AAP legislators present in the meeting are believed to have been convinced with Kejriwal's explanation.

However, only half of the dissenting party legislators were present in the meeting, with the remaining legislators still miffed with the party leadership.

"Anyhow, it rules out any split in the party in Punjab, as of now. Forming a separate group or splitting the party would require the consent of two-third of the 20 AAP MLAs," the sources said.

Among the prominent absentees were Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Bhagwant Mann, AAP MP from Sangrur.

There have been different demands by the AAP legislators and party leaders from Punjab after Kejriwal's apology letter went public, ranging from giving them more autonomy to forming a different group in protest.

Aman Arora, AAP legislator from Suna, who had attended the meeting said there was some "miscommunication.

The reason Kejriwal had apologised is because he has several cases against him in many parts of the country. And some of them are in the fast track courts, he told reporters after the more than two hour-long meeting.

Arora said the AAP legislator present in the meeting were convinced with the explanation given by Kejriwal as the legal battle was draining him and the party in terms of resources.

This, he said, was also consuming the party supremo's time which could be used for focusing on governance in Delhi.
According to reports, Vanga predicted in 1979 that Russia would become 'lord of the world' after Europe became a 'wasteland.'

Putin, who first became president just over 18 years ago, is set to remain in power for another six years. (Photo: AP)

A blind psychic who predicted the September 11 terror attacks also foretold that Vladimir Putin would rule the world one day.

Bulgarian Baba Vanga, who died at the age of 85 in 1996, was known as the 'Nostradamus of the Balkans.'

According to reports, Vanga, who reportedly had an 85 per cent success rate with her predictions told writer Valentin Sidorov that Russia in 1979 that Russia would become 'lord of the world' after Europe became a 'wasteland.'

According tpo Birmingham Mail, she said, All will thaw, as if ice, only one remain untouched  Vladimir's glory, glory of Russia.

She had further added, Too much it is brought in a victim. Nobody can stop Russia

Vanga had reportedly also said, All will be removed by her from the way and not only will be kept, but also becomes lord of the world.

Interestingly, Putin, who first became president just over 18 years ago, is set to remain in power for another six years after Sunday's presidential election, going by exit polls.

He assumed the role of acting president of Russia in December 1999 and has gone on to dominate the Russian political landscape since.

Vanga, who was born Vangelia Pandeva Dimitrova in a village in Strumica, also foretold of Brexit decades ago.

She also claimed Europe as we know it would 'cease to exist' by the end of 2016.

The mystic said the continent would be turned into a 'wasteland almost entirely devoid of human life.'

Although not entirely accurate, Britain did vote to leave the European Union on June 23 of that year.

According to reports, Vanga mysteriously lost her eyesight at the age of 12 during a massive storm and her family allegedly found her several days later on death's door  with her eyes sealed shut and covered with dirt.

She later claimed to have experienced her first vision when she was missing and believed she had been given the power to predict the future and heal others.
The chief minister is said to have given an explanation behind his apology to Mr Majithia.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia with Punjab AAP MLAs during a meeting at Mr Sisodias residence in New Delhi on Sunday. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: On the backfoot over tendering an apology to former Punjab minister and Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, the AAP Sunday sought to pacify its party MLAs from the northern state to avert a split in the state unit.

Party supremo Arvind Kejriwals apology letter to Majithia for accusing him of being involved in drugs trade, had taken everyone by surprise, especially the AAPs Punjab unit.

The partys Punjab president Bhagwant Mann and its co-president Aman Arora had recently resigned from their posts in protest against Kejriwals apology.

Of the 20 AAP MLAs from Punjab, 10 legislators along with state unit leaders met deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia at his residence here on Sunday where Mr Kejriwal was also present.

The chief minister is said to have given an explanation behind his apology to Mr Majithia.

Mr Majithia had slapped a defamation case against Mr Kejriwal and other AAP leaders for accusing the former of drug trade during the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls campaign.

According to party sources, the Punjab AAP MLAs present in the meeting are believed to have been convinced with Kejriwals explanation.

However, only half of the dissenting party MLAs were present in the meeting, with the remaining legislators still miffed with the party leadership.

Anyhow, it rules out any split in the party in Punjab, as of now. Forming a separate group or splitting the party would require the consent of two-third of the 20 AAP MLAs, the sources said.

Among the prominent absentees were Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Bhagwant Mann, AAP MP from Sangrur.
The cadres of the Raj Thackeray-led party smashed and pulled down over 20 signboards on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway in Vasai area.

The Vasai police control room confirmed the incident, but said no offence had been registered so far. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Thane: Activists of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have pulled down Gujarati signboards at some commercial establishments in the district.

The cadres of the Raj Thackeray-led party smashed and pulled down over 20 signboards on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway in the district's Vasai area late Sunday night, MNS Thane region president Avinash Jadhav said on Monday.

"Vasai and Thane district are in Maharashtra and not Gujarat, and we will not tolerate name boards in Gujarati anymore," Jadhav told PTI on the phone.

He asserted that their agitation against such signboards would continue.

The Vasai police control room confirmed the incident, but said no offence had been registered so far.

The incident came two days after Raj Thackeray called for opposition unity and a "Modi-mukt Bharat" by 2019.

#WATCH MNS workers vandalised Gujarati signboards at shops in Vasai yesterday after Raj Thackeray in his speech last night said 'Vasai feels like Gujarat these days.' pic.twitter.com/XiUGiWV2DT  ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2018

Addressing party workers at a rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai on Saturday, Thackeray said, "The country is fed up with the false promises made by (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and his government."

"All opposition parties should come together to get rid of the BJP-led NDA government to ensure a "Modi-mukt Bharat," he said, while reminding the audience of the BJP's "Congress-mukt Bharat" slogan.

In July 2017, some workers of the MNS had protested against a jewellery shop in Dadar and a hotel in the Mahim area of Mumbai, asking them to remove the signboards in Gujarati, the police had then said.

Following the protests, the two establishments removed the Gujarati signboards, they said.

While the owners of the establishment did not lodge any complaint against the MNS cadres, seven of them were then arrested for "illegal gathering" in Mahim, the police had said.
The police are also probing other angles apart from squabble over parking of handcarts.

Mumbai: Two hawkers, a father son duo, and another person died following a fight that broke out Sunday evening between two groups of hawkers over a dispute related to parking of handcarts in Bhandup. The police said that the fight broke out at around 5.30 pm, during which a three vegetable vendors attacked a vendor his two sons with knives. The victims are Abdul Ali Khan (50), his son Shahbaz (25) and the formers second son Shahdab (28).

The incident took place at Jakaria Compound, behind Jhakaria mosque in Sonapur area of Bhandup. The police have registered a FIR and a search is on to trace the absconding attackers. Among them Abdul and Shahbaz sustained grevious injuries and was declared dead when rushed to Mulund civil hospital. Shahdab had been admitted to Fortis Hospital but he died eventually. The police have registered a murder case.

The officials said that the statements of the witnesses are being recorded. The incident occurred when the vendors were setting up their business for the day. The police are also probing other angles apart from squabble over parking of handcarts.

The CCTV footage of the area is also being scanned to identify the attackers who targeted the trio. The police suspect that the dispute between the two groups got out of control.The process of gathering details of the absconding accused is underway.
After India chose to retaliate in kind, the Pakistanis have recalled their high commissioner for consultations.

Using diplomats as whipping-boys in India-Pakistan relations is neither new nor is it likely to end anytime soon. Basically, while India wants the status quo to be maintained, Pakistan is a revisionist power that repeatedly since 1947 has sought to alter the lines dividing the two nations in the west, particularly the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. Thus, during phases of the resumed bilateral dialogue, called composite dialogue since 1997 till the Narendra Modi government renamed it the comprehensive dialogue, the diplomats are largely left alone except for residual surveillance or close monitoring of suspected spies masquerading as diplomats.

But once the political channel weakens, the security apparatus in Pakistan, led by the militarys Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), ups the harassment of Indian diplomats, staff and their families. This can take extreme forms like picking up non-diplomatic officials for interrogation on the pretext of espionage or the declaring of diplomatic officials, allegedly for such activity, as persona non grata, effectively forcing their immediate recall. Normally a tit-for-tat response follows, with similar expulsions by the other country. The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1963 provides for such action.

But the convention does not provide for harassment of another nations diplomats. In fact, under Article 44, even during armed hostilities, it mandates that diplomatic officials and staff must be allowed to leave at the earliest and without trouble. Under Article 30, even the private residence of a protected person is inviolable. Thus, some of the behaviour reported by the Indian high commissioner in Islamabad about intrusions into homes, shutting off of water or emptying of surplus tanks, etc, is a clear breach of the convention.

In the past, the surveillance has always been an irritant, though sometimes with humorous outcomes. An Indian envoy having lost his way en route to an appointment stopped, walked back to the tailing car and, tongue in cheek, requested them to lead as they surely knew the way and were anyway heading for the same destination. But such humour has been missing of late as the surveillance has got aggressive and even abusive or obstructive.

After India chose to retaliate in kind, the Pakistanis have recalled their high commissioner for consultations. Reports indicate that he is unlikely to return anytime soon. Meanwhile, Pakistan has decided to skip the WTO ministerial that India had convened, as a mark of protest over the ill-treatment of their diplomats and their families.

Generally, in the past, retaliatory treatment has had a salutary effect as the Pakistan foreign office gets a handle on their security agencies and reels them back. This time that seems unlikely in the short run as Pakistan has already entered an election cycle and the government is weak after repeated attacks by the military-judiciary combine on the PML(N) leadership and the Nawaz Sharif family. The Pakistani military is also keeping the Line of Control in Kashmir in a free-fire condition, hoping to sustain militancy in the Kashmir Valley, by maintaining the supply of new mujahideen and boosting the morale of depleted but residual cadres.

But is this peculiar to South Asia? In August 2017, the United States withdrew some diplomats from Cuba as they complained of nausea, hearing loss, headaches, etc. The US determined that they had been subjected to a secret Cuban sonic weapon, probably employed for snooping but which had unexpected health effects. This started after President Donald Trump was elected. The US embassy, opened by his predecessor Barack Obama in July-August 2015, had experienced no such difficulties earlier. Before that period, visiting US diplomats were given the Pakistan-type treatment.

Surely the Pakistani agencies realise that such ham-handed behaviour with diplomats will degrade the very instrument needed to maintain proper communication between the two estranged nations. One immediate consequence has been India advising its personnel to restrict movement to the high commission compound in Islamabad, and to ensure that non-diplomatic staff use cars with diplomatic plates for forays into Islamabad. The next step could be declaring Islamabad a non-family station, as many Western nations already have due to the terrorism theat. India may, unlike them, on a reciprocal basis also restrict Pakistani numbers in their New Delhi mission.

Pakistan is signalling that the so-called zero tolerance policy of the Narendra Modi government, premised on no talks till terrorism is eliminated, India-specific militant groups curbed and the conspirators of 26/11 brought to justice, has failed. Undeniably, boycotting Pakistan bilaterally cannot result in mere stasis or animated suspension. Pakistan will provoke matters by heating up the border, attempting another Jadhav episode, misbehaving with Indian diplomats or boycotting Indian meetings, etc. The aim is to provoke, invite international attention to the standoff and project defiance. Pakistan would also align more forcefully with other neighbours resentful of Indian dominance in South Asia.

Iran inviting the Pakistanis and the Chinese to Chabahar to consider cooperation indicates that all countries are hedging their bets. The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia proclaims that if Iran gets nuclear weapons they shall likewise do so swiftly. The only quick method decipherable is for Pakistan to transfer some to them, in delayed payment for past financing of their programme and continuing financial support. Then there is the perennial Chinese hand propping up Pakistan, even economically now through the $60-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. US President Donald Trump waving a periodic fist at Pakistan should not be the sole determinant of its isolation.

Thus, restoring normality to the functioning of diplomatic missions should be a priority, provided that the Pakistan foreign office has some control left on that countrys security agencies. The Indian government will also soon be in its final year, and multiple election cycles may not leave it with the will to tweak its Pakistan policy. Thus, Indian and Pakistani diplomats may have a harrowing year ahead: of being strong-armed by the security agencies.
The satellites allow scientists to send experiments into space on unmanned missions and recover the results.

China has used these satellites in the past to send seeds into space, developing new types of plants from seeds that have been exposed to zero gravity and cosmic radiation. (Representational image)

Shanghai: China plans to begin offering recoverable satellites to commercial users between 2019 and 2020, the official state news agency Xinhua reported. The country has successfully brought back more than 20 satellites from space since 1975 and is confident its technology is highly reliable, said Zhang Hongtai, president of the China Academy of Space Technology, a satellite and spacecraft maker.

We plan to upgrade this technology in order to satisfy the needs of commercial users, he was quoted as saying.

The satellites allow scientists to send experiments into space on unmanned missions and recover the results. China has used these satellites in the past to send seeds into space, developing new types of plants from seeds that have been exposed to zero gravity and cosmic radiation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has been keen to advance Chinas space program which lags its counterparts in the United States and Russia, saying it is needed to enhance national security and defense.
Manila is one of 16 cities making up Metro Manila. Nearby cities were helping put out the blaze, Manilas fire department said.

The blaze at the Waterfront Manila Pavilion, a hotel and casino complex, was still raging six hours after it began on Sunday morning, prompting more than 300 people to flee the area and six to be brought to hospital, fire and city officials said. (Photo: AP)

Manila: Four people were killed and 19 feared trapped by a major hotel fire in the Philippine capital Manila on Sunday, with others plucked from the rooftop by helicopter, authorities said.

The blaze at the Waterfront Manila Pavilion, a hotel and casino complex, was still raging six hours after it began on Sunday morning, prompting more than 300 people to flee the area and six to be brought to hospital, fire and city officials said.

Of the four who died, two were identified as hotel employees, said Manila citys disaster risk reduction chief, Johnny Yu.

The two are a security guard and a treasury officer. They were likely trapped, suffered from suffocation and were brought to the hospital but declared dead on arrival, Yu told reporters, adding 19 were missing.

Authorities were investigating the cause of the fire, which is believed to have begun in the casino or mezzanine area of the 21-floor hotel which regularly hosted both locals and foreigners, Yu added.

Responders sent a helicopter to rescue people trapped on the rooftop and officials launched a ground operation to get the others out.

Manila is one of 16 cities making up Metro Manila. Nearby cities were helping put out the blaze, Manilas fire department said.

This is a major fire. There were those who inhaled the smoke and were brought to the hospital, senior fire officer Marlon Banaag told AFP.

Deadly blazes break out regularly in the Philippines, particularly in slum areas where there are virtually no safety standards.

The deadliest in recent years was in suburban Manila where 72 people died in 2015 at a factory which makes rubber slippers.

In the southern city of Davao, 38 people were killed in December 2017 by a fire that ravaged a shopping mall and a call centre.
The shock measures by US are in response to 'unfair' trade practices, but EU has vowed to retaliate for a tit-for-tat trade war.

In the European Union 'we are a customs union and act collectively. It cannot be in the interest of the US government to divide Europe, nor will it succeed,' German Economy Minister Altmaier said. (Photo: AFP)

Frankfurt am Main: US President Donald Trump "will not succeed" in dividing European nations against one another over trade, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier warned on Sunday ahead of a visit to Washington.

In the European Union "we are a customs union and act collectively. It cannot be in the interest of the US government to divide Europe, nor will it succeed," Altmaier told German business daily Handelsblatt.

For the close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, top of the agenda at meetings in the US capital will be Trump's planned tariffs of 25 per cent on imported steel and 10 per cent on aluminium.

The US leader says the shock measures are in response to "unfair" trade practices, but the EU has vowed to retaliate -- including with levies on imports of whiskey or motorcycles -- raising the spectre of a tit-for-tat trade war.

"Companies and consumers on both sides would foot the bill if the US and Europe tumble into a trade war," Altmaier said.

Meanwhile, countries like China that stand accused of flooding global markets with cheap steel would be "laughing on the sidelines", he added.

In a statement Saturday, Merkel's office said the German leader had spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The two backed continuing talks among the G20 group of industrialised and emerging nations on cutting steel overproduction which have so far had little impact.

Altmaier allowed that "global free trade is certainly not perfect yet," adding that if Washington is unhappy "we have to talk about it rather than acting unilaterally."

Responding to Trump's threat to slap tariffs on German car imports if the EU retaliates over his metals levies, Altmaier added that "German cars are successful in all world markets because they're so good. Higher border taxes would be the wrong response to that."
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been criticised for her alleged silence over the growing humanitarian crisis in Rakhine state. The emergency was at the centre of talks among ASEAN members at the three-day summit (16-18 March) in Sydney. To resolve it, she is seeking ASEANs and Australias assistance.

Sydney (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Aung San Suu Kyi's state visit to Australia officially began today.

Myanmars democratic leader arrived in Sydney two days ago for the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This morning she was welcomed to Parliament House in Canberra.

During her brief visit, there was no press conference with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, nor did Aung San Suu Kyi make any public statement. She did however meet with the prime minister and opposition leader.

In Australia, her visit has sparked controversy and protests. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been criticised for her alleged silence over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Rakhine state, which the United Nations has called "an example of ethnic cleansing" against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

The emergency in Myanmars western-most state was at the centre of talks among ASEAN members during the three-day summit (16-18 March).

ASEAN leaders agreed on the need for greater collaboration to address the growing threat of violent extremism and radicalisation.

Contrary to what Aung San Suu Kyis critics hoped for, the final statement released by ASEAN at the end of the summit does not condemn the treatment of the Rohingya by Myanmar.

Australian Prime Minister Turnbull yesterday said that Aung San Suu Kyi sought assistance from member countries and Australia to resolve the crisis.

We discussed the situation in Rakhine state at considerable length today. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi addressed the matter comprehensively at some considerable length herself, Mr Turnbull said, using the Burmese honorific Daw (Aunt or Ms) for the Myanmar leader.

She seeks support from ASEAN and other nations to provide help from a humanitarian and capacity-building point of view, he added.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak told the summit the refugee crisis was no longer solely a domestic issue for Myanmar, as fleeing Rohingya could be the first victims of radicalisation promoted by terrorists.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong agreed that it was a complex inter-communal situation which ASEAN leaders would continue to discuss frankly.

Its an issue which is also in the public attention and its one of those where intense public attention sometimes makes it more difficult to solve, Lee added.
by Kamran Chaudhry

Special steps are announced for Easter celebrations. Police will train volunteers before Good Friday. The Church has long called for the implementation of a court ruling to train special police task force to protect Catholic places of worship.

Lahore (AsiaNews)  Volunteers from the Pakistani Church are working with Pakistani police to develop special security measures to prevent attacks against the Catholic community at Easter.

Speaking at the end of Sunday Mass, yesterday, at Lahores Sacred Heart Cathedral, catechist Sarfraz Victor told worshippers to be on alert. Consider yourselves like security staff, protect yourselves and others, be friendly and work together with [police] agents."

This announcement comes a few days after a cathedral security team met with Punjab police to discuss the protection of the city's churches following a suicide attack that killed 11 people, including six policemen, in Raiwind, a city close to Lahore, on 14 March.

The latter is not an isolated incident. Last year, the authorities arrested 19-year-old Noreen Leghari who was planning a suicide attack on a church in Lahore during Easter. She was later released.

On 27 March 2016, Easter Sunday, 78 people died and more than 340 were wounded in an attack that hit one of Lahore's largest parks.

William Arif Khan, who heads 25 security volunteers at Sacred Heart Cathedral, said that extraordinary measures will be taken this year.

"No visitor will be allowed in without a national identity card, Khan said. Action will be taken against any parishioner who brings a non-Christian to church Mass. Use of smartphone /social media will be prohibited inside Church premises.

An Elite police force will be visiting churches this Easter," he told AsiaNews adding that his team will be trained by police before Good Friday.

In fact, Volunteers with licensed weapons are already armed during Masses. But those without a license cannot do much in capturing an infiltrating terrorist. We have asked police to issue license for arms to protect churches."

For their part, Church leaders have long called for the implementation of a 2014 ruling by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, which provides for the establishment of a National Council on the Rights of Minorities and the creation of a special police task force to protect their places of worship.

Last Friday, about 70 Church representatives met with Islamabad Police Inspector General Azam Taimoori (pictured) to discuss the security situation.

The "Punjab government has yet to implement SOPs, standard operation procedures, including installation of walk-through gates and posting of snipers in Churches. We shall file a contempt case if they continue ignoring the apex court verdict," said Samuel Pyara, head of the Implementation Minority Rights Forum (IMRF).

"A major concern of Islamabad churches is the irregularity of police [agents]. Most were busy on their mobile phones while on duty to protect worshipers. Also Church buildings were exempted from safe city project under which security cameras were installed in Islamabad."
by Wang Zhicheng

The personal friend and economic advisor to Xi Jinping was named vice-premier. He will be joined by Han Zhen, Sun Chunlan, Hu Chunhua. He is the person who pushes most for economic reforms and for a change in the Chinese development model. The nomination of Yi Gang as governor of the People's Bank of China was also appreciated.

Beijing (AsiaNews) - Just as the annual meeting of the Chinese parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC), was about to conclude, China has chosen the economist Liu He, 66, as vice-premier. Thanks to his experience, he will probably face the economic and financial challenges of the country, together with a decisive openness and collaboration with the world of international finance.

Known as a protege of Xi Jinping, Liu (center in the photo) has exerted a great influence on the economic and development policies of the country in the last 15 years. Last October he was included in the Politburo; in January he represented China at the meeting in Davos, where he promised economic reforms and open markets. In February he went to the United States to try to smooth tensions with the US, close to an economic war, reopening talks with Washington on bilateral economic relations.

After a military career, Liu graduated in economics from Renmin and in 1995 took a master's degree in public administration at Harvard. He speaks fluent English and is rather shy in dealing with the public.

In several articles, Liu He shows that China risks being stagnated after an initial economic boom. For this reason he argues that the country, the government and the party should look more to transform the model of growth from one based on investments and exports of products, to one in which domestic consumption is promoted, through the improvement of the life of the population .

According to several experts, he is the "authoritative figure" who in May 2016 published a long article in the People's Daily, warning about the consequences of excessive use of leverage to push the economy forward. He has condemned easy credit as the cause of all financial risks in the currency market, in the stock exchange, in the construction market and in banks.

The other three vice-premier, who will support Li Keqiang, reconfirmed as prime minister, are: Han Zhen, former Party secretary in Shanghai; Sun Chunlan, head of the United Front Department, Hu Chunhua, party secretary in Guangdong. Han is one of the seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the absolute apex of the Party; the others are members of the Politburo.

A nomination that arouses consensus in the country and in the world is that of Yi Gang as the new governor of the People's Bank of China (Bpc). Yi, 60, has already worked for 20 years in the PBC and since 2008 has been vice-governor, under Zhou Xiaochuan, who was also eager to correct the method of easy credit for the economy.
The new generation is the true foundation on which to rebuild after years of divisions, violence and extremism, says Mgr Yousif Thoma Mirkis who met 700 university students from Mosul, lodged in Kirkuk during the Islamic State rule. Two young men from Mosul, one Christian and one Muslim, shot a video telling the story of a friendship that is stronger than the jihadi madness.

Kirkuk (AsiaNews)  Rebuilding Iraq, after years of wars, extremism, divisions and violence culminating in the rise of the Islamic State, which is down but not yet out, must be based "on the young, who are the basis on which to build the future," said Mgr Yousif Thoma Mirkis, archbishop of Kirkuk, northern Iraq.

The prelate recently met with a group of students from the University of Mosul who were lodged in his diocese when the Islamic State controlled the city.

In a context of "social strife and devastations that have struck streets, houses, places of worship and cultural centres", the University of Mosul "has resumed activities trying to secure a future for its students, the archbishop said.

For him, the new generation is the starting point to revive Iraqs social, economic and cultural fabric, torn by conflicts and divisions over identity and sectarianism.

Pope Francis has repeatedly stressed that young people play a leading role in building a "healthier and more supportive" society.

The pontiff is set to meet with a group of over 300 young people from all over the world, who will be in the Vatican from 19 to 24 March to discuss the issues that will be on the agenda of next years Synod of Bishops, dedicated precisely to new generations.

At this meeting, participants will present their experiences and their requests to Pope Francis, for both Catholics but also young people from other religions or no religion.

For Mgr Yousif Thoma Mirkis, the experience of meeting, dialogue and sharing is what "pushed me to host about 700 university students, Christians and Muslims, from the University of Mosul" (pictured) during the period of Islamic State occupation.

"It was great to see them again, the prelate said. In my recent visit I went to the university. I have never shaken so many hands, taken pictures, smiled next to them. Muslim students were the first who wanted to greet me, happy to immortalise the meeting in an image."

About 3,000 young Christians study at the University of Mosul, and every day they travel from the villages and towns in the Nineveh plain to the big city in northern Iraq.

The student dormitory is still damaged and there are no rooms or places in the city to accommodate them because of the devastation by the Islamic State, which left traces that are still visible today.

"As rebuilding continues, the Church pays their transportation costs. People want to turn the page, be alive again, resume their interrupted journey.

For the prelate, young people are the engine of this renaissance, "putting aside religious ideologies or policies of the past that have failed, leaving behind only death and destruction".

"We cannot start up with the same pro-Islamic politicians and radical religious leaders, he said. We have had enough of divisions between Sunnis and Shiites; we must not turn back the clock.

We must look at unity, based on the principle of citizenship in one nation free from corruption, and free from external interference from regional and international powers."

To counter the jihadi brainwashing of the past few years and the ideologies of death and destruction, the archbishop of Kirkuk suggests initiatives that encourage exchange and dialogue.

One is a short film entitled Back to Mosul, which tells the story of the bond between Alaa and Ali, a Christian and a Muslim, that is stronger than jihadi madness.

The videoclip "is the work of the two young people who wanted to show that it is possible to go back to living together, overcoming the divisions". (DS)
by Nirmala Carvalho

Sexually exploited women and girls do not come out of nothing. They do not choose to become prostitutes; they are tricked into it. Poor areas are vulnerable to traffickers who dress up their evil as benevolence. [T]here is always greed, always vulnerability and always deception as well as a place of origin  a location. For the nun, where I work, I am almost alone. And there are so many like me.

New York (AsiaNews)  Indias poor rural areas are the main suppliers of the human trafficking structure, this according to Sister Annie Jesus Mary Louis, of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary (FMM).

The nun spoke at a seminar titled Preventing the Trafficking of Rural Women and Girls: Integrating Inherent Dignity into a human Rights, held at United Nations Headquarters Conference Room 1 on 13 March in New York City.

Here, Sr Annie said people must stop pretending that these girls came out of a vacuum. Let us stop pretending that that there isnt a clear and acknowledged supply chain of exploitation. These girls came from somewhere. And we know where.

The Franciscan nun has worked for years with NGOs involved in the fight against human trafficking. Her efforts earned her the recognition of the Indian government as the Best Social Worker in the State, 2016.

Sexual exploitation is big business, she notes. It is governed by exactly the same principles as any commercial activity: supply and demand. You have a product. Someone buys, someone sells. In this case, the product is sexual access to another human being.

If trafficking in young women exists its because many men here  young, middle-aged and elderly  want their services and are prepared to pay for their own pleasure . . . the true solution is the conversion of hearts, cutting off the demand and drying up the market.

Sr Annie works in rural Chhattisgarh, central India, among tribal people, who are vulnerable to this kind of exploitation. The area, along with many other rural areas, is a source for the sex-trade supply chain.

Locals are poor, with no education or access to health care, miles away from the nearest city, without NGOs or public services.

Traffickers know all of this. They know that the parents of children in my area are easily deceived, and sometimes so desperate that they willingly sell their own children.

These traffickers use age old means of deception to draw women and girls away from their homes. They often promise opportunities in cities. Sometimes they dress up their evil as benevolence.

To illustrate her point, the Franciscan nun referred to the case of one of the girls under her care. Myra (not her real name) was sold to a phoney agency by relatives when she was only 13.

She was made to believe that the money she was earning was helping her family. In fact, her family never got a rupee. Instead, she was beaten, tortured and raped several times before she was rescued.

" Elements of her story are extreme, Sr Annie said. But some are commonplace: there is always greed, always vulnerability and always deception. But, and this is the crucial point of my talk, there is also always an origin  a location.

My cherished friends I am here to say simply that these women and girls did not wake up one day and decide to move to the city to enter prostitution. They were manipulated from their homes. The notion of free choice here is an illusion.

For the nun, not enough is being done to prevent them from being taken. With respect to labour exploitation, Companies are spending millions on this as we speak to address the problem, but nothing is being done for sexual exploitation even though it is the same.

In view of the situation, the nun wants action against the supply chains of sexual exploitation saying that it should be treated with the same seriousness as other situations.

Prevention work in areas like mine is almost non-existent. These families need loving accompaniment. They need opportunities. They need to feel like society cares about them. Yet, where I work, I am almost alone. And there are so many like me.

Speaking to AsiaNews, Luke De Pulford, director of the Arise Foundation, which co-sponsored the seminar, praised the sisters involved in these projects, who were given "due prominence" because of their expertise and experience.

"It was Arises privilege to co-sponsor this event, he said, and our fervent hope is that the UN was listening attentively to what these true experts were saying.
Choe Kang-il, a senior North Korean diplomat, left for Finland yesterday. The goal is to prepare the summits between Kim Jong-un, Moon and Trump. The South Korean president evaluates a possible coordination of South Korea-China-Japan.

Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Choe Kang-il, a senior North Korean diplomat and deputy director general for North American Affairs, is in Helsinki to meet former US and South Korean officials. The meeting, which will also be attended by Kathleen Stephens, a former US ambassador to South Korea, will be held at the Japanese Embassy in Helsinki, Finland.

The trip - which follows that of the North Korean Foreign Minister to Stockholm - is part of the series of preparatory meetings, in view of the summits expected in April and May, when Kim Jong-un should meet South Korean president Moon Jae-in and American Donald Trump.

Choe is not new to the context of the dialogue which restarted thanks to the Olympics of PyengChang: he had been part of the North Korean delegation to South Korea in February led by Kim Yo-jong, sister of the North Korean leader, and Kim Yong-nam.

Moon is considering discussing and coordinating the strategy for the upcoming weeks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who recently opened up the opportunity to meet the North Korean leader himself.

The real effectiveness of dialogue will be put to the test tomorrow, when the United States and South Korea will announce the date of the next joint military exercises, considered by North Korea as a "provocation".
The new prelates are Mgr Waldemar Stanisaw Sommertag, nuncio to Nicaragua; Mgr Alfred Xuereb, nuncio to Korea and Mongolia; and Mgr Jose Avelino Bettencourt, nuncio to Armenia and Georgia. The Pope emphasised that a bishops mission is the good of men in things that concern God", adding emphatically, not for business, not for politics, not for other things."

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis ordained three priests from the Roman Curia as titular archbishops with the task of apostolic nuncio. In his address during the ceremony, the pontiff told them that prayer is the first task of a bishop.

The new prelates are Mgr Waldemar Stanisaw Sommertag, 50, from the diocese of Pelplin (Poland), appointed nuncio to Nicaragua (picture 3); Mgr Alfred Xuereb, 59, of the diocese of Gozo (Malta), a former personal secretary to Benedict XVI and Pope Francis (picture 1), now apostolic nuncio to Korea and Mongolia; and Mgr Jose Avelino Bettencourt, 56, born in Portugal, of the Archdiocese of Ottawa (Canada), appointed nuncio to Armenia and Georgia (picture 2).

The ceremony was held at the Altar of Confession, in the centre of St Peters Basilica on the occasion of the solemnity of St Joseph. Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, co-celebrated the liturgical service along with dozens of other bishops and cardinals.

As in many similar cases, the Popes homily follows that of the ritual of the Roman Pontifical for the ordinations of bishops, with some significant additions and emphases.

In fact, the Holy Father emphasised prayer as the "very first task" of a bishop. Citing the letter to the Hebrews (5.1), the pontiff said that "every priest, taken from among men, is made for the good of men in things that concern God", adding emphatically, not for business, not for politics, not for other things."

Urging the new prelates to be witnesses of the love of the Good Shepherd, Francis added: "Love all those whom the Lord entrusts to you: be close to priests, every day, but [be close] also to the poor, the defenceless".

Last but not least, given the task of nuncio entrusted to them, the Pope asked the new Vatican diplomats to bear witness to "solicitude for all the Churches", to whom they must always show closeness and solidarity.
Turkish soldiers and opposition groups take the city. The statue of a popular figure of Kurdish culture and tradition has been demolished. Ankara intends to continue the operation until "the area is secure". The Kurds promise resistance and announce targeted attacks "at the first opportunity".

Damascus (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Turkish army, supported by Islamic extremist groups of the Syrian opposition, has taken full control of Afrin, winning the resistance of the Kurdish militias YPG (People's Protection Unit). In these hours soldiers and militiamen roam the streets of the city with Turkish flags and anti-Assad opposition banners, with three stars in the middle instead of the two of the traditional banner. The statue depicting a leader of the Kurdish minority has been demolished.

Two months after beginning the operation "Olive Branch", Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ousted the YPG fighting groups termed as "terrorists" by Ankara. Over 280 civilians were killed during the operation, a figure strongly denied by the Turkish government.

Earlier Erdogan proclaimed "full control of the center of Afrin" by "units of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), formed by some of the many rebel groups fighting against Damascus. From the center of the city came images and videos of some fighters busy tearing down a statue of the famous blacksmith Kawa, a popular and legendary figure of the Kurdish tradition.

In a note some personalities linked to the Kurdish fighting movements claim that the demolition constitutes a "blatant violation of the culture and history of the Kurdish people" just a few hours after the conquest of Afrin. In response, Turkish military spokesman Bekir Bozdag reports that the military campaign is set to continue until "the area is secure".

However, the victory of the Turkish-led military coalition does not seem to have extinguished the Kurdish resistance. In a televised message, co-chairman of Afrin Othman executive board Sheikh Issa confirms that the war against Ankara "has entered a new phase". The Kurdish forces, he continues, remain in the region and "will hit the positions of the Turkish enemy and its mercenaries at the first opportunity". "We will become - he concludes - a constant threat to them".

It remains now to understand what Erdogan's next moves will be and if the offensive will push up to Manbij (and Kobane), with the risk of an open clash with the US military stationed in the area and allied with the Kurds. Moreover, for Ankara there is also the risk that Afrin's residents - mostly Kurds - take up arms in an attempt to push the Turkish aggressor back across the border.
Aus Gov funds Manuka honey marketing push





The Australian Federal Government has awarded the Australian Manuka Honey Association $165, 000 to promote Australian Manuka honey as a valuable medicinal honey overseas.

The association says the funds will be used to raise awareness about the unique qualities of Australias Manuka honey.

The funding comes as Australia and New Zealand continue to battle over the rights and origin of Manuka honey, a type of honey growing in popularity for its believed health benefits, such as helping with colds and wounds.

New Zealands honey industry argues that Manuka honey is native to New Zealand and so it should be able to exclusively sell Manuka honey.

The Australian Manuka Honey Association however argues that the Leptospermum tree, from which Manuka Honey comes from, is a native Australian plant and so New Zealanders should not have the exclusive rights to the Manuka name.

Paul Callander, Chairman of the Australian Manuka Honey Association, said the Australian Manuka Honey Association is appreciative of the funding to help market Australian Manuka honey.

This growing industry has opened up additional opportunity for Australian Manuka honey to further develop medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and nutraceutical markets as well as Manuka honey in a jar.

This expansion will lead to new jobs in the development of value add products manufactured in Australia, which are in increasingly high demand from global consumers, he said.

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Qantas to showcase native Australian ingredients



Charlie's Cookies with finger lime for Qantas

Qantas passengers will now get a taste of some of Australias native food ingredients thanks to new additions to Qantas in-flight menu.

Australian food company, Charlies Cookies, is now producing shortbread using native Australian finger lime for Qantas domestic flights.

The finger lime shortbread joins the new Byron Bay Cookie Butterburst cookie with native Davidson Plum also made for Qantas.

The finger lime and Davidson Plum in both biscuits are supplied by up-and-coming Australian native food company, The Australian Superfood Co.

Australian Superfood Company Founder and Managing Director, Hayley Bliden, said using native Australian ingredients is important to help celebrate Australian food.

Now, more than ever, our local growers need to reach a larger, captive audience and this has given them the opportunity to do so, Bliden said.

[The shortbread biscuits] give international tourists a taste of Australia but also show Australian travellers the amazing flavours available in their own backyard.

Both Charlies Cookies finger lime shortbread and Byron Bay Cookies butterburst cookie are available now on Qantas domestic flights until September 2018.

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By Ivano Bongiovanni, Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow

Imagine youre camping in the Australian outback. Your friend falls and breaks a leg, and you call Triple Zero (000)  but youre panicking, and cant remember which roads you took to the rocky outcrop where the accident took place.

Getting help in this sort of situation may soon be simpler, with Apple recently announcing that the iOS 11.3 update (available in coming months) will support Advanced Mobile Location technology (AML). With AML, when an emergency call is made from a mobile phone, the location of the caller is automatically sent to the emergency communication operator.

But one vital step is missing for this to work in Australia. AML also has to be supported by the operator that manages the emergency communication service in that country. At the moment, this happens only in United Kingdom, Estonia, Lithuania, Austria, Iceland, Belgium, Ireland, Finland and New Zealand.





Read more:

Snakebites are rarer than you think, but if you collapse, CPR can save your life





In June 2017, the Australian government announced that a request for tender will be issued to deliver a new Triple Zero (000) service (Telstra has been the service provider since 1961).

This new service will need to support location-based data, with AML indicated as the preferred solution. Further, the government indicated that the new service will need to be flexible enough to support alternative technologies in the future.

The timing of the tender process is currently not clear. Still, Apples announcement means that the majority of mobile phones around the world will have AML by default  news welcomed with enthusiasm by emergency communication professionals.

Close to 100% of Android phone users already have a similar setup, with AML capability automatically incorporated from July 2016 (from their Gingerbread version onwards). Androids AML is called Emergency Location Service, or ELS.

Emergencies in Australia

Research by the Australian Communications and Media Authority shows that in Australia in 2017, around 70% of emergency calls came from mobile phones, with 14% of Australians making at least one call to Triple Zero (000) between January and June 2017.

To dispatch the appropriate emergency services (Police, Fire or Ambulance), the emergency operator has to know the callers location with an appropriate level of accuracy.

This can be problematic, especially in a situation of extreme distress, and when the caller is unfamiliar with their surroundings  for example, in a remote area or where a street number is not immediately visible.





Read more:

Seven ways to protect your pets in an emergency





To tackle this issue, in 2015 the Push Mobile Location Identification (Push MoLI) was introduced in Australia. This system identifies the callers location based on the proximity to telecommunications cellular towers and automatically sends it to the operator.

However, the Push MoLI only provides an area within which the caller is located. The accuracy of location largely depends on the proximity to, and the number of, nearby cell towers. In remote regions, such area can have a radius of up to 100 kilometres.

To address such issues, in 2014 Australias Triple Zero Awareness Group launched Emergency+. Once downloaded, the app uses a mobile phones internal GPS to calculate latitude and longitude and show them on the screen. When prompted, the emergency caller can read their coordinates to the operator. Emergency+ has already exceeded 1 million downloads.

Examples of Emergency+s effectiveness are reported in the media.

Nonetheless, some limitations have been highlighted. As of June 2017, 15.45 million Australian adults owned a smartphone, which indicates that, at best, not more than 6.5% of them have the app.

Also, the process of reading ones latitude and longitude introduces chances of human error, either by the caller or the operator. Further, some users may be unfamiliar with spelling their coordinates from a mobile app (e.g. the elderly). AML is intended to address these issues.

The future of emergency communication

The future of emergency communication is expected to be digital-friendly, flexible and diversified.

We can already see public acknowledgement of the growing importance of digital technologies for emergency communications. In the UK, the Merseyside Police has recently launched an initiative for citizens to report non-urgent crimes through social media.

However, it has been pointed out that social media should not be considered a replacement for more traditional (and sometimes reliable) forms of communication.





Read more:

The role of social media as cyclones batter Australia





The National Emergency Communication Working Group - Australia and New Zealand (NECWG-A/NZ) consists of Australia and New Zealand representatives from emergency service organisations, public safety organisations, emergency call persons (the initial triage points for emergency callers, currently Telstra in Australia and Spark in New Zealand) and carrier representatives.

In 2014, NECWG-A/NZ produced the Next Generation Triple Zero Strategy (NG000). This document describes a vision for a Next Generation Emergency Call Service enabling:

() any person requiring emergency assistance to use any device anywhere anytime to connect to emergency services.

The vision consists of a multichannel approach, with inter-operable systems (allowing the different emergency agencies to be connected upon a single request) and that enables digital technologies.

Being proactive rather than reactive is another focus for future Triple Zero (000) and emergency communications. This idea was described in a recent report from NECWG-A/NZ working with the Chair in Digital Economy at QUT and Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

The emergency communication centre envisaged in this report uses data coming in from different sources (calls, videos, SMS, social media, sensors, etc.) and converts them into information used to prepare for, and possibly prevent, future emergencies. It has a constant presence of staff members from different emergency service and public safety organisations, with profiles ranging from data analysts to robotics experts and more.

NECWG-A/NZ is currently working on a roadmap to guide future development across three key aspects of emergency management: response, preparedness, and prevention.









Authors





The Triple Zero (000) emergency service has saved the lives of many Australians. With the advent of digital technologies, it is now ready for its Next Generation. AML is the next step to accomplish. Beyond, lie numerous possibilities for a proactive emergency communication centre.

The author would like to recognise a significant contribution to this article from Chris Beatson, Director, PoliceLink Command, NSW Police Force.

The research cited in this article was completed during Ivano Bongiovanni's appointment as a Postdoc Researcher with the Chair in Digital Economy, Queensland University of Technology. Ivano Bongiovanni received funding from NECWG-A/NZ, QUT, PwC Australia, Queensland Government, and Brisbane Marketing.

Originally published in The Conversation.
Hi All,



My wife recently visited on visitor visa and went back last week. I want to bring her back here to be with her. From reading the forum and my previous post, trying to waive condition 8503 from a sponsored visitor visa is next to 0%. If it was removed I can apply for On Shore Partner Visa.



I want to know if I were to apply for a visitor visa so soon after she left, would it get the application denied? I want to apply for 6 month stay. She already came to Australia twice before on visitor visa with the 8503 condition.



Another option would be for me apply for Off-Shore visa and then apply visitor visa? Would this make her getting the visitor visa more likely?



Thanks
Neopost delivered its first in a series of print educational seminars for the year, aiming to help printshop owners develop their businesses

Karen Kavanagh, marketing director, Neopost, explains, This is just the beginning for us. We are moving to a more content driven seminar approach with our clients. It is important for the industry that while it is going through challenges and change that someone like Neopost is teaching and educating.

When you partner with Neopost you partner with someone who can not only offer the equipment, but has expertise in supporting growth, advising you in trends and challenges, and is good partner in print that can help you grow your business.

Yesterday was one of many seminars we will offer throughout the year. We are in Queensland tomorrow, and Victoria on Thursday. I want people to look out for these, they are punchy, and packed with information. The events will see Neopost partnering with HP.

In Sydney Kavanagh delivered a session on direct mail, speaking from both a marketing perspective, and print perspective, explaining that, People are overwhelmed with the amount of people trying to connect with them through digital marketing. If you do something clever with print, you will stand out. Marketers know if it is done right it will get better results.

I am not saying to shy away from digital, but having both together gets better results and the stats speak for themselves.

You do not need high levels of investment either to produce effective direct mail marketing. One customer I spoke to said he does a little bit of direct marketing, mostly standard printed sheets, and when a customer wants something different, he can go to the market and work with a partner.

You can find printers in the high-end print space and work with them to give your customers something different in print. You do not need to have the high-end capabilities yourself.

Embellishment is something the industry is looking at to increase the value of print. Marketeers love lavish print, and they like things they have not seen previously.

It is not necessarily expensive when you do choose to invest, basic foiling and lamination can create embellishment, right up to UV coating. Yes you can invest, and create outstanding print, but good direct mail does not have to be lavish, and it does not need a huge technology investment from the printer.

Jeremy Brew, application specialist, Large Format Printing, HP Graphic Solutions, delivered a session on newer applications with latex printing, and growth areas for printers to boost revenues.

Brew says, It is easier to sell new applications to current customers rather than getting new customers. Conversely, new applications can also bring in new customers.

Wide-format applications, Sign & Display, where most of the industry operates, has around 6.6bn sqm globally of addressable space. The Decor market, which is mostly untapped, in particular by digital, has 23bn sqm of potential space for print, four times as much.

Even the room we are in, which could be described as 50 shades of beige, could have had much more print sold as part of its design.

The acoustic panels on the walls could be personalised, the outside of the blinds could have the Parkroyal hotel printed on, you could use magnetic layers of paint underneath the top cover and have magnetic printed signage that is easily put up and removed.

Retail clothing stores are increasingly using more soft signage, and printed fabrics, as it is much closer to the product that they sell. For printers, this presents the opportunity for repeat business.

Globally, hotels have fallen to what is described as the Trip Advisor effect, driving down the average time between renovations and redecorations from every seven years, to every four years. This presents much more opportunities for print businesses moving into printed Decor.

When HP surveyed 300 interior decorators, and designers across the US and UK, 90 per cent said they would recommend and specify wallcoverings. Broken down, 54 per cent that work with corporate workplaces agreed, along with 42 per cent in hospitality, and 30 per cent in retail.

Even HP has changed its logo three times in recent memory  each change necessitating every single piece of branded equipment to be reprinted.

Comment below to have your say on this story.

If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at [email protected]

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Anna Smith writes a weekly column about Bakersfield. She can be reached at anna@sagebakersfield.com. The opinions expressed are her own.
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Flanked by House Speaker Richard Corcoran and surrounded by members of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, Gov. Rick Scott signed into law a new bill on Monday aimed at combatting opioid abuse throughout the state.

HB 21 signed at Manatee County Sheriff's Office

Place 3-day limit on opioid prescriptions for acute pain

Creates statewide database for opioid-prescribed patients

Goes into effect July 1

Gov. Scott signed the bill, HB 21, at a signing ceremony at the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Last week, I signed the Securing Floridas Future budget, which includes more than $65 million to support Floridas fight against opioids, and I am proud to continue our fight against opioids by signing this major legislation today," Scott said. "This bill will help limit the chance of drug addiction, reduce the ability for dangerous drugs to spread in Floridas communities and give vulnerable Floridians needed support."

Among the chief features of the bill is a new 3-day limit on prescribed opioids for acute pain, unless strict conditions are met for a seven-day supply.

Corcoran touted this element of the bill as a measure that could potentially save thousands of lives.

"No longer will we be prescribed blanketly [sic] 30-day prescriptions -- now we'll say it's a 3-day prescription and then you'll have to come back," Corcoran said. "Is that an inconvenience? Yes. Is it an inconvenience worth saving 50,000 lives? Absolutely."

Local impact

For patients of pain treatment specialist Dr. Fabian Ramos, the new limits won't change much. Ramos told us only 18 percent of his patients are prescribed opioids.

However, he did point out that such a low number was not the case for every doctor's office.

"For us, it's not going to impose any change," Ramos explained. "The regular practitioners in the community it will -- it will limit the ability to prescribe for acute pain."

Ramos has specialized in pain treatment in Bradenton for 18 years. During that period, he said he's watched the rise of "pill mills" throughout the area.

"[Doctors] were taught in the 90s, which is [sic] 'you need to treat pain,' the pain of the patient, and you need to take the medication even before the pain came back," Ramos said.

With the signing of the new legislation, patients who may try to look for a doctor to specifically prescribe opioids for them will find themselves out of options.

"For patients that are 'doctor-shopping,' the doors are going to be closing," Ramos said.

The new legislation goes into effect July 1.


A DeLand man is accused of attacking his mother and flipping over furniture because he did not like the way her ham turned out, according to police.

Robert Barlock is accused of pushing 80-year-old mom

Adult son became upset over way ham tasted, cops say



Barlock denies accusations, being held without bond



At about 4:11 p.m. Sunday, Beverly Kleimeyer called the DeLand Police Department to report that her son, Robert J. Barlock, 52, had shoved her in the home that they share on the 500 block of Leaf Circle, according to a police affidavit.

The 80-year-old mother said she gave Barlock a sample of the baked ham she was making when he became so upset with the taste that her son allegedly shoved her, according to the affidavit.

Barlock allegedly stopped pushing his mother and told her he would destroy the furniture. He then went into the living room and flipped over a couch and a table, according to the affidavit. Police noted there were no visible injuries to Kleimeyer.

Kleimeyer told police that Barlock was drinking alcohol and became aggressive and that it has become an ongoing issue, the affidavit stated.

Police noted evidence of a "disturbance" in the living room, with damaged items. Barlock denied pushing his mother or that anything happened in the house, according to the report.

Barlock was charged with battery of a person 65 years of age or older. He was being held on no bond.
Austin Police Department interim Chief Brian Manley during a press briefing on Monday made it very clear that Sunday nights bombing attack that injured two has changed the investigation substantially.

Austin police chief: 'Stay inside' after 2 men hospitalized in SW Austin explosion

Latest explosion was 4th since March 2

Two men injured in latest blast

Manley said that investigators are quite sure the bomb that went off in Austins Travis Country neighborhood employed a trip wire. That wire may have been fishing line, a metal wire, filament wire or something else.

In any case, officials said, a wire such as this is tripped via the application of pressure. Someone could detonate it by tripping over it or picking it up.

Manley said the rig demonstrates that investigators are dealing with someone with a high level of skill and sophistication as the trip wire is more advanced than the packages that have exploded in the past three weeks.

That said, Manley said a preliminary investigation shows similarities between the device that detonated Sunday night and the previous three bombs.

About 340 special agents, some of them from San Antonio, are investigating.

Injured Sunday night were a 22-year-old man and a 23-year-old man. Both are white. They apparently tripped the explosive while walking a bike in the neighborhood. Manley said they suffered significant injuries but have been stabilized at a hospital.

While police previously urged residents to be cautious about unknown packages, that warning has now extended to any item that looks out of place. That might include bags, boxes, a suitcase  any item that looks suspicious. People are urged not to approach those items and to call 911. They will be checked out by police and K-9 officers.

Make sure you are safe and contact us if you see something suspicious, Manley said.

Manley and federal investigators said there is a great deal of evidence to sift through from Sundays blast. Manley urged anyone in the Travis Country neighborhood who may have surveillance footage from Sunday to reach out to APD at 512-974-5210 so that investigators can review it.

Manley said the Travis Country neighborhood will likely remain locked down until 2 p.m. Monday. He said the area is now safe. Investigators held the scene overnight so it could be adequately processed in the daylight. ATF and FBI agents are now conducting post-blast assessment.

Investigators said it is too soon to label the person responsible as a domestic terrorist or classify this as a hate crime. The first three attacks appeared to be targeted. The fourth one appears to be random. Manley did, however, say investigators clearly have a serial bomber on their hands.

There are innocent people being hurt in this community and it needs to stop, Manley said.
A woman and a 9-year-old girl were shot to death overnight in a Riverview home, and a suspect has been charged and jailed.



Deputies: Woman, girl found dead in Riverview home overnight

Ronnie Oneal III, 29, faces murder, arson charges



Boy found injured taken to TGH

Another child, an 8-year-old boy, was rushed into surgery after being found critically injured.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Ronnie Oneal III has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. He was also charged with first-degree arson and resisting arrest.

The woman was identified as Kenyatta Barron, 33. The 9 year old was identified on March 23 by authorities as Ron'Niveya Oneal, the daughter of Oneal III and Barron.

The boy was identified as Ronnie Oneal IV.



Deputies responded to a domestic violence call at 13246 Pike Lake Drive just before midnight. A 911 call had reported shots fired at the home.

When deputies arrived, they found a woman dead outside the home. Deputies also noticed smoke and flames inside the home.

Deputies went into the home and found the girl, dead from "apparent homicidal violence to the upper body."



Deputies responded to a domestic violence call at 13246 Pike Lake Drive just before midnight.

The boy was found awake but critically injured. He was taken to Tampa General Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Officials are still investigating and detectives are working closely with arson investigators from Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, the Florida State Fire Marshall's Office, the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office and the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office.

NEIGHBORS ON SUBURBAN STREET STUNNED

Like most neighbors in the area, Erica Worthy said she was shocked to learn of Oneal's arrest.

"Honestly, I couldn't believe it," she said. "I just really couldn't believe it."

"He was always interacting with the kids," Worthy said. "They played football together, basketball together."

Spectrum Bay News 9 checked the suspect's background and found an arrest record for drugs and traffic violations. There was no record of violence by the suspect in Hernando Couty.

Worthy said she and other neighbors are praying for the boy.

"I wish to God this didn't happen. I don't wish this on anyone," she said.


The Harry Potter concert series returns to the Straz Center with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

"Harry Potter" concert series returns to Straz Center

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"

Performances set for Oct. 13-14

Performances are scheduled for Oct. 13 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 14 at 2 p.m.

The Florida Orchestra will perform the Oscar nominated score composed by John Williams.

The music will accompany the third film in the franchise, which finds Harry, Ron and Hermione learning the truth about escaped prisoner Sirius Black.

The Harry Potter film series is a once-in-a-lifetime cultural phenomenon that continues to delight millions of fans around the world, said Justin Freer, president of CineConcerts. It is a great pleasure that we bring fans for the first time ever an opportunity to experience the award-winning music scores played live by a symphony orchestra, all while the beloved film is simultaneously projected onto the big screen.

The Harry Potter Film Concert Series was first announced in 2016. Since then performances have been held in 38 countries around the world.

Tickets for the Straz Center shows cost between $58.75-$98.75 and go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.

For more information call 813-229-STAR (7827) or visit www.StrazCenter.org.
Illinois 2018 Primary Campaign Notebook 3: Who Is Biss? Pensions, Passes & Pussy Riot Look, he has the Pussy Riot endorsement. That's almost good enough for me. Almost. * First, what was Carlos Ramirez-Rosa all about? Really? And I don't mean that because he's socialist, I mean that because he's a 29-year-old first-term Chicago alderman. And then this. I know it seems like ages ago, but it's worth remembering and reflecting upon.

* Biss has a legitimate shot at winning the nomination Tuesday. That's a far cry from when Chicago magazine asked a few months ago if he had considered dropping out due to low polling numbers. (At that point, Pritzker had spent $7 million; he's now spent $70 million and he's in the exact same place in the polls. Maybe he should've been the one to drop out!) * Then there was the math thing. I came away from this thinking maybe he wasn't a great mathematician but hardly upset. Should I have been? Really? * Then there was the CTA card thing. You know what? His explanation makes sense. He confused weekly passes with monthly passes. It adds up. The media's overheated response doesn't. And yet, there's the Tribune's closing profile leading with it! "Daniel Biss, a former assistant mathematics professor at the University of Chicago, has touted his experience with numbers as a key reason Democratic voters should nominate him for governor. So when the Evanston state senator was asked the price of a monthly CTA pass during a recent debate, he made some quick calculations. "Let's see, my Metra pass has now come pretty close to $50 a month. So a monthly CTA pass I would guess is probably around $35," Biss said. "The actual cost is $105 - a miscalculation that pulled at the very threads of the brand Biss has spent the last year carefully cultivating. He's running as the "middle-class candidate" against a billionaire heir and entrepreneur who's writing big campaign checks and a millionaire developer born into an American political dynasty." What the Tribune didn't tell its readers? That's not the monthly cost of a Metra pass, either, and he owns one! That's the weekly cost. * I've been a regular CTA user for 25 years and I have no idea how much a monthly pass costs. I've never bought one. I'm a pretty intense reader of the news, including news about fare hikes, and I still don't know. I also live in Chicago, not Evanston. It's silly. Ask the Tribune's editor how much a monthly pass is! Beyond that, you know who's out-of-touch? Reporters! When Pritzker, in that same debate, said the cost of a week of child care was $150 to $400, my Twitter timeline filled up with journos howling about how much more expensive their care was than that. But statistics showed that Pritzker was right. I subsequently learned that the majority of those using child care, on salaries far lower than that of our local newspaper folk, use less than gold-plated services. * P.S.: * It's almost as if the media is working extra hard to write critically of Biss. I'd be satisfied with a serious vetting of his legislative record, but the stuff they're getting him on is ridiculous. For another example, from an AP fact-check: STATE SEN. DANIEL BISS: "Our financial sector has grown and grown and grown and the rest of the economy has shrunk and the rest of us are being overtaxed because we haven't figured out how to tax the financial sector," Biss said. "To say that we can't tax the financial sector is to say that we will continue overtaxing middle-class families and that I will never accept." THE FACTS: Taxing financial transactions would be difficult to enforce in Chicago, the world's biggest center of trading in agricultural and financial futures and options. Is it really a fact that a financial transaction tax would be difficult to enforce? Biss wants to impose a new tax on the buying and selling of commodities and financial contracts traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and other exchanges, which he says could generate $10 billion to $12 billion annually. Kennedy and Pritzker say it isn't feasible. Trading experts say imposing it would drive the hyper-competitive markets out of Illinois, something traders could do easily because most of the transactions are done electronically and the markets are global. Of course "trading experts" say that. And maybe it's true - and maybe it's not! If it's true that the markets could operate anywhere because it's all electronic these days, why are they still here now? Wouldn't it be cheaper for, say, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to relocate to, say, Mississippi? That point is underscored by what happened in 2011, when the CME Group Inc., which operates the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and other businesses, threatened to move from Illinois and got a tax break from the Legislature. Biss voted for the tax break as a state representative, which was estimated to have saved the exchanges about $85 million a year. This is an argument taken up by Pritzker - and one that has, at least purportedly, mystified Biss, who points out that these are two separate issues. I think Biss is right! First: "Biss says he supported the measure because, as part of the deal, the Legislature that same day approved a second measure that provided about $110 million in tax breaks for families, including an increase in Illinois' earned income tax credit." Okay, so his argument there is that he accepted a compromise, I suppose. Personally, I don't like using, say, "tax breaks for families" to give cover to a corporate giveaway. I wouldn't have made that vote. But when Kennedy complained in the last WTTW debate that Biss was being a hypocrite because he wanted to install a new tax to claw back what he supported giving away, well, that sounds savvy to me! Not only that, one can believe that one tax is unfair to a business and vote to give that business a break while believing that another tax on that business is appropriate to levy. The coverage also ignores the fact that a financial transactions tax isn't some crazy idea that Biss thought up himself but an idea that has been around for a long time now, and has a fair amount of support. Finally, what's crazier than a financial transactions tax is taking it off the table before starting, instead of bringing the exchanges to the table and exploring what can be done to create a fairer system for everyone. * Even if you think Biss is hypocrite on the financial transactions tax, that's nothing compared to the hypocrisy of Pritzker and Kennedy on an issue of far more import: the (non-)release of their tax returns. This video pretty much says it all: .@realDonaldTrump won in 2016 without releasing his tax returns. @JBPritzker and @KennedyforIL should be better than that. #WhatAreTheyHiding pic.twitter.com/0LnFqOSzyx  Daniel Biss (@DanielBiss) March 17, 2018 * Biss is the policy wonk in the race. From the Sun-Times' endorsement of Pritzker: "We want to express our respect for the five other candidates, and we believe that one other in particular - state Sen. Dan Biss - could be a creative and effective governor. His command of the intricacies of public policy is unmatched." If you sense a "but" coming, you're right . . . "But, ultimately, Pritzker's achievements in both the private and public sectors overshadow Biss' more limited legislative achievements." Really? Why not just tell us the truth instead of trying to rationalize a public policy argument. "And, frankly, Pritzker offers Democrats their best chance to defeat Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner - or Rep. Jeanne Ives, Rauner's opponent - in the November general election. He has the funding (billionaires usually do), the organizational support and the responsibly progressive agenda." Close, but no cigar. Let me fix your real argument for you. "And, frankly, Pritzker offers Democrats their best chance to defeat Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner - or Rep. Jeanne Ives, Rauner's opponent - in the November general election. He has the funding (billionaires usually do) , the organizational support and the responsibly progressive agenda . Just say it. Own your choice. "Right now, getting Bruce Rauner out of office is more important than policy differences, expertise or any of the other traditional arguments we'd make when offering an endorsement. We can't afford to take any chances, and Pritzker's money offers us the most security in reaching our top goal: denying Rauner a second term." Just say it. It's not necessarily an unjust position. But don't cloak it in bullshit. * I'm not even as bullish on Biss as that editorial is - I have far less confidence that he could be an effective and creative governor. I just hate the disingenuousness. * On pensions: Then. Now. * "I would say that my position has always been, 'There's the Pritzker-Madigan wing of the Democratic Party, there's the progressive independent wing of the Democratic Party,' " Biss said in an interview with the Tribune. "I've always been in the progressive independent wing, which means I've always been willing to work with any Democrat to advance the party's goals, including Democrats from my wing and the Democrats from the Madigan-Pritzker wing. And I've always been aggressive in intraparty fights to stand up for my vision of a grassroots Democratic Party." * "After Biss launched his bid for governor, his mother contributed $100,000 to his campaign fund. His brother, a pianist, kicked in $20,000. " * "What I say to folks is that a lot of politicians think they are the smartest person in the room, but Daniel is, in fact, the smartest person in the room," Northbrook Democrat Elaine Nekritz told the Tribune. "But he also listens well, cares to learn the details of policy, and those are qualities that are not always so obvious in other elected officials around the state." * "Biss has called on Madigan to resign as state party chairman following questions about how the speaker handled harassment allegations against two of his top political operatives. Biss has criticized Pritzker for failing to demand that Madigan step down. "Pritzker has noted that Biss voted for Madigan as speaker when Biss was in the House, and ran the Leading Illinois For Tomorrow super PAC, which was funded by Madigan and other top Democrats. The group ran ads seeking to tie Rauner and Illinois Republicans to Donald Trump. Other contributors included Pritzker, who gave $350,000, and Kennedy, who gave $50,000. "Biss said he did not talk with Madigan about the super PAC effort, noting that doing so would be a violation of federal election laws. He bristles at the suggestion that working on the same side as Madigan in the past suggests 'there's a contradiction there.' "'Not only is there not a contradiction, there's no sense in being a progressive independent Democrat if you're not also a Democrat, if you're not also willing to work with Democrats in support of the party's goals. There's not even a smidgen of tension. On the contrary, you've got to do the one if you're going to do the other,' Biss said. "'My job is to win elections for Democrats in November, to win elections for progressive and independent Democrats in primaries, and advance those visions simultaneously and to work with everybody to advance an agenda that I think is good for the state of Illinois.'" * Look, I don't even like Biss! But when I reviewed the coverage of the campaign for this post, I was struck by how often I thought he was treated unfairly by the media. Maybe that's the result of trying to be equally critical of each candidate - despite the fact that Kennedy and especially Pritzker have fare more to scrooten, to use a term coined by Richard M. Daley. Or maybe it's the media's instinct to knock down anyone who expresses and kind of earnestness. I just know that Biss's head-exploding exasperation during that last WTTW debate as two plutocrats who have refused to release their tax returns accused him of being the cynical poser we don't really know seemed awfully genuine to me. * Biss's endorsements. - See also: * Illinois 2018 Primary Campaign Notebook 1: MAGA, Mendacity & Moby Mike. * Illinois 2018 Primary Campaign Notebook 2: Chris Kennedy's Confusing Campaign. - Comments welcome.





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Posted on March 19, 2018






For Immediate Release, March 19, 2018 Contact: Wendsler Nosie, Sr., Apache Stronghold, (928) 200-7762

Robin Silver, Center for Biological Diversity, (602) 799-3275, rsilver@biologicaldiversity.org Holy Ground Desecrated at Site of Apache Resistance to Arizona Mine Vandals Destroy Crosses, Eagle Feathers at Oak Flat Campground OAK FLAT CAMPGROUND, Ariz. A representative of the Apache Stronghold arrived at Oak Flat, Ariz. on Mar. 17 and found that the four crosses of an Apache holy ground had been intentionally destroyed. Two of the crosses were missing, ripped from the ground, and two had been left standing but destroyed with what appears to be an axe. Evidence of large tires driving through the space filled the surrounding dirt and went through the prayer site. Ceremonial eagle feathers were left lying on the ground. The Apache Stronghold has demanded an immediate response from the U.S. Forest Service and law-enforcement officials and is asking local leaders to condemn this crime to help ensure it does not happen again. Law enforcement has been called to investigate the action and pursue those responsible for what constitutes a potential targeted hate crime against the Apache people and their spiritual practice. On Feb. 8, 2014, hundreds of people gathered at the Oak Flat Campground to hold a gathering in protest of a proposed copper mine that would decimate the area. Chi'Chil'Ba'Goteel, also known as Oak Flat, has been a sacred site for Apache people since time immemorial. The proposed copper mine is a direct assault on their spiritual practice and culture. At the 2014 gathering a group formed, calling itself the Apache Stronghold. It remained in prayerful resistance to the mine for more than a year and has held regular ceremonies on the site for the past four years. Central to these ceremonies is the holy ground, where four crosses with eagle feathers attached had been staked up and used as a place of prayer. This site is like a church. If this attack had happened at a church, it would be considered a crime, said Wendsler Nosie, an Apache Stronghold leader. A lot of people have come here to be healed from sickness and for their loved ones, asking for blessings. Throughout the year, this has been a site for families to gather and teach their children about the land. There are federal laws that are supposed to protect a place like this. We have never seen this kind of violence against us here. There needs to be accountability for this crime. Under the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, the U.S. federal government is required to protect American Indians right to religious freedom, including but not limited to access to sites, use and possession of sacred objects, and the freedom to worship through ceremonials and traditional rites. The four desecrated crosses and feathers fall under AIRFA and are in the jurisdiction of the Forest Service. Oak Flat is currently held as part of the Tonto National Forest. Background on Oak Flat

Oak Flat is an area about an hour east of Phoenix that is a sacred site known to Apaches as Chi'Chil'Ba'Goteel. Also home to a diverse desert ecosystem, its also currently federal land within the Tonto National Forest. In December 2014 Arizona Sens. McCain and Flake attached a land-exchange rider to the National Defense Authorization Act. The bill included the Oak Flat land exchange and gave multinational mining company Resolution Copper the area to build one of the worlds largest copper mines. The mine is slated to permanently decimate Oak Flat and surrounding desert features. Apache and mining-reform activists had been successfully fighting the proposal for nearly a decade before this backroom deal was made in Congress. Currently the Forest Service is undertaking an environmental impact statement, a legally mandated assessment that must be completed before the land exchange is finalized.
For Immediate Release, March 19, 2018 Contact: George Courser, Sierra Club, (858) 231-0156, gcourser@hotmail.com

John Buse, Center for Biological Diversity, (323) 533-4416, jbuse@biologicaldiversity.org

Jack Shu, Cleveland National Forest Foundation, (619) 708-2050, jkshu52@gmail.com

Nicole Capretz, Climate Action Campaign, (619) 490-6248, nicole@climateactioncampaign.org

Dan Silver, Endangered Habitats League, (213) 804-2750, dsilverla@me.com

Van Collinsworth, Preserve Wild Santee, (619) 258-7929, savefanita@gmail.com Lawsuit Challenges San Diego County's Sprawl-promoting Climate Plan SAN DIEGO, Calif. Conservation groups have filed suit challenging San Diego Countys second, ineffectual attempt to reduce greenhouse gas pollution that fuels climate change. The new lawsuit, filed in San Diego Superior Court, notes that the revised plan would facilitate the countys approval of sprawl development over thousands of acres of greenfield lands in unincorporated areas, including nearly 20,000 new residential units already in the pipeline. That would vastly increase automobile air and climate pollution. Following a successful lawsuit by the Sierra Club invalidating the previous version of the countys Climate Action Plan, the county approved its revised plan in February but failed to fix the precursor plans flaws. Were doing this again because the county has twice failed to confront the link between its new land use approvals and climate change, said George Courser of the Sierra Club. In 2011 the county claimed to have adopted a Climate Action Plan that would have comprehensive and enforceable measures for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change. But in fact the adopted plan failed to meet this laudable goal, as the California Court of Appeal decided in 2014. The countys second effort still falls short of meeting its commitments and doing what the law requires. "The county promised in 2011 to prepare a Climate Action Plan that reduces greenhouse gas emissions in the county, but it has reneged on its promise, said Josh Chatten-Brown of Chatten-Brown & Carstens, the law firm representing the groups. Meanwhile the county essentially allows unbridled development in far-flung areas, provided that developers purchase carbon offsets from anywhere in the world. Such offsets may be completely illusory and would not benefit the residents of San Diego the way offsets attained through local projects would. This lawsuit seeks to ensure the county fulfills its original promise." Climate action demands real, enforceable measures, not hollow gestures, said John Buse, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity. Without teeth, San Diego Countys plan just provides cover for new sprawl and more carbon pollution spewing out of commuters tailpipes. With good planning our region can solve our affordable housing needs and the obligation to substantially reduce greenhouse gases, said Jack Shu of the Cleveland National Forest Foundation. Instead, San Diego County abuses the system by pushing forward a Climate Action Plan that does little to change the way weve done things in the past, promoting development farther from where people work or go to school. Clean air and clean water are fundamental human rights. Its our duty to do everything in our power to reject this fake climate plan and protect our quality of life, said Nicole Capretz of the Climate Action Campaign. Nothing less than our childrens future is on the line. It is mind-boggling that a so-called climate action plan would facilitate automobile-dependent sprawl, said Dan Silver, executive director of the Endangered Habitats League. The plan is a huge setback for aligning transportation with climate goals. Yet such alignment is exactly what the California Air Resources Board states is absolutely necessary. The San Diego region is at a crossroads and one that may never come again, said Laura Hunter, board member of the Environmental Center of San Diego. We will be deciding our future, and our fate, depending on the actions we take in the next year. From the climate plan to land use planning, these decisions will have major consequences. Catastrophic climate breakdown is occurring now, said Van Collinsworth of Preserve Wild Santee. There can be no tolerance for plans that provide little more than the appearance of taking climate action." The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Cleveland National Forest Foundation, Climate Action Campaign, Endangered Habitats League, the Environmental Center of San Diego and Preserve Wild Santee.
NAIROBI, Kenya - Freedom of the press in Kenya is facing its biggest challenge since independence, with government censorship on the rise both during and since last year's general election.

 maksym yemelyanov via 123RF



Journalists and editors must be able to withstand government and advertisers' pressure... to remain relevant and especially as far as protecting the public interest.



Kenya's media landscape includes five major television stations and well over 90 FM radio stations, two national leading newspapers (the Daily Nation and Standard), with a few more in circulation and several topical magazines.English and Kiswahili are the preferred modes of communication, although vernacular languages feature in some of the media, especially those under the flagship of Royal Media services. Most of these outlets have an online presence.Kenya's hugely popular 2010 constitution has a robust Bill of Rights and a comprehensive Media Council Act (2013). The provisions seek to protect and regulate the media fraternity in the collection and dissemination of information. Just a few years ago, the UN recognised Kenya's media vibrancy, but this scenario has gradually been eroded under the current administration.For instance, the government orchestrated changes to the laws governing the sector by demanding the revelation of sources and forcing media houses to publish a weekly pullout containing the state's development agenda as a precondition to earning advertising revenues from public institutions.Gilbert Nakweya, a well-known freelance journalist based in Nairobi, noted that African election campaigns often feature bids to muzzle the media when the spotlight turns to government failures such as corruption, excessive use of force and other abuses. Kenya is not an exception."The recent 2017 protracted election in Kenya was filled with uncertainty, unleashing of propaganda and a characteristic media clampdown. For example, editors were summoned to the State House prior to crucial political events and ordered to skew their reporting in favour of the current government administration," explained Nakweya.Even if most editors ignored the command, this kind of pressure has a chilling effect on the media' independence and integrity, he said.George Nyabuga, associate director of the school of journalism and mass communication at the University of Nairobi, agrees that the Kenyan government is increasingly becoming intolerant of divergent views and criticism.Earlier this year, it used the broadcasting of a mock oath of office by Raila Odinga, a former prime minister and the leader of the opposition, as an excuse to shut down four privately owned television stations for 10 days, which the government viewed as anti-Jubilee (the current ruling party).Other journalists have expressed fears of being arrested. Kenya's Minister of Interior confirmed at a press conference on January 31, that authorities were investigating individuals and organisations, including media houses, in relation to the Nairobi event."Moreover, civil society organisations and individuals thought to be anti-government are also targeted," Nyabuga told IPS. "There are also fears that the government is even targeting social media platforms. This is a serious affront to both media/press freedom and freedom of expression. And at the end of the day, the civic space is shrinking and democracy is suffering."Nyabuga worries about self-censorship in this climate of fear. Stories are killed because editors and journalists think they might offend the government and advertisers.Nyabuga noted that academics can strengthen freedom of expression in Kenya through the creation of a platform for a discussion of important issues. Even the most critical voices must be given the space and opportunity to air their views."Media freedom is suffering and must be protected. The media is pandering to officialdom and commercialism. But commercialism and sustainability are critical to good and caring journalism. The safety and security of journalists must be guaranteed. The journalists and editors must be able to withstand government and advertisers' pressure if it's to remain relevant and especially as far as protecting the public interest."He added that even as the spaces for freedom of expression shrink, people have an opportunity to challenge commercial and established media hegemony and power."People can utilise social media to enhance their own freedoms. Of course, that freedom should come with responsibility. So that must be tempered with tolerance for difference and not be used for extreme views, terrorism, hate speech, and so on," he said.Read theon
LAGOS, Nigeria - Nigeria's mobile trends are highlighted in a report by Jumia Nigeria on key industry patterns, ahead of the start of Mobile Week. Smartphone use is up, driven by more Nigerians accessing social media sites; as well as the availability of cheaper smartphone brands from Asia.

Jumia report launch.

Mobile-first country

A recent repor t on the Nigerian Mobile Sector by Africas leading e-commerce company Jumia, has revealed an 11% increase in the number of Nigerians who visited the Jumia website via their mobile phones - 79% in 2017 versus 71% in 2016. Meanwhile, those who used their desktop computers or laptops dipped to 18% in 2017 compared with 29% in 2016.The report also shows that in 2017, 70% of Nigerians preferred the cash on delivery option, compared to 28% and 12% for credit/debit cards and mobile money options respectively.Speaking at the launch of the Mobile Report in Lagos, CEO of Jumia Nigeria, Juliet Anammah, described the upward shift from desktop to mobile as a positive development.She attributed the increase in the number of mobile phone users to the multiplicity of affordable smartphones, especially the Asian mobile brands which continue to build on their Africa-specific strategy, by introducing lower price point smartphones adapted to the profiles of African users.Anammah also listed a growing market for second-hand devices and the increasing use of social media sites (active social media users) as contributing factors.Anammah further hinted that the mobile industry continues to play an increasingly important role in the socio-economic development of the African region. Nigeria is swiftly becoming a mobile-first country, with mobile phone penetration currently at 84% of the population.Jumia is doing its bit to close the gap, with sales initiatives such as Jumia Mobile Week, she said.This year, the stage is set once again for the biggest sale of mobile phones, beginning March 19-25. This is a mobile-phone-only one-week-long sales event dedicated to opening up Jumia customers to a wide range of mobile devices at half the normal prices. We believe that, by end of 2018, at least every Nigerian will have access to a mobile phone, added Anammah.Also commenting, the chief transformation officer of MTN Nigeria, Olubayo Adekambi, identified the expansion of e-commerce into a dual business model that blends the physical and the digital, to create an ecosystem between brands and consumers across the two worlds, as among the major factors fueling the increase in adoption of smartphones.In order to ensure rural dwellers have increased access to ICT devices such as smartphones, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has created an IT Innovation hub, which has the capacity to produce e-literate groups from low skilled or low paid workers, unemployed people, and those with disabilities who do not have access to these ICTs.NITDA has seen in ICT the potential to change new and old forms of economic activity. Weve created e-learning centres to further enrich the rural communities quest for learning and for continuous after-school reading and learning by both the students and teachers, among other initiatives, noted the Governments agency director general, Dr Isa Ali Pantami.The 2018 Mobile Report launch also had other Telecom and IT experts in attendance; as well as a host of Jumia brand partners. Find the Mobile Report here
WASHINGTON, USA - Facebook says it has suspended the account of Cambridge Analytica, the data analysis firm hired by Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, amid reports it harvested the profile information of millions of US voters without their permission.

 Pixabay via Pexels

Violated Platform Policies

Misuse of data

Exploited Facebook

Investigation by Britain's parliament and regulators

According to theand Britain's, the company stole information from 50 million Facebook users' profiles in the tech giant's biggest-ever data breach, to help them design software to predict and influence voters' choices at the ballot box.Also suspended were the accounts of its parent organisation, Strategic Communication Laboratories, as well as those of University of Cambridge psychologist Aleksandr Kogan and Christopher Wylie, a Canadian data analytics expert who worked with Kogan.Cambridge Analytica was bankrolled to the tune of $15m by US hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer, a major Republican donor. Thesaid it was headed at the time by Steve Bannon, a top Trump adviser until he was fired last summer."In 2015, we learned that ... Kogan lied to us and violated our Platform Policies by passing data from an app that was using Facebook Login to SCL/Cambridge Analytica, a firm that does political, government and military work around the globe," Facebook said in a posting late Friday by its vice president and deputy general counsel Paul Grewal.Kogan also improperly shared the data with Wylie, it said.Kogan's app, thisisyourdigitallife, offered a personality prediction test, describing itself on Facebook as "a research app used by psychologists."Some 270,000 people downloaded the app, allowing Kogan to access information such as the city listed on their profile, or content they had "liked.""However, the app also collected the information of the test-takers' Facebook friends, leading to the accumulation of a data pool tens of millions-strong," thereported.Facebook later pushed back against the claim of a data breach, issuing a fresh statement on Saturday that suggested the misused data was limited to those who voluntarily took the test."People knowingly provided their information, no systems were infiltrated, and no passwords or sensitive pieces of information were stolen or hacked," Grewal said.Cambridge Analytica meanwhile said it was in touch with Facebook "in order to resolve this matter as quickly as possible"."It blamed the misuse of data on Kogan and said it has since deleted all the data it received from a company he founded, Global Science Research (GSR)."No data from GSR was used by Cambridge Analytica as part of the services it provided to the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign," it said.But Wylie, who later became a whistleblower, told the: "We exploited Facebook to harvest millions of people's profiles. And built models to exploit what we knew about them and target their inner demons. That was the basis that the entire company was built on."Kogan legitimately obtained the information but "violated platform policies" by passing information to SCL/Cambridge Analytica and Wylie, according to Facebook.Facebook said it removed the app in 2015 when it learned of the violation and was told by Kogan and everyone who received the data that it had since been destroyed."Several days ago, we received reports that, contrary to the certifications we were given, not all data was deleted," Grewal wrote."We are moving aggressively to determine the accuracy of these claims. If true, this is another unacceptable violation of trust and the commitments they made."We are suspending SCL/Cambridge Analytica, Wylie and Kogan from Facebook, pending further information."Cambridge Analytica, the US unit of British behavioural marketing firm SCL, rose to prominence as the firm that the pro-Brexit group Leave. EU hired for data-gathering and audience-targeting.The company is facing an investigation by Britain's parliament and regulators over its handling of information.On Saturday, Britain's information commissioner Elizabeth Denham said: "We are investigating the circumstances in which Facebook data may have been illegally acquired and used."It's part of our ongoing investigation into the use of data analytics for political purposes which was launched to consider how political parties and campaigns, data analytics companies and social media platforms in the UK are using and analysing people's personal information to micro-target voters."Themeanwhile reported that copies of the data harvested for Cambridge Analytica were still online and that its team had viewed some of the raw data.AFP via I-Net Bridge.
The deadline has been extended for international festival of craft awards, Ciclope Africa, held in Africa for the first time ever. The Zeitz MOCCA Museum of Contemporary Art in Cape Town, South Africa, will be the venue on 10 April 2018 to showcase Africa's production talent.

Zeitz MOCAA Museum, Cape Town, South Africa.

Francisco Condorelli, director at Ciclope, has announced that deadline for submissions to Ciclope Africa, the first regional leg of the annual craft festival, has been extended to Friday, 23 March 2018. This allows an extra week for production, post production, digital, music and editorial companies, as well as independent professionals and advertising agencies to submit work.Ciclope Africa will be hosted for the first time ever on African soil at Zeitz MOCCA Museum of Contemporary Art in Cape Town, South Africa, on 10 April 2018 to showcase Africas production talent. Ciclope Africa is a regional leg of the annual flagship festival in Berlin, which was established with the aim of celebrating and elevating talent across the African continent.Ciclope, hosted annually in Berlin, Germany, is the leading international festival and awards ceremony that recognises and rewards exceptional craft in moving image. For the past eight years, Ciclope has provided a platform for directors, creatives, artists, producers and brands to celebrate exceptional work, share knowledge and be inspired.Ciclope has been hosted in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo, Sydney and more.One of the biggest drawcards of the festival is that the Ciclope Africa Grand Prix winner, as well as the best entry in each category, will not only receive an automatic entry to the flagship festival hosted in Berlin later this year, but also be included as a shortlist winner at the international festival.To submit work please visit: http://africa.ciclopefestival.com/
The Competition Tribunal has approved Netcare's acquisition of Akeso Clinics, a group of 12 dedicated mental healthcare facilities. Netcare will make use of existing resources to fund the R1.3bn acquisition.

Dr Richard Friedland, CEO: Netcare

Disposal of Netcare Rand and Netcare Bell Street

The Netcare is largely under-represented in the mental healthcare field, as we do not currently have bespoke or dedicated mental health or psychiatric facilities in our portfolio, says Dr Richard Friedland, chief executive officer of Netcare. Akeso has 811 beds in facilities located throughout South Africa in areas such as Cape Town, George, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Nelspruit, Umhlanga and Pietermaritzburg.The transaction was subject to various regulatory approvals, including the sanction of the Competition Tribunal. Following numerous engagements, a joint proposal by Netcare, Akeso and the Competition Commission was presented to the tribunal. This included that the proposed transaction be approved subject to certain conditions, including the disposal of Netcare Rand and Netcare Bell Street hospitals.Friedland assured staff, doctors and patients that the two hospitals would continue to function as normal for the foreseeable future and that a process to dispose of the facilities would ensue.We are engaging with our staff at Netcare Rand and Netcare Bell Street hospitals and encourage them to remain fully focused on delivering quality patient care and excellent service. There will be job and employment continuity opportunities for all staff currently working at these facilities and we will engage with them to keep them fully appraised of all developments as they unfold, he added.The acquisition by Netcare will enable an additional investment in what is already a successful model for the delivery of mental healthcare, while assisting Akeso to further expand our existing footprint. This is therefore a strategically important step for Akeso and we look forward to long-term growth resulting from our inclusion in the Netcare Group, said Allan Sweidan, co-founder and managing director of Akeso Clinics.
NEW YORK, USA - Sportsgear maker Nike on Thursday announced the surprise departure of top executive Trevor Edwards, who was considered a potential successor to the firm's CEO.

Review of company's HR and internal complaint systems

Without making any direct connection, a Nike spokeswoman told AFP there had been "conduct inconsistent with Nike's core values and against our code of conduct."The spokeswoman said there were "no direct allegations of misconduct against Trevor Edwards," who carried the title "brand president."cited an internal memo in which CEO Mark Parker announced Edwards' departure and said the company had in recent weeks received reports of "behaviour occurring within our organisation that do not reflect our core values of inclusivity, respect and empowerment."Parker did not detail the complaints or say whether they involved Edwards or other executives, but said Nike was conducting a review of the company's human resources and internal complaint systems, thesaid."This has been a very difficult time," it quoted Parker as saying.Nike's spokeswoman said Edwards' departure is in light of "a decision to realign our team to accelerate our business and evolve our culture."Nike said Edwards will be an advisor to Parker, until Edwards retires in August.Parker, 62, will remain as chairman and president "beyond 2020," the company said. He has led Nike since 2006.AFP via I-Net Bridge.
CORUNNA, Spain - Logistics investments, new technology ... Faced with fierce online competition from the likes of Amazon, affordable fashion giants Zara and H&M are shoring up their defences, trying to use their stores to boost internet sales.

 HutchRock via Pixabay

Online sales

Big transformation

Amazon on top

Logistics challenge

Missing out on a sale

Separated by thin partitions, 15 little photo studios used exclusively to update the website line up in a corner of Zara's huge headquarters near Corunna in Spain's northwest.Under a constant barrage of camera flashes, models strike pose after pose to get seven photos showing the piece of clothing from all angles.In total, 1,500 photos are put online twice a week to match the speed at which articles of clothing are replaced in-store."Online sales are becoming an element that is contributing significantly to the company's growth," said Pablo Isla, CEO of the Inditex group which owns Zara among other brands like Massimo Dutti, said this week at the annual results' presentation.In 2017, these represented 10 percent of sales, a figure unveiled this week after years of secrecy over a crucial sector that Inditex only entered in 2010, on the late side.Sergio Avila Luengo, an analyst at IG Markets, said gaining "more visibility online" was the main challenge for Inditex if it wants to remain "competitive on the long-term".He said the retail giant started having trouble clearing its stocks for the first time in 2017 due to competition from Amazon, which sells everything from books to clothes.For its part, Sweden's H&M, Inditex's arch-rival, has recognised that a drop in profits in 2017 was due in large part to online competition.The clothing market "is in big transformation," CEO Karl-Johan Persson said in February."It is happening fast and it is challenging everyone."We know about the big online platforms, I'm thinking Amazon and (China's) Alibaba, affecting our industry," he said, adding smaller niche online players were also "a force to be reckoned with".In the United States, Amazon was in 2016 the top online clothes vendor.It holds 11 percent of the global clothing market, and this is expected to rise to 19 percent in 2020, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.German online clothing and shoes platform Zalando and Britain's Asos, meanwhile, saw their European sales leap 25 percent and 34 percent respectively between 2012 and 2015, according to the E-commerce Foundation.Faced with this threat, H&M devoted 45 percent of its investment to the internet in 2017, or close to 600 million euros ($736 million), for a new photo studio and personalised apps for its clients.Inditex is also investing, but would not unveil how much.Both groups are gradually offering the possibility for next-day or even same-day delivery of online orders, as well as the possibility to easily pick up and return clothes to stores.These services may be crucial for customers but they represent a major logistics challenge, especially when faced with Amazon which already has "a much bigger logistics structure, already adapted to all sorts of different products," said IG Markets analyst Avila Luengo.As it counter-attacks, Inditex has opened 19 warehouses in the world dedicated only to the internet, which are managed like stores. H&M is soon to follow suit.Both are also taking advantage of their thousands of stores, including for client delivery.When online sales are launched in new markets, "we get to profitability really quick," H&M financial director Jyrki Tervonen told investors in February.He said this was "thanks to the fact we already have a store network, we are a well-known brand, appreciated among the consumers."Inditex has invested a lot in the renovation of its stores, removing the smallest ones in favour of huge flagship shops in city centres.Both groups are implementing systems to avoid missing out on a sale if for instance, the size isn't available for a customer, by telling him or her that the item is available online.Gildas Minvielle, head of the economic observatory at the French Fashion Institute, said their strategy was to combine both sales methods."Distributors that develop their stores and their online sales perform quite well," he said.AFP via I-Net Bridge.
SAFREA denounces 'Internet Censorship Bill'

The Southern African Freelancers' Association (SAFREA) notes with concern the passing of the Films and Publications Amendment Bill, which authorises the Films and Publications Board to regulate online content, in Parliament on 6 March, 2018.

While SAFREA applauds the bills efforts to protect children from disturbing content, curb hate speech and address the scourge of fake news online, the detrimental effect it will have on freedom of expression in South Africa, if signed into law, cannot be ignored.



The Films and Publications Board will effectively have control of the internet, dictating what people can and cannot post. Everyone who generates some type of revenue from distributing content online will be required to register, pay a fee, and have their content approved and classified before it can be posted.



The bills demand for pre-publication classification not only amounts to censorship, which is unconstitutional, but is also highly unreasonable and extremely difficult to enforce.



The broad terms, vague definitions and impractical requirements of this bill will not only affect media practitioners, but every single person who uses social media and the internet.



Even user-generated content, such as SnapChat, Facebook and YouTube videos, is included under the definition of film and will require classification before publishing. Live streaming, which, by its very definition is posted in real-time, would become an unusable marketing tool. Furthermore whistle-blowing will become a democratic mechanism of the past.



There is a fine line between protection and censorship. SAFREA believes that the Film and Publications Amendment Bill, in its current form, crosses that line irrevocably. We also believe the bill infringes on citizens right to privacy.



As an association that advocates for and supports the rights of its members, all of whom are communications freelancers, SAFREA appeals to provincial delegates to consider the many unsatisfactory aspects of this bill. We ask that the National Council of Provinces act in the best interests of South African citizens and protect our right to freedom of expression, which is enshrined in the Constitution.





About SAFREA



SAFREA is the Southern African Freelancers' Association. We advocate for and support freelance workers in the communications fields. We also provide resources, tools, training and networking to strengthen freelance careers.




The best of KwaZulu-Natal's decor, design and lifestyle will be suitably enhanced by sampling some of the region's most irresistible food offerings at the many gourmet food stations across Decorex Durban, which is sponsored by Plascon.

Delish Sisters. Image supplied by Delish Sisters via Decorex.

Gourmet Cooking Theatre

Jane Bisset from We Are Food. Images supplied by We Are Food.

Laidback cooking style

Cocktail mixes at the Gourmet Food Theatre. Image supplied by Decorex.

Pop Up Market

Coffee lovers

Decorex SA details

KZNs premier decor, design and lifestyle expo, taking place at Durban Exhibition Centre from 21 to 25 March, promises to be a foodies dream as it plays host to leading local chefs and eateries all prepared to match style with extraordinary taste.For those seeking culinary tips and examples of the best kitchen appliances on the market, the Gourmet Cooking Theatre is the first stop for hungry visitors. Here the East Coasts top chefs will fuse the cultural influences of this vibrant city into a range of tasty meals and flavour-filled drinks that can be replicated at home. This delicious installation is all set within the carefully curated cooking theatre, giving visitors the chance to pick up on cooking tips and kitchen design trends all in one space.One of the participants at this years Gourmet Cooking Theatre is Durban North-based business, We are Food, which delivers uniquely frozen meals from Upper Highway to Ballito, with a We are Food store in the Ballito Lifestyle Centre.This is our first time participating at Decorex Durban and were really excited, said Jane Bisset, the younger sister in the We are Food sisters partnership and head of all things food related. Were going to showcase a few of our go-to dishes for entertaining  something decadent and delicious which is actually fairly easy to do! We place a lot of importance on enjoying your cooking experience in the kitchen so we will be showing the audience that there is no need to get overwhelmed by technical jargon and unusual ingredients. We want to explore some ideas that prove you can still wow your friends with simple saving recipes and a few of our time-saving tips!Wayland Green, executive culinary artist at Midlands-based Granny Mouse Country House and Spa in Balgowan, said they would be featuring their signature home-style cooking which follows the mantra keep it simple and do it well.New and improved homes often enhance the ability to cook much better using new equipment, explained Green. We would like to show the public how to make use of new equipment with fabulous food and minimal impact on effort and equipment. This demonstration will be particularly relevant to new home owners, or people whove invested  or are looking to invest  in new kitchen appliances.Owner of three top regional restaurants, The Shed, The Digs Kitchen and The Workstation Eatery, James Kriel will be bringing a taste his Salt Rock-based, The Shed, to this years Gourmet Cooking Theatre.I'm all about taste so sometimes recipes just don't fly with me. I can be more of a wing it type of guy, explained Kriel, who specialises in the pairing of food and drinks to match his laidback cooking style. This year I will be making a decadent yet simple seafood starter, followed by a main dish comprising a Ramen-based bowl and, of course, a few delicious drinks to accompany this great meal!Also featuring on this delectable line-up are renowned culinary artists and fellow Salt Rock-based restaurateurs, Delish Sisters  a sister duo who will share unique, home-style recipes.Another unmissable demonstration by Thirst will see professional mixologists showcase their signature cocktail mixes at the theatre. Showing off their trademark bar skills will be Ryan Duvenage, bartender and trainer for the Thirst Durban and Bespoke Bar Services as well as being the owner of Bond Shed, Cocktail Guru and Flairtender; Haroon Haffajee who has placed second nationally twice in World Class Bartender of the World Competition as well as Trace van der Merwe, regional winner of the World Class South Africa competition and owner of Thirst Durban. Audiences can expect fun, interactive demos using fusions and heat transfer with some fire juggling thrown into the mix!Food and design trends will once again converge at the Decorex Durban two-day Pop Up Market brought to life by The Creativity Lab  running on Thursday, 22 March and Friday, 23 March from 12pm to 8pm. In this experiential arena, visitors will get to peruse artisanal crafts suited to the #rhythmoflife interior decor and design trends while also sampling some of Durbans finest cuisine, supplied by local eateries, in a comfortable seated area.For a more on-the-go option, The Rhythm Eatery - styled by The Creativity Lab - offers hungry visitors an authentic Durban dining experience with the best local food trucks exuding a mixture of enticing meal options. Come enjoy a cheesy slice of Pappas Pizza, some authentic Asian cuisine from Wok Paper Scissors or choose for a selection of gourmet toasted sandwiches from Toasty. While this food is quickly prepared and easy to eat, The Rhythm Eatery also provides a beautifully curated #rhythmoflife space to sit back and enjoy this hearty fare.And the Durban taste continues at the Roast Co. offering a succulent variety of signature rotisserie meats including slow-roasted lamb, marinated chickens, pulled pork and brisket.When it comes to refreshments, Decorex Durban has some of the most enticing drink options enticingly presented in the trendiest feature settings. At The Secret Gin Bar, professional mixologists are on-hand to guide thirsty visitors through the exciting world of craft gin, while The Tasting Room Wine Bar has an enviable range of local and international vintages which can be enjoyed in a stunning space with bespoke furniture by Yard Seventeen and gorgeous fabrics from Caversham Textiles. Live music by DJ Lau Lau will complete this vibrant experience.Whether its a light snack or warm beverage to keep going while browsing the best in designer and decor trends, then The Coffee Cup by Illy Caffe is the ideal spot. And, this year, the leading coffee brand has a special surprise in store for coffee lovers. On Friday, 23 March between 4pm and 5pm, visitors to the Coffee Cup by Illy Caffe can get photographs taken with three of the Cell C Sharks players who will be stopping by the stand. Visitors will also be entered into a lucky draw competition with the winner taking home a domestic coffee machine. In addition, Cell C Sharks have sponsored 10 stand tickets for the Cell C Sharks vs. Vodacom Bulls on Saturday, 14 April at Jonsson Kings Park. These exclusive tickets will be an envious second-place prize in the lucky draw competition.If youre looking for ultimate #rhythmoflife decor, design and lifestyle inspiration while enjoying some of the best local flavours, get to Decorex Durban, sponsored by Plascon.21  25 March 201821  24 March: 10am  8pm25 March: 10am  6pmDurban Exhibition CentrePublic holiday: Wednesday 21 MarchTrade-focused days: Thursday 22 and Friday 23 MarchTicket prices: Adults  R95Student/pensioners  R85Kids U12  R20Trade  R85Exhibitor  R8527 April  1 May 201810am  6pm dailyCape Town International Convention CentrePublic Holiday: Friday 27 AprilTrade day: Monday 30 AprilTicket prices: Adults  R110Student/pensioners  R100Kids U12  R20Trade  R100Exhibitor  R1008  12 August 201810am - 6pm dailyGallagher Convention CentrePublic holiday: Thursday 9 AugustTrade-focused days: 8 and 10 AugustTicket prices: Adults  R120Student/pensioners  R100Kids U12  R20Trade  R100Exhibitor  R100For more information, email az.oc.acirfaopxedeer@ofnixeroced or visit the Decorex website
As the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) steps up its campaign against Sibanye-Stillwater's all-share bid for Lonmin, threatening to interdict the deal, the gold and platinum company lodged its submission for the transaction with the Competition Commission.

Photo: Sibanye

Sibanye launched the bid in mid-December, issuing an announcement on the JSE's news service as well as hosting a joint media conference with Lonmin, which is deep in debt and struggling to comply with its debt covenants.The transaction, it was made clear at the time, was needed for Lonmin to repay debt and restructure its assets, shedding 12,500 jobs and closing unprofitable shafts, something Lonmin CEO Ben Magara said had to be done regardless of the Sibanye transaction or not.While the transaction took another step forward, with Sibanye filing its submission, there is a possible legal challenge to interdict the parties in what Amcu labelled a "secret sale"."Sibanye-Stillwater and Lonmin remain fully committed to the proposed transaction which they continue to expect to close in the second half of this year," both companies said in a joint statement."The proposed transaction remains in the best interest of stakeholders and will create a leading mine-to-market producer of PGMs [platinum group metals] in SA," Magara and Sibanye CEO Neal Froneman said jointly.Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa said neither its members at Lonmin, the workforce nor the community had been consulted about the transaction and said Amcu would "urgently interdict" the process if it was not suspended."If Lonmin remains determined to sell Lonmin Platinum, alternative consortia of potential investors exist, which have the interests of the working class as well as the broader interest of all of the South African communities and must be negotiated with, both in the interests of Lonmin and its greater community of South African stakeholders," he said."The full community of Lonmin's shareholders have not been consulted about this sale and have been kept in the dark about a transaction that will have a major impact on the future role and value of the company," he said.Lonmin's board has recommended the transaction to shareholders. Without the transaction concluding, Lonmin, which is currently operating under suspended debt covenant conditions, would most likely breach those covenants, resulting in lenders demanding repayment of debt and crippling the company and its 30,000 employees.Froneman has been clear that it is in no one's interests for Lonmin to fail in an area already beset by community and labour unrest, with high levels of poverty and unemployment around the mines in Rustenburg feeding into the protests near Lonmin's Marikana operations in 2012, culminating in the death of 44 people, 34 of whom were shot by police.
The City of Cape Town's emergency groundwater drilling programme will be formally scrutinised by an environmental monitoring committee. This is to ensure boreholes are located in ecologically acceptable areas and are operated responsibly.

Drilling rig operator Cornelius Malebye samples the groundwater emerging from the 356m deep H8A12 well drilled in the utility section of the Steenbras Nature Reserve  It tastes good! he remarked. Photo: John Yeld

City of Cape Town councillors, officials and the media visit one of the drilling sites in the Steenbras Nature Reserve that is the current focus of the citys emergency groundwater drilling programme.

The programme that initially proposed as many as 222 hastily drilled exploration, monitoring and production boreholes  some in highly sensitive nature areas harbouring critically endangered plants  has been temporarily scaled back. Further work on two boreholes already being drilled in the Steenbras nature reserve area has now been temporarily halted while concern about the environmental impact on adjoining vegetation is evaluated.Like the other wells already drilled or still in the planning phase at Steenbras, these two wells are located within the utility section of this protected area that is reserved for functions such as bulk water provision and forestry, although they are close to the nature area edge.The citys new Emergency Water Augmentation Environmental Monitoring Committee is scheduled to meet for the first time on 20 March. Its members include representatives of government departments and CapeNature, and some of the UCT scientists who recently issued an open Statement of Concern about the proposed groundwater drilling programme.And this week there will also be a second, informal meeting of botanists, geohydrologists and environmentalists chaired by Dr Guy Preston, deputy director-general of the national Department of Environmental Affairs and head of the Working for Water Programme. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss concerns about groundwater abstraction.In their statement on 16 February, the UCT scientists expressed concern that abstraction from the Table Mountain Group Aquifer [which stretches all the way to KwaZulu-Natal] as part of the citys emergency response to the drought, was surrounded by a high degree of uncertainty and had potential negative environmental impacts  including a major threat to the integrity of the citys water catchments and to the quantity and quality of water they could provide in the short- and long-term. Quick and dirty solutions for todays challenges will be paid for by breaking into the banks of future generations, the scientists warned.One of the UCT scientists, Jasper Slingsby, confirmed that he and at least one other of the five co-signatories had received an invitation to join the environmental working committee. He described its establishment as a positive move but added: Its early days yet and it could go anyway from here. Were interested to see what they have to say. Initially the City was quite ambitious but theyre limiting [groundwater drilling] to Steenbras for now and theyre moving forward more conservatively.The city has confirmed that the establishment of the committee and the halting of drilling on the two boreholes are at least partly in response to the UCT scientists concerns. During a visit to the Steenbras drilling site last week by some councillors and journalists, the citys acting project manager, David Allpass, was asked whether the UCT statement had triggered heightened awareness of environmental concerns about drilling. He responded: I would say, probably yes.Deputy Mayor Ian Neilson says the city is following a no regrets approach to the abstraction programme that is based on years of research. This means that we have been doing everything that we can to understand our underground resources. We aim to err on the side of caution so that we do not do anything that could cause permanent damage to this resources.The drought was declared both a local disaster in March 2017, a provincial disaster in May 2017 and reclassified as a national disaster in February 2018. Because of these declarations, Neilson pointed out, the city and other Western Cape municipalities had been issued with a special emergency directive in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) to augment its bulk water supplies. However, this did not mean it could ignore statutory environmental management requirements, he emphasised.The directive permits augmentation schemes to proceed without unnecessary delays, but it does not exempt the city from compliance with NEMA or any other applicable legislation. In addition, the projects must comply with the approved environmental management programme, method statement and general duty of care which aims to protect the environment and ensures compliance with applicable legislation.Each project had a dedicated environmental control officer to monitor the abstraction process and ensure compliance with statutory requirements, Neilson added.The emergency groundwater abstraction programme also involves drilling in areas like the Helderberg, South Peninsula, Wemmershoek and Nuweberg in the Boland, but for now the city will confine test drilling to the Steenbras area.Here, some 35 potential drilling sites targeting the shallow Skurweberg aquifer and the deep Peninsula aquifer below that  both are part of the overall Table Mountain Group Aquifer (TMGA)  will now be subjected to careful environmental screening before being reduced in number to establish a full-scale well field of about 15, or even fewer, boreholes. These should provide good water yields at the least environmental cost.Phase one of this project is expected to yield 10-million litres of water a day to be pumped into the nearby Steenbras dam.During the Steenbras site visit, Barry Nefdt of drilling contractor SA Rockdrill explained that three shallow production boreholes had been completed. Two had been started but then temporarily stopped for environmental reasons, and two new sites were being prepared for drilling. One (exploration) borehole was being deepened from its original 300m depth. It is now at 550m and operators are hoping to hit the deep Peninsula aquifer at about 650m.Nefdt said the 35 potential production well sites at Steenbras would be assessed environmentally by the consulting engineers, their specialist team and fynbos ecologists  theres a wide group of people who will review each site.Allpass said the city had adopted a very high duty of care approach, despite being in a disaster situation, and compliance levels had been set to very, very high standards. We police ourselves, and if need be we stop and put in checks and balances. If the alarm is raised, we react to that, he said.In terms of national water and environmental legislation, the act of drilling a borehole does not require a formal environmental impact assessment process. However, a duty of care still applies to the drilling operation  for example, ecologically sensitive areas must be avoided and all disturbance minimised  and the construction or introduction of any associated infrastructure or services beyond the limited drilling area such as powerlines, roads and pipelines usually attract an EIA requirement.
South African wine producers are readying themselves for CapeWine 2018 taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from 12 - 14 September, under the theme \Hannuwa - encapsulating the philosophy of the South African wine industry as a pledge to farming sustainably and be a custodian of the land and preserve it for future generations.

distel2610 via pixabay

Rick Tigner

Charles Back

Raymond Ndlovu

Carina Gous

John Lucas

By nurturing a culture of respect among the people who work with us on our farms and in our cellars, we endeavour to promote an environment of dignity, equality and upliftment for all whilst protecting the unique and valuable biodiversity of our Winelands and safeguarding the rich heritage of our industry.Speakers for the opening seminar, titled, further contribute to this theme, each bringing their own story and angle to raise awareness of where we are heading as an industry, without losing sight of where we have come from.Speakers at CapeWine 2018 include:Tigner is president and chief executive officer of Jackson Family Wines, the family-owned collection of vineyards and wineries around the world founded by Jess Jackson in 1982. Tigner joined Jackson Family Wines in 1991 and has served in a variety of sales and distribution leadership roles during his tenure with the company. Tigner is responsible for leading and building all aspects of the global operations of the business, which is guided by the Jackson familys philosophy of producing high-quality wines from top vineyard sites, with practices rooted in environmental and social responsibility.Tigner serves on the Board of Directors of the Wine Institute, the advocacy group for the California wine industry and Vinexpo, one of the wine industrys most respected global trade organisations, as well as the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons research.Tigner will discuss the companys global strategy and investments in South Africa with Capensis and the Fijnbosch Vineyard in the Stellenbosch region and highlight the familys commitment to sustainable winegrowing and business practices globally.With a long list of awards and prizes, local philanthropist, ethical trade champion and owner of Fairview and Spice Route wineries, Back won the 1659 Wine Industry Medal of honour in 2017, the IWC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 and was voted the second most influential person in the South African wine industry by Wine Magazine in 1996.Ndlovu is co-founder and owner of artisanal premium wine production and marketing business, Black Elephant Vintners  his surname, Ndlovu, making up the Elephant part of the name. He serves on the boards of several community service organisations and is a trustee of the Cape Wine Auction, all the while fulfilling his role as Investment Executive at JSE-listed diversified investment holding company, Remgro Limited.Wines of South Africas current non-executive chairperson, Gous was, until recently, the global marketing brand director: luxury wines and spirits for the Distell Group, South Africa, where she was also actively involved in promoting ethical trade accreditation for Distell's wine brands and in encouraging the wineries in her portfolio to pursue environmentally sustainable programmes.Before Lucas took over the reigns as the managing director for DHL Express South Africa, he worked in a number of European countries in various roles for the company. South Africa is the 18th country that Lucas has worked in since joining DHL Express 33 years ago but it is not his first African experience, with Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda and Ivory Coast all part of his exciting journey.In addition to the opening seminar, there will be four hour-long seminars taking place over the duration of the three-day programme as well as the Amorim Cork sponsored Speakers Corner and a separate themed tasting area. More information on the themes and speakers will be shared on the CapeWine 2018 website (www.capewine2018.com) and on social media platforms in due course.WoSA welcomes all wine trade and media from across the globe to join us at this prestigious showing of South African wines from over 350 producers. Registration to attend the event is open and can be done by visiting our website and following the Visitor Registration link at the top right of the page.To keep up to date with all things CapeWine 2018, please follow us on social media:
Luxury lifestyle development, the Regency Apartment Hotel located in the bustling Menlyn Node, has entered a key construction phase and is due for completion in June 2018. Designed by award-winning architect, Archactive International and developed by Key Spirit Development, the hotel is set to showcase the best in secure urban hotel standards.

Images: Bonzai Photography

The luxury apartment style hotel suites will be available for business or leisure accommodation. No expense has been spared with each of the luxury apartments fitted with top quality finishes. The hotel boasts restaurants, a bar, bespoke gym, high-end security with 24-hour surveillance and underground parking.The R350 million development is situated in the exclusive Menlyn Node with easy access to the Menlyn business district, the Menlyn Malls and conveniently close to the highway to fast-track to Johannesburg or O.R Tambo airport.This is the first Regency hotel of which several more which are planned by Key Spirit Development in partnership with MD Siyanda Dlaminis new hotel management company (soon to be launched).The impressive 220 suite development will cater to a mix of local and international professionals, investors, diplomats and embassy staff with different needs and requirements. Additional conferencing facilities are available for corporates on request. There is a growing demand for accommodation to cater to the busy Menlyn district and we have created the ideal offering, says Siyanda Dlamini, MD of The Regency Hotel Group.
Now in its 10th year, the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants' (SAICA's) annual Student Leadership Summit (SLS) is open for entries.

2018 topics

Most leaders claim that they want the utmost ethical standards upheld by those they lead, but many are shocked to discover that even with the best intentions, their leadership style is corrupting those in their organisation. As a future business leader, how would you ensure that your leadership choices do not inadvertently encourage misconduct and bureaucracy?



The leadership of SAICA said in Parliament that Mandatory Audit Firm Rotation will not address the problems of transformation, market concentration and the independence of the profession. In your opinion, what are more effective steps the profession could take to address these problems?



SAICA believes it is important for CAs to grow not just the South African economy, but also the economy of the city/town from where they come. In your opinion, what contributions do you believe a CA(SA) could make to better the community from where he/she comes from, and how would you go about doing this?

How to enter?

"SLS is a thought leadership competition in which students studying towards a BCom CA-stream qualification at SAICA-accredited institutions are asked to devise solutions to problems that confront our country and the world at large. To enter, students must construct a solution for one of three thought leadership problems in the form of a thousand-word, action-orientated, research-based (where possible) essay," explains Teboho Moephudi, project director for SAICAs university projects."From these entries, the SLS judges select the top 30 students whose essays best illustrate their thought leadership capability. These young leaders are then flown to Johannesburg for an intensive three-day thought leadership summit intended to further unlock their unique leadership potential and develop the qualities of a responsible leader. Among others, the top 30 attend an exclusive event where the winners of the competition are announced, and where they have a unique chance to network and engage with key business leaders."Responsible leadership is the cornerstone of the chartered accountancy profession. It is a distinguishing characteristic that sets chartered accountants apart, and holds them accountable for their actions and behaviour. The SLS competition, which encourages the development of responsible leadership abilities, is open only to students who are studying towards a BCom CA(SA) qualification at a SAICA-accredited institution.Students wishing to enter this years SLS competition must submit a thousand-word thought leadership essay on one of the following topics:To enter, applicants must simply email their 1,000-word essay to az.oc.acias@noititepmocsls by no later than 24 August 2018.The following must be included with each entry: full name, contact number, name of university and degree they are studying, student number, e-mail address and word count for the essay.For any queries regarding entries, please contact SAICA project director, Teboho Moephudi at az.oc.acias@mohobet
With the aim to address overcrowding and improve teaching and learning in Mpolokeng Primary School, the Kagiso Shanduka Trust (KST) in partnership with the Embassy of Japan in South Africa have invested R1.2 million to build four classrooms at the school. The new classes were unveiled on 13 March 2018.

Teacher to learner ratios

Community development

Mpolokeng Primary School in Botshabelo falls within the Motheo district in the Free State Province, where KST is implementing the District Whole School Development Programme (DWSDP).The educator to learner ratio before the four classrooms were built was 1:53 and it now sits at 1:44 and this has brought much needed alleviation for a conducive learning environment.According to the Education Statistics 2013 report published by the Department of Basic Education in 2015, the learner ratio should ideally be 30 learners per teacher, 480 learners per school, and 16 teachers per school. The ratio of learners per teacher is roughly the same in all provinces, but the ratio of learners per school varies per province.Data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Institute of Statistics on Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) in primary schools shows an average of PTR in 2015 was 23.4:1 globally and made a comparison with BRICS countries which showed that China, was at 16.3:1, 20.9:1 in Brazil, 19.8:1 in Russia and 33.6:1 in South Africa.The Ambassador of Japan in South Africa H.E Mr. Shigeyuki Hiroki delivered his message of support in SeSotho and reaffirmed Japans support for education development in South Africa. We are delighted to have contributed to address the challenge of classroom capacity in the school and wish educators and learners well in the 2018 academic year. We look forward to more collaborations with KST, said Ambassador Hiroki.Delivering the keynote address, MEC for the Free State Department of Education, Tate Makgoe said Educators and principals play a vital role in our education system. The success of the Free State province in the 2016 and 2017 National Senior Certificate results is a true testament to this. We also need to start grooming our learners at foundation phase on the importance of Maths and Science and would like to see the Motheo district being the best performing district in the Free State or nationally like Fezile Dabi."I would like to thank the Japanese Embassy for their contribution which will go a long way towards improved results," concluded Makgoe.KSTs DWSDP believes that when school infrastructure is handed over to schools, it should also be handed over to the broader community. The programmes infrastructure belongs to all of you, not only the school, and community members have the responsibility to look after and protect it from vandalism and theft so that many more learners from Botshabelo can benefit from it many years to come, said Themba Mola KST Trustee.More public-private partnerships are needed to address the many challenges that face our education system. The responsibility of improving our education system cannot sit on governments shoulder's alone if we are to achieve vision 2030 outlined in the National Development Plan.
The affordability of local travel is a heated conversation topic in South Africa. Many South Africans hold firmly on to the belief that it is cheaper to visit Thailand or Zanzibar than to trek to the coastlines of Cape Town or Durban.

Marta Huk via 123RF

South Africans not taking to local skies

However, put this theory to the test, and youll see this assumption simply isnt true.South Africans looking for an affordable holiday in Thailand will need to budget around R9,000 per person for a seven-night package. Zanzibar is slightly more expensive at R12,000 for the most affordable seven-night package. That means an international budget holiday will set a family of four back between R36,000 and R48,000 on average.If we look at a local package in a resort in Durban, such as Dream Hotels and Resorts Blue Marlin Hotel, a weeks accommodation for four people including flights from Johannesburg on a local low-cost carrier would cost a family of four on average R14,700.Flights to Cape Town are slightly more costly, but travellers can still find affordable packages. With flights, a seven-night stay at Piekenierskloof Mountain Resort in the Western Cape will cost a family of four on average R15,000.Despite the affordable prices to explore their own backyard, South Africans are not rushing to take to the local skies. ACSA passenger statistics show that total domestic passenger traffic remained largely static in 2016 and 2017.According to the spokesperson for FlySafair, Kirby Gordon, the stagnant picture of local flights isnt too bad given the very slow economic growth in South Africa. He mentions there is a direct link between passenger numbers and economic growth.Statistics South Africa paints a much bleaker picture. According to the latest Domestic Tourism Survey, the total number of day trips decreased by five million while overnight trips decreased by about three million from 2015 to 2016.A visit to friends and relatives was the most popular reason for undertaking overnight trips, with approximately 12 million trips taken for this reason in 2016. Nearly three out of four people who undertook overnight trips opted to stay with friends and relatives rather than pay for accommodation. One of the key reasons South African Tourism offers for this lack of interest in local tourism is that South Africans do not have an inherent travel culture.Another factor I feel could play an important role in the lacklustre performance of our domestic tourism is that travellers dont view local travel as exciting or exotic as overseas travel. As tourism stakeholders, it is our role to encourage South Africans to consume local tourism products  accommodation, tourist attractions and experiences.Durban and KwaZulu-Natal have so much more to offer than just the beaches. Tell travellers about the possibility to hike, mountain bike and explore the spectacular scenery of the Oribi Gorge or the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Game Reserve. Open their eyes to the high adrenaline activities on offer in the Western Cape.Like I mentioned in a previous article , it is my firm belief that taking a family holiday is a right, not a privilege. So, its up to us as tourism industry stakeholders to make domestic travel seem less intimidating and easier to access with such initiatives as family deals, self-catering products, packaging experiences and products together, and loyalty programmes that encourage more regular travel.
The secret to successfully operating an airline business in SA is what Comair CEO Erik Venter calls a fleet-renewal cycle in which newer, bigger but more fuel-efficient aircraft are phased into the fleet, as older aircraft are phased out.

Why Comair survives

In a sense, this is counterintuitive for an industry already beleaguered by eyewatering capital inputs. Comair is in the process of acquiring eight new Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft at a cost of $420m, scheduled for delivery between 2019 and 2022.Venter made his remarks in the presence of Boeing's sub-Saharan MD Miguel Santos, who took the trouble to emphasise that Boeing was no mere vendor, but Comair's business partner.That disclaimer aside, a wider context is the gravitas of Comair's performance record.In February, it reported a record R203m operational profit in its 71-year unbroken profit record. In shareholder value, it now ranks among the top five JSE-listed companies on an average annual growth of 41.5%. It achieved this in an industry globally recognised as profoundly regulated, capital intensive, volatile and cyclical with negligible profit margins. The South African industry mirrors this, only more acutely, with tightening regulation and considerable price competition from state-owned carriers.To illustrate, Venter enumerated the failure of 80% of privately owned companies out of a total 18 operators.The survivors among state-owned entities were South African Airways (SAA), SA Express, Mango and (semistate) SA Airlink.In the comparable private sector, only Comair (BA and kulula.com) and Flysafair were still in existence.Comair survives because it has been able to close the gap between costs and revenues per unit. Costs per aircraft in the period from 2001 to 2017 rose 222%, while the revenue per unit rose a mere 20%. That would sink any airline in its first year of operation, said Venter. This gap grows exponentially with each passing year.The solution is the economies of scale that result from a fleet-renewal cycle. The new aircraft, for instance, are expected to burn 14% less fuel by volume, plus they carry more passengers.This is important because fuel is any airline's single biggest cost and it has also become impossible to hedge against volatility in the oil price and in the rand's exchange rate.Newer aircraft spend less time in maintenance, which means more paying passengers per hour and fewer ground staff, resulting in a competitive "scheduled reliability". The market reflects this, said Santos, with Boeing about 56% oversold, which he expected to grow to 60% by 2020.Comair's strategy, however, depends greatly on maintenance, for which it must rely on its relationship with SAA Technical (SAAT). Venter said Comair was cognisant of the challenges at SAA and SAAT, especially at managerial level where it could affect workflow, but it circumvented this by having its own structures in place at SAAT.On a technical level, Comair was satisfied with SAAT, he said, but it was considering its options, including forming a relationship with Lufthansa.The risks in the industry were many and large, said Santos. This had been compounded by the slow and partial uptake of an open-skies policy.This had meant a lost opportunity for African airlines. To fix this, Africa must adopt an open-skies policy, he said.
LAGOS - Nigeria was urged to re-open investigations into 89 oil spills in its southern delta region, after claims that Shell and ENI misreported the causes.

Rights group Amnesty International said there were "reasonable doubts" about how the spills happened, suggesting corrosion rather than oil theft were behind the pollution.A total of 46 spills came from pipelines operated by Shell's local subsidiary, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, and 43 from ENI's Nigerian Agip Oil Company, it added.The call was made after crowd-sourced analysis of the companies' publicly available documents on pipeline failures in the Niger Delta in the last seven years to December 2017.Activists who pored over reports found that since Shell began publishing details in January 2011, it had 1,010 spills amounting to 110,535 barrels or 17.5 million litres of crude.ENI had 820 spills -- the equivalent of 26,286 barrels or 4.1 million litres of oil -- since it made its reports public in 2014.The companies blamed "third party interference" -- either sabotage of pipelines by militants or the theft of crude known locally as "bunkering" -- for most of the spills.But Amnesty's business and human rights researcher Mark Dummett said the companies' claims to be doing all they can to prevent spills were at odds with the analysis."(Researchers) found that the companies often ignore reports of oil spills for months on end - on one occasion ENI took more than a year to respond," he said in a statement."The Niger Delta is one of the most polluted places on Earth and it beggars belief that the companies responsible are still displaying this level of negligence."Adding insult to injury is the fact that Shell and ENI seem to be publishing unreliable information about the cause of extent of spills," he added, accusing both firms of "recklessness".Allegations about misreporting, including under-estimating the amount of oil spilled, are significant as they could affect claims for compensation for local communities.In January 2015, Shell agreed to pay N55m ($77m, 62-million euros) in compensation to more than 15,500 people affected by oil spills in the Ogoniland area of Rivers state.The case saw the company admit the spills were greater than first reported.Oil companies are required to make an initial assessment of any spill within 24 hours of detection, put in place measures to prevent wider contamination and clean up spills swiftly.But the analysis indicated Shell responded within 24 hours on only 26 percent of occasions during the period in question, while ENI did so on 76 percent of times.The risk of contamination of food and water sources increases the longer the response time to spills.Many spills happened in the same area. ENI, for example, had 262 spills on its 92-kilometre (57.5-mile) Tebidaba-Brass pipeline in Bayelsa state.ENI blamed sabotage for 260 of the spills but the company was warned multiple times to improve surveillance, it was alleged in Amnesty's report, "Negligence in the Niger Delta".Shell rejected the allegations, saying they were "false, without merit and fail to recognise the complex environment in which it operates".ENI similarly rejected claims that it was failing to take prompt action or was providing unreliable or misleading information.It said spills were down by more than 50 percent last year compared to 2014.
Mojaloop project

Big Sky thinking

Interoperability will allow for decentralisation and makes it viable to have more systems. Airtime providers allow you to call any network. Payments are the opposite, if you sign up with one payment provider, you cannot use others. Interoperability allows the user the freedom to use many payment routes instead of being stuck in one, he explained.On flip side, he acknowledged that it does put the different currencies in competition with each other, but interoperability is also the key for financial inclusion, as Project Mojaloop demonstrates.Named after Moja, the Swahili word for one, Project Mojaloop was started in 2015, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and worked on by Ripple, in partnership with Dwolla, ModusBox, Software Group and Crosslake Technologies. It is an open-source software for financial services companies, government regulators, and others taking on the challenges of interoperability and financial inclusion.Mojaloop is on the Ripple Interledger that would be capable of enabling digital transactions to take place as fluidly as cash. Customers should be able to send digital payments to anyone, regardless of what kind of account or service they use. The project also makes it easier for financial providers to achieve interoperability.By providing national level payments, interoperability can lower costs and help bring the poor into the greater economy, Thomas said.Ultimately the difference will be the user experience, so it is not about what we want, but what the user wants or chooses and that is the only way to become mainstream.Naomi Snyman, blockchain lead for Standard Bank and chair of the South African Financial Blockchain Consortium, believes a greater vision is necessary if blockchain is to move into the mainstream. Blockchain is being held back because we are too technical or philosophical when we talk about it. We need to move past this and through the hard lessons we have learnt and start to articulate the difference blockchain it is going to make to your business as well as the benefits of the technology in a much more practical way.Its also not enough to talk about the operational benefits. By scaling blockchain, a business can cut operational costs and free up operational time and resources, but this is short term thinking. What we should be thinking about is how we can leverage blockchain to set up an entire new business. Thats how we should be thinking.
Although they are usually dealt with as separate entities, risk planning and investment planning are intrinsically linked, as both are ultimately about income protection.

Brad Torien, CEO of FMI

So, whats wrong with conventional wisdom?

Myth #1: You will earn a continuous, steadily increasing stream of income until you retire

Select the shortest possible waiting period

Have the certainty that claims will be paid when needed

Make sure you have future insurability

Myth #2: You know how much you need to retire

75% of replacement ratio: Is this sufficient? What if you still have debt? What if you have healthcare costs? What if you still have dependents?

20 times this amount is a sufficient amount to invest at retirement. Look at the growth of four major asset classes, and ask yourself when would your income run out? Only in the most aggressive assumption would your income last until youre 90.

Myth #3: Retire at 65 and live till 90

On the one hand, risk planning is about your ability to earn an income and protecting it against horrible things happening to you, so you can accumulate some wealth. While, investment planning is building up those assets and protecting your wealth so that one day you can replace the income you were earning when you decide to retire, says Brad Torien, CEO of FMI.Decisions you make in the risk planning world can have significant consequences in your investment planning for your retirement reality. The problem is that we think both of them are driven by conventional wisdom.The problem with conventional wisdom is that some of it is simply no longer true today.We cling to these things so dearly, and they become so part of our identity and how we see the world, that often even when they are demonstrably proven false we still hang onto them. My concern is that today we are making decisions based on things that were true yesterday, but may no longer be valid, says Torien.He cited some examples including Albert Einsteins statement in 1932, that: That theres not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be attainable.So, if the smartest guy in the world could be proven wrong. How can we believe that anything we know today is 100% true? The truth is the world is changing. And its changing rapidly, he says.So what are some of the myths or conventions that are driving todays wealth planning.Seven out of 10 people have at least one injury or illness during their career that will affect their income. These temporary interruptions have long-term consequences. For 50% of them its going to happen more than once.Income protection is a great start but its not enough, decisions like choosing the shortest waiting period possible are absolutely crucial. Second part of this myth is that your income is steadily going to go up, for most people you are just as likely to have a year when your income dips, especially in an economy like the one weve just come out of, Torien says.To protect yourself from this myth  you need to protect 100% of your income. Anything less than that is simply not enough. South Africans are bad savers  so if we are battling with living on our income, why would we assume that living on anything less when we are temporarily incapacitated is enough?He says some of the things to consider when looking at income protection products are:This myth is driven by two rules of thumb:So, what are your options? Torien asks. Save more, work longer or live on less. We believe the answer is a combination of the first two.Torien gives some back story on this myth, explaining that retirement was introduced by Otto von Bismarck in 1880s. Originally retirement was set at 70, because people were expected to live to 70, and the idea was to take a few months off before you die. This has changed.Further down the line, the standard age in the States was set at 65 in 1930s, based on study of mental decline starts in your 60s.This is simply no longer true today, but this thinking is still what is driving decisions, says Torien.Besides losing a lot of wisdom and experience by forcing people to retire at 65, there are other factors to consider. Work gives people a sense of purpose. You are 30% more likely to die in your first year of retirement, then in your last year of working. People cant or dont want to retire, he says.
This job expired on 31 May 2018.
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro. Photo--Wikipedia

[Commentary]

We, people from the United States, join the people and government of Venezuela, and people and their governments across Latin America, Canada, and the Caribbean in calling on the U.S. government to cease interference into the independent, sovereign, and self-determined affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

We call on all people and governments to support peaceful debate and negotiations and to urgently and unequivocally denounce violent opposition, economic sabotage, biased media critiques, calls for foreign military intervention and regime change supported by U.S. rightwing politicians and the Trump-Administration State Department and military.

We make this urgent appeal in full acknowledgement that the people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela are in the midst of an intense internal and conflicting self-defining moment. One that runs across ideological and political lines to determine constructive pathways forward in crafting their own national citizen-centered democracy and social justice development project. The process was launched by a majority vote under the mandate of the Bolivarian Revolution, the leftist political process, initiated by late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, and led by the current elected President Nicolas Maduro. Their internal differences are great and serious and are of profound importance for their nations future and for the future of participatory democracy and social justice development throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

The government and people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, guided by the philosophy and practice of participatory democracy established in1999, achieved in less than two decades unprecedented levels of development in the active exercise of citizenship by its most marginalized, discriminated, and impoverished citizens. At one point under the Bolivarian Revolution Venezuela achieved the status of the country in the region with the lowest inequality level (measured by the Gini Coefficient) having reduced inequality by 54%, poverty by 44%. Extreme poverty was reduced from 40% (1996) to a very low level of 7.3% (2010). UNESCO recognized that under the Participatory Democracy citizen-government collaboration illiteracy was eliminated in Venezuela. Venezuelans became the 3rd county in the region whose population read the most. Governmental policies instituted tuition free education from daycare to university; 72% of children attended public daycares and 85% of school age children attended school. Venezuela became the 2nd country in Latin America and 5th in the world with the greatest proportions of university students.

Those admirable national humanistic achievements have been undermined mainly by the global economic crisis that diminished social spending and economic sabotage by U.S. led economic sanctions and limitations on the Venezuelan governments normal access to global finance protocols.

We respect the right of people outside of Venezuela to express and to debate sincere and intense critical opinions about Venezuelas internal affairs as long as they do not interfere with or compromise the rights and obligations of Venezuelans to mediate their own differences and to unite through their constitution around issues of mutual interests to establish their sovereign will and national development. The efficacy of the Maduro elected government, which the U.S. government is constantly maligning and attempting to overthrow, is solely a matter of evaluation and decision at the ballot box by the Venezuelan people. Therefore we support the Venezuelan constitutional mandate for the upcoming presidential elections in May and call a halt to U.S. imperial condemnation of the election before it takes place.

There is no justification based in international protocols between nations or of ethical solidarity among progressive and peace loving people for such illegal, injurious outside interference, threats of invasion, or regime change now dangerously underway by the U.S. government in Venezuela.

In the interests and integrity of the Venezuelan nation and for preservation of stability, respectful lawful engagement, mutual interests, and peace in the Americas we must support the negotiation process between Venezuelans of widely varying ideological and political perspectives to achieve self-determined resolutions. We must support the upcoming May presidential elections and implore the U.S. government to halt interference in Venezuelan peoples decisions to express their will-as they have peacefully done in accordance with their Constitution and respectfully accepted as majority will at the ballot box time and time again since 1998.

Network of Intellectuals, Artists and Social Movements in Defense of Humanity, U.S. Chapter

We invite all other national chapters and nodes of the Network in Defense of Humanity, as well as any other intellectual, artist or social fighter who agrees with this statement, to join us by sending an email to: indefenseofhumanity.us@gmail.com

This urgent call was endorsed by: Network of Intellectuals, Artists and Social Movements in Defense of Humanity, Cuba Chapter
A recent Session Daily article looks at a timid attempt to address the problem of salt in Minnesota's waters, caused by de-icing. Introduced by first-term Edina Republican Darin Anselmo, the bill makes it appear the suburban lawmaker is being environmentally friendly, while not addressing the larger question of salt on roads and bridges across the state.

In Could fewer lawsuits lead to less salt in state waters?, Michael Strasborg reports:

Without an affordable means of desalinating water, lawmakers are looking to enact preventative measures to keep chloride out of Minnesotas waters in the first place. A bill that would incentivize water-friendly salt application methods was approved as amended by the House Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee Tuesday on a split-voice vote and referred to the House Civil Law and Data Practices Policy Committee. Sponsored by Rep. Dario Anselmo (R-Edina), HF3577 would require the Pollution Control Agency to support a voluntary certification program for commercial salt applicators, which would grant applicators liability protection upon completion. Its companion, SF3199, sponsored by Sen. Carrie Ruud (R-Breezy Point), awaits action by the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee. According to the PCA, 50 percent of chloride found in Minnesota water is attributed to deicing chemicals, while the other half comes from home water softeners. . . . But the reason many commercial applicators admit to salting more than is necessary, according to the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association, is to avoid slip-and-fall accidents and ensure the client and applicator are protected from any potential litigation. After speaking to more than 250 businesses, the Stop-Over-Salting advocacy group stated that liability protection included in the bill would work as a powerful incentive. The fear of slip-and-fall lawsuits is the primary, by far, determiner of how much deicer is applied, said salt advocate Sue Nissen. The opportunity to use best practices to save resources and money, protect structures and landscape water are all concerns that people consider but take a backseat to liability fears. But others claim the incentive could be a wash. Joel Carlson, representing the Minnesota Association for Justice, said the protection is largely redundant since an individual does not have a liability claim for injuries that result from open and obvious dangers. The courts have long held that snow and ice in Minnesota are open and obvious, so you have to have a very egregious situation before someone has a premise liability case based on snow and ice accumulation, Carlson said. . . .

Minnesotans can gain some help in assessing these conflicting claims by looking at the experience of New Hampshire. Administrator of that state's Water Management Bureau Ted Diers addressed concerns in a letter to Anselmo.

New Hampshire Salt Reduction/ Watershed Management Diers Letter to Anselmo uploaded by Sally Jo Sorensen on Scribd

Minnesota Public Radio's Max Nesterak has more in Could 'smart salting' keep Minnesota roads and waters safe?. The article includes links to earlier coverage of over-salting issues by MPR.

Photo: One of MNDOT's piles of salt. Via KAAL-TV.

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How, to what extent, and under what conditions states should repay their debt are critical questions which resurface after every major financial crisis. Debts being legal contracts, states are bound by the principle of pacta sunt servanda (agreements must be kept). Hence, the general expectation is that all debt must be repaid, no matter the circumstances. One exception to the rule of repayment is odious debt. The term broadly refers to the debts of a nation incurred against the interests of its population. Over the course of the last century, the legal doctrine of odious debt has been invoked as an argument to justify the cancellation of debts in a decolonial context (e.g. Cuba 1898, Algeria 1962) or after the fall of a despotic regime (e.g. Iraq 2003). But the odious debt doctrine has not yet found application outside these specific contexts.

The scope and application criteria of odious debt have elicited considerable interest and debate among academic and civil society circles in recent years, [1] some calling for a broader and more flexible doctrine. A restated definition is indeed vital and should be welcome because most states currently burdened with crushing debt are democratic states. The reflection on the current relevance of the odious debt doctrine generates provocative questions: Are there democratic circumstances under which debt contracts should not be binding? Must it always be wartime or colonial domination to justify debt cancellations? And, under what revised definition could highly indebted countries cite the notion of odious debt?

This essay suggests that odious debt needs a restatement to stay relevant in the face of important changes affecting state (i.e. sovereign) debt. Today, a major issue affecting creditor-debtor relations in the sovereign sector is the predicament of over-lending. Examples abound of reckless creditors pressuring vulnerable states to borrow for projects they do not need and at conditions they do not fully understand. This development, which recalls the aggressive business tactics used by predatory lenders in consumer lending, has become a ubiquitous problem affecting both developing (e.g. Puerto Rico) and developed (e.g. Greece) nations. Yet, this problem remains largely unaccounted for in international law and in the odious debt doctrine in particular. The future of odious debt depends upon a collective endeavor to make the legal doctrine more sensitive to issues of predatory lending. This essay offers insights into the benefits that such efforts may yield on states and their creditors.

Two traditions of odious debt

The starting point of almost every modern discussion of odious debt is the work of the Russian lawyer Alexander Sack. When Sack published his treatise on odious debt in 1927, [2] the practical examples of debt repudiation seemed to increase at a dangerous rate with the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires and the Bolshevik revolution of 1917. In these cases, the process of debt collection was compromised because the states that had contracted the debts had ceased to exist. As a rule, Sack did not oppose the norm of repayment, as he endorsed the idea that debts were binding legal contracts and therefore had to be repaid. But his great innovation was to claim that certain debts should be treated differently from others, based on their origins and purpose.

Unfortunately, Sacks treatise is couched in general and ambiguous terms so much that the meaning and scope of odious debt still remains a contested issue among lawyers and legal historians. According to a traditional reading of Sack, [3] debts are odious and should not be repaid when they were incurred by irregular regimes and for improper uses. In this view, there is no ground to invoke odious debt if there is not a despot or a colonial empire at the center of the story. A powerful alternative opinion is provided by Ludington et al. and Toussaint, [4] arguing that Sack was not, or at least not primarily, concerned with the nature (democratic or despotic) of the government, but focused on improper uses of debts and creditor complicity (whether creditors knew about the likely misuse of the funds they were advancing).

This exercise of legal exegesis may very well produce no clear winners, for there is not just one but several acceptable definitions of odious debt depending on the context of application. The traditional interpretation was pertinent as long as there were populations to liberate from odious loans incurred by undemocratic authorities. Such debts being used to oppress the people, it was immoral to ask oppressed populations to repay the debt. Of course, this interpretation remains relevant and appropriate. The current context in Venezuela is a case in point. [5] But it is also hard not to notice that colonial governance has all but disappeared today (at least formally) and that loans to dictatorships take up only a narrow corner of the $22 trillion worth of sovereign bonds outstanding in 2018. Now that most sovereign debts are contracted by democratic states, odious debt, at least in its traditional variant, runs the risk of becoming a legal doctrine without any clear use. As such, and without prejudice to the historical investigation of what Sack actually wrote, the alternative interpretation is more appealing and desirable. The two criteria of debt misuses and creditor complicity allow for the representation of key problems facing democratic states, in particular their vulnerability to predatory lending. Now that the broad context of odious debt has been established, it is time to address the problem of predatory lending.

Over-borrowing or over-lending?

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of current sovereign debt regime is what we take for granted, namely that the function of creditors is to furnish capital to states, for projects they need. When roles are distributed in this way, states must signal to creditors that they have the capacity and willingness to repay, for instance by obtaining a AAA credit rating. [6] But such approach of creditor-debtor interaction gives only a partial understanding of what occurs in the real world of debt. Lenders are not simply on demand, passively waiting to subscribe to bond issuances. Instead, creditors often engage in active lobbying to convince officials to borrow for projects they do not need. Recall, for instance, the famous story of the Bavarian town in need of $125,000 to build a power station but that ended up with a $3 million loan after repeated persuasion from the agents of a Wall Street bank. [7] This case, among others, reminds us that lenders are not just about furnishing credit for needs, they are about creating those needs.

The problem of over-borrowing has been a major cause of financial uncertainty since the 1980s. Of course, states do not always make decisions that are in their best interests. Politicians often make opportunistic uses of foreign credit to buy electoral favors. But such emphasis on domestic factors like the electoral cycle diverts attention away from structural factors on the lending side. In 1976, IMF managing director Johannes Witteveen worried that creditor activism would lead developing countries to take on debts beyond the range of what is reasonable: commercial banks should not be so easily available that [] it caused the authorities to accumulate larger debts than were desirable. [8] This statement was prophetic. We find a recurring pattern from Latin America and Southeast Asia in the 1980s-1990s to Europe in the 2000s: each time the volume of foreign credit invested was too much for these economies to handle, causing these countries to experience difficulties in debt repayment. One lesson of financial history is that increasing borrowing is as much about states profligate behavior than it is about creditors profit-driven motivations to over-lend. Greece is a paradigmatic case.

The odious lending cycle: Greek debt revisited

Greeces borrowing over the past two decades can be understood as a classic case of predatory lending. In the context of this essay, predatory lending is defined as the practice of a lender deceptively convincing a state to borrow for projects it does not need and at unfair or abusive terms. The cycle of odious lending comes down to three consecutive stages (creditor activism followed by creative accounting followed by predatory bailouts), each stage contributing to increase borrowing beyond a nations capacity to repay.

The first stage involved large European companies persuading Greece to borrow for projects she did not need. After the return of democracy in the 1970s, the value of Greek military imports per head of population became the second largest in the world. French and German firms were the main beneficiaries of Greeces spending spree. In 2000, the French firm Dassault sold Mirage jets and air missiles for 10 billion. In 2003, the German manufacturer Krauss Maffei Wegmann signed a lucrative contract of sale for 170 Leopard tanks (1.6 billion). Perhaps the most infamous case was the 5 billion submarine contract that Greece signed in 2000 with ThyssenKrupp. [9] In 2015, Greeces former defense minister was jailed for accepting 8 million in bribes from one of the German companies involved in the deal. For decades, arms purchases were the greatest contributing factor to Greeces soaring debt. Had Greece kept defense spending to levels similar to other European states, it would have saved around 150 billion, a sum well in excess of the first 2010 bailout. This business did not stop after the crisis. In 2010, France delivered six frigates and combat helicopters for a price tag of over 3 billion and this in spite of the harsh policies of austerity implemented to reduce Greeces already huge debt.

The second stage in the cycle of predatory lending involved the use of creative accounting techniques to hide Greeces public debt and keep the country in the lending game. In 2001, Goldman Sachs offered its services to transact a 2.8 billion cross-currency swap on behalf of Greece. The purpose of the transaction was to disguise Greeces outstanding debts and help her meet the deficit target for entering the Eurozone. [10] The bank received 600 million for its services. But Greek officials would realize too late that the deal which initially looked so attractive was in reality very risky. Greece ended up owing over 5 billion because of the complex rate formula Goldman used to engineer the deal.

Accounting wizardry looms large in the chain of causal mechanisms that led to Greeces insolvency 10 years later. Removing debts from Greeces balance-sheet gave a rosy picture on Greek finances that misled investors and paved the way for a decade-long spending spree. In the early 2000s, financial analysts congratulated Greece as the financial powerhouse of southern Europe. Driven by profit motives, investors did not see the purpose of exercising due diligence when examining the credit profile of Greece. When accounting fraud was revealed in late 2009, and as the country entered into the debt crisis, some observers called for the restructuration of Greek debt under the rationale that responsibility for unpaid debt should be shared between the irresponsible borrowers and the reckless lenders. [11] But quite the opposite happened. When it became clear that Greece had taken on too much debt, public institutions were called to the rescue. Mass lending continued unabated: only the identity of the lender (from private to public) changed.

In May 2010, the Troika (the IMF, European Commission and European Central Bank) loaned 110 billion in exchange of Greeces pledge to implement drastic austerity policies. Troikas bailouts can be characterized as the continuation of predatory lending by other means: Greece was forced to borrow more to repay the debt incurred on behalf of private creditors. The Troika added more debt to debt and this in spite of the IMFs rule not to lend to insolvent countries. Before making rescue loans, the IMF is normally entitled to request debt relief in order to restore the solvency of crippled countries. Instead, it granted massive sums to Greece despite knowledge of her impossibility to repay. Studies have evidenced that IMF experts clearly perceived that Greek debt was unsustainable and that the country would not be able to grow out of its debt. [12] They have criminal responsibility, Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz said of the Troika that loaned Greece massive funds to repay French and German banks holding over 40% of Greek debt. [13]

As is well known, Troika loans have produced disastrous results for Greece. The lending program has depressed the economy, increased public debt, sent dozens of thousands of Greeks searching for a job abroad and provoked a domestic health crisis. Today, Greeces debt burden continues to remain unsustainable, some 10 years after the first Troika loans were made. The portion of Greek debt that originated out of predatory lending is hard to assess with a degree of certainty. If not all debts are odious and therefore should be cancelled, the Goldman Sachs transaction of 2001 and the IMF loan were odious in the sense that creditors knew very well that loans would depress the economy and harm the population.

Beyond Greece: systemic deception and manipulation in sovereign debt lending

The cycle of predatory lending is by no means restricted to Greece. In fact, many other democratic states have also faced the adverse consequences of reckless lending. Creditor activism in the sovereign sector (the 1st stage in the odious lending cycle) recalls the door-to-door solicitations of predatory lenders in the consumer lending industry. This development is not new as there is considerable historical precedence of bankers turned into banksters exploiting information asymmetries to over-lend and rack up hefty commissions. [14] Creative accounting is also a pervasive problem in municipal lending. In the U.S. many cities and counties were persuaded to buy interest-rate swaps to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars. In France, the bank Dexia deceived the officials of many large cities with toxic loans. [15] At last, the Irish rescue package of 2011 is yet another example of predatory bailouts granted to cover up for the losses incurred by private banks. In 2011, Troika loans transited through the Irish government to repay the senior bondholders of Irelands main credit institutions. The Irish people were thus forced to handle the bill for risky investments that profited the banking industry, whose role was critical in fueling the Irish housing bubble.

The current debt regime encourages manipulation and deception. Of course, states bear responsibility for their financial plight. Fiscal profligacy and tax evasion were important problems in Greece. But debt contracts being voluntary agreements, overborrowing could not exist without lenders acceptance. Lenders are to blame as much as borrowers: banks willfully encouraged Greece to take on massive amounts of debt, sometimes resorting to salesmen techniques destined to lure the less financially literate consumers. Unregulated lending is more often than not a decisive factor leading to unsustainable debts: lenders typically escape scrutiny and are not held to any principle of restraint when lending to states. Too often creditors make reckless loans knowing that debts will be bailed out further down the road. Under such circumstances, prudential behavior is no longer rewarded and safety is no longer the foundation of the lending business. For states, irresponsible lending practices are conducive to over-borrowing and considerable hardship on the population.

Now is a good time to return to Sack: should states repay their debts when they were contracted under predatory terms, for purposes contradictory to the public interest and with creditors complicity? In the following section, I show that the predicament of predatory lending stands a good chance of finding representation under existing law. The principle of responsible lending is recognized in the private (domestic) law of many European and international states.

Towards principles of responsible lending

In the panorama of possible options, the municipal law of New York and England, the worlds main financial centers, afford states with at least two lines of defense against predatory lenders. Under the legal concept of abuse of rights, states may find protection against corruption debts, i.e. debts contracted through bribery or corruption of a state representative for her personal enrichment. If the lender has committed fraud, debts are contracted under abuse of rights and the borrowing state can invoke the nullity of the contract and avoid the repayment of the debt. The second one is the law of agency which imposes a fiduciary obligation on the agent to act loyally in the interests of the principal. If the lender provides money to a state, knowing or having reason to be suspicious of the fact that the debt exceeds the states capacity to repay and will be harmful to the population, legal principles seem to indicate that she has to bear some responsibility. These concepts provide that lenders should not be completely disconnected from the results of their loans. When a loan caused damages and if those damages were foreseeable, these laws suggest that lenders could be held liable in municipal courts. This is evidence to suggest that the notion of responsible lending is now sufficiently widespread to emerge as a judicial custom.

It remains that holding lenders responsible for their bad investments can be exceptionally difficult. Making bad investments is not enough to trigger legal responsibility. For there to be a ground for non-repayment, there must be some kind of evidence that creditors purposefully deceived the entity contracting debt. International organizations have a key role in the effort to codify the scope and meaning of creditor responsibility. UNCTAD published in 2012 the Principles on Promoting Responsible Sovereign Lending and Borrowing with a section on the Responsibility of lenders. This initiative is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, not much can be achieved without the IMF. The IMF has a key role to play because its loans have frequently been used to rescue reckless lenders instead of fiscally strapped nations. By adding debts to debts, IMF loans often result in significant damages to the economy and considerable harm to the population. A significant achievement would entail the IMF making the assessment of the predatory nature of loans a pre-existing condition to financial assistance. IMF funds disbursement are already conditioned to several rules, the main one being an assessment of debt sustainability. These rules should be amended to include background checks in the view of excluding reckless creditors from benefiting of IMF funds. It would force countries to default on their odious debts as condition to receive IMF funds. Too often lenders feel safe to lend as much as they can to states knowing they will be bailed out with IMF funds. Under such circumstances, lenders are insulated from the consequences of their actions and creditor activism becomes virtually risk-free.

Solutions arising from municipal law and the IMF would be forthcoming to important changes in lending practices. Both initiatives could shape creditor behavior away from reckless lending. Faced with the threat of debt repudiation, the lender would stand to lose the one thing it cares most about, its money. This is altogether healthy as it would contribute to clean up investors behavior and create the sort of incentives not to over-lend that creditors would incorporate in their lending equation. The point is not to wish to see banks lurching toward the courthouse but rather to make investors more prudent and prevent reckless lending before it occurs. Seen this way, avoiding odious debts would be part of the duty of care that lenders must exercise to avoid financial losses.

Why less lending might be a good thing after all

The proposed solutions would give creditors a more stable relationship with countries but they are also forthcoming to a reduction of international lending. International capital flows are not necessarily a good thing. Prominent economists have proposed to reinternalize debt financing to reduce the dependence on foreign-financed deficits and create incentives for states to borrow more parsimoniously. [16] Additionally, with less foreign credit to rely on, states would operate under stronger fiscal pressures to reign in tax evasion and reform bureaucratic clientelism. In Greece, weak tax collection was left unattended because the government compensated the lost revenues with cheap international credit.

Concerns over odious lending is in the best interest for both creditors and borrowers. As suggested above, honest creditors were among the victims of deceptive lending practices. In Greece, the falsification of key data points by Goldman Sachs skewed the perspective of honest lenders on Greek solvency. By making Greece solvent while it was not, Goldman deceptive scheme misled markets and lured the investment community into investing in Greek bonds without knowing the full extent of the reality of Greek debt.

Conclusion

I have suggested that the doctrine of odious debt should be articulated more clearly with the issue of predatory lending. To stay relevant in the current context, where most sovereign debts are contracted by democratic states, the doctrine of odious debt should be restated to become a legal protection against odious lenders.

As I have shown, laws already exist to regulate predatory lending and hold lenders accountable. If municipal (private) law provides a sound basis for curbing predatory lending, then why do we need a doctrine of odious debt after all? Lawyers have suggested that the principles of fair and responsible lending can be more effectively pursued outside the doctrine of odious debt. Additionally, there continues to be a great deal of skepticism among lawyers about whether odious debt can find recognition in international customary law. [17]

For lawyers, the value of odious debt is a function of its legal enforceability. This legalistic position fails to acknowledge that the doctrine may not need to be recognized by courts to find concrete political application. Odious debt is a powerful label that carries legal as well as symbolic meaning. As such, it is more consequential on policy than we might think from looking at critics formulated by legal scholars. History has shown repeatedly that a legal doctrine does not need to be recognized in international law to bear real world effects. For instance, in 2003 the Bush administration in rare harmony with civil society groups claimed that Iraqs debt might be regarded as odious and should not be repaid. This rather loose invocation of odious debt was a strong factor in the subsequent decision to cancel Iraqi debt. Thus, a legal doctrine can be invoked outside the courtroom to articulate soft policy uses, beyond any considerations of analytical validity and internal specification. Ultimately, the great strength of odious debt is to serve as a hook on which to hang a political claim about debt cancellation.

Today, the label of odious debt remains immensely useful on condition that the odious label applies to reckless lenders and not just to irregular states. Bridging the two realities of odious debt and predatory lending is a key aspect in future debt disputes. Venezuela and Greece will be two important test cases for the implementation of the traditional and restated definition of odious debt.




NEW DELHI (PTI): Indian Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba will begin a five-day visit to the US today during which he will hold extensive talks with the top military brass of the Trump administration to consolidate bilateral naval cooperation, including in the Indo-Pacific region.



Admiral Lanba will hold discussions with Defence Secretary James Mattis, Secretary of the US Navy Richard V Spencer, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph F Dunford Jr, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John M Richardson and Commander of Pacific Command Admiral Harry Harris, a senior Navy official said.



The Navy chief will also meet Commander of Pacific Fleet Admiral Scott Swift and Commander of Naval Sea Systems Command Vice Admiral Thomas J Moore.



"The visit aims to consolidate cooperation between the Armed Forces of both India and USA and also to explore new avenues of defence cooperation," the defence ministry said on Sunday.



Sources said China's growing military presence in South China Sea and its rising assertiveness in that region may figure in the talks that Admiral Lanba will have with top US military officials.



The US has been pushing for a broader role for India in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region.



In November last year, India, the US, Australia and Japan gave shape to the long-pending Quad to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free from Chinese influence.



India, the US and several other nations have been calling for freedom of navigation in the disputed South China Sea. The US has been periodically sending naval ships and planes to assert freedom of navigation to the critical sea lanes, much to the chagrin of China.



In addition to holding bilateral discussions, Admiral Lanba will also visit the Pacific Command Headquarters at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, the Naval Surface Warfare Centre (NSWC) in Dahlgren, the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC.



The defence and security ties between India and the US have been on an upswing in the last few years as both the countries have concluded a number of major agreements to further bolster strategic ties.



The pacts include the Defence Framework Agreement, signed in 2015, which lays a blueprint for collaboration between the defence establishments of both countries, and the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) signed in 2016. The LEMOA provides for facilitating reciprocal logistics support between the armed forces of the two countries.



In addition, India was accorded Major Defence Partner status by the US in 2016, bringing New Delhi on par with Washington's closest allies for defence-related trade and technology transfer.



The Indian Navy cooperates with the US Navy on several fronts which include operational interactions such as the Malabar naval exercise and exchange of white shipping information. Warships from both navies have also been regularly visiting each other's ports.


Rethinking revolutions

Photo/public domain A man holds a flower out to a soldier during the Iranian revolution in 1979.

Revolutions in the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean in the 20th century are often examined in comparison with revolutions in France or Russia. What if they were examined with greater focus on how they interacted with each other instead?

Thats the approach that Assistant Professor of History Gregory Childs and Charles Goodman Professor in Middle East History Naghmeh Sohrabi have taken with Forgotten Dreams and Misplaced Revolutions, a year-long John E. Sawyer Seminar on the Comparative Study of Culture.

Forgotten Dreams and Misplaced Revolutions, was borne out of lengthy conversations between Childs, a scholar of Latin American and Caribbean History, and Naghmeh Sohrabi, a scholar of modern Middle East history, about the similarities and differences between revolutions in Iran and Grenada that both occurred in 1979.

"We thought there might be a more fruitful and robust conversation if we thought about the way they talked to each other," Sohrabi said. "They were reading the same things but approaching revolution in very different ways."

The revolutions in Iran and Grenada were the starting point, and the seminar branched into the revolution in Nicaragua, also in 1979, along with earlier revolutions Bolivia and Algeria, both in the 1950s and 60s, and in Oman in the 60s and 70s.

The seminar included three public conversations with scholars and those involved in the revolutions, and seven sessions that more closely examine issues related to the revolutions. Childs and Sohrabi have brought together post-doctoral fellows Manijeh Moradian and Vivian Solana Moreno, along with 13 other seminar members and a variety of guests.

Although the revolutions in 1979 were carried out in very different ways, those involved were interacting with each other: They were reading the same texts, they were meeting on the ground in guerrilla camps, and from thousands of miles away they were monitoring each other through radio waves and speech transcripts.

For example, revolutionaries in Iran were keenly interested in the situation in Grenada to see if the United States would interfere, knowing this information could help them strategize. In Grenada, they were similarly keeping a close watch on what was happening in Iran. This interaction was examined during one of the seminar's public talks between Brian Meeks, a professor at Brown University and scholar on the Grenadian revolution, and Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi, a professor at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Putting them in context with big revolutions and marking them as failed, it actually silences a lot of the processes that happened on the ground, Childs said. Calling it a revolution forces a conversation about what progress is made, and progress for who?

Sawyer Seminars, a program of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, provides support for comparative research on the historical and cultural sources of contemporary developments. The seminars effectively work as temporary research centers, providing funding and engaging scholars in a comparative inquiry over the course of a year that would be difficult to pursue. More information about Forgotten Dreams and Misplaced Revolutions can be found on its website.
Study suggests helium plays a nanny role in forming stable chemical compounds under high pressure

Helium, a noble gas, was long believed to be 'too aloof' to react with the other elements

The research is fundamentally interesting because helium was always considered to be unreactive  the element that doesnt react with anything. 

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. and BUFFALO, N.Y.  Helium, the second lightest element in the universe, has a variety of uses, from keeping balloons afloat to cooling superconducting magnets.

It is also a noble gas  so labeled because it was long believed to be too aloof to react with the other elements on the periodic table.

Now, however, a team of scientists led by California State University, Northridge (CSUN) chemistry professor Maosheng Miao, and including University at Buffalo chemistry professor Eva Zurek, has provided a theoretical explanation of how helium may be capable of forming stable solid compounds  the myriad combinations of chemical elements that create all kinds of materials.

The research also suggests that the gas  whose supply on Earth has been decreasing  may be found in the Earths mantle, a place once considered unlikely since there was no known chemistry to keep helium there.

The new study, Reactivity of He with ionic compounds under high pressure, was published on March 5 in Nature Communications. The work was inspired by a 2017 study in which a different research team reported synthesizing a stable compound from helium and sodium, an element in table salt, under high pressure.

Though that reaction was proven by experiments, Miao said, we did not understand why it could happen. Now we do. Helium is a good nanny.

We propose that there is a general driving force for helium to react with ionic compounds as soon as these compounds have unequal numbers of negatively charged and positively charged ions, said Miao, PhD. As a result, it stabilizes what would normally be an unstable situation, sort of the way a nanny mediates when your kids dont get along.

The research is fundamentally interesting because helium was always considered to be unreactive  the element that doesnt react with anything, said study co-author Zurek, PhD, a chemistry professor in the UB College of Arts and Sciences. Our research illustrates a new mechanism for why helium might react with other chemical species to form compounds under pressure. Moreover, we predicted new sets of compounds that might also react with helium under pressure that were not studied in the original work.

In addition to Miao and Zurek, the team included visiting scholars Zhen Liu and Jorge Botana of CSUN (postdocs in the Beijing Computational Science Research Center in China); physics professor Andreas Hermann, PhD, of the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom; CSUN chemistry undergraduate Steven Valdez; physics professor Dadong Yan, PhD, of Beijing Normal University in China; and physics professor Hai-qing Lin, PhD, director of the Beijing Computational Science Research Center.
Campus News

Step Challenge aims for 300 million steps

By JACKIE HAUSLER

Registration is now open for the School of Public Health and Health Professions third annual Step Challenge, which aims to unite UB and the greater community while promoting healthy and active lifestyle choices.

Sponsored by Whole Foods, the challenge will take place throughout the month of April as part of the school's celebration of National Public Health Week, a national campaign organized by the American Public Health Association to recognize and celebrate public health and highlight issues that are important to improving our nation's health.

The 2018 Step Challenge is free and open to the public. Participants are asked to log their individual step counts, with each participant's submissions contributing toward the collective goal of taking 300 million steps during April. All participants qualify to win prizes each week throughout the contest ranging from yoga mats to iPads.

A social media contest also will take place throughout the challenge. Social media users are encouraged to post pictures and videos of their participation in the challenge. To officially enter the social media contest, participants should tag @UBSPHHP and use the hashtag #UBsteps18. Contest winners will be selected each week in April.



During the past two years, the Step Challenge has brought together nearly 3,000 participants who have taken more than 500 million steps, and helped inspire faculty, staff, students, alumni, families and community members to become more active and healthier versions of themselves.
Chandlers Building Supplies Brighton branch is open for business today, just four days after it went up in flames.

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service sent ten appliances to the blaze, which started in a store room at the builders merchant on Thursday morning. It then worked with the councils building control officers, the Environment Agency and demolition crews to dismantle the building, handing it back to its owners at the weekend.

Employees spent the weekend working tirelessly to get the branch ready to reopen today, and have thanked local residents, customers and the emergency services for their support.

And today they were ready to welcome customers back into the branch, on Basin Road North in Portslade.

Chandlers Building Supplies MD Andrew Cope said: This is a tremendous feat. The team has worked tirelessly over the past three days to get the branch ready to open again today. It is truly remarkable what this team has achieved in such a short period of time. We are all back in action and ready to serve customers.

Branch Manager Nigel Williams added that he was overwhelmed by the support that had been shown to the team during the past few days: I hope customers pop in today, even if just to say hello, as I want to thank everyone and ensure that everyone knows their kind words and support were very much appreciated.

Stock that had escaped the fire was moved into a new part of the site, which is due to open in July.

No one was hurt in the blaze, the cause of which is being investigated. It is not being treated as suspicious.

Andrew posted a video on Facebook on Friday, describing the devastation of the fire and thanking people for their support.

He said it was very, very fortunate that no one had been injured and praised the emergency services for their tireless and brave efforts to get the fire under control.

As you can imagine, it is devastating to see a part of your business destroyed. For everyone at Chandlers and, in particular, our fantastic team at Brighton, it was heart-breaking to witness the destruction of the building in which they had worked, in many cases, for decades.

Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing. However, we will begin the hard work of getting back on our feet. We need to do this for our employees at the store and, of course, for our customers, who rely on us to provide them with the supplies to continue with their projects and work.

The list of people that have gone the extra mile to help during this incident is too long to mention but I hope to thank them all personally in the days to come.

He added that the company would focus on opening the newly developed site in July.

Chandlers Building Supplies has 13 sites across London, the South East and the West Midlands. It celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
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At loggerheads again, cab drivers of both the Uber and Ola platforms are either on strike or have called one over the next few days. While the service aggregators are saying the strike that has affected Mumbai and Pune is politically motivated, this is not the first time they have faced the ire of drivers.

In the past two years, almost 15 strikes, big and small have either been held or announced by drivers over the country. From wanting the monthly income once promised by the aggregators to even a demands for mandatory Know Your Customer (KYC) checks for riders, the drivers have ...
The transport wing of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has called for an indefinite strike of drivers of cab aggregators Uber and Ola starting Monday midnight.



Scores of commuters could be inconvenienced due to the indefinite strike starting from Monday.





The strike has been called by the Maharashtra Navnirman Vahtuk Sena which has claimed that several drivers are not being able to cover costs due to falling business.Union leaders said that drivers in other cities like New Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune among others would also be participating in the strike

"Ola and Uber had given big assurances to the drivers, but today they are unable to cover their costs. They have invested Rs 500,000 - 700,000 and were expecting to make Rs 150,000 a month. But drivers are unable to make even half of this because of the mismanagement by these companies," Sanjay Naik of Maharashtra Navnirman Vahatuk Sena told PTI.

Naik further alleged that these taxi-hailing companies were giving first priority to company-owned cars rather than driver-owned vehicles, causing a slump in their business.

If their demands were not met they would be going ahead with the strike as expected, he indicated.

Other taxi unions, including the Mumbai Taximens Union, have extended support.

Meanwhile, police has issued notices to leaders of the union under section 149 of CrPC relating to unlawful assembly.

"Notices of section 149 of CrPC have been issued to Sanjay Naik, president, Arif Shaikh and Nitin Nandgaokar of the Maharashtra Navnirman Vahatuk Sena as preventive action. If they violate any orders, they are liable to be prosecuted," said Pandit Thorat, senior inspector of the Andheri police station.

In Mumbai alone there are over 45,000 such cabs but a slump in business has seen a drop of about 20 per cent in their numbers.

The cab hailing companies have so far stayed away from interfering in the matter. "We have been informed by the Mumbai Police that they have proactively taken all the necessary steps to ensure safety of commuters during the cab rides in the city," an Ola spokesperson said.
Discussions at the WTO's ongoing mini-minsterial meeting here will be useful for the global trade body to progress on issues like the earlier Doha Round of negotiations and its dispute settlement system, WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo said on Monday.

Representatives from 50 countries invited by India are meeting here informally for a World Trade Organisation (WTO) mini-ministerial meeting over March 19-20.

"The Delhi meeting will be informal as well as important. I hope it will be directed and the inputs here will be useful for our meeting in Geneva, to take the negotiations forward on items in the Doha Round and on other issues," Azevedo told reporters here at a briefing organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

"We have very significant challenges before us. The WTO dispute settlement system by a blockage in the appointment of appelate body members and this will be a focus of our conversations in New Delhi," he said.

Following the collapse of WTO Buenos Aires ministerial talks last December, India has called this informal meeting of ministers, without a pre-announced agenda, to facilitate an exchange of views on various challenges facing the multilateral trading system "with the hope that it will lead to political guidance on some major issues".

This is the second WTO mini-ministerial meeting being hosted by India, after the first in 2009.

The talks at the 11th ministerial conference at Buenos Aires broke down as the US reneged on its commitment, along with other countries, to find a permanent solution to the issue of public food stockholding by WTO members. The US representative to declared in a small group meeting that a permanent solution to the food stockholding issue was not acceptable to America.

Under WTO norms, a member-country's food subsidy bill should not breach the limit of 10 per cent of the value of production based on the reference price of 1986-88.

India has been seeking amendments to the formula on stockholding, fearing that full implementation of its food security programme could result in breaching the WTO subsidy limit.

At the Buenos Aires ministerial, India continued to press for the reduction of farm subsidies by developed countries and resisted inclusion of new issues on the negotiating table like e-commerce and investment facilitation into the ongoing Doha Round of talks that have a developmental agenda in case these dilute the commitment to complete the existing agenda.

Protectionism and the US President Donald Trump slapping import tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium last week, unfolding the prospect of an all-out global trade war, are among other issues likely to be discussed at the New Delhi meeting.

"It is a moment of many challenges inside the WTO and outside. The trade environment is very risky at this point," Azevedo said.

Noting that the US has reiterated various times its support for the WTO, Azevedo said that it also has concerns, but about the functioning of the multilateral body.

The US feels that conditions have changed much since the WTO's inception in 1995 and that "some upgrades and reforms are in order", he added.
Latin American leaders braced for the worst last year as they watched President Trump take office, with his vows to protect Americans from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs. Then something remarkable happened. Governments across the hemisphere began forging closer commercial ties with one another and paring back some of their own protectionist policies, embarking on a course reminiscent of what the United States itself had proposed in the 1990s but which failed to materialise: a free trade area reaching from ...
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday congratulated Russian counterpart on his re-election, saying Beijing was willing to work with Moscow to bring ties to a "higher level".

"Currently, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership is at the best level in history, which sets an example for building a new type of relations," Xi said, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Russian President won a landslide re-election victory on Sunday, extending his rule over the worlds largest country for another six years at a time when his ties with the West are on a hostile trajectory.

Putins victory will take his political dominance of Russia to nearly a quarter of a century, until 2024, by which time he will be 71. Only Soviet dictator Josef Stalin ruled for longer. Putin has promised to use his new term to beef up Russias defenses against the West and to raise living standards.

In a widely expected outcome, the Central Election Commission, with just over 70 per cent of the votes counted, announced that Putin, who has dominated the political landscape for the last 18 years, had won 75.9 percent of the vote.

In a victory speech near Red Square, Putin told a cheering crowd he interpreted the win as a vote of confidence in what he had achieved in tough conditions.

Its very important to maintain this unity. We will think about the future of our great Motherland, said Putin, before leading the crowd in repeated chants of Russia! He told a meeting of supporters afterwards that difficult times were ahead, but that Russia had a chance to make a breakthrough.

Backed by state TV, the ruling party, and credited with an approval rating around 80 percent, his victory was never in doubt. His nearest challenger, Communist Party candidate Pavel Grudinin, got around 13 percent, according to partial results, while nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky got around 6 percent.

None of the seven candidates who ran against Putin posed a threat, and opposition leader Alexei Navalny was barred from running. Critics alleged that officials had compelled people to come to the polls to ensure that voter boredom at the one-sided contest did not lead to a low turnout.

Turnout figures will be closely scrutinized. Early signs suggested turnout would exceed 60 percent.

Russias Central Election Commission recognized that there were some irregularities, but was likely to dismiss wider criticism and declare the overall result legitimate.

The result was a vindication of his tough stance towards the West, Putin loyalists said.

I think that in the United States and Britain theyve understood they cannot influence our elections, Igor Morozov, a member of the upper house of parliament, said on state television.

Valentina Matviyenko, speaker of the upper house, hailed the victory as a moral one over the West.

Our elections have proved once again ... that its not possible to manipulate our people, she said. People came together. No other country in the world has such open and transparent elections.

Opposition leader Navalny is expected to call for anti-Putin protests demanding a re-run of an election he says was neither free nor fair. A senior opposition politician has warned they could descend into street clashes if police crack down too hard on demonstrators.

The longer-term question is whether Putin will soften his anti-Western rhetoric now the election is won.

HOSTILE RELATIONS

Putins bellicose language reached a crescendo before the election in a state-of-the-nation speech when he unveiled new nuclear weapons, saying they could hit almost any point in the world and evade a U. S.-built missile shield.

At odds with the West over Syria, Ukraine, allegations of Russian election meddling and cyber attacks and the poisoning in Britain of a former Russian spy and his daughter, relations between Moscow and the West are at a post Cold War low.

Putin, 65, has been in power, either as president or prime minister, since 2000.

Allies laud the former KGB agent as a father-of-the-nation figure who has restored national pride and expanded Moscows global clout with interventions in Syria and Ukraine.

Critics accuse him of overseeing a corrupt, authoritarian system and of illegally annexing Ukraines Crimea in 2014, a move that isolated Russia internationally.

The constitution limits the president to two successive terms, obliging him to step down at the end of his new mandate  as he did in 2008 after serving two four-year terms. The presidential term was extended from four to six years, starting in 2012.

Asked after his re-election if he would run for yet another term in office, Putin laughed off the idea.

Lets count. What, do you think I will sit (in power) until Im 100 years old, he said, calling the question funny.

Although Putin has six years to consider a possible successor, uncertainty about his long-term future is a potential source of instability in a fractious ruling elite that only he can keep in check.

Kremlin insiders say Putin has selected no heir apparent, and that any names being circulated are the product of speculation and not based on insider knowledge of Putins thinking.

The longer he stays in power, the harder it will be to exit, said Andrei Kolesnikov, senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center, a think tank. How can he abandon such a complicated system, which is essentially his personal project?
A 10-year-old girl on Monday strangled to death in her house in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.

The incident happened in the Aadhartaal police station area.

The girl was a class 6th student of Government School, Krishi Nagar, and lived with her family in Katra Bajrang Bara area on rent.

The girl's father is a driver by profession and her mother is involved in beedi making.

The incident took place at about 5am in the morning when the girl went to the bathroom to have a bath. When she did not come out for a while, someone peeked inside the bathroom through the curtain and saw her in a pool of blood, according to official sources

The girl was rushed to the hospital, where the doctors could not save her life.

Her body has been sent for post-mortem.

More details are awaited.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least three people died and 23 others were injured when a fire broke out at a hotel in Philippines' capital city Manila.

According to The Manila Times, Manila Police District (MPD) spokesperson Superintendent Erwin Margarejo said two hotel employees were among those killed in the fire that hit the Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel and Casino in Manila on Sunday.

Johnny Yu, director of the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the injured were rushed to the Manila Doctors' Hospital.

The Head of the Philippine National Red Cross, Sen. Richard Gordon, wrote on Twitter, "PRC currently responding to a fire that broke at Manila Pavilion Hotel. Our team dispatched 2 ambulance units and 1 fire truck. Status of fire was raised to 5th alarm as of 10:10AM."

The authorities are investigating the cause of the fire that might have started on the second floor of the 22-story building.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three people were killed in a motorcycle explosion on Monday in Jalalabad city of eastern Afghanistan, according to officials.

According to earlier reports, one person had been killed and five were wounded.

However, Nangarhar governor's spokesperson, Attaullah Khogyani confirmed and revised the death toll to three and said eight people had been injured in the explosion, according to Khaama Press.

The incident took place in the vicinity of the 4th police district of Jalalabad city after the explosives planted in a motorcycle went off.

According to local officials, the incident took place at around 1:05 pm (local time) and the injured have been shifted to a local hospital.

No group, including the Taliban, have claimed responsibility for the blast so far.

This comes after five people were killed in separate bomb explosion incidents in the capital Kabul last week.

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.)
Air India on Monday announced that it will soon introduce a direct flight between New Delhi and Tel Aviv in Israel from March 22.

Starting Thursday, the 256-seat Boeing 787 Dreamliner will operate thrice a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, and is expected to cover the distance in seven hours.

On March 22, the inaugural flight AI139 will take off from Delhi at 6:00 p.m. and arrive at Tel Aviv at 9:45 p.m. The return flight will depart from Tel Aviv at 11:15 p.m. and reach the capital at 10:00 a.m. the next day. However, from April 1, AI139 will depart from Delhi at 4:50 p.m. and reach Tel Aviv at 9:45 p.m., while the return flight will leave Tel Aviv at 11:15 p.m. to reach Delhi at 9:00 a.m. the next day (Indian Standard Time).

Apart from boosting tourism prospects in India and Israel, the launch of this flight is targeted at travelers from countries in Southeast Asia and Australia.

Air India stated that the duration of the New Delhi-Tel Aviv flight would be nearly two hours shorter than that of Israel's carrier, El Al, which operates direct flights between Tel Aviv and Mumbai.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu has written a letter to the Union minister Arun Jaitley asking for higher compensation citing discrepancy in the revenues considered for the year 2015-16.

"I am to state that the Govemment of India has been transferring compensation amount to the states which did not get projected revenues as per the GST(Compensation to the States) Act,2017 and the state of Andhra Pradesh also got Rs 382 Crore towards compensation so far. I wish to inform that the state of Andhra Pradesh will have to get a higher compensation amount for the following reason," RamaKrishnudu wrote in the letter.

The state finance minister further highlighted that the base year revenue of the year 2015-16 fixed for the state of Andhra Pradesh is required to be modified as certain amounts mentioned under the subsumed taxes are not correctly reflected.

The advertisement tax collected by local bodies and excise duty on medicinal and toilet preparations by state excise department during the year 2015-16 were not taken into consideration, Ramakrishnudu stated in the letter, issued on Sunday.

Further, the Petroleum oil companies paid VAT and CST on Furness Oil, LPG, Kerosene etc. (subsumed under GST), during the year 2015-16, but the same were also included under the revenue of five non GST goods (Petrol, HSD, Petroleum Crude, ATF and Natural Gas) and the relevant revenue was deducted from VAT and CST revenues while arriving at the base year revenue, the letter further read.

It is noticed that Rs 319.67 Cr tax on local sales of Furness 00, LPG, Kerosene etc was not included in the VAT revenues of Rs 11941.34 Crore and Rs. 77.94 Crore tax on interstate sales of Furness Oil, LPG, Kerosene etc was not included under CST of Rs 993.57 crore in the subsumed revenue for the year 2015-16, Ramakrishnudu highlighted.

"Therefore, I request to consider revising the base year (2015-16) revenue as I, 13876.38 Cr and revenue to be protected as Rs 1502.81 Cr per month instead of Rs 1457 Cr per month for the current year 2017-18 and sanction compensation to the state of Andhra Pradesh accordingly," he stated.

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Union minister of Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar on Monday said that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is "ready to face the no-confidence motion" to be moved by the YSR Congress in Lok Sabha.

YSR Congress which is an opposition party in Andhra Pradesh on March 18 gave a notice to the Lok Sabha General-Secretary seeking to move a no-confidence motion in the Lower House against the Centre for its refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

Speaking to ANI, Kumar said, "We are ready to face no-confidence motion as we have support in the House. We are confident."

However, the Opposition could not move the no-confidence motion as the Lower House was adjourned.

While the Communist Party of India (CPI) extended their support for the no-confidence motion, Shiv Sena said that they would neither support the Government nor the Opposition but would abstain.

The Opposition party in Andhra Pradesh has been protesting in the Parliament over the non-issuance of special category status to the state.

The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), too, reached a deadlock with its ally BJP over this issue and ultimately quit the Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition on Friday.

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Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Monday said that the Telegu Desam Party (TDP) issuing a no confidence motion against the Centre for the Special status to Andhra Pradesh can't be compared with Cauvery issue.

Panneerselvam further assured that the Tamil Nadu government will never let the state down.

"Don't compare TDP issue with Cauvery issue. The Tamil Nadu government will never let the state down. Supreme Court has given six weeks time for the formation of Cauvery management board, so if nothing happens we all will discuss future course of action," Pannerselvam said at the state Assembly.

On the other hand, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president MK Stalin, who is also the leader of Opposition in the Assembly urged the state government to support TDP's no confidence motion.

"Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, to put pressure on Central government, has gone for no confidence motion for the welfare of their state. I ask Tamil Nadu Government to support TDP's no confidence motion," Stalin said.

Earlier today, following a continuous uproar over the demand of 'No confidence motion' in the Lok Sabha, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till Tuesday. The motion, however, has not been moved in the Lower House today.

Rajya Sabha was also adjourned till tomorrow after TDP and AIADMK MPs created pandemonium over special status to Andhra Pradesh and Cauvery dispute, respectively.

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Enforced disappearances have greatly risen in Sindh, along with the forced conversion of Sindhi Hindu girls, said the chairperson of the Sindhi Congress (WSC) Dr. Rubina Sheikh on Monday.

Dr. Sheikh claimed that while Pakistan was taking "meaningful steps" to create a just and safe society, it was not taking enough measures and completely failed in addressing the issues of enforced disappearances and forced conversion of the girls.

"Pakistan insists it is taking meaningful steps toward a just and safe society. However, the collapse of the criminal justice system, the culture of impunity, and the government's refusal and inability to act in accordance with international human rights laws and standards has left millions vulnerable and suffering, in particular in the province of Sindh. The government has failed to respond or implement plans on previous Universal Periodic Review (UPR) recommendations," she said while addressing the 37th United Nations Human Rights Council here.

Dr. Sheikh said that such incidents were rising in Sindh province, despite the creation of a Commission of Inquiry by the Pakistan government, adding that the victims' statuses are not reported and hence, the perpetrators were not being brought to justice.

"This has left Hindu girls increasingly the targets of child marriage and forced conversion," she added.

The WSC chairperson claimed that Pakistan's recent development projects, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the Thar Coal projects, failed' to consult with the local populations and has 'ignored' the will of the indigenous people in the country.

"Given the situation in Pakistan, we call upon the (UNHR) Council to more firmly hold Pakistan accountable to its human rights obligations," Dr. Sheikh further said.

She called on the Pakistan government to ratify the convention against enforced disappearance and implement the recommendations from the special rapporteur and working group on enforced or involuntary disappearances.

"We recommend the (Pakistan) government hold accountable all parties responsible for forced conversions, including religious institutions while ensuring protection for the victims and their families," Dr. Sheikh continued.

She underscored that Pakistan should consult with all the affected indigenous populations regarding various development projects in the country, adding that Islamabad should "strengthen its human rights institutions with the resources necessary for it to uphold its obligations.

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The European Union (EU) on Monday strongly condemned the poisonous attack on ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal while stating that it takes the UK assessment of Moscow's possible involvement in it "extremely seriously."

The Union members further said the EU "expresses its unqualified solidarity with the United Kingdom and its efforts to bring those responsible for this crime to justice", as reported by the Sputnik News Agency.

The bloc also expressed shock over the offensive use of Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent for the first time in over 70 years in Europe and urged Moscow to disclose information on the nerve agent to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Further the European Union said the incident violated the Chemical Weapons Convention, breaching the international law and undermines the rules-based international order.

Earlier in the day, EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini said the European Union stand in full solidarity with the United Kingdom.

Earlier on March 16 Russian Ambassador Alexander Shulgin called the allegations of a chemical attack levied by the Russian authorities as 'unfounded' and 'absolutely unacceptable'.

British Prime Minister Theresa May on 14 March issued a statement to "punish" Russia under its false pretext to allegedly involve the UK in the case of poisoning Sergey Skripal and his daughter. She also May blamed the incident on Moscow, claiming that the substance allegedly used in the attack was developed in Russia.

Retired military intelligence officer Skripal, 66, and his daughter, Yulia, 33, were found slumped on a bench in Salisbury city center on March 4.

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A policeman was attacked by some goons in Bengaluru's Whitefield area on Monday.

The incident happened when he went to the area apparently in an attempt to bust a gambling den.

A case has been registered and the investigation is on.

Four people have been arrested in connection with the case.

Meanwhile the Congress criticised the attack and blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for it.

"This is the culture of the BJP. They (BJP) are known for their goondaism and they are using all their machinery, not only from the local governments but also the local bodies where they are in power. They are taking the law and order in their hands," said Karnataka Energy Minister DK Shivakumar.

He warned that "the government will deal with any such things firmly".

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Two Nigerian nationals and a Mumbai-based woman have been arrested in Narsingi on the charge of drug peddling.

Acting on a tip-off, the Cyberabad police and the West Zone City Task Force raided a house at Puppalaguda Village and seized 80 grams of cocaine worth Rs four lakh from their possession

Some cell phones and a weighing machine among others were also recovered.

The police nabbed Idhu Plus, Emmanuel Umudu and the latter's wife Leela Shiva Kumar.

The Nigerians had migrated to India on business visas and were involved in the clandestine business by selling drugs like cocaine to people for Rs 4000 to Rs 5000 per gram.

In December 2017, Emmanuel married Leela, a native of Mumbai and they later moved to Hyderabad.

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The Chief Election Commission Om Prakash Rawat on Monday said that the Indian Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are unique in the world.

In an exclusive conversation with ANI, Rawat said, "Our EVM is unique. It is standalone and has no connection to the outside world. It doesn't have auxiliary circuit; it is not capable of talking to other machines on wireless; it doesn't have a wire system. This kind of EVM is not used anywhere in the world. It is our own innovation."

He added: "And, that is where it brings in lots of faith and confidence that this system is really good. Other countries are also looking at it. For example, today a parliamentary delegation from Indonesia came to inspect the EVMs."

The CEC's observation has come after the Congress party at its plenary session joined the chorus against the EVMs and in favour of the ballot papers.

"There are apprehensions among the political parties and the people over the misuse of EVMs to manipulate the outcome contrary to the popular verdict," the Congress said in its political resolution moved by senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday.

Reacting on this, Rawat said, "This happened just two days back, so we will examine this in all its dimensions and the Commission will take a view as to what should be done next."

Explaining the difficulties in bringing back the ballot paper system, Rawat said, "Replacement of ballot papers by the EVMs has resulted in many improvements. The role of muscle power has diminished considerably. Filling of votes is possible if ballot box is there. In EVM, loading one vote requires 15 seconds. Say if at one polling booth, 800-2000 votes are to be loaded then it would require a considerable time, which would be enough for an enforcement to reach to catch hold of the miscreants. Therefore, the misuse of muscle power in affecting the polling outcome has reduced considerably."

Commenting on a video from Russia where election officials were allegedly seen filling up the ballot boxes, Rawat said, "Ballot boxes have never been secure. They are never secure."

Replying another question, the CEC said, "The EC doesn't have to defend EVMs. We are creating a lot of public awareness on it. In one programme, when a political leader launched a tirade against the EVMs, then the public shouted him down. What do you understand by that?"

When asked how the growing chorus against the EVMs will affect democracy, Rawat said, "Democracy is a too strong system that trivial matters cannot affect it. Only thing is that the Election Commission looks into all grievances of stakeholders and tries to address all those in a positive way. For example, in the all-party meeting, we (EC) were advised that unless 100 percent deployment of VVPATs is there, the election should be held with the ballot paper. The Commission immediately deployed 100 percent VVPATs."

He added that nobody can control the complaints and if the complaints are controlled then it will affect democracy.

"Grievances should be brought to the notice of the Commission so that it takes note of it. Because, our system is for the majority; the majority of the people and majority of the political parties should be happy with the system," Rawat said.

He said that those who cast doubts on the EVMs should come forward and suggest what will clear their doubt.

"They should come forward and tell us what will clear their doubt. Or, are they determined to go back to the muscle power and booth capturing. It is up to them," Rawat said.

He also said the EC has also included it in a status paper on the EVMs that why did some countries stop using electronic voting.

"The electronic voting is stopped in some countries because their own judicial system struck down saying since you have not made the laws in conformity for use of EVMs, therefore it cannot be done," the CEC said.

When asked about the advocacy of former Election Commissioners for the auditing of more EVMs, Rawat said, "Whatever they are saying is merely a suggestion. But, what our main stakeholders-political parties and candidates- say has got different footing. And, the Commission always takes their views seriously."

Off late, the opposition political parties have been casting doubts on the EVMs after election results.

After the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls; Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Aam Aadmi Party, Congress, and others had questioned the EVMs alleging that they were tampered with.

To clear the air on the issue, the Election Commission had organised EVM Challenge for all the political parties on June 3 in New Delhi last year to demonstrate that the EVMs could be tampered with.

It ended in an anti-climax with neither of the two takers for the 'dare'- Communist Party of India- Marxist [CPI-M] and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)- came forward to take the challenge.

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With special focus on promotion of 'Green Energy' at rooftop of cold storages, Noida-based KOR Energy (India) Pvt. Ltd., a solar EPC Company has decided to further its efforts to consolidate its solar energy in the State of Uttar Pradesh.

KOR Energy is in the process of executing order ranging from 100KWp to 200KWp across 10 cold storages in the State of Haryana accumulating to 1.5MWp in total.

Indian manufactured superior grade polycrystalline modules of Adani Solar and ABB Invertors are being used in these plants to ensure maximum efficiency and performance consistency. These systems will be grid connected and will have an additional benefit of net metering, which will result in receiving credit in electricity bill against the excess electricity generated by the solar plant. All these plants will also have an online generation monitoring interface. KOR Energy has successfully installed Grid Connected Rooftop Solar Systems at three cold storages in Haryana.

"We have successfully demonstrated the benefits of solar energy usage in cold chains and are now focusing on the promotion of green solar energy at these cold storage chains across India. We understand the special needs of these storage facilities and design our systems accordingly," said Sushil Sarawgi, Director, KOR Energy India Pvt. Ltd.

Electricity being a major raw material for cold storages, with ample availability of roof space and bank finance at reasonable rates, makes solar energy a viable option for alternate energy source.

"KOR Energy will also help these cold storages in getting bank finance and subsidy support. We are already executing orders accumulating 1.5MWp in cold storages and expecting to close another 1.5MWp by April 2018. We are targeting total 10MWp Rooftop Solar Installation in cold chains PAN India in financial year 2018-19," added Sarawgi.

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YSRCP Member of Parliament (MP) YV Subba Reddy again wrote to Secretary General Lok Sabha Snehlata Shrivastava to include in list of business for tomorrow 'no confidence motion in the council of ministers'.

In a letter written to Shrivastava, Reddy said, "Under Rule 198 (b) of Chapter XVII of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha. I hereby give notice to move the following motion in the House on March 20."

"I request you to include the motion in the Revised List of Business for March 20," he added.

YSR Congress which is an opposition party in Andhra Pradesh on March 18 gave a notice to the Lok Sabha General-Secretary seeking to move a no-confidence motion in the Lower House against the Centre for its refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

However, the Opposition could not move the no-confidence motion as the Lower House was adjourned.

While the Communist Party of India (CPI) extended their support for the no-confidence motion, Shiv Sena said that they would neither support the Government nor the Opposition but would abstain.

The Opposition party in Andhra Pradesh has been protesting in the Parliament over the non-issuance of special category status to the state.

The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), too, reached a deadlock with its ally BJP over this issue and ultimately quit the Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition on Friday.

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Union Minister of State (MoS) in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh on Monday criticised the opposition for the uproar in the Parliament and said the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) themselves don't know why they are bringing no-confidence motion.

Following a continuous uproar over the demand of 'No confidence motion' in the Lok Sabha, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Monday adjourned the Lower House till Tuesday. The motion, however, has not been moved in the House today.

"On one hand, they (TDP) and (AIADMK) are saying to bring no-confidence motion. On the other hand, they are creating uproar in Parliament so that motion is not accepted for discussion," Singh told ANI.

"They themselves don't know why they are bringing no-confidence motion," Singh added.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MPs raised slogans like "We want justice" in the Parliament earlier today.

Earlier in the day, Rajya Sabha was adjourned till tomorrow after TDP and AIADMK MPs created pandemonium over special status to Andhra Pradesh and Cauvery dispute, respectively.

The Parliament Secretariat received three notices on no-confidence motion against the Centre for its refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

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A special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (TADA) court in Mumbai on Monday extended the police custody of Dawood Ibrahim's aide Mohamed Takla, alias Farooq Takla.

The court extended custody of Takla, one of the main accused perpetrators of the 1993 serial blasts, till 28th March.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was seeking 14 days Police Custody for Takla to verify and scrutinize his statements given during the investigations as they claimed that he was not co-operating during remand proceedings.

"There is no question of this that he was co-operating or not , as we met him daily with this court's order during his remand but we were never informed that he is not cooperating," said Farook's defence lawyer Farhana Shah.

Further questioning the CBI's methods he said, "CBI has given him the name Farook Takla just to sensationalise the case, his name is just Mohammed Farook, 'Takla' has been added by the CBI."

"He had already been given 11 days in Judicial Custody and the CBI itself said that he has given statements so what does the CBI want to do in next 14 days of Police Custody, will they convert his statement into a confession?" added Shah.

The court stated in its order that it feels further custody is needed to get into the depth of the case, as after unearthing further details by going through the case diary, it was clear that it was a crime of serious nature.

There are around 30 absconding accused in this case who are considered the masterminds behind the blasts which rocked the Financial Capital.

Farooq was brought back to Mumbai earlier this month after being deported from Dubai.

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Nanda Bahadur Pun has been re-elected as the Vice-President of Nepal for the second term unopposed.

Pun has filed candidacy for the post of the Vice President on Saturday and his candidacy remained unopposed as no candidate came forward to contest with him for the post.

The Election Commission of Nepal announced Pun as the Vice President of the country as no election was required for him to continue the post.

"As per the election law for the election of President and the Vice President, 2074 Clause 24 Nanda Bahadur Pun has been re- elected as Vice President," the Election Commission stated on Sunday.

"As per the final list of candidates published by the Election Commission in accordance to the Election Law for the President and the Vice President with the provision of announcing the sole candidate as the winner with no contestant standing against him/her will be awarded the post," the release added.

Last year in October, Nepal endorsed new electoral law for the President and Vice President's election, which had barred anyone out of the parliament or any state assembly to stand in fray for the post and also has erased the provision of security deposit of one lakh and 75 thousand for the candidates of President and Vice President with filing of nomination free of cost, but making five supporters and proposers each mandatory to stand in the fray.

The newly endorsed bill also has the age limitation of not less than 45 years and naturalised Nepali citizenship to stand for the election. Also it has prohibited the people accused and jailed for more than 20 years in corruption, human trafficking, property purification, drug trafficking, foreclosure charges to stand for the post.

But the people indulged in organised crimes and other similar cases, can contest for the post after six years of their release if they have completed the prison sentence for less than 20 years. The blacklisted ones also can contest the election after getting their name removed from the list.

Also the law has made the separate allocation of elections for the President and Vice President as it is not possible as the bill has the compulsory provision of having the candidate of different sects and genders to contest for the Post of President and Vice President. The bill does not allow the same gender or same ethnic community to stand for the post of state head.

Nepal last week only had elected Bidhya Devi Bhandari as First President of Federal Nepal.

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Congress President Rahul Gandhi, on Monday, continued his onslaught against the Narendra Modi-led Democratic Alliance (NDA) government over the Rafale fighter jets deal, claiming that the people cared about the price paid for the aircrafts.

Gandhi said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had cracked a better deal, while the incumbent government's deal will be causing a loss of over INR 40,000 crores.

"The UPA negotiates the RAFALE down to 526 Cr. per plane. But Modi ji pays 1,670 Cr. instead. Loss to exchequer, over 40,000 Cr. RM's response? We paid "our" price. Who cares about "their" price? Answer: The PEOPLE care," Gandhi tweeted.

Earlier, the NDA government issued a detailed clarification and said the Opposition was misleading the country over the Rafale deal, adding that its deal is better in terms of capability, price, equipment, delivery, maintenance and training.

The NDA government has signed a deal with France based Dassault Aviation to purchase 36 Rafale jets.

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Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray criticised the Maharashtra government for the state funeral accorded to Bollywood icon Sridevi after her death last month.

Raj Thackeray also alleged that media attention given to her demise was a ruse to divert attention from multi-million Punjab Bank (PNB) fraud scam.

"Nirav Modi was the talk of the town, and then issue of Sridevi came in. This was brought to change the issue. When a person like Sridevi dies, you wrap her in Tri-color and you say you did that because she was a Padma Shri," Raj Thackeray said, while addressing the party workers at a rally in central Mumbai's Shivaji Park.

"It was all fault of the Maharashtra government," Thackeray added.

Further criticising over Sridevi's death, MNS chief said, "It was said that Sridevi died by drowning in the bath-tub as she consumed too much of liquor. Films like 'Toilet Ek Prem Katha' and 'Padman' were a covert propaganda for government schemes."

Meanwhile, Thackeray also attacked the Centre called for a 'Modi-mukt Bharat.' He said, 'Today, we have to gear up for the third independence. All the political parties must unite to make Modi-mukt Bharat a reality."

In an hour-long speech, the MNS chief also warned about attempts by certain elements to spark nation-wide riots in future.

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The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday directed the Central government to file a 'comprehensive status report', giving details on the condition of Rohingya camps in Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi-NCR.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud considered the submission of senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, saying that the conditions at the Rohingya camps are "unhygienic and pathetic".

Gonsalves, who is appearing for the petitioner Zafar Ullah, who filed a public interest litigation (PIL) on the same, said that the Centre and the states, hosting these refugees should be asked to provide better hygienic facilities at these camps.

He added that the refugees had no access to clean sanitation facilities such as toilets and clean drinking water, that was leading to their deaths.

The PIL was pending in the apex court since 2013.

The Centre on Saturday told the top court that the Rohingya refugees cannot be equated with Sri Lankan Tamil refugees.

The Union Home Ministry said in an affidavit filed in the Writ Petition [Civil] No.793 of 2017 in the matter of Mohammad Samilullah versus Union of India on Thursday.

A petitioner demanded the SC to direct the Centre to provide same facilities to the Rohingya refugees that are being provided to the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees.

The Rohingya immigrants, who fled to India after violence in the Rakhine state of Myanmar, have settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.

More than 600,000 refugees are languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army campaign launched in August last year.

The United Nations had said the scorched-earth operation, which has left hundreds of villages burned to ash in Rakhine state, amounts to 'ethnic cleansing'.

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Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Monday said he has forgiven Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after the latter tendered an apology.

Talking to reporters here, Sibal said everything is forgotten now after Kejriwal and Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia accepted that they had levelled baseless allegations against him.

"Kejriwal Ji and Sisodia ji have accepted that the allegations they had put on me and my son in a press conference few years ago were baseless. They have apologised for the same today. He (Kejriwal) has apologised for what he did. Everything is forgotten now. We will move ahead," Sibal said.

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal sought an apology from Sibal.

Amit Sibal, a lawyer, and son of Kapil Sibal, had filed a defamation suit against Kejriwal for alleging that Kapil Sibal had a conflict in seeking to revise a tax demand on telecom major Vodafone.

Kejriwal had tendered a similar apology to former Akali Dal minister Bikram Majithia in another defamation, shocking and angering the Aam Aadmi Party's Punjab unit.

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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj made a phone call to Nepali counterpart Pradeep Kumar Gyawali to congratulate him for assuming the post.

The Indian Mission to Nepal tweeted on Sunday, "EAM @SushmaSwaraj made a phone call to congratulate newly appointed Foreign Minister Mr. Pradeep Gyawali on 16 March. In her congratulatory letter, she expressed confidence that India-Nepal partnership will be further strengthened during his tenure. Extends an invitation to visit India."

Swaraj also extended an invitation to Gyawali to visit India in coming days.

Gyawali assumed the post of Foreign Minister of Nepal on Friday after Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli expanded his cabinet for the third time since he assumed the post on February 15, this year.

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Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Friday.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president met Banerjee in her office here.

The meeting between the two Chief Ministers came amid Rao making efforts to stitch an alternative political front by uniting regional parties against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the crucial 2019 General elections.

Mamata on Friday had urged all opposition parties to work closely together against the NDA.

Following his meeting with Banerjee, Rao is likely to tour Delhi, probably after the budget session of the State Legislature, to meet more regional satraps, to persuade them to be part of the third front.

Rao had recently mooted the idea to form a 'Third Front'.

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At least 13 militants belonging to the Taliban insurgent group have been killed in an airstrike carried out by the United States in Southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan.

Khaama Press quoted local security officials as saying that two engineers expert in the making of the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were among those killed in the airstrike conducted on Saturday night in the vicinity of Khakriz district.

According to the Police Chief General Abdul Raziq, the militants were making IEDs when they came under the air raid.

Taliban has not commented on the incident so far.

Last month, Afghanistan's Minister of Defence (MoD) claimed that at least 35 insurgents were killed in an airstrike conducted in the province.

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Though the Lok Sabha was adjourned on Monday before the opposition could move the motion for no-trust vote, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) said the party would continue to the motion to pressure the Centre to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

Talking to ANI, YSRCP leader K Parthsarathi said, "We will continue to move a no-confidence motion as long as the debate is taking place and facts are brought to the notice of the nation, and also to pressurise the Centre to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh."

Earlier in the day, the Communist Party of India (CPI) also extended their support for the no-confidence motion.

CPI leader Duraisamy Raja said, "As far as the Left parties are concerned, we will be supporting the no-confidence motion. People have started expressing their no confidence in Modi government, it is time Parliament does it too."

Yesterday, the YSRCP gave a notice to the Lok Sabha General-Secretary seeking to move a no-confidence motion in the lower house today against the Centre for its refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

The Opposition party in Andhra Pradesh has been protesting in the Parliament over the non-issuance of special category status to the state.

The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), too, reached a deadlock with its ally BJP over this issue and ultimately quit the Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition on Friday.

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The National People's Congress wept with joy and social media users competed with one another to express their delight as Xi Jinping, who is being referred as the nation's "helmsman" - the expression used only for party's later chairman Mao Zedong -- was on Saturday unanimously chosen China's President without a limit on his term.

Xi's elevation suggested that Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang's influence was declining and that the new government would be dominated by the president's supporters. Li was also re-elected by the National People's Congress for a second five-year term.

Television footage from the Great Hall of the People in Beijing showed people weeping with delight as Xi swore an oath of loyalty to China's constitution soon after all 2,970 of the carefully selected delegates voted in favour of Xi.

According to The Times, The People's Daily had also used the social media app WeChat to run a game in which users were challenged to press a button indicating a "like" for Xi's government as many times as they could within 20 seconds.

A user claimed to have "liked" the government 181 times, or nine times a second. "Press like for Uncle Xi!" wrote another user.

The results of the meticulously orchestrated voting revealed the pecking order among the secondary leaders who will have the most influence in Xi's invigorated government.

The election of Wang Qishan as the republic's Vice President suggested the power of Li, who in the past was in charge of steering the Chinese economy, was diminishing.

Wang worked closely with Xi when both had party posts in Shanghai more than a decade ago.

He has since then established a reputation as an expert on the US and its economy. Wang has been praised for his astuteness by influential Americans such as Former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and Steve Bannon, US President Donald Trump's former chief strategist.

He will now deal with the inevitable trade friction resulting from the protectionist policies being adopted by Trump's administration, which earlier this month announced tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.

The 69-year-old Vice President has a record of solving crises. In 2003, Wang as Beijing Mayor successfully handled the outbreak of the Sars virus and worked closely with the US during the global financial crisis.

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The Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) on Monday issued a whip to all its MPs directing them to be present in the Parliament to fulfill the required number of members for the no-confidence motion.

In a missive, issued by the party leader YV Subba Reddy, the MPs were asked to stand up and vote in favour of the motion, when the matter would be taken in the house of the Parliament on Tuesday.

Earlier today, following a continuous uproar over the demand of 'No confidence motion' in the Lok Sabha, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till Tuesday. The motion, however, has not been moved in the Lower House today.

The Parliament secretariat received three notices on no-confidence motion against the Centre for its refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

Two was received from Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and one from YSRCP.

The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned till tomorrow after TDP and AIADMK MPs created pandemonium over special status to Andhra Pradesh and Cauvery dispute, respectively.

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Japan and India will work together on the issue of Food Safety Cooperation.

Japan and India share the importance of cooperation in the field of food safety for promoting investment in India by Japanese food companies and decided to strengthen the cooperation in this field. As per the announcement, a FSSAI delegation will visit Japan for strengthening food safety cooperation and a meeting for information exchange on food safety will be held, coinciding with this visit.

This announcement was followed by the signing of MoU between Ise Foods Inc. and the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), Government of India, as per which the Japanese Food major will invest approximately INR 217 crores in Poultry farm and egg processing, as part of its Ise-Suzuki India Mega Project, in Telangana, beginning next year. MoFPI will facilitate Ise foods for the establishment of the aforesaid project in India.

Mr. Mitsuhiro Miyakoshi, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan stated that two very important announcements had been made today. These included the Agreement on the form of phytosanitary measures on the marine food trade between India and Japan and the second was the setting up of a Joint Working Group on Cold Chain between the two countries.

Mr Ashish Bahuguna, Chairperson, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) stated that the FSSAI was focussing on both food safety as well as nutritional value of the food.

He was of the view that Japanese foods are known for their safety as well as their nutritional value. He stated that Japanese food has slowly been introduced into India and efforts were being made to adapt Japanese food to Indian tastes.

Mr. Parag Gupta, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries stated that the MoU with Ise Foods was a direct outcome of World Food India which was held in November 2017 in New Delhi. He was of the view that there was much more potential for Japanese companies to invest in India given the fact that it has the technology and know-how in terms of food processing.

Mr Rakesh Bharti Mittal, President Designate, CII mentioned that Japan was the 'Partner Country'at World Food India 2017 organized by Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), last year, with CII as the National Event Partner. This had effectively set in motion the transformatory process of the Indian food processing industry. The announcement of the Food Safety Cooperation between Japan and India and the MoU with Ise Foods Inc is a stepping stone in further strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two nations, he added.

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A definitive anti-dumping duty in the range of 4.58% to 57.39%, of the landed value of goods has been imposed on imports of Cold Rolled Flat Products of Stainless Steel to give relief to domestic steel industries from the People's Republic of China, Republic of Korea, the European Union, South Africa, Chinese Taipei, Thailand and the United States of America, vide notification No. 61/2015-Customs (ADD) dated 11.12.2015.

The anti-dumping duty under the aforesaid notification has been imposed for a period of five years unless revoked earlier, under subsection (1) and (5) of section 9A of the Customs Tariff Actread with rules 18 and 20 of the Customs Tariff (Identification, Assessment and Collection of Anti-dumping Duty on Dumped Articles And For Determination of lnjury) Rules, 1995.

Sub section (1) of section 9A of the Customs Tariff Act provides that where anyarticle is exported by an exporter or producer from any country or territory to India at less than its normal value, then, upon the importation of such article into India, the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, impose an anti-dumping duty not exceeding the margin of dumping in relation to such article, and margin of dumping may vary from country to country which is determined by the DGAD.

Based on the investigations conducted and recommendation made by the Designated Authority, Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties, an anti-dumping duty at specified rates (as summarised in the table below) has been imposed, vide notification No. 61/2015-Customs (ADD)dated 11.12.2015, on imports of Cold Rolled Flat Products of Stainless Steel from the People's Republic of China, Republic of Korea, the European Union, South Africa, Chinese Taipei, Thailand and the United States of America.

TABLES.

No.

Country

Anti-dumping duty imposed (as% of landedvalue)

People's Republic of China

57.39%

Korea RP

5.39%, 13.44%

Chinese Taipei

15.93%

South Africa

12.34% , 36.91 %

Thailand

4.58%, 5.39%

USA

9.47%

European Union

29.41 %, 52.56%

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SEAMEC announced that a Settlement Agreement has been made amongst the Company, SEAHORSE (the charterer) and PMS, Egypt pursuant to which the outstanding dues of US $ 3.65 million has been settled for US $ 3.29 million.

As per the above arrangement read with the assignment of debt right given by SEAHORSE to SEAMEC, SEAMEC will receive the outstanding in instalments directly from PMS.

The payment as per the Settlement Agreement in instalments has been commenced

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Yes Bank said that its Capital Raising Committee (CRC) would consider a potential issuance of second tranche of Notes under the Medium Term Note Programme of the bank, within the limits permitted by regulatory authorities, on or after 21 March 2018. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 16 March 2018.

It may be recalled that Yes Bank had informed in November 2017 that the CRC of the board of directors of the bank had approved the setting up of the Medium Term Note Programme of the bank aggregating to an amount of $1 billion, out of which $600 million has already been drawn in the first tranche.

Axis Bank said it has reviewed and retained the marginal cost of funds based lending rates (MCLRs) across all tenors effective from 17 March 2018. The bank's MCLRs vary between 7.85% and 8.5% ranging from overnight to three-year tenors. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 16 March 2018.

Grasim Industries said that the production capacity of Epoxy Resin, Reactive Diluents and Hardeners at company's Epoxy Plant at Vilayat ( Gujarat) has increased from 82,350 million tons per annum (MTPA) to 1,23,097 MT per annum through de-bottlenecking process. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 16 March 2018.

NBCC (India) said it has secured the total business of Rs 242 crore in February 2018. The announcement was made on Saturday, 17 March 2018.

D B Realty said that its wholly owned subsidiary Real Gem Buildtech arrived at an arrangement with and entered into a development management agreement with Kingmaker Developers, a Group of Rustomjee (a subsidiary of Keystone Realtors) for the development management of real estate project at DB Crown, Situated at Gokhale Road, Prabhadevi, Mumbai. The arrangement is subject to approval of the lender, who has extended financial facilities for the execution of the project, the company said. The announcement was made on Sunday, 18 March 2018.

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Yes Bank was up 0.78% at Rs 315 at 9:19 IST on BSE after the bank said it would consider a potential second tranche of fund raising under the Medium Term Note Programme of the bank.

The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 16 March 2018.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 75.83 points or 0.23% at 33,251.83.

On the BSE, 21,000 shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 8.53 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 320 and a low of Rs 314.65 so far during the day. The stock had hit a record high of Rs 383.25 on 21 September 2017 and a 52-week low of Rs 275.15 on 23 May 2017.

The large-cap bank has equity capital of Rs 460.59 crore. Face value per share is Rs 2.

Yes Bank said that its Capital Raising Committee (CRC) would consider a potential issuance of second tranche of Notes under the Medium Term Note Programme of the bank, within the limits permitted by regulatory authorities, on or after 21 March 2018.

It may be recalled that Yes Bank had informed in November 2017 that the CRC of the board of directors of the bank had approved the setting up of the Medium Term Note Programme of the bank aggregating to an amount of $1 billion, out of which $600 million has already been drawn in the first tranche.

Yes Bank's net profit rose 22% to Rs 1076.87 crore on 24.1% growth in total income to Rs 6492.56 crore in Q3 December 2017 over Q3 December 2016.

Yes Bank is one of the leading private sector banks in India, offering comprehensive banking and financial solutions to its customers.

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Almost 100,000 people have fled the Kurdish-Syrian enclave of Afrin since a Turkish military offensive was launched on the region, a UN humanitarian office said on Monday, while the EU's foreign affairs chief expressed concern at the ongoing military activities.

Afrin city, located in a Syrian province of the same name, was captured by the Turkish Army and its allied Syrian militiamen on Sunday, a major milestone for Ankara in its offensive against the Kurdish armed groups in an operation that the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said had internally displaced 98,000 residents.

Meanwhile, at a foreign ministers council in Brussels, EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said she was worried about the situation in Afrin, Efe news reported.

The OCHA said 75,000 displaced people had fled to Tal Refaat, which was still under Kurdish control, while the rest sought refuge in Nabul and Zahraa, predominantly Shia Muslim communities under the control of the Syrian regime.

The Syrian Democratic Forces, an umbrella group predominantly comprised of the YPG Kurdish militia, had been in control of Afrin since 2012, after the outbreak of civil war in Syria.

Although the YPG receives support and training from the US, the Turkish state regards them as a terrorist group intrinsically linked to the Turkey-based PKK Kurdish separatist insurgents.

On January 20, the Turkish Army launched a military incursion against Afrin, which is isolated from the swathe of Kurdish territory further east, citing a security threat to its border.

The OCHA estimated that 100,000 people remained in Afrin district and said it would increase its humanitarian aid efforts in the area.

--IANS

soni/mr

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The Egyptian military on Monday announced that 36 terrorists and four army personnel were killed in the past five days in the country's anti-terror military operation in the Sinai Peninsula.

A total of 345 terrorists and wanted criminals were also arrested during the same period, Xinhua quoted the army as saying.

The Egyptian armed forces have also destroyed 386 terrorist dens, hideouts and weapon storehouses, the statement added.

The major operation, dubbed "Sinai 2018," was launched weeks before Egypt starts its 2018 presidential elections scheduled for late March, where incumbent President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi is expected to make an easy win for a second term due to the lack of strong challengers in the race.

Since the beginning of the all-out operation, 22 military personnel and 157 terrorists have been killed.

Bordering Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, Egypt's North Sinai province has been the centre of terrorist attacks that killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers following the military ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests.

Attacks later spread to several other provinces, including Cairo and started to target the Coptic minority via church bombings and shootings.

--IANS

sku/

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Aligning competencies of the informal workforce to the mainstream, over 4.8 lakh skilled workers have been certified under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojanas (PMKVY) Recognition of Prior Learning programme, an official statement said on Monday.

In less than two years of its commencement, the programme has covered 458 districts across India covering skills ranging from carpet weavers in Rajasthan, tea plantation workers in West Bengal and rubber plantation workers in North East.

"The candidates have been enrolled, assessed and certified in 185 job roles across 30 sectors," a statement said.

The Recognition of Prior Learning programme is one of the key components under PMKVY, whereby informal skills such as construction, masonry, plumbing, carpentry and yoga, which are generally acquired through family trades or gained from life experiences, are assessed and certified based on the standards set by the National Skills Qualification Network (NSQF) framework.

Rajesh Agrawal, Joint Secretary at the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry, said the informal sector contributes nearly 80 per cent to the national income and overall economy.

"Reminiscing a strong interest in the informal economy as one of the routes towards building sustainable livelihood, the RPL program aims to standardise and benchmark the unorganised skills and knowledge," he said.

He said the programme would serve as a vehicle for redressing inequalities in occupations.

National Skill Development Corporation's Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Jayant Krishna said: "We have significant population in the formal and informal sectors whose competencies acquired on-the-job and home-grown skills can be mapped and certified to reap the benefits of a better skilled and more productive workforce."

--IANS

vv/vd

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Five leading global loco makers have joined the bidding in Indian Railways Rs 5,000 crore tender for the manufacture of 200 high horse power electric locomotives to be pressed into service for heavy haulage in the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor.

Railways require 200 electric locos with 9,000 horse power (HP) each to haul double-stack containers in the upcoming 1,534 km long Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) from Dadri to Mumbai, passing through Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

According to the tender conditions, the selected manufacturer will make 190 locos at the Indian Railways' Chittaranjan Locomotive Works facility in Asansol, with transfer of technology provision and import of only 10 engines. The company will also set up a maintenance depot at Rewari.

Showing interest in the project, five international players -- Siemens, Bombardier, Alstom, BHEL-EMD and Toshiba-CRRC -- have submitted applications on March 15, the last date for submission of pre-qualification bids.

"These companies will submit their price bid by the end of April and the awarding the contract is expected by December this year," said a senior Railway Ministry official.

The Railways had floated the global tender for high power locomotives after revising the loan conditions with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as the Western DFC is fully funded by Japan.

Procurement of locos for Western DFC had to be from Japanese companies, as per the earlier agreement and, accordingly, the Railways had floated the tender two years back inviting Japanese companies for the project.

However, the bidding process got stuck on the pricing front as the Japanese companies quoted Rs 50 crore per locomotive which was considered too high and the Railways sought reduction by almost half.

While the Japanese consortium did not agree to reduce the price as desired by Railways, a fresh global tender was floated after renegotiating and suitably revising the loan conditions.

With five global players in the fray, the Railways is expecting to get a competitive price this time.

The 3,373 km long DFC, a flagship project of the Railways, aims to augment rail transport capacity to meet the growing requirement of movement of goods by segregating freight from passenger traffic.

The Western DFC (1,534 km) will be from Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) in Mumbai to Tughlakabad and Dadri near Delhi, and would cater largely to the container transport requirements between the existing and emerging ports in Maharashtra and Gujarat and the northern hinterland.

The Eastern DFC (1,839 km) will be from Ludhiana in Punjab to Dankuni near Kolkata -- to be extended in future to serve the new deep sea port proposed in the Kolkata area, and will largely serve coal and steel traffic.

(Arun Kumar Das is a senior Delhi-based freelance journalist. He can be contacted at akdas2005@gmail.com)

--IANS

arundas/sac

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While social media has been associated with a negative impact on children, 61 per cent parents feel that the online medium has enabled them to keep a track of "tweens", according to a survey. "Tweens" is a term given to children between the early elementary grades and those entering teenage.

55 per cent of parents would read their tween's texts or social media pages to learn if their tween was invited to a boy-girl party at the home of an unfamiliar family.

Also, 39 per cent of parents reported tracking their tween's location on their cell phone during the party.

Mothers were more likely, than fathers, to say they would use technology to monitor their tweens, according to a report from the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.

"The tween stage brings new challenges for parents as they often must balance their child's desire for more freedom and independence with supervision. It's not an easy balancing act," said Sarah Clark, poll co-director.

"In some families, reading text messages or social media posts might be seen as 'spying.' But in others, parents discuss rules including sharing passwords," said Clark.

"Establishing family rules around the use of social media, and discussing the reasons for those rules, is an important part of parenting tweens," Clark said, in a statement released by the varsity.

However, 91 per cent still wanted to get the information about their child via the traditional way, which includes talking with the parents of their kids' classmates.

About one in four parents reported being very concerned about their tweens experimenting with sexual activity, marijuana or other drugs, beer or liquor, and guns or other weapons.

Importantly, two-thirds of the parents agreed that tweens need some freedom to make mistakes, and balancing freedom with supervision.

"Parents must balance their responsibility to help their tween learn to be responsible and make good decisions while ensuring their tween's safety," Clarks said.

--IANS

rt/and/bg

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The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to Rajesh and Nupur Talwar on a plea challenging their acquittal in the Aarushi-Hemraj double murder case by the Allahabad High Court.

The plea was filed by Khumkala Banjade, the widow of Hemraj, who was the Talwars' domestic help.

While issuing notice to Talwars, the bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice R. Banumathi also granted leave in the matter which puts the appeal in the queue of the cases and may take long before it is actually heard by the court.

The court also granted leave in the appeal filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation as its counsel told the bench that the investigating agency too has moved the court against Allahabad High Court verdict and its petition was pending.

On October 12 last year, a High Court bench of Justice B.K. Narayana and Justice A.K. Mishra acquitted the couple by giving them the benefit of doubt.

Aarushi, 14, and Hemraj were found murdered at the Talwars' Jalvayu Vihar home in Noida on May 16, 2008.

The High Court's order came on an appeal by the Talwars against a Ghaziabad CBI court's November 26, 2013 order sentencing them to life imprisonment, bringing an end to the couple's nine-year ordeal.

After Aarushi was found murdered in her bedroom, Hemraj was initially considered a suspect. However, his body too was found in a pool of blood a day later on the terrace of the house.

The High Court, while acquitting the Talwars, had made comments on the CBI trial court judge, saying he had adopted a "partial and parochial approach" in his 2013 judgment to convict the parents for the double murder.

It said the trial court's judgment was based on "creation of fanciful reasoning" and "presuming facts with indomitable obstinacy and taking things for granted, and thus basing the conclusion on unfounded evidence".

The Uttar Pradesh Police had accused Rajesh Talwar on May 23, 2008 of killing his daughter in a fit of rage.

On May 31, 2008, the CBI took over the case and initially absolved the parents but later held them responsible for the two murders.

On June 13, 2008, the CBI arrested Rajesh Talwar's compounder Krishna. Ten days later, Raj Kumar, a servant of a doctor friend of the Talwars, and Vijay Mandal, the domestic help of the Talwars' neighbour, were also arrested. The three were later freed after no evidence was found against them.

The CBI had filed a closure report in the case in December 2010 but the special CBI court had rejected it.

--IANS

pk/vd

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In bad news for display market leaders like Samsung and LG, Apple is reportedly designing and producing its own device screens, secretly at a facility near its headquarters in California, according to a media report.

The Bloomberg report report on Monday said Apple was making "a significant investment" in the development of MicroLED display.

"MicroLED screens use different light-emitting compounds than the current OLED displays and promise to make future gadgets slimmer, brighter and less power-hungry," it said.

The 62,000-square-foot manufacturing facility is located in Santa Clara, California.

The news of Apple -- that rely on display panels supply for its iPhone X and Watches from Samsung and LG - entering the device display segment led to shares of Samsung, LG Display and Sharp go down in early trade on Monday.

Currently, Apple Watch screen is made by LG Display. The iPhone X which is Apple's first OLED phone uses Samsung display units.

"MicroLED" technology is still in early stages but Samsung will release "The Wall" later this year which is a massive modular TV with this technology.

According to earlier reports, Samsung may soon not be the only supplier of OLED displays for Apple.

The iPhone maker is reportedly finalising talks with LG on an OLED supply deal which could see the latter provide its panels for this year's iPhone with edge-to-edge display.

Samsung currently dominates supply of OLED displays for Apple's flagship iPhone X. It is believed that Apple will switch to OLED displays for all of its iPhone releasing in 2019.

--IANS

na/nks/ksk

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Demanding a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the recent banking fraud, the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) -- a body of nine trade unions -- on Monday questioned the supervision mechanism of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

"We are demanding a detailed JPC probe into the recent Punjab National Band (PNB) fraud. The fraud has raised a number of questions on technology issues, supervision, monitoring, audit, internal control and role of RBI in the entire episode," UFBU's West Bengal Convenor Siddharth Khan told reporters here.

"How is it possible that the RBI, which carries out a regular audit of the banks, did not even detect the fraud despite the number of years and the volume of money involved," he asked.

According to Khan, the Harshad Mehta scam took place because of the so-called "innovative" measure of "Banker's Receipt" and the Nirav Modi fraud exploited the new "Letter of Undertaking" instrument.

"Was the RBI not aware of the possible misuse of LoU," he asked.

All the nine trade unions would organise a rally on Wednesday in front of Parliament, to highlight various issues concerning the banking sector, including the growing non-performing assets and scams.

The union also wanted to know whether the SWIFT software used in the fraud was approved by the apex bank.

It also opposed the proposed Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill, 2017.

--IANS

bdc/nir/vm

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Right-wing Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide alias Guruji on Monday demanded the arrest of Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar and others for allegedly inciting the riots of January 1 in Bhima-Koregaon and its subsequent fallout.

Speaking to the media, Bhide, who is the head of Shri Shiv Pratishthan, alleged that the roots of the riots lay in the 'Yalgar Parishad' (conference) organized by various groups on December 31 in Pune.

Among the speakers at the conference were Ambedkar, Gujarat Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, JNU student leader Umar Khalid, retired high court judge, Justice B. G. Kolse-Patil and other leftist-Dalit personalities.

"At this meeting, all these leaders including Ambedkar had provoked people for violence and rioting. We demand that the government must immediately arrest them for the Bhima-Koregaon riots," Bhide demanded.

He also sought a brain-mapping test of all the concerned persons, including Ambedkar to unravel the truth behind the casteist disturbances that rocked Bhima-Koregaon followed by a Maharashtra shutdown on January 3.

Besides booking them for the riots and the shutdown, Bhide said that state government must recover the cost of the damages incurred during the disturbances.

"Its more than two months now. Why the government has failed to take action against these leaders for perpetrating the violence? Why have they not arrested them?" he asked.

Bhide also asked the government to clarify whether there was any link between the Yalgar Parishad and four Maoists arrested near Mumbai on January 3.

"I have already explained that I have nothing to do with the riots and I have not even gone to Bhima-Koregaon for past four-five years. Ambedkar has been uttering my name only for publicity and I am ready for any enquiry," he said.

To press for its demands, the Shri Shiv Pratishthan plans to take out a procession of various Hindu organisations on March 28 seeking arrest of Ambedkar and his associates, he added.

Monday's developments came four days after Ambedkar served an ultimatum to the state government on March 15 demanding the arrest of Bhide by March 26.

Another leader named by Ambedkar - Milind Ekbote - was arrested from Pune in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon incidents last week and has been remanded to police custody till March 21.

Several thousand Dalits from all over Maharashtra had congregated at the Victory Pillar in Bhima-Koregaon on January 1 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the war between a small group of British troops comprising mostly Dalits and the army of Peshwa Bajirao II which was vanquished.

Stone-pelting and rioting led to the death of one youth, and many others injured, besides leading to properties worth around Rs 13 crore being damaged, which the state government has assured to compensate.

--IANS

qn/vd

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The bodies of the 23 Bangladeshis killed in a plane crash in Nepal were flown home on Monday as mourners prepared a massive funeral.

A Bangladesh Air Force cargo plane, bearing the coffins, landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport here.

Ruling Bangladeshi Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, also the Road Transport Minister, received the bodies at the airport, Xinhua news agency reported.

The bodies include those of pilot Abid Sultan, co-pilot Prithula Rashid and crew members, Khwaja Hossain Mohammad Shafey and Sharmeen Akter Nabila.

At least 51 people were killed as the aircraft of Bangladesh's private US-Bangla Airlines, with 71 people onboard, crashed and burst into flames while landing at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport on March 12.

Thousands of people including government high-ups and relatives and well-wishers of the victims gathered at an Army Stadium in the capital for Namaz-e-Janaza (funeral prayer).

The bodies were handed over to the relatives after the funeral service.

Of 71 people, four were cabin crew, 32 people were from Bangladesh, 33 from Nepal and one each from China and the Maldives.

Bodies of three more Bangladeshi crash victims will be flown back to Bangladesh after their identities are confirmed through DNA tests.

--IANS

soni/mr

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The stereotype of an African-Arab Muslim nation, where women are expected to be seen covered from head to toe and not given prominence in public and social life, is being broken by progressive Moroccan women who are actively taking up positions in various spheres and professions, particularly the media, that require dealing with the public.

At the Crans Montana Forum (CMF) conference in this Western Sahara city of Dakhla, women may not outnumber men, but they marked their presence in every area -- be it among the organisers of the conference, attending to delegates from the host country and other participating nations or even in covering the event. Clear evidence of a liberalised Moroccan society.

"Moroccan women are taking up a lot of professional roles, including a growing number in journalism. In organisations, the number of women on the staff is almost equal to or even more than men. Many of them, especially the younger generation, are doing well as professionals," Kawtar Wakil, a young Moroccan woman journalist, told this visiting IANS correspondent on the sidelines of the Crans Montana Forum conference here.

Wakil, who is now based in Lyon in France and works with EuroNews TV channel, is here to do stories on the Forum and interview the dignitaries who are attending.

"I have interviewed the Moroccan Prime Minister, ministers and dignitaries from other countries and some prominent figures attending the conference. I love the job that I am doing," said Wakil, who studied journalism and French law in Casablanca and has been a journalist for eight years.

Having started with a production house, Wakil is now a Duty Editor in the TV channel in France and manages a team. She had earlier worked for six years, covering sports, in Morocco, a country with multi-cultural influences that abuts the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.

"In organisations in Morocco, more women can be seen picking up jobs. At times, male colleagues are jealous of women but that is part of any profession. Women are doing well in public life in Morocco and get a lot of respect," she said, adding that her father had earlier refused to allow her to become a journalist when she told her family about her intentions.

"Now everyone is happy," she said with a dimpled smile on her beautiful face.

Kauotar Dahdouh, 29, who is married and has a lovely one-year-old daughter, had to "squeeze in" time during her hectic work at the CMF to talk to IANS. She said that she was quite happy and comfortable in her professional role at a journalist and TV presenter.

Working with the Medi1 TV channel in Morocco and based in Casablanca, the country's financial capital, Kauotar manages to balance her role in the profession and her family.

"Moroccan girls are very intelligent, independent and proud. I like this. There is a lot of respect for women in Morocco. I was offered a job when I was doing internship during my journalism studies," said Kauotar, who covers politics, economy and almost everything else, including the Rallye Aicha Des Gazelles motor rally.

At the CMF venue, scores of women, especially young ones dressed professionally, have their hands full dealing with over 3,500 delegates attending the conference.

"These are hectic days for us but we are enjoying the experience here as it is a big international event," a young woman, who is pursuing a course in tourism management in Morocco, who did not wish to be named, said at the CMF village venue. Her friend, who spoke in Arabic and French, nodded in approval.

Moroccan women like Radio journalist Ilham Khalif entered the profession much earlier.

"At that time, the number of women was less in journalism. Now women are almost equal in numbers in most organisations and doing well," Khalif, who has been working for 15 years, said.

(Jaideep Sarin, Editor-North with IANS, is in Morocco on the invitation of the Crans Montana Forum. He can be contacted on jaideep.s@ians.in <mailto:jaideep.s@ians.in>)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A British woman fighting alongside Kurdish forces in Syria has been killed, the media reported on Monday.

Anna Campbell, from Lewes in East Sussex, was volunteering with the US-backed Kurdish Women's Protection Units (YPJ) - the all-female affiliate army of the People's Protection Units (YPG) - in the besieged city of Afrin when the convoy she was travelling in was struck by a Turkish missile on March 16, reports the Guardian.

Sources said the 26-year-old initially travelled to Syria to join the Kurdish struggle against the Islamic State (IS) terror group but asked her Kurdish commanders to send her to the Afrin front after Turkey launched a ground and air offensive on January 20.

"They refused at first, but she was adamant, and even dyed her blonde hair black so as to appear less conspicuous as a westerner," a YPJ source told the Guardian. "Finally they gave in and let her go."

She is not only the first British woman killed fighting alongside Kurdish forces in Syria, but also the first Briton to die in the Kurdish-held territory.

Her father, Dirk Campbell, described her as a "beautiful and loving daughter" who "would go to any lengths to create the world that she believed in".

"Anna was very idealistic, very serious, very wholehearted and wanted to create a better world. She wasn't fighting when she died, she was engaged in a defensive action against the Turkish incursion."

Campbell is believed to be the eighth British citizen killed while serving with Kurdish forces in Syria.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A special CBI court here on Monday convicted RJD leader and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad in the fourth fodder scam case but acquitted former Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra.



The fifth case relating to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 139 million from the Doranda treasury in Ranchi is pending with the court.



Judge Shuvapal Singh delivered the judgment relating to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 31.3 million from December 1995 to January 1996 from the Dumka treasury. The verdict, scheduled on March 15, was deferred four times.

The judge delivered the verdict alphabetically but Lalu Prasad -- who was the Chief Minister when the wrongdoing took place -- reached the court after it was delivered. Mishra was, however, present in the court.

Lalu Prasad was admitted to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) on Saturday after he complained of constipation. His lawyer was present when the verdict came.

This is second case in which Mishra has been acquitted. Both Lalu Prasad and Mishra are facing five cases each in the fodder scam in Ranchi.



There were 31 accused in this case, of which 19 were convicted and 12 acquitted.

According to Lalu Prasad's lawyer, the CBI court will pronounce the quantum of sentence later.

The court had earlier postponed the judgement in view of the Lalu Prasad's counsel filing a petition under 319 CrPC asking the then three officials of the Accountant General (in the 1990s) be made a party to the case.

Section 319 Cr PC is invoked when there is some strong and cogent evidence against the accused.

Prasad's counsel said he had filed the petition on March 14 and re-submitted it later after correcting some typographical mistakes.

The special CBI court of Shiv Pal Singh allowed admission of the petition on Friday.

After perusal of records, the court found prima facie case and the petition filed on 14/3/2018 was allowed, said Anand, another counsel for Prasad.

Apart from Prasad and Mishra, 29 others including former IAS officers and animal husbandry officials are accused in the Dumka Treasury case.

Prasad had already been convicted in three fodder cases while Mishra was convicted in two fodder cases.

A special CBI court on January 24 sentenced Lalu Prasad and Jagannath Mishra to five years in jail in a fodder scam case related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 376.2 million from the Chaibasa treasury.

On January 6, a special CBI court had sentenced Prasad to three-and-a-half years in jail and fined him Rs 1 million in a fodder scam case relating to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 8.92 million from the Deoghar Treasury 21 years ago.

In 2013, Prasad was convicted in the first fodder scam case involving withdrawal of Rs 377 million from the Chaibasa treasury.

Prasad has been lodged in the Birsa Munda jail at Ranchi since December 23 last year after being convicted in the second case pertaining to illegal withdrawal of money from the Deogarh treasury.

A fifth case relating to alleged fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 139 million from the Doranda treasury in Ranchi is pending with the court.

The over Rs 9 billion fodder scam cases relate to illegal withdrawal of money from government treasury in different districts in the animal husbandry department in undivided Bihar in 1990s when RJD was in power in the state.
Globally there is a gap between the way companies identify climate-related risks and opportunities and how they are preparing to tackle them, said a report by a global task force set up by the G20 on Monday.

A vast majority of companies acknowledge that climate change poses financial risks for their business with 83 per cent of companies recognising the physical risks and 88 per cent identifying policy changes or new regulations as the main risks of transitioning to a low-carbon economy.

The report, "Ready or Not: Are Companies Prepared for the TCFD Recommendations", was released by CDP Worldwide (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) and the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB).

It researched 1,681 companies across 14 countries and 11 sectors disclosing to CDP looks at the four areas of disclosure identified by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) -- governance, strategy, risk management and metrics and targets -- and highlights whether companies in specific sectors and countries are best prepared to disclose information under those themes.

Companies in France, Britain and Germany were leading the way in disclosing information across three out of the four thematic areas highlighted by the TCFD.

Companies from China, the healthcare and financial sectors are lagging behind in the four areas of disclosure, though China remains a disclosure market to watch out for in 2018 as new mandatory reporting policies come into force.

More than eight out of 10 companies already disclose the financial impacts from the physical and transition risks of climate change, with companies in South Korea and India having the highest rate.

Almost 92 per cent of companies in India have board oversight, while 14 per cent of companies provide incentives to the board for the management of climate change issues in the organisation.

Also, 92 per cent of Indian companies disclose how they prioritise risks and opportunities they have identified, second only to British companies.

Currently only 20 per cent of Indian companies use carbon pricing but the companies surveyed anticipate using carbon pricing in the next two years, which would mean that 59 per cent of Indian companies maybe be using carbon pricing by 2019.

Globally, there is a clear recognition that regulatory risks - classified by the TCFD as atransition' risks, are material, with 88 per cent of companies identifying them. South Korea (97 per cent), the UK (94 per cent) and India (94 per cent) report regulatory risks the most. Indian companies (including financials) are also the most concerned about physical risks - 92 per cent of them recognise the threat.

For India, 51 companies were covered in the survey, mainly concentrated in the Materials and Consumer Discretionary sectors.

"Overall, we see there is a surface level of preparedness from companies globally to have board level oversight of climate risk and opportunity. Key drivers are investor action, company reputation and consumer reaction to climate risk," CDP's Task Force Engagement Director Jane Stevensen said in a statement.

"What we are not seeing is increased governance translating into climate change mitigation. 2018 is the year when companies need to step up climate action as we approach a tipping point."

Simon Messenger, Climate Disclosure Standards Board Managing Director said: "This analysis shows that the financial implications of climate change are now firmly on companies' doorsteps and should be integrated in company-wide processes."

In 2015, the Financial Stability Board (FSB), chaired by Mark Carney -- at the request of G20 leaders -- launched its TCFD or Task Force.

The Task Force, which is chaired by Michael Bloomberg, published their final recommendations for effective disclosure of climate-related financial risks in June 2017.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Daring BJP President Amit Shah and party's Karnataka Chief Ministerial candidate B.S. Yeddyuruppa to clarify their position on the Lingayats, Congress on Monday said Karnataka cabinet's decision of granting status of religious minority to the sect should not be seen as a "political move".

"It is inappropriate to link the decision of Karnataka Government vis-a-vis declaration of Lingayat Samaj as a minority community to the political processes," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.

He noted that the Jain Community had for years had made a similar demand, and the then UPA government had got the demand of the community examined, following due process.

"Many people objected and said Jain Samaj is part of Aggarwal Samaj and that is why should not be separately branded as such or included in the minority community.

"After examination of all the evidences available and the historical facts, the then UPA government came to a conclusion that Jain community has to be part of the minority community," he added.

He said when Lingayat Samaj raised the similar demand, the Karnataka government followed due process.

"It got the entire evidence, facts and claims examined. Counter-claims were also received and they too were examined.

"The government in its wisdom in adherence to the demand of the community and based on the facts has decided to include the Lingayat Samaj as part of the minority community, so that the benefits that extend to the minority community can also be extended to them," he added.

Surjewala asked Amit Shah and Yeddyuruppa to clarify if they supported or opposed the decision.

In a bid to woo the Lingayats, a dominant community in the state, ahead of the assembly elections, the Karnataka cabinet on Monday decided to grant them the status of a separate religion.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Contrary to the claims of some BJP leaders, Bihar Police chief K.S. Dwivedi on Monday said father of a BJP worker was killed in Darbhanga district over a land dispute and not over naming of a square after Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Dwivedi told the media: "The killing of father of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker has nothing to do with naming of the square after Prime Minister Modi."

Over the last three days, Bihar BJP chief Nityanand Rai, Union Minister Giriraj Singh and Bihar Minister Nand Kishore Yadav had repeatedly claimed that the man was killed last week over naming of the square -- located on the outskirts of Darbhanga city -- after the Prime Minister.

Nityanand Rai had on Sunday said: "I led a team there along with Union Minister Giriraj Singh and spoke to the victim's family. We were told that Ram Chandra Yadav, the father of party worker Tej Pratap Yadav, was hacked to death by some miscreants. The family said there was a dispute over a board near the square naming it as Narendra Modi Chowk."

Giriraj Singh and Bihar Minister Nand Kishore Yadav had also claimed that the killing was related to naming of the square after Modi.

Interestingly, the version of these leaders was also at variance with that of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi.

Sushil Kumar Modi said: "Totally false that murder in Darbhanga took place over naming of sqaure after the Prime Minister. It was a case of land dispute. The board had been put up long back... Murder has nothing to do with it."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel on Monday threatened to act tough after officials refused to provide information in relation to a question that had been raised in the house.

"I am referring the whole matter to the Privilege Committee and direct the Chief Secretary to give the question back to the concerned department and its answer should be given immediately," Goel said in the assembly.

Goel also warned the officers to not challenge the powers of Assembly Committees and the Speaker, adding that he would be forced to take strong steps.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said in the House that officials did not give him the answer to a question relating to vigilance cases against Delhi government officials

on the ground that the matter falls within the jurisdiction of Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal.

Also, IAS officer Manisha Saxena has been summoned to the Assembly on an interview she had given to a Hindi newspaper.

Saxena, a member of Joint Forum of Delhi Government Employees, was at the forefront of protests against the government after an alleged attack on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash.

The Chief Secretary had alleged that he was assaulted by two AAP MLAs in Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's presence at the latter's residence on the night of February 19.

--IANS

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Google-owned video platform YouTube opened a "YouTube Space" in Dubai, the first-of-its-kind in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Located at Dubai Studio City, the YouTube facility aims "to support the growing creator community in the MENA region by giving them access to a state-of-the-art production space," Xinhua cited state news agency WAM as saying.

The space, which is the tenth in the world, is dedicated to YouTube content creators who would have free access to high-end audio, visual and editing equipment in addition to training programmes, workshops and courses.

More than 440,000 creators have visited the nine YouTube Space facilities around the world since the programme was first launched in 2012, said David Ripert, Head of YouTube Spaces in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

"Creators are the heartbeat of YouTube and supporting them has long been one of our most important priorities," Ripert was quoted as saying.

"As a platform, YouTube provides a blank canvas for creative expression and the Space will be one of the tools creators use to tell their own stories," Ripert noted.

The MENA region has more than 200 YouTube channels with over a million subscribers, and over 30,000 channels are subscribed by more than 10,000 users, Robert Kyncl, Chief Business Officer of YouTube, was quoted as saying.

The Arab world has experienced a 160-per cent increase in the number of channels uploaded from MENA countries in the past three years.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The German government on Monday rejected a call to impose European Union (EU) sanctions on former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (SPD) due to his professional connections to Russia.

"The federal government and the chancellor do not see any reason to consider such measures," Xinhua quoted Steffen Seibert, official spokesperson for Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), as saying.

Seibert's comments were a response to corresponding suggestions made earlier by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin.

Speaking to newspaper Bild, Klimkin had described Schroeder as "Putin's globally most important lobbyist" and urged the EU to "assess how it can react."

The former chancellor is known to have an amicable relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the report claimed.

After his political retirement in 2005, he joined the gas producer Gazprom and has acted as chairman of the board at the state-owned gas oil company Rosneft since 2017.

Schroeder has denied assertions that Rosneft constituted the "extended arm of the Russian government," noting that several public and private entities such as BP, the state of Qatar and Glencore held shares of the country's largest oil producer.

He has further stated that he was motivated by a desire to contribute to ensuring Germany's and Europe's energy security in joining Rosneft's board.

Questioned on Monday whether he too would seek a similar appointment in business, the recently-departed foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) told press the he intended to focus on charitable work.

Similarly, Chancellor Merkel has said that she will not assume a "private sector job" when she retires from the role of chancellor.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Islamabad said on Monday that New Delhi denied visa to more than 500 pilgrims who were to join the annual Urs celebrations at Ajmer in India this month.

"Pakistan notes with deep disappointment the non-issuance of visas by India for the visit of the 503 Pakistani (pilgrims) to participate in the Urs of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer Sharif on March 19-29," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Pakistani pilgrims have been deprived of the opportunity to participate in the gathering, which is of special significance to them, the statement said.

Earlier, 192 Pakistani pilgrims could not take part in the annual gathering of another Sufi saint, Hazrat Khawaja Nizamuddin Aulia, in Delhi in January due to the non-issuance of visas by India, according to the foreign ministry.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a significant manifestation of New Delhi's Neighbourhood First policy, India on Monday handed over the 18th diesel electric locomotive to Myanmar, thereby completing the first project under the current Indian line of credit (LoC) to the eastern neighbour.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Railways, Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain attended the formal handing over ceremony in Nay Pyi Taw of 18th AC-DC 1350 HP diesel electric locomotive to Myanmar Railways, supplied by RITES and manufactured by Diesel Locomotive Works, Varanasi.

"These 18 locomotives are fitted with micro-processor control based system," the statement said, adding that the engines, with a maximum speed of 100 kmph, have been customised for Myanmar Railways.

Most of these supplies in the railway sector have been carried out under the Indian LoC.

"As per the agreement schedule, all locomotives were to be delivered by September 2018. They have been delivered six months ahead of the schedule," the statement said.

Thanking the Indian Embassy in Myanmar for their coordination and assistance with the Myanmar authorities in the facilitation of the project, Gohain said that "this association will help strengthen friendly border relations with India".

Myanmar's Minister of Transportation and Communication U Thant Sin Moung held that the valued cordial relationship between the two countries can go beyond the present interaction.

"He showed keen interest in the training programmes offered by the Indian Railways and on the signaling and telecommunication systems," the statement said.

This project can also be seen as being in tune with New Delhi's efforts at connectivity with southeast Asia under its Act East Policy.

Major India-Myanmar cooperation projects in this regard include the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway and the maintenace of the deep-water port at Sittwe, the capital of Myanmar's trouble-torn Rakhine State, and the road from Paletwa to Zorinpui on the border of India's northeastern state of Mizoram.

Both the port and road are parts of the Kaladan Multi-modal Transit and Transport Project being developed by India, which is aimed at reducing the need to transport goods between northeastern India and the rest of India through the narrow Siliguri corridor

Other key projects include Rhi-Tiddim road project and the project to build 69 bridges on the Tamu-Kyigone-Kalewa road of the trilateral highway.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India and Hong Kong on Monday signed an agreement to avoid double taxation and prevent tax evasion.

India's Ambassador to China Gautam Bamabwale and Hong Kong's Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo signed the treaty.

A former British colony, Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China which enjoys a high degree of autonomy under which it has an independent taxation system.

The agreement is "for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income", the Indian Embassy in Beijing said.

"This agreement will stimulate the flow of investment, technology and personnel from India to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and vice versa, prevent double taxation and provide for the exchange of information between the two contracting parties," the statement said.

"It will improve transparency in tax matters and will help curb tax evasion and tax avoidance," it added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti visited Poonch district, close to the Line of Control (LoC), on Monday to offer condolences to the relatives of five members of a family who were killed in shelling by the Pakistan Army on Sunday.

An official said Mehbooba visited the Devta village in Balakote area in Poonch district to convey her condolences.

Five members of a family were killed in Balakote when Pakistan Army resorted to indiscriminate shelling.

Two critically injured girls of the family were airlifted by the Army for specialized treatment in Jammu city.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a bid to woo the Lingayats, a dominant community in the state, ahead of the assembly elections, the Karnataka cabinet on Monday decided to grant them the status of a separate religion.

"Based on the recommendations of Karnataka State Minorities Commission, the state cabinet has unanimously decided to grant status of religious minority to Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats (believers of 12th century social reformer Basava's ideologies)," state Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra told the media after the cabinet meeting.

Lingayats, who worship Shiva as the universal god, and Veerashaiva Lingayats, together constitute the largest community (17 per cent) in the southern state, and their votes could influence the outcome of the upcoming state assembly polls in April-May. The BJP is widely seen to have influence in the community which the ruling Congress is seeking to woo.

The BJP, whose Chief Ministerial face B.S. Yeddyurappa is a Lingayat, sees the Congress move as an attempt to divide the Hindu votes.

The state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has decided to forward the Commission's recommendations to the Central government for approval and notification under the National Commission for Minorities Act, the Minister said.

"The minority status has been granted on the Commission's view that a proper recognition is to be given to the Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats, on condition that the recognition would not affect the rights of other minorities in the state," Jayachandra said.

A separate committee under the Commission, headed by former Karnataka High Court judge, Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das, had also recommended the grant of religious minority status to the sect.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called the Karnataka's Congress government decision on Monday to recognise the Hindu sects of Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats as separate religion an attempt to "divide the Hindu society".

The party's Lok Sabha member Shobha Karandlaje, tweeted: "Kannadigas (people of Karnataka) will never forgive you (Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah for your intention of dividing the Hindu society. For cheap vote bank politics, you are playing a dirty game. You cheated the whole community by dividing the leaders and Swamijis of Karnataka."

By granting a separate religion status, the ruling Congress was asking Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats, who believe in 12th century social reformer Basava's ideologies, to not follow Hinduism, she alleged.

Briefing media persons after a cabinet meet, state Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra said: "Based on the recommendations of Karnataka State Minorities Commission, the state cabinet has unanimously decided to grant status of religious minority to Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats."

Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats,Awho worship Shiva, together constitute the largest community (17 per cent) in the southern state, and their votes could influence the outcome of the upcoming state assembly polls in April-May.A

The BJP, whose Chief Ministerial candidate B.S.Yeddyurappa is a Lingayat, is widely seen to have influence in the community which the ruling Congress is seeking to woo.

Prior to the cabinet meet held here, a group of Lingayat seers from across the state had met the Chief Minister urging him to grant the religious status to them.

"We are extremely grateful to the cabinet for considering the Commission's recommendations," the seers told reporters after the government's decision.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday pitched for a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front in the country but claimed the allance would transcend the barrier of political parties and focus solely on people's agenda.

"There is definitely going to be a federal front by the people of India. It is not a mere aligning of political parties. It is about unifying the masses, the people of India. Our front would be a federal front very shortly but the agenda we propose would be totally different from the present routine model. It would be people's agenda," Rao, also the Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief, said after the meeting at the state secretariat Nabanna here.

Terming his meeting with Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, as the first step towards the inception of the front, KCR, as the leader is popularly known, said the front's formation can be discussed in more detail once other like-minded political leaders come to a consensus.

"Today we had a pleasant discussion where we agreed on so many fronts and we are trying to build a real federal front for this country. This will be a like minded group of political leaders. Today was just the beginning. Rest of the things will be made clear when other leaders sit together, discuss and come to a consensus.

"Just we two cannot decide all the things. There are other leaders, friends and like-minded people. We have to talk to all of them. We made a good beginning today and I am confident that we would be able to take it forward.I think this country would flourish," he said.

Echoing Rao, Banerjee termed the meeting as a "good beginning" and hoped the like minded leaders, focused on the development of the county, would eventually come together to form a "strong" federal front.

"This was a good beginning. is a continuous process. The dialogue has been started. Let the leaders talk to each other. All of them would eventually come together to form the front.We want the federal front to be strong. If the states are strong, the centre would also be strong," Banerjee said.

"We are not in a hurry. Let's approach other political parties also. for bigger objectives, takes time. Everything has been discussed in details. Now we wait for tomorrow, for the future," she added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Police here are looking for a Kuwaiti accused of torturing his Indian domestic worker.

The Indian woman had a deep cut on the head and bruises on the hands and arms, a report in Al-Rai daily cited police officials as saying.

The woman was taken to a hospital by the accused's sister who came to the vicitm's rescue while she was being tortured, The Times Kuwait reported on Monday.

The Indian woman later contacted her brother who is working in Kuwait and the latter filed a complaint with the police. A medical report of the victim was also submitted to police.

--IANS

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A special CBI court here on Monday convicted RJD chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad in the fourth fodder scam case but acquitted another former Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra.

Judge Shivpal Singh delivered the judgment in case relating to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore from December 1995 to January 1996 from the Dumka treasury. The verdict, scheduled on March 15, was deferred four times.

The judge delivered the verdict alphabetically but Lalu Prasad -- who was the Chief Minister of undivided Bihar when the multi-million-rupee fodder scam surfaced in 1990s -- reached the court after it was delivered. Mishra was, however, present in the court.

Lalu Prasad was admitted to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) on Saturday after he complained of constipation. His lawyer was present when the verdict came.

After the judgment, Lalu Prasad returned to RIMS for further treatment.

This is second case in which Mishra has been acquitted. Both Lalu Prasad and Mishra are facing five cases each in the fodder scam in Ranchi.

There were 31 accused in this case, of which 19 were convicted and 12 acquitted.

According to Lalu Prasad's lawyer Prabhat Kumar, the CBI court will deliver the quantum of the sentence later this week.

When the FIR was first filed against Lalu Prasad in 1996, there were 49 accused, out of which 14 died during trial.

Besides Mishra, the acquitted include politicians like Dhruva Bhagat, R.K. Rana and Jagdish Sharma.

Reacting to the judgement, RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said: "There were four conspirators in the case and three including Mishra have been acquitted. This indicates that (Prime Minster) Narendra Modi is playing some game. We will appeal."

Lalu Prasad was convicted in the first fodder scam case in 2013 and awarded five years in jail.

He was convicted in the second case on December 23, 2017 and awarded three-and-a-half years imprisonment.

The RJD chief was convicted in the third case on January 24 and awarded a five-year jail term.

The bulk of the cases were transferred to Ranchi after Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in 2000.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Maharashtras former NDA ally Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana has decided to join the Congress-led UPA alliance, a top leader said on Monday.

SSS President Raju Shetti met Congress President Rahul Gandhi in the national capital along with Congress General Secretary Mohan Prakash and Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan who announced the decision.

"The farmers have been denied justice in the past four years of NDA rule. We shall fight the next Lok Sabha elections as a UPA constituent," Shetti, who had quit the NDA in August last year, told the media.

He said the Modi government had failed to fulfill its promises pertaining to the farmers on minimum support prices for agricultural produce, loan waiver, compensation of losses, implementation of the M.S. Swaminathan Commission Report and other issues.

The SSS plans to hold a meeting of various farmers' associations and groups from all over India on March 29 where Gandhi is likely to be present.

Dissatisfied with the NDA at the centre and in Maharashtra, Shetti - who represents the Hatkanangle seat in Kolhapur for Swabhimani Paksha, the political wing of the SSS - has been bitterly critical of the BJP for nearly a year.

Shetti launched the SSS and its political wing Swabhimani Paksha in 2004, which is working mainly among the farmers in the state. He has been elected to the Lok Sabha twice since 2009.

--IANS

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A petition has surfaced urging "The Crown" actor Matt Smith to take action after he was paid more for his role as Prince Philip than actress Claire Foy.

The petition has urged the actor to donate the extra salary he received for the Netflix drama to the Time's Up Legal Defence Fund, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

At a conference in Israel, the producers of the series said that Foy earned less than Smith for the first two seasons of the Netflix hit.

Foy played Queen Elizabeth in the drama from showrunner Peter Morgan, Sony Pictures Television Studios and Left Bank and earned a Golden Globe, SAG Award and Emmy nomination, among other accolades, for the part.

"Going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen," said Left Bank creative director and executive producer Suzanne Mackie.

The Care2 Petition urges Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and Smith to "show that they stand with women and do the right thing", while asking the actor and Netflix to donate the difference in Smith's pay to the Time's Up Legal Defence Fund.

"The Crown" drive -- which was near 22,000 signatures of its goal of 25,000 -- comes two months after a similar petition urged actor Mark Wahlberg to donate the $1.5 million more that he made during re-shoots for "All the Money in the World" after news broke that his co-star Michelle Williams, received $1,000 for the same work.

--IANS

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Brussels, March 19 (IANS/AKI) The European Union executive on Monday urged charities rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean to observe Italy's code of conduct after a ship run by a Spanish NGO refused to hand over migrants to Libyan authorities last week.

"There is an Italian code of conduct that aims to avoid these situations," said European Commission spokesperson Natasha Bertaud.

"We call on all parties to respect it in future," she added.

The European Commission was "closely following" the case and EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos had spoken to Itay's Interior Minister Marco Minniti about it, Bertaud said.

Bertaud's remarks came after Italian prosecutors seized a ship run by the Proactiva Open Arms NGO when it docked in the Sicilian port of Pozzallo on Saturday with 216 people aboard after declining a request to hand over all women and child migrants on board to Libyan coastguard.

Prosecutors in Catania are also probing the charity ship's captain and two of the NGO's officials over the incident, during which Proactiva Open Arms alleges that Libyan coastguard threatened to open fire on the vessel unless its crew handed over the passengers.

Italian coastguard gave the NGO permission to land in Sicily but said they should have asked Spanish authorities for advice on where to go, and noted that Malta was closest port for them.

The Italian government introduced in July last year the controversial code of conduct in a bid to curb the activities of charity rescue ships operating in the Mediterranean.

With EU support, Italy also gave equipment and training to Libyan coast guard aimed at strengthening their capacity to intercept migrants before they are rescued by NGO vessels.

Most migrants who embark on dangerous sea journeys to Europe are anxious not to be taken back to Libya, where they face widespread abuse and torture in the lawless country's detention centres.

--IANS/AKI

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Riyadh, March 19 (IANS/WAM) The Gulf Shield 1 Joint drills, organised by Saudi Arabia's Defence Ministry, has kicked off in the eastern region in participation with military forces from 23 countries as well as Saudi forces.

The drill that started on Sunday is scheduled for one month and is considered the largest military drill in the region in terms of diversity of expertise and quality of weapons.

The training aims to raise the military readiness of participating countries, modernise joint mechanisms and enhance coordination and cooperation.

--IANS/WAM

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping on his re-election and said that he looks forward to working with him to improve the bilateral relationship.

"Dear President Xi Jinping, congratulations on getting re-elected as the President of the People's Republic of China. I look forward to working with you for the development of our bilateral relations," Modi said on the social media platform Sina Weibo, China's version of Twitter.

Xi was re-elected as the country's President on Saturday during the ongoing session of the Chinese Parliament.

After the Doklam military stand-off put a severe strain on India-China ties, both countries are making efforts to put the relations back on track.AA

Modi is expected to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Summit in June in China and hold talks with Xi.

--IANS

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Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the Narendra Modi government of causing over Rs 40,000 crore loss to exchequer in the purchase of Rafale fighter aircraft from France.

In a tweet, Gandhi also referred to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's reported remarks that there was no point of talking about "our price" and "your price" when fighter planes were not bought during the term of Congress-led UPA government.

"The UPA negotiates the RAFALE down to 526 Cr. per plane. But Modi ji pays 1,670 Cr. instead. Loss to exchequer, over 40,000 Cr. RM's response? We paid 'our' price. Who cares about 'their' price? Answer: The PEOPLE care."

The Congress has been long alleging that the deal for 36 Rafale fighter planes with the French government was finalised by the Modi government at a higher price than the previous deal for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) negotiated by the UPA government.

--IANS

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Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday offered the ceremonial 'chadar' at Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti's shrine here on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to informed sources, Modi had handed over the 'chadar' to Naqvi on Saturday to be offered at the shrine.

A huge crowd had gathered at the dargah premises to see the 'chadar'.

In a message, Modi conveyed greetings and best wishes to the followers of the Sufi saint in India and abroad on the occasion of the 806th annual Urs.

"Peace, unity and harmony is at core of various philosophies in the country. Sufism is one of them. When we talk of Sufi saints in India, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti appears as a symbol of great spiritual traditions. The service of humanity made by 'Gharib Nawaz' will continue to be an inspiration for future generations," the Prime Minister said.

"On the occasion of the annual Urs of this great saint, I am offering 'chadar' and Khiraaj-homage to Dargah Ajmer Sharif and wish for a harmonious co-existence of our culture. Greetings and best wishes to the followers of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti across the world on the annual Urs," he added.

Speaking to reporters, Naqvi said terrorism was the biggest enemy of both Islam and the entire humanity.

"This message is at the core of principles and teachings of the great Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. Principles and commitment of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz is a strong weapon to defeat those evil elements trying to weaken human values and disturb peace," Naqvi said.

He said India was an example of social and communal harmony.

"We will have to strengthen this fabric of social harmony and unity. This unity can defeat the forces engaged in the conspiracy to create divide and conflict in our society."

Naqvi also inaugurated a 100-toilet complex, constructed by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, at "Vishramsthali" on Kayad road near the Dargah.

Thousands of pilgrims have arrived in Ajmer for the Urs, which is revered equally by Hindus and Muslims.

Sameer Chishti from Ajmer Dargah told IANS that two dozen LCD screens were installed in and around the dargah where Modi's video message will be aired.

--IANS

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The logjam in Parliament continued on Monday as the TDP and YSR Congress raised the pitch for taking up their no-confidence notices against the Modi government amid a ruckus in the Lok Sabha leading to disruption of the House.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned for an hour till noon while the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day minutes after the Houses convened after the weekend.

As soon as the Lok Sabha assembled, TDP and AIADMK MPs protested in the Lower House raising slogans and displaying placards.

Amid the din, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till 12 p.m.

As such the no-trust motion could not be taken up in the Lok Sabha even as the government said it was ready to face it and had the numbers to defeat it.

"We are ready to face the no-confidence motion as we have support in the House. We are confident," Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters before the House met.

Telugu Desam Party MP Thota Narsimham said the party members would insist on moving the motion in the House first. He said the TDP has "talked to opposition parties, including the Trinamool, Congress and Samajwadi Party".

Another TDP MP R.M. Naidu said they were trying to gather as much support as possible from all the opposition parties in Parliament knowing fully that the motion would fall because the government has enough numbers to defeat it.

He said the TDP was looking for a debate in the House on how the government is functioning.

"It's the responsibility of all the parties support us. We are trying to gather as much support as possible so a debate happens. We are not trying to make the government fall," Naidu said.

At present, the Lok Sabha has 539 members. The BJP has 274 -- more than the half-way mark of 270. The BJP also has the support of several allies like the Shiv Sena and the Akali Dal.

But the Shiv Sena has said it has not decided on its course of action on the no-confidence motion.

Its MP Sanjay Raut said the party would wait and watch. "We will also have to see if the Speaker allows the no-confidence motion or rejects it. The TDP has its own state issues and we welcome them. As of now we have not decided yet on no confidence motion, (party chief) Uddhav ji will take a call."

Meanwhile, TDP MPs protested in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament, demanding special category status for Andhra Pradesh. They were joined by Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day within minutes of its meeting amid protests by TDP MPs.

The first two weeks of the last phase of the Budget session have been virtually washed out to opposition protests. The government has, however, managed to get some key bills and the budget passed amid the din through a voice vote without a debate.

--IANS

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A no-confidence motion tabled by arch rivals TDP and YSR Congress against the Modi government was not taken up in the Lok Sabha on Monday as the Parliament logjam entered its third week amid no signs of thaw between the opposition and the government.

After the House was adjourned for an hour and when it met again at 12 noon, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan sought to put the notices of the motion for leave of the House so that a discussion can be initiated. At least 50 members should back the motion for it to be admitted.

But like it has been happening for the last two weeks, AIADMK and TRS members raised slogans and walked to her podium shouting slogans in support of their demands, creating a din.

Several opposition parties including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Samajwadi Party, AIMIM and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) have expressed their support for the notices.

The Speaker called the members to stand up up so that the numbers could be counted to see how many supported it.

But with members from the TRS and AIADMK holding placards and surrounding the Speaker's dais, Mahajan said she could not count the members who were standing.

"Please go back to your seats. If the House is not in order I will not bring the notices," she said, before adjourning the House for the day.

Minutes before Mahajan made her comments, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the government was ready to face the motion.

"We are ready for any discussion... We are also ready for a discussion on the no-confidence motion. I appeal to all political parties to cooperate," Rajnath Singh pleaded.

Earlier, the Lower House started with disruptions and was adjourned till noon within a couple of minutes amid noisy protests by AIADMK and TRS members.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters before the House met that the government had the numbers to defeat the motion.

"We are ready to face the no-confidence motion as we have support in the House. We are confident."

Telugu Desam Party MP R.M. Naidu said they were trying to gather as much support as possible from all the opposition parties in Parliament knowing fully that the motion would fall because the government has enough numbers.

He said the TDP was looking for a debate in the House on how the government was functioning.

"It's the responsibility of all the parties to support us. We are trying to gather as much support as possible so a debate happens. We are not trying to make the government fall," Naidu said.

At present, the Lok Sabha has 539 members. The BJP has 273 -- more than the half-way mark of 270. The BJP also has the support of several allies like the Shiv Sena and the Akali Dal.

But the Shiv Sena has said it would abstain. "We will support neither the government nor the Opposition," Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant said.

Meanwhile, TDP MPs protested in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament, demanding special category status for Andhra Pradesh. They were joined by Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury.

The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned for the day within minutes amid protests by TDP MPs.

The first two weeks of the last phase of the Budget session have been virtually washed out due to opposition protests. The government has, however, managed to get some key bills and the budget passed amid the din through a voice vote without a debate.

The protests have been over wide ranging issues, including the Punjab National Bank fraud, special category status for Andhra Pradesh, and constitution of Cauvery management board to solve water sharing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

--IANS

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To overcome shortage of medical staff, the Punjab cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, on Monday decided that MBBS doctors will now get their full salaries, including all allowances, during probation too.

With this, the state government has decided to do away with the condition of basic pay only for newly-appointed medical officers in the Health and Family Welfare Department.

This is in line with the practice already being followed in several other categories like Punjab Civil Services (Judicial Branch), an official spokesperson told IANS.

The Punjab Vidhan Sabha Assurance Committee had also taken serious note of the shortage of doctors and directed the government to fill the vacant posts at the earliest.

In the light of this, the proposal for the payment of full salary to the newly appointed MBBS doctors, equal to the pay being given to the specialist doctors, was put up before the Chief Minister after approval by the Health Minister, said the spokesperson.

In another decision, the cabinet approved the Punjab Health and Family Welfare, Technical (Group-B) Service Rules -- 2018 to facilitate recruitment and promotions of various technical group "B" vacant posts.

These rules would also open more promotional channels for the paramedical and technical staff.

--IANS

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A day after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray's stringent criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Gujarat-oriented' policies, MNS activists targeted Gujarati establishments in Mumbai and Palghar on Monday.

A group of MNS workers took to the roads and went around attacking restaurants and other business establishments sporting Gujarati signboards in Mumbai and near Vasai on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway.

The workers, many carrying MNS flags, raised anti-Gujarati slogans and damaged or defaced signboards in Gujarati language.

"Vasai is in Maharashtra and not Gujarat. We will not tolerate name boards in Gujarati any more here," warned MNS Thane district chief Avinash Jadhav.

Vasai is around 110 km from the Maharashtra-Gujarat border and has a sizeable Gujarati speaking population, besides many engaged in business and industries.

Similarly, in Kandivali suburb, a 'farsan' seller's shop was targeted and attempts made to yank off the signboard in Gujarati language.

At least a dozen persons have been detained in connection with the two incidents and police have increased patrolling in some Gujarati-dominated pockets.

In his hard-hitting Gudi Padwa rally in Mumbai late on Sunday, Raj Thackeray criticized Modi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and BJP President Amit Shah on various counts.

He attacked the PM's dream project of Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train that would cost Rs 110 lakh crore and the proposed Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway at Rs 22,000 crore and the shifting of Air India headquarters and International Financial Centre from Mumbai to Gujarat among others.

"This is part of a sinister strategy. After failing to sever Mumbai from Maharashtra, the Modi government is deliberately trying to marginalize Mumbai for the benefit of Ahmedabad and Gujarat as they have not forgotten the past," Thackeray claimed.

Accusing Modi of being partial to Gujarat, he questioned the need to take all foreign dignitaries to Ahmedabad and not to other cities like Chennai or Bengaluru or Mumbai.

To prove his point, he read out a list of international VVIPs who have visited Gujarat in the past four years or so, including from China and Japan.

Warning of the possibility of communal riots being engineered in the name of the Babri Mosque-Ram Temple row to win the next Lok Sabha elections, Thackeray also urged all political parties to unite and work towards a "Modi-mukt Bharat".

--IANS

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The Odisha government has decided to establish, on the PPP mode, 19 hospitals in 18 districts on the parameters of backwardness in health indicators, an official said on Monday.

The hospitals will be set up on Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode under the health sector investment policy.

A proposal to this effect was discussed in the Empowered Committee on Infrastructure meeting held on Monday under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary A.P. Padhi, who directed officials to decide their locations taking into account the existing health service facilities and newly coming up medical colleges.

The meeting decided to set up new quality care hospitals mostly in KBK and KBK plus districts.

Health Secretary P.K. Meherda said these hospitals would be of two different categories.

One type would be 100 bedded and another type would be 200 bedded. The total bed capacity in three different phases would be around 2,600, he added.

The government would provide land at a concessional rate with other infrastructural facilities, and also decide the tariff of treatment in these hospitals.

The private parties would make necessary investments for setting up the hospitals and they would bring in more specialists and clinical personnel, said Meherda.

--IANS

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Lakhs of Mumbai commuters were severely hit as more than 80,000 drivers of aggregator cabs like Ola and Uber went on strike here on Monday, an official said.

"The strike has been launched from midnight in support of various demands of the drivers who are being meted out injustice by the companies. If the government fails to intervene, they shall go on an indefinite strike," Sanjay Naik, President of Maharashtra Navnirman Vahatuk Sena (MNVS), told IANS.

The MNVS is affiliated to Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

He added that several thousands of drivers of Ola and Uber had also joined the protest in Aurangabad, Nashik, Pune and other cities in Maharashtra as part of an all-India agitation.

Despite repeated attempts by IANS, spokespersons for both the companies declined to comment on the strike.

The worst-hit were people proceeding to airport or railway stations to catch flights or long-distance trains, besides local commuters rushing for business meetings.

Naik claimed that both Ola and Uber had promised big returns of more than Rs 1.25 lakh per month to the cab drivers who invested beteen Rs 5 and 7 lakhs.

"Now the situation is that many drivers earn barely half the promised amount which is not even sufficient to cover their costs. The drivers are practically on the verge of starvation owing to the mismanagement by the two companies," Naik said.

Moreover, the companies give preference to their own vehicles rather than the driver-owned vehicles, which has led to a steep decline in the latter's business.

Owing to these, Naik said there has been drop of more than 20 percent in Mumbai alone of the cabs running on this platform, hitting both the drivers and the commuters.

The MNVS has appealed to the Mumbai commuters to make alternative arrangements and "support the fight for justice" by the Ola and Uber drivers.

The Mumbai Taximen's Union has supported the strike. Its General Secretary A.L. Quadros demanded that the Regional Transport Authority take strict action against Ola and Uber for violating permit conditions and eating into the business of autorickshaws and taxis.

--IANS

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As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government completed one year in Uttar Pradesh on Monday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath promised more crackdown on the corrupt and criminals in the coming days.

The safety and security of the people was a top priority for his government, he said, adding that there would be no let up in the crackdown against criminals, land mafia, copying in board exams, anti-social elements and eve-teasers.

Speaking at the celebrations, the Chief Minister went on to say that his government worked relentlessly in the past one year to achieve these goals which are in sync with the dreams of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'New India'.

In his hour-long speech, the 45-year-old said his government had inherited empty coffers, a chaotic government system and lawlessness. It took him almost a year to make a turnaround, he said.

"There was a time when investors and businessmen would dread to come to Uttar Pradesh with their money. This perception has been changed by us and we have now become the most attractive destination for investment," he said.

"We have done the unthinkable. Investment of more than Rs 4.68 lakh crore has been promised and we have already started work on bringing to ground MoU's worth Rs 25,000 crore," he added.

He claimed that his government had provided 11 lakh houses to the urban and rural poor.

Aware of resentment in the real state sector and among farmers owing to the royalty on mud dug from fields, he announced that the government was lifting the royalty on mud and that the farmers can now dig up soil and utilise it in any way they find it proper.

He warned policemen and officials against harassing farmers.

Adityanath also promised to provide 24x7 uninterrupted power supply this summer.

--IANS

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The Centre on Monday questioned the credentials of the PIL petitioners seeking to block deportation of Rohingya refugees saying the genesis of the PILs threaten to change the country's demography and destabilize it.

"Go into the question which is the genesis of it (PILs). Who wants to change the demography, destabilise and disintegrate the country? Sovereignty of the nation is paramount," the Centre told Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, urging the top court to allow diplomacy to have its play in dealing with the Rohingya issue.

Pointing to the "interests of the nation" and the steps being taken by the government, Additional Solicitor General Tuishar Mehta told the court that there were "diplomatic solutions" and actions being worked out between India, Bangladesh and Myanmar to address the Rohingya problem.

Resisting the plea by counsel Prashant Bushan to ask the government to "adhere" to what it had said in its affidavit on providing basic amenities including medical and educational facilities to Rohingya refugees, Mehta said there were "interests, counter interests and several interests."

"Don't pass an order", Mehta said, asserting that basic amenities were being provided in the refugee camps. He dared the petitioners to bring facts contradicting the government position.

Mehta said: "We are not pushing back (Rohingyas), but not allowing those who don't have valid visa."

As Mehta asked "what interests are being projected", Bhushan retorted: "Interests of humanity are being projected."

Taking exception to the Centre raising the issue of destabilization, disintegration and demographic change, senior counsel Ashwini Kumar, appearing for one of the petitioners, said the "bogey of destabilization" was being raised on every plea concerning human rights.

"Sovereignty is not against human rights," he said.

In a volley of posers, Ashwini Kumar -- a former Law Minister in the UPA government -- said: "Does India stand up to humanitarian rights? Does India stand for international obligations? Does India stand up to its own philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (world is a family)?"

The court is hearing a batch of petitions seeking to block the deportation of Rohingya refugees and seeking basic amenities for them including access to hospital and admission to their children in schools.

The court directed the next hearing of the matter on April 9.

--IANS

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Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and her elder son Tej Pratap Yadav on Monday expressed disappointment over the conviction of RJD leader Lalu Prasad in the fodder scam, saying they had thought he will be acquitted.

"I was expecting acquittal. It disappointed us. But we respect the verdict and have faith in judiciary," Rabri Devi told the media here.

Tej Pratap said he expected "relief" for his father. Nonetheless, "we respect the court verdict".

A special CBI court in Ranchi on Monday convicted former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad in the fourth fodder scam case but acquitted another former Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson Shakti Yadav said the party would challenge the verdict in the High Court.

Soon after the verdict, hundreds of RJD leaders and workers gathered outside 10, Circular Road, the official residence of Rabri Devi. Most said the RJD chief had been convicted due to political vendetta.

"How come Jagannath Mishra has been acquitted in a scam in which Lalu Prasad is convicted? Mishra was acquitted as he supported the BJP, which has 'managed' the CBI, and Lalu Prasad was convicted for fighting against them," RJD worker Mukesh Singh said.

--IANS

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Key Republicans have warned President Donald Trump not to interfere with special counsel Robert Mueller and his team's on going probe into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, the media reported.

The warnings came after Trump on Sunday morning criticised Mueller on Twitter, one day after his lawyer John Dowd issued a statement saying he prays for the Justice Department to end the special counsel's investigation.

In his tweets, Trump reiterated that there had been "no collusion" between his team and Russia and called the probe a "witch hunt".

He added that it was dominated by "hardened Democrats".

Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake on Sunday told CNN that he expected his colleagues in Congress to push back on the President's comments on Mueller and any potential move to force the end of the probe.

"I mean, talking to my colleagues all along it was, you know, once he goes after Mueller, then we'll take action," Flake said.

He called Attorney General Jeff Sessions' firing of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe late Friday, who was ousted a little over 24 hours before he was to retire, as a "horrible day for democracy".

South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that he continues to believe that any attempt to fire Mueller would be catastrophic for Trump.

"If he tried to do that, that would be the beginning of the end of his presidency," Graham told CNN.

Graham also said the Senate Judiciary Committee should conduct a public hearing on the firing of McCabe for the sake of transparency.

Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio told NBC News: "I remain confident that the special counsel is going to conduct a probe that is fair and thorough and is going to arrive at the truth..."

Meanwhile, Democrat leaders also voiced their disapproval of Trump's tweet.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and California Democratic Representative Adam Schiff both called on their Republican colleagues to temper the President.

Also on Sunday, White House lawyer Ty Cobb said in a statement: "In response to media speculation... The White House yet again confirms that the President is not considering or discussing the firing of the Special Counsel," the BBC reported.

--IANS

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Sanjana Sanghi has been finalised to star opposite actor Sushant Singh Rajput in the Hindi adaptation of the 2014 hit Hollywood film "The Fault In Our Stars".

Presented and produced by Fox Star Studios, the shoot will begin by mid 2018. Casting director Mukesh Chhabra will make his debut as a director with this film. Oscar winner A.R. Rahman is also on board to compose the music for the romance drama.

"I met Sanjana first during the casting of 'Rockstar'. She was a young and dynamic girl with great energy. After a few years she reconnected for a few ad casting jobs -- she came across as a mature young lady and to my surprise she was a fabulous actor," Chhabra said in a statement.

"I was instantly sure that I would love to make a film with her one day. Once 'The Fault in Our Stars' script was ready, she fitted right in, the perfect face. Well, I can't wait to create magic with this talented girl," he added.

Rucha Pathak, Chief Creative Officer, Fox Star Studios, said: "Mukesh called me out of the blue one day to meet her... and she had a striking and yet innocent personality but what really caught my attention was when Mukesh screen tested her.

"She nailed it in her audition and we knew right away she was our leading lady. Looking forward to launching this talented young lady in Mukesh's directorial debut."

"The Fault In Our Stars" is based on John Green's bestselling novel. The Hollywood film features Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort.

--IANS

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Key Indian equity indices on Monday hit their lowest levels since December 6, 2017, with the BSE Sensex slipping below the 33,000-mark and the Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) falling below the psychologically important 10,100-level.

According to market observers, India's widening current account deficit (CAD), along with weak global cues ahead of the US Federal Reserve meet on March 20-21, dented investors' risk-taking appetite.

The wider NSE Nifty50 declined by 100.90 points or 0.99 per cent to close on a lower note for the fourth consecutive trade session at 10,094.25 points.

The barometer 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE closed at 32,923.12 points -- the fifth straight session of losses -- down 252.88 points or 0.76 per cent from its previous close.

The BSE market breadth was bearish with 2,235 declines and 514 advances.

In terms of the broader markets, the S&P BSE mid-cap index declined by 1.58 per cent and the small-cap index by 1.98 per cent.

"Markets ended with heavy losses on Monday. It was the fourth consecutive session of losses for the Nifty. The weakness came on the back of weak global cues ahead of the US Federal Reserve policy decision later in the week," Deepak Jasani, Head - Retail Research, HDFC Securities.

"Investors were also worried about the sharp widening of current account deficit (CAD) in December quarter. Metals and bank shares came under selling pressure," he added.

Data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) post market hours on Friday revealed that India's CAD widened to $13.5 billion during the third quarter of 2017-18 from $7.2 billion in the second quarter and $8 billion in the corresponding period in 2016-17.

On Monday, all the 19 sub-indices of the BSE closed in the red, with the S&P BSE metals index falling by 368.35 points, followed by consumer durables index by 318.81 points, banking index by 301.46 points, oil and gas index by 254.73 points and IT index by 243.58 points.

Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services, said: "Market continues to drag under global market volatility ahead of the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) meet tomorrow, where consensus hints at a 25 basis points rate hike.

"Bond yield remains at elevated levels and concern on trade tensions is influencing investors to book profit. Back home, rupee weakened due to widening current account deficit and led investors to remain cautious," Nair added.

On the currency front, the Indian rupee weakened by 23 paise to close at 65.17 against the US dollar from its previous close at 64.94.

In terms of investments, provisional data with the exchanges showed that foreign institutional investors purchased scrips worth Rs 292.23 crore, while domestic institutional investors sold stocks worth Rs 191.52 crore.

Major Sensex gainers on Monday were: NTPC, up 1.03 per cent at Rs 167.05; Maruti Suzuki, up 1 per cent at Rs 8,777.65; Power Grid, up 0.99 per cent at Rs 194.15; Larsen and Toubro, up 0.95 per cent at Rs 1,279.70; and Hindustan Unilever, up 0.80 per cent at Rs 1,309.45.

The Sensex losers were: Tata Steel, down 4.24 per cent at Rs 575.05; Bharti Airtel, down 4.16 per cent at Rs 400.80; Wipro, down 2.60 per cent at Rs 288.05; Yes Bank, down 2.57 per cent at Rs 304.85; and Coal India, down 2.51 per cent at Rs 271.70.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Sidharth Malhotra has been appointed the face of Belvedere Studio B, an exclusive property in India to celebrate the spirit of creative collaboration.

On this "unique collaboration", Sidharth said in a statement: "I am playing the role of a curator for this property as someone who threw open the challenge to these progressive influencers to bring Studio B to life.

"It's really about celebrating the opportunity to create. I feel like a true partner as I have been involved from the inception of this creative project."

Belvedere Studio B will be unveiled here on March 23.

The property will bring together pioneers of various fields who have created distinctive, exceptional and unforgettable expressions of their own artistry.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha on Monday said demonetisation has "failed comprehensively", as he compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to 14th century Delhi Sultanate ruler Muhammad bin Tughlaq.

Speaking on the launch of renowned economist Arun Kumar's book 'Demonetization and the Black Economy", Sinha also noted that the abolition of Rs 1,000 note, which was brought back by him in 2000, "pained" him.

"I felt pained personally. After 1978 demonetisation, I had brought back the Rs 1,000 note that was abolished. I felt as if my child has been killed. Apart from that, in order to clean up, you introduced Rs. 2,000 note?" he said.

The BJP leader, who has been vocally opposing demonetisation but continues to be a part of the party, said that he felt Modi was told demonetisation would fill government coffers.

"My own feeling is that someone told the Prime Minister that if he goes for demonetisation, Rs 3-4 lakh crore will come. It will be a bonanza for the government... that unfortunately did not happen," he said.

Sinha questioned why the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) did not issue the final figures on the cash that has been collected post November 8, 2016 demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

"After the 98.8 (per cent) figure, they have not told us the final figure. Maybe it would be thoroughly embarrassing if we admit that more money has come back," he said.

He went ahead to compare Modi to Tughlaq, who had introduced token currency of copper and brass coins.

"There used to be a king, who shifted the capital to Daulatabad... He also did demonetisation. We have gone back five centuries to repeat the same mistake," Sinha said.

While he did not name the king, the reference was unmistakable.

Sinha said "responsible people" in the government were not consulted before the decision was taken, but they had to defend it.

He also question the impact of demonetisation on black money, and questioned where the electoral fundings were coming from.

He also said that post demonetisation, "tax terror" is back.

The book says the unorganised sector, which functions largely on cash, has been "damaged irretrievably" and that government data does not reflect it because the data for the non-agricultural component of the unorganised sector is available with a time lag.

A note on the book said demonetisation was carried out on the "mistaken belief" that "black means cash".

"Black cash is less than one percent of the black wealth so even if this cash could be squeezed out, it would hardly impact black wealth. Further, black income generation is a process which is not impacted by demonetisation," it said.

It also argued that cash in an economy does not determine the level of corruption, and having a less cash economy would not determine the level of corruption in the country.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sony India on Monday announced the appointment of Sunil Nayyar as its new Managing Director, a first for an Indian.

Nayyar's term as Managing Director of the company will take effect from April 1, Sony India said in a statement.

"Being one of the most recognised consumer electronics brand, it is an exciting time to lead the company's direction in India," Nayyar said on his appointment.

Nayyar replaces Kenichiro Hibi, who has now been appointed as President for Sony Brazil also with effect from April 1.

Hibi held the position as Managing Director of Sony India for six years from 2012 till 2018.

At Sony India, Nayyar held the position of Sales Head from April 2006 till April 2015 prior to moving to Sony North America as head of Retail Experience, a position which he held from May 2015 till March 2018.

Nayyar started his stint at Sony in 1995, as part of Sony Gulf's sales team in charge of North and East Africa, Russia, Lebanon, Syria and several other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

"In this time of transition, I look forward for an insight from our stakeholders and help guide in further strengthening Sony's presence in India," Nayyar said after being appointed as Sony India's Managing Director.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSR Congress members on Monday skipped a lunch hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan after their no-confidence motions were not taken up for discussion.

"We boycotted the lunch as our notice of no-confidence motion is not being admitted. The Speaker adjourned the House which should not have happened. More efforts should have been made for the functioning of the House," YSR Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Vijay Sai Reddy told IANS.

He also alleged that the TDP and TRS (Telangana Rashtra Samithi) were creating a logjam in parliament on behalf of the treasury benches.

TDP Lok Sabha member Thota Narsimham said "We will not attend the Speaker's lunch as she did not admit our no-confidence motion."

He said the TDP was looking for a debate in the House on how the government was denying justice to Andhra Pradesh.

A no-confidence motion tabled by arch rivals TDP and YSR Congress against the Modi government was not taken up in the Lok Sabha on Monday as the Parliament logjam entered its third week amid no signs of a thaw between the agitating parties and the government.

After the House was adjourned for an hour and when it met again at 12 noon, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan sought to put the notices of the motion for leave of the House so that a discussion could be initiated. At least 50 members have to back the motion for it to be admitted.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At a time when many politicians are accused of not fulfilling their promises, a woman public representative in Telangana is offering to sell her land to keep her words.

The district level public representative in Ranga Reddy district has put up a "For Sale" board at her 100 square yard open plot adjoining the Hyderabad-Bijapur National Highway. This piece of land is expected to fetch Rs 35-40 lakh.

Chimpula Sailaja Satyanarayana Reddy, who represents Chevella territorial constituency in Rangareddy Zilla Parishad, took the step due to what she said was the callous attitude of the departments concerned in making the required funds available for development works in 20 Gram Panchayats in her constituency.

She feels that since she had made the promises including laying of roads, it was her moral duty to fulfil the same. She is even ready to sell her family property.

Though she was elected on the ticket of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), she got no support from the government to fulfil the promises she had made to the villagers during the 2014 elections. All her efforts to convince the authorities to release the funds went in vain.

She, along with other Zilla Parishad Territorial Committee (ZPTC) members, had been fighting for funds to undertake various development works in the district.

Last year, she approached the Hyderabad High Court, which directed the government to release Rs 532 crore to local bodies in the district towards their share in the Seigniorage fee collected from mining activities. She was expecting at least Rs 20 crore for her territorial constituency. However, the orders were not implemented.

"I have no option but to sell this property and I am serious about it," she said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump will unveil new plans to tackle the country's opioid epidemic on Monday, the White House said.

The plan will include stiffer penalties for high-intensity drug traffickers, including the death penalty, CNN quoted Andrew Bremberg, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, as saying on Sunday evening.

According to Bremberg and White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, Trump's long-awaited plan will focus on three areas: law enforcement and interdiction, prevention and education through a sizable advertising campaign; improving the ability to fund treatment through the federal government; and help those impacted by the epidemic to find jobs while fighting addiction.

Congress has approved $6 billion to combat the epidemic and a senior official told CNN that Trump's plan will lay out how the administration believes that money should be spent.

The concept of the death penalty for certain drug traffickers is something Trump has been outspoken about, but this will be the first time it will be part of an official administration plan.

"The Department of Justice will seek the death penalty against drug traffickers when it's appropriate under current law," Bremberg said.

Trump called for the death penalty to drug dealers earlier this month at a rally in Pennsylvania, CNN reported.

His plan is expected to focus on sentencing reforms for drug dealers that would stiffen penalties for high-intensity drug dealers while "other people languishing in prison for these low-level drug crimes", the senior official said.

"The President thinks that the punishment doesn't fit the crime," he said, adding that these penalties would be for dealers who bring large quantities of opioids -- particular fentanyl -- into the country, not the people that are "are growing pot (marijuana) in the backyard or a friend who has a low-level possession crime".

The plan was still being reviewed and subject to change.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two men were injured in the Texas state capital of Austin in an explosion that came less than a week after police said three package blasts that occurred over 10 days were connected, the media reported.

The police were called to the scene at 8.32 p.m., on Sunday, reports CNN.

The two injured men were in their 20s and taken to South Austin Medical Centre.

There was a second item, a backpack that the police were clearing, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said late Sunday.

The earlier three explosions killed two people and injured two others.

The victims were non-white.

The police have not yet discovered a motive, but have not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime.

It was not not immediately clear if Sunday's explosion was related to the previous events, reports CNN.

Earlier on Sunday, authorities announced a reward of $115,000 for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for the three explosions.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
UltraTech Cement on Monday said it has concluded a commercial understanding with Binani Industries to buy over 98 per cent stake in its cement manufacturing subsidiary Binani Cement Ltd (BCL) which is facing insolvency proceedings.

UltraTech, which was one of the resolution-plan applicants in the insolvency proceedings of BCL, agreed to issue a "comfort letter" to the debt-ridden cement manufacturer, confirming that it will provide funds amounting to Rs 7,266 crore to acquire the firm.

"The company has in-principle concluded commercial understanding with BIL (Binani Industries Ltd) for purchase of 98.43 per cent of the shareholding of BCL subject to termination of IBC proceedings, entering into definitive agreement and other customary and regulatory approvals,a the company said in a regulatory filing.

UltraTech, owned by Aditya Birla Group, said that the Binani Industries, which is independently seeking termination of the insolvency proceedings relating to its subsidiary BCL, approached the company for arranging funds to pay-off the lenders debts and other liabilities as admitted in the Insolvency proceedings against an offer of sale or transfer of its entire BCL equity shareholding.

BIL also requested the company to issue a "comfort letter" to be used as a support in its application seeking termination of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) proceeding.

"The Board of Directors at its meeting held today (Monday) after considering the request made by BIL, has agreed to issue the comfort letter confirming that the company will provide funds amounting to Rs 7,266 crore, being the amount it had offered to the Committee of Creditors in terms of the resolution plan submitted by it for acquiring BCL....," the filing said.

Meanwhile, during the hearing at the National Company Law Tribunal's Kolkata bench on Monday, UltraTech Cement's counsel alleged the company was "not called" to attend the Committee of Creditors (COC) meet on February 27, when the highest bidder (H1) was declared.

Its counsel also cited there was a "lack of transparencya.

According to him, the Aditya Birla Group company had submitted the revised bid to the Resolution Professional (RP), Vijaykumar V. Iyer, on March 8 and its counsel appealed before the court to consider its revised resolution plan for insolvent Binani Cement.

RP's counsel, however, said during the hearing that the CoC considered the resolution plan of highest bidder on March 14 and the plan was approved by voting process.

"On March 14, the RP also put the revised resolution plan of Ultratech before the creditors' committee, but it was not accepted," counsel said.

The matter would be further heard on March 22.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council Chairperson Bibek Debroy on Monday said the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a process which would take more than 10 years to settle down.

" is a process and if we expect that the entire process will settle down in anything less than 10 years, then we are being unrealistic," Debroy said at the annual general meeting of India International Chamber of Commerce.

He said only seven countries in the world had actually implemented the system in its true form out of which, five had unitary and only two countries, including India, had implemented a federal GST.

"There are very few countries which have implemented GST. There are around 140 countries which have implemented VAT but only seven which have implemented GST," Debroy said.

He added that out of those seven, only two countries had implemented a federal GST, the other being Canada whose GST system is also "not perfect".

On direct taxes front, the NITI Aayog member made a case for removal with exemptions which he said was on government agenda.

He said a task force has been set up which would look into the issue.
Coalition blues hit the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh on Monday as senior cabinet minister and Suhaildev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) President Om Prakash Rajbhar accused the BJP of "not respecting its alliance partners".

Predicting bad days for the Bharatiya Janata Party, the minister alleged that the ruling party had "lost its mental balance in the wake of the brute majority handed over to it in the UP Assembly".

The remarks came on a day when the BJP government completed one year in office and rolled out grand celebrations on the occasion.

Rajbhar also created a flutter in political circles by announcing that his support for the BJP's Rajya Sabha nominees was still uncertain.

He said his party could have got at least 30,000 votes for the BJP in the Phulpur and Gorakhpur Lok Sabha by-elections but he was not even asked to campaign.

"The BJP's humiliating defeat in the by-elections is a result of its arrogance and reflects that within one year they have lost the trust of the people," Rajbhar told IANS on phone.

He accused the BJP government of paying attention only to temples and doing nothing for the poor, backwards, Dalits and farmers. "A lot is being said, claimed and written but on the ground nothing is seen."

The minister, whose party has four members in the UP Assembly, added: "For now we are with the NDA but the BJP is not following the coalition dharma."

He also told IANS that till BJP President Amit Shah speaks to him to settle the issues raised by him, his legislators will not participate in the Rajya Sabha biennial polls slated for March 23.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
South Korea's Commerce Minister said on Monday that Seoul may be able to negotiate an exemption from the US on its steel products.

South Korea and the US have been engaged in an intense round of negotiations during the last week after Washington approved a 25 per cent tariff on steel imports earlier in March.

"I think there will be a good result within this week if we wait for the results (of negotiations)," Paik Un-gyu said in a working group meeting with members of his Ministry, Yonhap news agency reported.

However, the Minister warned about the need for caution regarding the US' final decision.

"Although the US views (South Korea) as an ally, there are concerns over the global oversupply of steel and we are working hard on that part," he said.

South Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong has been in Washington for the past week, holding meetings on the matter with the US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and other officials.

Also accompanying Kim was Yoo Myung-hee, who led the negotiations to review the free trade agreement between both countries and has extended her stay in the capital to assist Kim.

South Korean Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon and his American counterpart Steven Mnuchin were also scheduled to meet on Monday on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Buenos Aires to discuss the matter.

In a telephone conversation last week on upcoming summits with North Korea, South Korean and US Presidents Moon Jae-in and Donald Trump also touched upon the topic of the tariffs.

Moon assured Trump that an exemption from the US' planned tariff on steel products would be a reflection of the strength of the alliance between both countries at a crucial time for both to resolve the North Korean issue.

South Korea is the third largest exporter of steel to the US after Canada and Brazil and in 2017 it sent 3.6 million tonnes to the country.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Monday said there is still time for the Central government to set up the Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) as per the Supreme Court orders.

Speaking in the assembly, Panneerselvam said: "We will wait till the end of this month, then take the next course of action."

He said the state has to wait for the six weeks deadline given by the Supreme Court to get over.

Earlier DMK leader M.K. Stalin said the ruling AIADMK should support the no-trust motion to be moved by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) against the Central government.

Stalin said Andhra Pradesh government is putting pressure on the Central government to secure special status for the state.

He urged the AIADMK to support the no trust motion so as to mount pressure on the Central government to set up CMB and CWRC.

Panneerselvam said the Cauvery issue against Karnataka should not be compared with the Andhra Pradesh situation.

According to Panneerselvam, the TDP was part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for the past four-and-half years.

He said Stalin was trying to create an illusion as if the TDP in Andhra Pradesh was fighting for its rights whereas nothing was being done in Tamil Nadu.

The Supreme Court on February 16 ordered the Central government to set up CMB and CWRC within six weeks.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi will now be its key negotiator with India on the vexed border issue after Beijing promoted him on Monday to the country's top diplomatic post of State Councillor.

Wang succeeds Yang Jiechi, China's senior-most diplomat, who until now was the country's Special Representative on border talks with India.

While Wang will remain the Foreign Minister, Yang's role was not immediately known. A hawkish Yang was elected to the powerful Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party last year.

Wang will talk to India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval who is its Special Representative on boundary talks.

China and India by far have held 20 rounds of talks on their 3,448-km disputed border. The countries fought a war in 1962 and have seen their armies cross into each other's territories due to the different perceptions of the boundary.

Wang repeatedly slammed India during the 73-day military stand-off at Doklam in the eastern sector of their border last year.

The crisis, which further soured the already tense ties, was resolved in August.

Wang, however, struck a positive tone about Sino-India ties while addressing the media on the sidelines of China's ongoing annual parliament session.

Wang said if China and India were united then one plus will be equivalent to 11, a remark welcomed by India and answered in the similar tone.

India's Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale last month met Wang who had a meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Wang had previously served as China's envoy to Japan and worked at the Asia desk of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

A foreign minister's job in China is not a top-notch one as the international units of the Communist Party has more say in the formulation of Beijing's foreign policy.

However, Wang's elevation indicates a bigger role for him.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Last week, Urjit Patel, among the most reticent and shy governors of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in recent memory, broke his habitual silence when, at long last, the finger of blame for frauds in public sector banks (PSBs) pointed towards the RBI. He declared that the central banks regulatory authority over PSBs was weaker than that over private sector banks.

Mr Patels speech made other important and valid points, but his argument that the RBI did not have enough powers over banks was so surprising that it dominated the headlines. Those who know the formal structure of ...
Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhara Rao's idea of creating a federal front with non- and non- political parties at the level has received a hint of positive response with West Bengal chief minister terming their meeting in Kolkata on Monday as a good beginning.

"We have relations with many political parties and if we can do something together, it is good for the country" Banerjee said at a joint press conference after an hour-long meeting with KCR, who flew to Kolkata in a special flight to discuss the formation of federal front with her earlier in the day.

Rao said the idea behind federal front was to provide an alternate political model for the country and they would discuss with other leaders to forge a non- and non- alliance under a collective leadership in the days to come.

Rao-Banerjee meeting comes as a first concrete step towards bringing together like-minded leaders and parties in various states. Earlier, Rao had spoken with some of the other leaders over phone. He is expected to make similar visits to other states to meet other leaders, including Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, according to his party men.

Preparations are also on to formally declare the formation of a federal front at Telangana Rashtra Samithi(TRS) plenary meeting on April 27. Rao will be personally inviting the potential federal front partners at this event.
Launching a scathing attack on the BJP-led NDA government, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief on Sunday called for opposition unity and a "Modi-mukt Bharat" by 2019.

Addressing party workers at a rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai, Thackeray said, "The country is fed up with the false promises made by (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and his government."



All opposition parties should come together to get rid of the BJP-led NDA government to ensure a "Modi-mukt Bharat", he said, while reminding the audience of the BJP's "Congress-mukt Bharat" slogan.

"India got its first independence in 1947, second in 1977 (after the post-Emergency election) and 2019 can bring a third independence if India becomes Modi-mukt," the MNS chief said.

If the Modi government was ousted and an inquiry was ordered into demonetisation, it (the note ban) might turn out to be the biggest scam in the country since 1947, he said.

Quoting an ISRO report, Thackeray said, "A large-scale desertification of Maharashtra is going on due to the depletion of groundwater. After Rajasthan, our state has reported the second highest rate of desertification in the country."



Saying this, he went on to question Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's claim of digging of 56,000 wells in the state.

The MNS chief said he was in favour of building a Ram temple in Ayodhya, but it should not be used as an election issue.

"The Babri Masjid demolition case is in the Supreme Court and it will be deliberately discussed in the coming days to instigate communal riots," he claimed.

"The Ram mandir should be built, but it should not be used as an election plank to divide the society and win votes," he said.

Taking a dig at Modi's foreign tours, Thackeray said the prime minister was apparently visiting those countries to get "flour for pakoda" as the visits had not fetched any investments.

The MNS chief also said films like "Toilet Ek Prem Katha" and "Padman" were a covert propaganda for government schemes.

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, who starred in both the films, was trying to follow the footsteps of Manoj Kumar, an actor who was popularly known as "Bharat Kumar", he added.

"But Akshay Kumar is not even an Indian citizen. He holds a Canadian passport and Wikipedia describes him as an Indian-born Canadian actor," Thackeray said.

Taking potshots at Fadnavis, who recently featured in a video song about river conservation, the MNS chief said, "There are so many problems in the state, but apparently the CM is busy singing songs."



Thackeray also questioned the government's decision to accord a state funeral to Bollywood actor Sridevi last month.

"Sridevi was a great actor, but what did she do for the country that her body was wrapped in the tricolour?" he asked.

The media might have covered her funeral extensively at the government's behest to divert the people's attention from the Nirav Modi-Punjab Bank scam, he said.

The government was trying to control the media, judiciary and agencies like the CBI, Thackeray said, alleging that the media was under tremendous pressure from the BJP-led government.

Incidentally, Thackeray had met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Saturday, ahead of Sunday's rally.

He, however, described the meeting at Pawar's residence in south Mumbai as a courtesy call.
The notices for no-confidence motion against the government could not be taken up in the Lok Sabha on Monday due to noisy protests by several parties, which washed out the proceedings in both Houses of Parliament.

Today was the 11th consecutive day that the proceedings were washed out and the second day that Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan could not take up the notices for no- confidence motion.

While the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day within about ten minutes after it had assembled in the morning, the Lok Sabha was first adjourned till noon and then for the day after the listed papers were laid.

The Lower House was adjourned for the day amid noisy protests by members from various parties, with Mahajan saying "since the House is not in order, I will not be able to bring it... I am sorry" and then adjourning the proceedings.

Amid the din, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the government was ready for discussion on any issue, including on the no-confidence motion.

The notices for the motion have been given by YSR Congress member Y V Subba Reddy and two members of the TDP -- Thota Narasimham and Jayadev Galla. Both parties have been demanding special package for Andhra Pradesh, an issue on which the TDP quit the ruling NDA alliance last week.

As soon as the House met for Zero Hour after the Question Hour was washed out, members from TRS and AIADMK trooped into the Well carrying placards. While the TRS was demanding a rise in quota, the AIADMK was pressing for immediate setting up of the Cauvery river management board.

Soon after papers were laid on the table amid unrelented slogan-shouting by members, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the government was ready to discuss any issue.





All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leaders raise slogans demanding constitution for Cauvery Management Board during the budget session, at Parliament House in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI0

Some members have given notices for no-confidence motion and the government is ready for discussion on that as well, Singh said and requested all parties to cooperate so that the discussion can be taken up.

The Speaker also repeatedly asked the more than 25 members from the AIADMK and TRS, who were protesting inside the Well, to return to their seats.

As the uproar continued, Mahajan said she was duty-bound to take up the notices for no-confidence motion but could not do so as the House was not in order.

Earlier during Question Hour, members from the TDP, YSR Congress, TRS and AIADMK protested over various issues, including the banking scam, leading to adjournment of the House till noon.

Since March 5, when Parliament had reassembled for the budget session after recess, both Houses have been witnessing disruptions every day. Last week, the Lok Sabha had passed the Finance Bill and the appropriation bills without any discussion amid similar protests.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day without transacting any business after parties from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh disrupted proceedings over their state-specific demands.

No sooner were the listed papers laid on the table, Andhra parties led by the TDP and KVP Ramachandra Rao of the Congress trooped into the Well shouting slogans for special status for the state, while Tamil Nadu parties - DMK and AIADMK - raised the Cauvery water issue.

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu repeatedly asked members to allow the House to function and called for taking up listed Zero Hour mentions on issues of public importance.

But with members refusing to budge from their positions in the Well, he adjourned the House till tomorrow within 10 minutes of the commence of proceedings.

An upset Naidu said Parliament has become a "laughing stock" because of repeated adjournments due to the protests from the Well of the House.

"This is not in the interest of the country, this is not in the interest of Parliament," he said asking members to allow the House to function.

As the protesting parties displayed placards in support of their demands, he said he was willing to allow discussion on all the issues being raised.

The government, he said, too was willing to discuss and "so where is the problem?"



"How long will this continue? People have already started criticising (Parliament functioning)," he said before adjourning the proceedings for the day.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said he had not given up the demand for grant of special status to Bihar "for even one second" since he first raised the issue 13 years ago.

He also hit out at the RJD for questioning his "silence" after the TDP pulled out of the NDA seeking similar benefits for Andhra Pradesh.

Kumar declined to comment on the fresh conviction of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad in the fourth fodder scam case but said the claims of the former chief minister and his family members of being "framed" in corruption cases "could convince only hardcore supporters".

"I had written to the then prime minister for a special status to Bihar in 2005, shortly after assuming power in the state. A year later, we got a resolution passed in the state assembly to the effect.

"Since then, the demand has been raised by us relentlessly and I have not strayed for even a second. I'm amused to see those who were never concerned about the issue have suddenly started questioning my silence", Kumar told reporters at party headquarters here.

He also indicated that the issue of would be raised before the 15th Finance Commission.

Kumar, who is the JD(U) chief, had made a surprise appearance at a press conference convened by state chief Bashishth Narain Singh to announce merger of a breakaway faction of Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) founded by former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.

Senior JD(U) leader and state minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh was also present on the occasion.

Kumar was responding to queries about the relentless attacks by Lalu Prasad and Leader of Opposition in state Assembly Tejashwi Yadav.

They have been challenging him to speak up on the issue of in the backdrop of the TDP walking out of the NDA over a similar demand for Andhra Pradesh.

"Special status is a need for Bihar. We will work towards ensuring that it is fulfilled. But we are not going to issue statements about the matter every now and then. We have always placed interests of the voters above their votes, unlike our detractors," he said.

About Prasad's conviction in the Dumka treasury case , Kumar said, "It is a judicial verdict and I have never spoken about a judgement passed by a court of law".

A special CBI court in Ranchi today convicted Lalu Prasad in the fourth case of multi-crore fodder scam related to fradulent withdrawal of Rs 31.3 million from Dumka treasury in 1990s.

The court acquitted former chief minister Jagannath Mishra in the same case.

To a query about allegations of political vendetta and that the RJD supremo was being "framed", he said, "When we were sharing power in Bihar, they said the same thing. I had said this could convince only hardcore supporters."



The chief minister also said his government had ensured communal harmony and betterment of all communities and that he strongly believed in "taking all sections of the society along".

He, however, replied in the negative when asked whether he would advise the same to his ally BJP which has often been accused of triggering communal tension. "Every party has to decide its own course of action", he said.

To another query, the JD(U) chief said he did not attach much importance to bypoll results and "had decided to stay away in keeping with our policy not to contest a bypoll necessitated by incumbent's death. We relented following the BJP's demands, though we knew what would be the outcome".

The JD(U) had contested the Jahanabad assembly segment in bypolls, where its candidate lost by a margin of over 35,000 votes.

About the Supreme Court order dismissing a PIL seeking his disqualification from the Legislative council on the ground that he did not disclose his criminal records, he said, "I was not made a party and not even served with a notice".

(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 case was lodged against Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwani Choubey's son in connection with communal clashes during a procession in Bihar's district, police said on Monday.

"Two cases were lodged in in connection with the clashes two days ago. The first was against taking out the procession without permission, inciting communal sentiment and roaming on roads with displaying arms in which Choubey's son Arijit Shashwat and 20 others were named as accused," police officer Md Janeefuddin told.

Janeefuddin said that an investigation has begun into Shashwat's role in the clashes that took place in Nathnagar on Saturday.

The procession was organised by the Bharatiya Navvarsh Jagran Samiti on the eve of the Hindu New Year.

However, Choubey, as well as local BJP leaders, have claimed that rally organisers had been given permission by the district administration.

The minister also denied that provocative slogans were raised and objectionable songs were played in the procession.

Shashwat had unsuccessfully contested the last Bihar Assembly polls as the BJP candidate from Bhagalpur, considered a stronghold of Choubey.

Choubey was elected MP from Buxar Lok Sabha seat in 2014.

Tension still prevailed in Nathnagar and neighbouring Champanagar areas.

Additional security forces have been deployed and internet services have been suspended since Saturday night.

is a communally sensitive place as it witnessed one of the worst communal riots in 1989 in which more than 1,000 people were killed.

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A group of sixteen persons, including six women, were arrested for allegedly partying and consuming liquor in a public place at Talegaon-Shivar near Igatpuri here, police said.

The incident happened yesterday night in the open area of a local hotel and police were called in by villagers who protested against loud music and dance at the party, said Igatpuri police officials.

An official said that the six women who have been arrested work in dancer bars and were probably brought to the party by those who organised it.

"The ten arrested men hail from different localities in Nashik. The bar girls are from Mumbai. We have registered cases under sections 294 (obscene acts in public place) and 34 (act done by several people with common intent) and relevant sections of the Bombay Police Act," assistant police inspector MY Mandave of Igatpuri police station said.

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Two Bangladeshi nationals were today arrested by the Pune unit of Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for allegedly providing shelter to suspected terrorists of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an Islamic extremist group based in Bangladesh, officials said.

While one of them was arrested from Ambarnath in Thane district, another was apprehended from Mahad in Raigad district, a senior ATS official said.

According to the official, the two arrested accused, aged between 24 and 30 years, are residents of Shasha district in Bangladesh.

The officer, however, did not reveal the names of the two.

The ABT is an al-Qaeda-inspired Islamic extremist group in Bangladesh, he said.

A preliminary enquiry revealed that the two arrested accused were involved in harbouring and providing logistical support to suspected ABT terrorists during their stay in Pune, the official added.

They were staying in the country without any valid travel documents, besides being in possession of fraudulently-obtained PAN and Aadhaar cards, he said.

The two were produced before a court here, which remanded them to police custody till March 29.

On Saturday, the ATS had arrested three Bangladeshi nationals from Pune on similar charges.

During their interrogation, the trio had revealed that they provided shelter and other assistance to suspected ABT terrorists during their stay in Pune.

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At least 200 central paramilitary personnel, including riot police, were sent to Bhagalpur in Bihar to assist the local administration in tackling the tense situation there.

About 100 personnel of the Rapid Action Force, a specialised force to deal with riot and crowd control situations, and 100 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force were dispatched to Bihar, a Home Ministry official said.

The central paramilitary personnel will help the local administration to deal with the tense situation in Bhagalpur, the official said.

Reports suggest that a clash broke out on Saturday between two groups allegedly over a procession with songs and slogans. Several people, including six policemen and 12 others, suffered injuries during the clashes.

The clashes erupted when a group of people reportedly objected to loud music during the procession. The two groups even pelted stones at each other, the reports said.

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As many as 267 schools, including government and state-aided schools, do not have fire safety certificate in the national capital, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told the Delhi Assembly today.

Sisodia, who holds the education portfolio, said that 162 city-run schools and 105 government-aided schools do not have fire safety certificates.

The revelation poses a question about the safety of students studying in the government and government aided-schools in the city.

In a written reply to a question asked by AAP MLA Pawan Sharma, Sisodia told the House that out of the 105 government-aided schools, 88 have applied for fire safety certificate.

The deputy chief minister, however, said that all the 162 government schools have applied for the same.

He said that the Directorate of Education (DoE) inspects the safety measures in schools from time-to-time.

For the schools which have not got fire safety certificates, the education directorate had approved Rs 112.15 in 2013 to ensure that all these schools fulfil all the formalities which are required for fire safety certificate.

There are 1,228 government and government-aided schools in the national capital.

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At least 36 terrorists were killed in army raids in Egypt's restive North and Central Sinai in the past five days, officials said today.

The raids are part of a major campaign which was launched earlier in February to eradicate terrorism in North and Central Sinai.

Around 345 suspected terrorists were arrested, including a number of wanted terrorists, the Egyptian Military Forces said in a statement.

An officer and three conscripts were killed while two officers, five conscripts and a non-commissioned officer were injured during the raids.

The Armed Forces also said it destroyed 386 trenches and hideouts used by terrorists to store weapons.

The statement also added that 17 vehicles and 67 unlicensed motorbikes were seized and destroyed.

North Sinai has witnessed many terrorists attacks since the January 2011 revolution.

The attacks, mainly targeting police and military, increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule.

Hundreds of police and army personnel were killed since then.

The military has launched security campaigns in the North Sinai area, in which some terrorists are based.

The security forces have arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip.

In November, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered the military forces to restore security in Sinai within three months after militants killed more than 300 worshippers at a mosque.

In November last year, militants detonated a bomb inside a crowded mosque in the Sinai Peninsula and then sprayed gunfire on panicked worshippers as they fled, killing at least 305 people and wounding at least 128 others.

The attack was said to be the deadliest terrorist attack in Egypt's modern history.

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The memorial to Babasaheb Ambedkar, to be built on the Indu Mill site near Chaityabhoomi here, would be completed in three years time, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the Legislative Council today.

He was replying to supplementary queries raised on a calling attention motion moved by Sharad Ranpise of the Congress.

"Major works will be carried out in the first two years, ancillary works would be done in one year after that," Fadnavis told the House.

He informed the House that a special kind of steel, recommended by the Centre, would be used for its construction as well as the memorial of Chhatrapati Shivaji off the coast of Mumbai. This steel could last for about 300 years, Fadnavis said.

Replying to further queries, Fadnavis informed the House that a three member committee, comprising former Shiv Sena corporator Surendra Bagalkar, the Dean of J J School of Arts and the Head of Department of History of Mumbai University would take suggestions from legislators, leaders and the public.

"The committee shall accept suggestions if they improve the overall aesthetic value of the memorial," he said.

Fadnavis urged members not to compare the project cost of the Ambedkar Memorial with that of Chhatrapati Shivaji in the Arabian sea or with the Sardar Patel Statue of Unity coming up in Gujarat.

He said these projects could not be compared because all the three personalities had contributed immensely in their own way for the welfare of the nation.

Responding to a supplementary query over the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) pending since 2011 which had led to the Centre withholding environment clearances for several city projects, the CM said that the government had received a draft report from two institutions which would be sent to the Centre after approval from the state Cabinet.

Referring to the omission of some prominent personalities during the 'bhoomipujan' ceremony of the Ambedkar memorial in October 2015, he said that all those who had been left out would be invited for its inauguration.

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BJP national president Amit Shah will visit Odisha in April, a party leader said.

Shah is likely to arrive during the first or second week of April, BJP state president Basant Panda said here yesterday.

During the visit, the BJP chief will attend public meetings and youth conferences in western districts like Sambalpur, Kalahandi, Sundargarh, Bolangir and Sonepur.

Shah is also expected to interact with local BJP leaders and prepare strategies to make the party's base stronger ahead of the 2019 Assembly polls.

The BJP president, on a three-day visit to the state in September last year, had said that Odisha was among the three focus states for the party.

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Bangladesh Supreme Court today stayed the release of former prime minister Khaleda Zia on bail in a corruption case in which she was sentenced to five years in jail, prompting her party to announce a nation-wide demonstrations tomorrow demanding her unconditional release.

Zia, 72, was sentenced on February 8 in connection with the embezzlement of 21 million taka (about USD 250,000) in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust, named after her late husband Ziaur Rahman, a military ruler-turned-politician.

"The full bench of the appellate division (of the Supreme Court) stayed until May 8 her (Zia's) bail, which means she will not be freed until that day," a spokesperson from the Attorney General's office said.

The five member apex court bench, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, also fixed May 8 the date for hearing the arguments supporting and opposing Zia's four-month interim bail by the High Court.

The Chief Justice said after examining records of the case, all the four judges of the bench unanimously reached the decision.

Justice Hossain also asked the government and the Anti-Corruption-Commission (ACC), alongside Zia's counsels to submit concise statements in two weeks explaining their points for opposing and seeking her bail.

Zia's counsels, however, in an abortive plea sought to advance the date for hearing on her bail, saying the apex court will go on vacation from April 13 and remain close until May 6, lingering the 73-year-old ex-premiers imprisonment.

To which, Justice Hossain said that the court will hear on May 8 and conclude the hearing.

Zia's son Tarique Rahman and four others were sentenced to 10 years in jail in the same case.

On March 12, the High Court here granted the chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) a four-month interim bail.

According to legal experts, even if Zia would have got the bail, she was unlikely to be released from jail as she was shown "arrested" in another criminal case under a separate arrest warrant by a court in central Comilla district.

The lower court's verdict shook the country's political scenario ahead of the general elections in December this year.

The BNP, a main opposition outside parliament, alleged it as a "politically motivated" to debar Zia from contesting elections, an allegation denied by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government.

Following apex court's order, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said at a media briefing that the government has driven the last nail in its coffin by denying the bail to Zia.

He announced that the party would launch countrywide demonstrations demanding her unconditional release tomorrow.

But political analysts earlier feared the BNP was now facing a political wilderness after Zia's conviction, which is likely to disqualify her for elections unless she could obtain an acquittal. The BNP boycotted the general election in 2014 over polls time government system amid violent protests and spearheaded a protracted street campaign enforcing a nationwide blockade coinciding with its first anniversary that saw some 500 people dead in arson attacks.

Zia, however, appears to be seeking to contest the next general elections scheduled for December this year.

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Bangladesh's Supreme Court today stayed the release of former prime minister Khaleda Zia on bail in a corruption case under which she was sentenced to five years imprisonment, in a setback to her political ambitions in this year's general election.

Zia, 72, was sentenced on February 8 in connection with the embezzlement of 21 million taka (about USD 250,000) in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust, named after her late husband Ziaur Rahman, a military ruler-turned-politician.

In the same case, her son Tarique Rahman and four others were sentenced to 10 years in jail.

On March 12, the High Court here granted the chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) a four-month interim bail.

However, today a full bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order to stay until May 8 the High Court order which granted bail to Zia in the graft case.

Following today's Supreme Court order, Zia will not be released from jail till May 8, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan was quoted as saying by Daily Star.

The apex court asked the ACC and government to submit concise statements on the appeal in two weeks after receiving the leave granting order, the report said.

Zia has also been asked to submit concise statement on the appeal in two weeks after the ACC and government file their concise statements. A concise statement contains the points on which the lawyer placed arguments on the appeals before the court.

After passing the order, Hossain said all the four judges of the apex court passed the order unanimously after examining the records of the case.

Zia's lawyer said that it is unprecedented that the Supreme Court did not assign any reason for granting leave-to-appeal petition filed by the ACC and government against the High Court order of bail to his client.

Earlier on March 15, the ACC and the state filed two leave-to-appeal petitions before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, challenging the BNP chief's bail.

The ex-premier on November 30, 2014 lost her last ditch effort to evade the graft trial as the Supreme Court turned down her second 'leave to appeal' petition challenging her indictment and asked her to face trial in the lower court



The High Court earlier validated the trial in the lower court which on March 19, 2014 had indicted Zia on two graft charges brought by the ACC.

The ACC alleged that the two charities, the other being the Zia Charitable Trust, existed only on paper and a huge amount of money was misappropriated in the name of the two organisations while Zia was premier during the BNP's 2001-2006 government.

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Bangladesh's Supreme Court today stayed a high court order that granted bail to former prime minister Khaleda Zia in a corruption case, according to a media report.

Zia, 72, was sentenced to five years in jail on February 8 in connection with the embezzlement of 21 million taka (about USD 250,000) in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust, named after her late husband Ziaur Rahman, a military ruler-turned-politician.

On March 12, the High Court here granted the chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) a four-month interim bail.

However, today a full bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order to stay until May 8 the high court order which granted bail to Zia in the graft case.

Following today's Supreme Court order, Zia cannot get released from jail till May 8, Anti-Corruption Commission's lawyer Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan was quoted as saying by the report.

Earlier on March 15, the ACC and the state filed two leave-to-appeal petitions before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, challenging the BNP chief's bail.

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The Bihar legislative assembly was today adjourned till lunch break,within minutes of start of proceedings, as opposition MLAs created ruckus demanding compensation to farmers over maize crop failure and alleged role of two Union ministers hailing from BJP in sparking communal tension.

Proceedings of the House began with the swearing-in of BJP's Rinky Rani Pandey, who recently got elected from Bhabhua assembly seat in the bypoll.

However, as soon as the Question Hour began,opposition members, notably from the RJD and the CPI(ML) were on their feet raising slogans against the Nitish Kumar government over not providing compensation to farmers over failure of maize crops which has caused distress to farmers.

CPI(ML) legislators also waved maize plants in front of the Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary, who requested the MLAs not to enter the well and take their seats.

Sudama Kumar of the ultra-left party alleged that a farmer in Sheohar district of the state had committed suicide a few days ago on account of maize crop failure.

RJD members, led by Bhai Virendra, backed the CPI(ML) over the issue of agrarian distress, and also raised the matter of alleged communal polarization by BJP leaders and Union ministers Giriraj Singh and Ashwini Kumar Choubey.

Singh has been drawing flak over controversial remarks in the wake of the victory of the RJD in Araria Lok Sabha seat bypoll and over linking the killing of the father of a BJP worker in Darbhanga to a dispute over naming of a square after Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Darbhanga police has, however, asserted that the killing was the result of a land dispute, a view echoed by Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi.

Choubeys son Arijit has been named in an FIR lodged at Bhagalpur where a communal clash had erupted on Saturday, leaving three persons including two policemen injured. The ministers son has been booked for taking out a religious procession, with loud music, without prior permission from the district administration.

A group of BJP MLAs also rose from their seats, saying pro-Pakistan chants will not be tolerated a reference to a video that went viral on the social media last week wherein a group of youths were shown raising slogans supporting Pakistan in the vicinity of the house of Sarfaraz Alam, who won the Araria by-poll.

With no signs of a let-up in the din, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.

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The BJP-IPFT government is facing a "huge financial burden" due to the previous dispensation's "failure" in proper planning, Tripura Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Devbarman has said.

Devbarman said that the state government is staring at a fiscal deficit of Rs 11,355.53 crore.

"The economic condition of the state was reviewed in a meeting on March 16 and it was found that there is huge load of financial burden on the new government.

"The new government is facing a fiscal deficit of Rs 11,355.53 crore. It was due to previous government's failure in proper planning," Devbarman told reporters yesterday night.

Devbarman, who is also the state's finance minister, said the total expenditure of Tripura was more than its Budget in the last three financial years, as the previous state government was unable to maintain a balance.

Augmentation of revenue, austerity measures to balance expenditure and a proper financial package from the Central government can help Tripura to tide over the crisis, he said.

"A total of Rs 1,459.51 core per year would be required to implement the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission for the state's employees," Devbarman added.

The BJP-Indigenous People's Front of Tripura combine had recently scripted history by winning the state Assembly polls with two-third majority, ending 25 years of uninterrupted rule of the CPI(M)-led Left Front in the state.

The BJP and IPFT won 43 seats.

The elections in 59 seats in the 60-member Assembly were held on February 18.

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Over 400 schools in England were today targeted with bomb hoax emails that claimed a device would be detonated on the grounds unless online payments were made to an address.

Scotland Yard said the malicious communications were under investigation but ruled out any threat to life.

These are currently being treated as hoaxes. At this stage there is no evidence to suggest that this is terror-related, the Metropolitan Police said.

Schools in London, Manchester, Northumbria and North Yorkshire were among those that received the email, which demanded 5,000 USD and warned against calling the police.

A number of schools were evacuated while the threat level was assessed before resuming normal routine.

"We have spoken to all schools who have contacted us, reassured them that there is no need to evacuate and offered them security advice," said Detective Superintendent Tony Cockerill from Humberside Police, which received reports of 19 schools being targeted by the hoax emails.

Greater Manchester Police's Assistant Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine said: "I want to assure you that we are working closely with all of the schools to ensure the safety of pupils and staff.

"We are carrying out extensive enquiries to understand the full circumstances and although there is not currently believed to be any direct threat, as with any report of this nature, they are all being thoroughly investigated."



Police forces in Cumbria, Cambridgeshire, Humberside, Hertfordshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Avon and Somerset also issued statements saying schools and colleges in their areas had been targeted.

"Our cybercrime unit detectives, supported by local officers, have looked at these incidents and it is not believed there is any genuine threat," North Yorkshire Police said.

The emails are believed to originate from the US, written mostly in English but also including some Arabic sentences.

The UK Home Office and the Department for Education advised any school that receives the email to contact their local police force.

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Britain must prove Russia's involvement in the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal in the UK or apologise, the Kremlin said today.

"Sooner or later these unsubstantiated allegations will have to be answered for: either backed up with the appropriate evidence or apologised for," presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

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A British school teacher has won a USD 1 million-Global Teacher Prize instituted by an Indian-origin entrepreneur's foundation in the UAE to honour an exceptional teacher who has made a significant contribution to the profession.

Andria Zafirakou, 39, who teaches art and textiles in a Brent secondary school, was selected at the Global and Skills Forum, organised by the Varkey Foundation which is run by Kerala-born philanthropist Sunny Varkey, 60.

Zafirakou became the first winner from the UK, beating teachers from more than 170 countries.

The prize was handed over yesterday by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the foundation said in a statement.

Zafirakou has inspired her ethnically diverse students at the Alperton Community School, where 130 languages are spoken, to rapidly progress through sports, music and other activities during their five to seven years at the school, a point recognised by the UK national inspection team, the statement said.

Zafirakou, who is of Greek origin, said: "Whatever is missing from the lives of the school's pupils, or causing them pain, our school is there for them. Our schools must be safe havens".

Zafirakou said art provides "a sanctuary" for her pupils.

She said that students from "stable homes" also chose to come to the school because of its support and guidance for all students.

To dream, aspire, learn and succeed was "a right that nobody can take away from you," she said.

Among those who attended the event were Al Gore, former US vice-president; Nicholas Sarkozy, former president of France; Julia Gillard, former prime minister of Australia and Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra, the report said.

British Prime Minister Theresa May congratulated Zafirakou in a video message.

"Being a great teacher requires resilience, ingenuity, and a generous heart. These are the qualities that you share with your students everyday. So thank you for all you have done and continue to do. I would also like to extend a huge thank you to His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. for his support of the teaching profession and patronage of this prize," May said.

Varkey's GEMS company has more than 250 schools around the world.

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A British woman who had joined a Kurdish militia to fight the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group has been killed in war-torn Syria, according to her father.

Anna Campbell, a 26-year-old plumber from the town of Lewes in East Sussex, died on March 15 in Syria's Afrin city while with the Kurdish Women's Protection Units the YPJ.

Her father, Dirk Campbell, said it is feared she was killed by Turkish airstrikes.

"She wanted to create a better world and she would do everything in her power to do that," he said, describing his daughter as fiercely determined and idealistic.

"I feel I should have done more to persuade her to come back, but she was completely adamant," he added.

Turkey has been fighting Kurdish groups on Syrian territory close to its border since January this year.

Campbell had travelled to Syria from Bristol in May, 2017 to help the Kurds, who were battling ISIS at the time.

The YPJ is an all-female brigade of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which has around 50,000 Kurdish men and women fighting against the terrorist network in northern Syria. The group has been defending the Kurdish-majority city of Afrin from Turkish forces backed by Syrian rebels after they launched an offensive in mid-January.

Turkey considers YPG as a terrorist group, an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has led an insurgency in Turkey for decades.

British police continue to warn against travelling to Syria, and have advised that becoming involved with any armed group could lead to arrest and prosecution.

According to the BBC, Campbell had originally been involved in the fighting with the YPJ in Deir ez-Zor, where ISIS have continued to hold the last of their territory. But in January, Turkish forces began a major offensive against the Kurds along the northern Syrian border.

Many Kurdish fighters left the fight against ISIS to defend Afrin and some British volunteers are known to have joined them. Dirk Campbell said he understands his daughter's Kurdish comrades tried to stop her from heading towards Afrin.

YPJ commander in Syria, Nesrin Abdullah, said Anna Campbell had "insisted" on leaving for Afrin, adding, "Although we tried to keep her far from the frontlines, the attacks from the Turkish state were very heavy."



In a statement, she added, "Campbell's martyrdom is a great loss to us because with her international soul, her revolutionary spirit, which demonstrated the power of women, she expressed her will in all her actions.

"On behalf of the Women's Defence Units of YPJ, we express our deepest condolences to (her) family and we promise to follow the path she took up. We will represent her in the entirety of our struggles," she said.

Campbell is the first British woman to have died in Syria with the YPG or YPJ, but the eighth UK citizen to have been killed while assisting the two groups.

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The Border Security Force has seized Bangladeshi currency from near the Indo-Bangla border in West Bengal's Malda district, a BSF release said today.

BSF troops made the seizure on Sunday when they chased a miscreant near Mohadipur border outpost. The miscreant fled and on searching the area they found a packet containing 10,970,00 Bangladeshi taka, it said.

The seized currency was handed over to the customs department at Mohadipur, the release added.

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Cane arrears had increased to Rs 14,000 crore till January and might touch a record level by the end of this month because of fall in sugar prices and huge unsold inventories, industry body ISMA said today.

To improve liquidity of millers, the government should remove export duty of 20 per cent and allow shipment of 2 million tonnes immediately, it said in a statement.

As per the ISMA data, mills have produced 25.80 million tonnes sugar till March 15 of the 2017-18 marketing year (October-September), as against the target is 29.5 MT.

The top three sugar producing states Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka -- contributed 9.38 MT, 8.43 MT and 3.51 MT.

Sugar output in India, the world's second largest producer after Brazil, stood at 20.3 MT in the 2016-17 marketing year.

Expressing concern over falling prices, Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said sugar mills are incurring losses as prices are ruling below the cost of production of around Rs 3,500-3,600 per quintal.

"They are unable to pay cane price to the farmers on time."



Ex-mill sugar prices have once again started plummeting and are now hovering between Rs 2,900 per quintal in western and southern states and Rs 3,000 per quintal in northern states, it said.

As per the official data, cane price arrears of farmers across the country were about Rs 14,000 crore as on January 31 this year.

The crushing season in full swing in most of the states, ISMA said.

It added: "Considering the trend of cane price paid by the sugar mills in February and March in the last five sugar seasons, and the fact that only 30 per cent of sugar produced in these months gets sold and the rest gets stocked as unsold inventories, it is estimated that cane price arrears at the end of March 2018 may touch record levels and become uncomfortable."



Since sugar production in the current and the next year will be surplus, ISMA said that the government should enable mills to dispose of some of surplus stocks.

"Government needs to remove export duty of 20 per cent on sugar with immediate effect, as also announce two million tonnes of sugar to be exported under minimum indicative export quotas (MIEQ) as was done in 2015-16," it said.

The government should also announce export of 4-5 million tonnes of raw sugar well before the start of next season, so that millers could plan, produce and export raw sugar from the beginning of the next season as it will reduce the burden on sugar mills carrying higher inventories for a longer period, it explained.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China appointed a former missile unit commander as its new defence minister today, whose first guest of honour could be his Indian counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman.

Lieutenant General Wei Fenghe, 63, a close confidant of President Xi Jinping, was the last commander of China's missile unit, the Second Artillery Corps, before it was split into two -- the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force and the Strategic Support Force -- making them a potent force.

He was appointed as the Defence Minister by the rubber-stamp Parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC).

Sitharaman recently announced that she would visit China next month, the first visit by a top Indian official since last year's 73-day long standoff at Dokalam in Sikkim section.

The visit was announced amid diplomatic efforts by both the countries to reset the relations on a positive mode with high-level visits including the expected visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit to be held in June at the Chinese city of Qingdao.

In China, the military functioned under the Central Military Commission (CMC) headed by Xi.

Yesterday, the NPC appointed Xu Qiliang and Zhang Youxia, the two Generals close to Xi, as vice chairmen of the CMC.

Gen Wei had backed Xi's unprecedented overhaul of the country's 2.3-million-strong military which has now been downsized to two million after laying off three lakh troops.

After taking over power in 2013, Xi completely overhauled the command structure of the PLA, the world's largest army.

This year, China has increased its military budget to $175 billion, three times larger than that of India, an increase of 8.1 per cent compared to last year.

Xi also carried out a massive anti-graft campaign in the military in which over 50 top generals and officials besides 3,000 personnel from other ranks reported to have been punished.

"Wei was the first PLA department head to not only promise to support President Xi Jinping's unprecedented military overhaul from the very beginning, but also to proactively meet Xi, who is also the CMC chairman," Hong KonKong-baseduth China Morning Post reported recently.

Wei joined the Second Artillery Corps in 1970 when he was just 16. He was sent to learn rocket engineering at a missile school under the Commission for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence.

He went on to train as a strategic missile commander at the Second Artillery Corps' college in Wuhan in Central China.

Wei was among the first of a number of senior military officers to pledge their loyalty to Xi even before the president announced his ambitious reform programme, an official told the Post.

"Wei actually provided Xi with the plan to reorganise the Second Artillery Corps in an innovative way, even though it wasn't in his personal interests," the official added.
China today appointed a whole new set of top officials, including a defence minister, to head a revamped government, days after President Xi Jinping began his second five-year tenure following the removal of the two-term limit.

The new line-up approved by the rubber stamp parliament, the National People's Congress, includes four Vice Premiers, Han Zheng, Sun Chunlan, Hu Chunhua and Liu He.

Their names were approved by nearly 3,000 deputies of the NPC after they were proposed by Premier Li Keqiang, who himself was re-appointed to the post under the new political setup headed by Xi.

Xi was re-elected last week for a second five-year term, days after the NPC ratified constitutional amendment, removing term limits for President and Vice President. His close confidant and former anti-corruption chief Wang Qishan has been elected as the Vice President.

Vice Premier Liu He is expected to play a bigger role in the management of the Chinese economy, the world's second largest after the US.

While Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has been elevated as the State Councillor which makes him a top diplomat holding dual posts, another key appointment from India's point of view was that of the appointment of Lt Gen Wei Fenghe as the new Defence Minister.

Wei is widely regarded as the man behind the international face of China's rapid military modernisation and its reorganisation.

He played a key role in splitting the strategic missile force into two parts of Rocket Force and the Strategic Support Force.

Chen Wenqing remains the security czar overseeing the internal security, including espionage and counterintelligence as well as counter terrorism specially in the volatile Xinjiang province.

Also, the Yi Gang, a reformist has been appointed as the new governor of its central bank, the People's Bank of China, marking the first change at its helm in 15 years.

He will replace Zhou Xiaochuan who has headed the central bank for more than 15 years during which China has transitioned to become world's second largest economy replacing Japan.

Yi was deputy to Zhou and was largely regarded as a reformist and head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange which oversees the country's over USD 3 trillion forex reserves, the highest in the world.

The new appointments came as China unveiled a massive reshuffle plan of various ministries to make the government better-structured, more efficient and service-oriented, affecting more than two dozen ministries and organisations.

The new revamped administration will have 26 ministries and commissions of the State Council which is the central Cabinet. The new entities included ministry of natural resources, veterans' affairs and emergency management.

The plan includes merger of the Ministry of Culture and National Tourism Administration into one.

The sweeping changes include the merger of China's banking and insurance regulators and the setting up of a special bureau to oversee immigration issues.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang today unveiled his new Cabinet as part of the government's efforts to stabilise the world's second largest economy and appointed a missile expert as the defence minister amidst regional tensions with its neighbours over territorial disputes.

The new line-up approved by the rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress, includes four Vice Premiers, Han Zheng, Sun Chunlan, Hu Chunhua and Liu He.

Their names were approved by nearly 3,000 deputies of the NPC after they were proposed by Premier Li Keqiang, who himself was re-appointed to the post under the new political setup headed by President Xi Jinping.

Xi was re-elected last week for a second five-year term, days after the NPC ratified constitutional amendment, removing term limits for President and Vice President. His close confidant and former anti-corruption chief Wang Qishan has been elected as the Vice President.

Vice Premier Liu He is expected to play a bigger role in the management of the Chinese economy, the world's second largest after the US.

China which was witnessing nearly three decades of double-digit growth slowed down in 2016 with a slight improvement last year. Debt-fuelled investment in infrastructure and real estate has underpinned China's growth for years.

While Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has been elevated as the State Councillor which makes him a top diplomat holding dual posts, another key appointment from India's point of view was that of the appointment of Lt Gen Wei Fenghe as the new Defence Minister.

Wei is widely regarded as the man behind the international face of China's rapid military modernisation and its reorganisation.

He played a key role in splitting the strategic missile force into two parts of Rocket Force and the Strategic Support Force.

Chen Wenqing remains the security czar overseeing the internal security, including espionage and counterintelligence as well as counter terrorism specially in the volatile Xinjiang province.

Also, the Yi Gang, a reformist has been appointed as the new governor of its central bank, the People's Bank of China, marking the first change at its helm in 15 years.

He will replace Zhou Xiaochuan who has headed the central bank for more than 15 years during which China has transitioned to become world's second largest economy replacing Japan.

Yi was deputy to Zhou and was largely regarded as a reformist and head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange which oversees the country's over USD 3 trillion forex reserves, the highest in the world.

The new appointments came as China unveiled a massive reshuffle plan of various ministries to make the government better-structured, more efficient and service-oriented, affecting more than two dozen ministries and organisations.

The new revamped administration will have 26 ministries and commissions of the State Council which is the central Cabinet. The new entities included ministry of natural resources, veterans' affairs and emergency management.

The plan includes merger of the Ministry of Culture and National Tourism Administration into one.

The sweeping changes include the merger of China's banking and insurance regulators and the setting up of a special bureau to oversee immigration issues.

China has been involved in territorial disputes with some of its neighbours, including India.

China claims almost all of the strategic South China Sea and also laid claims on the Senkaku islands under the control of Japan in East China Sea and resorted to aggressive patrols in the last two years.

China also claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of South Tibet. The India-China border dispute covered 3,488 km along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Another territorial dispute China had with India was on Dokalam. The Dokalam standoff began on June 16 after the People's Liberation Army's troops began building a road in an area claimed by Bhutan.

The standoff ended on August 28 following mutual agreement under which China stopped the road building and India withdrew its troops.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress today demanded a time-bound probe into the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) paper leak scam and the sacking of Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh, under whose ministry the SSC functions.

Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala accused the BJP of spreading the 'Vyapam virus' across the country even as he dubbed the SSC as 'Students Suffer Corruption'.

He alleged that paper leaks, bogus candidates, massive cheating and deliberate collusion had marred the future of youths who applied to the SSC.

"The future of India's youth gets jeopardised. Need of the hour is a thorough and independent probe in the entire SSC scam. No probe is possible until Minister of State, DOPT Jitendra Singh and SSC Chairman Ashim Khurana are sacked," Surjewala told reporters.

Questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence on the issue, he asked, "Will Modiji show the courage of conviction to secure the future of India's youth or will he remain on a perpetual 'maun vrat (vow of silence)'."



The Congress leader claimed that after the infamous 'Vyapam scam', the 'SSC scam' had marred the future of India's youth.

"Instead of giving two crore jobs per year, the career of two crore youths, who apply every year to SSC for around 50,000 vacancies, has been jeopardised.

"Typical of the government to brush every such issue under the carpet. Students demanding justice are hounded, beaten up and evacuated, with an arrogant government refusing to order a thorough probe," he alleged.

Surjewala alleged that there have been eight paper leaks in the SSC under the present government which forced cancellation of examination.

He also alleged that there was an "unprecedented compromise of secrecy and safety of examinations by the SSC and it failed to conduct a security audit of the software".

He claimed that the parliamentary panel had passed strictures against the government and the SSC for not maintaining the "sanctity of exam process, lack of trust of public in general and examinees in particular, malpractices and technical glitches, supervision on private entities involved in examination process and audit of hardware and software".

"Irregularities, malfeasance, paper leaks, proxy candidates, fake centres, lack of audit and supervision, questionable software and deliberate collusion have put a question mark on the future of India's youth," Surjewala alleged.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today assailed SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal for his call to gherao the assembly on the first day of the budget session tomorrow over farm debt-waiver issue, and challenged him to protest outside Parliament.

SAD president Sukhbir has planned to protest outside the state assembly tomorrow to pressure the government to bring in a complete loan-waiver scheme for farmers, farm labourers and the Dalits. Today he reviewed the arrangements for the party's protests.

Chief Minister Singh lambasted Sukhbir for "eroding the sanctity of the democratic institution of the Vidhan Sabha" with his gherao call.

"If he really has a strong case against the Congress government," Singh said, "he should place it on record inside the House rather than resorting to such shameless tactics that can only lead to hassles for the citizens and a waste of their money."



He alleged Sukhbir failed to do anything for farmers during 10 years of SAD-BJP rule in the state and that the opposition leader was now "shedding crocodile tears".

"Sukhbir's stand on the issue is preposterous," he said, "given that his wife Harsimrat Kaur is a member of the Union Cabinet (Minister of Food Processing). Also the BJP and the SAD are allies."



"If Sukhbir were really concerned about farmers' plight, he would have taken up the issue with the Centre and managed to secure some relief for the community in the past four years instead of engaging in chest-beating antics after the Congress came to power in Punjab."Sukhbir, meanwhile, said his party workers were determined to reach the Vidhan Sabha to make the Congress government hear the voices of the farmers, who were in a "state of despair and frustration" at the government's "turnaround" on the loan-waiver promise.

He said the state government has "denied the farmers the promised complete loan-waiver".

Sukhbir said the SAD has taken a resolve to take the agitation to its logical conclusion and force the government to implement a complete loan-waiver scheme for farmers, farm labourers and dalits.

The chief minister, however, said his government's commitment on the issue was sacrosanct and promised adequate provision for farm loan-waiver in the 2018-19 budget, to be unveiled on March 24.

He pointed out that around 82,000 farmers had already been issued debt-waiver certificates by his government, with a clear roadmap for settling the loans of all the 10.25 lakh small and marginal farmers by November this year.

Despite severe financial constraints which was also a legacy inherited from the SAD-BJP, Amarinder said, the debt-waiver scheme announced by his government was being implemented.

He alleged the Akalis were simply indulging in rhetoric on the issue.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was today acquitted in two separate defamation cases lodged against him by union minister Nitin Gadkari and advocate Amit Sibal after he tendered apology to both of them.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal also acquitted Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, a co-accused with Kejriwal in the defamation case lodged by Sibal, after he too tendered an apology to the lawyer through a letter.

The relief came from the court after the apologies were accepted by the complainants in both the cases.

The proceedings against lawyer Prashant Bhushan and BJP leader Shazia Ilmi will, however, continue in the defamation case lodged by Amit Sibal.

Kejriwal, in his two separate apology letters, said he regretted making the remarks without any verification and accepted that they were based on "unfounded allegations".

In the 2013 case lodged by Amit Sibal it was alleged that Kejriwal, Sisodia, Bhushan and Ilmi, who was then an AAP member, had targeted him and his father Kapil Sibal over the Vodafone tax revision case.

In the defamation case filed by Gadkari, it was alleged that Kejriwal had called him "India's most corrupt".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad was today convicted by a special CBI court in the fourth case of multi-crore fodder scam related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore from Dumka treasury in 1990s.

Judge Shiv Pal Singh acquitted former chief minister Jagannath Mishra in the same case.

The case RC 38A/96 pertains to illegal withdrawal of money from Dumka treasury.

The quantum of punishment in the case would be pronounced later.

The RJD chief has been convicted in four cases of fodder scam so far.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
AAP MLA Ram Chander today alleged that a cremation ground was sealed by authorities in his Bawana constituency.

Raising the issue in the Delhi Assembly, Chander said dead bodies were kept lying outside the cremation ground and sought the intervention of the House seeking a direction to authorities to de-seal it.

"The authorities today sealed the cremation ground in my area due to which the people faced a lot of difficulties," he told the House.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Telecom department has ordered that bank guarantees from Axis Bank should not be taken as the country's third-largest private sector lender had failed to honour a guarantee issued previously.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in a March 16 office memorandum titled 'non-adherence to contractual obligation of bank guarantees by Axis Bank' said no new bank guarantee from the lender should be accepted.

"Axis Bank has failed to invoke a Bank Guarantee issued by them on behalf of Aircel Group of Companies," DoT said. "This action by Axis Bank is a serious breach of trust and contract with Government of India."



Telecom have to routinely furnish bank guarantees to meet their contractual commitments. A failure may result in the government encashing the bank guarantee as a tool to punish the defaulter.

Typically, a bank guarantee is issued by a bank or any other lending institution promising to make up for a pre-stated sum of money in case of default by the entity on whose behalf it is issued.

When contacted, an Axis Bank official spokesperson, said: The bank guarantees have been issued by us on behalf of Bharti Airtel."



Listing the reason for not honouring encashment of the bank guarantee, he said, "Payment of the said guarantees, at present, will be in violation of the orders of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT)".

Without giving details of the injunction passed or the matter before TDSAT, the spokesperson said: "Once the order is vacated, the bank will be pleased to honour the said guarantees, as per the underlying terms. This matter has been communicated to the Dept. of Telecom (DoT)."



A source who did not wish to be named explained that said bank guarantee was not issued for Aircel but rather Bharti Airtel, in a matter involving the use of Aircel's spectrum by Bharti Airtel.

The source said a TDSAT order on a dispute involving Aircel and Telecom Department prevented Axis Bank from making payments on the invoked bank guarantee.

The order has to be vacated before Axis Bank can make the payment, the source pointed out.

Meanwhile, the directive of DoT states that the action (failure by Axis Bank to invoke the said bank guarantee issued by them) is "a serious breach of trust and contract with Government of India."



"In view of this, you are hereby directed not to accept any new bank guarantee from Axis Bank, including renewals," DoT added.

The specific instructions by Department of Telecom (DoT) have gone out to all operators including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India, Idea Cellular, Reliance Jio Infocomm, Reliance Communications and Aircel amongst others. Multiple people confirmed receiving the said 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.)
Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel today directed Revenue Secretary Manisha Saxena to be present during the House proceedings tomorrow as Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia would give his reply to a question on a mob allegedly assaulting the principal and teachers of a government school for scolding a student.

The second day of the Budget Session saw Goel, Sisodia and the ruling AAP MLAs targeting the bureaucrats in the House.

The speaker's directions came after AAP MLA Gulab Singh, in a written question, sought to know whether it was a fact that a mob of around 50 people forcibly entered a government school and allegedly assaulted the principal and teachers for scolding a student.

Replying to the question, Sisodia said he was not aware of any such incident, adding that he would inform the House about it tomorrow, after discussing the matter with the officers.

In his question, Singh had said a senior IAS officer, Manisha Saxena, had mentioned a similar incident in an interview to a Hindi daily.

The AAP legislators objected to the officer's interview on the matter and sought Saxena's response. Goel then directed her to be present in the House tomorrow during the deputy chief minister's reply on the issue.

Earlier in the day, Goel ordered the Privilege Committee of the House to probe a matter, in which the officers of the vigilance department had allegedly refused to reply to a question.

The speaker directed Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash to provide the answer to the question asked by AAP MLA Pankaj Pushkar and warned the officers that they should not force him to the extent that he would not sign the Delhi Budget 2018-19, to be tabled in the House on March 22.

The AAP dispensation and the bureaucrats have been at loggerheads over a range of issues.

Since an alleged attack on Prakash by some AAP MLAs at the CM's residence last month, the officers have been boycotting the meetings with the ministers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP MLA Om Prakash Sharma was today suspended for the remaining Budget Session of the Delhi Assembly for allegedly using derogatory language in the House while objecting to the presence of Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot in it.

AAP legislators accused Sharma of using "unparliamentary and undignified" language in the House.

"I suspend O P Sharma for the remaining days of the session," Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel said after a motion, moved by AAP MLA Somnath Bharti, was passed by a voice vote.

This is the second time Sharma has been suspended from the House. Earlier, he was suspended for two sessions for allegedly using derogatory language against AAP MLA Alka Lamba in November 2015.

Bharti said the language used by Sharma was "unparliamentary and undignified", and moved the motion.

The AAP MLAs alleged that Sharma threatened police action against them.

Sharma allegedly said to the AAP MLAs: "You will have to go to jail if you make a fake (EVM) machine", while referring to a live demonstration of a dummy EVM machine in the House last year.

Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta argued with the Speaker over Sharma's suspension and sought to know under which rule of the House he was punished.

Sharma termed his suspension "muzzling" of the opposition's voice by the ruling AAP.

"It is an unconstitutional step aimed at muzzling the voice of the opposition. When we oppose the presence of Gahlot, who has been disqualified by the President, in the House, we are ousted," Sharma told reporters.

Gupta said he would appeal to the Speaker to reconsider his decision.

On March 16, the first day of the Budget Session, all four BJP MLAs were marshalled out of the assembly when they objected to the presence of Gahlot in the House.

According to the opposition, Gahlot has no right to attend the proceedings of the House as he is among the 20 AAP MLAs who have been disqualified by President Ram Nath Kovind in the office-of-profit case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The officers of the vigilance department are likely to face privilege proceedings, with Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel today ordering an Assembly panel to probe the matter pertaining to their refusal to answer a question asked by an MLA.

The speaker directed Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash to provide the answer of the question asked by AAP MLA Pankaj Pushkar and warned the officers that they should not force him to the extent that he does not to sign the Delhi Budget 2018-19 to be tabled in the House on March 22.

Goel also forwarded the matter to the privilege committee of the House for further action.

The second day of the budget session saw Goel, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and the ruling AAP MLAs targeting bureaucrats in the House.

Expressing displeasure over the officers, who have been at loggerheads with the AAP dispensation since the alleged attack on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash, Sisodia said that it is "disrespect of the Legislative Assembly and Parliament".

The matter got heated up when Sisodia told the House that officers of the vigilance department refused to reply to a question.

"Vigilance department officers came to me with the files two days ago. They showed me the note of the LG, saying the information about vigilance cases can't be shared with elected government," Sisodia said



The deputy chief minister added that he insisted on the information and asked the department to supply it, but it did not reply.

"This is disrespect of all assemblies and the Parliament. They are trying to protect officers who have corruption cases," he said.

After Sisodia, Speaker Ram Niwas Goel also expressed displeasure over the attitude of the officers and asked them not to challenge the authority of the speaker and the Assembly.

"It has perhaps happened in the history of democracy of the country. It appears that there is British Rule in country and no democracy here.

"I want to warn officers not to challenge the authority of the speaker and Assembly," Goel said.

AAP MLA Sourabh Bharadwaj said that salary of the officers should be stopped as they are refusing the answers of MLAs questions following the LG's directions.

Accusing the LG of protecting the officers, Bharadwaj alleged that Lt Governor Anil Baijal encourages bureaucrats to move court whenever committees of the House initiate proceedings against them for not following the order of the Assembly panel.

He alleged that the LG is defining the role of the Assembly Committees.

The AAP dispensation and bureaucrats have been at loggerheads over a range of issues in the past



Since the alleged attack on Prakash by some AAP MLAs at the CM's residence last month, officers have been boycotting meetings with ministers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Differences seem to have surfaced in the state unit of BJP over the party's moves to seek the support of Kerala Congress (M) leader K M Mani in coming Chengannur assembly byelection, which is witnessing a stiff triangualar contest.

A day after BJP state president Kummanam Rajashekaran extended an invitation to Mani to join the NDA fold,senior party leader V Muraleedharan, recently elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Maharshtra, today said the KC(M) chief "has to change his stand to become an NDA partner."



The bye-election, necessitated by the demise of sitting CPI(M) MLA K K Ramachandran Nair, is crucial for BJP, which had finished a close third in the segment in the 2016 assembly polls with the support of the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS).

In their bid to ensure KC(M)'s support to Pillai in the bypoll, a group of BJP leaders, led by national executive member P K Krishnadas, visited Manis hometown Pala and held a meeting with him on Saturday.

Talking to reporters in Kochi, Muraleedharan, a former state BJP president, said everything was clear in Rajasekharans statement.

"What he said was very clear. He said those who accept the ideas and vision of NDA could be a part of the front... which means Mani has to change his stand. He has not changed his stand so far. No corrupt persons would bemade part of NDA, he said without elaborating further.

Though the date for the bypoll was yet to be announced, the ruling LDF has announced Saji Cherian as its candidate and the UDF and BJP have named D Viyajkumar and P S Sreedharan Pillai as their nominees.

Pillai, also a former state party president, today said there was nothing wrong in accepting votes of anybody in Chengannur.

"We do not consider anyone untouchable," he told PTI in Thiruvananthapuram.

Pillai, who contested unsuccessfully from Chengannur in the 2016 elections, said he had garnered 43,000 votes then and he can win now if he was able to add another 5,000 votes to his kitty.

Meanwhile, Mani kept his plans close to his chest and has not yet revealed which front the party would support in the bypoll.

BJP sources said there were two opinions in the party over the stand to be taken on inducting Mani, who faced corruption charges over bar bribery scam during his tenure as Finance Minister in the previous Congress-led UDF.

A section supporting Muraleedharan is of the view that there was no point in welcoming Mani since he or his party had not shown any interest in joining the NDA fold.

The KC(M) has adopted an equi-distance stand from all fronts in Kerala after it severed its three decades old tie up with the Congress-led UDF in 2016.

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The forest fire that has claimed 17 lives so far found its echo in the Assembly today, with DMK saying swift action after a Forest Survey of India alert could have averted it and the Chief Minister saying government had not received it.

Leader of the Opposition in the assembly, M K Stalin, who moved a special call attention motion on the issue, said FSI had given warning about the Kurangani forest fire through SMS and e-mail.

"According to the FSI, if the Forest Department had acted swiftly, the loss of lives could have been averted," he said.

The DMK leader also demanded appointment of more forest field personnel as part of measures to prevent such mishaps.

He also urged the government to bring in norms, requiring trekking clubs to register themselves with FSI for forest fire alerts and added that such norms should be part of "licence conditions."



Chief Minister K Palaniswami however denied receiving any warning from the FSI and said that the trekkers were caught in the fire when they took an unauthorised trekking route and the blaze spread rapidly due to abundant lemon grass.

He said that according to the FSI report and "field features," the last time a forest fire was reported in the Kottakkudi Reserve Forest (under which the Kurangani hills ranges falls) was on February 15, 2018.

"This fire was doused by the Forest department. If this fire had not been doused, continuous alerts would have been received from FSI. In the past many days, no warning was received from that body on fire incidents in these areas," he said.

The two groups, totally comprising 36 trekkers, did not obtain any permission from authorities to trek to the Kurangani hills from Kozhukkumalai on March 11, he said.

"While trekking, unexpectedly they were caught in the forest fire," he said.

Though 12 persons from Erode and Tirupur had bought 12 entry tickets to go to 'Top Station' from Kurangani on March 10, they instead went to Kozhukkumalai tea estate and the validity of their tickets expired the same day, he said.

The group went there through the Kottukkadu Reserve Forest, which was not an authorised route, he said and added that the group stayed at the estate overnight.

Similarly, another group of 27 trekkers from Chennai reached Kurangani on March 10 and they too went to the Estate premises at Kozhukkumalai unauthorisedly travelling through the reserve forest area.

Of the 27 persons, three went to Kerala and the rest went for trekking, he said.

"The Theni District Collector has informed that the private Kozhukkumalai tea estate does not have permission to function as a rest house," he said.

Only the employees of the tea estate and local villagers are authorised to use the 7.1 kilometre tract through the Kottakkudi reserve forest area between Kurangani and Kozhukkumalai, the Chief Minister said.

There was no forest fire when both the groups reached Kozhukkumalai on March 10, he said.

Palaniswami also gave a detailed account of the action taken by the government to douse the fire and the operations to rescue the trekkers.

A forester was suspended and a case registered against a local man, G Ranjithkumar, for leading the trekkers through the reserve forest, the Chief Minister said.

For violations, police are taking action against Chennai Trekking Club and Erode based Tour de India. A top official, Atulya Misra, had been named as Inquiry Officer to submit a report on the incident within two months, Palaniswami said.

The toll in the forest fire has risen to 17 with an injured man succumbing at a hospital in Madurai yesterday.

Of the 36 persons caught in the forest fire, 17 died, 10 were rescued without any injuries and the rest are receiving medical treatment in hospitals.

Earlier, the assembly condoled the death of the fire mishap victims and made an obituary reference to five former MLAs, who passed away recently.

The members observed silence for a few moments.

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The top US military officer visited Afghanistan today to evaluate the military campaign and ensure new American advisory teams and an upgraded Afghan Air Force are on target as the next fighting season with the Taliban looms.

Gen Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he wants to understand the goals for the coming months so the US-led coalition can develop ways to measure progress in the fight.

Dunford told reporters traveling with him that he seeks "a discussion about measures of effectiveness." A key question, Dunford said, is how the US will know that it's where it needs to be in implementing what is, in actuality, the Afghans' plan.

The idea of benchmarks for progress in the Afghan war has been simmering for several months as the Pentagon looks to end America's longest war.

Measuring success will be a key part of White House discussions this summer when President Donald Trump looks for a one-year assessment of his new regional strategy. Last August, a reluctant Trump had to be persuaded to inject new U.S. troops to the conflict, which is now in its 17th year.

"The intent really is to get my own assessment of what we can expect over the next couple months," said Dunford, who commanded U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan from February 2013 to August 2014. He said a major focus will be ensuring Gen. John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, has the resources he needs.

Dunford's visit comes on the heels of a two-day stop in Afghanistan last week by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis amid talk of a renewed push to get Taliban fighters to the peace table with the Afghan government.

The increased US military campaign is seen as part of that effort. It includes hundreds of additional Army trainers and advisers who will work with Afghan troops closer to the fight, with the goal of turning the corner on what has been a stubborn stalemate with the Taliban and other insurgent groups. About five weeks ago, the Army's new training brigade deployed to Afghanistan with about 1,000 soldiers.

It included close to 600 trainers and advisers and hundreds of security forces and other support personnel. The so-called Security Force Assistance Brigade is part of the broad new strategy that has pushed the Afghan conflict back to the top of the Pentagon's warfighting priority list.

In addition to troops, the U.S. has also sent more intelligence and surveillance aircraft, A-10 attack planes, and combat search and rescue aircraft to the fight. Many of those resources have been shifted from Iraq and Syria, where the battle against Islamic State group militants is waning.

The US also is providing more fighter aircraft and other support to the Afghan Air Force while increasing the number of American forces on the ground to more than 14,000.

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China's tough-talking Foreign Minister Wang Yi was elevated today to the top diplomatic post of State Councillor, a move which could make him the new Special Representative to handle the vexed boundary negotiations with India, according to officials.

Wang, 65, would also continue to head the Foreign Ministry, becoming the first Chinese official to hold the dual post in recent years.

Wang's name for the post of State Councillor and Foreign was endorsed by the parliament - the National People's Congress (NPC), state-run Xinhua agency reported.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang proposed Wang's name as part of a new set of officials to head various positions for the next five years in the government headed by President Xi Jinping.

In Chinese power hierarchy, State Councillor is ranked higher than Foreign Minister and considered as the top diplomat of the country. The State Councillor is responsible for ensuring the implementation of the policies of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC).

Wang succeeds Yang Jiechi, 67, who last year has been elevated to become member of the CPC's Politburo, a high ranking body of the CPC headed by Xi.

By virtue of being the State Councillor, Wang is also expected to succeed Yang as China's Special Representative for India-China boundary talks, though officials say the Chinese government's position will become clear only after an official notification.

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval is India's Special Representative.

Under this mechanism, the two countries have so far held 20 rounds of talks with limited success.

The Special Representatives mechanism is widely regarded a key post as its plays a major role in providing a broader policy framework for the course of the India-China relations because the two officials have the political mandate to discuss the whole gamut of the relations during their annual meetings.

The IndiaChina border dispute covers the 3,488 km long Line of Actual Control (LAC). While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet, India asserts that the dispute covered Aksai Chin area which was occupied by China during the 1962 war.

The tough-talking, suave and articulate career diplomat, Wang served as China's Vice Foreign Minister, China's Ambassador to Japan and Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office.

A fluent speaker of English and Japanese, he took over as Foreign Minister from Yang in 2013.

Chinese Foreign Ministry officials say under his stewardship, the Foreign Ministry has acquired higher profile unlike in the past when it worked under the shadows of the CPC and the military.

He along with Yang were expected to play a bigger role in strengthening China's influence in the neighbourhood and beyond under the leadership of Xi who is now set for a longer tenure, perhaps for life as China's leader heading the CPC, the military and the presidency following the removal of the two-term limit for the president.

On March 11, the NPC, regarded as the rubber-stamp parliament of China had ratified the constitutional proposal to remove the two-term limit followed by Xi's predecessors.

While outlining Beijing's foreign policy perspectives earlier this month, Wang had called on both India and China to shed "confrontationist stance" on issues of differences.

"The Chinese dragon and Indian elephant must not fight each other but dance with each other," he had said, adding "if China and India are united, one plus one is not equal to two but eleven".

During the Dokalam stand-off, Wang had claimed that India "admitted" to entering Chinese territory and said the solution to the standoff was for its troops to "conscientiously withdraw" from the Doklam area in the Sikkim sector.

"The rights and wrongs are very clear and even senior Indian officials have openly stated that Chinese troops did not enter into the Indian territory," Wang had claimed.

"In other words, the Indian side admitted to entering the Chinese territory. The solution to this problem is very simple: conscientiously withdraw," he had said, indicating the tough stance of Beijing during the 73-day stand-off.

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EU foreign ministers today strongly condemned the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Britain and said they took "extremely seriously" London's assessment that Moscow is to blame for the attack.

"The European Union takes extremely seriously the UK government's assessment that it is highly likely that the Russian Federation is responsible," the 28 ministers said in a statement from a meeting in Brussels.

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The Punjab and Haryana High Court today granted bail to former Akali Dal minister Sucha Singh Langah in a rape case, days after the complainant turned hostile.

The bail was granted to Langah by the court of Justice Lisa Gill.

"Langah has been granted bail by the HC as the alleged victim turned hostile last month," the former minister's counsel J S Bedi said.

He said Langah was granted bail with a condition that he will not travel abroad without the permission of the court.

On February 28, the woman, who had accused the former Akali minister of raping her, retracted her statement in a Gurdaspur court.

In the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Prem Kumar at Gurdaspur, the complainant also denied being in a purported video clip that went viral on social media allegedly showing Langah in compromising position.

Langah was booked by the police on September 28 last year after a woman gave a complaint to the police alleging the Akali leader allegedly raped her on multiple occasions from 2009.

Police booked Langah under Sections 376 (rape), 384 (extortion), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC. He was expelled from the Akali Dal after the purported video emerged.

The complainant had also given to the police a pen drive containing the purported video to support her accusations.

Langah, 61, a former MLA from the Dera Baba Nanak segment in the Gurdaspur district, was booked on September 29 last year, 11 days ahead of the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypoll.

The FIR said the complainant accused Langah of raping her repeatedly since 2009 using his influence as a top leader of the SAD.

She had submitted a CD with a 20-minute video purportedly showing Langah establishing physical relations with her. She had also accused Langah of selling her properties using his political influence.

Langah surrendered at the Gurdaspur court on October 4, and charges were framed on February 14.

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BJP MP Varun Gandhi today suggested an "external body" to decide the salary and allowances of MPs which, he claimed, were raised 400 times in the last six years, and questioned whether "we really earned this massive increment".

He said the authority to determine one's own salary was not in line with the morals of democracy.

Speaking at an interactive programme titled "Ideas for a new India" with students of the Navrachna University here, he said the rise in emoluments of MPs was happening despite the number of days when Parliament ran going down.

"The MPs' salaries were increased four times in six years, but Parliament runs only for 50 days a year compared to 130 days during 1952-72. Have we really earned this massive increment," the MP from Uttar Pradesh's Sultanpur said.

He said he had written a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan suggesting her to start a "movement" asking "rich lawmakers" to forego their salaries for the remainder of their term.

"There are 180 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 75 MPs in the Rajya Sabha who have shown their income as Rs 25 crore and above. If they forego their salaries, it will help the exchequer save several hundred crore rupees," he said.

Gandhi said growing inequality was detrimental to society and public representatives should be seen as more "responsive" to the socio-economic realities of the country.

He said the United Kingdom, where salaries of lawmakers saw a rise of 13 per cent in the same period, had an external body called the "Review Body on Senior Salaries" to advise the government on emoluments and pensions of lawmakers.

Supporting people's right to recall elected representatives, Gandhi said he had proposed an amendment to the Representation of People Act to fix parameters under which such a right could be exercised.

He said these parameters would have to be fixed after a proper public discourse.

The BJP MP said that reservation for women in Parliament must be encouraged to promote the entry of ordinary women like teachers, advocates and doctors. He said such reservation, however, should not be extended to the wives, daughters and relatives of politicians.

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F-16 jets give India a unique opportunity to be at the centre of the world's largest fighter aircraft ecosystem and it is the only programme with proven performance to meet its operational needs and 'Make in India' priorities, according to an American defence company.

As India continues to shop around to add new fighter jets into



its air force, Lockheed, which is the world's largest defence company which has offered to relocate its entire production line to India has said that it intends to create far more an F-16 "assembly line" in India.

"We plan to introduce two new words into the lexicon of international fighter aircraft manufacturing: "India" and "exclusive." F-16 production in India will be exclusivesomething that has never before been presented by any other fighter aircraft manufacturer, past or present," Vivek Lall, vice president, Strategy and Business Development, Lockheed Martin told PTI in an interview.

"The F-16 gives Indian industry a unique opportunity to be at the centre of the world's largest fighter aircraft ecosystem," Lall said.

"The F-16 provides unprecedented manufacturing, sustainment, upgrade and export opportunities to Indian industry well into the future. Only Lockheed Martin and its Indian partners can deliver the capabilities and industrial benefits to truly propel India's military and defense industrial base into the future, Lall said.

He has played a key role in some of the big ticket American military sales to India, including the General Atomics-built Guardian Predator Drones announced by the US last year. Known as a renowned global aerospace leader, Lall recently joined Lockheed after spending a few years in General Atomics.

"The F-16 is the only aircraft programme in this competition with the proven performance and industrial scale to meet India's operational needs and Make in India priorities," he said, claiming that that no competing aircraft comes close to matching the F-16's operational effectiveness and industrial success.

"The success of the F-163,000 F-16s flying today with 25 leading air forcesis a testament to the cost-effective, combat-proven capabilities the F-16 delivers. That combination of cost and capabilities is why F-16 production opportunities today total more than 400 aircraft, including India," he said.

Lockheed is offering F-16 Block 70, which is the most advanced version of the aircraft.

"The F-16 continues to aerodynamically outperform its competitors and advanced technologies are continually integrated into the F-16. Block 70 mission systems are completely new and leverage technologies from the F-35," Lall said.

The F-16 remains the backbone of the US Air Force, the world's most capable air force, he said.

Structural and avionic upgrades to the US F-16 fleet will extend service life to 2045, while the F-16 becomes even more capable as technology enhancements from the F-22 and F-35 are continuously integrated across all three platforms, he added.

Responding to a question, Lall said the offer from Lockheed is cost advantage for India.

The single-engine F-16 has a 30-40 per cent lower operation and maintenance cost per flying hour than twin-engine aircraft in its class, according to figures published by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, he said.

"Whether you're talking about battlefields or budgets, the F-16 is the clear choice for India," he said.

Lall, however, refused to reply questions on F-35.

"Any discussions regarding potential new F-35 customers begin at the government-to-government level. It is not our place to speak on behalf of the US government or the government of India," he said.

Notably the US Pacific Command Commander Admiral Harry Harris during his two recent Congressional testimonies have supported selling F-35 to India.

"At the moment, India is considering a number of US systems for purchase, all of which USPACOM fully supports: the F-16 for India's large single-engine, multi-role fighter acquisition programme, Harris told the Congressional committees last week.

He also said the purchase includes, F/A-18E for India's multi-engine, carrier-based fighter purchase; a reorder of 12-15 P-8Is; a potential purchase of SeaGuardian UAS; MH-60R multi-role sea-based helicopter; and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

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The plan to set up a F-16 jet production unit in India will be an "exclusive" proposition that will help the country in achieving its operational needs as well as the 'Make in India' initiative, according to American aerospace and defence major Lockheed Martin.

As India continues to shop around to add new fighter jets into its air force, Lockheed Martin has offered to relocate its entire production line to India.

The company said it intends to create far more than an "assembly line" in India.

"We plan to introduce two new words into the lexicon of international fighter aircraft manufacturing: 'India' and 'exclusive'. F-16 production in India will be exclusive something that has never before been presented by any other fighter aircraft manufacturer, past or present," Vivek Lall, vice president, Strategy and Business Development, Lockheed Martin told PTI in an interview.

"The F-16 gives the Indian industry a unique opportunity to be at the centre of the world's largest fighter aircraft ecosystem," said Lall, who played a key role in some of the big ticket American military sales to India, including the General Atomics-built Guardian Predator Drones announced by the US last year.

Responding to a question, Lall claimed the offer from Lockheed is cost advantageous for India.

"The F-16 is the only aircraft programme in this competition with the proven performance and industrial scale to meet India's operational needs and Make in India priorities," he said, claiming that that no competing aircraft comes close to matching the F-16's operational effectiveness and industrial success.

The F-16 remains the backbone of the US Air Force, the world's most capable air force, he said.

Structural and avionic upgrades to the US F-16 fleet will extend service life to 2045, while the F-16 becomes even more capable as technology enhancements from the F-22 and F-35 are continuously integrated across all three platforms, he added.

Lall, however, refused to reply to questions on F-35.

"Any discussions regarding potential new F-35 customers begin at the government-to-government level. It is not our place to speak on behalf of the US government or the government of India," he said.

Notably, US Pacific Command Commander Admiral Harry Harris during his two recent Congressional testimonies have supported selling F-35 fighter jets to India.

"At the moment, India is considering a number of US systems for purchase, all of which USPACOM fully supports: the F-16 for India's large single-engine, multi-role fighter acquisition programme," Harris told the Congressional committees last week.
As the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government completed one year in office, a farmers' body today accused the ruling dispensation of failing to fulfil the promises made to farmers during the state assembly elections last year.

"The BJP government has failed to provide relief to the farming community in the state. The farmers who grow wheat, paddy, potato and sugarcane are facing many problems," Rashtriya Kisan Manch chief Shekhar Dixit said in a statement here.

"The Yogi Adityanath government had announced a crop loan redemption scheme for farmers. But, the reality is that a number of farmers in the state got only a minuscule amount under this step," he said.

UP BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla, however, trashed the claims.

"These are baseless allegations levelled against the UP government. In fact, the work done by the Yogi Adityanath's government in one year exceeds the work done for the farmers by the previous governments," he said.

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A former ferry captain who helped evacuate hundreds of people from Manhattan after the Sept. 11 terror attacks has died.

Thomas Phelan was 45 and had cancer. Phelan was a Statue of Liberty ferry captain in 2001. He helped evacuate Lower Manhattan and ferried rescue workers and supplies.

Two years after the attacks he became a firefighter assigned to a marine unit on Staten Island.

Family and friends told the New York Daily they believe Phelan got cancer from toxic fumes at ground zero.

Scientific evidence linking the attacks to cancer is still unsettled. Researchers studying illnesses among people exposed to the 9/11 dust cloud have found an unusual number of deaths from brain malignancies and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but fewer deaths than expected from other types of cancer.

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A French consulate worker has been arrested on accusations of using an official car to smuggle dozens of guns from the Gaza Strip to the occupied West Bank, Israeli authorities said today.

The French citizen was accused of being part of a gun-running network with Palestinian suspects that eventually sold the weapons on to arms dealers, Israel's Shin Bet domestic security agency said in a statement.

It said Romain Franck, in his mid-20s, had taken advantage of reduced security checks for consular vehicles to transport the weapons out of the Palestinian enclave.

The Shin Bet said he acted on his own and was motivated by money. His superiors were not aware of his actions, the statement said.

"The consulate employee smuggled the arms on a number of occasions in recent months while using the French consulate's consular car, which underwent a more lax security inspection at the border crossing, as is the case with this type of car," the statement said.

"The consulate employee transferred arms on five occasions, during which he transferred some 70 pistols and two automatic rifles."



A total of nine suspects have been arrested and six were to be charged in court later Monday, including Franck.

Gaza, run by Islamist group Hamas, has been under an Israeli blockade for over a decade but weapons have been smuggled in through tunnels from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

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Finance ministers and central bankers from the 20 leading industrial and developing countries are meeting in Argentina at a summit that has been eclipsed by growing concerns over the potential of a global trade war following US President Donald Trump's decision to slap import tariffs on steel and aluminium.

G-20 officials are also discussing issues including infrastructure development and the technology behind cryptocurrencies during the two-day meeting that began Monday in the Argentine capital.

The Trump administration has banned all use by Americans of Venezuelan cryptocurrency, saying that its introduction is intended to skirt US sanctions. The move follows the introduction last month of a Venezuelan cryptocurrency known as the "petro," for which the government says it has received investment commitments of USD 5 billion.

Trump's tariffs of 25 per cent on imported steel and 10 per cent on aluminium imports enter into force this week. The European Union's top trade official said yesterday that the EU should be excluded as a whole from the tariffs. The EU has already published a list of American products it plans to tax if it is not exempted.

The tariffs and the EU threat to retaliate with counter measures have escalated the risk of a trade war, in which nations try to punish each other by hiking taxes on goods.

Experts say that tends to harm both exporting nations as well as importing countries' consumers, who face higher costs.

The EU considers itself to be caught in the crossfire of a dispute which is actually intended to punish China for being unfair in its commercial deals.

The summit in Buenos Aires is the first of five meetings by finance ministers and central bankers scheduled in advance of a main G-20 meeting in Argentina that will be held November 30-December 1.

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The police today baton-charged mining workers who laid siege to two gateway bridges to Panaji in a bid to march into the city to protest the Supreme Court-imposed ban on iron ore extraction in the coastal state.

BJP MLA from Curchorem constituency in South Goa district Nilesh Cabral and many protesters were injured in the lathicharge, a police officer said.

Thousands of mining and allied industry workers had gathered in the morning at the Kadamba bus stand at the city's entrance from where they wanted to march towards the Azad Maidan, a distance of two kms.

However, anticipating a law and order issue, District Collector Nila Mohanan stopped the agitators from entering the city.

The protesters, who had come from different villages of the iron ore-rich mining belt of North and South Goa districts, then blocked the main entry roads to the state capital, including the two bridges on the Mandovi river, leading to heavy traffic snarls and chaos.

The bridges are important links connecting the North Goa tourism belt with South Goa where facilities such as the airport and railway stations are located.

As the agitators continued to stay put, Agriculture Minister Sudin Dhavalikar of the MGP, his Cabinet colleagues Vijai Sardesai and Jayesh Salgaoncar (both belonging to the Goa Forward Party), MLAs Nilesh Cabral and Dipak Pawaskar (MGP) rushed to meet the agitators and tried to pacify them.

Sardesai asked the protesters to move their agitation to Azad Maidan in the city so that people are not put to inconvenience, but they refused.

As the protesters refused to budge, police resorted to baton charge.

Some agitators and five police personnel, including two woman constables, were injured in the lathicharge that lasted nearly 30 minutes before the crowd was dispersed, the officer said.

A total of 11 protesters were arrested, he said.

The incident occurred a few hours ahead of the scheduled visit of Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari to Panaji to meet the BJP MLAs and stakeholders of mining industry.

"In all, 11 people are arrested for blocking the road and damaging public properties," Panaji police inspector Siddhanth Shirodkar told reporters.

Minister Sardesai confirmed that Cabral was injured in the lathicharge.

However, another police official said it was difficult to assess the exact number of the agitators injured in the lathicharge as many of them approached various hospitals for treatment on their own.

The apex court had last month quashed the second renewal of iron ore mining leases given to 88 companies in Goa in 2015. The mining ban came into force on March 15 midnight.

Besides loss of jobs, the state government anticipated a massive revenue loss to the exchequer in the wake of the mining shutdown.

Meanwhile, the Goa Cabinet Advisory Committee (CAC) has decided to prepare a report of today's incident and forward it to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who is currently in the US for treatment.

"The government would prepare a report detailing today's development," said Sardesai.

The mining industry stakeholders, including truck owners and ship operators, are trying to persuade the state and the Centre for resumption of mining activities.

This is the second upheaval in the industry which had faced a closure in 2012 too, following a Supreme Court directive.

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British and EU negotiators have made "good progress" in talks, officials said on Monday, ahead of a crucial summit this week where London hopes to seal a deal on a post- transition period.

Chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier and his British counterpart David Davis met in Brussels after their teams held intensive talks at the weekend, with a press conference scheduled for later today.

The talks have focused on reaching agreement on the transition phase, during which Britain will follow EU rules until from when it leaves the bloc in March 2019 at least the end of 2020, in a bid to ease the shock of its departure.

"Good progress I understand but let's see why Barnier and Davis have to say," a senior EU source told AFP on condition of anonymity when asked if there was an agreement.

"Looking good," another EU diplomat said.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, who met Barnier in Brussels, said on Twitter on Monday that " negotiations are moving forward."



But he stressed that the thorny issue of how to avoid a hard border between EU member Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland "remains a key priority for both negotiating teams and solidarity with our EU partners remains strong."



The remaining 27 EU countries say Britain must agree to terms on Northern Ireland before it will sign off on the final version of their divorce agreement and advance to trade talks in April.

Britain has been keen to get the transition part resolved by the time EU leaders meet in Brussels on March 22-23 in a bid to give certainty to businesses that are worried by the lack of firm plans for economic ties after
The fourth annual 'Gout De France' (Good France) event, which aims at highlighting the french cuisine and culinary traditions of that country will be held here on March 21.

French Consul General in Puducherry Catherine Stuard told reporters here today that 'Gout De France' is a unique global food event held in five continents which involves French Embassies, Consulates and Chefs from around the world.

Participating restaurants from all over the world would offer 'French menus' on March 21.

In so far as Puducherry and other regions coming under the ambit of the Consulate General of France here are concerned, five restaurants in the Union Territory, two in Kerala and four in Chennai (TamilNadu) would showcase their menus during the french food festival, she said.

"The wealth of France's cuisine and the inclusion of gastronomic meal of the French on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage makes France a unique destination offering a wide variety of ever changing gastronomic experiences," Stuard added.

The celebration of the international event this year would be marked by participation of 3,000 restaurants and 1,500 chefs from across the world, currently registered in France.

The event is organized by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and chef Alain Ducasse, celebrating fine French cuisine around the globe.

Chefs from each of the five restaurants participating from Puducherry presented their menus through power point demonstration on the French cuisine.

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Bihar Governor-cum-Chancellor Satya Pal Malik today appointed Vice-Chancellors (VC) in the three newly created universities of the state.

The three new universities where appointments have been made are- Patliputra University, Patna, Munger University, Munger and Purnea University, Purnea.

The Governor-cum-Chancellor appointed Gulab Chand Ram Jaiswal and Girish Kumar Choudhary as VC and Pro-VC of Patliputra University, Patna respectively.

Ranjit Kumar Verma and Kusum Kumari have been made VC and Pro-VC of Munger University, Munger, a Raj Bhawan release said.

Rajesh Singh has been appointed as VC of Purnea University, while Prabhat Kumar Singh will be the Pro VC of the university, it said.

Using his powers under relevant sections of Bihar State University (Amendment) Act 1976, the Governor Malik made the new appointments on the basis of recommendations of the search committee of universities and subsequent meaningful and effective consultation with the state government and personal interaction with shortlisted candidates, the release said.

The tenure of the newly appointed VCs and Pro VCs would be of three years and would commence from the day they assume the charge, it said.

The state government has already announced the functioning of new universities from the upcoming academic session (2018-19).

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The Ministry of AYUSH has launched an initiative to turn 500 villages in the country into 'Sampurna Yoga Grams' with at least a member of each household practising yoga regularly, ahead of International Yoga Day (IYD) on June 21, a senior official said.

The concept comes from a village named Kunnamthanam in Kerala, where the



village panchayat has started this initiative.

The aim is to replicate the Kunnamthanam model across India, the senior AYUSH ministry official said.

"The National Health policy 2017 places emphasis on health promotion and diseases prevention rather than the curative aspect.

"Yoga is the most suited system for self health and regular practice of yoga can substantially help in reducing the incidence of diseases and impact macro health indicators such as life expectancy, infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate among others," the official said.

As a part of the Sampurna Yoga Grams (Complete Yoga Villages) initiative, every village will have a research extension unit so that health parameters can be periodically measured.

Further, the ministry has short-listed four cities -- Jaipur, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Mysore -- for holding the main function of International Yoga Day this year.

These four names will now be sent to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) which will select one city and then finalise the venue of the main function.

In the run-up to the main event, an international yoga fest will be held from March 21-23 at Talkatora Stadium in Delhi which will be followed by 10 state-level fests to be held in different parts of the country.

Also, 100 yoga teachers have been deployed in Indian missions abroad. Delegate from more than 16 countries will participate in the event.

"The aim is to build an atmosphere of yoga in the lead-up to the main event and sensitise the masses about the grand function on June 21," the official said.

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BJP MLA and leader of opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta today objected to the Aam Aadmi Party government's order to shut down unrecognised private schools by March 31 and demanded extension of the deadline.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the Delhi government would ensure that no student is left out of school. He added that the department, under him, is currently conducting a survey to access the number of unrecognised private schools.

There were heated arguments between Sisodia and Gupta on the issue when the former accused the latter of raising issue on the "behest of his friends in the BJP as most of his party colleagues run schools".

"The government should make alternative arrangements for of children studying in these schools and only then take a decision on unrecognised schools," Gupta said.

Gupta, who is an MLA from Rohini, said such schools are being run in slums, settlements inhibited by poor, unauthorised colonies and villages where the government has not made proper arrangements for

"The children studying in these schools come from very poor families who cannot even think of sending their children to big schools," he added.

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The Madras High Courttoday reserved its order on a petition filed by Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union minister P Chidambaram, challenging a lookout circular (LOC) issued against him by the CBI in connection with the INX Media case.

A bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Quddhose reserved the order, without specifying any date, after recording the written arguments filed by the parties, including the Bureau of Immigration.

The LOC was issued by the Bureau of Immigration and the Foreigner Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) at the CBI's request last year against Karti and others.

The CBI had sought the LOC in connection with the case relating to alleged irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (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.

On August 10 last year, a single judge of the high court had stayed the LOC and allowed Karti to travel abroad.

On an appeal by the CBI, the Supreme Court,on August 14 last year, had stayed the high court order and directed Karti to appear before the agency for questioning.

It had also asked the high court to decide on the petitions filed by Karti and others, challenging the LOC, within two months.

During the pendency of the petitions, the high court had, on February 16, allowed Karti to fly to Europe on a business tour, but asked him to return to the country by February 28.

Karti was arrested by the CBI at the airport here on his arrival on February 28. He is currently in judicial custody.

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Hillary Clinton says she meant no disrespect when she said women voters are more swayed by men.

Clinton yesterday took to Facebook to explain comments she made during an interview in India last week.

The Democrat wrote that as much as she hates the possibility, "it's not that crazy when you think about our ongoing struggle to reach gender balance even within the same household." Clinton says she did not realize how hard it would hit many who heard it.

Clinton repeated that she lost the support of white women overall "to a candidate who relies on scare tactics and false attacks, masking the fact that he is otherwise no friend to most Americans.

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The Union government today informed the Madras High Court that it was highly unlikely that Sri Lanka would enter into any special agreement with India for invoking the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on alleged human rights violations of Tamil Nadu fishermen.

A counter-affidavit to this effect was filed today before the first bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Quddhose by G Karthikeyan, Assistant Solicitor General of India, who appeared on behalf of the external affairs ministry.

The matter relates to a PIL filed by an NGO, the Fishermen Care, seeking a direction to the Union Of India, Ministry of External Affairs to refer the alleged human rights violations committed against the fishermen of Tamil Nadu to the ICJ.

The assistant solicitor general submitted the counter-affidavit filed by Banu Prakash, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, to the bench.

The counter-affidavit submitted that the ICJ's jurisdiction was based on the consent of the parties.

Stating that there was no bilateral and multi-lateral treaty involving India and Sri Lanka which might confer the ICJ's jurisdiction in the matter concerning the fishermen, it said neither the 1974 and 1976 bilateral agreements nor the Geneva Convention, 1958 contained such a clause and therefore, the ICJ's jurisdiction could not be invoked.

The counter-affidavit said the Union government could not file any petition or any litigation under Article 36(2) of the ICJ statute, because India was also a member of the Commonwealth.

It also said that in view of the declaration, India could not invoke the compulsory jurisdiction clause for filing a case against Sri Lanka, which is also a member of the Commonwealth.

He referred to a litigation filed by Pakistan before the ICJ, in which India had argued that since Pakistan was a Commonwealth country, it could not seek action against India, also a Commonwealth nation.

After recording the affidavit, the bench posted the matter for further hearing to April 2.

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The moderate Hurriyat Conference today said India and Pakistan should shun the confrontational approach and start a sustained dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue.

In a statement issued here after a meeting of the Hurriyat leaders presided by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the separatist amalgam expressed serious concern over the growing escalation between India and Pakistan on the borders.

"The participants stressed upon the two nations to shun the confrontational approach and instead, start a sustained dialogue to resolve the root cause of the tension which is the Kashmir dispute," a Hurriyat spokesman said in the statement.

He added that the Hurriyat leaders expressed great distress at the killing of five members of a family in cross-border shelling in the Mendhar area of Jammu region.

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An IIM-Indore student has been offered an annual package of Rs 63.45 lakh to work abroad, which is the highest during the final placement this year.

"The package was offered by a foreign firm for a job abroad," an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) spokesman said today without disclosing the name of the candidate and the company.

The highest package offered for a placement in the country stood at Rs 33.04 lakh, he said.

The average annual package offered to the IIM students this year was Rs 18.17 lakh, which is 12 per cent more than the previous year.

More than 200 foreign and domestic companies have shown interest in offering placements to 624 students of the IIM-I, he said.

According to the spokesman, a bulk of 27 per cent offers came for placements in the finance sector, followed by 24 per cent in the consulting and strategy sector.

"A total of 624 students including 443 of the post-graduate programme (PGP), 113 of the Integrated Programme in Management (IPM), and 68 of the PGP programme on Mumbai campus took part in the placement," he added.

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Union minister Satya Pal Singh has said that the institutes like IITs should find a place among the 100 top global institutes of higher learning.

To reach the goal the institutes need to fulfil multiple requirements like international students and faculty and research and innovation at par with the best institutes in the world, the minister of state for human resource development said while addressing the 6th convocation of the IIT, Bhubaneswar yesterday.

While congratulating the 295 graduating students of the institute and their parents and teachers, the minister said the country was counting on these bright young minds to help in the nation-building for a New India as envisioned by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India is poised for a new industrial revolution to be ushered in by advancements in robotics, virtual reality, cloud technology, big data and artificial intelligence among others, he said.

The minister lauded the institute's research work undertaken on a wide range of subjects from fundamentals to applied areas of immense importance specifically utilisation of industrial waste for developing environmental friendly geo-polymer concrete using red mud and fly ash which could be useful in making eco-friendly buildings, bridges, roads and other long-lasting physical assets.
Indian officials in Islamabad continue to face "harassment and intimidation" and Pakistan has been requested to immediately probe all these incidents, government sources said today.

They said, Pakistan has also been asked to share results of the investigations with the Indian High Commission.

The sources also noted that the website of the Indian High Commission continues to be intermittently blocked which is causing inconvenience and has affected normal functioning of the Mission.

"Such incidents of harassment, intimidation and threats to physical security of diplomats and officials are in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, and a threat to the security and safety of the personnel of the High Commission of India," a source said.

Pakistan has been told that the safety and security of Indian High Commission, its officers, staff members and their families is the responsibility of the Government of Pakistan, the source added.

On March 19, two officials of the Indian mission went for shopping to Safa Gold Mall and they were aggressively followed by two persons in a car (Toyota Corolla) in close proximity at various locations, sources said. In another incident, they said, two officials travelling in a High Commission vehicle were aggressively followed while going to a Super Market.

"Pakistan has been requested to immediately investigate all these incidents and direct the relevant authorities to ensure that such incidents do not recur. Results of the investigations may kindly be shared with the High Commission," the source added.

India has so far issued 13 note verbales to Pakistan through its mission in Islamabad protesting against these incidents.

Pakistan has also been accusing India of harassing its diplomats and releasing videos of alleged intimidation of its officials. However, the veracity of these videos could not be ascertained.

Islamabad has also called his High Commissioner to India back home for consultations on the issue.

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The navies of India and France are currently engaged in a joint bilateral exercise, "Varuna-18", in the Arabian Sea off the Goa coast, which commenced days after the leaders of the two countries decided to further deepen their maritime cooperation.

The drill would include anti-submarine, air defence and asymmetric engagement exercises, a Navy official said.

The two countries would explore the measures to facilitate the operational-level interactions between their respective armed forces and increase mutual cooperation, considering the common global threats, the official added.

Rear Admiral M A Hampiholi, Flag Officer Commander, Western Fleet of the Indian Navy, said "Varuna-18" would be conducted in three sea areas -- the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the South Western Indian Ocean.

The first phase would see the participation of the French Navy's anti-submarine frigate, Jean de Vienne, he added.

"It is noteworthy that the progress of the 'Varuna' series of naval exercises has found a mention in the joint statement of the Prime Minister of India and President of France on March 10," he said.

The harbour phase of the exercise had commenced on March 15 and it ended today, while the sea phase would be conducted from March 20-24, the Indian Navy said in a statement.

The second leg of the exercise will be held off the Chennai coast in April and the third near the La Reunion Island in May.

The exercise commenced three days after French President Emmanuel Macron left India. Macron was in the country from March 9-12, during which India and France decided to step up their cooperation, especially in the maritime domain.

The exercise also comes at a time when the Indian Ocean is witnessing an increased Chinese naval presence.

Besides the French Navy's Jean de Vienne, the Indian Navy's destroyer, INS Mumbai, and frigate INS Trikand are among the vessels participating in the exercise.

The Indian Navy's submarine, Kalvari, P8-1 and Dornier maritime patrol aircraft and MiG 29K fighter aircraft are also participating in the exercise.

Real Admiral Didier Piaton, who is heading the French side for the exercise, said India was a major partner of France in the Indian Ocean region.

"Maritime cooperation between India and France will be crucial in order to maintain the safety of international sea lanes for unimpeded commerce and communications in accordance with the international laws, for countering maritime terrorism and piracy and building maritime domain awareness.

"Maritime security is a priority in our defence and security policy, along with the fight against terrorism," he added.

The naval forces of India and France have been conducting joint bilateral exercises since 1993. Since 2001, these exercises are called "Varuna" and 15 editions of the same have been held till date.

In 2017, the "Varuna" was conducted in three sea areas in the European waters.

"The Varuna series of exercises has grown in scope and complexity over the years and provide an opportunity to both Navies to increase interoperability and learn from each other's best practices," the statement from the Navy said.

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India today handed over the 18th and the last diesel railway locomotive engine to Myanmar, thus executing a key project ahead of time as part of efforts to boost ties with the neighbour.

These 18 locomotives are fitted with microprocessor control-based system, attaining a maximum speed of 100 km per hour and are customised for Myanmar Railways.

The locos have been built by the Diesel Locomotive Works in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

"They are extremely fuel efficient and equipped with the latest features. Most of these supplies in the railway sector have been carried out under Indian Line of Credit. As per the agreement schedule, all locomotives were to be delivered by September, 2018. They have been delivered six months ahead of the schedule," said a Railway Ministry official.

Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain has congratulated the railways on completion of the project. He also thanked the Indian Embassy in Myanmar for its full coordination and assistance with the Myanmar authorities in easy facilitation of the project.

Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation Maxim Sokolov today met Railway Minister Piyush Goyal along with a delegation, during which they discussed the progress of the feasibility study of raising the speed limit between Nagpur and Secunderabad to over 160 kmph being jointly carried out between the two countries.

Goyal in particular was keen on adoption of innovative technology to carrying out the upgradation work without disturbing the traffic, the official said.

Russia, which boasts of one of the largest rail networks, run trains in excess of 200 kmph from Moscow to St Petersburg. It also successfully hauls heavy load freight trains, and the Minister was keen to know more about them.

A protocol for undertaking feasibility study of raising speed between the Nagpur-Secunderabad section was signed on October 15, 2016, between Indian and Russian Railways in Goa during the bilateral between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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Taking a lead to break the impasse, India is hosting a two-day informal meeting of 50 WTO members here which would deliberate upon ways to create a positive atmosphere for carrying forward the mandate of the global trade organisation.

India is expected to press for removal of protectionist measures and promotion of free trade as it would benefit all the WTO (World Trade Organisation) member countries, an official said.

The two-day meeting, being attended by representatives of 50 countries, including the US, some African nations and China, comes against the backdrop of imposition of import duties on steel and aluminium by the US administration, and Washington dragging India to the WTO against export incentive programmes.

The idea of the meeting is to create an atmosphere, so that this negativity around global trade and multilateral trading system should reduce and all the countries should benefit from open trade, Prabhu has said.

Although India has invited Pakistan for the meeting, the neighbouring country has decided to skip the conference.

The meeting, that started today, also assumes significance as the global trade appears fragile with certain developed countries threatening to retaliate the duty hike on steel and aluminium products by the Trump administration.

WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo, who is here for the meet, said: "We are facing many challenges in the WTO and outside. Trade environment globally is very risky at this point of time. We will try to have an open and honest conversation at the informal WTO meeting here".

He told reporters that the outcome of the meeting here will be "useful to the conversations that we will be having in Geneva to try and move forward on all the items".

The meeting would also discuss the issue of appointment of members of the appellate body of the WTO's dispute settlement body. The US has blocked appointment of these members, which would hamper its functioning.

According to the commerce ministry, the meeting will provide an opportunity to engage in free and frank discussions with the hope that it will lead to political guidance on some major issues.

The meeting has been convened by India in the aftermath of failure of the trade talks at Buenos Aires last year on account of differences among the members of the WTO.

The rich nations are forming groupings to prepare ground for pushing new issues such as investment facilitation, preparing rules for e-commerce, promoting gender equality and reducing subsidy on fisheries.

India has been keenly pushing agriculture issues at the World Trade Organisation. It has also been raising its voice against bringing new issues, especially those which are not directly linked to trade, to the negotiating table.

The talks at the WTO's 11th ministerial conference collapsed after the US went back on its commitment to find a permanent solution to the public food stockholding issue, a key matter for India.

The four-day conference in Argentina, which ended without a ministerial declaration or any substantive outcome, did manage to make some feeble progress on fisheries and e- commerce by agreeing to work programmes.

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India shares a unique cultural relationship with Italy and is the world's only country where a Roman settlement dating back more than 2,000 years can be found, a senior Italian official has said.

The settlement, now called Arikamedu, is in Kakkayanthope, four kilometres from Puducherry town, said Andrea Baldi, director of Italian embassy's Cultural Centre.

India and Italy are, along with with China and a few other nations, the "powerhouses of culture in the world", he said.

We have a very unique ancient cultural tradition and have enormous richness in our cultures, Baldi told PTI.

India is the only country (outside Italy) where you find Roman ruins. There is a Roman settlement near Puducherry which was established more than 2,000 years ago by a Roman trader to export Indian items like species and clothes to Italy, Baldi said on the sidelines of an event held here last night to celebrate the 70th anniversary of India-Italy bilateral ties.

Archaeologists have found beads made of gold, glass and semi-precious stones (some with Greek or Roman designs), Roman lamps and Roman glass items among others at the site, which was badly damaged during the 2004 tsunami.

Noting that culture transcends geographical boundaries, he said it was easily understood by people and therefore more helpful than politics in establishing friendships.

Political exchanges are mostly confined to corridors of power, whereas cultural exchanges involve people to people contacts, he said.

He said the cultural centre had started a series of programmes, including exhibitions and performances, in February,



This is the last performance in a series of programmes organised for the Indian public...The response has been very good. People have come in large numbers and shown great interest, he added.

The event saw one of Italy's most respected chamber orchestras, Cameristi della Scala, make its debut in India with a powerful performance that held the audience spellbound.

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Reacting strongly, India termed as "highly deplorable" the killing of five civilians by Pakistani forces in "unprovoked firing" and summoned the Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner to lodge a protest over the issue.

Pakistan DHC Syed Haider Shah, who was called to the South Block here, was also told that such heinous acts are against established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct and asked Pakistan to instruct its forces to desist from such acts immediately, the external affairs ministry said.

"It was conveyed that the deliberate targeting of innocent civilians, who are located two kilometers away from the forward line of defences, by Pakistan forces using high caliber weapons, is highly deplorable and is condemned in the strongest terms," the ministry said.

The strong protest was lodged at the loss of lives of five innocent Indian civilians (a couple and their three children) and grievous injuries to two other minor children in unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan forces on March 18 in Bhimber Gali Sector across the LoC in Jammu & Kashmir, the ministry added.

India also asked Pakistani authorities to investigate such heinous acts, the ministry said.

"Our strong concerns were shared at continued unprovoked firing and ceasefire violations across the LoC and the International Border. More than 560 such violations have been carried out by Pakistan forces at the LoC so far during 2018 in which 23 Indian civilians have been killed and 70 other have been injured," the ministry said.

The Pakistan side was also asked to end the support being given to cross-border infiltration of terrorists, including through covering fire, it added.

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The Indo-French joint naval exercise, "Varuna-18", commenced today in the Arabian Sea off the Goa coast and will include anti-submarine, air defence and asymmetric engagement exercises, a Navy official said.

The French Navy's anti-submarine frigate, Jean de Vienne, the Indian Navy's destroyer, INS Mumbai, and frigate INS Trikand are among the vessels participating in the exercise.

The Indian Navy's submarine, Kalvari, P8-1 and Dornier maritime patrol aircraft and MiG 29K fighter aircraft are also participating in the exercise.

The first phase of the exercise, which commenced today, will conclude on March 24, a Defence official said.

The second phase will be held off the Chennai coast in April and the third near the La Reunion Island in May.

India and France will explore the measures to facilitate operational-level interactions between their respective armed forces and increase mutual cooperation, considering the common global threats, the official added.

Rear Admiral M A Hampiholi, Flag Officer Commander, Western Fleet of the Indian Navy, said "Varuna-18" would be conducted in three sea areas, including the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and South Western Indian Ocean.

The first phase would see the participation of French submarine and frigate Jean de Vienne, he added.

"It is noteworthy that the progress of the 'Varuna' series of naval exercises has found a mention in the joint statement of the Prime Minister of India and President of France on March 10 this year," he said.

Real Admiral Didier Piaton, who is heading the French side for the exercise, said India was a major partner of France in the Indian Ocean region.

"Maritime cooperation between India and France will be crucial in order to maintain the safety of international sea lanes for unimpeded commerce and communications in accordance with the international law, for countering maritime terrorism and piracy and building maritime domain awareness.

"Maritime security is a priority in our defence and security policy, along with the fight against terrorism," he added.

The Indian Navy and the French Navy have been conducting naval exercises since 1983. These exercises were christened as "Varuna" in 2001. The last edition of the exercise was conducted off the French coast in April last year.

The "Varuna" series of exercises has grown in scope and complexity over the years and provided an opportunity to the naval forces of both countries to increase interoperability and learn from each other's best practices, the official said.

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WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo today said discussions at the two-day informal mini-ministerial meeting beginning here will be useful for carrying forward the mandate of the multilateral trade body.

India is hosting an informal mini-ministerial meeting of the members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which is being attended by representatives of 50 countries.

Although the meeting does not have a fixed agenda, it assumes significance against the backdrop of increase in duties on steel and aluminium by the US administration and Washington dragging India to the WTO against export incentive programmes.

"We are facing many challenges in the WTO and outside. Trade environment globally is very risky at this point of time. We will try to have an open and honest conversation at the informal WTO meeting here," Azevedo told reporters.

He said that the outcome of the meeting here will be "useful to the conversations that we will be having in Geneva to try and move forward on all the items."



The WTO chief would also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other ministers.

"We have very significant challenges before us. We have the dispute settlement system compromised by a blockage in the appointment of appellate members and this will be the focus of conversations in New Delhi," he added.

The commerce ministry has stated that the meeting will provide an opportunity to engage in free and frank discussions with the hope that it will lead to political guidance on some major issues.

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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani today congratulated Russia's Vladimir Putin on his "decisive victory" in a presidential election and vowed to boost ties between Tehran and Moscow.

"I am sure that during your new term, relations between our two countries will develop further," he said in a message on the presidential website.

Rouhani emphasised "the will and determination of the Islamic Republic of Iran to strengthen its cooperation with Russia bilaterally, regionally and internationally".

Vladimir Putin is set for another six years in power after winning a record victory on Sunday.

Putin, who has ruled Russia for almost two decades, recorded his best ever election performance with 76.67 percent of the vote, but rejected the possibility of staying in power indefinitely.

Iran and Russia have strengthened their ties in recent years, both giving major military and financial backing to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

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In a major relief to policy holders, insurance regulator Irdai today directed insurers not to reject any health insurance claim based on exclusions related to 'genetic disorder'.

The regulator also asked health insurance companies not to include 'genetic disorders' as one of the exclusions in new health insurance policies.

The decision comes in the wake of Delhi High Court ruling that held that exclusionary clause of 'genetic disorders' in insurance policies is too broad, ambiguous and discriminatory, violative Article 14 of the Constitution dealing with right to equality.

"... in pursuance to the directions of Hon'ble High Court all insurance companies offering contracts of Health Insurance are hereby directed that no claim in respect of any existing health insurance policy shall be rejected based on exclusions related to Genetic Disorder'," the Irdai said in a communication to insurers.

The Delhi High Court last month had directed the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (Irdai) to have a re-look at the exclusion clauses in the insurance contracts to ensure that claims are not rejected on the basis of exclusions relating to genetic disorders like cardiac conditions, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Irdai also directed insurers "not to include" genetic disorders as one of the exclusions in new health insurance policies issued in respect of all their existing health insurance products and also in the new products.

Observing that the availing of health insurance was an integral part of the 'Right to Health and healthcare' under the Constitution, Justice Pratibha Maninder Singh had held that the clause in the insurance policy excluding a person with "genetic disorder" from availing its benefit was "discriminatory" and contrary to public policy.

"The IRDA is directed to re-look at the Exclusionary clauses in insurance contracts and ensure that insurance companies do not reject claims on the basis of exclusions relating to genetic disorders," the 47-page verdict said.

"The exclusion of genetic disorders in all forms would be contrary to public policy. Several of the prevalent medical conditions which affect a large mass of population, including cardiac conditions, high blood pressure, diabetes in all forms, could be classified as genetic disorders," the judgement said.

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A French employee of France's Consulate in Jerusalem is under arrest for allegedly smuggling dozens of weapons from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank, Israel's domestic security agency said today.

The Shin Bet said the man, identified as Romain Franck, 23, was part of a broader Palestinian smuggling ring and used his consular vehicle, which is subjected to more lenient security checks, as cover to transport the weapons through Israel's tightly secured border with the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, the Shin Bet said Franck took part in the ring for financial gain and that his employer was unaware of his actions. The consulate in Jerusalem declined comment and declined to confirm whether Franck was an employee.

"This is a very serious incident in which the privileges and immunity granted to foreign missions in Israel were cynically exploited to smuggle dozens of weapons that could be used in terror attacks," the statement said.

The Shin Bet said Franck transferred 70 handguns and two assault rifles on five occasions over recent months. It said he received the arms from a Gaza man employed at the French cultural center in Gaza and brought them to someone in the West Bank where they were then sold to arms dealers.

The Shin Bet said Franck, who was arrested in February, confessed to the charges. A gag order on the case was lifted today.

The agency sent reporters a picture of what it said was the consular vehicle, a silver S.U.V. It was not clear from the photo whether the vehicle carried the white license plates of the consular corps.

Nine people, including Franck, were arrested, the Shin Bet said, adding that he and five others would be indicted later on Monday. Among the suspects is a Palestinian security guard at the French Consulate in Jerusalem.

The Shin Bet said French authorities were kept aware of developments on the case during the investigation. Israel has previously accused Palestinians employed by the UN or non-governmental organizations of participating in hostile activities, including collaborating with Gaza's militant Hamas rulers. But allegations against international staffers are rare.

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It is time the US and India play a key role to restore normalcy and democracy in Maldives which is under a state of emergency, a top opposition leader from the troubled island nation has said here.

President Abdulla Yameen had imposed emergency which was extended by another 30 days last month by parliament, citing an ongoing national security threat and a constitutional crisis.

Several countries including the US and India along with the UN have urged the Yameen government to lift the emergency and restore normalcy.

Ahmed Naseem, former foreign affairs minister of Maldives and a leading opposition leader, has said that he is hoping that the international community led by the US and India would come to the rescue of Maldives given the gravity of the situation and the threat that it poses to the free flow of global commerce though this strategic sea trade route.

Naseem is here for the past couple of days meeting top US officials and members of the UN Security Council. He is also seeking a discussion on the current situation in Maldives by the 15-member powerful wing of the United Nations.

The United States and India are the two key players and it is time that these two countries restore normalcy and democracy in Maldives, Naseem said.

"Obviously, the United States is deeply concerned about what's happening in Maldives and they don't like to see this undemocratic behaviour anywhere in the world. Besides, they will evaluate the repercussions of what is happening in light of the security of the Indian Ocean region," Naseem told PTI in an interview yesterday.

Describing his meetings with US officials as productive, Naseem hoped that necessary steps would be taken by the US to "rectify the situation".

"If Maldives do not behave responsibly, I think it's detrimental to the region's security. They (the US) would be taking appropriate measures to rectify what is going on in Maldives. Unless it is checked, we might actually have a very difficult situation," he said, warning that there is a spurt in fundamentalism in Maldives which needs to be stopped.

The crackdown on people of Maldives continues, he said.

Naseem said that the military should go back to its barracks and Parliament should be allowed to function as per the Constitution of Maldives.

"The Supreme Court verdict of February 1 should be implemented. The Supreme Court bench should be reinstated. You can't have the chief justice of a country in jail and treat him very badly. The emergency has to be lifted and people's rights restored.

"India should see that these things are implemented in Maldives at the earliest. That is all we need (from India), then we will take care of the rest. But it all depends how far India will go to push the Maldivian government on that," Naseem said.

India "has the tools" to correct the things in Maldives but "India needs to see the consequences, if they do not do this. I am sure they're contemplating very strongly, they are working very hard to find a way out of it. We need India to be able to talk to the government as well," he said, observing that India has the leverage in Maldives.

The opposition parties will extend all its cooperation to the Indian government in its endeavour, Naseem said.

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Italy's foreign ministry has called for swift action over the "atrocious" mob attack of an Egyptian-Italian student in Britain, who died of her injuries last week.

"In relation to the tragic case of compatriot Mariam Moustafa, brutally killed in Nottingham, we express our deep condolences and sympathy to her family, and additionally wish that those responsible for this atrocious crime are soon brought to justice," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Engineering student Moustafa, 18, was left in a coma after being attacked by a gang in the central England city of Nottingham on February 20.

Police said she was "punched several times" in the street by a group of "threatening and abusive" women who then followed her onto a bus.

Partial footage of the attack, filmed at the back of the bus, has been circulating on social media.

Moustafa died of her injuries on Wednesday, prompting outrage in Egypt and Italy where she was born and grew up, according to Italian media reports.

Italy's ambassador to the UK, Raffaele Trombetta, spoke to his Egyptian counterpart on Sunday and stressed his "willingness to support every action that the Egyptian embassy would like to undertake to get to the truth in the quickest possible time", the Italian foreign ministry said.

Rome prosecutors have opened a case file and police there are expected to request details of the investigation from British authorities, Italian media reported.

Nottinghamshire Police said it was treating the attack "very seriously" and was "working hard to establish the circumstances".

Responding to the thrust of social media posts, it said there was currently "no information to suggest the assault was motivated by hate but we continue to keep an open mind".

A 17-year-old girl has been arrested on suspicion of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm and released on bail.

Moustafa's death has caused outrage in Egypt, notably on social media.

Cairo's embassy in London said the "deep concern of the Egyptian public is evident" and called for those responsible to be "brought to justice swiftly".

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Friday that he was "deeply saddened by the death"



"My condolences to Mariam's loved ones. I have assured Egyptian Foreign Minister (Sameh) Shoukry that Nottinghamshire Police are investigating the case."



The teenager's father Mohamed Moustafa, 50, said: "I want justice for my daughter -- not just my daughter but also so this doesn't happen to another girl or another boy.

"My daughter was like an angel. She would do anything for anyone.

"She meant the world to me.

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The association of resident doctors at the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu today threatened agitation if the government order of terminating one of their colleagues was not revoked within the next 48 hours.

The doctor, Amit Kumar, posted as registrar (Anesthesia) in the GMC was sacked on Thursday for violating a government order that bars its employees from using their social media accounts for any activity which may be "prejudicial" to the state.

The termination of Kumar is unacceptable we demand immediate revocation of the order, the Resident Doctors Association of GMC Jammu said in a letter addressed to the principal of the premier institute.

Releasing the letter at a press conference here, the association extended support to Kumar, who was engaged on a contract basis for three years in September last year, and sought the intervention of the principal in revocation of the order.

If the order will not be revoked in next 48 hours, we will be forced to express our resentment in a phased manner which includes stoppage of OPD services, routine surgical procedures in main operation theatre. From March 24, we will stop all emergency services, president of the association Sourabh Katoch said.

He said the Facebook comments of Kumar, who is the vice president of the association, were in no way meant to provoke readers or to target college administration or government.

The doctor submitted a letter of unconditional apology. Warning should have been issued to him before issuing termination letter, he said. The sacked doctor, who was also present, said he had responded to a Facebook post of health minister Bali Bhagat after inaugurating a lift at the hospital. I am a common citizen first then a doctor I spoke truth to inform people about the lift which was already installed and was mulfunctional, he said, adding the lift stopped functioning again just a day after its inauguration by the minister.

He said he had tendered an unconditional apology to the health minister for hurting his ego but when he refused the association decided to go for protest if the order is not revoked.

Questioning the government decision to terminate the services of the doctor, former chief minister Omar Abdullah said, All the doctor did was point out that the lift the health minister claimed to have inaugurated was actually an old lift and for that he was removed from the post of registrar.

Ministers can protest to defend rape/murder accused but a doctor can't point out the truth.@MehboobaMufti dictatorial Govt in J&K, Abdullah, the working president of opposition National Conference, wrote on Twitter.

The government had in December last year barred its employees from using their social media accounts for any "political activity" by amending the conduct rules for them, drawing strong condemnation from different quarters and opposition parties.

According to the statutory regulatory order (SRO), no government employee shall engage in any criminal, dishonest, immoral or notoriously disgraceful conduct on social media which may be prejudicial to the state.

The gag order had also echoed in the state assembly during the budget session which ended early last month with opposition parties terming the move as draconian and demanding revocation of the order.

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A group of women students of the Jamia Millia Islamia University today launched a protest against "discriminatory" restrictions on them, a week after a hostel inmate was not allowed to receive food she had ordered online after the 8-pm deadline.

One of the inmates of the Old Hall of Girls' Residence of the university alleged a woman student was last week not allowed to receive food she had ordered for herself after the "curfew timing".

"Similarly numerous rules and regulations restrict the mobility and autonomy of adult women in our institutions of higher education," she said.

Provost Dr S Azar Khursheed told PTI that after the incident a notice was issued yesterday extending the deadline.

"They (the woman students) may be granted a maximum of four late nights permission (till 10 pm) in a month with prior permission of hostel authorities and message from parents," the notice says.

"Food items may be received till 10 pm at night," it adds.

According to the previous rule, women students were allowed entry inside the hostel till 8 pm and food items could be received till the same time, university authorities said.

There is no such restriction on male students.

A third year student Nasima Choudhury, however, said, "Though the deadlines were extended, we want it to go till 11.30 pm. Food from mess is not available after 10 pm. What if a student wants to eat after that?"



Some of other demands include improvement in the food quality, and extending hostel entry-deadline till 10.30 pm.

Students said they will submit a memorandum to vice-chancellor Talat Ahmed after their protest.

Khursheed said, "They may raise their demands, but the university administration will take decisions according to the policies it follows.

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HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar is likely to call a meeting of experts on Maithili language, which is spoken in a vast region of Bihar and parts of Jharkhand, for preservation and promotion of its script, ministry sources said.

The assurance came in a meeting Javadekar had with JD(U) general secretary Sanjay Jha, who urged him to take steps for the script's promotion.

Jha said he urged the minister to also constitute a committee and make funds available for preserving and promoting Maithili script.

He said that the language was put in the Constitution's 8th Schedule, which gives it an official status, by the first NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and now the second NDA government headed by Narendra Modi would take steps to promote its script.

The official status allows UPSC aspirants to take up Maithili as one of the subjects in their exams and also makes it incumbent on the government to take measures for its promotion.

"The HRD minister has assured me that whatever is needed will be done in this regard," Jha said.

Maithili is spoken in vast swathes of Bihar and is the predominant language of the Mithila region in north Bihar.

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The Jammu and Kashmir governmenttoday constituted a committee to conduct an inquiry into the selections made by the state's Khadi Village and Industries Board (KVIB) against various posts recently.

According to an order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD), Principal Secretary to the Government, Home Department R K Goyal was appointed as Chairman while Principal Secretary to the Government, Health and Medical Education Department Pawan Kotwal and Secretary to the Government, School Education Department Farooq Ahmad Shah were appointed as committee members.

The committee is to submit its final report within one month, the order said.

On February 25, Chief Minister Mehbooba Muftihad ordered a high-level inquiry into the procedural inadequacies in the selection process of the Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB), the results of which were declared a couple of days ago.

She had ordered the probe following severe criticism over the appointment of her own nephew Aroot Madni (37), son of ruling PDP vice-president Sartaj Madni, as an executive officer in the board. The board had issued an advertisement against vacancies on October 8, 2016. Shortlisted candidates took a written test in August 2017, and interviews for the position began in the last week of January.

The selection process was conducted by a private recruitment agency instead of the J&K Service Selection and Recruitment Board (JKSRB). The chief ministers nephew declined to accept the employment offer from the board following the controversy generated by his appointment.

Opposition National Conference had launched a scathing attack on the PDP over alleged nepotism and malpractice in the selection of candidates. "The KVIB list is full of appointments made on the basis of relations and affiliations to the CM's family and party. Withdrawal of application by Sartaj Madnis son does not end the case but indicates he wouldnt have been able to stand the scrutiny of a probe," the party said.

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Accusing the police of disregarding procedures, 54 JNU professors on Monday demanded registration of separate FIRs in all eight complaints of sexual harassment filed against professor Atul Johri.

They petitioned Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-West) Milind Dumbere's office two days after the Delhi Police registered an FIR against professor Johri following allegations of sexual harassment by a group of women students.

The teachers said eight complaints were filed by as many women students, however, the Delhi Police chose to register only one FIR based on only one of the complaints.

"Even though you have received 8 complaints, each of which reports incidents that are distinct and separated by space and time, you have chosen to register only one FIR under only one of the names. We are shocked to learn this as the law requires that a separate FIR is registered for each complaint," the petition said.

Such serious sexual offences are being treated in breach of law and the Supreme Court judgments on the matter, the professors said.

They also demanded separate statements of all the complainants be recorded today itself



"This disregard for even basic procedure suggests to us that the Delhi Police has no intention of seriously proceeding against Atul Johri," the petition said.

They also demanded the accused professor be not allowed to make any contact with the complainants.

"We seek an assurance from the Delhi Police to take measures to ensure that professor Johri is prevented from making any contact with the complainants," they said.

They also said the DCP should intervene to ensure the complainants' health and safety are safeguarded as they are facing, according to the professors, tremendous amount of pressure and intimidation to make them compromise.

The JNU Students Union which has been protesting for the past three days demanding arrest of the professor has announced a march to the Vasant Kunj Police Station today at 5pm.

Students of School of Life Sciences, with which Prof Johri is associated, have locked down the school demanding his arrest.
The Karnataka Cabinet today decided to recommend to the Centre grant of religious minority status for the numerically strong Lingayat and Veerashaiva Lingayat community, a move that has stoked a huge row just months ahead of Assembly polls in the state.

The decision that is fraught with political implications is seen as an attempt by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to wean away a section of the community towards the Congress. BJP chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa hails from the Lingayat community.

Lingayats/Veerashaivas, estimated to form 17 per cent of the state's population, are considered the BJP's traditional voter base in Congress-ruled Karnataka.

The Cabinet decision was slammed by the BJP which accused Siddaramaiah of "playing with fire" for vote bank politics and carrying on with the 'Divide and Rule' legacy of Britishers in India.

A meeting of the Cabinet considered the recommendations of the Karnataka State Minority Commission (KSMC) amid reports of division among ministers and seers of the community striking a discordant note on the issue of giving separate religion status for Lingayats. The cabinet had twice deferred a decision on the issue.

"After due deliberations and some discussions onconcerns of various sections of society, the cabinet has decided to accept the recommendations of the Karnataka State Minority Commission," Law Minister T B Jayachandra said.

He said the commission, based on the report of an expert committee, has recommended considering grant of recognition as religious minority to the Lingayat and Veerashaiva Lingayats (Believers of Basava Tatva (philosophy) under section 2 (d) of the Karnataka State Minorities Act.

"It was also decided to forward the same to the central government for notifying under Section 2(c) of the Central Minority Commission Act," he told reporters.

Jayachandra said the decision would not affect the rights and interests enjoyed by the existing minorities.

The demand for a separate religion tag to Veerashaiva/Lingayat faiths has surfaced from the numerically strong and politically influential community, amid resentment from within over projecting the two communities as the same.

The Lingayat/Veerashaiva community that owes allegiance to the "social reform movement" initiated by Basaveshwara has a substantial population in Karnataka, especially in the northern parts of the state.

One section led by Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha has asserted that Veerashaiva and Lingayats are the same and religious status be given to them.

The other group wants it only for Lingayats as they believe that Veerashaivas are one among the seven sects of Shaivas, which is part ofHinduism.

Of late, some Lingayats have also stated that theywere open to having the Veerashaivas under their umbrella, but that Lingayat nomenclature was non-negotiable.

The KSMC had formed a seven-member committee, headed by retired high court Judge H N Nagamohan Das in December last year. The committee submitted its report on March 2.

The committee in its report has said "Lingayats in Karnataka may be considered as religious minority."



"Veerashaivas, who consider Basavanna as Dharma Guru, vachanas as sacred text, wear Ishta Linga, and believe and follow Vachana tatva, may be considered as part of Lingayats".

The 'effective date' of the notification would be, as may be notified by the state government, after meeting the procedural requirements, Jayachandra said.

It would also be after taking note of the possible impact of such grant of recognition to other minorities or the non-minorities or the public at large, he added.

According to reports, there were heated arguments during the cabinet meeting between ministers belonging to both Lingayat and Veerashaiva camps, with both sides sticking to their stand.

However, Jayachandra rubbished it and said "it was a unanimous decision; there is no question of opposition."



"Congress carrying 'Divide and Rule' legacy of Britishers in India. Siddaramaiah ji is playing with fire for vote bank politics. Why has Congress done this before elections? Why haven't they done it 4 years back?" BJP general secretary in-charge of Karnataka P Muralidhar Rao said in a tweet.

Opposition BJP leader in the assembly Jagadish Shettar said the Siddaramaiah government was dividing the society for the sake of politics, keeping the election in mind and accused it of "igniting fire."



Sri Veera SomeshwaraShivacharya Swami of Rambhapuri Peetha of Balehonnur, one of the seers heading the Veerashaiva camps, condemned the Cabinet decision.

He alleged that the recommendation may have got accepted following the "conspiracy of a few people," but that Veerashaivas together will fight against it and are planning legal recourse.

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who had levelled serious allegations against BJP leader Nitin Gadkari and Congress leader Kapil Sibal's son Amit Sibal during an anti-graft campaign, has tendered unconditional apologies to them leading to judicial burial of two defamation cases against him.

In two separate letters, filed along with joint applications for the closure of defamation complaints, Kejriwal has "regretted" his remarks.

"Both of us are in public life belonging to different political parties. I made certain statements, without regard to its verifiability, which seem to have hurt you and therefore you have filed a defamation case against me. I have nothing personal against you. I regret the same.

"Let us put the incident behind and bring the court proceedings to a closure. I suggest we should put our energy to serve the people of this country in the spirit of mutual respect, " he said in his letter to Gadkari, whom he had allegedly called "India's most corrupt".

Two identical apology letters were also submitted before the court on behalf of Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, accused in the defamation case filed by lawyer Amit Sibal, in which they have said the allegations made by them were "unfounded".

"On May 15, 2013 at a Press Conference at the Constitution Club of India, I made certain statements against you and your father. Now, I have learnt that the allegations I made against you and your father at the press conference were unfounded.

"I hereby withdraw all my statements and allegations made against you and your father and apologise for the same. The damage caused to your esteem, the hurt caused to your family, friends and well-wishers and the loss caused to you is regretted," Kejriwal and Sisodia wrote in separate letters.

Sibal had accused Kejriwal, Sisodia, lawyer Prashant Bhushan and BJP leader Shazia Ilmi of targeting him and his father Kapil Sibal over the Vodafone tax revision case in 2013.

Senior advocate and Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, who appeared for Gadkari, later said that Kejriwal regretted about what he had said and hence, closing the issue was in the "larger interest of the nation".

"He must understand that defamation is a very strong offence. He should be careful in future," Anand said.

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The Lok Sabha proceedings were disrupted for the 11th day today as the TDP, YSR Congress, TRS and AIADMK continued their noisy protests over various issues, including the banking scam and special status for Andhra Pradesh.

As soon as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan took up the Question Hour, members from these parties trooped into the Well holding placards.

While members from the TDP, YSR Congress, TRS and AIADMK were in the Well raising slogans and holding placards, MPs from the TMC and Congress were seen standing at their seats.

As the protests continued, the House was adjourned till noon.

Since March 5, when Parliament had reassembled for the budget session after recess, the Lok Sabha has seen disruptions on a daily basis.

Amid noisy protests, the House had passed the Finance Bill and the appropriation bills last week without any discussion.

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French President Emmanuel Macron wished Vladimir Putin success Monday in "modernising Russia" after his re-election, but urged Moscow to shed light on the "unacceptable" attempted assassination of an ex-spy in Britain.

Macron also expressed concern over the war in Syria, in which Moscow plays a key role as the regime's closest ally, in a carefully-worded statement that steered clear of congratulating Putin directly for his election win.

"The president offered Russia and the Russian people, in the name of France, his wishes for success in the political, democratic, economic and social modernisation of the country," the statement said.

"He stressed his commitment to a constructive dialogue between Russia, France and Europe."



But the statement maintained Macron's tough line on the March 4 poisoning of a former double agent living in southwest England, as Western allies backed Britain in the escalating row.

"The president called on Russian authorities to shed light on the responsibilities for the unacceptable attack in Salisbury, and to firmly regain control of any programmes that have not been declared to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons," it said.

"He informed the Russian president of measures taken to ensure the security of our citizens," it added, without elaborating.

On Syria, Macron expressed "great concern" over the situation in Afrin -- captured by Turkish-led fighters Sunday -- and in Eastern Ghouta which has been pummelled by the Moscow-allied regime.

He "called on Russia to do its best to stop the fighting and civilian casualties."



Macron is balancing tricky priorities when it comes to Russia, regarding a relationship with Putin as crucial to resolving conflicts in Syria and Ukraine.

He has made the case for keeping a dialogue open between Russia and the West, and on Monday again stressed that the relationship was "essential to Europe's security" and in everyone's interest.

Last week, however, Macron announced he would take unspecified measures in the coming days over the spy poisoning as he joined Britain, Germany and the US in pointing the finger at Russia.

On Ukraine, the statement said France "remained firmly committed to the full re-establishment of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders".

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Actor Madhuri Dixit Nene has been signed on for the part in "2 States" fame director Abhishek Varman's next that was earlier supposed to be played by Sridevi.

Sridevi's daughter, Janhvi, shared the through an Instagram post, wherein she also mentioned that this film was very close to her mother's heart.

"Abhishek Varman's next film was very close to mom's heart ...Dad, Khushi and I are thankful to Madhuri ji for now being a part of this beautiful film...," Janhvi wrote alongside a picture of Sridevi and Madhuri.

Sridevi died of accidental drowning in Dubai last month at the of 54.

Last year in October, filmmaker Karan Johar announced he was reuniting with Abhishek on a project that would be co-produced by Sajid Nadiadwala.

No other detail, including the film's title and the primary cast, was, however, revealed.

The film is slated to release on April 19, next year.

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A major fire today broke out at a godown in Maharashtra Nagar in suburban Govandi, a fire brigade official said.

"We got a call about the blaze at around 1.25 pm. Eight fire-fighting engines and four water tanks have been rushed to the spot. Efforts to douse the fire are on," the official attached to the Mumbai Fire Brigade said.

According to him, so far there are no reports of anybody being injured in the blaze.

P S Rahangdale, Chief Fire Officer of the Mumbai Fire Brigade said that the blaze was confined to various ground floor 100x100 ft structures.

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Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken today met the family members of Lal Bahadur who was beaten to death allegedly after a tiff over fetching water in Wazirpur area.

Maken demanded that the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) ensure adequate supply of water in the area and also attacked the AAP government for neglecting poor residents of the city.

"The poor people are not on the priority list of the AAP government," he said.

Sixty-year-old Lal Bahadur was beaten to death allegedly after a tiff over filling water from a tanker in northwest Delhi's Wazirpur on Saturday last. Police have arrested three people in this connection.

Maken warned that there would be "severe shortage" of water in the city in coming days and alleged that several deaths in clashes over water supply have been reported under the present regime.

"Ever since the AAP came to power in Delhi, many people have died due to clashes related to water scarcity," he said.

He requested DJB to ensure prompt supply of drinking water to the Wazirpur industrial area and other parts of city that are facing water shortage.

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) A 60-year-old man was seriously injured after he was attacked by a leopard in a village near here today, police said.

Sundaraman was grazing his goats in Thambatty village, some eight kms from here, when a leopard suddenly appeared from behind and attacked him, inflicting serious injuries on his neck, head and abdomen around 10.15 AM, they said.

Hearing his screams, people in the vicinity came to the spot and managed to scare away the animal.

Sundaram was taken to the government hospital here and then referred to Coimbatore government hospital for further treatment, they added.

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Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who faced flak for her controversial comments recently in India about how women voters in 2016 presidential elections were more swayed by men, says she meant no disrespect to any individual or group.

In a lengthy Facebook post, Clinton referred to her remarks at the India Today Conclave in Mumbai, saying her comments "in passing about women "unfortunately" being more swayed by men in the 2016 Presidential elections got a lot of "negative attention."



"I was also asked about women, specifically white women, the majority of whom have not voted for Democrats in recent history. I did better with them than previous Democratic nominees, but still lost them overall to a candidate who relies on scare tactics and false attacks, masking the fact that he is otherwise no friend to most Americans," the 70-year-old former presidential candidate said in the post.

She said her comments that there is anecdotal evidence and some research to suggest that "women are unfortunately more swayed by men than the other way around" received negative feedback from various quarters.

"I understand how some of what I said upset people and can be misinterpreted. I meant no disrespect to any individual or group. And I want to look to the future as much as anybody," she said in the post.

In particular she said the the party struggled to attract married, white women because of "a sort of ongoing pressure to vote the way that your husband, your boss, your son, whoever, believes you should".

Speaking at the recently-concluded India Today Conclave in Mumbai, Clinton suggested that those people who supported Trump did so because they did not like black people getting rights, women getting jobs or Indian-Americans succeeding more than them.

"You know, you didn't like black people getting rights. You don't like women, you know, getting jobs. You don't want to see that Indian-American succeeding more than you are. Whatever your problem is, I'm going to solve it," Clinton had said during the conclave.

Clinton further wrote in the post that as much as she "hate(s)" the possibility, and "hate saying it, it's not that crazy when you think about our ongoing struggle to reach gender balance even within the same household. I did not realise how hard it would hit many who heard it."



Explaining her comments, she said the issue about women voters was one piece of a larger point about how Democrats need to do better with white women.

"Do I believe that some women look at a powerful woman and question whether she can lead, maybe voting for the man their husband is voting for instead? It may not be universally true or easy to hear, but yes, it's a dynamic still at play in our society," she said.

She said when she was serving in various roles in public life, she was always more popular when she was working for or defending a man then when she was out there on her own.

"That's the point I was making, in an effort to explain to an audience some of the many dynamics that have gone into these tumultuous last few years," she said.

Attacking US President Donald Trump to whom she lost, Clinton said, he has "done nothing positive" so far to ease the pain of the people who most strongly supported him.

She stressed in the Facebook post that America's future requires the nation to learn from the outcome of 2016.

"We need to protect our election systems from intrusion by Russia or anyone else. We need to combat voter suppression and the propagation of fake and misleading I fear we are not doing anywhere near enough on those fronts, and I know we can do better.

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A day after five members of a family were killed in Pakistani shelling, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today visited the affected village in Poonch district and handed over an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased.

Mehbooba also handed over cheques of Rs 3 lakh each toward the educational expenses of the two daughters of the family who too were injured in yesterday's shelling incident in Balakote sector, an official spokesman said.

Accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Javed Mustafa Mir and several legislators and senior civil, police and Army officers, Mufti announced that medical expenses of the injured girls would be taken care of by the government and assured a job to the brother of the deceased, the spokesperson said.

The chief minister announced the construction of 15 community bunkers in Balakote, stationing of one bulletproof vehicle and improving health facilities and road connectivity in the area, he added.

Earlier, Mehbooba had tweeted that she met the displaced families and victims of shelling. "Met with displaced families & (and) victims of shelling in Poonch this afternoon. A stark reminder that our future doesnt only depend on the conflicts that take place, but more so on the solutions we offer in response to them," she wrote.

Pakistani troops targeted border villages in Poonch district with mortar bombs yesterday, killing five members of a family, including three minor brothers, and injuring five Army personnel and two civilians.

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The Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act 2017 (MESMA) was a "draconian" law for Anganwadi workers, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray today said.

"We will not allow the government to invoke MESMA on Anganwadi workers. It is a draconian law. We will oppose it and take up the issue in both Houses of the state Legislature tomorrow," Thackeray said.

He was speaking to reporters here after a delegation of Anganwadi workers met him.

Apart from their opposition to the inclusion of their services under MESMA, the delegation also raised issues like not getting two hikes, as promised by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in October last year, and the reduction of their retirement age from 65 to 60.

Last week, the state government had banned strikes by the state's 2.07 lakh Anganwadi workers, who run the Centre's Integrated Child Development Scheme, a crucial programme which battles malnutrition among young children as well as pregnant and lactating women.

Anganwadi workers had gone on a strike for 26 days last year demanding an increase in their honorarium among others issues.

Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde had raised the issue in the Legislative Council and said the government was moving towards dictatorship by invoking the MESMA Act against Anganwadi workers.

"It is nothing but dictatorship to invoke MESMA to stop their protests. These Anganwadi workers don't have any other source of income and many of them are widows. The government is not giving them a satisfactory honorarium. This is injustice," Munde said.

Meanwhile, M A Patil of the Maharashtra State Anganwadi Workers' Action Committee said Anganwadi workers are not government employees.

"They work on honorarium and are not entitled to any government benefits. If government considers them its employees, then the Seventh Pay Commission should apply to them," Patil said.

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Women and Child Welfare Minister Pankaja Munde told the Legislative Assembly today that the state government was justified in invoking the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act against a proposed strike by Anganwadi workers.

She said that Anganwadiservices were essential for small children and that is why it was covered under MESMA.

The minister said the state government had given an affidavit in the Bombay High Court assuring it about bringing these services under MESMA.

"Hence, it was not possible for the government to revoke the decision," she said.

The clarification came after members, cutting across party lines, objected to the decision to invoke MESMA.

The Anganwadi Kruti Samiti has anounced a stir from March 27 demanding a rise in their honorarium and retaining the retirement age at 65 years.

Munde said that the honorarium had already been raised and the decision to reduce the retirement age to 60 years had been revoked.

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The city was hit by heavy traffic jams and major chaos today as thousands of mining and allied industry workers sought to march into it to protest the closure of the iron ore extraction industry in the state.

A minor skirmish occurred between the protesters and policemen near the Kadamba bus stand here when District Collector Nila Mohanan stopped the agitators from entering the city.

The angry protesters later blocked the main entry roads to the city, including the two bridges on the Mandovi river, leading to heavy traffic snarls and chaos.

The people were protesting against the closure of the mining industry since March 16, following a Supreme Court order.

The members of the various truckers' associations and those from the shipping and mining machinery sectors participated in the protest.

"We are trying to ensure that there is no law and order problem. Police forces from outside Goa have also been called in and deployed along with the state police," Director General of Police Muktesh Chandar told reporters.

The security has been stepped up to ensure there is no damage to property, he said.

The protesters, who came from different villages of the iron ore-rich mining belt of both the North Goa and South Goa districts earlier in the morning, gathered at the city bus stand with plans to march to the Azad Maidan in Panaji.

The district authorities, however, stopped them at the entrance of the city.

The five-decade-old mining industry in the state came to a grinding halt from Friday with a Supreme Court order banning iron ore extraction.

The mining and tourism industries are the key revenue earners for the coastal state.

The apex court had last month quashed the second renewal of iron ore mining leases given to 88 companies in Goa in 2015. It had set March 15 deadline for the miners to manage their affairs.

This is the second blow to the industry, which had faced closure in 2012 too, following the SC directives.

The industry stakeholders, including the truck owners and ship operators, are trying to persuade the state and the Centre for resumption of the mining activities.

Union minister Gadkari is scheduled to visit Goa later today to hold talks with the state government and various other industry stakeholders over the crisis.

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The police today baton charged mining workers who had laid siege to two gateway bridges to Panaji in a bid to march into the city to protest against the iron ore extraction ban in the state.

BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral from Curchorem constituency in South Goa district along with some other protestors were injured in the lathicharge, a senior police official said.

"As the protesters refused to clear the bridges and the attempts to work out an amicable solution failed, the lathicharge was ordered by the district administration," said the official, present at the trouble spot for crowd control.

Cabral also suffered a minor injury in the melee, the official said adding some other people too were injured.

"Cabral had a minor injury, it was not major. He had gone to pacify the crowd," state agriculture minister Vijai Sardesai told PTI.

The state government's efforts earlier to convince protesters to clear the two twin bridges across the Mandovi river near Panaji city, had turned futile.

State ministers, including Sudin Dhavalikar, Vijai Sardesai, Jayesh Salgaoncar and others, tried to pacify the protesters, but they refused to listen to them.

Thousands of mining and allied industry workers had gathered in the morning at the Kadamba bus stand at the city's entrance to launch their protest.

As they wanted to march through the city, District Collector Nila Mohanan refused permission for it.

The angry protesters then blocked the two bridges and stopped the city-bound traffic.

State transport minister Sudin Dhavalikar, who too had arrived at the spot, assured the protesters that a solution would be thrashed out.

In an appeal to the protestors to vacate the bridges, he said the state government was trying all possible means to ensure that mining resumes in the state.

The protesters, however, continued to sit on the bridges.

The efforts of minister Sardesai to convince the crowd to move out, too did not yield any response.

He asked them to move their agitation tothe Azad Maidan in the city so that people are not put to inconvenience, but they refused.

The people, who had come from different villages of the iron ore-rich mining belt of both the North and South Goa districts, were protesting against the closure of the mining industry since March 16, following a Supreme Court order.

The members of the various truckers' associations and those from the shipping and mining machinery sectors were participating in the protest.

The state's five-decade-old mining industry has come to a grinding halt since Friday with a Supreme Court order banning iron ore extraction.

The mining and tourism industries are the key revenue earners for the coastal state.

The apex court had last month quashed the second renewal of iron ore mining leases given to 88 companies in Goa in 2015. It had set March 15 as deadline for the miners to manage their affairs.

This is the second upheaval in the industry which had faced a closure in 2012 too, following an SC directive.

The industry stakeholders, including the truck owners and ship operators, are trying to persuade the state and the Centre for resumption of the mining activities.

Union minister Gadkari is scheduled to visit Goa later today to hold talks with the state government and various other industry stake-holders over the crisis.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress' Maharashtra unit chief Ashok Chavan said today that the MNS will have to explain its position on certain controversial issues before any political alignment with the Raj Thackeray-led party can be considered.

Chavan's comments comes a day after Thackeray called for opposition unity and a Modi-free India by 2019.

The former Maharashtra chief minister, however, clarified that there is no discussion inside the Congress on Thackeray's idea and that there was no proposal in this connection before it.

The position of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on certain issues is controversial. It will have to explain those before any tie up with it is given a thought to," he said.

There is no discussion inside the Congress on the alliance issue and that there is no proposal in this connection before it, he told reporters at All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters here.

Chavan did not specify the issues which he said were controversial. The issue of sons-of-the-soil is close to the MNS and the party is often criticised for its alleged anti-north Indian stance.

He also ruled out any possibility of the Congress aligning with the Shiv Sena, contending there are differences in the ideologies of the two.

The ideology (of any party) should match to that of the Congress or there has to be some common ideology platform. And it is clear the Shiv Sena cannot be on that platform, he added.

Addressing a rally of MNS workers at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai, Thackeray had yesterday said, "The country is fed up with the false promises made by (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and his government."



All opposition parties should come together to get rid of the BJP-led NDA government to ensure a Modi-free India, he added, while reminding the audience of the BJP's Congress-free India slogan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers pulled down signboards written in Gujarati from some commercial establishments in Mumbai and adjoining Vasai, hours after party chief Raj Thackeray yesterday alleged that there was a "design" of the BJP-led central government to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra.

Addressing a Gudhi Padwa (Maharashtrian new year) rally in central Mumbai, Thackeray had called for a "Modi-mukt Bharat", alleging that the Bullet Train project was a "ploy" to de-link the Vasai-Virar belt, with an ultimate aim to separate Mumbai.

Referring to the "mushrooming" of Gujarati signboards, the MNS chief had said encouraging outsiders (Gujaratis) to settle in the Vasai-Virar belt was a part of the "grand design" to achieve the said goal as in 1960, Gujarat had failed to get Mumbai, for which it had staked a claim.

After the rally, MNS workers, carrying party flags, ransacked a few roadside eateries near Vasai, on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway, last night and destroyed their signboards written in Gujarati.

Today, some shops in Mumbai that had Gujarati signboards, including a sweet shop in the north Mumbai suburb of Kandivli, faced the wrath of the MNS workers, police said.

The Kandivli police lodged a case of rioting against around 10 MNS workers in connection with the vandalism and arrested four persons, Senior Police Inspector Mukund Pawar said.

This is not the first time that the MNS has attacked properties owned by Gujaratis in Maharashtra. In July 2017, the party had launched violent protests against a jewellery shop and a hotel in Mumbai, forcing them to pull down their signboards written in Gujarati.

After the Vasai incident, MNS Thane region president Avinash Jadhav said, "Vasai is in Maharashtra and not in Gujarat. We will not tolerate signboards in Gujarati."



Addressing the party workers at a rally at Shivaji Park last night, Thackeray had said, "The country is fed up with the false promises made by (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and his government."



"All the opposition parties should come together to get rid of the BJP-led NDA government to ensure a Modi-mukt Bharat," he had said, while reminding the audience of the BJP's "Congress-mukt Bharat" slogan.

Describing the vandalism by MNS workers as a nuisance tactic, a political analyst said, "Raj Thackeray is doing what he is best known for. He should understand that the times have changed and the people are interested in constructive "



The MNS chief has been critical of Modi as according to him, the latter wants to shift all the major establishments from Maharashtra to Gujarat.

In 2008, the MNS had started a campaign to ensure that signboards across Mumbai were in Marathi.

In 2016, during Paryushan, the fasting period of the Jain community, the MNS had opposed the closure of meat shops and opened them forcibly.

Meanwhile, state BJP vice president Neeta Kelkar today filed a complaint with the Sangli police against Thackeray, wherein it was alleged that the MNS chief had "hidden" information from the state government about "impending communal riots in the country on the Ram Mandir issue".

At his rally, Thackeray had said communal riots would be triggered in the country in the next few months on the issue of the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

"If Raj Thackeray knows in advance about riots, then he and his party should not have hidden the information from the government," Kelkar said.

A police official said they were looking into the matter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers pulled down signboards written in Gujarati from some commercial establishments in Mumbai and adjoining Vasai, hours after party chief Raj Thackeray called for a "Modi-Mukt Bharat" at a rally here yesterday.

After the rally, the MNS workers, carrying party flags, ransacked a few roadside eateries near Vasai, on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway, last night and destroyed their signboards written in Gujarati.

Today, some shops in Mumbai that had Gujarati signboards faced the wrath of the MNS workers. These included a sweet shop in the north Mumbai suburb of Kandivli, police said.

This is not the first time that the MNS has attacked properties owned by Gujaratis in Maharashtra. In July 2017, the party had launched violent protests against a jewellery shop and a hotel in Mumbai, forcing them to pull down their signboards written in Gujarati.

After the Vasai incident, MNS Thane region president Avinash Jadhav said, "Vasai is in Maharashtra and not in Gujarat. We will not tolerate signboards in Gujarati."



Addressing the party workers at a rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai last night, Thackeray had said, "The country is fed up with the false promises made by (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and his government."



"All the opposition parties should come together to get rid of the BJP-led NDA government to ensure a Modi-mukt Bharat," he had said, while reminding the audience of the BJP's "Congress-mukt Bharat" slogan.

Describing the vandalism by MNS workers as a nuisance tactic, a political analyst said, "Raj Thackeray is doing what he is best known for. He should understand that the times have changed and the people are interested in constructive policies."



The MNS chief has been critical of Modi as according to him, the latter wants to shift all the major establishments from Maharashtra to Gujarat.

In 2008, the MNS had started a campaign to ensure that signboards across Mumbai were in Marathi.

In 2016, during Paryushan, the fasting period of the Jain community, the MNS had opposed the closure of meat shops and opened them forcibly.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping on his re-election for a second five-year term, saying he looks forward to work with him to further develop Sino-India relations.

Xi, 64, was unanimously elected by the 2,970 deputies of Chinese parliament the National People's Congress (NPC) last week.

Dear President Xi Jinping, congratulations on getting re-elected as the President of the People's Republic of China, Modi said in his message posted on his account on the Chinese social media platform Weibo today.

I look forward to working with you for further development of our bilateral relations," he said.

Modi had opened his account in the popular social media blog Weibo during his visit China in 2015. He has 1,83,379 followers.

Earlier, the NPC also ratified a proposal to remove the two-term limit for President paving the way for Xi to become leader for life.

India and China are currently making diplomatic efforts to improve the relations following the 73-day long standoff at Doklam in the Sikkim section.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale recently visited Beijing and held talks with top level Chinese officials, while Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has recently said that she planned to visit China next month.

Modi and Xi are expected to meet this year on the side-lines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit to be held in June this year at the Chinese city of Qingdao.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin on his victory in the presidential polls and expressed hope that under his leadership, the Indo-Russia strategic partnership will continue to grow from strength to strength, the External Affairs Ministry said today.

During the telephonic conversation, Modi told the Russian leader that he looked forward to welcoming him in India for the India-Russia Annual Summit later this year.

"Conveying his compliments on Putin's success, the Prime Minister expressed the hope that under Putin's leadership, the 'Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership' between India and the Russian Federation will continue to grow from strength to strength," the ministry said in a release.

Thanking the Prime Minister for the call, Putin conveyed his commitment to further strengthen India-Russia relations in all spheres, and also his good wishes for the continued progress of India.

Putin, who has ruled Russia for almost two decades, received 76.66 per cent of the votes and is now set to extend his rule until at least 2024. Putin, Russia's longest-serving leader since Joseph Stalin, appeared to rule out remaining president for life.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after five members of a family were killed in Pakistani shelling, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the lead in taking the state to peace.

The chief minister also appealed to the leadership of Pakistan to see logic of peaceful engagement and dialogue with India as wars in the past yielded nothing except devastation, death and destruction.

Addressing people in Bhimber Gali sector of Mendhar after visiting the family which lost five of its members in yesterday's cross LoC shelling, Mufti said she would continue to advocate cessation of hostilities along the borders and between the two countries.

Better late than never, she said.

The chief minister added that when she last met Prime Minister Modi she appealed him to act like an elder brother and persuade Pakistan for a peaceful engagement and work jointly against poverty, unemployment and deprivation.

Dialogue and reconciliation is needed to get the state out of bloodbath and continued exchange of fire on the borders, she said.

She appealed to the prime minister to take lead in getting Jammu and Kashmir out of "this bloodbath and help people in leading peaceful and normal life".

It is unfortunate that the people of border areas in the state like Poonch, R S Pura, Nowshehra, Uri and Karnah are paying a heavy price due to continued shelling across the borders, she said.

The chief minister recalled the decade long peace along the borders and an atmosphere of reconciliation within the state which followed after the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's initiatives of reconciliation and dialogue in the state.

Prime Minister Modi also took the bold step of visiting Lahore but unfortunately incidents like Pathankot stalled the process, she said.

Terming partition of the country as unfortunate, the chief minister said the people of the state never ever had wanted that but unfortunately are paying a heavy price of the same.

What was the fault of these five persons or this elderly mother?, she asked referring to yesterday's victims of cross border shelling.

She said it is very unfortunate when people elsewhere are demanding better facilities, residents of border areas in the state were asking for bunkers.

Describing the residents of border areas as country's first line of defence, she said these were the people who guarded the territorial integrity of the state and the country.

She said her government has created two battalions of IRP comprising people of the border areas. The chief minister assured the people that whatever due, would be done for them including creating avenues of employment, strengthening of health facilities and road connectivity.

Earlier on her arrival, Mufti met the mother and other kin of the family whose members were killed in yesterday's shelling. She assured them all help in their rehabilitation and on spot handed over ex gratia and other relief.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Commuters in Mumbai suffered as drivers of the app-based cab aggregators Ola and Uber today went on an indefinite strike strike called by the transport wing of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.

"Talks are underway with the app-based cab aggregators. A decision on (calling off) the strike is expected tomorrow," Sanjay Naik, president of the Maharashtra Navnirman Vahtuk Sena, told PTI here.

The strike was called to protest the low earnings of drivers operating cabs for Ola and Uber, Naik said.

Office commuters, who use the app-based service daily, were in for a longer wait today as the number of such cabs was less owing to the strike.

"I faced the same issue. No cabs agreed to come from Parel to Powai," tweeted hotelier Benaifer Kapadia.

While Naik said almost 99 per cent of the around 1.30 lakh such cabs were off the roads today, Ola and Uber did not quantify the number of such cabs.

Naik said drivers of these cabs are not able to cover costs due to the falling business.

"We expect the cab companies to discuss with the government how they can come at par with the black and yellow taxis, and other public modes of transport," Naik said.

The Mumbai Police rubbished reports that the strike supporters stopped cars in the suburban Marol and Ghatkopar areas and broke the windshields of Ola and Uber cabs, which were not a part of the strike.

Uber said the company was committed to serve its customers.

"We regret the disruption caused to our rider and driver community by a small group of individuals. We remain committed to serving the city, ensuring driver partners can continue to access stable earning opportunities, while giving riders a convenient option to get around their city," Uber said in a statement.

It pointed to a Bombay High Court injunction against unions, their leaders and others from obstructing activities of Uber driver partners.

An Ola spokesperson said the company was informed by police that necessary steps were taken to ensure safety of the commuters.

"We were informed by the Mumbai Police that they have pro-actively taken all the necessary steps to ensure the safety of commuters during their cab rides in the city," the Ola spokesperson said.

Mumbai Taximen's Union, the biggest taxi union in the city, said they did not support the strike.

"We are not supporting the strike. Ola and Uber have hired rogue taxi drivers and traffic was smooth today when they were off the roads," union general secretary A L Quadros said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nanda Bahadur Pun was today sworn in as Nepal's vice president for his second term in office, a day after he was re-elected to the post unopposed.

Shasi Kala Dahal of CPN-Maoist Centre was elected vice-chairperson of the national assembly. She was elected to the post defeating Nepali Congress candidate Brinda Devi Ale.

Last week, Ganesh Timalsina of CPN-UML was elected unopposed as chairman of the national assembly, the upper house of Nepal's parliament.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered oath of office and secrecy to her deputy, Vice-President Pun, at an official ceremony here.

Left alliance candidate Pun was re-elected unopposed yesterday for a second consecutive term since no other party including opposition Nepali Congress, fielded candidates to contest the election for vice president.

The Left alliance had earlier fielded Bhandari as their presidential candidate which led to her victory and her second term of office. She had defeated NC candidate Kumari Laxmi Rai.

The ruling alliance had floated common candidates for president, vice president, speaker, deputy speaker, chairperson of upper house and vice-chair as per power sharing deal between CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A National Conference (NC) legislator today asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to either unfurl the Tricolour in the Lahore belt of Pakistan or else "leave Kashmir".

The controversial remark was made by Mendhar MLA Javed Rana at the funeral of five members of a family killed yesterday by Pakistani forces in shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Balakote sector in Poonch district.

I just want to say to this incompetent government at the Centre that stop playing over our dead bodies. If Modi sahib you are true to your words, then unfurl the (national) flag in Lahore. Or otherwise leave Kashmir as we are not ready anymore to get killed without any reason, Rana said addressing mourners at the funeral prayers.

A couple and their three minor sons were killed when a mortar shell from across the border hit their mud house located about four kilometers from the LoC yesterday.

Two minor daughters of the couple were critically injured and are undergoing treatment at a hospital here.

I want to ask politicians and the prime minister sitting in Delhi that how long you will play over our dead bodies. We are disheartened as we are getting killed for no reason, he was heard saying in a video that has gone viral on social media.

Rana, who is known for making controversial statements, said he wanted to tell Modi that this is the voice of the people in border areas that if you have the willpower then look forward and if you do not have the resolve then leave Kashmir.

Rana belongs to the Gujjar community in Jammu and Kashmir.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Taking a dig at the centre for its alleged failure to ensure peace along the international border in Jammu and Kashmir, opposition National Conference (NC) today suggested that New Delhi should start a dialogue with Pakistan to end hostilities in the region.

While showing sensitivity to the suggestions of engaging Pakistan in a meaningful dialogue for the sake of peace on the borders, the BJP has not even attempted to carry out its much-touted hot pursuits, NC provincial president Devender Singh Rana said during a tour of his Nagrota Assembly constituency here.

He asked the BJP as to what was done in the past four years to de-escalate tension along the Line of Control (Loc) and International Border (IB) and batted for initiating talks with Islamabad to put an end to the hostilities.

The NC leader accused the BJP of exploiting the sentiments of Jammu for votes and said the promises made during poll campaigning turned out to be a hoax as there is nothing to show as far as delivery is concerned.

Except for emotive slogans, the BJP has nothing to offer to Jammu. It has been exploiting the sentiments of Jammu for the past nearly seven decades, but when the moment of reckoning came, it betrayed and back-stabbed the people," Rana alleged.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Ram Nath Kovind today said innovations by themselves were not enough and there was a need to develop an ecosystem for their conversion into enterprises.

The vision of a newer and better India calls for meeting certain developmental milestones, some of these as early as 2022, the year the country commemorates 75th anniversary of Independence, he said at the inauguration of the Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE) 2018.

The president also presented the Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Awards on the occasion.

He called for revitalising every link in the innovation value chain.

"We need schools where children tinker rather than memorise and mug. We need work cultures where young talent looks up and questions rather than looks down and nods. And, of course, we need the government to provide a facilitative environment," Kovind said.

An important initiative of the government is to encourage young people to innovate and address unmet needs of the society, he said.

"We have to promote cutting-edge technologies alongside grassroots innovations so that a pipeline for future applications is generated," he said.

The president said climate change and fluctuations as well as burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases are adding to the complexity of the human habitat. The need for technology-driven solutions cannot be ignored.

"I am conscious that innovations by themselves are not enough. We must also build an ecosystem for converting innovations into enterprises. This requires support for start-ups and for incubating young innovators," he said.

Appreciating the festival, Kovind said it is remarkable that the number of exhibits of grassroots innovations and technologies has almost doubled this year which indicates innovation opportunities in local communities across the country.

He also pitched for encouraging cultivation of medicinal plants in close cooperation with industry to conserve bio-diversity and reduce pressure on forests.

The festival is being organised by Rashtrapati Bhavan, in association with the Centre's Department of Science and Technology and the National Innovation Foundation, from March 19 to 23, a statement said.

There are around 250 innovators who are displaying their exhibits at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

Hema Pradhan from West Sikkim is among the grassroots innovators who is displaying her exhibit in the festival, the statement.

She gave the idea of a spring or shock absorber supported stretcher so that the shocks, while attendants are carrying a patient or keeping the stretcher down, could be minimised.

Aparna Chandrasekar from Chennai has given an idea of a watch with an in-built chilly spray, which gets automatically sprayed on the person who may be bullying the wearer, it said.

In such a situation generally the heartbeat and blood circulation increases, which triggers the sensor in the watch to release the spray, the statement said.

The president presented the GYTI award to Bikash Ranjan Tiwari and Mohd Tabish Noori (IIT Kharagpur) for designing a novel low-cost polyvinyl alcohol-nafion-borosilicate membrane separator for microbial fuel cell treating distillery wastewater, it said.

Avinash Prabhune from Indian Institute of Technology Mumbai was awarded for developing a window solar cooker.

Abhik Saha from Assam's Don Bosco High School developed a social search engine - Origgon for which he received the GYTI award.

Ekdeep Singh Lubana (IIT Roorkee), Pallabi Das and Kasturi Sarmah (Tezpur University), Ravi Prakash (National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal), Neeta Wagle and Priti Prabhakar Yewale (Dr D Y Patil Vidyapeeth), Trivikram A (IIT Bombay) and Divya Beri, Shweta Chaubey and Aparna Sudhakar (IISc,Bangalore) were among the other recipients, the statement added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a major step towards developing a once-daily 'male pill', a new birth control drug has been found to be safe and effective in men, scientists say.

Like the pill for women, the experimental male oral contraceptive - called dimethandrolone undecanoate, or DMAU - combines activity of an androgen (male hormone) like testosterone, and a progestin, said Stephanie Page, a professor at the University of Washington in the US.

"DMAU is a major step forward in the development of a once-daily 'male pill'," said Page, senior investigator of the study presented at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago.

"Many men say they would prefer a daily pill as a reversible contraceptive, rather than long-acting injections or topical gels, which are also in development," she said.

Progress toward a male birth control pill has been stymied because available oral forms of testosterone may cause liver inflammation, and they clear the body too quickly for once-daily dosing, thus requiring two doses a day.

However, DMAU contains undecanoate, a long-chain fatty acid, which Page said slows this clearance.

DMAU is being developed by the US National Institutes of Health, and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

The study included 100 healthy men, aged 18 to 50 years.

The researchers tested three different doses of DMAU (100, 200, and 400 milligrammes, or mg) and two different formulations inside the capsules (castor oil and powder).

Each dose group included five subjects who were randomly assigned to receive an inactive placebo and another 12 to 15 men who received DMAU.

Subjects took the drug or placebo for 28 days once daily with food. DMAU must be taken with food to be effective, Page noted.

At the highest dose of DMAU tested, 400 mg, subjects showed "marked suppression" of levels of their testosterone and two hormones required for sperm production.

The low levels, Page said, are consistent with effective male contraception shown in longer-term studies.

"Despite having low levels of circulating testosterone, very few subjects reported symptoms consistent with testosterone deficiency or excess," Page said.

"These promising results are unprecedented in the development of a prototype male pill," she added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Continuing its downtrend for the fourth straight session, NSE benchmark Nifty fell 100.90 points to 10,094 amid weak global cues ahead of the US Federal Reserve's policy decision later in the week.

The benchmark mainly dragged by across the board selling, mainly in metal, realty, PSU bank, IT and Media counters.

A sharp widening of India's current account deficit (CAD) too weighed on investors' mood. Further weakness in rupee and stocks specific selling pulled down the market.

On the global front, European shares edged lower, while Asian stocks settled on a mixed note as caution gripped investors ahead of the US Federal Reserve policy meeting.

Back home, the Nifty dropped 100.90 points or 0.99 per cent to end at 10,094.25, its lowest closing level since 6th December 2017. It hovered in a range of 10,224.55 and 10,075.30. It saw an intra-day movement of about 149.25 points.

Sector-wise, Realty dropped by 2.94 per cent, metal 2.67 per cent, IT 2.18 per cent, PSU Bank 2.63 per cent, Media 1.18 per cent, Bank 1.00 per cent, Finance service 0.96 per cent, Private Bank 0.95 per cent, infra 0.74 per cent, Energy 0.71 per cent, Auto 0.68 per cent and FMCG 0.45 per cent.

Major gainers were NTPC, Powergrid, Maruti, Hindunilever, Larsen, Lupin, GAIL and TCS.

Among the losers were HclTech, Tata Steel, BhartiAirtel, TechM, BPCL, Baj Finance and Hindalco.

The market breadth, indicating its overall health, turned negative, as a total of 285 scrips advanced and 1,546 declined, while 52 remained unchanged.

As many as 270 stocks hit their price bands.

The cash segment turnover fell to Rs 27,705.62 crore from Rs 41,936.96 crore as on Friday.

A total of 14,979.42 lakh shares changed hands in 99,11,217 trades. The market capitalisation of listed firms on the NSE stood at Rs 1,39,27,897.10 crore.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court today favoured the Centre's submission that no interim order should be passed on pleas to grant certain facilities to Rohingya refugees as it would grab 'media headlines' and have repercussions on India's diplomatic ties with Myanmar and Bangladesh.

The top court said it will not pass any interim order with regard to ensuring health and educational facilities for Rohingya refugee camps in the country unless materials contradicting the Centre's claims are brought before it.

"Lordship should not pass any interim orders for media headlines. All my statements are on affidavit and I represent Government of India and the interests of India," Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud.

Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said any order passed may have repercussions on India's diplomatic relations with Myanmar and Bangladesh.

"I cannot place before this Court the diplomatic solutions that are being worked out. The diplomatic decisions are taken at the highest level and are not for public consumption. These are the decisions taken at the top executive level. Government is alive to the situation prevailing at the Rohingya refugee camps," Mehta said.

He also questioned the bonafides and motives of the NGOs and individuals seeking facilities for the Rohingya refugees and said the government has already said on affidavit that no discrimination between Indians and outsiders was being done in providing health and education facilities.

"They are relying on some newspaper reports. I don't know what interests are being protected here. When you go to hospital or school, do they ask for your passport? The way PILs are being filed nowadays, this court should take a view as to who wants to change the demography of the country, who wants destabilisation and who wants to disturb the internal security of the country," Mehta said.

The ASG further raised questions on the PILs saying these were filed based on media reports and no one knew whose interests were being protected here.

In response, Prashant Bhushan, appearing for two Rohingya refugees- Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, said "It is the interest of humanity which is being protected here".

"Centre has said in its affidavit that they are not using chilli spray and stun grenade to push back the Rohingya refugees. They (government) have accepted that they are not allowing anyone to enter India without valid documents. They are refugees. How will they have valid documents," Bhushan said.

Senior Advocate Ashwani Kumar, also appearing for petitioners, said the issue was of Article 21 and adherence to international conventions.

"The core fundamental issue here is whether India will stand up for Article 21 of Constitution, whether India will stand up to 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (a Sanskrit phrase meaning the whole world is one family) and whether India stands up for international conventions and protection of human rights", Kumar said.

Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani supported the contention of the ASG and said the court has to first decide what was the real issue behind all these petitions.

"When the government has said that health facilities are being provided, then what else do they want? They themselves have not visited the refugee camps but want the court to pass orders which would make a media headline," he said.

Advocate and BJP leader Ashwini Upadhaya, one of the petitioners, said "few NGO's are posing more threat to the unity of the country than enemy country like Pakistan".

The bench posted the matter for further hearing on April 9 and clarified that it would not pass any interim order.

Earlier in the day, the apex court directed the Centre to file a "comprehensive status report" giving details of conditions at Rohingya camps in various states after visiting them.

The court was hearing a separate plea filed by one Jaffar Ullah alleging unhygienic situation at refugee camps in Haryana, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for Jaffar, said the poor conditions at these camps had led to various deaths recently.

The apex court had on March 7 sought the Centre's response on a plea of refugees Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir seeking education and healthcare on the lines of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, who were given such facilities in Tamil Nadu.

However, the Centre in its affidavit had opposed the plea saying the comparison with Sri Lankan refugees was "ill-founded and misconceived". It said certain relief facilities to the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees had its genesis in the Indo-Ceylon Agreement of 1964.

The Rohingya refugees have sought permission to enter India, besides education and healthcare facilities and grant of refugee ID cards by the Foreigner Regional Registration Office.

They had earlier approached the apex court opposing the Centre's decision to deport over 40,000 refugees who came to India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination and violence against the community.

The Rohingyas, who fled to India after violence in the Western Rakhine State of Myanmar, are settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The imposition of 10 per cent import tariff by the US government is expected to have a limited impact on the global primary aluminium industry in the near-term, a report said.

"The US has recently imposed a 10 per cent tariff on aluminium imported from all countries except Canada and Mexico. The imposition of the recommended tariff is unlikely to have any major impact on the current dynamics of the global aluminium industry as the global market is currently in a deficit, following key regulatory steps taken by the Chinese government to curb production from its polluting and "illegal" aluminium smelters," Icra said in its report here.

Post announcement of the higher tariffs by the US government, aluminium premiums have risen sharply by 21 per cent in the US and by 10 per cent in Asia, reflecting the expectation of the commodity market that the above move is unlikely to have any significantly adverse impact on the global aluminium industry, the report said.

The rating agency pointed out that the world, outside the US, can absorb the aluminium metal, which is currently being exported from the countries that are going to be impacted by the tariff. The expectation, however, does not take into account the impact of retaliatory trade measure, if any that may be taken by affected countries against the USA.

"Production cutbacks in China resulted in a deficit of 1.4 mmt of aluminium in the global market in CY2017, which is likely to widen further to over 2.5 mmt in CY2018," Icra Ratings senior vice president Jayanta Roy said.

"The trade restrictions will only alter the global aluminium material supply chain as there are markets around the world which can absorb the excess metal if there is any reduction in import in the USA," he added.

As per the data released by the Aluminium Association in the investigation report, the USA was a net importer of 3.96 mmt of primary aluminium in CY2016. Out of this, 2.30 mmt was imported from Canada, and the balance 1.66 mmt originated from countries like Russia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Argentina, on which the revised tariffs will be applicable.

However, in ICRA's opinion, this can be absorbed in rest of the world, going forward, because of an anticipated deficit in the primary aluminium market in CY2018.

In CY2017, the global aluminium demand-supply balance was hit by new regulations in China that resulted in a shutdown of 4.5 mmt of operating capacities in the country, and the scrapping of additional 6 mmt of upcoming capacities.

While capacities were curtailed, resulting in muted global aluminium production growth, aluminium consumption expanded by 6.6 per cent in CY2017 leading to a 1.4 mmt deficit, Icra said.

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today tendered written unconditional apologies to Union minister and BJP leader Nitin Gadkari and advocate Amit Sibal, son of Congress leader Kapil Sibal, in two separate criminal defamation cases after which he was acquitted by a city court.

The latest regret by the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) chief comes just days after he offered an apology to Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia in connection with comments over his alleged involvement in the drug trade. The apology to Majithia, a former Punjab revenue minister, had drawn flak from his own party members in Punjab.

Kejriwal, in his two separate apology letters, said he regretted making the defamatory remarks without any verification and accepted that they were based on "unfounded allegations".

Kapil Sibal told reporters that Kejriwal's apology has been accepted, adding, "we don't want to fight with anyone".

Senior advocate Pinky Anand, who appeared for Gadkari, struck a similar note and said Kejriwal closing the issue was in the "larger interest of the nation" but asserted he must understand that defamation is a very strong offence. "He should be careful in future".

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, a co-accused with Kejriwal in the defamation case lodged by Amit Sibal, also tendered a written apology with the joint plea before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Samar Vishal.

The ACMM considered the apology and joint plea of Sisodia and Amit Sibal and ordered the closure of the case in which Kejriwal was also a party.

However, the proceedings against lawyer and expelled AAP leader Prashant Bhushan and BJP leader Shazia Ilmi will continue in the defamation case lodged by Amit Sibal as they have not followed the suit so far.

In the 2013 case lodged by Amit Sibal it was alleged that Kejriwal, Sisodia, Bhushan and Ilmi, who was then an AAP member, had targeted him and his father Kapil Sibal, the then Telecom Minister, over the Vodafone tax revision case and had allegedly raised the bogey of conflict of interest



In the defamation case filed by Gadkari, it was alleged that Kejriwal had called him "India's most corrupt".

On a day of fast paced developments in the court, the apologies by Kejriwal were followed by two joint applications in the separate cases seeking judicial indulgence for their amicable settlement.

In separate orders passed after they tendered the magisterial court acquitted Kejriwal and Sisodia of the charges under section 500 (defamation) of the IPC.

"In view of the joint application accompanied by a letter of regret and the statements of counsel for both the parties, the defamation case filed by Nitin Gadkari against Arvind Kejriwal stands compounded and Arvind Kejriwal stands acquitted from the present case," the ACMM said in the order passed in the case lodged by the BJP leader.

Similarly, in the defamation case lodged by Amit Sibal, the court acquitted Kejriwal and Sisodia of the offence after the complainant advocate accepted their apology and agreed to withdraw the case.

In his letter to Gadkari, Kejriwal said, "I made certain statements, without regard to its verifiability, which seem to have hurt you and therefore you have filed a defamation case against me. I have nothing personal against you. I regret the same.

"Let us put the incident behind us and bring the court proceedings to a closure. I suggest we should put our energy to serve the people of this country in the spirit of mutual respect, " he said.

In their identical letters to Amit Sibal, Kejriwal and Sisodia apologised to him and said, "I have learnt that the allegations I made against you and your father at the press conference were unfounded. I hereby withdraw all my statements and allegations made against you and your father and apologise for the same."



Facing flak for apologising to leaders of rival parties who had filed defamation suits against him and other AAP leaders, Sisodia said they are not interested in any "ego fight" and don't want to spend time in legal wrangling but want to focus only in the service of people.

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Pakistan on Monday expressed disappointment at India for not issuing visas to more than 500 Pakistani pilgrims for visiting the famed shrine of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer.

The visit was to take place under the 1974 Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines and is a regular annual feature, Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.

"Pakistan notes with deep disappointment the non-issuance of visas by India for the visit of the 503 Pakistani Zaireen (pilgrims) to participate in the Urs of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti (RA) at Ajmer Sharif, India from 19-29 March 2018," the statement said.

Due to India's decision, the Pakistani pilgrims have been deprived of the opportunity to participate in the Urs, which is of special significance, it said.

Earlier 192 Pakistani pilgrims could not participate in the Urs of Hazrat Khawaja NizamuddinAulia in Delhi from 1-8 January due to the non-issuance of visas by India, it said.

The FO said that during 2017, despite Pakistan's offer to send a special train, Indian delays had resulted in Sikh yatrees (pilgrims) from India being unable to participate in the Martyrdom Anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev and the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

In February, Pakistan had made all the arrangements for the visit of 173 Katas Raj pilgrims, who were "forced" to withdraw their applications from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi due to non-issuance of necessary clearance by the Ministry of External Affairs of India, the statement said.

"Besides being violative of the bilateral Protocol of 1974 and the basic human right to religious freedom, such measures also undermine the efforts aimed at improving the environment, increasing people-to-people contacts and normalising relations between the two countries," the FO said.

It was again "ironic" that India failed to issue visas on the occasion of Urs of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti who for centuries has been the symbol of bringing communities closer to each other, the statement added.
Pakistan's Supreme Court today rapped the ISI for its shoddy report on the source of funding of the leader of a religious party behind the Faizabad sit-in last year, with a judge saying he feared for the country.

The top court expressed dissatisfaction over the report submitted by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) regarding the financial details of Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the leader of the religious party behind the Faizabad sit-in in November last year that brought the Pakistani capital to a standstill.

The apex court had taken note of the anti-judiciary remarks during the protests that killed at least six people.

A two-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Qazi Faez Isa, heard the case today.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the report of the country's premier intelligence agency on the issue, Justice Isa remarked that the bench, at the last hearing, had inquired from the agency to inform it of the source of Rizvi's funding.

The court inquired from the Deputy Attorney General Sohail Mahmood, who submitted the report on behalf of the ISI, how he can be satisfied with the report and expressed surprise that the intelligence agency is unaware of Rizvi's source of income.

Justice Mushir Alam questioned why the ISI did not mention the source of Rizvi's income, bank accounts and whether he pays tax or not.

Justice Isa remarked that he fears (for the country) after reading the report.

"He [Rizvi] destroyed property worth billions yet no one knows what he does," Justice Isa was quoted as saying by Geo Tv.

Justice Isa said that the ISI just like the judiciary was "answerable to taxpayers".

The Dawn newspaper reported that the Supreme Court earlier rejected the ISI's report on the Faizabad sit-in, calling it "unsatisfactory".

"This report is deeply unsettling: it has been prepared by one of the premier agencies of the country, yet a journalist could have given more details [about the protests] than this report," Justice Isa said after reviewing the document submitted by the ISI.

Directing Mahmood, the DAG to re-submit the report through the attorney general's office, the hearing was adjourned for two weeks.

Normal life in Islamabad was disrupted for 20 days by protesters belonging to religious parties, including TLY, the Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, and the Sunni Tehreek Pakistan.

The protesters had occupied the Faizabad Interchange, which connects Rawalpindi and Islamabad through the Islamabad Expressway and Murree Road both of which are the busiest roads in the twin cities.

The then law minister Zahid Hamid was accused by the protesters of blasphemy after a reference to the Prophet Muhammad was left out of a revised version of the electoral oath. He later called it a "clerical error".

The sit-in ended after the Pakistan Army brokered an 'agreement' between the state and the protesters, the terms of which included the resignation of former law minister Hamid.

The agreement had been seen as a complete surrender by the state to the protesters.

Meanwhile, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) today ordered the arrest of Rizvi and Afzal Qadri and other absconding suspects in the Faizabad sit-in case.

During proceedings of the case, the ATC directed that Rizvi and Qadri, along with other absconding suspects, be arrested and presented in court on April 4.

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While social media has been linked to a negative impact on children, most parents believe that it also helps them keep track of their tweens, a US poll has found.

"The tween stage brings new challenges for parents as they often must balance their child's desire for more freedom and independence with supervision. It's not an easy balancing act," said Sarah Clark from University of Michigan in the US.

The C S Mott Children's Hospital National Poll found that nearly all parents of tweens aged 9-12 agree that social media makes it easier for kids to get in trouble.

However, 61 per cent also felt that social media helps parents keep track of tweens.

The survey found that 55 per cent of parents read their tween's texts or social media pages to learn more information if their tween was invited to a boy-girl party at the home of an unfamiliar family.

It also found that 39 per cent parents track their tween's location on their cell phone during the party.

Mothers were more likely than fathers to say they would use technology to monitor their tweens.

"Social media has opened another door of questions about what parents should be keeping tabs on," said Clark, co-director of the poll.

"Establishing family rules around the use of social media, and discussing the reasons for those rules, is an important part of parenting tweens," Clark said.

The majority of parents still wanted to learn more about what their kids were up to the traditional way, with 91 per cent saying they would talk with a classmate's parents when dropping their tween at a party if they did not know the family.

Seventy-six per cent would call ahead to make sure the classmate's parents would be supervising the party, researchers said.

About one in four parents in the survey were very concerned about their tweens experimenting with sexual activity, marijuana or other drugs, beer or liquor, and guns or other weapons.

Parents reported greater concern about tween boys experimenting with guns, but otherwise had similar levels of concern for their tween boys and girls.

Many polled acknowledged the push and pull between allowing children reasonable space while still monitoring their activities.

Two-thirds of parents agreed that tweens need some freedom to make mistakes.

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The total operational span of the Delhi Metro network will expand to over 350 km after completion of its Phase-III project, which would also enhance the daily average ridership of the mass rapid transit system to nearly 40 lakh, according to the latest economic survey of the city released today.

The estimated cost of Phase-III is Rs 39,784.56 crore. The Delhi government has released Rs 1,333.77 crore (Rs 323.27 crore equity; Rs 39.50 crore against subordinate debt for land acquisition, Rs 300.00 crore has been released as subordinate debt towards sales tax and Rs 671 crore as subordinate debt for central taxes) to the DMRC during 2016-17 towards the Phase-III, the survey states.

With the opening of the Pink Line's Majlis Park-Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus corridor of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) last week, the current operational length stands at over 252 km.

"At present, the average ridership of Delhi metro is 28 lakh per day which is further expected to increase up to 40 lakh per day after completion of DMRC's Phase-III," stated the Economic Survey of Delhi 2017-18.

The total existing network of Phase-I and Phase-II is 190.03 km (including the National Capital Region). The work for Phase-III was approved for 160.586 km and is likely to be completed by December 2018, it said.

"The total network will be approximately 350.616 km (including NCR) after completion of the Phase-III work. The average daily ridership increased from 26 lakh during 2015-16 to 28 lakh during 2016-17, which will further be enhanced to 40 lakh after completion of the Phase-III. The work on Phase-IV is under consideration and is likely to start soon," it said.

Also, out of the nearly 160 km network approved by the cabinet for the Delhi-NCR, work on extension of Green Line from Mundka to Tikri Border is expected to be completed by May this year. The Dwarka-Najafgarh corridor spanning nearly 4.3 km is projected to be finished by December.

"Phase-III and additional corridors of 160.586 km route length with 109 stations (including 42.192 km of route length with 30 stations of NCR) are planned to be completed by December 2018 (except Extension to Dhansa Bus Stand, targeted to be completed by 2020). Phase IV is under consideration of the government," it said.

On feeder bus services, run by the DMRC to facilitate commuters to reach or depart from several metro stations, the survey said, at present, 517 mini buses on 93 metro feeder routes are to be inducted out of which 291 buses are operating on 43 routes. All buses are fitted with GPS navigators, according to the survey.

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A proclaimed offender, who allegedly had links with militant outfits like the Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) and the Babbar Khalsa, and was wanted in multiple cases of murder, was arrested, the Kapurthala police today.

Ranjit Singh, alias Rana, was allegedly involved in five shooting incidents in Punjab and in the murder of four people, they said.

Senior Superintendent of Police Sandip Sharma said Singh was a resident of Jalandhar.

Singh was arrested from a religious shrine in Koharkalan village in Jalandhar where he was working as a priest, the SSP said.

"He was declared a proclaimed offender in the murder case of one Surinder Singh, of village Manawali, falling under police station sadar in Phagwara. His accomplices, Jagdish Singh and others, killed Surinder Singh in May 1991. After the murder, he went to Saharanpur in UP and started living there," he said.

The SSP said Ranjit Singh has been evading arrest for over 27 years.

Ranjit was also allegedly involved in the murder of Surinder Singh, resident of Kudha village in Hoshiarpur district. He, along with two accomplices, killed Surinder Singh in September 1988, he said.

In 1990, Ranjit Singh allegedly murdered a liquor vendor in Mubarakpur village in Ropar with help from two accomplices, the SSP added.

In 1997, he underwent a sentence of two years and after the imprisonment, fled to UP to evade arrest in other cases.

He was acquitted in two cases and was facing trial in two more, he said.

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Vladimir Putin today said he would address disputes with the West after an election that saw him return to the Kremlin with a record vote share, as Moscow faces increasing isolation.

International leaders were slow to congratulate the Russian president after a Sunday election that saw him take almost 77 per cent of the vote, as monitors reported ballot stuffing and other alleged cases of fraud.

The poisoning of an ex-spy in Britain along with fresh sanctions from Washington over allegations of meddling in the US 2016 election have isolated Moscow to an extent not seen since the Cold War.

The president, who has ruled Russia for almost two decades, on Monday denied he was driving a new arms race with Washington after he unveiled a range of "invincible" nuclear weapons this month.

"From our side, we will do all we can so that the disputes with our (international) partners be resolved by political and diplomatic means," he said during a meeting with the seven other candidates he resoundingly defeated on Sunday.

"It goes without saying that not everything depends on us -- as with love, both sides have to be involved, otherwise there can be no love at all," he said.

Putin said he would focus on "increasing the well-being of the residents of this country" through investments in healthcare, education and infrastructure during his next term.

With Putin's most vocal opponent Alexei Navalny barred from running for legal reasons, the outcome of the weekend election was never in doubt, and most of the suspense lay in how many people would turn out to vote.

The Kremlin pushed for high participation to give greater legitimacy to a fourth term for Putin, who is already Russia's longest-serving leader since Joseph Stalin.

But Navalny called on supporters to boycott the vote and sent out more than 30,000 monitors to voting stations.

Navalny's movement and the non-governmental election monitor Golos reported ballot stuffing, repeat voting and Putin supporters being bussed into polling stations en masse.

Fewer irregularities were reported than in previous years, however. An OSCE observer mission said that although the election was marred by a lack of "genuine competition", it was generally well conducted.

Authorities used both the carrot and the stick to boost engagement in the polls.

Selfie competitions, giveaways, food festivals and children's entertainers were laid on at polling stations to entice voters.

But employees at state and private companies, as well as students, said they had come under other pressure to vote.

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Vladimir Putin today faced another six years in power after a record win in Russia's presidential election, but congratulations from abroad were largely muted after opponents accused him of rigging the vote and Moscow's relations with the West worsened.

Putin, who has ruled Russia for almost two decades, recorded his best ever election performance with 76.66 percent of the vote but rejected the possibility of staying in power indefinitely.

Opposition and independent monitors reported ballot stuffing and other cases of alleged fraud as the Kremlin pushed for a high turnout to give greater legitimacy to Putin's historic fourth term.

But Putin's supporters said Western pressure on Putin including Britain's accusations in a spy row and the Olympic doping ban prompted Russians to close ranks behind their leader.

Putin, who is now set to extend his rule until at least 2024 and is already Russia's longest-serving leader since Joseph Stalin, appeared to rule out remaining president for life.

"What, am I going to sit here until I am 100 years old? No," he told reporters Sunday night when asked if he saw himself running for president again in 2030.

The Russian strongman ran against seven candidates, but his most vocal opponent Alexei Navalny was barred from the ballot for legal reasons and the final outcome was never in doubt.

"I see in this (result) the confidence and hope of our people," a beaming Putin told supporters on a square next to the Kremlin Sunday night.

Putin's campaign spokesman Andrei Kondrashov said that at more than 67 percent, turnout was 8 to 10 percentage points higher than expected "thanks to Britain."



"Several foreign leaders -- I won't say their names -- made their contribution," said head of the Central Election Commission Ella Pamfilova.

"Our people always unite in the trying hour."



Putin received more than 92 percent of the vote in Crimea, annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Most of the voters AFP spoke to said they had backed Putin despite Russia's problems of poverty and poor healthcare, praising his foreign policies.

Moscow faces increasing global isolation over its interventions in Ukraine and in Syria, and a fresh round of US sanctions over alleged Russian election meddling in 2016.

In the run up to the vote, a new crisis broke out with the West as Britain implicated Putin in the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal in England with a Soviet-designed nerve agent.

Authorities used both the carrot and the stick to boost engagement in the polls.

Selfie competitions, giveaways, food festivals and children's entertainers were laid on at polling stations to entice voters.

But employees of state and private companies, as well as students, reported coming under pressure to vote.

During campaigning, Putin, a 65-year-old former KGB officer, stressed Russia's role as a major world power, boasting of its "invincible" new nuclear weapons.

Analysts said Putin used tensions with the West to rally support and suggested that armed with a strong new mandate, he could push through further punitive measures against dissenters.

"He wants to show that there is a little bit of Putin in every Russian, that he plays the Russian soul like a guitar," said political analyst Konstantin Kalachev.

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Private fuel retailers like Rosneft-owned Essar Oil and Reliance Industries have doubled their market share in last three years, capturing close to 7 per cent of petrol sales and over 8 per cent of diesel sales.

Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in a written reply to a question put to him in the Lok Sabha, said private were allowed to sell petrol and diesel in March 2002. From April 2002, fuel pricing was also deregulated.

Consequently, Reliance, Essar and Shell set up petrol pumps to directly compete with public sector giants like Indian Oil Corp (IOC). In the initial years, private firms were aggressive in setting up of petrol pumps. However, they slowed down once government control over pricing came back in vogue in 2004-05, and they couldn't compete with subsidised fuel sold by PSUs.

The government freed petrol price from its control in June 2010 and the same for diesel was done in October 2014, giving fillip to fuel retailing by private firms.

Pradhan said private players had a market share of 3.5 per cent in petrol sales and 3.1 per cent in diesel in 2015-16. This rose to 5.3 per cent in petrol and 6 per cent in diesel in the following year.

In 2017-18, private retailers commanded 6.8 per cent market share in petrol sales and 8.2 per cent in diesel, he said.

Private retailers sold 5.18 million tonnes of diesel in 2017-18, up from 1.19 million tonnes in 2015-16, he said. Public sector oil marketing - IOC, Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL), saw diesel sales drop from 61.76 million tonnes in 2015-16 to 58.29 million tonnes in 2017-18.

During this period, India's fuel consumption grew by an average of 3-4 per cent annually.

Pradhan said, in petrol, PSU sales rose from 20.95 million tonnes in 2015-16 to 22.39 million tonnes in the following year before dropping to 21.99 million tonnes in 2017-18. Private retailers, on the other hand, saw petrol sales double - from 767,900 tonnes in 2015-16 to 1.59 million tonnes in 2017-18.

India had 61,678 petrol pumps as of January. IOC operates the maximum 26,752 pumps, HPCL has 14,853 and BPCL 14,293 pumps.

In the private sector, Essar had 4,275 petrol pumps while Reliance had 1,400 retail outlets. Shell operates 100 petrol pumps.

In 2016-17, India's fuel consumption rose 5.4 per cent to 194.6 million tonnes. Diesel at 76 million tonnes is the most consumed fuel, accounting for close to 40 per cent of all petrol products used in the country.
The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, an erstwhile constituent of the BJP-led NDA, today announced that it would work with the Congress on issues concerning farmers, hinting at a possible electoral alliance ahead of the 2019 general election.

A day after the Congress declared that it would focus on agrarian issues, the Maharashtra-based party's leader and MP Raju Shetti met Congress president Rahul Gandhi here earlier in the day to invite him for a convention of farmers to be held on March 29.

Shetti, however, maintained the parties would work together on farmers' issues and that a decision on any electoral alliance would be taken following discussions.

Congress general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra, Mohan Prakash, and the party's state unit chief, Ashok Chavan, were also present in the meeting.

"Shetti met Rahul ji earlier in the day. The Congress plenary declared a special focus on agrarian issues. That appealed Shetti ji. We will be working together on the issues in Maharashtra. It can be considered as pre-poll alliance in the state," Mohan Prakash said. Chavan seconded him.

"The agrarian crisis is deepening across the country. Shetti has been working on the issues and shares his views over the issues with that of the Congress," Chavan said.

Asked if the tie-up amounted to electoral alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly polls scheduled for next year, Chavan said, "We will hold meetings to discuss that. But there are positive signs."



Shetti said he invited Gandhi for the convention of farmers.

Shetti spoke to reporters in the presence of Chavan and Mohan Prakash at AICC here.

"As far as the electoral alliance with Congress is concerned, our party will discuss it first. So far, we have decided to work jointly on farmers' issues," he added.

The Congress yesterday made several promises to farmers including waiving of loans as the UPA government led by it had done writing off around Rs 70,000 worth debt. Gandhi also announced setting up network of food parks across the country.

The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana had quit the NDA in August last year.

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Slamming Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his speech at the Congress plenary, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today said rampant lies have become the hallmark of the new Congress president.

Gandhi, who became party president in December, said yesterday that the BJP, like the Kauravas, fought for power, while his party, on the lines of the Pandavas, battled for truth. He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of symbolising crony capitalism and called BJP president Amit Shah a "murder accused".

Rampant lies, falsehood, and shameful parading of lies have become the hallmark of the new Congress president Mr Rahul Gandhi. We thought after becoming president, he will be a little modest," Prasad told reporters outside Parliament.

The senior BJP leader and law and justice minister also questioned Gandhi's "arrogance" after getting a "zero in Nagaland and Tripura assembly polls and losing deposit in Phulpur and Gorakhpur".

"In the last 10 years of the UPA government, so many landmines were left behind by the previous government. They keep on blasting and they are now asking us questions? he said in a reference to corruption scams.

The volley of criticism following Gandhi's speech began yesterday with Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying that the party which questioned the "fundamental existence" of Lord Ram wanted to now identify itself with the Pandavas.

Sitharaman had said it was astonishing that the Congress president chose to make allegations against the BJP chief even though he has been cleared by a court.

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The LDF government's decision to reopen closed liquor outlets had its echo in the assembly today with the opposition Congress-led UDF accusing it of 'unholy alliance' with bar owners and staging a walkout.

The CPI-M-headed government, on the basis of a recent Supreme Court verdict, had issued an order allowing reopening of liquor outlets, bars, beer and wine parlours in panchayats with a population of 10,000 from April 2.

The opposition members alleged that the left government, which came to power promising to encourage abstinence, was now trying to allow free flow of alcohol in the state under the cover of the apex court order.

However, Excise Minister T P Ramakrishnan rejected thecharges and maintained that no new liquor outlets, beer and wine parlours would be opened in the state.

The government's hands were "clean" in the matter and it was prepared to hold discussions with anyone, he said.

"We are only trying to implement the supreme court order. It was not Kerala but Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal which had approached the court over the matter," the minister said.

"We have only submitted an affidavit as per the apex court's directive," he said.

The LDF government was committed to encouraging abstinence among the public and taking stringent steps against drug abuse, the minister said.

'Vimukthi', the awareness programme against alcoholism and drug abuse, would be expanded to achieve the target, he added.

Seeking notice for adjournment motion, K C Joseph (Congress) said the LDF government's decision to reopen closed liquor outlets would have far reaching consequences and would "destroy" the coming generations.

"The LDF government had submitted the affidavit in the supreme court to help bar owners. There is corruption and unholy alliance between liquor barons and those in power," he said.

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said the LDF was trying to reopen all the bars, closed by the previous UDF government, under the garb of the apex court's order.

He alleged that, in the court, the state government had taken a favourable stand to get more bars opened.

Though the minister claimed that no new bars or liquor outlets would be opened in the state, five outlets had been given bar license by the government, he alleged.

The opposition later staged a walkout after Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan disallowed the motion.

The government's decision to reopen closed liquor outlets has triggered widespread protests in the state.

The Catholic Church has described it "anti-people".

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marketing manager of a Mumbai based jwellery shop was looted by car borne robbers, who were in police uniform, late last night in Sahibabad area. Police said.

City superintendent Akash Tomar told that Rohit Jain marketing manager of Union Jwellers and gems private limited of Mumbai yesterday reached Delhi and had a stay in a hotel. In the afternoon around 1.00 pm he along with his local associate Krishna left for Meerut in car, drove by Rama sheesh to deliver ornaments and show some samples of jwellery to bullion traders.

In the evening around 8.30 pm they left Meerut for Delhi, in the way they stopped their vehicle for dinner at a road side eatery after having food when they reached near Sahibabad railway station cut, an Alto car overtook and waylaid their vehicle. Two persons in police attire alight from car and on the pretext of checking they entered inside the vehicle and forced the driver to drive as per their instructions.

The victim Rohit told the police that robbers who were in police uniform took them on gun point and threatened to shot dead them in encounter in case they will raise any alarm. They instructed the driver to chase Alto. After reaching on a service road behind Karan gate police post at Loni road, they snatched the bag containing gold around 10 kg.

The robbers left their 40,000 cash and mobile phones. The victims reached Sahibabad police station at around 1.00 am and narrated the robbery incident to the police officer present on duty. Upon getting information higher officials reached and interrogated about the loot case.

Teams of Crime branch and Special operation group have been deputed to work out the robbery. Officer added.

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The Supreme Court today admitted for hearing an appeal against the acquittal of dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar in the 2008 twin murder case of their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj.

The plea was filed by Khumkala Banjade, the wife of Hemraj.

A bench comprising justices Ranjan Gogoi and R Banumathi granted permission to file the special leave petitions and summoned the original case records from the trial court.

The dentist couple were acquitted by the Allahabad High Court in the twin murder case in October last year.

Banjade had filed an appeal on December 15 last year against the Talwars' acquittal in the case. Later, the CBI also filed an appeal against their acquittal in the case.

On February 9, retired special CBI judge Shyam Lal, who convicted Rajesh Talwar and Nupur Tawar in the case in 2013, had also moved the apex against the high court judgement seeking expunction of certain observations.

He had said that the criticism against him in the Allahabad High Court verdict was "disparaging" and "unwarranted".

On October 12 last year, the high court acquitted the couple, saying they could not be held guilty on the basis of the evidence on record.

The high court verdict further said that the trial judge took evidence and the circumstances of the case for granted and tried to solve it like a "mathematical puzzle when one solves a given question and then takes something for granted in order to solve that puzzle and question".

It had also said the point is that "the trial judge cannot act like a maths teacher who is solving a mathematical question by analogy after taking certain figure for granted".

The retired judge had said that the strictures passed against him were ultimately going to affect his reputation as an impartial and transparent judge and should be expunged.

The CBI court at Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh had sentenced the Talwars to life imprisonment on November 26, 2013 in connection with the case. Before the high court order, they were serving life sentences in Ghaziabad's Dasna jail.

Fourteen-year-old Aarushi was found dead inside her room in the Talwars' Noida residence with her throat slit in May 2008. The needle of suspicion had initially moved towards 45-year-old Hemraj, who had gone missing but his body was recovered from the terrace of the house two days later.

As the Uttar Pradesh Police drew flak over a shoddy probe into the case which was making national headlines, then chief minister Mayawati had recommended a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The case was handed over to the agency.

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The Supreme Court today stayed the trial of the Haryana mob lynching case in which 17-year-old Junaid Khan was stabbed to death on a train in June last year and agreed to examine his father's plea seeking a CBI probe into the incident.

The father of victim said that investigation by the Haryana police was so "manipulated" as to give it the shape of a conflict or a clash rather than a "sinister one-sided hate attack on helpless victims".

A bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and M M Shantanagoudar issued notice to the Centre, Haryana and the CBI on the plea and stayed the proceedings in the case before the Faridabad trial court till further orders.

Junaid, who had boarded a Mathura-bound train from Delhi on June 22 last year, was allegedly stabbed to death when the train was nearing Ballabgarh in Haryana. He was returning home to Khandawali village along with his brothers and cousins after shopping in Delhi for Eid. His body was dumped near Asaoti village in Faridabad district.

Junaid's father has challenged the Punjab and Haryana High Court's November 27 last year's order that had said there was no substance in the petition to indicate that the investigation was tainted or shoddy.

The high court had said that there appeared to be no "deliberate attempt" to derail the investigation in the matter and the case had no "national or international ramifications".

Senior advocate R S Cheema and advocate Tarannum Cheema, appearing for Jalalludin, said the investigating agency has carried out a "seemingly casual" and "shoddy investigation" in the matter.

R S Cheema alleged that the power and functions of investigation "have been subverted in a calculated manner" to protect the accused by accusing them only of bailable offences.

"As a result, four of the accused have been granted bail by the trial court. The accused were not booked by the investigating agency for hate crime offences, which is evident from the sequence of events. Major offences of murder and attempt to murder was slapped on only one accused," R S Cheema said.

He said the accused were not booked for section 153A, 153B (promoting enmity between groups) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of IPC as prior sanction has to be given by the state government.

Cheema said the probe agency deliberately acted with "undue haste" because the crime had "attracted huge nationwide outcry" and the investigation was so managed as to "minimise the damage to the marauders and to ensure that most of them are released on bail and face no serious trial at all".

"The true nature of the crime has been subjected to cover up. The conduct of the named accused and others as a lynching mob has been concealed. It has been projected as if the occurrence/events were sudden, without any element of perpetrators having been acted as in conspiracy or as an unlawful assembly," the victim's father plea said.

It said that the "maximum artistry" and manipulation was made to weaken the statements of witnesses on the point of identity of various accused on their real role and their having acted in concert.

"That close association of assailants with each other as daily passengers or as villagers or otherwise was strictly held back so as to cover up the involvement of an unlawful assembly and to ensure that the element of conspiracy behind the crime does not come to the surface," the plea said.

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The Supreme Court today admitted an appeal against the acquittal of dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar in the 2008 twin murder case of their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj.

The plea was filed by Khumkala Banjade, the wife of Hemraj.

A bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi issued notice to the dentist couple, who were acquitted by the Allahabad High Court in the twin murder case in October last year.

Banjade had filed an appeal in December last year against the Talwars acquittal in the case.

Later, the CBI also filed an appeal against the acquittal of Talwars in the case.

On October 12 last year, the high court acquitted the couple saying they could not be held guilty on the basis of the evidence on record.

A CBI court at Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh had sentenced the Talwars to life imprisonment on November 26, 2013 in connection with the case.

Before the high court order, Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were serving life sentences in Ghaziabad's Dasna jail.

Fourteen-year-old Aarushi was found dead inside her room in the Talwars' Noida residence with her throat slit in May 2008. The needle of suspicion had initially moved towards 45- year-old Hemraj, who had gone missing but his body was recovered from the terrace of the house two days later.

As the Uttar Pradesh Police drew flak over a shoddy probe into the case which was making national headlines, then chief minister Mayawati had recommended a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The case was handed over to the CBI.

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The Supreme Court on Monday refused to pass any interim order on a plea filed by two Rohingya refugees to ensure health and educational facilities for them.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud was told by the Centre that there was no discrimination in granting health and educational facilities to Indians and outsiders.

"We will not pass any interim order with regard to ensuring health and educational facilities for Rohingya refugees unless petitioners bring some material contradicting the claims of the Centre," the bench said.

Earlier in the day, the apex court had directed the Centre to file a "comprehensive status report" giving details of conditions in Rohingya refugee camps in various states.

The apex court had on March 7 sought the Centre's response on a plea of two Rohingya refugees  Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir  seeking education and healthcare on the lines of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who are given such facilities in Tamil Nadu.

However, the Centre in its affidavit had opposed the plea saying that the comparison with Sri Lankan refugees was "ill-founded and misconceived".

It said certain relief facilities to the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees had its genesis in the Indo-Ceylon Agreement of 1964.

The Rohingya refugees have sought permission to enter India, besides education and health care facilities and grant of refugee ID cards by the Foreigner Regional Registration Office.

They had earlier approached the apex court opposing the Centre's decision to deport over 40,000 refugees who came to India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination and violence against the community.

Various other pleas, including those by former RSS ideologue and Rashtriya Swabhiman Andolan leader K N Govindacharya, the CPI(M) youth wing Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the West Bengal child rights body have been filed in the apex court on the matter.

The court had suggested to the Centre not to deport these refugees, but the Centre had urged that it should not be written in the order as anything coming on record would have international ramifications.

The Rohingya people, who fled to India after violence in the Western Rakhine State of Myanmar, are settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.
The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Centre's response on a plea seeking a CBI probe into the Ballabhgarh mob lynching case in which 17-year-old Junaid Khan was stabbed to death on a train in June last year.

A bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and M M Shantanagoudar also stayed the trial in the case till further orders.

Junaid's father has challenged the Punjab and Haryana High Court's November 27 last year order, refusing a CBI probe into the matter, and sought that the accused be booked under offences of hate crimes.

Junaid's father Jalaluddin, through his counsel, had filed the petition on October 26 last year in the high court, seeking a probe by an independent agency like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the

He had also demanded a stay on the trial in a Faridabad court in connection with the killing of Junaid.

Junaid, who had boarded a Mathura-bound train from Delhi, was allegedly stabbed to death when he, along with his brothers and cousins, was returning home to Khandawali village after shopping for Eid in Delhi in June.

His body was dumped near Asaoti village in Faridabad district.

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Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, today alleged that a Shiv Sena worker committed suicide while blaming his extreme step on demonetisation and GST.

The senior Congress leader raised the issue in the Lower House and targeted the Uddhav Thackeray-led party while asking why it was still supporting the NDA government even after the alleged suicide of its worker over the Centre's policies.

"Rahul Phalake, a Shiv Sena worker from Karad tehsil of Satara district, committed suicide on March 16. Phalake, in his last post on social media, has elaborated his reasons and put the blame on demonetisation and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST)," Vikhe-Patil said.

"Both the decisions were imposed by the Union government and today, some opposition parties have moved a no-confidence motion against the BJP-led NDA (government)," he said.

Why is the Shiv Sena still supporting the BJP when one of its party workers has been a victim of such decisions? Vikhe Patil asked.

The Shiv Sena is an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

Responding to it, Sunil Prabhu (of the Shiv Sena) said his party will support the no-confidence motion only if it is in the interest of the nation.

"The no confidence motion is moved by the TDP, but it has been moved over the demand of special status for Andhra Pradesh. Bihar had demanded it, but it got nothing. The Sena will not support such a motion, just because one state's demands are not addressed," Prabhu said.

"The Sena will support a no-confidence motion if it is in the interest of nation, but certainly not any politically motivated motion," he said.

Ending its four-year-old alliance with the BJP, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had on March 16 pulled out of the NDA over the Centre's refusal to grant Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh and simultaneously moved a no-trust motion in Parliament.

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Senior journalist Sunil Sharma today succumbed to a heart attack. He was 49.

Sharma was working as the bureau chief of Hindi daily 'Divya Himachal'.

He is survived by his wife and daughter.

Union Health and Family Welfare minister J.P Nadda, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and a large number of dignitaries conveyed their condolences to the bereaved family members.

The chief minister said Sharma was a committed journalist who always maintained the ethics of journalism.

Governor Acharya Devvrat also expressed shock over the untimely death of the journalist.

Former chief ministers Shanta and Prem Kumar Dhumal, state BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti, cabinet ministers, HPCC chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukkhu and other leaders also mourned the death of the media personality.

The body was taken to the journalist's native place at Bilaspur, where he would be cremated tomorrow, family members said.

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A 40-year-old shopkeeper was allegedly killed over a petty dispute last night on the occasion of 'Gudi Padwa' in Kalyan township of the district, police said today.

The Thane police today arrested five people, including two autorickshaw drivers, their wives and a relative, in connection with the killing, as per the FIR lodged at the Kolsewadi police station in Kalyan.

According to the police, the autorickshaw drivers were neighbours of the victim at a chawl on Haji Malang road in Kalyan. They used to park their three-wheelers in front of the chawl's main entrance, causing inconvenience to other residents.

The victim, who used to run a stationery shop, yesterday asked the two autorickshaw drivers, who had again parked their vehicles in front of the chawl, to move their three-wheelers from there.

This enraged the autorickshaw drivers, who then allegedly caught hold of the shopkeeper and beat him up severely, banged his head on a window grill and also tried to throttle him. When the victim's wife tried to intervene, the accused thrashed her also, said the FIR.

The severely injured shopkeeper was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, the police said.

Based on the complaint of the victim's wife, the police lodged an FIR and arrested the five accused in the wee hours today.

The accused were booked under IPC sections pertaining to murder, voluntarily causing hurt, unlawful assembly and rioting, the police added.

The incident happened on 'Gudi Padwa', which was celebrated yesterday by Maharashtrians to welcome the Hindu New Year, by putting up colourful gudis at their houses.

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A Sikh body here today demanded a fresh probe into the Chittisinghpora massacre in Kashmir in which 35 Sikhs were allegedly killed by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants.

"We urge both the state and central governments to go for fresh probe into the killings of Sikhs (at Chittinsinghpora on March 20, 2000)," All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina said in a statement here.

Raina said although 18 years have passed since the massacre, no headway had been made in the case. The delay in justice has led to disillusionment among the members of Sikh community, he added.

A total of 50 people were killed in the Chittisinghpora episode. It is important that justice is delivered to the victim families, Raina said.

He said since the locals countered the claims of the government that it security forces killed five militants involved in the killing of 35 Sikhs, it was imperative that the whole incident be probed so that culprits were brought to book and justice delivered to the affected families.

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Karuturi Global, the world's largest producer of cut roses, said today that Singapore-based Phoenix Group has invested in the company that will it help repay debt and revive the Kenya operations.

It did not disclose the investment amount.

"Phoenix Group's investment means the firm can repay its debts as obligated by the High Court of Kenya in a week or less," Karuturi Global CEO Ram Karuturi said in a BSE filing.

As per the January order of the the court, Karuturi was obligated to repay debt and redeem the farm in the next 90 days, he said.

"The investment comprising of a blend of debt and equity is expected to help Karuturi meet its current debt obligations and leapfrog it towards restarting its operations following the conclusion of a four-year receivership in Kenya," he added.

Karuturi's Naivasha farm in Kenya has 500 acres of land with 300 acres of greenhouses valued at over USD 100 million. The farm produces about 33 million roses annually for export to Europe accounting for about 10 per cent of Kenya's exports of cut flowers.

The CEO said the company will re-employ ex-employees and re-establish all social benefits.

"The investment is timely," Phoenix Group Executive Chairman Gaurav Dhawan said, adding that the company is keen to contribute to the revival of Karuturi.

"We are excited to contribute to the revival of Karuturi thereby enabling 2,200 strong workforce of largely women and youth to come back to work. We only await certain clarifications from the court to initiate the process," Dhawan said.

Karuturi, based in Bengaluru, also has floriculture farming in India and Ethopia besides food processing, retailing and IT. Phoenix operates 10 business verticals in 22 countries.

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Sony India today announced the appointment of Sunil Nayyar as its Managing Director (MD) in place of Kenichiro Hibi, who will move to head the Japanese consumer electronics giant's operations in Brazil, from April 1.

Hibi, who was MD of Sony India from 2012 till 2018, has now been appointed as President for Sony Brazil, effective April 1, 2018.

"The change of guard marks a historic milestone, with Nayyar being the first Indian to be appointed as Managing Director for Sony India. In this new role, Nayyar will be responsible for spearheading the overall growth and profitability of the company within the region, by driving an integrated business and marketing strategy and directing excellence in market performance across all categories," Sony India said in a statement.

At present, Nayyar holds the position in Sony North America as head of Retail Experience. Prior to this, he was Sales Head from April 2006 till April 2015.

Nayyar started his stint at Sony in 1995 as part of Sony Gulf's sales team in charge of North and East Africa, Russia, Lebanon, Syria and various other GCC Countries.

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President Donald Trump's South Asia strategy is moving in the right direction despite the challenge posed by Pakistan, the White House said today, ruling out any changes in the policy at least till it completes a year of its implementation.

"Despite the lack of progress that we've had on the sanctuary issue inside Pakistan, we do believe that the overall South Asia strategy is moving in the right direction," said a senior administration official on latest development in the region and an update on the South Asia policy.

The policy announced by Trump last August, the official said has bolstered the confidence of the US' Afghan partners.

"The additional military resources and authorities, particularly the more intensive air campaign has had an impact on the battlefield, removing enemy fighters and preventing them from being able to amass in large numbers, and thereby threaten provincial centres," the official said.

"However, unfortunately, the Taliban has resorted to these mass casualty attacks targeting Afghan civilians. And I think these shameful attacks demonstrate how barbaric Taliban is and it only hardens our resolve to support our African partners," the official said on condition of anonymity.

The ultimate objective is to set the conditions for a peace settlement to end the war. But at this stage, I think it seems clear that everyone's ready for peace talks except the Taliban," the official said.

Reiterating that the ball is in the Taliban court, the official said the Taliban needs to be willing to give up violence and become involved in a peace process and talk directly to the Afghan government.

"This is Afghan-owned, Afghan-initiated process. We are interested in seeing the Taliban talk directly to the Afghan government. We're not interested in talking to the Taliban directly. We are not going to have a separate piece so to speak," the official said.

"The Trump administration is going to support the Afghan government in what they are trying to do in terms of next steps we have to see. I think that the battlefield conditions deny the Taliban the prospect of military victory and they will see the appeal of this open door that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and the Afghan people have proposed," he said.

"We would like to see peace talks, but we are certainly not desperate yet. We don't have the timelines for withdrawal like the previous administration. This administration been very clear that our strategy is driven by conditions on the ground," he said.

Asserting that the South Asia Policy is a comprehensive strategy not a military strategy alone, the official said clearly the military has been given a free hand in meeting the challenge posed by the terrorists but there is a clear interest in the political track, the lead for which is being taken by the Afghan government.

President Ghani has shown that he is serious and he's willing to engage the Taliban, he said.

"If there is no response, then we have to explore other ways to deny the Taliban the ability to achieve a military victory and to convince those reconciled with those who might be willing to enter into a legitimate political process. They are certainly welcome and there will be a process for them to do so," the official said.

"If there are Taliban who are interested in coming to an accommodation with the Afghan government, there certainly be a path towards that. The Afghan government has shown that it can and is willing to find a way to accommodate people who are willing to give up violence and become part of the process," he said.

Responding to a question, the official ruled out changing the South Asia strategy at this point.

"We need to give the strategy a little bit more time. We have seen some signs that we're moving in the right direction. We eroded the Taliban's ability to achieve on the battlefield what they hope to achieve last year. We will do the same this year," the official said.

"But I don't think that we can judge the efficacy of the strategy right now. We should give it more time. It deserves more time. All that said, we're constantly evaluating the policy, and doing adjustments here or there to the strategy," he said.

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Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar today adviced Raj Thackeray not to punch above his weight, a day after the MNS chief called for a "Narendra Modi-mukt Bharat" while addressing a party rally here.

"The Maharashtra Assembly is already free of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) as it has only one MLA of that party, who has almost become a part of the BJP," Shelar told reporters outside the Legislative Assembly.

Addressing the annual Gudhi Padwa (Maharashtrian new year) rally of the MNS in central Mumbai, Thackeray had appealed to all parties to unite to ensure that the country becomes "free" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Taking a dig at Thackeray, whose party is battling for political survival in the state, Shelar said the corporators who had won the Mumbai civic polls last year on the MNS ticket had already left the party.

"I think he has taken too much liberty to make 'Modi-Mukta Bharat' appeal. He should speak what suits his stature," said Shelar.

A few months back, six out of the seven corporators of the MNS had defected and joined its arch rival Shiv Sena in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

In an apparent reference to Thackeray visiting NCP chief Sharad Pawar at the latter's residence here in south Mumbai a day ahead of the rally, Shelar said the MNS chief seems to be under the influence of the Maratha veteran now.

"Earlier, Raj Thackeray's speeches used to have some influence of Shiv Sena supremo late Balasaheb Thackeray, but of late it looks like they have the influence of Pawar. The way people are leaving Raj Thackeray, I don't think anybody in Maharashtra believes him," said the BJP leader.

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Khasi language was used for the first time in the Meghalaya Assembly today by two opposition MLAs, who had opposed Governor Ganga Prasad's address in Hindi during the opening of the budget session.

Khasi and Garo along with English are associate official languages for use in the state assembly, but English has always been the preferred choice of legislators as it is most widely understood among the two.

Speaker Donkupar Roy today permitted the opposition legislators to speak in their mother tongue Khasi, but some ruling party MLAs expressed concern over it.

Congress MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) legislator Adelbert Nongrum sought the speaker's permission to speak in Khasi.

Roy allowed the MLAs to move ahead with a condition that English translation of their speeches be distributed to the members of the House.

The Congress MLA had staged a walkout from the assembly on Friday last after the governor's address in Hindi and had threatened to speak in Khasi in the House.

After her deliberation in Khasi, KHNAM legislator Adelbert Nongrum too participated in the debate in Khasi.

Though the translated version of the opposition MLAs' speeches were provided to all members in the House, other members specially from the ruling National People's Party expressed concern over it following the governor's address in Hindi.

NCP legislator Saleng A Sangma said, "It is sad on my part to see that we are having differences in the House and this is not healthy. I can see that the brotherhood is moving away from us."



Hill State People Democratic Party (HSPDP) legislator Renikton Lyngdoh urged the members not to be "emotional" just because the governor addressed the non-Hindi members in Hindi.

"The governor was not comfortable speaking in English (and spoke in Hindi). Let us not get emotional because it is unfortunate if we are trying to minimise the dignity of the House. Let us communicate in the language we all understand (English)," he said.

Pointing out at Ampareen Lyngdoh, who has been a minister for the past 10 years with rich experience, the HSPDP MLA said, "It will be a great loss to the House if she continues to speak in Khasi."



Later, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma told journalists that those comfortable speaking in English should continue to speak in that language as it is more healthy for the working of the House.

Roy told PTI, "This is the first time that Khasi or any other official language of the state other than English has been used during Assembly proceeding."



He also said that the governor had addressed the house on Friday, the first day of the budget session in Hindi and a translation of it was circulated among the members. "That was also a first but the governor was more comfortable in Hindi and preferred to use it."



Asked to comment, Ampareen Lyngdoh said that it was a privilege for her to be able to speak in Khasi in the floor of the House.

"This is one step closer to ensure inclusion of Khasi language in the eighth schedule to the Constitution," she said.

Khasi is spoken by most of the 1.6 million tribals in Meghalaya. The language is also spoken by a large number of people in the hill districts of Assam bordering Meghalaya and by a sizeable population of Bangladesh.

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A police constable on patrolling duty was killed and another personnel critically injured when a speeding truck mowed them down in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district, a police official said today.

The truck driver, who was found to be driving under the influence of alcohol, has been arrested, he said.

The two policemen, posted at the Kharsia police station in the district, were on routine patrolling when suddenly the speeding truck hit them yesterday on Raigarh-Urdana road, he said.

"Constable Kaushal Rathiya (40) died on the spot while the other policeman sustained serious injuries in the accident," the official at the Kharsia police station said.

The injured constable was admitted in a private hospital where his condition was said be to be critical, he said.

The truck driver, who fled the spot along with his vehicle which was carrying bamboo, was later apprehended while he was going towards Dabhra in Janjgir-Champa district, he said.

"The driver was sent for a medical examination which ascertained that he had consumed liquor. His truck has been seized," the official said.

The driver, hailing from Palamu in Jharkhand, was booked under relevant sections for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and rash driving, he said, adding that a probe was on into the incident.

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The redevelopment of existing slums and MHADA buildings will soon be brought under the regulations of the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority, state Housing Development Minister Prakash Mehta said today.

He was replying in the Legislative Assembly to a calling attention motion by BJP MLA from Dharavi, R Tamil Selvan.

Dharavi is dominated by slum clusters and has several buildings that have been constructed by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA).

As per rules, slums are redeveloped by builders under SRA guidelines and comprise a saleable portion, for fresh buyers, apart from homes meant for rehabilitating slumdwellers.

"This decision will impact the lives of at least 50-55 per cent of the population of Mumbai. Almost 41 per cent people live in slums as per the 2011 census. There are also 104 major colonies of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) in the city," a senior housing department official said.

Both these segments would come under the state's RERA once the executive order, with necessary changes to the rules, is passed by the government, he informed.

"Earlier, RERA rules were not applicable to the construction of buildings which are meant for rehabilitation. However, if the houses meant for rehabilitation and those for fresh sales are in the same building, then RERA regulations would apply. Now RERA rules will apply to SRA buildings meant for rehabilitation," he explained.

The official said that as per the 2011 Census, the population of Mumbai was 1,24,42,373 of which 52,06,470 lived in 11,35,514 slum tenements.

The slum segment, he said, comprised 41.84 per cent of the city.

"There are 104 colonies of MHADA in Mumbai of which 56 are large ones with several buildings. Both these segments will now come under RERA. It will streamline the development of buildings and protect the rights of the flat owners," the official said.

Earlier, speaking in the House, MLA Selvan said that builders who undertook work under SRA were found to be selling their projects to other builders.

"The new builder either develops it or, after some time, sells it to another builder. This benefits the builder but the rights of flat owners are violated," Selvan said.

Mehta replied, "It is true that builders start a project and disappear after some time. Once RERA is applicable to rehab projects of SRA and MHADA, builders will have to get bank guarantees and other assurances. They cannot exit the project midway."



Minister of State for Housing Ravindra Waikar, while responding to a query by Mumbadevi MLA Amin Patel, said that the government would bring in more transparency into the system.

"We will also hold a joint meeting of 126 SRAs in the Dharavi area along with other MLAs from Mumbai to find an amicable solution," Waikar said.

He assured the House that an office of the RERA would be set up in neighbouring Thane to address issues faced by residents there.

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Attorneys for embattled casino mogul Steve Wynn say in court documents that he brokered a settlement with a second woman who accused him of sexual misconduct more than a decade ago.

The documents received earlier this month in state court in Las Vegas say Wynn recently went to the FBI to accuse the woman of trying to extort him by threatening to go public with details from the 2006 settlement.

Lawyer Lisa Bloom, who represents the woman, says her client denies the extortion allegations. The Associated Press generally doesn't name people who say they are victims of sexual misconduct.

Wynn resigned as chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts last month amid allegations from several women that he denied. The FBI declined to confirm today whether it has investigated.

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Sugar mills in the country wanted withdrawal of export duty and provision for a subsidy component to increase export of the commodity as per the Centre's expectations, according to Dilip Walse Patil who heads an apex organisation of the sugar industry.

"The National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Limited (NFCSFL) has already raised its demands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis," said Walse Patil.

He said though the Union government wanted mills to export around 20 lakh tonnes of sugar, the prices of the commodity in the international market are very low.

"If we export sugar at the current prices, mills will incur losses to the tune of Rs 700 to Rs 800 per quintal, making it difficult for the mills to make mandatory payment towards procurement of sugarcane," said Walse Patil, a senior NCP leader from western Maharashtra, who runs a sugar mill in Pune district.

He said the current ex-mill rate for a sack of sugar at Rs 2,850 per quintal is very low.

"We were expecting sugar prices to be more than Rs 3,500 per quintal. If we have to export as per the current prices, there will be a shortfall of Rs 700 to Rs 800 per quintal. Hence, mills need the support of a subsidy to export 20 lakh tonnes of sugar from India as per the Centre's expectations," said the former minister.

He said India produces 290 lakh tonnes of sugar on an average against the annual consumption of 255 lakh tonnes, which meant that a sizable amount of sugar remains unsold every year.

Walse Patil said the mills demanded to fix price of sugar under section 3(c) of the Essential Commodities Act, which will take care of some financial burden of mills to make the payment to sugarcane cultivators.

He said the sugar millers have also demanded that Union Petroleum Ministry encourage production of fuel ethanol, which is currently mixed with petrol.

"The current percentage for mixing (Ethanol) is fixed at 5%, which should be revised so that mills can produce more ethanol and earn better. This could help in meeting the gap created due to export of sugar at lower rates," he said.

According to him, the earlier sugar production estimate in the current season (2017-18) has gone wrong whereas the actual production is set to be 16 per cent higher.

"The increased sugar production is as high as 24.20 lakh tonnes. It means that the sugar production is going to be as high as 290 lakh tonnes. The mills also quoted the state Cooperation department's forecast of the sugar production touching 30 lakh tonnes in 2018-19.

"If lakhs of tonnes of sugar remained unsold in the current season, it will be very difficult for mill owners to even procure sugarcane from the farmers," said Walse Patil.

Generally, sugarcane plantation is carried out from November to January and the crop is harvested in November next year.

He predicted a 85 lakh tonne excess sugar production in Maharashtra in the current season.

"The government should take some steps on sugar export to reduce the burden on millers," he demanded.

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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today met Nepal's Industry, Commerce and Supplies Minister Matrika Yadav and discussed ways to take forward trade, commerce and developmental partnership.

"Neighbourhood first! EAM @SushmaSwaraj met with Nepal's Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Matrika Yadav. Leaders discussed ways to take our trade, commerce and developmental partnership forward," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

According to the MEA, India accounts for over two-third of Nepal's merchandise trade, about one-third of trade in services, 46 per cent of foreign direct investments, almost 100 per cent of petroleum supplies and a significant share of inward remittance on account of pensioners and workers.

Last week, Swaraj made a phone call to congratulate her newly-appointed counterpart Pradeep Gyawali and extended him an invitation to visit India.

In her congratulatory letter, she expressed confidence that India-Nepal partnership would be further strengthened during his tenure.

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Sweden said today it had summoned Russia's ambassador for talks after Moscow suggested the Scandinavian country may have produced a deadly nerve agent to poison a former Russian spy in Britain.

Foreign ministry spokesman Per Enerud confirmed media reports that the ambassador had been summoned to a meeting to take place at the ministry on Tuesday, prompted by the allegation.

"Yes that is correct," he told AFP.

The Kremlin made the accusation after denying allegations by London and allies that it was behind the March 4 attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury.

"The most likely source of this chemical attack are the countries that, since the end of the 1990s -- and currently still -- have been carrying out intense research on the substances from the 'Novichok' programme," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Saturday.

"These countries are Britain, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Sweden. The question should also be raised regarding the United States."



Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom immediately denied the accusation on Twitter.

"Forcefully reject unacceptable and unfounded allegation by Russian MFA spokesperson that nerve agent used in Salisbury might originate in Sweden. Russia should answer UK questions instead," she wrote on Saturday.

Czech and Slovak officials have also rejected the allegation.

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A teacher was arrested today for alleged obscene behaviour, police said.

The of junior high school teacher in Madnapur area was arrested for allegedly acting obscenely in front of a 14-year-old Dalit girl, ASP Dinesh Tripathi said.

After the girl informed this to her family members, they reached the school with other villagers and caught the teacher and beat him, he added.

They later registered an FIR against the teacher who was arrested, the ASP said.

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Teachers in Odisha today threatened to boycott evaluation of matriculation (class 10) examination answer sheets alleging government apathy, even as the state government urged them to cooperate in the larger interest of the students.

Teachers under the banner of All Odisha School College Teachers and Employees United Forum staged dharna outside evaluation centres including Capital High School here accusing the state government of being apathetic towards them.

The agitating teachers alleged there was inordinate delay in publishing a notification on withdrawal of compulsory affidavit clause to avail grant-in-aid (GIA).

The forum also urged all teachers to skip the evaluation process slated to begin tomorrow.

General Secretary of Odisha Secondary School Teachers Association (OSSTA), Prakash Mohanty said the teachers had earlier put their stir on hold after the state government promised to look into their demands and grievances by March.

"However, no step has been taken by the government so far. Therefore, we have started agitation and have decided not to participate in matric answer paper evaluation process," said Mohanty.

School and Mass Minister Badri Narayan Patra requested the teachers to withdraw their agitation and claimed that the government is ready with a contingency plan if the teaches stick to their stand.

"We appeal to the teachers to cooperate in the matric answer paper evaluation process in the larger interest of the students. However, we are also ready with a contingency plan to deal with any situation," Patra said.

Meanwhile, the Board of Secondary (BSE) asserted that the evaluation of Matriculation examination answer papers will begin as scheduled from tomorrow.

"Notwithstanding the ongoing strike by some teachers, the evaluation of papers shall begin tomorrow," BSE examination controller Dr Nihar Ranjan Mohanty said in Cuttack.

He said the BSE had requisitioned the service of 13,200 teachers to evaluate the papers at 56 evaluation centers. Like every year, the BSE also has prepared a list of reserve teachers, taking them from other recognised schools for any exigencies.

"Since only about 4,000 teachers of our requisitioned teachers are on strike, we will replace them from our reserve list to join the exercise of evaluation at a short notice", Dr Mohanty said adding their reserved list has more teachers than the requisitioned list.

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Indian professionals from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states working in China have celebrated Ugadi under aegis of the newly-formed China Telugu Association (Chita).

About a hundred families in Beijing congregated at an Indian restaurant yesterday and celebrated the Telugu New Year Ugadi in traditional style.

This was the first time the festival was celebrated under the newly formed Chita which is comprised of software professionals, researches, media professionals and students working in various Chinese universities and academic institutions.

Similarly, the Shanghai Telugu Association too celebrated the event with over 100 people taking part, its organisers said.

With the steady rise of Indian professionals as well as businessmen, cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou already have Indian Associations. Beijing has a well-established Malayalee Association as well as Tamil Sangam.

These associations enable the Indian expats and their family members to congregate and celebrate festivals and cultural events.

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A real estate investment firm, which had partnered with the Trump Organisation on a project in India, has been accused by two other New York and London-based global investment companies of defrauding their foreign investors of at least USD 147 million, a media report said.

A report in The Washington Post said two firms - Children's Investment Fund Foundation, a charity of the British billionaire Christopher Hohn and Axon Partners, an equity firm run by former Goldman Sachs executive Dinakar Singh - invested nearly USD 300 million in the Indian real estate development company IREO.

The two firms filed a criminal complaint with New Delhi police last month alleging that the fund's Indian managing director, Lalit Goyal, co-founder Anurag Bhargava and others engaged in large-scale fraud by illegally siphoning off at least USD 147 million of investor money, the report said. They allege that the actual sum could approach USD 200 million.

The report added that police in New Delhi said they have received the complaint but declined to discuss the matter further.

Both firms declined to comment. While Goyal declined to comment on the allegations through an IREO spokeswoman, in a March 13 letter to IREO investors he wrote that as far as the allegation of fraud, diversion and misappropriation of funds is concerned, this is false, baseless and devoid of any merit.

The Trump Organisation did not return emails or telephone calls requesting comment on the criminal complaint, which does not refer to the organisation's partnership with IREO, the report said.

The report said that according to a 2017 letter to investors, Singh and Hohn were growing increasingly frustrated that IREO's managers seemed difficult to reach and had shown no indication that they were going to return investor money as scheduled, along with what they promised would be significant profits.

Legal proceedings were initiated in Mauritius where the funds are based.

After roughly 10 years, we estimate that investors have received distributions of only 250 million, while management has collected over USD 300 million in management fees, and to this day management does not have a plan for returning out capital before the end of various funds' lives, they wrote to investors in April 2017.

The Children's Investment Fund Foundation and Axon alleged in the criminal complaint that Goyal and others set up a fraudulent web of companies and entities and phony charges to divert more than USD 147 million into their own pockets. They alleged that a project in an undeveloped area in Rajasthan was nothing but a sham...to misappropriate about USD 62 million.

Donald Trump Jr had called IREO truly a fantastic group when the companies had announced collaboration on an office tower project in April 2016.

Trump Jr had visited India in February this year on a much-publicised tour to promote his family company's other Trump-branded towers in the cities of Pune, Mumbai and Kolkata, as well as new residential towers just a few miles away from the planned IREO office tower.

During the trip, Trump Jr told an Indian channel that his has five incredible deals that are all active, which would include IREO.

The IREO group of funds were founded by Goyal and Bhargava in 2004 to inject foreign capital in India's real estate market.

It now manages over USD 1.6 billion from sovereign wealth and university endowment funds, a portfolio of 1,485 acres in the Delhi area and in the state of Punjab, and 18 million square feet of commercial and residential projects in development, the Washington Post report said adding that Bhargava did not respond to telephone calls or emails requesting comment on the criminal complaint.

Goyal had said in an interview with The Post in early 2017 that the company first approached the Trump OrganiSation about partnering on a commercial real estate tower around 2013. The two parties had signed a licensing agreement in 2016 for the luxury office building that included use of the Trump name, technical assistance and a percentage of the lease income, Goyal said.

A former CEO of the company, Ramesh Sanka, alerted the investors to potential fraud. His statements and records form the basis of the investors' criminal complaint and as well as Sanka's own whistleblower complaints filed with police and the civil court in neighboring Gurgaon.

According to the report, in his March 13 letter to investors on behalf of IREO, Goyal said that the legal proceedings will discourage investors and buyers and are a needless and unwarranted distraction that will cause significant damage and harm to IREO at a sensitive time when it is in the midst of refinancing.

Addressing Sanka's charges in the letter to investors, Goyal said, We find the timing of his alleged whistle blowing' curious and the manner suspicious to say the least. Ramesh Sanka has made unsubstantiated allegations without producing any concrete or direct evidence, he has resorted to conjectures and surmises coupled with ingenious drafting to give an impression of some alleged wrongdoing.

The letter also notes that Sanka was barred by India's regulator from the securities market for three years for alleged malfeasance at a previous job.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today vowed to expand Turkey's Syria campaign to other Kurdish-held areas up to the Iraqi border, a day after ousting Kurdish militia from their former enclave of Afrin.

Indicating there was no plan for the Turkish army to call off offensive, Erdogan described the taking of Afrin as merely a "comma" and also warned Turkey could launch a surprise attack on Kurdish rebel strongholds in Iraq.

He said the Turkish campaign in Syria, conducted in tandem with allied Syrian forces, could now extend up to Qamishli, the most easterly Syrian town held by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) before the Iraqi border.

"Now we will continue this process until we entirely eliminate this corridor, including in Manbij, Ayn al-Arab, Tel-Abyad, Ras al-Ayn and Qamishli," Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara.

Manbij, the next main YPG-held town east of Afrin is a particular flashpoint as there is a US military presence there, raising the risk of confrontation between the NATO allies.

Ayn al-Arab is the border town known as Kobane in Kurdish, of symbolic importance as it was the epicentre of a struggle with Islamic State (IS) jihadists.

The YPG is seen by the United States as a key player in the fight against Islamic State jihadists. But Turkey brands it a terrorist group.

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Two constables were thrashed for allegedly preventing some persons from gambling on "Ugadi" festival day near here, police said today.

The constables, Basappa and Sharanappa, went to a government school in the area yesterday following a tip-off that some people were gambling there on Ugadi, the lunar New Year's day in Karnataka, they said.

Police said the gang verbally abused, thrashed and chased them away.

With the video of the incident going viral, police launched a crackdown and nabbed four of them.

"So far we arrested Kumar, Sandeep, Murthy and Murali," police said.

There were at least a dozen peopleinvolved in the attack, they added.

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Two people were injured in another explosion in Texas' capital Austin, the fourth mysterious bombing in the city this month, police said today, sparking panic among the residents.

The latest blast occurred last night in a suburban neighbourhood in southwest Austin.

Authorities believe the explosion may have been triggered by a tripwire, but cautioned that they were still processing the scene.

Austin police Chief Brian Manley said today that based on the evidence that had been seen they believe a bomb did detonate.

Manley said that police were "working under the belief" that the explosion was related to the three others, but investigators still had yet to process the entire scene.

"We want to put out the message that we've been putting out and that is, not only do not touch any packages or anything that looks like a package, do not even go near it at this time," Manley said.

Two men in their 20s suffered non-life threatening injuries in the blast.

A reward of USD 115,000 has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for the mysterious blasts.

Yesterday's explosion was the fourth to rock Austin within three weeks. However, the three previous blasts occurred on the eastside of the city.

The first was a package bomb that exploded at a northeast Austin home on March 2, killing a 39-year-old man. Two more package bombs then exploded farther south on March 12, killing a 17-year-old, wounding his mother and injuring a 75-year-old woman.

Police said all three of those were likely related and involved packages that had not been mailed or delivered by private carrier but left overnight on doorsteps.

Shonda Mace, 38, lives just one block from where the explosion was reported. She was in bed watching TV when the incident first happened, she said, but soon her phone "started blowing up" with text from friends who had heard the

Mace told the Houston Chronicle that she has been alert since the first bombing.

"Nothing like this has ever happened before," she said. "It's just terrifying."



People across Texas reacted to the on social media yesterday night.

"I hope this isn't what it looks like," Austin resident Brian Keenan posted on Facebook.

Though police haven't confirmed the nature of the explosion, most people on social media assumed this was another package bomb detonation.

"This is getting ridiculous," said Rudy Hernandez, who lives in San Antonio, on Facebook. "I don't even want to order anything right now.

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The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), the umbrella body of nine trade unions, today demanded a joint parliamentary probe into the recent PNB fraud and other bank scams.

"We are demanding a detailed JPC probe into the recent Punjab National Band (PNB) fraud committed by two diamond traders, who fled the country. The government should set up a JPC probe as had been done after the Harshad Mehta scam in 1992," West Bengal convenor of UFBU Siddharth Khan said here.

Khan alleged that RBI had "failed on proper supervision" of banks for which these scams were taking place, and lower level employees were being made scapegoats.

The Union wondered whether the SWIFT software used in making payments on the basis of Letter of Undertakings (LoU) issued by PNB was approved by the apex bank.

All the nine trade unions would organise a rally on March 21 in front of the Parliament, highlighting the various issues concerning the banking sector like "humongous levels of NPAs" and scams.

UFBU also opposed the proposed Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill, 2017, which had a 'bail-in' clause, which, according to it, would put the deposited amount of the public at risk.

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The United States and China -- whose differences are fueling fears of a trade war -- are flexing their muscles at the start of a G20 meeting of finance ministers expected to focus on tariffs, tech and taxes.

The meeting of the world's leading economies in Buenos Aires comes days before US tariffs on steel and aluminum are due to come into force on Friday for all countries except Canada and Mexico.

The main focus of the talks is the threat of a trade war between the US and its trading partners, particularly China and the European Union.

And, as with every G20 meeting since US President Donald Trump's arrival at the White House, the drafting of the meeting's final statement has revealed differences between the world's two biggest economies.

"China and the United States are each flexing their muscles during the negotiations on the final text of the communique," which will be released at the end of the meeting on Tuesday, a source close to the talks said.

"The communique is likely to show that there are tensions over trade."



"The text won't look to hide these tension, but it should however underline that a collective solution remains the best option," the source added.

The US tariffs are essentially aimed at China, whose steel producing overcapacity has hampered US producers for years, but Washington's European allies have also come under fire from Trump, who has particularly targeted German trade surpluses.

In the last few days, Europeans have reaffirmed their unity with the US amid a flurry of diplomatic moves to prevent steel and aluminum taxes leading to a trade war.

"Dividing Europe cannot be in the interest of the American government, and it will not succeed," said German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier to the German business daily Handelsblatt before heading to Washington to meet his US counterpart.

Analysts said the G20 are not going to resolve differences on trade policy this week, but may be able to find some common ground.

"They may agree to work to reduce overcapacity in the steel industry," said Capital Economics in a note, after the issue was reportedly discussed in a meeting at the weekend between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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Top US, South Korean and Japanese officials have discussed how to achieve a complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula ahead of upcoming inter-Korean and US-North Korean summit talks.

Seoul has said previously that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed to hold summit talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in late April. Seoul says Kim proposed meeting with President Donald Trump, and Trump agreed to him by the end of May.

The developments have raised hopes for a potential breakthrough in the North Korean nuclear crisis.

US National Security Adviser HR McMaster met his South Korean and Japanese counterparts in San Francisco for talks over the weekend on denuclearization and the summit talks.

South Korea's presidential office says the three agreed to maintain close trilateral cooperation.

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Katrina Kaif and Varun Dhawan are set to collaborate for the first time for director-choreographer Remo D'Souza's upcoming project, touted to be India's biggest dance film.

T-Series' Bhushan Kumar is producing the movie.

Remo has previously worked with Varun in "ABCD 2" and the 30-year-old actor is excited to team up with him again.

"Working with Remo again for India's biggest dance film is huge. I performed once in New York with Katrina and it was electric. She's going to bring her A game so I need to get back into shape. Bhushan is not only a strong producer who has over a period of time built a great marketing and distribution machinery, he also contributes a lot creatively specially in music department. Varun said in a statement.

Katrina said she feels great to be a part of "India's ultimate dance film".

"I am super excited to be joining Remo's vision... Varun's passion is so wonderful; he works tirelessly to create magic... I can't wait to start this journey," she added.

The movie will also feature actor-choreographer-director Prabhu Deva besides Dharmesh Yelande, Raghav Juyal and Punit Pathak who had featured in "ABCD 2".

The project is expected to go on the floors this year and will release on November 8, 2019.

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China's tough-talking Foreign Minister Wang Yi was elevated today to the top diplomatic post of State Councillor, a move which could make him the new Special Representative to handle the vexed boundary negotiations with India, according to officials.

Wang, 65, would also continue to head the Foreign Ministry, becoming the first Chinese official to hold the dual post in recent years.

Wang's name for the post of State Councillor and Foreign was endorsed by the parliament - the National People's Congress (NPC), state-run Xinhua agency reported.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang proposed Wang's name as part of a new set of officials to head various positions for the next five years in the government headed by President Xi Jinping.

In Chinese power hierarchy, State Councillor is ranked higher than Foreign Minister and considered as the top diplomat of the country and is responsible for ensuring the implementation of the policies of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC).

Wang succeeds Yang Jiechi, 67, who last year has been elevated to become member of the CPC's Politburo, a high ranking body of the CPC headed by Xi.

By virtue of being the State Councillor, Wang is also expected to succeed Yang as China's Special Representative for India-China boundary talks, though officials say the Chinese government's position will become clear only after an official notification.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is India's Special Representative.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing today that one has to wait and see whether Wang would take over as the Special Representative for the India-China boundary talks.

"As who will be special representative we will wait and see," she said when replying to a question.

Under this mechanism, the two countries have so far held 20 rounds of talks with limited success.

The post of the Special Representative is regarded a key one as its plays a major role in providing a broader policy framework for the course of the India-China relations because the two officials have the political mandate to discuss the whole gamut of the relations during their annual meetings.

The IndiaChina border dispute covers the 3,488-km long Line of Actual Control (LAC). While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet, India asserts that the dispute covered Aksai Chin area which was occupied by China during the 1962 war.

Answering a question on the India-China boundary talks, Hua praised the border talks mechanism saying it helped to maintain strategic communication between the two countries.

Special Representatives mechanism is "a high-level channel for the border issue exchanges. It is also a high- level mechanism for the exchanges between the two sides. China attaches great importance to it", she said.

"I hope the two sides can make best use of this mechanism to maintain frequent strategic communication with the Indian side and make concerted effort to step up strategic mutual trust between China and India and uphold the sound and steady development of China-India relations", she said.

The tough-talking, suave and articulate career diplomat, Wang served as China's Vice Foreign Minister, China's Ambassador to Japan and Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office.

A fluent speaker of English and Japanese, he took over as Foreign Minister from Yang in 2013.

Chinese diplomats say under Wang's stewardship, the Foreign Ministry has acquired a higher profile unlike in the past when it worked under the shadows of the CPC and the military.

He along with Yang were expected to play a bigger role in strengthening China's influence in the neighbourhood and beyond under the leadership of Xi who is now set for a longer tenure, perhaps for life as China's leader heading the CPC, the military and the presidency following the removal of the two-term limit for the president.

While outlining Beijing's foreign policy perspectives earlier this month, Wang had called on both India and China to shed thier "confrontationist stance" on issues of differences.

"The Chinese dragon and Indian elephant must not fight each other but dance with each other," he had said, adding "if China and India are united, one plus one is not equal to two but eleven".

During the Dokalam stand-off, Wang had claimed that India "admitted" to entering Chinese territory and said the solution to the standoff was for its troops to "conscientiously withdraw" from the Doklam area in the Sikkim sector.

"The rights and wrongs are very clear and even senior Indian officials have openly stated that Chinese troops did not enter into the Indian territory," Wang had claimed.

Asked what happens to Yang Jiechi, Hua said being a Politburo member, Yang "will continue to play a role in China's diplomacy".

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Their "shining star" had slipped away to the skies above, a Gaigaon resident said today, echoing the grief of Dr Harshad Wankhede's family and others in the village as they prepared for the last rites of the AIIMS doctor killed in an accident near Mathura.

That the young doctor was killed while on his way to celebrate his 30th birthday deepened the gloom in the small village of Gaigaon in Maharashtra's Akola district.

The senior resident doctor at Delhi's premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences, who leaves behind his parents and a sister, was the pride of Gaigaon and its 5,000 people.

Joining the Wankhede family in mourning the death of the young man, who born on March 17, 1988, were other villagers in Gaigaon.

Wankhede began school at Gaigaon, about 250 km from here, and studied till Class 7 at the zila parishad school, said Vijay Mehre, a journalist from the village.

It was from these humble beginnings that he rose to become a doctor at one of India's most renowned medical institutions and became the first from the village to complete an MBBS degree.

Wankhede was the "shining star" of the village, Mehre, who knew the doctor's family well, told PTI.

The body of the doctor, who was killed in a road accident in the early hours of Sunday on the Yamuna Expressway near Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, has been brought home for the last rites.

He was going with six colleagues from Delhi to Agra in an SUV to celebrate his birthday when their car met with a road accident around 2.30 am yesterday.

Wankhade and two other doctors died on the spot, while the other four were rushed to a private hospital in Mathura.

"Harshad was the pride of our village. He studied till Class 7 in the zilla parishad school at the village and did his matriculation from a school in Akola," Mehre said.

Mehre had earlier written in a local daily about how the local boy became a doctor.

"Harshad and his sister were bright students. Everyone in the village knew that Harshad was the first from the place to complete an MBBS," he said.

After completing his MBBS from the Government Medical College and Hospital in Nagpur and an MD from a medical college in Vadodara, he joined AIIMS in Delhi about seven to eight months back, Mehre said.

"Ours is a small village and everyone knew about the boy from the rural area achieving such a feat. His sudden demise at an such early age has come as a shock to all of us," he said.

His father Bhaskar Wankhede retired from the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) in Akola and his mother is a homemaker. Both live in the village.

Harshad Wankhede's sister, who is a engineer, got married four months back.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today launched an anti-graft portal as his government completed its first year in office.

The chief minister also declared that his government will soon hire four lakh people in various government departments.

The portal was launched at the Lok Bhawan in the presence of Governor Ram Naik, deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, and UP BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey.

"Through this portal any official who is involved in corruption or is encouraging it at any level will not be spared. Effective action will be taken if a video or any other evidence is uploaded on the portal. This will deliver a lethal blow against the corrupt elements," Adityanath claimed.

Our government will come up with four lakh jobs in as many as 64 departments ranging from police constables to sub-inspectors, block development officers and revenue officials, he said.

Adityanath said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has frequently referred to the alleged anomalies in recruitments by the UP Public Service Commission in the past.

"Even the Supreme Court had to act and halt the police recruitment as it was biased and there was rampant corruption. The election promise of ending the interview process for group-C and group-D during recruitment, which was encouraging corruption, has been implemented by us," he said.

Today I can say that UP, where there was no law and order and anarchy was prevalent, is witnessing a change, the chief minister said.

"A faith has been reposed...Some people are afraid of monkeys, but I can say that a monkey had destroyed Ravana's Lanka, and the monkeys will play their role in the war against corruption and goonda raj," he said.

He was apparently hitting back at SP MLC Anand Bhadauria who had recently posted a 'monkey joke' on social media to take a jibe at the government.

Attacking the previous state governments, he said, "Contracts were given for mass copying in various examinations. When we initiated fair examination, nearly 12 lakh students opted out...Later, it was revealed that 75 per cent of them were Munnabhais (contractual cheats) from other states."



Adityanath said that during verification of ration cards, it was found that there were 30 lakh fake ration cards.

The chief minister asserted there was an improvement in law and order with provision of on-line FIR and foot patrolling.

"When our government took over the reins of the state, the coffers were virtually empty. There were pot-holed roads, a VIP culture was prevalent, farmers were committing suicide, traders were also leaving the state and youths appeared to be misguided. We stopped redundant expenses, and came up with a crop loan redemption scheme, becoming the first state to do so. Over 86 lakh farmers have benefitted from this scheme," he said.

The chief minister also remarked that in UP's politics, casteism, divisive forces and dynastic were ruling the roost.

However, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state has been freed of divisive politics, he said.

"For the first time, the agenda of the government is to think about the welfare of the poor, villagers, Dalits, people from deprived sections and those belonging to the last strata of the society," he said.

Adityanath said the 'One District - One Product' scheme of his government will help in generation of 20 lakh jobs in the next three years.

In his speech, Governor Ram Naik said "The governor acts as a bridge between the Centre and state. Earlier I had made efforts (to act as a bridge) but now there is no need."



Naik also said that the recently-held UP Investors' Summit was a bold step and exuded confidence that UP will become 'Uttam Pradesh'.

A grand cultural programme was held on this occasion and a multi-colour booklet titled 'Ek Saal - Nayee Misaal' with the punchline 'Huaa Vikaas - Badha Vishwaas' was unveiled.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) - The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed charges on Monday against a former chairman of state-run Canara Bank and others over allegations that the officials helped a company defraud the bank of about $10.5 million taken in loans over four years ago.The CBI also said it had arrested seven people - including two former managers of the country's top lender, State Bank of India, a former manager of Canara Bank and directors of a Kolkata-based private company - in a separate "bank fraud" case of about 150 million rupees ($2.3 million).India has cracked down on ...
(Corrects para 5 to clarify deputy USTR is attending the meeting)NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The United States has raised concerns about the functioning of the World Trade Organisation and asked for reforms, WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo said on Monday.Azevedo, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an informal meeting of about 50 WTO members in New Delhi, said the global trade environment was quite risky and the trade body had sought an "open and honest" conversation with its members."This is a moment we are facing many challenges inside and outside WTO," he said.The meeting is the ...
The world's financial leaders were seeking on Monday to clearly endorse free trade and renounce protectionism amid concern that US tariffs on steel and aluminium and looming actions against China could trigger a trade war that would hurt global growth. Finance ministers and central bank governors of the world's 20 biggest economies are meeting in Buenos Aires to discuss the economic outlook, capital flows, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, and how to prevent tax avoidance by international companies. But since the unilateral decision by US President Donald Trump on March 8 to ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Micro Focus International warned its annual revenue would fall more than expected due to lower licence income and problems stemming from its purchase of Hewlett Packard Enterprise assets, prompting its CEO to quit. The FTSE 100 company said Chief Executive Chris Hsu would step down immediately and be replaced by Stephen Murdoch, currently Micro Focus COO. It said revenue for the year ending 31 October 2018 was now expected to fall between 6 percent and 9 percent, compared with a previous forecast for a 2-4 percent top-line decline. (Reporting by Kate Holton; ...
BEIJING (Reuters) - Newly elected People's Bank of China Governor Yi Gang said on Monday that the most important task is to implement prudent monetary policy, while at the same time pushing forward financial reform and opening. China should keep the financial sector stable, Yi told reporters on Monday morning.Yi, a former vice central bank governor, was voted to take over the helm at the PBOC on Monday morning. (Reporting by Xu Jing and Beijing Monitoring Desk; Editing by Himani Sarkar)(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
PUNTO FIJO (Reuters) - Venezuela has arrested the former refining boss of state oil company PDVSA for alleged corruption, two sources in the northwestern coastal city of Punto Fijo with knowledge of the detention told Reuters on Monday. Jesus Luongo joins a list of dozens of oil managers who have been arrested over the last few months for alleged graft in oil-rich but crisis-wrought Venezuela, including former oil minister Eulogio Del Pino and former PDVSA president Nelson Martinez. PDVSA and the Information Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Luongo. (Reporting ...
Have you ever wanted to see a real Supreme Court in action? Your chance is coming Monday at Utah State University. The Utah Supreme Court is traveling north to conduct its usual business in what will be the justices first Logan-based court session in known history. The five justices will hear oral arguments in two cases in a makeshift court room on the stage at the Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall.

The first case begins at 10:30 a.m. with the second at 11:20 a.m. A question-and-answer session with the justices will follow. On KVNUs For the People program on Friday, Janelle Hyatt, communications director for USUs College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS), told host Jason Williams how this came about.

Actually this started with the Supreme Court themselves, they decided they wanted to travel around and have Utahns be more familiar with their work. Theyre kind of stuck in the Matheson Courthouse in Salt Lake and we northerners usually dont get down (there).

So they actually approached us and we decided to do it in our college because of our Law and Constitutional studies program, which is a great pre-law program, said Hyatt.

The first case involves a 16-year-old male who was ordered to stand trial as an adult for an armed robbery in Weber County. The Utah Court of Appeals overturned the earlier decision, noting that the juvenile court judge should have recused herself because her husband took part in the prosecution.

The second case involves a Utah Teamsters union local vs the Utah Transit Authority in a proceeding that will look at whether rail operations supervisors are employees for the purpose of collective bargaining. The event is free and open to all students and community members. For more information, and to download the briefs, visit <a href=http://chass.usu.edu/court target=_blank>chass.usu.edu/court</a>.
HANOI, Vietnam (AP)  A court in Hanoi began a criminal trial Monday of a former Politburo member accused of mismanagement at state oil giant PetroVietnam that cost millions of dollars.

PetroVietnam and the banking sector have been at the center of the countrys recent crackdown against corruption with scores of executives being put on trial.

Dinh La Thang, formerly the chairman of the state oil giant, already was the first former Politburo to be jailed in decades in another case earlier this year. He was sentenced to 13 years in jail in January for mismanagement involving the construction of a thermo power plant, costing the state millions.

In the current case, Thang is accused of deliberately violating economic management regulations by investing $35 million to buy 20 percent of shares in Ocean Bank without approval from the board of directors, the official Vietnam News Agency reported. The investment was lost when the bank was later acquired by the State Bank at no cost, it added.

Defendant Dinh La Thang as head of PetroVietnam bears the highest responsibility in managing and safeguarding the investment of PetroVietnam, the agency quoted the indictment as saying.

The trial of Thang and six other former senior PetroVietnam executives is expected to last 10 days. Thang would face a jail term of up to 20 years if he is convicted.

Thang was once a rising political star but was dismissed from the all-powerful Politburo in May and was subsequently fired as Communist Party secretary of the southern commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City. He was arrested on Dec. 8.

The ruling Communist Party has recently stepped up its crackdown against corruption to an unprecedented level under the watch of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong who was re-elected to another five-year term at the partys congress in January 2016.
HIGHGATE, Vt. (AP)  A North Carolina woman rented an SUV and picked up six Mexican citizens who illegally crossed into the United States at a remote border crossing in Vermont near the Canadian border, federal prosecutors said.

Carmen Melari Ferrufino Perdomo, 31, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was charged Monday with transporting people into the United States who didnt have permission to be in the country.

According to the complaint, the Border Patrol received a report just after 2 a.m. Sunday of six people walking near the border. Then a short time later, agents spotted them in an SUV with Ferrufino, a U.S. citizen from Honduras. Its unclear if she has an attorney to comment on her behalf.

Ferrufinos passengers, who were between the ages of 21 and 54, told investigators they had crossed into the United States that night. None of the Mexican citizens, who were later arrested as material witnesses in the case, had criminal or immigration records.

The complaint also said Ferrufino flew from New York to Burlington on Saturday where she rented the car in which she was apprehended. Records said she had planned to return the vehicle later Sunday in New York.

In recent months the Border Patrol has had multiple smuggling incidents in the area.
KIGALI, Rwanda (AP)  Burundis president has signed a decree setting May 17 for a referendum on changes to the constitution that could keep him in power until 2034, days after some ruling party members bestowed on him the title of eternal supreme guide.

The decree, shared online Sunday by Burundis U.N. ambassador and other officials, could lead to more unrest in the East African country that saw deadly political violence after the presidents disputed decision in 2015 to seek a third term.

Opposition and human rights groups have called the referendum a plot by Nkurunziza to stay in power for life.

The proposed changes to the constitution include extending a presidential term from five years to seven. Nkurunzizas current term expires in 2020.

At least 1,200 people were killed and more than 400,000 fled the country in the chaos after Nkurunzizas decision in 2015 to run for a third term. In November, International Criminal Court judges authorized an investigation into allegations of state-sponsored crimes including murder, rape and torture, announcing the decision shortly after Burundi became the first country to formally quit the court.

The referendum in May will leave Burundians more divided, said Hussein Radjabu, a former secretary-general of the ruling party.

The ruling party is also divided on the matter, so we are likely to see more bloodshed in Burundi as people opposed to lifting term limits will be killed, Radjabu told The Associated Press.

Human rights activists say some opposing the referendum already have been arrested. Others have fled into exile, said local activist Vital Nshimirimana.

Nkurunziza rose to power in 2005 following the signing of the Arusha accords to end Burundis 13-year civil war that killed about 300,000 people. He was re-elected unopposed in 2010 after the opposition boycotted the vote. Nkurunziza said he was eligible for a third term because lawmakers, not the people, had chosen him for his first term, but critics called the move unconstitutional.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  Top U.S., South Korean and Japanese officials discussed how to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula during weekend talks ahead of upcoming inter-Korean and U.S.-North Korean summits, Seoul said Monday.

South Korean officials who visited Pyongyang recently say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed to hold talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in late April. Seoul says Kim also proposed meeting with President Donald Trump.

Trump then agreed to meet Kim by the end of May, but North Korea has yet to confirm talks with the U.S.

The developments have raised hopes for a potential breakthrough in the North Korean nuclear crisis. But many experts say tensions would flare again if the summits fail to make any progress and leave the nuclear issue with few diplomatic options.

U.S. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster met his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Chung Eui-yong and Shotaro Yachi, in San Francisco for talks over the weekend on denuclearization and the summits, South Koreas presidential office said in a statement.

They agreed to maintain close trilateral cooperation in the next several weeks and shared a view that its important not to repeat past mistakes, the statement said. It didnt elaborate but likely refers to criticism that North Korea previously used disarmament negotiations as a way to ease outside pressure and win aid while all along secretly pressing its weapons development.

Appearing on CBSs Face the Nation aired Sunday, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Kim had given his word that he was committed to denuclearization.

Hes given his word. But the significance of his word is  is quite  quite weighty in the sense that this is the first time that the words came directly from the North Korean supreme leader himself, and that has never been done before, she said.

Kims willingness to negotiate over his nuclear program is a step forward, but many experts remain skeptical about how sincere he is about giving up a nuclear program that his country has built for decades despite toughening international sanctions.

Chung, who headed a high-level delegation to Pyongyang and met Kim during his March 5-6 trip, says North Korea told his delegation it wont need to keep its nuclear weapons if military threats against it are removed and it receives a credible security guarantee. The North has long maintained such a stance, saying it wont abandon its nuclear weapons unless the United States pulls out its troops from South Korea and Japan and stops regular military drills with South Korea that it views as an invasion rehearsal.

A senior North Korean diplomat, meanwhile, flew to Finland on Sunday for talks with former U.S. officials as well as American and South Korean civilian academics. The meeting, set for Tuesday and Wednesday, is a possible opportunity to examine the Norths sincerity about its denuclearization pledges. North Korean officials and former U.S. officials and experts have often held such talks, known as Track-2.
BEIRUT (AP)  The Latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local):

1 a.m.

Eight Security Council nations say its imperative that the U.N. body immediately pursue decisive action to achieve a cease-fire in Syria if U.N. member states, especially Russia and its ally Syria, dont implement a resolution demanding a cessation of hostilities.

A letter sent to all 15 council members on Monday expresses profound concern about the lack of implementation of the Feb. 24 resolution demanding a cease-fire throughout Syria without delay to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate the critically ill and wounded.

It singles out Russia and Syria as key to implementation.

The letter was signed by France, Kuwait, Peru, Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Netherlands.

It says that implementing the resolution could immediately save hundreds, if not thousands, of children, women and men who have suffered acutely during the past eight years of the brutal conflict in Syria.



12:10 a.m.

The U.N. human rights chief says the Syrian governments five-year siege of the Damascus suburbs of eastern Ghouta has involved pervasive war crimes, use of chemical weapons and starvation as a weapon of war.

High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein told an informal meeting of the U.N. Security Council late Monday that never before have military offensives against terrorism been used more often to justify the unconscionable use of force against civilians than in the last few months in Syria.

Russia earlier blocked his planned address to a formal meeting of the council.

Zeid said unlawful methods of warfare have been used by all parties in Syria. But he singled out the Syrian governments claim that it makes every effort to protect civilians and dismissed it.

In his words, When you are capable of torturing and indiscriminately killing your own people, you have long forfeited your own credibility.



11 p.m.

Western nations on the U.N. Security Council and their supporters have quickly organized an informal briefing by the U.N. human rights chief on Syria after a Russian-led protest blocked him from addressing a formal council meeting.

Frances U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre told reporters after a procedural vote that Russia called for prevented High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein from addressing an open meeting in the council that he would deliver the same address at the informal meeting late Monday afternoon.

Delattre criticized Russia for refusing any discussion of human rights in the Security Council when rights violations in Syria are at their very peak.

Russian deputy ambassador Gennady Kuzmin had argued that human rights have nothing to do with the councils mandate of ensuring international peace and security.

But Swedens U.N. Ambassador Olof Skoog insisted that human rights and peace and security are intimately linked.

And Britains deputy U.N. ambassador Jonathan Allen said Russia doesnt want the truth of  the appalling human rights abuses taking place. But he said: We mustnt let them silence us.



10:10 p.m.

The U.N. human rights chief has been blocked from speaking to the Security Council about the situation in Syria after Russia, backed by China and others, protested that the U.N. body charged with ensuring international peace and security should not be discussing human rights.

At the start of Monday afternoons council meeting that was to be addressed by High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein, Russia demanded a procedural vote on whether the meeting should be held.

Under council rules, nine yes votes are required.

After the issue was put to a vote, the result was 8 countries in favor, 4 against and 3 abstentions. So the meeting was canceled.

It was a very rare defeat on a procedural issue at an open council meeting.

But it reflected deep divisions at the Security Council over seven years of Syrian conflict that has involved President Bashar Assads key ally Russia and Western nations including the U.S. and other supporters of the Syrian opposition.



10 p.m.

Turkeys president has vowed to expand military operations across northern Syria and even into neighboring Iraq after his forces drove Kurdish fighters from the northern Syrian town of Afrin.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that the two-month-long Afrin campaign was the most important phase of the military operation launched on Jan. 20, which is aimed at driving Syrian Kurdish forces out of areas along the border.

Turkey views the Syrian Kurdish militiamen as terrorists because of their links to Kurdish insurgents fighting inside Turkey.

Erdogan said Turkish troops and allied Syrian forces would now press eastward, toward the town of Manbij and areas east of the Euphrates River, including Ayn al-Arab, the Arabic name for the Kurdish town of Kobani. Those areas are controlled by U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces, and U.S. troops are stationed there.



8:30 p.m.

The U.N.s humanitarian coordinator in Syria is appealing for help to provide aid to tens of thousands of civilians affected by the fighting outside the Syrian capital and in the northern town of Afrin.

Ali al-Zatari says the civilians are in desperate need, and are tired, hungry, traumatized and afraid.

Government forces are close to capturing the eastern Ghouta region outside Damascus, where they have waged a fierce monthlong air and ground campaign. Turkish troops and allied Syrian forces seized Afrin from Kurdish fighters on Sunday after a two-month offensive. The fighting in both places has killed hundreds of civilians and displaced tens of thousands.

Al-Zatari says the U.N., the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and other partners are fully mobilized to deliver aid on the spot, but require permissions and security guarantees.

The Syrian government has regularly blocked the delivery of aid to opposition-held areas.



8 p.m.

Syria has condemned Turkeys capture of the northern Syrian town of Afrin from Kurdish forces.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry, in messages sent to the U.N. Security Council and secretary general on Monday, called on Turkey to withdraw its forces immediately from Syrian territories.

Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition forces seized Afrin from a Kurdish militia on Sunday after a nearly two-month military campaign.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said the move was illegal and called it an invasion.

Turkey views the Kurdish forces as terrorists because of their links to Kurdish insurgents inside Turkey. Ankara denies it is invading or occupying Syrian land, saying it is only removing militants from areas along the border.



6:30 p.m.

Syrian President Bashar Assads office has released videos showing the president driving himself to visit his forces at the battle for eastern Ghouta, just outside the capital, Damascus.

The videos, released late Sunday and early Monday, show the president calm and assured. Other drivers on the road give no indication of knowing who is behind the wheel of the Honda sedan.

Assads forces in eastern Ghouta appear close to clinching one of their most significant victories against rebels in seven years of civil war.

As he drove, he narrated his route to the camera and gave his thoughts on the battle. He said the images of civilians crossing over by the thousands to government authorities in eastern Ghouta showed that his government was still popular with his people and still possessed the legitimacy to rule.

Eastern Ghouta has been under a crippling siege and heavy bombardment for weeks, with civilians packing into underground shelters. Some 1,500 civilians have been killed in the last month.



6:15 p.m.

The U.S. State Department says it is deeply concerned over the humanitarian situation following Turkeys capture of the town of Afrin in northern Syria from Kurdish forces.

Spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement Monday that the offensive forced the majority of the predominantly Kurdish population of Afrin to evacuate from the town.

She said the U.S. calls on all parties to the conflict to allow humanitarian groups to access the displaced and develop a program for their safe and voluntary return.

Nauert said the fighting in Afrin has distracted from the fight against Islamic State militants, allowing the extremists to begin to reconstitute in some areas.

She said the U.S. is committed to its NATO ally Turkey and its security concerns, and is also committed to the fight against IS with its partners, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Nauert said U.S. officials have expressed their concern to Turkish officials about the situation in Afrin.



4:15 p.m.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that after victory in Syrias Afrin region, his country will expand its military operations into other Kurdish-held areas in Syria as well as to Iraqs Sinjar region.

Speaking at a ceremony for judicial appointments in Ankara, Erdogan said troops would target the Syrian city of Manbij, as well as Ayn al-Arab, also known as Kobani, and other towns along the border to the east of the Euphrates River. Those areas are controlled by U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces and U.S. troops are stationed there.

Erdogan said Turkish troops could also cross into Iraq to drive out Kurdish militants from the region of Sinjar, if the Iraqi government is reluctant to oust militants from the area. Turkey says the region is becoming a headquarters for outlawed Kurdish rebels who have been fighting an insurgency in Turkeys southeast since 1984.

Erdogan said one night, we could suddenly enter Sinjar.

He insisted Turkey had no intention of invading Syria, saying it was merely clearing the border area of terrorists.



2:05 p.m.

Syrias Kurdish militia says a British woman who had joined their ranks to fight in the northern town of Afrin has been killed in a Turkish airstrike.

Nisrin Abdullah, spokeswoman of the Kurdish female militia known as YPJ, said on Monday that Anna Campbell was killed last Thursday.

She is the first foreign national to die in the battle for Afrin. She is also the first British female fighter and the eighth Briton to die fighting alongside the Kurdish militia in Syria. The Press Association says Campbell was 26 years old from Lewes, East Sussex.

Macer Gifford, a Briton who travelled with Campbell, said they arrived last May to eastern Syria, where they joined the U.S-backed Kurdish militia to fight against Islamic State militants. Gifford returned home after the fall of the city of Raqqa last summer.

Gifford told The Associated Press via Twitter that Campbell, an animal rights activist, was a lovely girl. Very opinionated and determined.

He also says: She loved the YPJ and the last I saw of her was her leaving to join them.



1:50 p.m.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag says Turkey does not aim to invade the Syrian town of Afrin and will hand it over to its real owners.

Bozdag made the comments on Monday, a day after Turkish troops and Ankara-allied Syrian opposition forces captured Afrin.

The town was taken nearly two month after Turkey launched its offensive to clear Afrin and surrounding districts of a Syrian Kurdish militia that Ankara considers to be a terrorist group, allied with Turkeys outlawed Kurdish rebels.

Bozdag says We are not invaders. The aim of our offensive is to clear the region of terror.

He says the Syrian Kurdish forces retreated from Afrin because they were afraid  you see this very clearly when you look at ammunition and weapons that they left behind.

He says the Kurdish fighters had left booby traps and other explosives inside Afrin.



1:35 p.m.

The European Union has slapped sanctions on a senior Syrian military officer and three scientists accused of links to the development and use of chemical weapons against civilians.

EU headquarters said on Monday that the four work at the Scientific Studies and Research Center, a Syrian government agency the EU says produces chemical weapons and missiles to deliver them.

The center has been under EU sanctions since Dec. 2011.

The move brings to 261 the number of people targeted by an EU travel ban and asset freeze over the crackdown on Syrian civilians and support for the government of President Bashar Assad or associating with certain government officials.

A further 67 entities  often companies, agencies and organizations  have had their assets frozen.



12:40 p.m.

A senior Syrian Kurdish official says Turkeys offensive on the Syrian town of Afrin is an occupation that endangers the rest of northern Syria.

Aldar Khalil, a leading Kurdish official, on Monday condemned Turkey for the assault and for raising the Turkeys flag in a Syrian town.

He says Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking to spread his influence in Syria as a way of restoring the Ottoman empires former influence.

He says: The whole of northern Syria is in danger.

Turkish troops and Syrian opposition fighters allied with Ankara captured Afrin on Sunday, nearly two months after Turkey began its offensive on the enclave.

Erdogan, who first launched military operations in Syria in 2016, has repeatedly said Turkey will not allow a terror corridor along its border and has vowed to push eastward in Syria after Afrin, to prevent the Kurdish militia from linking up territories it controls in eastern and western Syria.



9:50 a.m.

The European Unions top diplomat is criticizing Turkey over its military offensive in a northern Syrian town and is calling on Ankara to ensure that fighting eases in the conflict-torn country.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini says: I am worried about this.

Mogherini told reporters in Brussels on Monday that international efforts in Syria are supposed to be aiming at de-escalating the military activities and not escalating them.

She urged Turkey, Russia and Iran to guarantee that conflict de-escalation zones are established as promised, to guarantee that that is what happens on the ground.

Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Sunday the capture of the town of Afrin, previously controlled by the Kurdish militia known as the Peoples Defense Units, or YPG.



9:40 a.m.

Turkeys state-run news agency says a booby trap bomb reportedly left by Syrian Kurdish fighters in the northern Syrian town of Afrin has killed 11 people  seven civilians and four Turkish-backed fighters.

Anadolu Agency says the explosion occurred late on Sunday in a four-story building that Turkish-backed Syrian opposition forces were clearing for explosives.

Turkish troops and Syrian opposition fighters allied with Ankara marched into Afrin on Sunday, nearly two months after Turkey began its offensive on the enclave to drive out a Syrian Kurdish militia. Ankara considers the militia an extension of its own insurgency.

Kurdish officials and a war monitor say some pockets of resistance remain in the town of Afrin but the Kurdish militia, known as YPG, has largely withdrawn.



9:20 a.m.

A Syria war monitoring group says Turkish-allied militiamen are looting the northern Syrian town of Afrin after the Turkish military and allied Syrian fighters seized control of it.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday the looting began on Sunday, after the Turkish and allied Syrian forces marched into the town center and raised their flags there  nearly two months after the offensive on the Kurdish enclave started.

The troops faced little resistance from the Kurdish militia, which withdrew, vowing a new phase of guerrilla tactics against Turkish troops and their allied fighters.

The Observatory, which monitors Syrias war through a network of activists on the ground, described extensive looting of shops, homes and cars in Afrin.

Its unclear what Turkey plans after the capture of Afrin.
MOSCOW (AP)  The Latest on Russian President Vladimir Putins re-election victory (all times local):

9 p.m.

The White House says it is not surprised by the outcome of the Russian presidential election that gave Vladimir Putin another six-year term.

Spokesman Hogan Gidley says there is currently no congratulatory call scheduled between Putin and President Donald Trump.

Putins leading opponent, Alexei Navalny, was barred from running because of a fraud conviction widely seen as politically motivated. Sundays results were tainted by reports of voting irregularities, including ballot-box stuffing and efforts to block independent election observers.



7:45 p.m.

Turkeys president has congratulated Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on his election success.

Officials from Recep Tayyip Erdogans office said the two leaders had a phone conversation Monday during which they reiterated determination to strengthen cooperation between Turkey and Russia.

Erdogan and Putin, who are cooperating on Syria and regularly speak on the phone, also discussed an upcoming summit between the Russian, Turkish and Iranian leaders in Istanbul next month, to discuss ways of reducing violence in the conflict-torn country, according to the officials.



5:20 p.m.

President Vladimir Putin says all political forces in Russia must unite efforts to solve the countrys problems.

Putin, who won 77 percent of Sundays vote, his best ever election performance, said at a Kremlin meeting with seven other candidates who challenged him that the focus should be on raising living standards and solving other domestic issues.

The Russian leader on Monday emphasized the need to encourage economic growth and innovation, improve health care and education and modernize infrastructure.

He said the key goal is to combat poverty and reduce the gap between the rich and the poor.



5:10 p.m.

French President Emmanuel Macron has wished success to Russia in its political, democratic, economic and social modernization after Vladimir Putin won the presidential election.

In a phone call with Putin on Monday, Macron noted his commitment to a constructive dialogue between Russia, France and Europe, the French presidents office says in a statement.

Macron called on Russian authorities to shed light on the responsibilities in the nerve-agent poisoning of a former spy in Britain and to firmly take back control of potential programs not declared to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Macron also expressed his concerns about the situation in the northern Syrian town of Afrin and in the region of Ghouta, near the capital, Damascus. He called on Russias best efforts to make the fighting and civilian deaths stop in these areas.



4:45 p.m.

President Vladimir Putin says Russia has spent enough on new weapons to avoid any excessive pressure on the economy in the future.

Speaking to his rivals in Sundays presidential election that he won by a landslide, Putin promised to focus on domestic issues and raise living standards during his next six-year term.

He vowed Monday not to engage in an arms race, saying that Russia has already spent the bulk of what is needed to create new weapons in previous years. He added that while we need to finalize some things it will not involve massive spending and the nations defense budget will actually decrease this year and in 2019.

Earlier this month, Putin unveiled an array of new nuclear weapons that he said are impossible to intercept.



4:40 p.m.

International observers are criticizing Russia for failing to provide a level playing field for competitors in the presidential election that overwhelmingly gave Vladimir Putin another six-year term in the Kremlin.

Leaders of the observation mission for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said Monday that the extensive coverage by state news media of Putins activities have given him a significant advantage over seven challengers.

The challengers participated in televised debates that Putin sat out.

While the incumbent president did not participate in debates or campaigning, extensive and unchallenging news coverage of his official activities continued to provide him with dominant presence in the media, Marietta Tidei of the OSCEs Parliamentary Assembly said at a news conference announcing the missions preliminary conclusions.

A choice without real competition as we have seen in this election is not a real choice, said Michael Georg Link, a coordinator of the observer mission.



4:30 p.m.

President Vladimir Putin says that Russia will seek constructive ties with other countries and will not engage in an arms race.

Speaking to his rivals in Russias presidential election that he won with nearly 77 percent of the vote, Putin said that he will focus on raising living standards, improving health care and education and dealing with other domestic issues.

He said Monday that there is no intention to speed up some kind of arms race, and, just the opposite, we will develop constructive relations with all countries of the world.

Putin noted that not everything depends on us, but added that we will do our best to settle all disputes with our partners using political and diplomatic means while preserving Russias national interests. He said that Russia would even lower its defense spending this year and in 2019.



3:15 p.m.

International election observers say Russias presidential vote was conducted in an orderly fashion but lacked genuine competition.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europes observer mission noted that Sundays vote in which Russian President Vladimir Putin won in a landslide took place in an overly controlled legal and political environment marked by continued pressure on critical voices.

It said Monday that Russias Central Election Commission administered the election efficiently and openly and noted that after intense efforts to promote turnout, citizens voted in significant numbers.

Observers added, however, that restrictions on the fundamental freedoms of assembly, association and expression, as well as on candidate registration, have limited the space for political engagement and resulted in a lack of genuine competition.



2:40 p.m.

Germanys president is urging Vladimir Putin to use the occasion of his re-election as Russian president to push for a normalization of relations with Germany and Western Europe.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier congratulated Putin on his victory in a statement Monday.

Steinmeier says Russia and Germany have enjoyed a traditionally close relationship based upon a wide and solid foundation and have worked since the Cold Wars end for a lasting, cooperative peaceful order on our continent.

But, he says, we are worryingly far away from that goal today. Mistrust, rearmament and a climate of insecurity contribute to instability.

Steinmeier says he hopes well be able to counteract the estrangement of our continent and between the people of Russia and Germany, and that you will use your new term in office for this purpose.



1:35 p.m.

Marine Le Pens National Front party in France has congratulated Vladimir Putin on winning the Russian presidential election, seeing in his large victory a sign of Russias stability and democratic foundations.

In a statement released Monday, the far-right party also praised Putin for bringing Russia back to prominence on the world stage.

Without being specific, the National Front then urged the European Union to put an end to its absurd and counterproductive politics of blackmail, threats and sanctions against Russia, a vital ally in the war against terror and our common enemy, the Islamic State.

A month before the French presidential election last year, Putin hosted Marine Le Pen at the Kremlin. He praised her, saying she represented part of a quickly developing spectrum of European political forces.



11:10 a.m.

Final Russian election results show Vladimir Putin overwhelmingly won a fourth presidential term with 76.67 percent of the vote, his highest score ever.

The Central Election Commission said Monday that communist Pavel Grudinin came in a distant second with 11.78 percent.

Third was ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky with 5.66 percent. The only candidate to openly criticize Putin during the campaign, liberal TV star Ksenia Sobchak, won just 1.68 percent. Four other candidates also ran in Sundays vote.

Putins most serious rival, opposition leader Alexei Navalny, was barred from the race.

The electoral commission said official turnout was 67 percent. But observers reported widespread ballot stuffing and unprecedented pressure on Russians to vote.

Despite those problems, the win gives Putin a strong mandate to pursue his conservative nationalist policies at home and abroad. In the previous presidential election in 2012 Putin polled 63.6 percent of the vote.



10:40 a.m.

Germanys foreign minister is calling on Russia to make more constructive contributions to dialogue after President Vladimir Putin won re-election.

Heiko Maas said as he arrived Monday at a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Brussels: We assume that Russia will remain a difficult partner, but Russia is also needed when it comes to solving major international conflicts.

Maas added that we want to remain in dialogue but we expect constructive contributions from Russia, and more than was the case in the recent past.

Maas said: The result of the election in Russia surprised us just as little as the circumstances of this election  we certainly cant talk in every aspect about a fair political contest as we know it. He said its unacceptable that the election was also conducted in annexed Crimea.



10:10 a.m.

Russian election authorities have annulled voting results in five districts as they investigate ballot stuffing and other problems in the presidential election.

Central election commission chair Ella Pamfilova outlined to reporters Monday authorities efforts to fight violations and hold a transparent election.

Pamfilova denied any incidents of observers being attacked or blocked from polling stations, despite videos posted online.

She insisted that there were at least two times fewer violations than in the last presidential vote in 2012, which was marred by problems.

Observers in this election reported widespread cases of ballot stuffing and voters coerced by their employers to cast ballots.

Pamfilova said that with 99.8 percent of votes counted, President Vladimir Putin has 76.7 percent of the vote, his highest score ever. The other seven candidates are far behind.



7 a.m.

Russian President Vladimir Putins crushing re-election victory puts his opponents in a tough spot.

They gathered widespread examples of apparent voting violations in Sundays vote, but its unlikely to seriously damage Putin given his widespread support.

With 99.8 percent of the vote counted, results showed Putin won almost 77 percent of the vote, well up from his showing in the last election in 2012.

His closest rival, communist Pavel Grudinin, had less than 12 percent. The only candidate to openly criticize Putin in the campaign, TV star Ksenia Sobchak, got less than 2 percent.

Putins most serious foe, opposition leader Alexei Navalny, was barred from the race. He clashed publicly with Sobchak on Sunday night, accusing her of being a Kremlin stooge.

Opposition groups plan a rally Monday in Moscow.
LONDON (AP)  British police say no sign of forced entry has been found at the home where a London-based Russian businessman died from a neck compression.

Metropolitan Police Commander Clarke Jarrett said Monday the forensic investigation into the death of businessman Nikolai Glushkov is continuing in the New Malden neighborhood where he lived.

Glushkov, 68, was found dead at his southwest London home on March 12. He was an associate of Boris Berezovsky, a wealthy Kremlin critic who died under disputed circumstances in 2013.

The murder investigation is being headed by counterterrorism detectives because of the associations Mr. Glushkov is believed to have had, police said.

Glushkov had worked for various Berezovsky enterprises including the car factory AvtoVAZ and flagship Russian airline Aeroflot.

He was arrested in 1999 and put on trial for embezzling $7 million from Aeroflot. In 2004, he was sentenced to three years and three months in prison, but released because of time served.

Last year, Glushkov appeared on a list published by the Russian Embassy in London of Russian citizens wanted for serious crimes whom the U.K. had refused to extradite. It said Russia had sought his extradition in 2015 for committing a number of severe financial offences on the territory of Russia, but the British government refused.

Police have said they do not see a link between the Glushkov case and the recent poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury.

British police have contacted other Russian exiles in the last few days to discuss their safety in light of the recent attacks.
| BY Lynchy |

We all know what a swearbox is; say a bad word, and put a coin in a tin, but what about all the filth that gets spouted everyday on Twitter?

Well, thats where Swearbox comes in.

Swearbox is a positively-minded venture that turns bad words into good deeds.

Founded by Jay Gelardi (Sydney), James Dow (London), and Rameet Chawla (New York), Swearbox is a donation-based site that provides Twitter users with a way to

right their verbal wrongs.

Simply log on to CharitySwearbox.com where the clever little app recognises all of your recently tweeted swear words, and suggests a reasonable donation. Or, if youve been good and not sworn at all, you can let rip with a swear-filled tweet right there in the app and select from a list of charities and donate via Paypal.

Those who choose to connect their Twitter account will receive a monthly reminder with a tally of all their bad words, so the benevolence continues. Over time, the list of charities, which currently includes 50/50 (Unicef) and Fuck Cancer, will also grow, so interested charities please get in contact.

Says Jay Gelardi: Its an idea thats been bubbling around for nearly two years now, and bringing it to life with guys spread across three different time zones, all working in our spare time, has definitely been a challenge, but were pretty happy with the result and look forward for raising lots of money for good causes.

Finally theres no need to hold back on Twitter, you can swear your filthy little face off, safe in the knowledge that its all for a good curse. Fucking marvellous.
| BY Ricki Green |

Australia has picked up four Gold, nine Silver and four Bronze at this years Festival of Media APAC Awards held last Thursday, 15 March at Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay.

Mindshare has picked up two Gold Awards, one for Foxtel The Inside Job To Steal No.1 and one for Foxtel Marketing At The Speed of Sport. Mindshare also picked up another three Silver Awards.

UM has scored a Gold for Build Australia LEGO Architecture and Fanta Shake it up, youre in charge. UM Australia has also scored two Silver Awards and a Bronze.

Campaign of the Year was awarded to PHD New Zealand for DB Export Beer Bottle Sand. Mindshare China won Agency of the Year and Mindshare was named Agency Network of the Year.
| BY Ricki Green |

Paspaley Retail has appointed 72andSunny to be its creative partner.

Paspaley pearls are widely regarded as the finest and most beautiful in the world.

72andSunny are a global creative company who recently opened in Sydney and Singapore.

Says Iris Kleimann, head of marketing, Paspaley We met the team at 72andSunny and not only had a great connection, but we were inspired by how they could help us continue to build this Australian luxury brand both at home and globally.

Says Chris Kay, partner and managing director, 72andSunny: What an opportunity to support a great Australian brand to build its luxury credentials and change the perception of pearls globally. We are beyond excited at working with some of the smartest and nicest people we have met in the market so far.




| BY Lynchy |

McCann Philippines had a great night at the annual Philippine Kidlat Awards recently with a strong showing that ended with them being named Kidlat Agency of the Year.

Held at the Subic Bay Convention Center as the culminating event to the Philippine 4As Ad Summit, the Kidlat Awards is recognized as the premier local creative show in the country and is operated by the Philippine Creative Guild.

McCann Philippines finished ahead of TBWA and J. Walter Thompson which finished 2nd and 3rd respectively. McCann took home seven gold, six silver and two bronze trophies. The bulk of its wins came via its multi-awarded Nestle Maggi Dim Dads and Fully Booked Lives radio campaigns which had already won Silver and Gold at Cannes along with more metal honors at the Clio Awards, London International, Spikes and AdStars.

The Maggi campaign was also named Kidlat Awards Grand Prix for 2018, helping solidify Nestle Philippines win as Kidlat Advertiser of the Year. It was also named KBP Radio Ad of the Year by a separate jury composed of the broadcasters association.

McCann Philippines global viral sensation Jollibee Kwentong Jollibee series also brought home a Silver and Bronze in the TV and Digital Film category. The series of branded content went global last year around Valentines day resonating across several markets despite being a local effort.
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Sunday, March 18, 2018 at 10:41PM

Academy Award-winner Jordan Peele commented earlier this year that he was done with acting and would rather focus on writing and directing. But it seems the appeal to work with his good friend Keegan-Michael Key was too much to resist as the two are working on a new stop-motion animated film called Wendell and Wild, which will be distributed on Netflix. Wendell and Wild features two mischievous demon brothers that will be played by Key and Peele and it will be directed by Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick. The film will mark Netflixs second stop-animation acquisition to date (the first one was a film about Michael Jacksons chimpanzee called Bubbles).

Selick will be working with Argentinian artist Pablo Lobato to design the characters for the film. His style is described as Andy Warhol-esque, giving us an idea of what we might expect from the film. No release date yet has been specified but well keep our eyes and ears peeled for any updates.

Source: Deadline
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Survivors of child sexual abuse in institutions working under the ACT government will be eligible for support after the territory moved to opt into a new national redress scheme. The scheme, operating from July 1, will provide access to counselling and psychological services, payments of up to $150,000, and direct responses from the institution where the abuse occurred. Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay said the ACT was one of the first jurisdictions to opt in. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which handed down its findings in December after more than five years of hearings and deliberations, recommended the redress scheme. "In many respects, the ACT's legislative regime for the prosecution of sexual offences sets a national benchmark," Mr Ramsay said. "A number of the measures recommended by the royal commission were already in place in the ACT, including the removal of statutory limitation periods on prosecution of historic sexual offences. "I look forward to continuing to work with my counterparts in the Commonwealth and other jurisdictions to develop a national redress scheme that meets the needs of all survivors of institutionalised child sexual abuse." Mr Ramsay will meet with his state and territory counterparts on Monday about the scheme's design and accessibility. He urged non-government institutions in the territory to opt in as well. The government is expected to consult on further criminal justice reforms recommended by the Royal Commission, and has committed to making a formal response to its findings in June this year.

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About half of Canberra's female population surveyed in a new report are struggling to find bulk billing services and access other affordable healthcare services in the ACT. A shortage of general practitioners, lack of bulk billing services and increased demand in the hospital system are contributing to the barriers being faced. The report from the Women's Centre for Health Matters asked Canberra's women for insight into their health, health needs, access to services, supports and information and barriers to maintaining good health. It found that in addition to affordability, the second greatest barrier to accessing health care was time, followed by service availability and negative experience with health professionals. Women's Centre for Health Matters deputy chief executive Emma Davidson said the scale of the barriers to accessing healthcare was surprising. "We have known for some time that bulk billing rates and access to GPs in Canberra is too low to meet the needs of our population," Ms Davidson said. "What the latest research tells us is that women's social determinants of health has a particular impact on their ability to access good primary health care. Because women have lower employment and income levels, and higher demands on their time due to caring responsibilities for other family members, it is hard to find the time or money to go to the doctor. To see so many women talk about the impact this has on their health really emphasises how important it is that we solve this long-standing problem." The report found that for women who experienced barriers to accessing health services, 50 per cent identified affordability as a barrier, and 49 per cent identified appointment availability as a barrier. Bulk billing visits to GPs in Canberra decreased to 56 per cent in the 2015-16, compared with 84 per cent across Australia. But the proportion of patients fully bulk billed is much lower, the report states. Meanwhile, GP numbers in the ACT were the lowest of all states and territories. Following the release of the report, Ms Davidson said the centre would speak with health stakeholders in the ACT to improve women's access to primary care health services, and ensure the existing services are meeting their needs. "Women are also often the main family decision makers for health issues and the main family carers, so their access to appropriate health and wellbeing services, supports and information is crucial," she said. Minister for Health and Wellbeing Meegan Fitzharris said the ACT government had a strong track record of delivering health services for women. "We are proud to have a world class women's hospital, the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, which we have committed to expanding," Ms Fitzharris said. "The ACT is historically a leader in abortion law reform, currently leading the country in legislation protecting women and their reproductive choices. "Last month we announced a $2.6 million upgrade to the maternity services at Calvary Public Hospital to give women in Canberra's north better access to high-quality, modern birthing facilities. And last year we completed an expansion of the Canberra Hospital emergency department, with a dedicated paediatric treatment facilities and waiting areas, improving the patient journey for our youngest patients and their families." Ms Fitzharris said a focus area of the ACT Women's Plan was health needs of women and girls. Respondents qualifying for the survey were women aged 16 and over and living or working in the ACT or Queanbeyan. A total of 601 valid surveys were collected. The report stated that the survey didn't aim to be representative of all ACT women's views, but rather to capture themes from a sample of ACT women.

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An Australian Defence Force Academy cadet allegedly raped a Canberra university student after they began a consensual sexual relationship, a court heard on Monday. The student says she told the cadet what sexual acts she was not comfortable with and that he failed to respect her boundaries. But lawyers for 22-year-old Sebastian Crago Ellis told the ACT Supreme Court jury at the opening of the man's trial that the cadet denied any non-consensual sexual activity and that he had respected her refusals. Mr Ellis and the Australian National University student met in 2016 through a mutual friend. The court heard the two 20-year-olds struck up a friendship that became more than platonic. But after an incident in a Canberra nightclub, and then a second incident in the cadet's room at ADFA, the woman reported Mr Ellis to police. He was later charged with six alleged sexual offences including rape and attempted rape. Mr Ellis has pleaded not guilty. On June 25, 2016, Mr Ellis and the woman, who cannot legally be identified, ran into each other at Civic nightspot Mooseheads, the court heard. They kissed while dancing in the club's basement. In a video recording of her interview with police played to the court, the woman said Mr Ellis tried to undo her pants and grope her genitals on the dance floor. "I kept trying to stop [him] and he wouldn't," she said. She said she sucked on his lip until it hurt him and he walked away from her. They continued to talk on social media after the alleged incident, the court heard. He later apologised and one evening brought food to her at home, where she gave Mr Ellis a massage. On July 24, the pair ran into each other again at Mooseheads. They kissed again, and at about 3am Mr Ellis asked if she wanted to go home. She said yes, but that she had a latex allergy and so they had to go to her home where she had latex-free condoms. They decided to get a taxi, and Mr Ellis suggested they go back to ADFA. "Sure," she said she told him, "but if we go back to ADFA we're not having sex." Once back at his room, the woman said Mr Ellis took his clothes off to get into bed. She got into bed with him with her underwear on. She said they kissed and started consensual sexual activity, and that she gave him oral sex. She said Mr Ellis then tried to insert his penis inside her vagina. "I snapped and I got off him ... and I said to him, 'What are you doing?'" She said she had told him that they were not going to have sex. "I'm really not happy with this," she said. She said he apologised, and she accepted his apology. But she said after further sexual activity he inserted his finger into her anus and tried to do the same with his penis. "I was like, I'm not comfortable with this," she said. She told the court she had previously told him that she was not interested in anal sex. She said she told Mr Ellis: "You're obviously not listening to me and you're obviously not respecting my boundaries." "Boys will try to test the limits sometimes, sadly," she told the police in her interview. She said she was angry, and rolled over to go to sleep. Mr Ellis allegedly said: "I'm not done." It's alleged Mr Ellis sat on top of the woman and ejaculated onto her chest while she tried to wriggle out from underneath him. "The Crown says there were sexual acts that took place ... that they occurred without her consent and this lack of consent was known to the accused," prosecutor Rebecca Christensen said in her opening address to the jury on Monday. Defence barrister Stuart Littlemore QC said in his opening address that every sexual act that took place was with the consent of both parties. He said Mr Ellis had asked non-verbal "questions" of the woman while they were being intimate. "[On] occasions she said no, or she was not comfortable, there was no attempt to go further," he told the jury, "he respected her refusal. "If this fit, strong man wanted to have sexual intercourse with a slight, 20-year-old woman, it would have happened," he said. "It never got as far as an attempt." Mr Ellis, who is from Melbourne, is charged with two counts of attempted rape, one rape, two acts of indecency without consent and one act of indecency in the third degree. He has pleaded not guilty to each count. Justice John Burns also addressed the jury on Monday, warning the seven women and five men that they should not do their own investigations of the case and also to put any media reporting out of their mind when coming to their verdicts. The trial continues.

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If online dating profiles are anything to go by, it seems there's one thing almost everyone is looking for: a GSOH. (That's a ''good sense of humour'' for those who haven't at some point bought a ticket on the endless torture carousel that is online dating.) Being tall, good looking, smart and wealthy is sure to get you a look-in more often than not, but a quick wit and knowing your way around a good joke seems to be what really ticks boxes. So is it easier to find a date if you're a comedian - someone who makes a living off making people LOL? Some of the comedians heading to the 2018 Canberra Comedy Festival weigh in. Nazeem Hussain "The butt of my jokes tends to be me, and how pathetic I am. I doubt that's attractive to anyone," says Nazeem Hussain. For the Aussie comedian, who last year did a stint on Channel Ten reality show I'm A Celebrity  Get Me Out Of Here!, being the funny guy growing up meant he had "little shame. I'd find myself playing the middle man for guys too nervous to ask girls out, and vice versa. I was a good salesperson for my friends looking for love. Always the bridesmaid - never the bride." It may not have helped out in his dating life, but humour has helped Hussain out of a tough spot. "I once cut a guy off in traffic, and he was rightfully pissed off. He looked tough, he had tattoos and everything," he says. "He caught up to me, stopped at the traffic light next to me, wound down his window ready to yell, but then recognised me. He said, 'OMG it's you! I love you bro, you're hilarious! Where are the hidden cameras?'. He then asked if we could have a selfie, which we did across the cars, and he laughed as he drove off. That incident has since given me confidence in traffic I never knew." Show details: No Pain No Hussain. Saturday March 24, 7pm. Canberra Theatre Playhouse. Yianni Agisilaou Humour also helped British comedian Yianni Agisilaou out of a tight spot. "I once talked myself out of a mugging by making the guy laugh," he says. "Well, I didn't talk myself out of it. I reduced the cost to me of the mugging from my phone to the contents of my wallet, which were 22.50. A significant discount, I think you'll agree." Show details: Teaching A Robot To Love, Friday March 23, 8.15pm, The Civic Pub. Stephen K Amos Stephen K Amos has been a regular on the international comedy circuit for more than 15 years - so does a sense of humour make you more attractive? "They do say that laughter is the best medicine, but if you have diabetes I would try aspirin first. Or is that insulin? I don't know, I'm not a qualified doctor, which is, by the way, what many of my friends are really looking for on a dating profile - dentist and lawyer will also do nicely," he says. "Life's a beautiful tapestry and laughter is just one part of the jigsaw puzzle that is needed to fall in love with a total stranger." But Amos believes there are benefits to making people laugh - sometimes. "Laughter can be a great distraction tool when asked a difficult maths question in front of the whole class at school. Some people also say that bullies can be disarmed with laughter. I say it can make the situation 10 times worse and leave you with a wedgie. Coming from a large family, it was certainly one of the tools needed to survive and get noticed. With so many siblings, can you imagine sitting at the dinner table, when your mum leans to your brother and points at me, asking 'who's that?' "Laughing through a university interview was also not one of my finest hours and I was told I would never be allowed into Oxford. However, it did give me a great routine, that I told on stage 10 years later, when I was paid to perform at the same university's graduation ball." Stephen K Amos: Bread & Circuses, Thursday March 22, 7.30pm, Canberra Theatre. Chris Ryan Chris Ryan's comedy has seen her regularly perform around town and earned her a stint on breakfast radio, but it can't get the Canberran what she truly wants. "I am a 44-year-old mother of two. I don't want to be attractive - I just want a nap," she says. "The most attractive thing I can do for my partner is a non-essential chore he hasn't got around to, like wash the windows. "If my comedy makes others find me attractive there's something wrong with them. How can talking about all of my flaws and the baffling imbeciles of the world be hot?" Show details: Grey Matter. Thursday March 22, 7pm. Big Band Room, ANU School of Music Cameron James Cameron James admits he's well and truly attracted to humour himself: "There's nothing hotter to me than a funny woman. I love to laugh". But when it comes to the other way around, he's not so convinced it helps. "I do think women are attracted to a funny guy, but you know what I think they're more attracted to? Abs. All my girl friends say they love a laugh, but then end up with dudes with abs. And the rules are you can be a good comedian or have abs, never both." Even without abs, a good joke can get you out of a punch up. It might even increase your social media following. "I once got out of a fist fight thanks to comedy. A guy heckled me and I made fun of him during the show. Then afterwards he followed me to the car park and tried to fight me. The Beatles were playing on the pub soundtrack and before he got a hit in I said, 'I never thought I'd get my ass kicked to Yellow Submarine', and he burst out laughing. We're friends on Facebook now." Show details: Chilled Out/Fired Up, Saturday March 24, 8.15pm, The Street Theatre. The Stevenson Experience When trying to attract a new partner, Benjamin Stevenson, one-half of Canberra comedic duo The Stevenson Experience, doesn't think a sense of humour is always a good thing. "Everyone wants a sense of humour, but what they really want is superannuation and a mentally stable partner. It probably works against you, in the end, if you have to always be 'on'. Besides, you can get a laugh by going to watch a comedian, you don't need to date them. Stick with a boring but healthy retirement plan," he says. And it turns out a funny bone isn't only unhelpful for dating, it can also prove problematic if you find yourself on a television game show. "I'm not proud, but I was on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire last year. It's actually super stressful - Eddie's talking at you and the clock is ticking. So, naturally, I blurted out a joke about ISIS. That was promptly edited out of the show," he says. "And if you want to know if I won a million dollars, come to the show." Show details: Spot The Difference, Saturday March 24, 8.30pm, The Street Theatre. John Hastings But it's not all bad. John Hastings' new show Audacity is all about falling in love with the woman of his dreams. It might just be the oxytocin speaking, but the loved-up Canadian is far more positive about the effect of a good sense of humour. "I think a sense of humour is totally attractive. Would you rather head to the bone zone with someone who makes you laugh or some lecturer who speaks with the rhythm of a dial tone? I think we say 'must have sense of humour' because 'don't be a creep' does not really help separate the cool from the creeps," he says. Show details: Audacity, Friday March 23, 8.15pm, The Street Theatre. Luke Heggie So do we actually really want a good sense of humour after all? Luke Heggie thinks we're all liars. "Barely anyone is prioritising GSOH above looks and cold hard cash and yet there they are, saying they want someone with a good sense of humour. By 'good' they generally mean 'my'. ''You don't often see movie-star-looking muscle men - with their eyes too close together like chickens, as has become the norm in modern Hollywood - attempting stand-up comedy, because they've never had to say anything funny in their lives, and people will laugh at them anyway. "They're not to be trusted. I've always maintained that my good sense of humour and my positive can-do attitude has, if anything, held me back in life. On the whole, people are no-good, self-serving grubs." Show Details: Tiprat, Saturday March 24, 8.30pm, ANU School of Music, The Big Band Room The 2018 Canberra Comedy Festival is on March 19-25 at Canberra Theatre, The Street Theatre, Civic Pub and the ANU. For the full program and tickets, see canberracomedyfestival.com.au.

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Good morning Canberra. Welcome to Tuesday. We're looking at a partly cloudy day with a minimum temperature of 10 degrees and a maximum of 24. Grab your beverage of choice and we'll take a look at today's headlines. ACT Opposition leader Alistair Coe will today move a censure motion against Chief Minister Andrew Barr, expressing his concerns about Mr Barr's apparent hatred of the media. Mr Coe will bring on the motion in the wake of Mr Barr's comments a little over a week ago that he "hates journalists" - a comment he has since backed away from publicly. It should be noted a censure motion doesn't actually lead to a specific consequence for the government, but does give the Assembly a chance to condemn a specific policy issue or public statement, such as, "I hate journalists". Read Daniel Burdon's story here. Tathra is said to mean "beautiful country" in a local Aboriginal dialect. But the coastal town of about 1600 people has had more than its share of tragedy. Sally Pryor has taken a look back at some of the tragic events in the town's history - the most recent, of course, the terrible loss of about 70 homes and businesses after a bushfire crossed the Bega River and tore through seven kilometres of bushland into the township. Read more here. - there's some disturbing material related to sexual assault. An Australian Defence Force Academy cadet allegedly raped a Canberra university student after they began a consensual sexual relationship, a court heard on Monday. The student says she told the cadet what sexual acts she was not comfortable with and that he failed to respect her boundaries. But lawyers for 22-year-old Sebastian Crago Ellis told the ACT Supreme Court jury at the opening of the man's trial that the cadet denied any non-consensual sexual activity and that he had respected her refusals. Alexandra Back has more. The last time we reported on the swish new Department of Social Services building, staff were complaining it smelled like - well, it was gross. Grey water vapours, if you know what I mean. Now, Sally Whyte has found, the department has spent $236,000 on installing "necessary" bollards, a move welcomed by one security expert. You could argue the smell was deterrent enough, but that's probably been sorted by now. Read more here. OK, so the number one item Canberrans purchase at CostCo is petrol. That makes sense. But number two? Cranberry capsules? Really? New data has been released on our top purchases, and it's very revealing. Bree Winchester works her magic here.

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At least four people were treated for suspected drug overdoses at a rave in Fyshwick on the weekend. An ACT Emergency Services Agency spokeswoman confirmed paramedics attended the Tech Yes event on Dairy Road four times early Sunday for suspected drug overdose cases. The call-outs were in addition to numerous noise complaints made to ACT Policing and NSW Police. Residents as far as Googong were reportedly woken by the party. "Noise was reduced to an acceptable level. No arrests were made," an ACT Policing spokeswoman said. It's understood the Environment Protection Authority attended the event. Tech Yes, organised by Escape Ferocity, was billed as the after party of ACT government-approved festival Art, Not Apart. The 18-plus event was held outside the BlocHaus bouldering centre and in a nearby warehouse, which sits about one kilometre from the nearest homes. About 1300 people attended the event. An ACT government spokeswoman said no permit or approval was given to the organisers for the rave. "No permits or approvals were required for this event as it was held on private property, however Access Canberra reminded organisers of their requirements and responsibilities, including around noise standards," she said. "The government will speak further with the event organisers to ensure future events maintain appropriate noise levels for nearby residents." She also confirmed the dance party was not government funded. According to the event's Facebook page, it was held at a "secret location" that only ticket holders were privy to. The event was scheduled for 9pm on Saturday to 7am Sunday morning. The warehouse party was a BYO event. "Wearing their darker guise of Escape Ferocity, the Art, Not Apart festival team brings another warehouse party to tell your grandkids about," the Facebook event page said. It is understood a similar event was held in the area within recent months. Art, Not Apart festival producer and Escape Ferocity manager Dave Caffery apologised. "We regret that last night's event was audible in residential areas and sincerely apologise to anyone adversely effected," Mr Caffery said. "It seems that everyone, including us, are shocked the sound carried through Fyshwick, across the border, through Queanbeyan's industrial area and into suburbia. "We would not have conducted this event if this was a known possibility." He said a similar event was hosted at the same time last year, but a few streets over on Townsville Street and it used the same sound systems. He said they received no sound complaints. "To respect residents, we will not host any more events until an appropriate venue can be found," he said. "People should be able to sleep while others have fun, we're sorry if you couldn't last night." Mr Caffery said two medics and one private ambulance were on site all night. "We also have a policy of saving and then banning guests who cannot control themselves. We expect mature and experienced party-goers," he said. Queanbeyan police station inspector Anthony Hill said a number of residents as far as Googong could hear the noise and thought it was within the local area. Googong is more than 12 kilometres from the site of the rave. Inspector Hill said the complaints were made until past 5am. According to Facebook posts residents in Narrabundah also reported hearing "doof, doof music all night". Narrabundah resident Sue Moran said she was awoken at around 4am by the music. "I opened my door and couldn't figure out where it was coming from but it was awfully loud," Ms Moran said. "I suppose they think it's an industrial estate so it doesn't matter. "They were very foolish weren't they, I mean if they'd just kept it down a bit nobody would have been any the wiser." Mr Caffery said sound measures taken to avoid impacting residents had been in place, include hosting the event in an industrial area, using a directional sound system that cancels bass to its rear, aiming the sound into Fyshwick so it would dissipate, and working with the Environmental Protection Authority to minimise impact. ACT Policing does not appear to have specific guidelines on responding to noisy events. "Each complaint of this nature and the action taken in response is assessed depending on the permissions and regulations relevant to the venue/event and the level of noise and any other offences committed," the spokeswoman said. Residents near Tharwa last month called on the ACT government to intervene in a series of music festivals that police had warned could lead to death or injury if left unchecked. The ACT government then also told Fairfax Media that private events on private property did not require a permit, despite concerns raised about the risks posed by drugs, alcohol and fire. - with Emily Baker.

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news, crime

Courtney Topic was likely experiencing an "untreated psychosis" when police confronted her as she waved a large kitchen knife in the air near a Hungry Jack's in Sydney's west, an inquest has heard. Less than a minute after police arrived at West Hoxton an officer fired his gun into her chest. She died almost immediately. Witnesses noticed Ms Topic, 22, appeared agitated as she swung the knife, pointed it towards her stomach and was talking to herself as she walked near the fast-food outlet on February 10 in 2015. An inquest into the circumstances that led to Ms Topic's shooting death opened at the NSW Coroner's Court at Glebe on Monday. Her mother sobbed as counsel assisting the inquest, Gerard Craddock, SC, said Ms Topic suffered mental health problems that likely developed into schizophrenia at the time of her death. She had previously experienced thoughts of self-harm. Ms Topic - "an active, carefree, intelligent and imaginative child" - had been diagnosed at different times with a major depressive disorder and Asperger's syndrome or autism. Mr Craddock said the inquest would hear evidence Ms Topic had likely been experiencing an "untreated psychosis" at the time of the shooting. Her state of mind and cognitive problems probably meant she was unable to respond "as may have been expected" to police requests during the confrontation. While there would never be "a definite explanation" for why she took the knife when she left home for the short walk to Hungry Jack's that day, she could have been afraid, he said. There was no "realistic possibility" she wanted to hurt anyone and hadn't shown any signs of aggression. The inquest heard the police callout message for the incident suggested Ms Topic's behaviour might have been linked to mental health and there were concerns she might harm herself. However, the first police to arrive at the scene later said they couldn't recall the mental health warning. Mr Craddock said it could be questioned whether it was appropriate, given Ms Topic showed signs "strongly suggestive" of mental disturbance, that police approached her in a car with lights and sirens on, yelled at her to drop the knife and drew weapons in an attempt to subdue her. The inquest heard an officer had armed a Taser 14 seconds after police arrived at the scene; about 20 seconds after that an officer fired the capsicum spray at Ms Topic's eye and cheek. She was shot with the pistol seven seconds later. "Putting it all together, Courtney is shot 41 seconds after police arrive in their vehicle," Mr Craddock said. He said the shooting raised broader questions as to whether police were adequately trained to respond appropriately to people with a mental illness. In a statement read in court, her family spoke of their shock at Ms Topic's death. "It was sudden, unexpected and violent." They said Ms Topic, who worked at Woolworths, was "an intelligent young woman" and indications she could have suffered a more serious mental condition gave some context to her "bizarre" behaviour that day. The inquest continues in front of Deputy State Coroner Liz Ryan on Tuesday.

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Members of the Monomoy crew  Grace Boyle, Laura Brown, Jaymie Buffington, Yodaurys Castro, Caitlin Daley, Molly Daley, Margo Dery, Spencer Drake, Maria Fidencio, Katie Ganshaw, Aidan Kotoski, Samantha Mahoney, Hannah Mitchell, Isabelle O'Donnell, Elizabeth Pandiscio, Emma Santoni, Ashlee Shuemaker, and Daniel Street  show off their Monomoy spirit while visiting the Dominican Republic. Contributed Photo

Muhammad Ali once said, Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth. That became the theme of what students are describing as a life-changing trip to the Dominican Republic.

During February vacation, 18 Monomoy students under the tutelage of history teacher John Dickson ventured to the Dominican Republic for an adventure that was part fun and part service.

There is service with and service for, Dickson said. We were not a charity trip, but instead were serving with [people] towards a goal, and getting just as much out of it as you were given. That's part of our goal, to get kids over the bridge and onto a plane to a different country to expand their worlds.

While the sojourn began with students learning how to surf the beautiful turquoise waves of the tropical region, their main purpose there was to work with students in a local Montessori school, specifically about the importance of protecting their ecosystem by rethinking their approaches to trash.

In the Dominican there is such a problem with trash, said Monomoy sophomore Jaymie Buffington. They just throw it on the streets. They don't know that it's hurting their environment.

Buffington and fellow sophomore Emma Santoni explained that Monomoy's students worked with the elementary students on experiments aimed at generating awareness about pollution, which can be prevented by proper trash disposal.

We were working with them on experiments that show how throwing your trash away like that pollutes the water, is not good for the environment, that their animals in the water will get sick and they could get sick, Buffington said. At the end of one of the days one of the kids came up to me and said, 'I'm going to go home and pick up trash now.' We actually taught them something they're going to take home to their families.

While embarking on such experiments seems fairly simple, the challenge faced by the visiting Sharks was a language barrier since the Dominican students spoke Spanish, a language only a handful of Monomoy students know. Help came in the form of sophomore Yodaurys Castro, a student of Dominican heritage, who served as translator for his peers.

For Castro, the trip was not only educational, but also an opportunity not only to see another part of his homeland, but also to share that homeland with his friends.

Since I'm from there and had not ever been to the place we went, I wanted to see how it was different from my hometown, Castro said. It was nice to have some of my friends see what I actually see when I go down there and experience the fun and the new culture.

The trip brought many surprises, from tasting foods such as plantains, Jugo de Chinola, and something called a jiotilla, to the difficulties of surfing.

I'd never been surfing, and didn't even want to go surfing, but our instructor was so nice, said junior Samantha Mahoney. It was so much fun and was such a different experience.

There was also the thrill of diving off or sliding down waterfalls, a highlight of the trip for junior Aidan Kotoski. But what resonated most with the travelers was seeing firsthand the differences between the two cultures. Poverty is an issue where the students visited, as evidenced by the fact that the children they worked with were attending their particular school because they couldn't afford to attend the regular public school.

Such disparity gave the Monomoy crew a new perspective on what matters most in life. Junior Molly Daley said being in the Dominican for the week offered new insight on life on Cape Cod.

One of the things we had to do while we were there was throw our toilet paper in the trash, Daley said. You take for granted things like being able to flush your toilet paper, drink the water here, or having electricity for more than eight hours. This really opened my eyes to see that you can go places and teach and learn at the same time, and [to be] grateful you are for the things you have.

Santoni was struck by the fact that the Dominican students spent fewer hours in school than their American visitors, attending classes for roughly three hours in the morning, and another two or three in the afternoon. But Santoni said her interactions with the children touched her heart.

My highlight was working with the kids, and taking pictures on the last day. You could really tell how much we impacted them, Santoni said. It was hard for me to leave them.

Junior Caitlin Daley appreciated the symbolism of the school's structural setup, which lowered everything in the classrooms to be within a child's grasp.

To remind them that their goals are within reach, Daley said.

Buffington was surprised by the infectious joy of the Dominican students.

This is a school for kids...who really have close to nothing, said Buffington. Yet they're all so kind, they're all willing to share whatever they have, they're not selfish. It's really eye-opening to see that.

That said, the American students did have to adjust to the affectionate and welcoming nature of their hosts.

They live in such intimacy, explained Dickson. They don't have their own rooms. Everyone is together. Neighbors take care of neighbors because they pretty much live on top of one another, with no fences or yards. Their culture is so welcoming. It isn't like our culture where we have our fences and our yards.

I think it was just so cool to see how people live, how they relate to each other, to see the different landscapes, said sophomore Laura Brown.

Kotoski said for him, the resounding message of the trip was simple.

Life isn't about all the things we have, he said. It's about being together with people and having a human connection. It's about love, and a human connection. That's what I got out of it.
Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved. A woman, center, is carried out by security officials after she tried to protest before a press conference regarding a missing Malaysia Airlines plane at a hotel in Sepang, Malaysia, Wednesday, March 19, 2014. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Update 10 p.m.: An Australian search and rescue official says that planes have been sent to check on two objects possibly related to the missing Malaysia Airlines flight that were spotted on satellite imagery in the Indian Ocean about 2,500 kilometres (1,550 miles) southwest of Perth.

But John Young of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority cautioned Friday against expectations that this may help solve the mystery of the plane that went missing with 239 people on board nearly two weeks ago.

Young told reporters, "We have been in this business of doing search and rescue and using sat images before and they do not always turn out to be related to the search even if they look good, so we will hold our views on that until they are sited close-up."

Update 9:30 p.m.: Australia's prime minister said Thursday that two objects possibly related to the missing Malaysia Airlines flight have been spotted on satellite imagery in the Indian Ocean and an air force aircraft was diverted to the area to try to locate them.

The Orion aircraft was expected to arrive in the area Thursday afternoon, Prime Minister Tony Abbott told Parliament in Canberra. Three additional aircraft are expected to follow for a more intensive search, he said.

Abbott called it "credible information," adding that after "specialist analysis of this satellite imagery, two possible objects related to the search have been identified."

But Abbott cautioned that locating the objects could be extremely difficult and "it may turn out that they are not related to the search for flight MH370."

He did not say where the objects were. Military planes from Australia, the U.S. and New Zealand were covering a search region over the southern Indian Ocean that was narrowed down on Wednesday from 600,000 square kilometres (232,000 square miles) to 305,000 square kilometres (117,000 square miles).

The hunt for the Boeing 777 has been punctuated by several false leads since it disappeared March 8 above the Gulf of Thailand.

Oil slicks that were spotted did not contain jet fuel. A yellow object thought to be from the plane turned out to be a piece of sea trash. Chinese satellite images showed possible plane debris, but nothing was found. But this is the first time that possible objects have been spotted since the search area was massively expanded into two corridors, one stretching from northern Thailand into Central Asia and the other from the Strait of Malacca down to southern reaches of the Indian Ocean.

Abbott said he spoke to the prime minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak, about the latest developments. Australia's envoy to Malaysia, Rod Smith, joined a meeting of senior Malaysia search officials at a Kuala Lumpur hotel after Abbott's announcement. Smith did not respond to reporters' questions.

"As I've been doing from day one, I've followed every single lead. And this time, I hope it is a positive development," Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters.

Nearly two weeks after the plane went missing, the FBI has joined forces with Malaysian authorities in analyzing deleted data on a flight simulator belonging to the pilot of the missing jet.

Files containing records of flight simulations were deleted Feb. 3 from the device found in the home of the pilot, Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah, Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu said.

It was not clear whether investigators thought that deleting the files was unusual. They might hold hints of unusual flight paths that could help explain where the missing plane went, or the files could have been deleted simply to clear memory for other material.

Hishammuddin told a news conference Wednesday that Zaharie is considered innocent until proven guilty. He said members of the pilot's family are co-operating in the investigation.

Zaharie was known to some within the online world of flight simulation enthusiasts.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation by name, said the FBI has been asked to analyze the deleted simulator files.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said in Washington that the FBI was working with Malaysian authorities. "At this point, I don't think we have any theories," he said.

Flight 370 disappeared March 8 on a night flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Malaysian authorities have not ruled out any possible explanation, but have said the evidence so far suggests the flight was deliberately turned back across Malaysia to the Strait of Malacca, with its communications systems disabled. They are unsure what happened next.

Investigators have identified two giant arcs of territory spanning the possible positions of the plane about 7 1/2 hours after takeoff, based on its last faint signal to a satellite  an hourly "handshake" signal that continues even when communications are switched off. The arcs stretch up as far as Kazakhstan in central Asia and down deep into the southern Indian Ocean.

Police are considering the possibility of hijacking, sabotage, terrorism or issues related to the mental health of the pilots or anyone else on board, and have asked for background checks from abroad on all foreign passengers.

___

Gelineau reported from Sydney, Australia. Associated Press writer Rod McGuirk in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report.

Australia's prime minister says objects possibly related to the missing Malaysia Airlines flight have been spotted on satellite imagery.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott told Parliament in Canberra on Thursday that a Royal Australian Airforce Orion has been diverted to the area to attempt to locate the objects. The Orion is expected to arrive in the area Thursday afternoon. Three additional aircraft are expected to follow for a more intensive search.

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Photo: Contributed

Why is it so hard to find the icon to safely remove your USB? How do you stop OneDrive from badgering you when you dont need it? End these annoyances!

Safety First

A long-time customer emailed me an excellent question.

I know Im supposed to click on something so I can remove my flash drive safely, but I cant find the icon. Can you help?

Absolutely.

Make sure you have a flash drive or external hard drive connected to your computer

In the lower right-hand corner of the screen ("by where the clock is..."), click on the upward facing caret to show the hidden icons.

Click on the icon that looks like a tiny USB stick

This brings up a little box listing any USB devices you have plugged in. Click on the one you want to remove. Wait for the message that it's OK to remove it, and then take out the stick.

If you want that icon to be visible all the time, we can easily do that:

Plug in a USB device

Right-click on any vacant spot on the taskbar to bring up a dialog box

Click on Taskbar settings

This will open the windows for Taskbar settings. Scroll down to Notification Area

Click on Select which icons appear on the Taskbar

In the resulting list, find the one that looks like that little flash drive icon and says Windows Explorer Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media

Slide the switch next to it to the ON position

That should do it. Now you can close all those windows, and the little icon should be visible all the time in the area to the left of the clock.

If you want to make things easier still, use the USB Ejector utility I mentioned here. Heres a direct link.

Silence OneDrive

Another customer emailed me with a question about OneDrive.

I dont use OneDrive, and dont need it hanging around nagging me to use it. Ive tried taking it out of Startup, but somehow it always seems to find a way to run. How can I make it stop?

First of all, if youre asking yourself, What the heck is OneDrive? have a look at this column.

Its not easy to turn it off. Microsoft really wants us to use it, and they keep finding ways to sneak it back in there. These instructions are good until they temporarily outsmart us again:

Right-click on the blue or white cloud icon in the Taskbar

Click on Settings

Click on the Settings tab

Un-check all the boxes in the General section

Click on the Auto Save tab

Make sure all the Save settings are set to This PC only, and that no boxes are checked

Click on the Settings tab

Click on Unlink this PC | Unlink this account

Click on OK

Right-click on the cloud icon again

Click on Quit OneDrive

Do good deeds

Its almost spring. Its almost bike-riding weather. Im excited to be riding for a good cause. Please consider sponsoring me.

Do you need help with your computer? I'm here to help you and your home or business computer get along!
Photo: CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE Natalie Wilkie (right) and Emily Young (left)

Salmon Arm's Natalie Wilkie has won a gold at the 2018 Paralympic Games in South Korea.

Not only is she bringing back a gold in the women's standing 7.5-kilometre cross-country ski race, but she also won a bronze in the 1.5-kilometre sprint last week.

Wilkie, 17, is the youngest athlete competing on the Canadian Paralympic Team.

This is crazy awesome. I didnt think this would happen at all. Im only 17 and this is my first Paralympics," Wilkie said.

When asked about the race she said, "I just kept telling myself to pretend I was elbowing my older brother.

British Columbia's Paralympic athletes are celebrating 16 medals from the games.

The PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games took place March 9 to 18.
Photo: @GlenHansmen

The union representing British Columbia teachers will look to boost salaries, when their contract negotiations open later this year.

B.C. Teachers' Federation president Glen Hansman told a crowd at the union's annual general meeting Saturday night that the province's low starting salaries mean that B.C. still isn't attracting enough qualified teachers to fill a shortage that continues to reverberate across the province.

B.C. starting salaries are $10,000 to $15,000 lower than Ontario or Alberta, he said in an interview before his speech. That makes B.C. and Quebec the lowest in Canada, he said.

"We don't set our (bargaining) objectives until the fall, but it could be fair to assume that given affordability issues in British Columbia, salary is going to be very important to look at, as well as unaddressed issues around class size and composition," Hansman said.

Public sector bargaining begins in less than 10 months for the BCTF, he said. It is one of several unions that will renegotiate their contracts, which expire in June 2019, with the province.

British Columbia school districts have been since the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favour of restoring language around class size and composition. About 3,500 positions have been filled and 300 remain open.

Hansman said that doesn't tell the whole story. The shortage of substitute teachers remains a problem, especially in Metro Vancouver. It means that when a teacher is absent, there is a domino effect in classrooms, with special-education and English-language teachers being pulled from their assignments to fill in.

"It's disruptive for the students who are supposed to be getting their support; it's disruptive for the other teachers at the school, who depend on kids coming and going throughout the day," Hansman said.

He also said the current class size and composition standards may not be up to standard  another area that union members will discuss before heading into bargaining.

"We won in the Supreme Court of Canada in November of 2016, but what has been restored is language that hasn't changed, more or less, for a quarter century,"Hansman said. "So had that language around class size and composition never been unconstitutionally legislated away in the first place, presumably it would have continued to have evolved over subsequent rounds of bargaining."

Early this month, Education Minister Rob Fleming announced an additional $571,000 to train more than 100 teachers in the highest-demand fields such as special education, French, math and physics.

Fleming added that last year's hiring spree was the largest in a generation and the province is continuing to make improvements to recruit and retain more teachers.

The extra funding for spaces came in response to a task force appointed to identify challenges facing school districts across the province, Fleming said.

A report by the task force determined 54 school districts had difficulty finding and retaining learning assistance teachers, teacher librarians, counsellors, and science, math and French teachers.

The BCTF annual general meeting continues through Tuesday and includes an address by Premier John Horgan that day.
Photo: File Photo

Canadas Governor General will make her first official visit to British Columbia this week.

Julie Payette will be welcomed Tuesday during a ceremony at the B.C. Legislature before a reception later that evening.

Lieutenant-Governor Judith Guichon will welcome Payette to Government House on Tuesday.

CTV News Vancouver Island reports a Presentation of Honours will be held on Wednesday at Government House at which time Payette will recognize and present honours to 45 remarkable Canadians.

She will also meet with Premier John Horgan and members of the Royal Canadian Navy during her visit.
Photo: Contributed

Burnaby RCMP are investigating an early Sunday morning stabbing at a SkyTrain station.

They say police arrived at the Edmonds station for a robbery around 2 a.m. to find two youths with stab wounds.

Cpl. Philip Atoui tells CTV Vancouver that the incident happened about 40 minutes before police were called, and the suspect had fled the scene by the time officers arrived.

The two young people were transported to hospital by ambulance, where they were treated and later released.

Atoui said their injuries were minor.

Police have no suspects in the investigation so far.

"What's important here is for anyone who witnessed this to call Burnaby RCMP at 604-646-9999," Atoui said.

with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: CTV Vancouver

Pain at the pump has never been this bad, as drivers in the Lower Mainland watched gas prices jump to a nearly-record-setting 154.9 cents a litre.

CTV Vancouver spoke with Dan McTeague with GasBuddy.com who says prices will likely continue to rise.

"We will probably hit the all-time high gasoline prices [of 155 cents a litre] seen on June 22, 2014," he said. "Perhaps as early as next week."

The recent price spike is being blamed on area plants which are down for maintenance and the supply can't keep up with demand.

On Saturday, RCMP arrested more than two dozen people protesting an expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline which carries bitumen from Alberta to B.C.'s coast.

McTeague says expanding the pipeline could bring some relief when it comes to gas prices.

"If you want prices down, get the doubling of the pipeline built," he said.

Gas wasn't much cheaper in the Fraser Valley, where prices hovered around 147 cents a litre.

McTeague advised motorists that a trip to the U.S. to fuel up could prove worthwhile.

He said you can save about $25 on a 60-litre tank by fueling up south of the border.

Gas prices in the Okanagan are around the 124.9 cents a litre, give or take a few cents depending on which area you are in.

with files from CTV Vancouver
YouTube

Warning graphic language in video.

More evidence of bad driving on B.C. roads.

A dangerous manoeuvre by the driver of a blue pickup truck was caught on dash cam by James Milne in Langley.

Milne says he was shocked by what happened and his footage shows a pickup truck blowing past traffic on Highway 1 using a passing lane that doesn't exist before cutting back in.

"He flies down the shoulder, and then right before he hits the barricade he forces himself into traffic," Milne told CTV News.

The truck apparently finished its attempt at passing on the shoulder by swerving back into traffic to avoid concrete barriers.

The video has been posted on YouTube and it's already been viewed thousands of times.

"We were all just trying to get to where we're trying to go," Milne said. "And this guy obviously thinks he's more important than the rest of us."

The video does not capture the vehicle's license plate, so even if police wanted to take action there is little chance of finding the driver which means the driver will get away scot-free.

-with files from CTV
Photo: Contributed

Kelowna RCMP issued dozens of tickets and removed 14 alleged impaired drivers and two prohibited drivers from the streets overnight on St. Patrick's Day.

At a check stop in Rutland early Sunday, an "officer detected an odour of liquor" on the breath of the driver of a blue GMC van "and noted additional signs and symptoms, which led him to believe that the drivers ability to safely operate his motor vehicle may be affected by alcohol, said Cpl. Jesse ODonaghey.

The driver failed a roadside breathalyzer test.

The officer then provided the driver with another demand and transported him to the local detachment where he provided samples of his breath in excess of the legal limit, said ODonaghey.

A further investigation showed the alleged impaired driver was a prohibited driver, stemming from a previous impaired driving incident.

A 24-year-old Kelowna man was issued an additional driving prohibition and faces potential criminal charges.

He is expected to appear in court on June 6.
Photo: Contributed

The opiate crisis in the Okanagan has been front and centre of late.

From used syringes showing up in public spaces to an increase of unconfirmed overdoses in Vernon, the issue is touching everyone's lives regardless of socioeconomic background.

The latest numbers released from Interior Health provide a glimpse of what is happening in our communities.

Surveillance data is put together by nurses and paramedics and is based on overdoses reported to the Medical Health Officer and do not represent all overdoses that occur in the community.

From March 1, 2017 to February 28, 2018 there were 845 overdoses reported.

The vast majority of reported overdoses were reported in Kelowna (274) Vernon (184) and Penticton (126). The next closest region was Kamloops (82).

While not 100 per cent accurate, the interior health numbers reported seem to support what the B.C. Coroners Service reported earlier in the year  65 per cent of overdoses reported are occurring in men (550).

The events reported were broken down to further:

Self Reported Use at Time of Overdose-Using Alone

Alone 258  31 per cent

Not alone 402  48 per cent

Unknown 125  15 per cent

Not Answered 60  7 per cent

Self-Reported Drug Use History

Daily 270  32 per cent

Weekly 103  12 per cent

Occasional/Infrequent 174  21 per cent

Unknown 238  28 per cent

Not Answered 60  7 per cent

Self-Reported Substances Used at Time of OD

Heroin 353  42 per cent

Illicit Stimulants 168  20 per cent

Photo: Interior Health

Emergency departments report known or suspected opioid overdoses to the Medical Health Officer.

An exact count of illicit drug overdoses is not possible from this data; hence, these measures should be considered only an estimate.
Madison Erhardt

Tuesday marks the official first day of spring, but the Okangan will see temperatures below seasonal averages for most of the week.

Today should reach a high of 10 C with a mix of sun and cloud and a 30 per cent chance of showers later this afternoon.

Tuesday through Friday, Environment Canada forecasts highs of 7 to 8 C, with cloudy skies and showers.

The weekend is looking spring-like, however.

Saturday and Sunday should see highs of 11 C and a mix of sun and cloud.

With spring rains and melting snow, potential flooding is top of mind for many.

Meteorologist Armel Castlellan describes the best-case scenario Mother Nature could give.

"Best-case scenario is although there is a higher than normal snowpack, the hope is that it gets melted in a sequential way without having strong rain on snow events," Castlellan said.

A gradually warming spring would also prevent the chance for significant flooding.

"The ripening of the snowpack happens gradually, as opposed to all at once in May or June," he added.
With an anticipated grand opening coming in 2019, the 80,000-square foot facility that is being constructed on the Whitfield Murray Campus of Georgia Northwestern Technical College is showing signification growth.

Dr. Ginger Mathis, GNTC associate vice president of Special Projects on the Phase II Construction Site at the colleges Whitfield Murray Campus, took a tour of the site. Everything is looking great on the site, said Dr. Mathis. I think everyone, students, faculty, and staff included, is really starting to get excited about whats next for the campus. The programs that will be in place when the doors open will be very reflective of the needs of this community.

Most of the students at GNTCs Whitfield Murray Campus call Murray or Whitfield county home. Upon completion, the newly-expanded campus will be able to accommodate up to 4,000 students. Not only is GNTC expecting traditional students to attend the new campus, but also dual enrollment students from area high schools. Georgia Northwestern currently is ranked first in Georgia in number of dual-enrolled students attending.

Another part of student enrollment numbers is expected to come from those wishing to grow within area industry. The flooring industry in Northwestern Georgia is one of the largest flooring centers in the world. Flooring companies in the Dalton, Georgia area and GNTC have been in talks throughout the process about what programs the college should have in order to best help the current employees and those yet to come.

In summer of 2017, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, along with officials from across Northwest Georgia, announced at the groundbreaking how the expansion of the Dalton, Georgia-based campus was an important part of his growth plan for the Peach State. Costing more than $27 million to complete the project, Georgia Northwestern administrators hope to see classes begin there by the fall semester of 2019.

The Whitfield Murray Campus of GNTC first opened eight years ago in 2010. When the doors first opened, the college operated out of part of the existing Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy facilities in Whitfield County, Georgia. However, after quickly outgrowing the space, they moved into their own facility on the grounds a short time later.

Georgia Northwestern Technical College provides workforce education to the citizens of Northwest Georgia. Students have the opportunity to earn an associate degree, diploma, or a certificate in business, health, industrial, or public service career paths. This past year, 16,402 people benefited from GNTCs credit and noncredit programs. With an annual credit enrollment of 7,750 students, GNTC is the largest college in Northwest Georgia. GNTC has an additional enrollment of 8,652 people through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training, and Georgia Quick Start. For more information about GNTC, visit us at www.GNTC.edu. The Student Help Center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 844-348-7659 or via online chat at https://helpcenter.gntc.edu. GNTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and an Equal Opportunity Institution.
The Spaniard is renowned for his dancing feet and lightening pace, but at the King Power Stadium against Leicester he used his head to net the winning goal in a tight FA Cup quarter-final tie. It is a quirk of fate he also scored in that fashion in our league fixture at the same ground last season.

Yesterday Pedro was introduced for Willian early on in extra-time, and it didnt take him long to make an impact, ghosting between two Leicester defenders to reach NGolo Kantes cross before Kasper Schmeichel.



Its very strange to score with the head! Pedro laughed. Its good for my confidence in the team and to help us pass to the next round of the FA Cup.

It was a very difficult game for us. Its always difficult here. They have very good players like Vardy and Mahrez and they are very good on the counter-attack.



It was difficult for us to find the pass between the lines to Eden and Willian, he added.



They defended very well, pressed high and were strong in defence with guys like Maguire and Morgan. It is very difficult to win against the team, but the most important thing is we did that and passed to the next round.



Pedro said he was also delighted for his compatriot Alvaro Morata, who had given us the lead before the break with a classy finish. The two Spaniards goals have set up a meeting with Southampton at Wembley next month with the target in this competition to go one better than last time out when we were defeated by Arsenal in the final.



Its good for our confidence and to help us fight in the next games. We are in a difficult situation in the league but in the FA Cup we are in the semi-final against Southampton. Its an opportunity for us to go to the final and help us fight until the end for the top four.

But now is the moment to enjoy this win because its difficult to win against Leicester.
Guest Commentary

During our recent trip through the wine country of Argentina, I became friends with our guide, Oscar. Oscar is an interesting guy. His first real job was as a newspaper columnist for a large daily in Mendoza.

In 1983 he wrote a piece criticizing Argentinas conduct of the Falkland War. He was promptly arrested, jailed and exiled to Europe. After 20 years, he was allowed to return home and now guides tourists in English, French, Italian or Spanish.

When I told Oscar that I thought socialism was responsible for Argentinas economic problems, he respectfully disagreed. Free health care and college tuition were good things and could not possibly have negative consequences. He suggested his countrys decline was due to cronyism and offered the following example.

English engineers designed and built Argentinas rail system in the mid 1800s. It connected all the large cities and was a valuable part of their infrastructure through the 20th century. The government nationalized the system during World War II.

During the 2000 election, the trucking companies banded together to support their favorite candidate who in return promised support for their industry. When elected, the new president summarily abandoned the rail system, giving truckers a monopoly on all shipping within the country. The rails are still there but are not used. You can even see rolling stock here and there, but everything moves by truck.

While we were there, the truck drivers went on strike and recently harvested crops deteriorated awaiting transport. Oscar called unions and industry activists syndicates. We call them special interest groups.

Our anti-trust laws and campaign finance restrictions limit the power of special interest groups. The rise of Political Action Committees (PACs) threaten the balance. PACs and super PACs do not contribute directly to candidates and are, thus, exempt from campaign finance limits. PACs spend millions promoting issues and candidates.

These committees, syndicates if you will, expect a return for their money. After closed door meetings with representatives of steel and aluminum companies, President Trump recently surprised everyone by reversing the global trend toward free trade. I am sure the president will receive the support of steel workers in the next election.

Mr. Trump has already begun preparing for his 2020 reelection. He has named Brad Parscale to manage the campaign. One of Parscales first jobs will be to encourage the creation of PACs and super PACs to support the reelection effort. These syndicates will expect and receive a return on their investment. This is the new reality, but I dont have to like it. Cronyism is not good for Argentina and is not good for America.

Frank Watson is a retired Air Force Colonel and long-time resident of Eastern Washington. He has been a free lance communist for over 19 years.
Amazon's September announcement that it was seeking proposals for the headquarters project, dubbed HQ2, kicked off fierce competition among cities offering millions of dollars in incentives. Even after the field was winnowed in January to 20 finalists, including Chicago, attempts to rate that competition has continued.
Instead, Ferro approached Minshew with glasses of bourbon and forcefully placed his hand on the back of her head and tried to kiss her, according to Fortune. After pulling away, according to Minshews account to Fortune, Ferro said, Im glad I didnt take you to a restaurant, because people would think were sleeping together and were not. Id much rather actually be having sex with you and have no one know it. Minshew told Fortune that Ferro didnt try to touch her again.
Hospitals have been shifting to private rooms from shared rooms for years to appeal to patients who prefer privacy and to control the spread of infections. The hospital, which is affiliated with the University of Illinois at Chicago, said in its application that private rooms are the standard of care and cited research that has shown they reduce patient falls, noise and medical errors while improving communication and social support, as friends and family are more likely to stick around.
Food & Dining sampled nine brands of frozen french fries. I went for the basic straight cut fries when I could, the skinnier shoestrings when I couldnt. Although Dallas said crinkle cut fries were a best-seller at his Lincoln Square market because they are crunchier, I didnt want the shape to get in the way of the tasting  this was to be all about the fries and their flavor and the degree of crispness plain old straight cut fries could achieve in the oven.
Austin, Texas, sure as sh@# isn't the first place you'd think to look for great Vietnamese food, but there it is, on the south side of town. Elizabeth Street Cafe has built quite the reputation, far beyond its mission to be a friendly neighborhood gathering spot that happens to serve exceptional Vietnamese cuisine and artisanal French baked goodies. Blame it on goop (and Bon Appetit, The New York Times, and The Daily Meal) because the cat's out of the bag, especially now that Phaidon has published the cafe's first cookbook, Elizabeth Street Cafe, co-written by co-owners Tom Moorman and Larry McGuire with Julia Turshen and lovely photography by Evan Sung.
Last month, at the annual New York gala of Human Rights Campaign, which has endorsed Cuomo, she took a backhanded stab at the governor's record: "For all the pride that we take here in being such a blue state, New York has the single worst income inequality of any state in the country."
Oliver announced his book toward the end of a segment in which he skewered Vice President Pence's social conservatism, especially, the host said, "his hostility to LGBT rights" and his record of not being "a friend to the gay community." Oliver also noted that the Pence book tour includes a Colorado stop at the Focus on the Family organization, which, the host said, promotes gay-conversion therapy.
The news that Smith, who played Prince Philip in "The Crown," was paid more than Foy, who played Queen Elizabeth II, made headlines around the world last week, at a time when unequal pay for men and women was already in the spotlight. The Care2 petition to redress that imbalance is seeking 25,000 signatures and had 22,000 as of Monday morning in Britain. Care2 is a social network for activists and campaigns for animal rights, women's rights, civil rights, and environmental and political issues.
It's getting harder to know who is with whom; we have Latinos with white interests and Latinos going against Latinos. But in the end, the vote is simple. In the case of Anaya, I suppose we can say she is not really "from here". She was born in Mexico, she was undocumented, she lived homeless, and she has managed to get where she through hard work, not through her daddy's connections. Those of us who are also "not from here", by Sandoval standards, pick Anaya because she is one of "us". And in the other races we will also aim to pick one of our own.
Jena speculated on one potential explanation: Even when patients do not receive stents, an interventional cardiologist might still be involved in their care when they arrive at the hospital. And the ones who skip the annual meeting might take a different approach than those who attend.
Columbinus tells the story of two teenagers walking into their suburban high school and killing 12 students, a teacher and themselves  inspired, of course, by the 1999 murders at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo. The play was co-written by P.J. Paparelli and Stephen Karam and performed in 2013 at American Theater Company in Chicago, where Paparelli would later become artistic director. (Paparelli died at age 40 in 2015; American Theater Company shut down last week.)
That evening, Charlie joins us for dinner at the superbly named La Tete de Lard (meaning "fathead" or "pig head"). She forgoes the offal, but I have a tangy, tomato-rich tripe soup followed by lamb's brains, which are crispy on the outside, having been cooked in butter, but meltingly soft inside. Meanwhile, Andrew is very pleased with his choice of andouillette en croute (tripe sausage in pastry) with mustard sauce. "It's very good," he says, his voice betraying only a little surprise.
The cruise line Royal Caribbean International this week announced a slate of improvements: more private island experiences, modernization of existing ships and five new ships.



The brand's new Perfect Day Island Collection kicks off at its private CocoCay island in the Bahamas in 2019. New attractions there include overwater cabanas, zip line and water park. Other private destinations are planned for Asia, Australia and elsewhere in the Caribbean.



Royal Caribbean's newest ship Symphony of the Seas debuts this month. Five more Royal Caribbean ships will launch between 2019 and 2024.



Also planned: a $900 million modernization of 10 existing ships over four years, adding experiential dining, nightlife and attractions like virtual reality.



Finally, three- and four-night trips from Miami will launch as quick getaways designed to appeal to younger cruisers.
Phillips had been with the parish since 1988, and it has become well-known in the archdiocese for traditional services in Latin and English. In 1998, Phillips founded the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius as a religious community of men who devote their lives to the church and live under the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, according to the Cantians website. The men follow traditions similar to those of the Franciscans, Dominicans and Jesuits. The group falls under the Archdiocese of Chicago, Maselli said.
Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said officers on patrol were using devices that automatically read license plates to try to find the robbers. The robbers appear to be targeting random victims, and it was unclear to police why the incidents took place in Albany Park, Johnson said.
Chicago police are investigating two armed robberies of businesses in the Near North Side area that are believed to be carried out by the same man, according to authorities.
The weekends youngest homicide victim was a 17-year-old boy whose car crashed on the Eisenhower Expressway after he was shot on the Near West Side on Friday night, police said. On Saturday night, two cousins were shot, one fatally, while driving in the Back of the Yard neighborhood on the South Side, police said. They were in the 4900 block of South Ashland Avenue when two gunmen opened fire, killing the 32-year-old passenger.
I am part of the reform wing of the Republican Party and, you know what? The best part about Donald Trump is he stands for draining the swamp in Washington, D.C., and theres no bigger swamp that needs to be drained in state capitals than the one in Springfield, and I stand for that, Ives said.
The president told the audience at a Pennsylvania campaign rally this month that countries like Singapore have fewer issues with drug addiction because they harshly punish their dealers. He argued that a person in the U.S. can get the death penalty or life in prison for shooting one person, but that a drug dealer who potentially kills thousands can spend little or no time in jail.
OK, that's just politics, somebody might say, but it's just as bad when it comes to policy. When the House of Representatives failed last year in its first attempt to repeal Obamacare, Trump first blamed Democrats, then Republican Speaker Paul Ryan, then the right-wing congressmen of the Freedom Caucus. But Republican representatives reported that when they were being lobbied at the White House, Trump's lack of knowledge was striking, making the task of persuading skeptics tougher.
Its entirely possible that the next few months will be the last chance for Thomas to be replaced by a Republican president with a Republican Senate for some time. Thomas will be 70 in June. He would be 80 before a two-term Democrat elected in 2020 would leave office. Hes been on the court since 1991. He certainly seems partisan enough that he probably cares a lot about who replaces him. Theres no right or wrong thing to do in these circumstances; if Thomas is willing to live with the risk, as Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer have been, then he has every right to stick around.
Yes, Louis Farrakhan has said and done some powerful things. But he has also said and done some things that are truly hurtful and reprehensible. So lets not rush to make harmless this dotty uncle of the African-American experience. Lets not fall into the trap of condemning bigotry when it comes toward people who look like us, but tolerating it when it comes from people who look like us. We are required to be better than that.
Thats the damning centerpiece of news reports about Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, a data firm founded by supporters of Donald Trump. Theres a lot to be explored in the wake of investigative reporting by The New York Times and The Observer of London, but this privacy breach has the feel of a watershed moment in digital history. It relates to the devious appropriation of personal social media info for political gain. We expect Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and those connected to Cambridge Analytica, will have to answer for this to the public, Facebook users, law enforcement authorities and members of Congress.
Dunking: This seems like the second-best option for Trump after the Prayer Test. All he would need to do is strip down to his undergarments and then allow someone to throw him into a large body of water with a rope tied around his waist. (I believe former FBI Director James Comey would be a good candidate to do the Trump tossing.) Per the History Channel: Since witches were believed to have spurned the sacrament of baptism, it was thought that the water would reject their body and prevent them from submerging. If the president floats, hes a witch. If hes not a witch, he would sink like a stone and Comey would pull him back up. Hopefully.
Although J.B. Pritzker has never been my first choice for governor of Illinois, I admired his commitment to the Center on Wrongful Convictions and his prominence in many efforts seeking solutions to social and political wrongs. I was shaken by the Blagojevich-Pritzker tapes, but I had become reconciled to the idea that Pritzker would probably win the Democratic primary and that I would be voting for him in the fall, as I certainly cannot support Gov. Bruce Rauner.
I realize that machine is an obsolete term to describe the establishment network of party officials, community leaders and union bosses who anoint candidates and put muscle behind them. Its not the force it once was. But is it still powerful enough to bring out the vote for its chosen candidate for governor, J.B. Pritzker, a free-spending billionaire for whom I detect very little organic enthusiasm?
The Fox Valley Park District is seeking a 7-cent tax rate increase on the Tuesday primary ballot to be used for maintenance and operating costs. District officials have said the increase, if approved, would result in a $36 tax increase per year on the owner of a $175,000 home, which is the median home value in Aurora.
Look, we all know what weve been through in the past year, and arts presenters  the good ones, anyway  are doing their best not to be part of the problem as COVID-19 mutates its way down the Greek alphabet.
"We did a lot of digging, and Stevenson was one of the most well-known high schools for families coming from China. ... It is so strong," Murphy said. "Stevenson's teachers and facilities are so awesome, and the classes are focused on the idea that every child has different talents and gifts, which we love."
The Will County coroner's office has ruled that the cause of death was drowning for a Matteson couple who died Sunday night after their vehicle became submerged in a retention pond at Laraway Road and Tower Lane, near the McDonald's Restaurant in New Lenox .
Resnick said she wanted to put everyone in the room in (Sam Resnicks) shoes. She told the crowd about how strange it was the fire alarm went off for the second time in the day. She talked about how her cousin heard gun shots and how the students hid under desks wondering if they would be next.
"Being Italian American, we come from a heritage that's deeply rooted in traditions in language and culture, and it all came from hard work," she said. "To continue celebrating my Italian heritage, it keeps me closer to those roots."
"In this day and age, everyone is quick to point out problems and complain, but so few present and follow through with solutions," said Guerin. "Myron Legg runs a successful business here in town, the Home Stretch Inn, that for many years has helped individuals within our community through his generous donations to the River Grove Food Pantry and other organizations. Myron is a true 'Grover,' and we are proud to have him as a business owner and Resident of the Year."
Use Your Emotional Intelligence: Land the Job: This is presented by: Jan Victor, principal, Victor Group Consulting. Jan helps attendees understand what emotional intelligence, or E.I., is and how it can be used to help position them to secure employment. E.I. can be learned and strengthened, and it is never too late to add these essential skills to one's career strategy. 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Career Resource Center, 40 East Old Mill Road, Lake Forest, Free CRC members; $20 non-members, 847-295-5626
Early voting was set to close at 7 p.m. Monday at four sites, and thousands of mail-in ballots are outstanding, she said. Mail-in ballots have to be postmarked by the end of the day Tuesday and received within 14 days to count.
The Lake County coroner's office identified a man found by hikers Sunday in a wooded area near Mundelein as 76-year-old Dale F. Kropke, missing since March 4 from his Round Lake Park home.



Coroner Dr. Howard Cooper said the investigation into the exact circumstances of Kropke's death is ongoing.



"Preliminary autopsy results indicate he died from multiple traumatic injuries sustained in the crash. Toxicology results are pending," Cooper said in a statement. "Mr. Kropke's family has been notified, and our deepest condolences go out to them."



Round Lake Park police put out a missing person alert after Kropke left his home in the Saddlebrook Farms retirement community around 10:30 a.m. March 4 to go to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, and then never showed up, according to police Chief George Filenko.



The search of a pond Wednesday near Alleghany Road and Saddlebrook Drive east of the retirement community was conducted after an officer thought he saw something in the water, Filenko said.



According to Filenko, after a search that included Grayslake Fire Department divers, the object the officer spotted turned out to be a large plastic storage container.



Three hikers found the body of a man just after 11 a.m. Sunday outside Mundelein in a totaled car that was the same make and model as that of Kropke.



A preliminary investigation indicates that the driver was headed east on Winchester Road in a gold 2010 Toyota Prius east of Route 83, according to a statement from the Lake County sheriff's office.



The crash remains under investigation, according to the statement.
Both need moisture on their bodies, which is why they come out on rainy nights with temperatures above freezing to mate in temporary ponds and lay their eggs. Then they retreat to moist places, like underneath logs where they can find plenty of food and eventually to their burrows come fall. When the eggs hatch, larvae live in the water, turn into adults and then head to logs and burrows as well.
So often we hear voters griping about how their votes don't count, which is a lame excuse for not showing up to vote either on Election Day in their precincts or, more frequently, at early voting sites. Nationally, only about half of U.S. registered voters take the time to vote, or register to vote, a drop since the 1960s when about 60 percent voted.
In his complaint, Weller says he was employed by PSI starting in October 2010, and the company placed him in Lincolnwood in December 2015, where he worked until he was fired the following July. The north suburb is one of the few municipalities in Illinois to outsource firefighter staffing, according to village officials. Lincolnwood officials said outsourcing saves the village money on pensions and benefits for the workers.
Mall of India has letters of intent from several businesses to move in once construction is complete, including one from Indian restaurant chain Hyderabad House. The mall's food court will also offer food from Bawarchi Indian Biryani chain, Sarvana Express, Anjappar Express, Hot Breads snacks and chat center, Dosa Hut and CurryXpress, the release said.
"Unfortunately, the elementary school model is not working well, as the coordinator's assignment of four buildings is too large to provide staff with the appropriate support," according to a report prepared for the board. "Under the current model, the elementary coordinator spends a little more than one day at each building, with most of that time being spent in IEP meetings. As a result, the coordinator has little time to support staff in the classroom, lead professional development on best practices, and observe and support students in the classrooms."
The victim's mother said "her daughter had been acting out and hasn't been herself for the past year," Gonzales said. She remembered "an incident at Games Inn when David and her daughter went to the kitchen together and they were gone for an unusual amount of time," he said. When she "went to the kitchen to check on them," the mother saw "the two of them were standing in the kitchen," according to Gonzales.
Teacher Candis Carey, Key Club co-sponsor, said 78 volunteers registered to reserve a spot to have their heads shaved for childhood cancer research. Additional walk-ins were coming through the door as well. She said this is the second year the event is at the high school and it was going well.
Police ordered Jones to exit the car multiple times, but Jones did not comply, saying he refused because he was afraid of the officers, according to the lawsuit. Officers said they became concerned when Jones reached in the back of the car, but Mahone and Jones argue the officers' reaction was excessive.
Baughman said he just received visitor numbers for Indiana's state parks and for the first time in decades, his park was the No. 1 visited park in the state system, overseen by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. According to the state website, the Indiana Dunes attracted 1.496 million visitors, followed by Brown County, near Bloomington, with 1.454 million.
Local pickleball players call for public courts in Pueblo

A group of local pickleball enthusiasts wants the city to convert a basketball court at Lake Minnequa Park to a public pickleball facility.
By Dezan Shira & Associates

Labor dispatch is an alternative option for foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) looking to hire Chinese staff. While the preparatory work for setting up entities in China may require the assistance of Chinese staff, it is necessary for foreign investors to obtain their local entitys business license before formally hiring employees. Additionally, a representative office (RO) cannot hire staff directly, and their employees must be seconded from dispatch agencies.

Due to its flexibility and lower cost, labor dispatch has traditionally been one of the most popular ways hire employees in China. Dispatch agencies offer companies temporary workers for particular projects or a certain period of time. This is especially beneficial for businesses in seasonal industries or with project-based work, where the amount of labor needed is not consistent year-round.

Besides, labor dispatch is also attractive for employers because they face fewer risks in the event of a labor dispute. Dispatched laborers are technically employed by their agencies rather than the companies they do work for, so any workplace grievances must be dealt with by the dispatch agency. This is advantageous for companies using labor dispatch, as the risk of a labor dispute is transferred to the agency that provides them with workers. However, it also leaves dispatched workers more vulnerable to exploitation.

Labor dispatch is generally regulated by Section 2 of the PRC Labor Contract Law. And on January 24, 2014, Chinas Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) promulgated the Interim Regulations on Labor Dispatch (MOHRSS Order No. 22, hereinafter referred to as the Interim Regulations) to limit companies from taking advantage of labor dispatch. The two regulations restrict what types of positions dispatched staff can hold, the proportion of workers in a company that can be comprised of dispatched staff, and how they are returned to their agencies. Key information about dispatch can be found below.

Applicable scope of labor dispatch

According to the Interim Regulations, labor dispatching arrangements are only applicable for the following three types of positions:

Temporary position: A position with a duration of no more than six months.

Auxiliary position: A position that provides auxiliary services to the main or core business of the employer.

Replaceable position: A position that can be performed by a dispatched employee in place of a permanent employee during the period when such an employee is away from work for study, vacation, or other reasons.

The applicable position type must be specified within the applicants dispatch contract.

RELATED: Outsourcing Options for FDI into China

10 percent limit

The Interim Regulations stipulate that the number of total dispatched employees used by an employer should not exceed 10 percent of its total number of employees, including regular employees and dispatched employees. ROs of foreign enterprises, however, are not subject to this restriction on dispatched employees positions.

In the event that the number of dispatched employees exceeds this limit before the effective date of the Interim Regulations, the employer must reduce the proportion of dispatched staff to 10 percent within two years of the effective date of the provisions. That two year period expired in March, 2016, and so all FIEs, excluding ROs, must now be fully compliant with the new policy.

Contract signing

Labor contract between the dispatch agency and the dispatched employee

According to the Interim Regulations, the contract signed between the labor dispatch agency and the dispatched employee should have a fixed employment term of at least two years. The previous draft allowed non-fixed period labor contracts.

The dispatch agency may arrange a probationary period of employment with the consent of the dispatched employee. However, such probationary periods are only allowed once for each dispatched employee.

Dispatching contract between the dispatch agency and the host entity

The Interim Regulations add several essential items required for drafting the dispatching contract between the dispatch agency and the host entity (i.e. the employer):

The title and type of the dispatching position (temporary, auxiliary, or replaceable);

The location of work;

The number of dispatched employees and the allotted time;

Payment amount determined in accordance with the equal pay for equal work principle;

The payment method and the amount of social insurance premiums;

Work hours and vacations;

The relevant treatment for work-related injury, maternity leave and illness;

Work safety and hygiene, and other relevant training;

Financial compensation;

The valid term of the dispatching contract;

The payment method and the standard of dispatching service fees;

The penalty for violating the dispatching contract; and

Other required items.

Contract between the host entity and the dispatched employee

The contract between the host entity and the dispatched employee is required in every labor dispatching relationship. This contract is regulated by the PRC Contract Law rather than the PRC Labor Contract Law. It is usually used as a supplementary document to clarify the relationship between the host entity and the dispatched employee.

Equal pay for equal work principle

The Interim Regulations stipulate that the principle of equal pay for equal work is applied to all labor dispatching agreements, meaning that employers should apply the same remuneration standards for dispatched employees as they do for direct-hire employees who hold similar positions, including overtime salaries and bonuses.

Where the employer has not hired any employee holding a similar position, the labor remunerations payable to the dispatched employee should be determined with reference to those payable to employees holding a similar position in the place where the employer is located.

International Payroll & HR Solutions from Dezan Shira & Associates

Cross-region labor dispatch

Under the Interim Regulations, if a labor dispatch agency dispatches employees to an employer located in another region, the social insurance to be enjoyed by the dispatched employees should be provided according to the rates and standards of the place where the employer is located.

With respect to who makes the insurance payment, if the labor dispatch agency has a branch in the region where the employer is located, the local branch of the labor dispatch agency should pay the social insurance for the dispatched employees; if it does not have a branch in the region, the host entity should pay for the social insurance on behalf of the labor dispatch agency.

Termination of labor contract

The dispatched employee may terminate the labor contract by giving a written notification to the labor dispatch agency 30 days in advance. During the probation period, such notification may be given three days in advance.

The Interim Regulations stipulate that the host entity may return the dispatched staff back to the dispatch agency due to the following reasons:

Major change in objective circumstances;

Mass layoffs due to financial difficulties;

The host entity is dissolved or its operation is discontinued; and

The term of dispatching contract is due.

If the dispatched employee is returned because of the above reasons, the labor dispatch agency is responsible for redistributing the dispatched employee. The labor dispatch agency may only terminate the employees contract if the employee refuses a new dispatch offering equal or greater conditions.

This article is adapted from Human Resources and Payroll in China 2017-2018 A firm understanding of Chinas laws and regulations related to human resources and payroll management is absolutely necessary for foreign businesses in China. This edition of HR and Payroll, updated for 2017/18, navigates Chinas laws and regulations related to HR and payroll management  essential information for foreign investors looking to establish or already running a foreign-invested entity in China.
A Chinese-American filmmaker is on a three-week journey to show her film that tracks a long lost, award-winning documentary on the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).









Robin Lung, director of Finding Kukan, will bring the film to four US cities, including San Francisco, Washington DC, Oakland in northern California and San Pedro in southern California to educate the American public about the war.





The film depicts Lung's journey to rediscover Kukan, a previously lost color documentary produced by Chinese American playwright Li Ling-Ai from 1937 to 1940. "Kukan" is the Chinese pronunciation for "hard working."





As Li was a female, the screenings were also meant to celebrate Women's History Month in March, said Lung.





In San Francisco, the film will be screened on March 22 at the Chinese Culture Center and March 29 at the Association of Asian American Studies Conference.









In 1937, Li hired Rey Scott, a photo journalist, to shoot the war-torn China at her expense. Scott made four risk-laden trips to China, from cities of Shanghai and Nanjing to Yunnan and Guangdong provinces.





He used a 16 mm motion picture camera and the most advanced color film at that time to capture ordinary Chinese people's lives and their battle against Japanese invaders.





The film offered American audiences a glimpse of the courageous Chinese people in the war. The color documentary won an Honorary Academy Award in 1941.





But the film was lost after the war was over. It was officially categorized as a "lost" film by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences until 2009, when Lung discovered a copy of it.





After seven years, Lung and her team finally completed the film in 2015, which marked the 70th anniversary of the end of the Chinese people's war against Japanese aggression. The film was initially released in November 2016.





"I'm very proud to announce that Finding Kukan received acquisition funding from the Center for Asian American Media. That means the film will be broadcast on PBS (the Public Broadcasting Service) soon," said Lung.





The film was screened in Honolulu and New York last year and received a special jury award for documentary at the Hawaii International Film Festival.




Car-sharing is all the buzz among young Chinese. The trend is being driven by demand in the nation's larger cities, where sharing is viewed as a cheaper, more flexible way of getting around than buying a vehicle.





My friend Li Xing, 25, who works for a media company, is among the frequent users of car-sharing.





"It's a good choice for young people who just start their careers," he said. "I use car-sharing to go to work, to go shopping and to go on weekend outings. I might consider buying a car in the future, when I can afford it, but for now, everything goes well with shared cars."





Li is certainly not alone. According to a recent J.D. Power survey of 3,471 Chinese consumers, more than half said they are aware of car-sharing and 81 percent said they are willing to try it.





The concept of sharing cars sits well a generation that is more connected and open to new trends. Li said that he has joined a WeChat group made up entirely of car-sharing users. Most in the group are between 23 and 28 years of age, he said.





Car-sharing essentially works like bike-sharing programs. A user downloads a car-sharing app on a smartphone and completes registration by uploading his or her driving license. After selecting an available car in the desired vicinity and booking it online, the user can unlock the car via smartphone. Trip completed, the user returns the car to a designated destination or to any parking lot in the city. Payment is made online.





Car-sharing is giving it a new dimension to the world's largest auto market. Boston Consulting Group forecasts that around 600,000 vehicles in China will generate about 80 billion yuan (US$12.6 billion) in revenue by 2021 through car-sharing and car rentals.





The group noted that the appeal of private car ownership is somewhat waning among Chinese young people in large, congested cities, where overnight parking can be a nightmare and securing a license plate tricky and expensive.





There are already more than 300 car-sharing operators in China. The sector will grow at a rate of more than 50 percent a year in the five years, according to estimates from PwC's Strategy&. The number of shared cars in China, which totaled about 30,000 at the beginning of 2016, is expected to reach 170,000 units by 2020, the consulting firm said.





Among the largest car-sharing operators in China are EVCARD, owned by Shanghai-based SAIC Motor; Gofun Chuxing, founded by the Beijing Shouqi Group; and Daimler's car2go and Car2Share. The rest of the field is filled with mostly smaller companies.





"We are targeting users who have a budget of 100,000 yuan or less when it comes to buying a vehicle," said Cao Guangyu, general manager of Global Car Sharing & Rental Co, which operates EVCARD. "Young people have drivers' licenses and want to drive, but purchasing a car remains a challenge for them as they just start their careers."





Despite a pretty crowded market already, new players keep entering the car-sharing sector. Last month, China's largest ride-hailing company, Didi Chuxing, announced it has formed partnerships with 12 automakers, including BAIC BJEV, BYD and Geely Auto, to build a car-sharing platform. Didi said it will work closely with other car-sharing services, rental companies, infrastructure operators and after-sales service providers to enhance its strength in the sector.





Last month, Chinese online travel agency Ctrip officially launched its own car-sharing business in cities that include Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.





Chinese bike-sharing company Beijing Mobike Technology Co also started trial operations on a car-sharing service in southwest Guizhou Province last December.





"The market has potential for further development, and competition will get fiercer," said Zhang Xiaofeng, an independent market observer. "We see some companies like Didi and Mobike announcing plans to enter the car-sharing sector. These companies have advantages in terms of big data and customer management. The newer players are also attracted by the attention of young consumers on social platforms such as Weibo."





Industry insiders said young people using car-sharing services in China are influenced by price and user experience  two factors that car-sharing operators need to heed if they want to succeed.





The operators are not short of marketing strategies aimed at the young.





EVCARD and Gofun try to attract young consumers by providing coupons through social networking platforms such as WeChat and Weibo. Coupons and other discounts are aimed at the budget realities of the young generation.





"With coupons, car-sharing is much cheaper than taking a taxi," said Zhang Xiaojie, who works for the East China Science and Technology Journal. "Whereas a trip in a taxi would cost me 40 yuan, the coupons attached to a shared car reduce the cost to 15 yuan. We young people are price conscious, which is the biggest reason why I use car-sharing."





EVCARD is also keenly aware that many young consumers like traveling with friends or family on short day or weekend trips out of town. Some of its shared cars are placed in popular visitor sites near Shanghai, such as the Yellow Mountain Scenic Area.





"For leading car-sharing operators in China, the younger generation is the clear target," German consulting firm Roland Berger said a report. "Young consumers are highly reactive to marketing strategies such as free trial drives, discounts, coupons and free tickets to social events."





Industry analysts said young consumers can be finicky when it comes to user experience.





"Young people are very picky," said independent analyst Zhang Xiaofeng. "If a car-sharing service is inconvenient or has any problems with mobile app software, registration or operating ease, they will go to other options."
You are here: China

China's oceanic authority on Monday called for measures to cope with rising sea levels.

A report released by the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) said that the average sea level along China's coast in 2017 was 58 mm higher than the average level between 1993 and 2011.

In the past six years, the sea level along China's coast had remained at a high level compared with the pervious 24 years.

The situation is the result of climate change and global warming, which have increased the temperature of China's coastal regions and the ocean, according the report.

Rising sea levels will increase the area inundated by sea water, aggravate marine disasters, and harm the ecosystem, said Chen Zhi, an SOA official.

The report said the ability to prevent and respond to disasters should be improved.

The layout of coastal cities and infrastructure planning should take the rising sea levels into account.

Emergency shelters and warehouses for disaster relief supplies should be located a safe distance from high-risk areas with rising sea levels, the report said.

Coastal cities should also verify the flood protection ability and upgrade design standards for important infrastructure projects in the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and the coastal area of Bohai.

The report called for protecting ecological resources, including coastal mangroves, swamps, and reeds.

The report also called for the management of coastal water resources to be strengthened, saying that the overexploitation of groundwater and land subsidence in coastal regions should be controlled in order to reduce the harm caused by salt tide, sea water encroachment, and soil salinization.

The report proposed pushing forward international cooperation in global marine governance, such as observation and prediction, risk assessment, and the response to rising sea levels.
Xi Jinping takes a public oath of allegiance to the Constitution in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 17, 2018. Xi was elected Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China earlier Saturday at the ongoing first session of the 13th National People's Congress, the national legislature. [Photo/Xinhua]





The first session of the 13th National People's Congress has made key top appointments including electing Xi Jinping as the president by a unanimous vote. The 64-year old leader has also been elected as chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission, again by a unanimous yes vote.

Nearly 3,000 NPC deputies coming from the length and breadth of the country assembled for the important session that will be remembered for making important constitutional amendments, including lifting of the constitutional bar on number of years for the president.

Xi for the first time also took a formal oath and vowed allegiance to the constitution of the country by placing his left hand on the red-covered copy of the national charter and raising his right fist. The symbolic gesture will strengthen the institutions.

Xi has steadily risen to the top through hard work since he joined the central leadership as a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau in 2007. He was elected as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee in 2012. The following year in March he was elected as president and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

As Xi begins his second term as president, he faces several challenges. The time is on his side and the president can think of making long-term strategic planning to achieve the goal of transforming the country into a true socialist polity.

But before reaching historic targets, he needs to meet the deadline of pulling the country out of chronic poverty by 2020  a target set already. So far the indicators are on the right side of the equation and hopefully China will see the graduation of millions of people from penury to prosperity.

The president would have to take steps to accelerate the overall growth which has been slightly lower than the historic 7 percent. No panic so far as China continues to outperform several regional and global competitors, but there is space for improvement as Chinese benchmarks had been quite high in the previous decades.

Xi's project of eliminating sleaze is sure to be in the spotlight as he starts the second term. He showed courage after getting power in 2013 and launched a crackdown on corruption. But the battle is only half won so far.

The anti-corruption drive enforcer Wang Qishan has been rewarded for his efforts to cleanse the house of dirt. He has been appointed as Xi's deputy and expected to play a role in the struggle to make the society and government more transparent and open.

Xi's major foreign policy challenge in the second term is the issue of North Korea. The situation has been moving in the positive direction already. With the backchannel diplomacy gearing up for a face-to-face meeting between leaders of North Korea and the United States, there is a ray of hope to end tensions between the adversaries.

Relations between China and the U.S. will remain at the center of Xi's foreign policy choices in coming years. There is a discernable pattern in regards to the U.S.'s attitude towards China. Washington continues to sway between cooperation and confrontation with occasional measures to embarrass China.

Coinciding with the NPC electing Xi and other leaders for a second term, Donald Trump put signatures to a piece of legislation meant to encourage sending senior officials to Taiwan for meetings with high officials. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman voiced opposition to the bill as being against the spirit of a "one-China" policy.

The bill became law when Washington needed China more than any time for its efforts to end the confrontation with North Korea peacefully and subsequently achieve the objective of a nuclear-free Korean peninsula.

Xi's dream Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will also be the focus of attention. The BRI unites the domestic and foreign policies in such a way that its success will promote growth and prosperity at home and win friends and allies abroad.

Despite criticism about the Chinese political system by opponents, Xi may not need to worry as long as he maintains a certain level of economic growth to improve the lives of poor people and ensures inexpensive education, health and justice to people in villages and towns.

His legacy should be a peaceful rise, which is considered a real challenge for any rising nation. So far, he has done really well to avoid the Thucydides trap.

Sajjad Malik is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:





http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SajjadMalik.htm





Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
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Turkey declared full control of the strategic Kurdish stronghold Afrin in northern Syria on Sunday, after a two-month military campaign to oust U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters from its borders.

"The units of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), backed by the Turkish Armed Forces, took totally control of the center of Afrin as of 8:30 a.m. this morning," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a public ceremony in the northwestern city of Canakkale.







On Jan. 20, the Turkish army launched "Operation Olive Branch" to expel the People's Protection Units (YPG), seen by Ankara as the Syrian affiliate to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been engaged in an armed conflict against the Turkish government since 1984.





Turkish-led troops surrounded Afrin last week and called on civilians to leave the city.





The news of Afrin's capture was also confirmed by the Turkish military.





"Afrin city center is under control," said a statement released by Turkish Armed Forces, adding that "search operation for mines and improvised explosive devices is underway."





"The Turkish flag is flying there; the flag of the Free Syrian Army is flying there," said Erdogan in front of a cheering and exalted crowd.





Turkey will immediately take necessary steps to ensure the return of the residents as soon as possible, he noted.





"The terrorist corridor has been broken," said the Turkish president, referring to the attempts of the YPG to establish "a terror corridor" along the 900km-long Turkish-Syrian border.





Television reports said gunshots and explosion could be heard in the area while Turkish warplanes continue to fly over the city.





Turkish TV channels also released footage of Turkish soldiers and Syrian rebels celebrating in the city center, deserted by the YPG.





The Turkish military's victory in Afrin coincided with the anniversary of a more decisive battle victory for Turks, the battle of the Dardanelles in World War I, which ended with victory of the Ottoman army against the Allied forces in 1915.





Erdogan was speaking in Canakkale, the Turkish province that hosts the famous Dardanelles Strait.





According to Turkish sources, more than 100,000 civilians fled the city in the last few days, as Turkish planes dropped leaflets in Kurdish and Arabic over the city calling on the population to evacuate ahead of an ultimate offensive.





Considered by Ankara as a terrorist group, the YPG was trained and equipped by the United States to fight against the Islamic State (IS), which sparked a meltdown of relations between the two NATO allies.





According to figures released by the Turkish army, more than 3,500 "terrorists have been neutralized" during the operation, which means they were either captured, wounded or killed.





The official casualty figure for Turkish soldiers in the operation stands at 271, with 46 killed, and 225 others injured.





Erdogan has signalled he could broaden the offensive into northeastern Syria, ultimately targeting PKK bases in Iraq to quash Kurdish aspirations for self-rule.





Turkish commandos have been fighting PKK militants in northern Iraq since last week, according to state-run media.





Analysts said if the capture of Afrin city is the main target of the Turkish incursion, there are more risks ahead for the military.





"It's still a risky and tricky business there. There would be resistance pockets in the city and there are undoubtedly many improvised explosive devices and booby traps lying around," said security expert Abdullah Agar on NTV news channel.





He said a street-by-street operation was underway with Turkish special forces sent there in the last weeks of the offensive.





A Turkish victory in Afrin could push the U.S. to ensure that Kurdish fighters withdraw from the town of Manbij to the east of the Euphrates River, Agar noted.





U.S special troops are deployed in the Kurdish-held town and the dreaded possibility of a military clash there between two NATO troops has pushed Ankara and Washington toward a reconciliation.




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A committee of British MPs called on Sunday for an extension to the Article 50 period which decrees that Britain leaves the European Union (EU) next March.

In a warning, Hilary Benn, chair of the House of Commons' Exiting the European Committee, said that a "no deal" scenario is a significant danger to Britain.

British Prime Minister Theresa May triggered a two-year countdown for leaving the EU when she handed Britain's withdrawal notice to Brussels last March.

The committee said in a report published Sunday that it is difficult to see how a Brexit deal covering everything can be negotiated in the time that remains. It said the British government should consider whether a limited extension to the Article 50 period is needed.

According to the MPs, citizens' rights, the Northern Ireland border, a wide range of separation issues and the shape of Britain's future economic relationship with the EU will dominate the months of negotiation between now and October 2018, the deadline set by Britain and the EU.

The report says: "If substantial aspects of the Future Partnership remain to be agreed in October 2018, the government should seek a limited extension to the Article 50 time to ensure that an agreement on the Future EU-UK Partnership is sufficiently detailed and comprehensive."

The committee also recommended that a proposed two-year transition/implementation period should be capable of being extended if this proves necessary.

Committee chairman Benn said: "The government must now come forward with credible, detailed proposals as to how it can operate a 'frictionless border' between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland because at the moment, the Committee is not persuaded that this can be done at the same time as the UK is leaving the single market and the customs union."

Benn said in the past few days the Brexit Secretary David Davis has said he can live with a transition period of under two years if it helps to secure an early deal.

"But even this time could prove to be too short to conclude a comprehensive agreement. Given the modelling we have seen, a no deal scenario is a significant danger to the UK," added Benn.
 Flash

The White House on Sunday denied that U.S. President Donald Trump is considering firing Special Counsel Robert Mueller amid strong backlash against Trump's threats to the investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.





"In response to media speculation and related questions being posed to the administration, the White House yet again confirms that the president is not considering or discussing the firing of the Special Counsel, Robert Mueller," White House lawyer Ty Cobb said in a statement.





The statement came after a back-and-forth regarding Mueller's position and his ongoing probe into the Trump campaign's alleged collusion with Russia.





Trump has launched repeated attacks on Mueller in a series of tweets over the weekend, saying his probe "should never have even been started."





"It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC (Democratic National Committee), and improperly used in FISA COURT (U.S. federal court established and authorized under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT!" he tweeted.





"Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans?" Trump tweeted Sunday.





"And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!" he added.





The renewed assault on Mueller has raised concerns among many lawmakers, and even some in Trump's Republican party have advised Trump to drop the threats.





U.S. Republican Senator from South Carolina Lindsey Graham told the press that "The only reason Mr. Mueller could ever be dismissed is for cause. I see no cause when it comes to Mr. Mueller. He needs to be able to do his job, independent of any political influence."





"I pledge to the American people, as a Republican, to make sure that Mr. Mueller can continue to do his job without any interference," Graham, who has been at odds with Trump on a number of issues, said.





If Trump tries to fire Mueller, "that would be the beginning of the end of his presidency," Graham said.





"We need to be very careful about taking these very important entities and smearing everybody in them with a broad stroke," Republican Senator from Florida Marco Rubio said Sunday.





Lawmakers have also expressed dismay over the Justice Department's firing of former deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Andrew McCabe late Friday, saying he should have been allowed to stay on until Sunday, when he was eligible to retire with a full pension.








 Flash

The Taiwan Travel Act signed on Friday by US President Donald Trump has "dealt a serious blow" to the complex ties between China and the United States, as well as to cross-Straits peace and stability, a Chinese official said on Sunday.





The act sends the wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" separatists, said An Fengshan, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office.





Trump pledged shortly after taking office to support the one-China policy. The act says that the US government should encourage visits between officials of Taiwan and the United States at all levels.





"Once again, I would like to solemnly urge Taiwan that relying on foreigners to build you up will only backfire," An said.





On Saturday, the Foreign Ministry and Ministry of National Defense also spoke out.





Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Beijing firmly opposes Trump's signing of the act and has lodged serious representations to the US side.





"As has been pointed out many times by China, the key clauses of the act, though not legally binding, severely violate the one-China principle and the three joint communiques between China and the United States," Lu said.





Beijing urges Washington to correct its mistake, stop pursuing any official ties with Taiwan or improving its current relations with Taiwan in any substantive way, Lu said.





Taiwan-related issues should be handled properly and cautiously, Lu said.





Wu Qian, spokesman for the Defense Ministry, warned in a statement issued later on Saturday that the act interferes in China's domestic affairs and undermines the development of ties between China and the US, including their militaries.





Taiwan is a part of China, and matters regarding it are strictly internal affairs, Wu said.





To avoid inflicting serious damage on China-US relations, as well as on peace and stability, Wu said, the US should keep its promises, rectify its wrongs, refrain from implementing certain clauses of the act, stop making military contacts and stop selling arms to Taiwan.





Yuan Zheng, a senior researcher on US foreign policy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the act will motivate the separatists in Taiwan and worsen the situation there.




Pakistans citizens must now declare their religion when applying for identity documents, or if they want to work in government or register to vote, Islamabads High Court ruled this month.

Applicants who disguise their true religion defy the constitution and betray the state, the judge stated. Their true religion must now also be visible on birth certificates, ID cards, voters lists, and passports.

Those who apply for a job in the judiciary, armed forces, civil services, and other government jobs also need to submit an affidavit declaring the Khatm-i-Naboowat (that Muhammad was the final prophet), stated Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui in his ruling, as reported by Pakistani newspaper Dawn.

Human Rights Watchs Saroop Ijaz said the judgement would enable and incite violence, in particularly directed at the Ahmadi community, Reuters reported.

All [the judges] specific instructions are about ensuring and finding out who is an Ahmadi, human rights lawyer Jibran Nasir told Reuters. He said the order would provide the government with lists of who belonged to which religious minority.

Pakistani passports already show the holders religious belief. A local source told World Watch Monitor (WWM) that minority groups, such as Christians and Ahmadis, did not object against this because it has benefited them in, for example, applying for asylum elsewhere.

A previous move by the government in 1992 to try to add citizens religious belief to their ID cards, however, was met with protests by Christians, who said they would face economic and social exclusion. The idea was then shelved.

Christians and Ahmadis are two of a number of minority groups in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, who together make up an estimated 20 percent of the totalmainly Sunni Muslimpopulation. The Ahmadis face a lot of discrimination because they are considered non-Muslims; to call themselves Muslim or to refer to their faith as Islam is a punishable offence under the countrys blasphemy laws.

Christians are already instantly recognisable in Pakistan because of their namesmen are given the surname Masih, deriving from Messiah. But this is not the case for Ahmadis, making the new ruling more of an issue for them, as they can no longer hide their identity nor safely claim to be Muslim.

During the hearings, the court learned how a group of 10,000 Ahmadis apparently changed the religious status on their Computerised National Identity Cards to Muslim when applying for a government job. They would then change it again once retired.

The court case was opened following a petition by Islamist political party Tehreek-e-Labaik, which opposed a parliamentary initiative to the change of wording in electoral law, suggesting replacing the religious oath with a simple declaration.

The proposed bill, however, also made room for Ahmadis to take part in elections on general seats, even though they are labelled non-Muslims in the constitution. Following large-scale protests, the government reinstated the original text.

In his verdict, the judge ordered parliament to develop legislation and amendments to existing laws to ensure that all the terms specifically used for Islam and Muslims were not used by the persons belonging to any of the minorities for hiding their real identity or for any other purpose. If no appeal is filed, parliament has to follow the courts directives.

WWMs source said the court only has jurisdiction in Islamabad, so this could be first and foremost a political stunt. But it still sends a strong message how the debate about religion has gone deeper and deeper in Pakistan, and religious minoritiesespecially Christiansare being affected by this.

The court order will make minority groups even more vulnerable, according to Nasir Saeed, director of the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance, and Settlement (CLAAS-UK), who told Independent Catholic News the government should rather promote harmony and religious tolerance and establish peace in the country. All Pakistanis, including minorities, need to know they are secure, protected, and equal before the law, he said.

WWM has reported regularly on how Christians face different forms of discrimination and oppression in Pakistanin daily life as well through the misuse of blasphemy laws. The Christian woman Aasiya Noreen, popularly known as Asia Bibi, is one of the best-known examples: she has been on death row for blasphemy since 2010.
Activists to Hold Prayer Vigil and Public Witness at Supreme Court on Eve of 'NIFLA vs. Becerra' Arguments

Contact: Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Christian Defense Coalition, 540-538-4741

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2018 / Christian Newswire / -- Activists plan to hold a prayer vigil and a public witness in front of the Supreme Court on the eve of arguments in NIFLA v Becerra.

The vigil will be on Monday, March 19, at 7:00 P.M. on the public sidewalk in front of the Supreme Court.

NIFLA v Becerra is the most important free speech and pro-life case before the Supreme Court this year and will determine if the government can crush the First Amendment and force pregnancy resource centers and life affirming medical clinics to promote and say things they do not believe in.

The State of California is coercively forcing these centers to provide information to their patients on things such as how they could obtain a state-funded abortion in a clear violation of the core beliefs of these centers.

Michele Hendrickson, Eastern Regional Director of Students for Life, states:

"Students from all across the country are paying attention to this case and coming to the Supreme Court in support of Pregnancy Resource Centers. They understand this law is yet another tactic from the abortion industry to attack life-saving centers and forcing them to violate their core beliefs and mission."

Brandi Swindell, CEO and Founder of Stanton Healthcare a group of life-affirming women's medical clinic, adds:

"Stanton Healthcare provides professional, compassionate and quality healthcare to women, especially those struggling with unexpected pregnancies. For the State of California to force and tell us how we are to operate a professional women's health clinic, is a clear violation of the First Amendment and shows a complete disdain for women and professional standards of medical care.

Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition and longtime pro-life and free speech advocate, comments:

"We are gathering in front of the Supreme Court asking God to protect free speech and also ensuring that not only pregnancy resource centers and women's health clinics have their First Amendment rights protected, but all Americans. For if the government can coerce pregnancy resource centers to violate their core beliefs and values, then all citizen's free speech rights are at risk.

"It is deeply troubling that so called 'pro-choice' organizations are supporting this California legislation as they are trying to crush women's centers that provide alternate choices for abortion."

For more information or interviews contact Rev. Patrick Mahoney at: 540.538.4741
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ERIM: Apel pentru aplicatii Granturi pentru campanii media, de advocacy si sensibilizare pentru a sprijini OSC-urile si mass-media in informarea despre pandemia COVID-19
AKRON, Ohio - Teens looking to buy cigarettes in Akron could soon leave empty-handed. Legislation introduced to Akron City Council by Mayor Dan Horrigan and At-large Councilwoman Linda Omobien would raise the legal age in Akron to purchase tobacco products and tobacco paraphernalia from 18 to 21 years old.

Research shows that most people who smoke started in their teens, with relatively few picking up the habit n their 20s, Omobien said.

What's more, smoking contributes to increasing infant mortality rates.

"Women who smoke, really children, often have children with low birth weights," Omobien said. "Many of them die or have illnesses like asthma and other respiratory diseases."

According to the city's research, 75 percent of adults support raising the age to purchase tobaccos to 21, including 70 percent of smokers. More than 270 cities in the U.S. have already raised the age limit.

"The more we can delay the onset of smoking the better off young people will be, and the people will be our community and the health care system," Omobien said.

The measure was presented Monday during City Council's Health & Social Service committee meeting. City Council meets at 166 S. High St. in downtown Akron.

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AVON LAKE, Ohio -- Students from Avon and Avon Lake high schools supported the national school walkout day events.

AVON: Students at Avon High School participated in a "walk-in" rather than a "walkout" to recognize the tragedy in Parkland, Florida, in which 17 people were killed in a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

The short assembly included an a capella performance of the National Anthem, as well as a moment of silence for those who died.

Yasmeen Barkley, a senior, spoke to the students about reaching out to try to make a difference by signing the Eagle pledge and working hard.

Another senior, Taylor Dallas, who helped to plan the events to honor those who died and to prevent it from happening again, said, "We must keep going to raise awareness."

The walk-in coincided with three days of events from March 12-14 called "Eagles United Week" that focused on three topics: civic mindfulness, mental health awareness and the pledge to make a difference at school.

On civic mindfulness day, students had a table to register students to vote. The focus on mental health day was themed "Prevention is Key" and students wore black to remember the shooting at Chardon High School in 2012. "Make a Difference" day was the assembly, stressing action, empathy and safety.

Principal Kristina Buller said allowing the students to speak out was supported and was very impressive.

"It hits home with all of us," she said.

Barkley's dream for the activities, even after the current senior class leaves, is "to come back and see this type of thing is still going on," she said.

AVON LAKE: Tears streamed as students walked out of school on March 9 in memory of the 17 who died on Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Organizers Allison Yellets, Emily Higley, Olivia Mercio and Daniel Gray spread the word about the walkout and spoke to the assembled group of about 75 students.

Yellets urged change. "We have the power to take action. As a community, we have the ability to change things. ... We can stand together and take action."

Gray asked the students to raise hands if they remembered the names he mentioned of previous victims. Few knew them, but most knew the names of perpetrators.

"It's sad we know the names of the perpetrators," he said, "but we forget the names of the innocent victims ... those students became a statistic."

Osoteo reflected on students' fears and the importance of taking action. She said" "We are all scared. ... Movements like this all over the country have got to do something. .... Nothing will change if we don't change it ourselves."

Mercil said: "Don't let those emotions die. Take those emotions and do something. Do something to evoke change."

Ending the walkout, the group shouted together, "Not one more."

The city of Avon Lake also held a public meeting on school safety on Feb. 27. School administrators, staff, police and parents attended and had the opportunity to address their concerns.

Future discussions and plans are in the works to continue to address the issues, according to schools' Superintendent Robert Scott.
BAY VILLAGE, Ohio - Three area communities demonstrated their solidarity with students across the county in memory of those who died in the Parkland, Florida, school shooting last month.

BAY VILLAGE: Students streamed out of Bay High School just before 10 a.m. March 14, joining hundreds of other schools across the United States, to honor the 17 people killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

A self-described "Grandma" stood just inside the door as the students exited. Her name is Mary Ann Jelenic. She came to the walkout to support the students.

"I have children and grandchildren here and I just want to protect them," she said. She joined a group of about a dozen other adults who also came and stood in support.

An estimated 200 students stood in stark silence in the school's front yard, with some passing traffic honking their horns in support when they saw the solitary sign, "Enough is Enough."

Danielle Cook, a senior, organized the event.

"This was just the last straw," she said of the Florida shooting. She planned the walkout with a group of about 30 other students over more than two weeks, which included discussing the plans with teachers and administrators.

Another student, Brigid Janos, helped out.

"I supported Danielle and let others know what was happening," she said.

Principal Jason Martin said the student group showed respect in honoring those who died.

As to future plans, Martin said, "We will have some student and administration meetings with the community." He also noted that two of the important issues that will be discussed are mental health and school safety.

Rocky River: At Rocky River High School, students staged a walkout with 17 minutes of silence to remember those killed in Parkland, but also spoke in support of restrictions on high-capacity weapons and ammunition and an increase in age to legally purchase a weapon.

Seniors Ariel Russell, Haley Reash-Henze and Duncan Feighan organized the event after Women's March Youth EMPOWER called for "students, teachers, school administrators, parents and allies to take part in a school walkout for 17 minutes on March 14 to protest Congress' inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods."

"We need action. Students and allies are organizing the national school walkout to demand Congress pass legislation to keep us safe from gun violence at our schools, on our streets and in our homes and places of worship," EMPOWER went on to say.

Westlake High School's Justice Fair added to the events surrounding high school walkouts in support of remembering those who died in the Parkland, Florida, school shooting.

Reash-Henze identified with Parkland as a high school similar to Rocky River and said it wasn't too hard to imagine such a tragedy happening here.

Feighan said his hopes are that the entire country stands up with all the students who arranged walkouts "to put an end to this."

There was also a large walkout at the middle school.

District resident Gwendolyn Maxwell noted on Facebook that she knew of a child who chose not to walk out because he was afraid of leaving himself open to a shooter.

Westlake: A February 21 walkout was held at Westlake High School to honor the dead in Florida, but students took an additional step and organized a "Justice Fair." The fair, planned with school administrators, coincided with other walkouts on March 14.

Held at Dover Congregational Church, the fair included various tables providing information for people who want to become involved in the issue. Those who attended could register to vote, make posters and sign letters to members of Congress that included both pro and con viewpoints on gun control.

There were also displays detailing "red flag" warning signs of someone who may be planning a shooting, how to talk to someone about it, and a list of the 178 school shootings that have taken place since the mass shooting at Columbine High School in 1999.

Attendees could also join a student activist group for future activities and purchase merchandise, such as T-shirts that said, "There comes a time when silence is betrayal."
BEACHWOOD, Ohio - Nicole Barth was trying on shoes for her wedding when gunshots caused a panic Saturday at Beachwood Place.

Barth was chatting with a Nordstrom's salesperson when a wave of shoppers ran through the store. She and the salesperson thought it was a flash mob until they saw the terrified looks on peoples' faces.

"No one really knew exactly what was happening," Barth said in an interview Monday afternoon. "But you could see people's faces and tell something was really wrong."

Barth is among hundreds of shoppers and employees who were at Beachwood Place when gunshots prompted a lockdown of the mall Saturday afternoon. Two suspects were arrested in connection with a pair of shootings that wounded a man and a girl, police said.

Barth, a 29-year-old digital software consultant, knew she needed to leave the mall when she saw a man scoop two children into his arms as he ran through Nordstrom. She grabbed her things and followed the salesperson to a back room.

"You didn't know who was running and what we were running from, but there was a sense of fear and urgency unlike anything I'd experienced in my life," she said.

They reached a locked exit, where a crowd of Nordstrom employees pushed on a door that required a code to open. They heard a man yell "stop," and he pushed through the crowd to open the door to the parking lot.

Barth was still wearing the Nordstrom wedding shoes when she got outside. She spotted an employee, returned the shoes and headed for her car.

She did not learn about the shootings until she heard a news report on her car's radio.

The experience left Barth shaken, but she's most concerned for the impact the frightening incident may have on the children she saw running out of the mall.

"To see all those children hysterically crying...that's going to sit with them for a long time," she said.

Barth also took to Facebook to recount her experience.

"[Four] hours later and I'm still shaking and can't imagine being in public and feeling safe again," she wrote in the Facebook post.

Barth's wedding is planned for September, and she's actually considering buying the shoes she was wearing when the chaos broke out Saturday. But she's hesitant to return to the mall anytime soon.

"I actually think I will buy those shoes, but online," she said.

The shootings prompted dozens of 911 calls to the Beachwood Police Department. Dispatchers told callers to remain in the mall until officers checked the building and lifted the lockdown, according to recordings of the calls released Monday afternoon.

Edited versions of several of the 911 calls have been included at the bottom of this post.

The suspects have not yet been charged in the shootings, and the case remains under investigation, police said Monday afternoon.

The first shooting happened just before 3 p.m. outside Saks Fifth Avenue. A man was shot in the leg and taken to a local hospital for treatment, police said.

The man and a second man have both been taken into custody, police said.

The second shooting happened minutes later near the mall's main entrance. A 17-year-old girl was hurt and taken to a hospital for treatment, police said.

The preliminary investigation revealed the two men involved in the first shooting knew each other, police said. Investigators recovered a handgun and cash at the scene.

The shooting was the second at Beachwood Place in less than a year. A California man was charged in a March 23, 2017 shooting that investigators said was the result of a drug deal gone awry.

To comment on this story, visit Monday's crime and courts comments page.
BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio -- The city has signed an agreement with Cuyahoga County to repair a two-mile section of Wallings Road without adding bike lanes.

City Council approved the agreement earlier this month after learning that bike lanes would cost roughly $1 million. Without bike lanes, the estimated cost of the Wallings repair project is $2.1 million.

"To date, we have not had a study or estimate completed for the bike path (on Wallings)," Broadview Heights Engineer Gary Yelenosky told cleveland.com in an email. "(But) based on similar evaluations done in the past for bike lanes, we used a per-foot evaluation and extrapolated it along Wallings to provide us with a very preliminary estimate of $1 million."

The city chose not to include bike lanes in the Wallings project even though a 2008 municipal ordinance mandates bike lanes or paths whenever roads in the city are repaved or improved.

The problem is that the city would have paid for the entire cost of the bike lanes. No outside funding was available.

During a Feb. 26 work session, council President Robert Boldt said he talked to Mayor Sam Alai extensively about the $1 million price tag for the bike lanes and both agreed the cost was too steep, according to draft minutes of that work session. Boldt said Alai would seek funding so that the city might add bike lanes on Wallings in the future.

Alai said the city administration would look for ways to build the bike lanes "as economically and quickly as possible."

Councilman Glenn Goodwin said residents will appreciate the repairs on Wallings, even without bike lanes. He said they have complained about the condition of the road.

Later this year, Cuyahoga County will resurface Wallings between the city's eastern border, near the Interstate 77 bridge, and Broadview Road. Construction is scheduled to start in May and end in October.

Federal money, administered through the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, will pay for 80 percent of the work, and the county's share is 10 percent. The city will cover the remaining 10 percent, or about $206,000.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 23-year-old man was taken to the hospital Sunday night after being shot on the city's West Side, police say.

It was one of at least three shootings that occurred Sunday in Cleveland.

The latest victim was shot in the head and groin. He was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center but his identity and condition were not released.

The shooting occurred near the intersection of West 112th Street and Detroit Avenue in the Edgewater neighborhood.

At 1:30 a.m., a man in a wheelchair was shot in the hand during a robbery in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood on the West Side.

At 3 a.m., 11 shots were fired into a home on East 35th Street in the Arbor Park Village housing complex, grazing a 16-year-old girl and wounding an 18-year-old boy in the foot.

No arrests have been made in any of the shootings, police say.

If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Contracts awarded by Cuyahoga County government are again the subject of criminal investigators a decade after shenanigans with contracts figured prominently in the biggest corruption scandal in county history.

Yet today's county government is radically different than the commissioner-led government brought down by corruption. The new charter form of government, approved by voters in 2010, divides power between an executive branch and 11-member County Council.

As investigators comb through county contracts and emails, cleveland.com took a look at how the charter government, with its checks and balances, is supposed to award contracts and purchase goods.

Who approves contracts?

Contracts up to $500,000 generally are approved by the Board of Control, which is made up of the county executive, fiscal officer, public works director, director the office of procurement, and three members of County Council appointed by the council president.

The board meets weekly.

Approval of contracts larger than $500,000 require a majority of the 11-member County Council to sign off.

The executive or council members can - and do - ask for council to review some smaller contracts. This usually happens if council members want to have a larger discussion about a contract in a particular committee.

During the county-financed construction of the downtown convention hotel, every contract was reviewed and approved by council.

Can the Board of Control reject a proposed contract?

Yes.

The board occasionally will tell a department to seek more bids. More often, the board will table an item and ask for more information and approve it the following week.

Are all contracts and purchases subject to competitive bidding?

No.

If employees such as carpenters need to immediately buy something that costs less than $500, they may do so using what is known as a purchasing card, which is similar to a credit cards. The P-card transactions are capped a $1,000 per day. Receipts must be submitted.

Competitive bidding is encouraged, but not required, for one-time purchases of under $1,000.

Competitive bidding also is not required for the purchase of items that are only available from one vendor, such as some equipment used in the Medical Examiner's Office.

Some contracts can be extended without seeking other bids, especially if the they involve equipment or technology already provided by the contractor.

Other contracts may include provisions to purchase more items when needed, with a "not to exceed" amount of cost. This is used if items cannot be stored or are perishable.

How are bids sought?

Any purchase above $1,000 requires posting in BuySpeed, an online bidding software that notifies registered vendors when bids are requested and generally gives several days to respond. The county wants a minimum of three bids.

If three bids are not received after several attempts the county chooses from bids submitted.

For contracts or purchases of $1,000 to $24,999.99, departments are required to solicit bids for at least one business day via BuySpeed. If at least three bids are not received, others must be sought.

For contracts of purchases of $25,000 or more, departments are required to advertise for bids on its website, in newspapers and online.

The county lists notices and contracts online.

Must the lowest bidder get the contract?

No.

Contracts for road and bridge work are given to the lowest bidders. But all bidders must be pre-qualified by the Ohio Department of Transportation.

The county generally reserves the right to accept what it considers the best of the lowest bids. In 2013, a building used to house snow plows and equipment was sold to Olmsted Township, which needed the property, though the county had better offers from private buyers.

For professional services, such as engineering, the county asks firms to submit qualifications. A committee that includes officials from the department seeking the bid ithen selects the firm with the best qualifications. Cost is a factor.

For other work, the county issues a request for proposals that includes a detailed list of services required. Vendors submit proposals, including price. The proposals are scored by the Office of Procurement and Diversity. The contract is awarded to the firm with the highest score.

Can the county seek additional bids?

Yes.

A recent example were the bids to operate the Norma Herr Women's Shelter. Two agencies initially sought the contract, but their bids received low scores. So the county advertised again and received a winning bid from the YWCA.

Can the county delegate the authority to award contracts?

Yes.

On large projects, the county sometimes awards a contract to a lead contractor, who in turn seeks bids for pieces of the large job and awards the work to subcontractors.

These are generally for design/build projects, such as the Hilton Cleveland Hotel and the county administration building, in which a team works under a single contract to provide design and construction services.

The county reviews all the bids.

How long does it take to get a purchase approved?

Approval can take 10 to 15 days for a purchase of up to $25,000.

Approvals can take three to five months for larger purchases, especially purchases in which bids are sought.

A request for qualifications, which leads to a contract negotiation, can take six months or longer.

Can the approval process be expedited?

Yes.

The county refers to this as a "mission-critical purchase."

If costly items such as windows, water tanks or boilers need to be replaced immedicately a request for bids is put on BuySpeed for a minimum of two hours.

Sometimes an item becomes "mission critical" because a contract is not yet approved.

The Board of Control recently approved a mission critical request to spend $24,500 for copy paper for several agencies because council had not yet approved the master contract with W.B. Mason that goes into effect on May 1.

Can a contract be canceled?

Yes. Every contract has an 'out clause' that allows the county to terminate the contact within 30 days.

What is a reverse auction?

A request for proposals is issued and bids are received. The county sets a maximum price and the companies that bid can submit lower prices. The lowest bid receives the contract.

A reverse auction is used for something that has clear specifications. The county recently held a reverse auction for general office supplies. W.B. Mason won the auction and council awarded a three-year contract not to exceed $2.06 million.

Does the county use the state's procurement program?

Yes.

Cuyahoga County is a member of the state's Cooperative Purchasing Program. The state advertisies for goods and services and awards contracts. The county can save money by purchasing those services and goods, such as vehicles.

Are contractors vetted?

Yes.

The county code requires all contractors doing more than $10,000 in business annually with the county be registered with the county's inspector general. The inspector general can suspend contractors for up to five years for numerous reasons, including failing to perform on a prior contract to being convicted or having a civil judgment.

What are the county's rules for contracts and purchases?

The county follows state laws and rules in the county code adopted after the charter form of government was approved by voters in 2010. Title 5 in the code deals with contracts and purchasing.

See the office of Procurement and Diversity's training guide below or click here if on a mobile device.
BEREA, Ohio - Is John Kasich country now Donald Trump country?

Trump would handily defeat Kasich in Ohio - 62 percent to 27 percent - if they were again facing each other in a Republican presidential primary, according to results released Monday of a statewide poll conducted by Baldwin Wallace University.

This is in stark contrast to two years ago, when the Ohio governor won the GOP primary in the Buckeye State, outpolling Trump - 47 percent to 36 percent.

Since then, Kasich has kept his name in the national spotlight, frequently appearing on the Sunday national news shows, raising speculation that he would consider another run for president in 2020. He is prevented from running again for governor because of term limits.

Baldwin Wallace University's Community Research Institute interviewed 1,011 registered voters statewide from Feb. 28 through March 9. The poll has a margin of error of 3 percentage points overall, but a higher margin of error of 6 percentage points for the smaller group who answered GOP primary questions.

Though Kasich's support among Republicans trails that of Trump, he does better among all registered voters in Ohio, according to the poll.

Asked if they would vote for the Republican Kasich or an unspecified Democrat in the presidential election, 41 percent of those surveyed said Kasich, 20 percent said a Democrat, 12 percent said a third-party candidate, and the rest were unsure.

This is far better than Trump against the generic Democrat, with Trump holding a 34 percent to 32 percent lead, which is within the margin of error.

Trump support slips some

Though Trump still enjoys a plurality of support in Ohio vs. the generic Democrat, his popularity has waned some since the election, the polling found.

Trump in 2016 defeated Hillary Clinton, 52 percent to 44 percent, the widest margin of victory in Ohio for a Republican presidential candidate since George H.W. Bush's 11-point win over Michael Dukakis in 1988.

Among those polled who reported voting for Trump in 2016, 56 percent said Trump still had their full support and 32 percent said Trump still has some of their support.

Smaller numbers said Trump is losing their support (7 percent) or lost their support (4 percent).

Gubernatorial election:

In this year's gubernatorial race, the generic Republican holds a 5-point lead over the generic Democrat - 32 percent to 27 percent, according to the Baldwin Wallace poll.

Significantly, however, nearly 40 percent said they were unsure how they would vote. The primary is still nearly two months away.

Republicans have won six of the last seven gubernatorial elections in Ohio dating back to 1990, with the lone Democratic win coming from Ted Strickland in 2006. Ohio is more split politically in presidential election years.

The Baldwin Wallace poll did not ask questions about specific gubernatorial candidates.

Rich Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics. Follow on Twitter @RichExner.
FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio -- Finances played a key role at the beginning of the third annual joint State of the Community address, held March 14 at the Gemini Center, with Fairview Park City Schools Superintendent Bill Wagner and Mayor Eileen Ann Patton.

"This evening, we're here to celebrate our year-long series on goal-setting for a better tomorrow," said Patton, who talked about the city's finances. "Our estimated 2018 revenues and our expenses are about $10 million in and $10 million out. We face yearly the balancing of gradual revenue growth against increasing operating costs, aging infrastructure, retirement costs and healthcare changes. Our carry-over balance is important and carefully monitored.

"Expenses are discussed thoroughly within the departments. This month, we have been in work sessions with City Council to present a balanced budget by March 31, as required by law. With this continued fiscal oversight, we anticipate a carry-over of $1.5 million for next year."

Other topics of conversation included the city's ongoing sewer construction projects, which included $1.7 million in grants from Ohio Public Works, as well as economic development plans and new business tenants.

As far as the schools, Wagner said the district has demonstrated exceptional fiscal responsibility and continued to receive awards for outstanding fiscal management at the state and national levels.

He applauded the efforts of the treasurer's office staff before mentioning future levies residents can expect to see at the polls.

"Over the years, we've worked hard to earn your trust and be good stewards of your financial support," Wagner said.

"The passage of this November's renewal levy will be critical to helping us extend the current operating budget to the year 2020, effectively stretching the five-year community promise from the levy campaign back in 2006 for over 14 years.

"However, as I've been mentioning for the past few years, because the district will have functioned on this fixed income, we anticipate having to ask residents to consider a moderate increase in November of 2020," he said.

Regarding the upcoming $35 million master facilities project renovation of Fairview High School, Mayer Middle School, Parkview Early Education Center and Gilles-Sweet Elementary School, Wagner used the State of the Community to make an announcement regarding groundbreaking.

A special ceremony for the middle school and high school phase is scheduled for May 23 in front of the former school on Campus Drive.

"Our tentative timeline looks something like this: Construction is scheduled to start at the middle school and high school this coming June," Wagner said. "Work should begin next summer in 2019 at the Early Education Center and Gilles-Sweet, and should be completed sometime around November of 2019.

"The high school and middle school project should be completed in the spring of 2020. It will be a very interesting and challenging two years, but I guarantee it will all be worth it in the end," Wagner said.

The State of the Community ended with Patton talking about various groups and organizations in Fairview Park.

"We are a caring community; we depend on each other and we need each other to succeed," Patton said.

"To all the volunteer residents, from the school organizations to the city organizations, thank you for the important roles you play in keeping Fairview Park a great place to grow."
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Two Republican Ohio lawmakers have introduced a bill that would outright ban abortion in Ohio, legislation that some abortion opponents hope will push a more conservative U.S. Supreme Court to review past decisions legalizing abortion.

House Bill 565 would ban all abortions at all stages of pregnancy, even in cases of rape, incest or when the mother's life is in danger. The bill makes an "unborn human" a person under Ohio's criminal code regarding murder, manslaughter and homicide and allows wrongful death lawsuits.

Rep. Ron Hood, an Ashville Republican and bill sponsor, said it would be up to a prosecutor to decide what punishment to seek and who to charge. Unlike other abortion restrictions passed in recent years, the pregnant woman seeking an abortion could be charged with a crime.

"I believe life begins at conception so the goal of this bill is to first of all continue to get the word out that life does begin at conception and move the debate in that direction, and to protect unborn Ohioans from being aborted," Hood said.

Rep. Nino Vitale, an Urbana Republican and joint sponsor, characterized the absence of exceptions for the mother's life as a "save them both" bill. The bill does provide immunity for physicians who indirectly or unintentionally cause the death of a fetus.

Vitale said many women who get pregnant from rape later regret their decision to abort.

"Life isn't always giving us things by our choice and I don't want to put a woman through a second trauma after she's been through such an awful first one," Vitale said.

Eighteen other House Republicans signed on as co-sponsors.

NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio said the bill would allow doctors to be charged with murder, punishable by life in prison or the death penalty.

"Anti-choice extremists from the Ohio Statehouse to the White House are lining up their dominoes to topple Roe v. Wade and punish those who seek or provide abortion care," Executive Director Kellie Copeland said in a statement.

In 2016, Republican Gov. John Kasich vetoed the "heartbeat bill," which would have banned abortion as early as six weeks into a woman's pregnancy. He said at the time that the heartbeat bill would likely be found unconstitutional and instead signed a 20-week ban.

Ohio lawmakers have taken an incremental approach to banning abortion, passing 20 abortion restrictions since 2011. The latest, a December 2017 bill that bans abortions after a fetal diagnosis of Down syndrome, was deemed unconstitutional last week by a federal court judge.

Ohio Right to Life, the state's largest anti-abortion organization, was not behind the new bill. Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis said his organization is still reviewing the 184-page bill. He said a challenge to the 20-week ban -- a bill his organization supported -- could result in changes to precedent set by the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade.

"Ohio Right to Life believes life begins at conception and hopes that one day we can change the Supreme Court's mind to allow Ohio to enact its own pro-life policies," Gonidakis said.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - City Council approved tax incentives Monday for a proposed $50 million development of housing and retail space along Detroit Avenue.

The incentives would allow real estate taxes that would be paid to the city to instead be used to help finance improvements to the property. Cleveland Metropolitan Schools would still receive its tax revenue.

The project, between West 28th and West 29th streets, would add about 160 apartments to the neighborhood. The buildings also would contain about 20,000 square feet of retail space.

The project is a welcome addition, Councilman Kerry McCormack said Monday during a meeting of the Finance Committee, because it will take what is now a gravel lot and make it productive.

The added housing is important because it would help stabilize prices in high-demand Hingetown and Ohio City.

Related story: Ohio City apartment proposal would fill gap along Detroit Avenue

The project, known as Church & State, is named after historic and current Ohio City streets. Buildings would reach five floors -- the Church building, to the east -- and 11 stories -- the State building, to the west.

The development group involves Graham Veysey and Marika Shioiri-Clark, the couple that rebranded the area around West 29th and Detroit as Hingetown. They have teamed with entrepreneur Brent Zimmerman and Hemingway Development, a company led by Fred Geis, Jim Doyle and Michael Panzica.

Developers expect that the project would support about 500 construction jobs and create 40 permanent jobs afterward. The new jobs are expected to generate about $34,000 a year in income tax for the city.

Once residents have moved into the development, they are expected to pay more than $232,000 a year in city income taxes.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Computers are grading your child's state tests.

No, not just all those fill-in-the bubble multiple choice questions. The longer answers and essays too.

After Ohio started using American Institutes for Research in 2015 to provide and score state tests, Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs have increasingly taken over grading.

Computers are now scoring the entire test for about 75 percent of Ohio students, State Superintendent Paolo DeMaria and state testing official Brian Roget told the state school board recently. The other 25 percent are scored by people to help verify the computer's work.

Ohio and AIR are not alone. Multiple other testing organizations - like Pearson (which handled the old PARCC tests), McGraw Hill and Educational Testing Service (which produces graduate school admissions tests) - have developed automated scoring systems that can quickly compare student essays to model answers humans provide.

Other states have also announced a shift to computerized grading.

"The motivation is to be as effective and efficient and accurate in grading all these things," DeMaria told the board. He said that advances in AI are making this new process more consistent and fair - along with saving time and, in the long run, money.

"The research is really compelling," he said. "Not only is it being used in this setting, but even college professors are having AI grade their essays."

The shift has not been entirely smooth or open. Ohio never had any public debate over making the change and it became public only after several districts spotted irregularities in scoring this year.

Though DeMaria has confidence in machine grading, others aren't comfortable trusting machines to grade tests that can significantly affect students.

Test scores in reading determine if third graders can advance to fourth grade under Ohio's Third Grade Reading Guarantee. And high school scores still affect a students' ability to graduate, though the board has limited that impact.

"Third Grade Guarantee is real serious and I'd hate to see students not making it to the next grade because a machine graded their test," said board member Meryl Johnson, a former Cleveland teacher. "I'm not sure that a machine can accurately grade essays."

Other board members supported the shift, though cautiously, and some said the state should not limit itself by being scared of the technology.

"As a society, we're on the cusp of self-driving vehicles and we're arguing about whether or not AI can grade a third grade test?" asked recently-appointed board member James Shephard. "I think there just needs to be some perspective here."

Driving some of the confusion is the lack of public discussion or any announcement of the change. Even legislators and organizations that track testing closely say they had expected the shift to occur someday, but were unaware how far it had gone.

"I don't think it was widely broadcast that we're going to do this," said Melissa Cropper, who heads the Ohio Federation of Teachers, one of the state's two large teacher unions. "It was out there in the background, but people weren't really aware that it was happening."

Though she thinks computers can help with grading things like grammar and punctuation, she worries whether they can judge creativity or arguments in answers.

"We are a little skeptical," she said.

Even State Rep. Andrew Brenner, a Powell Republican who chairs the House education committee said he was never told of the move. He said he would like to see a demonstration of how computer grading is more accurate.

"I don't know if it's good or not," he said.

The change became public this winter only after several school districts, led by Columbus, started looking though scores for the fall 2017 third grade reading tests. A larger-than-expected number of answers were scored as receiving zero points, which prompted questions to ODE and the test administrator.

According to the department, some students copied large portions of the questions or of the passages that they had to read into their answers. That led the computer to give them zeroes on the question - either as apparent plagiarism or simply because the student offered little original thought in the answer.

That's a sticky point because the tests ask students to show what parts of the passage led them to their answer.

"They're supposed to citing evidence," Roget told the board. "But they're also supposed to be providing some of their own language and evidence as well...that's why these are getting called out."

A total of 27 districts appealed the scores of about 1,000 questions, according to the department. But Roget and DeMaria said the computers had ruled correctly. After humans re-scored those questions, only one score was changed.

See a list of districts below.

Schools have asked for clear direction on what will trigger the zero.

"Is it exact words, like verbatim?," asked Ellen McWilliams, assistant superintendent of the Akron schools, who appealed scores on 105 questions from the fall third grade reading tests. "Or once you hit a certain number of words they flag it? We have to be have to inform our teachers."

The most clear guidance so far: An update this month of all the ways students can earn a zero on a question.

"A score of zero also is earned when there is a significant amount of text copied directly from the prompt and/or reading passage, with little to no original writing from the student," that new guide states. "Copying limited text from the prompt is allowable but, as a rule, at least 30 percent of a response needs to be original to demonstrate understanding and earn points."

Districts like Shaker Heights, which appealed 39 of its third grade reading zeroes, are taking direction from other districts and having students rephrase things in different words.

Chris Rateno, who oversees testing for the Shaker schools, said his district is also still waiting for word on the appealed scores. Until called by The Plain Dealer, he did not know that only one of 1,000 appealed scores statewide had changed.

The scoring dispute leaves him with "mixed" feelings about computer grading.

"If it's done right, I think it could be a good thing so we could get the scores back in a timely manner," Rateno said. "The downside is if they're not scored correctly. On such a high stakes test, it ultimately impacts the child."
WASHINGTON - House Speaker Paul Ryan does it. Dozens of other Congress members including several Ohioans also sleep in their U.S. House of Representatives offices as a way to save money and spend more time on the job.

But a group of Congressional Black Caucus members that include Ohio's Marcia Fudge and Joyce Beatty are condemning the practice as inconsiderate, unsanitary and a violation of House ethics rules that ban personal use of congressional resources.

"When you are cutting benefits to the poor, the mentally ill, to education, to housing vouchers, to veterans housing, why should you sleep for free in a public building?" asks Fudge, a Warrensville Heights Democrat.

Fudge says 50 to 100 members of Congress sleep in their offices. She and her like-minded colleagues want the House Ethics Committee to issue a public opinion on whether the practice violates federal laws or House of Representatives rules. They note that the parking spaces members of Congress are issued are treated as "taxable compensation," but the free lodging that some receive is not.

"Members who sleep overnight in their offices receive free lodging, free cable, free security, free cleaning services and utilize other utilities free of charge in direct violation of the ethics rules," says a complaint letter sent to the Ethics Committee by 30 members of Congress, including Fudge and Beatty, a Columbus-area Democrat.

Their complaint says sleeping in congressional offices is "disrespectful and inconvenient" to the facility's housekeeping staff, and creates a "hostile work environment" for congressional staffers who work late and early hours.

"Staff members and other House employees are subjected to seeing and at times interacting with Members in their sleeping attire, underwear, and even partially nude," the complaint continues. "This is intimidating and offensive."

The Ethics Committee has not responded to her group's Dec. 13 letter, says Fudge. The committee's staff director, Tom Rust, last week declined to comment on their complaint.

A similar complaint filed in 2011 by the non-partisan government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) also didn't get a response, says the group's former executive director, Melanie Sloan.

"They never want to opine on anything," said Sloan, who filed the CREW complaint and is now a senior adviser to another watchdog group called American Oversight. "There is no doubt in my mind that staffers have been faced with uncomfortable moments when they came in and found members of Congress in states of undress."

Sloan, a former House Judiciary Committee staffer, said congressional employees don't usually want to publicly complain about their bosses' behavior. Several months ago, she publicly described inappropriate conduct by her former boss on Capitol Hill - Michigan Democratic Rep. John Conyers - although her complaints did not involve Conyers sleeping in his office. Conyers subsequently resigned from Congress.

Dozens of House of Representatives members - including several from Ohio - currently sleep in their offices or have done so in the past. Ohio's past and present office-sleepers said they disagreed with the complaints raised by Fudge's group. And House Speaker Paul Ryan has acknowledged sleeping in his office, describing it as "a convenience factor," since members of Congress "work until about midnight, and we get up early in the morning."

"It's convenient and I can get a lot more work done," agreed Cincinnati-area Republican Rep. Steve Chabot, who sleeps on a cot in his office. "You don't have to take the time to travel back and forth."

Miami County Republican Rep. Warren Davidson, who slept in his office during his first six months on the job but stopped because he needed more space, says he regarded sleeping in his office as a sacrifice rather than a benefit of the sort described by Fudge.

Champaign County Republican Rep. Jim Jordan said he slept in his office for years, but got an apartment after his wife began to accompany him to Washington more often. Jordan disagrees with claims that sleeping in the office is unpleasant for staff members, or amounts to an untaxed benefit for members of Congress. He said doing it is "an efficiency thing."

"You're here, you work all day, you pull out the cot, sleep, get up, go shower, get back at it," said Jordan. "I saw it as an efficient way to get some work done for the constituents of the district."

Bowling Green Republican Rep. Bob Latta, who was previously listed as someone who sleeps in his office, would not comment on whether he still does so.

"I think these are questions that have been submitted before and there has never been any finding that there was an ethical issue," Latta said of Fudge's complaints.

Columbus-area GOP Rep. Steve Stivers - who has previously acknowledged sleeping in his office - did not respond to an emailed request for comment on the practice.

The rest of Ohio's Congress members don't sleep in their House offices, they and their spokesmen say.

Niles-area Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan's spokesman, Michael Zetts, says his boss "believes congressional offices are for professional operations and not personal housing." He said Ryan shares an apartment with another member of Congress, and his previous congressional roommates included Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.

Fudge says she pays mortgages on residences she maintains in Ohio and Washington. She says Washington is one of the nation's most expensive places to live, and that she paid $1,400 a month in rent on a 550-square-foot apartment when she came to the city in 2008.

"People who live in their offices complain about the cost of living in two places, but it is a burden for me as well," said Fudge. "All of us knew the salary before we came here. They either need to do something about our salaries, or do something about a housing allowance if they think they can't live on this salary."

She said the Congressional Black Caucus decided to file the complaint because it feels that the Ethics Committee always comes down hard on caucus members, but ignores violations by others.

"Everyone should be treated the same," she said. "They can't enforce some rules, but not others."

If the Ethics Committee doesn't act, Fudge says she will probably sign on to legislation to bar the office sleeping practice that is being drafted by California Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier.

Speier describes it as "a gift of public funds" for members of Congress who live in their offices to get free laundry, free cable, free gas and electricity. She noted that members of Congress are paid approximately $175,000 each year, and accused office sleepers of feathering their nests with tax dollars.

She suggested the Congress could create a per diem housing allowance for members of Congress, or let members sleep in a dormitory that was once used for pages.

"We will cut funding to HUD for homeless people, but we've got homeless members of Congress sleeping in their offices," said Speier. "Offices are business environments, not residences. It is truly presumptuous for members to think they can turn their offices into sleeping accommodations."
CLEVELAND, Ohio - A Cuyahoga County judge has ordered University Hospitals doctors and officials to stop contacting patients whose frozen eggs and embryos were destroyed two weeks ago.

UH is offering patients complimentary in vitro fertilization treatments in exchange for an out-of-court settlement that "compromises their legal rights, including their opportunity to participate in a class action case and obtain damages for their losses," attorneys for plaintiffs said.

Unless UH is restrained by a court order, the doctors and hospital officials "will continue to contact as many patients as they can.... causing them irreparable harm," said attorney Eric Zagrans in a nine-page motion for a temporary restraining order.

Zagrans said UH also has refused to release patients' medical records despite repeated requests from him and his clients, Danielle and Kevin Cross of Macedonia.

The Crosses are among 13 couples or individuals who have filed lawsuits against UH since a March 3-4 incident at the hospital's fertility clinic caused as many as 2,000 frozen eggs and embryos to thaw and potentially no longer be viable.

Monday morning, Judge John J. Russo, the court's administrative and presiding judge, met in private with several of the court's judges, plaintiffs' attorneys and court staff personnel to discuss UH's motion to consolidate all of the cases with a single judge. No decision was reached, and Russo continued the hearing until next week.

Until then, UH is under orders from Common Pleas Judge Dick Ambrose not to contact any of the plaintiffs directly. Ambrose scheduled a hearing for March 27, at which time he will hear arguments on the plaintiffs' request for a preliminary injunction against the hospital until the cases have been resolved.

At that hearing, Zagrans said he would seek a meeting with UH to "facilitate an appropriate way to convey the IVF offers without UH's coercion."

UH spokeswoman Katelyn McCarthy said it is the hospital's policy not to comment on pending litigation.

"UH's actions have created unwarranted and unwelcome pressure and duress on the patients," Zagrans said in his motion.

Zagrans emphasized that his clients are not seeking to prohibit other members of the potential class action lawsuit from speaking with their doctors to obtain medical advice and treatment. Nor are the Crosses attempting to stop UH from offering IVF treatments. Rather, the couple encourages these communications, "but not at the expense of their legal rights to participate in this litigation," Zagrans said.

Those patients who have declined UH's request to call a hospital hotline are receiving repeated calls "pressuring them to speak with UH," Zagrans said in his motion.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Transportation Security Administration officers on Monday found a loaded gun inside a passenger's bag inside Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, the agency said.

A TSA worker made the discovery about 7:30 a.m. Monday, according to a statement from the agency. A Cleveland police spokesman did not return a call seeking information about whether or not the passenger was arrested.

The passenger was going through the TSA Precheck line at the airport, the statement said. A TSA officer watching the checkpoint X-ray machine spotted the loaded .380-caliber handgun inside the man's carry-on bag, the statement said.

TSA officers called Cleveland police after finding the gun, the statement said.

TSA agents said they have found eight guns with passengers since the beginning of the year. Nineteen guns were seized from airport passengers in all of 2017, the statement says.

The TSA said passengers are allowed to bring guns with them, but only if they are unloaded, packed in a hard-side case, locked and packed separately from the bullets in a checked bag. The passenger then must bring the gun to the airline check-in counter.

To comment on this story, visit Monday's crime and courts comments page.
LORAIN, Ohio -- More than 200 families, 501 people, have moved to Lorain to escape the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria and a group of governmental, social welfare, religious and educational organizations are working to make the transition as painless as possible.

Victor Leandry, president of El Centro de Servicios Sociales, said the newcomers need housing, jobs and bilingual education. The good news that through inter-agency cooperation, they are getting what they need.

"This was a whole new wave of newcomers that came to the city quite unexpectedly," said Victor Leandry, executive director of the social services group at a news conference at the agency. "With the help of many people and organizations, their needs are being met."

Three women told their stories of hardship in Puerto Rico and how they are faring in Lorain.

Naomy Morales lost everything when Hurricane Maria destroyed the house that she and her mother shared. She moved to Lorain in December. She is currently taking English lessons at El Centro.

"I am living with an aunt and trying to get medical help for my autistic child," she said through a translator. "It is hard to find a job and housing with no transportation."

Stephanie Rivera, 26, moved to Lorain last Thursday and faces the same problem of lack of transportation. She said electrical problems destroyed every appliance in her family's home, causing hardship.

Carmen Santiago has been in Lorain for 18 months and has been helping families move here. She has allowed two families to share her home and is helping them find work and homes of their own.

El Centro is often the first stop for the new residents who left the island after the hurricane wreaked havoc six months ago. The group operates a food pantry, English classes, assistance with finding housing and a job. Perhaps the biggest role it plays is acting as a clearinghouse to get people the help they need from other agencies.

A major problem in the city is the lack of transportation. Lorain has very limited bus service in the city and no connecting service to Elyria, Cleveland.

"That is the hardest part," said Suzette Sanchez, who move to Lorain from Puerto Rico 18 months ago and now works as a translator for El Centro. "People need jobs, but they also need a way to get to those jobs. The bus schedule in Lorain makes that impossible, so they have to figure out another way to get around."

She said housing is also difficult. Most of the new residents stay with family members when they first arrive, but moving into their own apartment is difficult.

"Landlords don't use the same credit history companies as they do in Puerto Rico," she said. "So essentially, people start from scratch. The first thing they want to see is a driver's license. New people don't have one and in order to get one they have to go Elyria which is hard because there are no buses."

Sanchez said it's possible to work through the red tape but it takes time and patience. The problem is aggravated when people don't speak English.

"It can be done," she said. "When I came here 18 months ago I could not speak English. I learned and now I help people who come here after me."

El Centro produces a brochure with tells people where they can find help for everything from employment to housing to education.

Lorain County Commissioner Matt Lundy said the commissioners have been working with El Centro, Lorain County Community College, churches, state and federal agencies to help the newcomers get what they need. He said Ohioans need some education as well.

"I was horrified when I was serving as a state representative during committee meetings involving immigration debate in Ohio and people, including some politicians, would say things like the people from Puerto Rico need to get documentation to be here," he said. "People did not realize Puerto Ricans were American citizens. I was surprised how often I had to explain that simple fact."

He was a state representative from 2007 to 2015.

They announced two events for Puerto Rican people to help them get the help they need. Representatives from numerous public agencies, including hospitals and libraries, will gather at Sacred Heart Chapel, 4301 Pearl Road, Lorain, starting at 4 p.m. on April 8 for the educational sessions. Activities will be provided for the children.

On April 19, the Cleveland Clinic will host a health fair from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Cleveland Clinic Lorain Family Health Center, 5700 Cooper Foster Park Road, Lorain. They will offer free screenings and health information.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A man was shot Monday afternoon in a possible drive-by shooting near the Ohio 2 entrance off West 25th Street in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood, police say.

The 50-year-old victim was taken to MetroHealth at about 12:40 p.m., according to a Cleveland EMS supervisor.

Police at about 1:30 p.m. were seen blocking off a portion of the sidewalk near West 25th Street and Division Avenue, just north of the Ohio 2 entrance. Officers at the scene said they found shell casings at that location.

A window was also broken out about one and a half blocks away at the corner of West 25th Street and Detroit Avenue. That building is the former site of the Forest City Trust Building, and housed the Massimo da Milano restaurant until its recent closure.

An officer at the scene said that the broken window was unrelated to the shooting. Cleveland police spokesman Det. Reginald Lanton said the broken window was related to the shooting.

To comment on this story, visit Monday's crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Growth in passenger traffic through Cleveland Hopkins International Airport has some travelers and City Council members asking whether the airport will need to re-open the mothballed Concourse D.

Airport Director Robert Kennedy would not rule out the possibility in an interview with cleveland.com, but said the concourse would first need millions of dollars in upgrades to adapt to a changing airline industry.

"We will be constrained at some point by facilities," Kennedy said. "Do you re-life it [Concourse D]? Maybe. Maybe not."

Here is what else Kennedy had to say:

What upgrades would Concourse D need?

Concourse D was built at a time when smaller so-called commuter planes were in vogue. Today, airlines are typically using larger planes.

To accommodate the larger planes, all the gates on the east side of Concourse D would need to be reworked, Kennedy said. And taxiways at one end of the concourse would need to be expanded because they don't allow enough space for larger planes.

Why was the concourse closed?

United Airlines stopped using Concourse D in 2014 after United's merger with Continental Airlines.

That year, United announced its average daily departures would drop from 170 to 70. The carrier said it would concentrate operations along Concourse C, where it remains today.

United is still obligated to pay off the cost of building the D concourse -- a debt that extends out 13 years at a rate of over $1 million a month.

The concourse was built in the 1990s to handle traffic generated by Continental, which at the time used Hopkins as a hub. But after Continental became part of United, traffic declined.

How much has air traffic grown since 2014?

Traffic is up by 2.5 million passengers from five years ago, Kennedy said, making Hopkins the 45th busiest airport in the nation for passenger traffic.

Competition between the airlines has helped to drive down ticket prices and make air travel more attractive, he said. Airlines with low-cost fares, such as Allegiant Air and Frontier, have started flying from Hopkins or have expanded their number of flights.

Cleveland also has seen an economic resurgence, which has resulted in more people are flying to and from the city for business.

2016 was a big year. About 8.4 million people used Hopkins, in part because Cleveland hosted the Republican National Convention.

But traffic has continued to grow. Kennedy expects about 9.6 million this year and more than 10 million in 2019.

What's the plan for the future?

Cleveland Hopkins' current master plan, completed in 2008 and updated in 2012, outlined $1.6 billion in recommendations. Some of those were accomplished but others were ignored.

Because of the growth and because the airline industry has changed over the years, Kennedy now wants to update the airport's master plan.

"We are a much different airport today than 2014," he said.

The federal government mandates that airports develop master plans to help guide for growth and development. Kennedy said the master plan attempts to predict what an airport's needs will be five years out and longer.

Making predictions for city-owned Hopkins is particularly complex because the airport has a finite amount of space with which to work.

That will be the charge for whomever is hired to develop the new master plan.

A consultant to do the work might be hired toward the end of the year, Kennedy said. Before that can happen, Hopkins will have to negotiate with its air carriers, which will pay for the master plan.

Kennedy expects updating the plan will cost about $4.5 million. That compares with Salt Lake City's effort, expected to cost about $4 million. Pittsburgh expects to spend about $7.6 million to update its plan, although it is a more expansive project, Kennedy said.

Ideally, forecasts in the master plan will allow the airport to make changes and improvements in time to coincide the demands of more passengers, Kennedy said.

That's where conversations about what to do with Concourse D could come up.

Either way, though, it's time for Cleveland to act, Kennedy said.

"The future is coming at us faster and faster."
NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio -- Students across the nation participated in the March 14 walkout noting the one-month anniversary of the mass shooting at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. This included roughly 400 students -- or a third of the student body -- at North Olmsted High School.

"Our kids did a great job. I was very proud of them," Superintendent Michael E. Zalar said. "Really, they had initiated this entire activity that was totally voluntary. The students walked outside, where they read biographies of all of the people that were killed in the shooting.

"After that, they had a moment of silence for those students and staff members before releasing 17 balloons that were in the colors of Stoneman Douglas High School into the air as an act of remembrance. Then the students were encouraged to commit 17 acts of kindness over the next 17 days in honor of those people that were lost in the shooting."

What impressed Zalar was how the students handled themselves. Once the walkout was finished, he said they quietly and respectfully walked back into the building and resumed their school day.

Senior Noah Furin said he felt privileged to be able to participate in the national movement to promote school safety.

"It's a worthy cause and anything we can do to help make our schools safer for students and teachers is a good thing," Furin said. "I'm proud of our student body for the way we organized and initiated this activity."

North Olmsted Middle School held a similar event, with roughly 200 kids walking around the parking lot holding signs and placards with messages honoring the victims and promoting school safety.

Zalar said many teachers used the opportunity in class to engage students in a dialogue about what had just taken place and their thoughts on school safety, gun rights and mental illness.

Still, the superintendent admitted that going in, he was nervous about an event that had the potential to be divisive and controversial.

"We certainly want to maintain neutrality towards anything that's political," Zalar said. "We realize that we've got a very diverse community and population; there are opinions all over the board related to this issue of school safety. I credit our principals and their staff for really engaging with our students.

"We sort of looked at it as this is an opportunity to have a teachable moment for our students. We tried to frame this around citizenship. Our students felt very strongly they wanted to be a part of this nationwide movement, so we framed this as being a part of a movement as opposed to a protest," he said.

After the Parkland school shooting, administrators across the nation have been re-evaluating safety, security and mental health policies. Zalar said soon after the tragic event last month, the district's safety committee convened to reassess and re-evaluate protocol.

The decision was made to hold a Community Safety Forum, which will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday (March 20) in the North Olmsted High School cafeteria.

"We're going to invite the community to come in and essentially have a conversation around this idea of school safety," Zalar said.

"I'm really interested in getting their feedback and learning what their concerns are and what their ideas are that we could be doing differently, so we can certainly continue to try to improve everything related to our student and staff safety."

Regarding mental health, Zalar has confidence in the district's psychologists, guidance counselors and social workers.

"I'm also looking at some additional training for all of our staff," Zalar said. "We're going to be looking into scheduling professional development around the idea of mental health identification and intervention."
A Republican lawmaker from southwest Ohio recently introduced a bill to make the Labrador retriever Ohio's state dog.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Dayton-area state Rep. Jeffery Rezabek decided Ohio needed a state dog and picked the Labrador as embodying Ohio values as a working and a sporting dog.

Plus, that's the only breed his family has owned.

Thirteen other states have state dogs, many of them distinctive to those states, such as the Boston terrier (Massachusetts) and Alaskan malamute (Alaska), but none yet has designated the Labrador, despite its popularity. The Lab traces its ancestry to the St. John's water dog from Newfoundland.

In August 2016, former Plain Dealer outdoors writer D'Arcy Egan paid tribute to his longtime bird-hunting companion, the black Labrador Bluebelle, whose hunting days likely were coming to an end. "A black Labrador retriever with a heavy duty coat encouraging her to break ice in winter and go for a swim, Bluebelle has never really grown up," Egan wrote fondly of the dog then in her 12th season as his hunting sidekick.

Rezabek told the Enquirer that his bid to have Ohio name a state dog would not interfere with another piece of pending legislation -- House Bill 319 sponsored by Columbus-area Republican lawmaker Laura Lanese -- to designate the shelter pet as the official pet of Ohio. Among co-sponsors of Lanese's bill, intended to bring greater attention to shelter animals, is Republican state Rep. Steve Hambley of Brunswick. HB 319 was introduced last August.

So, should Ohio have a state dog? If so, is the Labrador retriever the best choice? If not, what dog should win out? And, should Ohio lawmakers be spending some of their time on legislation designating things like state dogs and state pets?

Join the conversation today from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. to discuss your thoughts on whether Ohio needs a state dog and/or a state pet.

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.
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Market Highlights

Lubricants have a vital impact on the maintenance costs and the service life of the components. The investment in lubricant may be relatively small, but it can make a great difference. Lubricants producers across the world work in close cooperation with manufacturers of important components and shipping industry equipment to extend service intervals and components life while increasing operational reliability. Reducing the impact on the environment is important to the shipping and offshore industry. As a shipping operator, it has become essential to be aware of the expanding body of environmental regulations affecting their business. Additionally, a growing interest in ecological issues is propelling the customers to demand environmentally sound operating process.

Offshore lubricants market is predominantly driven by the increasing offshore exploration and production investment across the world. The rise in demand for energy and the depletion of onshore reserves have made the oil & gas companies to significantly invest in the offshore oil & gas reserves. The evolution in drilling activities and the rise in the demand from the offshore rigs and FPSO (Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading Vessels) are likely to boost the demand for offshore lubricants.

The Global Offshore Lubricants Market is expected to grow at ~ 3.5% CAGR during the forecast period.

Key Players

The key players of global offshore lubricants market are BP plc (U.K.), Chevron Corporation (U.S.), Exxon Mobil Corporation (U.S.), Royal Dutch Shell plc (Netherlands), Total S.A. (France), Aegean Marine Petroleum (Greece), Fuchs Petrolub SE (Germany), Gulf Oil Corporation (U.S.), Idemitsu Kosan Co.,Ltd. (Japan), and JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation (Japan).

Market Research Analysis

Engine oil and OSVs (Offshore Support Vehicles) are, expected to grow at the highest CAGR and hold the largest market share.

Global Offshore lubricant market has been segmented based on application, end-use, and region. Engine oil segment by application currently holds the largest share and is expected to dominate the offshore lubricants market during the forecast period. Engine oils are widely used in vessel engines, boat engines, and container engine. Engine oils play a crucial role in assisting engines to ideal efficiency in their output. These oils are required specifically for speed and stoke cycle of engines. Engine oils prevent engines from rusting, wear and tear. Growing maritime activities across the globe are expected to drive engine oils demand over the forecast period. The OSVs segment by end-use held the largest market share, in 2016 and is expected to hold the largest share over the forecast period. OSVs are largely used as support systems for offshore drilling and production sectors. Increasing utilization of OSVs due to rising deep water reserves exploration, and production will give rise to greater maintenance, resulting in higher demand for lubricants such as engine oils, compressor oils, transmission oils, gear oils and hydraulic fluids.

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Asia Pacific Offshore Lubricants market is expected to grow at the highest CAGR

Currently, the Asia Pacific region is the largest consumers of Offshore Lubricants. China, India, and prominent Southeast Asian countries are among the major markets of offshore lubricants, globally. Asia Pacific Offshore Lubricants market is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The increasing offshore projects in the major Asian countries make the Asia Pacific region, lucrative for offshore lubricants market. Economic growth has facilitated the greater maritime trade and activity in the Asia Pacific region since last decade and is projected to grow at a steady pace during the forecast period. North America holds the second largest market share for offshore lubricants market. This is due to growing deep-water activities in the Gulf of Mexico along the eastern coast.

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Market Highlights

New energy has developed profoundly and will continue to develop rapidly. Though new energy has the advantages of less pollution and large reservation. It also has the disadvantages of low energy density, wide distribution intermittent supply and high cost. The self-healing of smart grid gives a solution to these problems, which will update the control and protection system of power grid. In China, self-healing focuses on automation, real-time monitoring and self-adjustment. In America and Europe, self-healing emphasizes on fast simulation decision, co-ordination/self-adaptive control. The future development of self-healing technologies will depend on advanced control, big data and artificial intelligence.

Delivering electrical power from the generating station to consumption loads is the classical task of the power grid. However, a power grid and any other networks infrastructure share some difficulties in operation, control, efficiency, and reliability. In a self-healing grid, it only acts against grid disturbances, but also secures the grid against disturbances. Upgrade of distribution network infrastructure requires replacement of conventional analog systems with digital components, processors, software, and power electronic technologies. A major benefit of integration of this technology, is the low time requirement for reconfiguration of solutions to outages and faults, ranging from 1 to 5 minutes. Moreover, increasing integration of IoT, and rampant development of smart cities characterized by enhanced connectivity of electrical supply systems, tracking and monitoring consumption by consumers and service providers, drive the demand for such grids. Integration of distributed renewable energy systems is also expected propel demand for self-healing grids over the forecast period.

The Global Self-Healing Grid Market is expected to grow at ~ 9% CAGR during the forecast period.

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Key Players

The key players of global self-healing grid market are ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), Siemens AG (Germany), General Electric Company (U.S.), S & C Electric Company (U.S.), Sentient Energy, Inc. (U.S.), Eaton Corporation plc (Ireland), Schneider Electric SE (France), Landis+Gyr AG (Switzerland), Cisco Systems, Inc. (U.S.), Infosys Limited (India), Oracle Corporation (U.S.) and G&W Electric (U.S.).

Market Research Analysis

Transmission lines by application, hardware by component and public utility by End-user are expected to grow at the highest CAGR.

Global self-healing grid market has been segmented based on applications, components, End-users and regions. Based on applications, the market is segmented into transmission lines and distribution lines. Among these, transmission lines segment, is projected to dominate the self-healing grid market through 2023. The high dependency on transmission lines across the world for proper current transmission, is expected to boost this segment modification through self-healing systems. Based on the components, the market is segmented into hardware, and software & services. Hardware dominated the market in 2016 and is projected to be the fastest-growing component segment. The sensors in the hardware segment provide the data related to various utility assets, based on various parameters, such as, voltage, current, heat, temperature, and frequency. This data provided by sensors are used by equipment /component management system to provide actionable information, which is used to form a predictive maintenance schedule, depending on the health of the gird. Based on the end-users, the market has been segmented as public utility, and private utility. Public utility dominated the market in 2016 and is projected to be the fastest-growing packaging type over the next five years, as a result of the rise investments in grid modernization and requirement for energy efficiency. Public utilities are funded by the government and have a huge customer base. Increasing investments in distributed energy generation sources, have increased the grid complexity, as these sources are to be connected to grid for reliable supply of power.

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Asia Pacific Self-Healing Grid market, is expected to grow at the highest CAGR.

The global self-healing grid market is segmented into four prominent region as, Asia Pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World. Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This growth is attributed to growing industrialization & urbanization and rising renewable power generation capacity in the region. Prominent countries such as China, Japan and India are driving the self-healing grid market in the Asia Pacific region. North America currently dominates the market, owing to smart grid investment and aging transmission & distribution infrastructure in the region.

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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.

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Market Highlights

The phenomenal growth in the industrial sector across the globe is creating a massive power requirement for the proper functioning of the sector. The high dependability of industrial sector towards power is enabling the growth for the power equipment in the sector. The enormous amount of power consumption in the industrial sector with varying load capacity is expected to boost the transformer market during the forecast period. Global initiatives to use more renewable and non-conventional energy sources, smart grids, & the global need to upgrade transmission grids boost the global instrument transformer market. These transformers are widely used by power plants, industrial plants and conventional electric utility companies. The constant need for electricity and the unstable electricity supply situation in most developing countries, will aid in the growth of the instrument transformers market over the forecast period. However, fluctuating price of raw materials and high cost of transformers, are the factors that may hamper the growth of the market.

Most of the African nations are currently witnessing economic growth due to huge foreign investments in developing industrialization sector and expanding energy generation capacity through renewable resources. Africa is expected to hold one the largest share in the Middle East & Africa segment for the transformer due to huge expansion in the energy generation and grid expansion.

Global Instrument Transformer Market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 2.1% during the forecast period.

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Prominent Players

The prominent players in the global instrument transformer market include are ABB Group (Switzerland), Siemens Ltd. (Germany), General Electric Company (USA), Crompton Greaves Ltd. (India), Toshiba Corporation (Japan), Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (South Korea), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Japan), Hyosung Corporation (South Korea), Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (India), Rakesh Transformer Industries Pvt. Ltd (India), JSHP Transformers (China), Synergy Transformers (India), Transformers & Rectifiers Ltd (India), PME Power Solutions Limited (India), and SPX Transformer Solutions, Inc. (U.S.A).

Market Research Analysis

Global instrument transformer market has been segmented based on rating, Enclosure Type, end-user and region. Based on rating, instrument transformer market has been divided into distribution voltage, sub-transmission voltage, high voltage transmission and extra high voltage transmission. Distribution voltage is expected to be the fastest growing rating segment of the market.

Based on end-user, instrument transformer market has been segmented into Power Utilities, Industries & OEMS, and Others. Power Utilities accounted for the largest market share. Utility sector defines a category of stocks of utilities such as power generation plants. The sector contains companies such as electric, gas and water firms, and integrated providers. Because utilities require significant infrastructure, these firms require heavy electrical equipment for efficient performance and production of the energy. The global growth in the conventional and non-conventional power plants are creating a huge scope for the transformer market development. Industrial transformer acts as a power transmission and distribution equipment in the utility sector, which step-up or set-down the current voltage as per the end-user requirement.

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For the purpose of study, global instrument transformer market has been segmented based on rating, Enclosure Type, End-user and region. Based on rating, instrument transformer market has been divided as distribution voltage, sub-transmission voltage, high voltage transmission and extra high voltage transmission. Distribution voltage is expected to be the fastest growing rating segment of the market.

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Agrochemicals Market: Global Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012 to 2016 and Forecast 2017 to 2023

Global Agrochemicals Market: By Product Type (Fertilizers, Pesticides, Others), By Technology (Synthetic, Biological), By Crop Type (Cereals and Grains, Oilseeds and Pulses, Fruits and Vegetables, Forage Crops and Pastures, Others), By Formulation (Powder, Granular, Liquid), By Application (Seed Treatment, Soil Treatment, Post-Harvest, Foliar Spray), and Geography  Agrochemicals Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023

Market Dynamics: Agrochemicals Market

Agrochemicals enhances the crop productivity and protect the crops from insects, pests, fungi, weeds, and others. Agrochemicals can be prepared by either chemical or biological methods. Increase in the demand for food production due to rise in population, rise in prevalence of various crop diseases, growing R&D for the innovation of newer agrochemicals, and government initiations to enhance the crop yield are expected to fuel the agrochemicals market over the forecast period. Moreover, technological advancements in the synthesis of agrochemicals, change in farming practices, and rise in R&D investments are also anticipated to drive the agrochemicals market. However, stringent regulatory guidelines for product approval, adverse effects associated with agrochemicals, and high cost of products may restrain the growth of agrochemicals market

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Market Scope: Agrochemicals Market

Agrochemicals market is segmented based on product type, technology, crop type, formulation, application, and region

Based on the product type, the market is segmented into the following:

 Fertilizers

 Pesticides

o Herbicides

o Insecticides

o Fungicides

 Others

Based on technology, the market is segmented into the following:

 Synthetic

 Biological

Based on the crop type, the market is segmented into the following:

 Cereals and Grains

 Oilseeds and Pulses

 Fruits and Vegetables

 Forage Crops and Pastures

 Others

Based on the formulation, the market is segmented into the following:

 Powder

 Granular

 Liquid

Based on the application, the market is segmented into the following:

 Seed Treatment

 Soil Treatment

 Post-Harvest

 Foliar Spray

Based on the region, the market is segmented into the following:

 North America

 Europe

 Asia Pacific

 Latin America

 Middle East and Africa

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Regional Analysis: Agrochemicals Market

Geographically, global agrochemicals market segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa regions. North America agrochemicals market driven by rise in R&D for the innovation of newer products, acquisitions and collaborations among the companies, and high awareness about agrochemicals in the region. Europe agrochemicals market is exhibiting significant growth, which is attributed to shifit in focus on production of quality food products, adoption of modern agrochemicals, and presence of huge number of companies for agrochemicals manufacturing in the region. Asia Pacific agrochemicals market has a lucrative share owing to increase in the demand for agriculture production and decrease in arable land, rise in trading of agriculture products from China, and increase in prevalence of crop diseases due to environmental fluctuations are boost the market in the region. Latin America agrochemicals market is poised at significant rate due to increase in the agriculture farming in Brazil and Mexico, entry of companies into Latin America region, and rise in awareness about agrochemicals among farmers are propel the market. Middle East and Africa agrochemicals market growth is driven by adoption of newer products and economic growth.

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Competition Assessment: Agrochemicals Market

Key players profiles in this market include:

 Monsanto Company (U.S.)

 BASF SE (Germany)

 The Dow Chemical Company (U.S.)

 Bayer CropScience AG (Germany)

 E.I. DuPont De Nemours & Company (U.S.)

 Syngenta AG (Switzerland)

 Koppert B.V. (Netherlands)

 Marrone Bio Innovations Inc. (U.S.)

 Sumitomo Corporation (Japan)

 Nufarm Ltd. (Australia)

Notable Market Developments: Agrochemicals Market

 In June 2017, Dow AgroSciences launched Inatreq, a fungicide used in cereals for long-term control of key diseases

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

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DUBAI, UAE, March 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Emaar Hospitality Group, the hospitality and leisure business of Dubai-based developer Emaar Properties, has announced a global initiative to scout for the 'World's Greatest Hospitality Talent.' A A A A (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/655532/Emaar_Hospitality_Group.jpg )

A A A A (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/655533/Emaar_Hospitality_Group_Dubai.jpg )



Open for all below the age of 26 years from anywhere in the world, the talent scouting competition aims to identify and nurture the most talented individual for a senior position through a three-year all-expenses paid programme. Olivier Harnisch, CEO of Emaar Hospitality Group, said: "With the guest profile changing and a new generation of travellers and entrepreneurs demanding new hospitality experiences, it is important to have youthful thinking and young leaders, who can lead the industry to the next era. This unique initiative aims to open doors to learn about the industry from the experts and build a rewarding career in a managerial role. At Emaar Hospitality Group, we embrace diversity and encourage talents from any background to apply." Those with a passion for the industry can apply online by submitting a personal video at WWW.THEWORLDSGREATESTHOSPITALITYTALENT.COM. Eight candidates will be short-listed and invited to Dubai in July for a one-week casting that will combine traditional and innovative selection techniques. A casting centre will evaluate the short-listed candidates for their personality, creativity, innovative approaches and genuine passion for the industry. One will emerge as the winner - the world's greatest hospitality talent - who will undergo a three-year training under Emaar Hospitality Group's senior leaders and work across the board. The winning candidate must be below 26 years old and hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent from any discipline, when the training commences in September 2018. She/he will be stationed in Dubai and take part in a comprehensive development programme. The winner will receive remuneration as per industry standards including housing, transport allowance, and other perks. In the role of Interim General Manager, she/he will work across diverse aspects by shadowing the CEO and senior managers, and will pursue a fully-funded executive MBA programme in Dubai. Emaar Hospitality Group has 11 operational hotels and three serviced residences in Dubai under Address Hotels + Resorts; the upscale lifestyle Vida Hotels and Resorts; and the contemporary midscale Rove Hotels, and several upcoming projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Turkey and Maldives. For details, log on to: WWW.THEWORLDSGREATESTHOSPITALITYTALENT.COM Media contact:

Kelly Home

ASDA'A B-M

+9714 4507 600

kelly.home@bm.com


For the vast majority of Britons, I suspect, our greatest concerns following the Russian military-grade nerve agent attack in Salisbury are, first, the wellbeing of the three victims, and second, how to deter President Putin from doing the same thing again  or worse.

There is, however, a small but energetic minority much more exercised by an aspect you could be forgiven for not noticing. These are the Corbynistas, who are most concerned about . . . an image of their beloved leader displayed last Thursday on BBC2s Newsnight.

It was the graphic display shown as a backdrop to a debate on the Labour leaders handling of the crisis with Russia. This showed Corbyn in a sort of Lenin-style cap against an image of Moscows Red Square, bathed, appropriately enough, in a red tint.

Corbynistas are furious after BBC2's Newsnight used this photo of Jeremy Corbyn as a backdrop to a discussion

The following night on the same programme, Owen Jones, Corbyns most ardent supporter in what used to be called Fleet Street, launched an attack on the BBC, to the obvious bemusement of Newsnights studiously fair presenter Evan Davis. The BBC, Jones raged, had made Corbyn look like a Soviet stooge and, he told Davis: You even photoshopped his hat to look more Russian.

Davis immediately pointed out that the hat was not photoshopped. It was a real picture of him. Too late: a surge of enraged Corbynistas immediately engulfed the BBC, just as Jones had encouraged them to do on air: People should complain to the BBC about this.

The programmes acting editor, Jess Brammar, was forced to take to Twitter herself: OK, its Saturday & Im in the hairdresser but my phone is having a meltdown. She went on to confirm that the Lenin-style hat had not been photoshopped onto Corbyns head  it was a genuine picture  and pointed out that the same tinted image of Red Square had recently been used by the programme with an image of the Tory Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson imposed on it.

True, Mr Williamson was not pictured wearing a peaked black cap. Maybe thats because, unlike Mr Corbyn, the Defence Secretary is not given to wearing that line of headgear.

Anyway, the row  inevitably called hat-gate  thunders on, to the amazement, I imagine, of those outside Westminster and the broadcasting media. But Corbyn supporters are right to worry and, for their own purposes, to try to intimidate the BBC into never again using such an image of their beloved leader.

One reason can be glimpsed in the few opinion polls on this issue which have been published in recent days.

They show approval of Theresa Mays handling of the Russian crisis running at about 50 percentage points ahead of support for Corbyns line (that we should co-operate more with Moscow over the investigation of the incident, including giving them access to collected samples of the nerve agent, since the Kremlin might be innocent of involvement).

Despite Corbyn's refusal to pin the blame on Vladimir Putin for the nerve gas attack, John McDonnell, his shadow Chancellor, said Russia is responsible

Perhaps this lies behind the decision yesterday by the Labour shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, to break with Corbyns ambivalence and pin the blame directly on Putin.

McDonnell  a much more intelligent man than his leader  realises that this episode might be fatal to Labours hopes of winning the next general election.

During the 2017 election, Labour did far better than almost anyone expected: one reason was that Conservative attacks on Corbyns past as a sympathiser with such enemies of Britain as the IRA, the proscribed Islamic organisation Hezbollah, and the Soviet Union, had much less impact than might have been expected.

Younger voters in particular, who could remember neither the Cold War nor even the IRAs bombing campaign on the mainland, perhaps felt this was all ancient history, of no relevance today. But when the Kremlin, under command of the murderous Vladimir Putin, is trying to bump people off on the streets of Salisbury in 2018  that is relevant to voters young as well as old.

It will also bring much sharper public scrutiny to bear on Jeremy Corbyns visceral opposition to Britains independent nuclear deterrent, Trident. Perhaps his most uncomfortable moment during the 2017 election was when a member of a BBC studio audience tore into Corbyn for refusing to say whether he would, as Prime Minister, retaliate if the country were to come under nuclear attack.

I find it incredibly concerning, this voter said, that you wouldnt ever commit to doing that. Its our safety that you have to look out for first and foremost.

Again, this may not have seemed a relevant matter to many voters at that time, however uncomfortable the Labour leader seemed under such questioning.

But Putin has made Russias military capacity to strike the West hard, with new forms of nuclear missiles, central to his presidential campaign for the general election which took place yesterday. Earlier this month, he even showed graphics of such missiles hitting Western targets as part of his annual address to the Russian federal assembly.

And, by the way, the assault in Salisbury with a weapons-grade nerve agent may well have been planned as part of the same election strategy, grotesque as that might seem to us.

Of course, Russia is not the Soviet Union. But although Owen Jones accused the BBC of painting Corbyn as a Soviet stooge, it would not amount to a falsification of history if Newsnight had created such an impression.

When what Ronald Reagan called the Evil Empire fell apart, Corbyn openly regretted the break-up of the Soviet Union and the leadership it gave. He declared that I do not believe that the former Soviet Union presented a threat, any more than I believe that the remains of the Soviet Union, or Russia, present an external threat now.

Admittedly that was in 1993, long before Vladimir Putin took control of the country. Fair enough to say that about Russia back then. But even after Putin launched military action in Ukraine (with thousands of casualties) to reclaim some of the territory lost when the USSR broke up, Corbyns sympathies lay more with the Russian aggressor: he denounced the Wests sanctions as disproportionate.

And as far as I know, this campaigner against British nuclear weaponry has never uttered a word about the use of polonium from a Russian state nuclear facility to murder Alexander Litvinenko, a British subject, in the heart of our capital city.

So I do understand the concern of the Labour leaders acolytes that his record on Russia is now coming under greater scrutiny. But as for that BBC image of Corbyn: if the cap fits, wear it.
Save the Children is having a torrid time of late.

Sir Alan Parker, the charitys international chairman, faced calls to quit at a recent board meeting over the failure to deal with allegations of improper behaviour against women employees by former chief executive Justin Forsyth.

Parker, according to an internal charity report, was deemed too close to Forsyth, who used to work at Downing Street for Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. The controversy cost Forsyth his new job at Unicef last month.

Sir Alan Parker, the charitys international chairman, faced calls to quit at a recent board meeting over the failure to deal with allegations of improper behaviour against women employees by former chief executive Justin Forsyth

But Princess Dora Loewenstein, a trustee of the charity and an organiser of the Tories much-derided Black and White parties, insists the problems have been exaggerated. Faced with the prospect of unsold tickets and cancellations for the charitys planned gala Night Of Hits at Londons Roundhouse in May, the princess has sent a handwritten letter to the charitys supporters.

Save the Children needs your help more than ever before. They have faced, in my opinion, unfair and disproportionate challenges of late which threaten the very core of their work. We must stand resolutely behind them, says the princess, whose father, Prince Rupert, used to manage the Rolling Stones business interests.

Princess Dora Loewenstein, a trustee of the charity and an organiser of the Tories much-derided Black and White parties, insists the problems have been exaggerated

However, the heartfelt letter has not gone down well in all quarters. One former supporter of the charity told me: Im sorry the princess thinks criticism of a cover-up over the mistreatment of women is disproportionate. She should withdraw the letter, cancel the event, which is inappropriate, and Sir Alan should consider his position.

Floating Kendal's boat

Trouble ahead for the Tories in the stronghold of Kensington & Chelsea. They are already braced for heavy losses over the fallout from Grenfell Tower. Now, a new party called Advance Together has been formed to challenge the Tories in the local elections in May. A key battleground will be the fight to save the iconic houseboats moored along Chelsea Reach. A petition has been signed by 6,300 residents alarmed by developers plans to build luxury houseboats at a cost of 6 million each. Advance Together is backing the locals opposing the developers, and has recruited celebrity muscle from the likes of Felicity Kendal.

Advance Together is backing the locals opposing the developers, and has recruited celebrity muscle from the likes of Felicity Kendal

Europhiles and Remoaners desperate to overturn Brexit are holding secret strategy meetings. Lord Adonis, ex-Labour Transport Secretary, and Baroness Altmann  briefly a Tory pensions minister  were among those at the session. And where did they meet? Europe House, the European Commissions base in London. Talk about a home from home!

Chancellor Philip Hammonds gimmicky review on chewing gum, which he announced in last weeks Spring Statement, had a familiar ring to it. In 2002, at a so-called urban summit in Birmingham, Labours John Prescott announced 50 fines for dropping gum in the street, a ban on its sale near schools, and dustmen given powers to issue littering fines. Nothing happened then, and I suspect nothing will happen now.

Mrs T knocked off the top spot

A century after some women first got the vote, senior politicians have written in The House, parliaments magazine, about the women they have most admired.

I wonder how much Mrs T would have appreciated being bumped off the top of his list

Lord Fowler, a Cabinet minister under Margaret Thatcher and John Major, who is now Speaker in the Upper House, surprisingly chose the relatively obscure Baroness Swanborough. Nancy Astor was the first woman to take her seat in the Commons, but who was the first woman Life Peer to take her seat on the red benches? he asks, before revealing that it was Baroness Swanborough, aka Stella Isaacs, in 1958.

I wonder how much Mrs T would have appreciated being bumped off the top of his list. Cue a handbagging from beyond the grave.

Comrade Corbyn has revealed he has been banned by his advisers from wearing a tracksuit in public. In an interview for CBBC, he said: When I go home every night, I put my tracksuit on. Although people round here make me stop going out in it. They say: If you are the leader of the Labour Party, you cant go out in your trackie.
With more than ten million customer visits per month, The Iconic has fast become one of Australia's most popular shopping destinations.

The online fashion retailer offers over 800 local and international brands, 50,000 products and has 200 new arrivals daily.

So what are the store's best-selling buys?

To celebrate The Iconic Sport Challenge, the retailer has revealed the site's best-selling sportswear and the overall best-selling products from the past 12 months.

OVERALL BEST-SELLERS

1. SPURR, Tiona Slides in black, $24.95

Showcasing a simple and clean design, these slides are described as the site's go-to sandal.

The minimal slides feature a black leather-look upper with a chic matte finish and a contrast brown sole.

Showcasing a simple and clean design, these slides are described as the site's go-to sandal

2. Adidas Originals, Adilette, $45

These shoes were designed for ultimate comfort and relaxation.

The unisex Adidas Originals Adilette shoes have remained the most popular pair of slides since they were first introduced in 1972.

Featuring a contoured footbed, the slides have quick-drying properties.

The unisex Adidas Originals Adilette shoes have remained the most popular pair of slides since they were first introduced in 1972

3. Atmos&here, Cotton Blend V-Neck Tee in white, $24.95

This cotton blend, lightweight style features a V-neckline, turned up sleeves and a classic cut.

Simple yet comfy, it comes as no surprise that this staple is the third best-selling item overall.

This cotton blend, lightweight style features a V-neckline, turned up sleeves and a classic cut

4. Atmos&here, Cotton Blend Crew Neck Tee in white, $24.95

Crafted from a soft, stretchy cotton blend, this tee is perfectly paired with dark denim.

The must-have basic is sure to be on high rotation in wardrobes around the country in coming months.

Crafted from a soft, stretchy cotton blend, this tee is perfectly paired with dark denim

5. Staple Superior, Staple Slim Chino in charcoal, $49.95

Designed with a hint of stretch for extra comfort, the Staple Slim Chinos by Staple Superior have an easy minimalist design.

Men have been styling theirs with fine knit sweaters and low-tops for a smart off-duty aesthetic.

Designed with a hint of stretch for extra comfort, the Staple Slim Chinos by Staple Superior have an easy minimalist design

6. C&M Camilla and Marc, C&M Classic Logo Tank in white, $89

Cut from a cotton-rich jersey fabric for ultra comfort, the C&M Classic Logo Tank by C&M Camilla and Marc is an essential for off-duty dressing.

While the site has stopped selling the white version, it is still available in black.

Cut from a cotton-rich jersey fabric for ultra comfort, the C&M Classic Logo Tank by C&M Camilla and Marc is an essential for off-duty dressing

7. Staple Superior, Staple Shorts in black, $39.95

A pair of chino shorts are a must-have for men across the globe.

The Staple Shorts by Staple Superior have a simple yet versatile design and are crafted from stretch cotton for extra comfort.

A pair of chino shorts are a must-have for men across the globe

8. Vans, Old Skool, $119.95

An all-time favourite, the Old Skool Vans are described as 'a wardrobe staple'.

Designed for both men and women, these are the most versatile sneakers on the market.

An all-time favourite, the Old Skool Vans are described as 'a wardrobe staple'

9. Calvin Klein, Modern Cotton Bralette in grey, $49.95

The Modern Cotton Bralette from Calvin Klein is an ideal choice for those looking for comfortable yet weightless support.

Made from a soft cotton blend with generous stretch, the cup-less bralette features adjustable shoestring straps and a supportive elastic band stamped with the brand's iconic logo.

10. Converse, Chuck Taylor All Star Ox in white, $100

In an iconic low-cut silhouette, these canvas sneakers rest on top of a vulcanised rubber sole. Style them your way; the unisex pair will work with everything.

In an iconic low-cut silhouette, these canvas sneakers rest on top of a vulcanised rubber sole. Style them your way; the unisex pair will work with everything

BEST-SELLING SPORTSWEAR

1. Adidas Performance, Essential Linear Tights, $50

Made from a comfortable, cotton-rich jersey, this second-skin pair features bold branding down the leg.

Made from a comfortable, cotton-rich jersey, this second-skin pair features bold branding down the leg

2. Puma, ESS No.1 Leggings, $39.95

Perfect for jogging, yoga and other activities, these are a reliable activewear staple.

The cotton leggings feature a comfortable high-waistline, full length coverage, and logo prints.

3. Nike Leg-A-See Logo Tights, $59.99

For those who like a statement pair of tights, these are great for everything from weekend hangs to high-intensity workouts.

The pair is made from environmentally friendly materials and feature a printed Swoosh logo on the side.

For those who like a statement pair of tights, these are great for everything from weekend hangs to high-intensity workouts

4. Adidas Originals, Linear Leggings, $40

The Adidas Originals Linear Leggings are crafted from breathable, stretch cotton for the ultimate in comfort.

Stamped with signature branding and the Trefoil logo, this bold pair is the perfect way to show your love of the iconic brand.

5. Adidas Performance, Essentials Linear Fleece Pants, $69.95

Comfy and warm, the Adidas Performance Essentials Linear Fleece Pants are made from a soft cotton-blend fabric and are stamped with the iconic label's logo.

The Adidas Originals Linear Leggings are crafted from breathable, stretch cotton for the ultimate in comfort

6. Puma, Active Swagger W Leggings, $50

These are cut to a regular fit from cotton jersey with a touch of added stretch.

They also have an extra-wide reinforced waistband which ensures the perfect fit, as well as the holographic branding to the left leg.

These are cut to a regular fit from cotton jersey with a touch of added stretch

7. Adidas Performance, Women's Prime Tank, $34.98

Elevate your workouts with this ultra-lightweight design.

The stretch-jersey racerback style will keep you cool during exercise.

Elevate your workouts with this ultra-lightweight design

8. Adidas Originals, Trefoil Leggings, $40

Made from soft cotton jersey in a classic black shade, the logo-stamped Trefoil Leggings are an urban street wardrobe essential.

Balance the second-skin cut by wearing yours with a loose-fitting top.

9. 2XU, Mid-Rise Compression Tights, $149.95

An essential for any woman serious about her training, these have a compression fit which supports targeted muscle groups to improve circulation and aid in muscle fatigue.

10. Puma, Powershape Forever Bra, $39.95

Crafted in a stretchy compression fit, this bra features flat-locked seam detailing and a copper and black iconic Puma logo on the front.
Detoxes are becoming increasingly popular in our quest for health.

And the latest product to hit the market: underarm clay masks, not only claim to draw out impurities - naturally, they're also said to pave a path to sweeter smelling pits.

Before thinking this is a (beauty) bridge too far, consider this: regular use of deodorants can actually change the bacteria in your armpits, and over time lead to a worse odour than the one you're trying to cover up.

A clay armpit cleanse can help rid the body of harmful bacteria that can build up in the armpit over time (stock image)

The natural clay masks have been specially designed to draw out impurities (stock image)

Data from Roy Morgan shows as a nation Australians are heavily dependent on deodorant with 85 per cent of women and 76 per cent of men aged 14 plus saying this is something they 'usually use.'

Research reveals aerosol and roll-on deodorants are two of the most popular types of deodorant used - and of these, it's likely many contain antiperspirant products such as aluminium which work not by stopping sweat, but by blocking pores.

Although making the switch to more natural deodorants might seem like the answer, often there's a transitional period as your armpits adjust.

Using a clay detox mask can help if you are considering making the switch to more natural deodorants (stock image)

This is where clay armpit masks, designed to detox, really come into their own.

The masks not only help reduce product build-up in the armpit glands, and assist with lymphatic function (the body's natural drainage system), it's also understood they can reduce the volume and odour of sweat.

Three common chemicals in deodorants and antiperspirants: Aluminium: These compounds block the sweat glands to keep sweat from getting to the skin's surface Parabens: These preservatives used in deodorant and other beauty products. Research suggests some may interfere with the way your body produces and regulates estrogen and other hormones Triclosan: Cosmetic manufacturers add this chemical to many products in order to prevent bacterial contamination, and to kill bacteria on the surface of the skin Advertisement

As well, one Australian manufacturer of the masks claim their product - Detox-A-Pit - can assist with rashes, redness and irritation.

'After many years of using antiperspirants, sweat glands get blocked and your system gets loaded with toxins, heavy metals and impurities with no outlet for escaping,' states Detox-a-Pit's website.

'Even if you use natural deodorants or no deodorant at all, toxins build in our systems with everyday life.'

Detox-A-Pit's vegan clay mask, priced at $24.95, needs to be used for 10 minutes a day for seven days to successfully detox armpits

The Healthy Underarm detox mask by LaVanilla, priced at $26.00 is formulated to rid the underarm of buildup and impurities

Of course, if you want to dispense with it all, there's always the option to embrace a wacky new Japanese invention - a miniature fan you attach to your shirt sleeve to prevent armpit sweat.

It is described as having a 'small, whisper-quiet battery operated motor' which is perfect for pit-cooling in even the most uncomfortable places.

While it might not be the prettiest product on the market, the tech-focused solution is one that goes 'beyond standard deodorant.'
Margot Robbie is one of Australia's biggest stars right now as her career continues to go from strength to strength.

The Queensland-born beauty is also killing it in the hairstyle stakes at each red carpet appearance she makes.

Throughout awards season and the press tours for movies like I, Tonya and Peter Rabbit, Margot has worn her hair in a multitude of ways.

Now Australian celebrity hairstylist, Joey Scandizzo, has shared with FEMAIL how you can recreate some of her looks with ease.

Joey Scandizzo is an Australian celebrity hairstylist who has shared with FEMAIL how you can recreate some of Margo Robbie's hair looks

1. COOL-GIRL COMBOVER

At the I, Tonya UK premiere, Margot was seen wearing her blonde locks in a side swept style.

'Only Margot Robbie could bring back the comb-over and make it a must-try style,' Joey explained.

This sleek and chic look is the hot red carpet hair trend, but the trick for pulling it off in real life is managing to keep your hair full of volume.

Joey told FEMAIL that all you need to do is apply a treatment before using a texturising spray.

Next, take the front headband section of hair from ear to ear and blow-dry across, over the crown.

Finally, apply a styling cream and a holding hairspray to ensure it's kept in place.

At the I, Tonya UK premiere in 2018 Margot was seen wearing her blonde locks in a side swept style

2. THE HALF-UP BUN

When attending the 2018 photo call for the movie adaption of Peter Rabbit, Margot wore her hair in a flattering half-up half-down top knot.

'Margot's bun is the perfect style for day two hair, but you can cheat that texture with the right products,' Joey said.

To recreate the look, you need to prepare your hair with a treatment and apply dry shampoo for texture and volume.

'Using your fingers, gather the front section of hair, creating a bun at the crown of the head. Secure and let pieces fall naturally from the sides,' Joey instructed.

When attending the 2018 photo call for the movie adaption of Peter Rabbit Margot wore her hair in a flattering half-up half-down top knot

3. TWO LOW SPACE BUNS

A couple of years ago we saw the emergence of space buns as the go-to festival-look.

Recently this look has been slightly re-imagined. Instead of sitting on top of the head, it's now moved to the nape of the neck.

According to Pinterest, search volume for this hairstyle is up 170 per cent and Margot herself wore this soft look to the 2018 premiere of Peter Rabbit in California.

'Prep with Miracle Hair Treatment, apply with a sea salt texture spray and blast dry,' Joey said.

'Create soft bends through the front sections, working from mid-lengths for texture instead of volume.'

Then split the hair into two pigtail sections before creating two low buns at the nape of the neck. As always, use a holding spray to keep it in place.

Recently this look has been slightly re-imagined. Instead of sitting on top of the head it's now moved to the nape of the neck

4. MODERN FINGER WAVE

At the 90th Annual Academy Awards this year the Australian beauty showcased a short and wavy style.

'Margot had a fresh haircut right before hitting this red carpet, but if you don't have time for a chop you can copy her look by focusing on making your ends as polished as possible,' Joey explained.

'Apply sea salt texture spray to freshly washed hair and blast dry in, using it as a setting lotion.

'Work a straightening iron through small sections, swivelling it back and forth as you go down to create S-bends.'

Once the waves have cooled, spray a holding hairspray before brushing waves into place, connecting the S-bend across all sections.

Joey explained that 'Margot had a fresh haircut right before hitting this red carpet, but if you dont have time for a chop you can copy her look by focusing on polishing your ends

5. RETRO-STYLE WITH ENDS CURLED INWARDS

At the 2017 Los Angeles premiere of I, Tonya Margot wore a sleek and straight look with a twist.

'Smooth and tucked under at the ends, Margot's bob is reminiscent of Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface,' Joey shared.

'Using a large round brush, blow dry the hair smooth, tucking ends underneath as you go,' he said.

'Spray a hairspray and fight fly-aways by spritzing your brush with a hairspray and running over the finished look.'

6. SLEEK AND STRAIGHT

Earlier this year Margot Robbie attended the 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards with a classic hairstyle on show.

The cut made her hair look shiny and healthy and her strands being tucked behind her ears showed of her amazing bone structure.

Don't worry if you're concerned about damaging your hair by straightening as a heat protectant spray will help counteract this.

Smooth and tucked under at the ends, Margots bob is reminiscent of Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface (left) and the classic cut (right) made her hair look shiny and healthy

7. HIGH PONYTAIL

Margot had her hair styled in a high ponytail in 2016 when she attended the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot world premiere in New York.

'The actress shows us how a high ponytail adds a fun, casual vibe to any look,' Joey said.

The great thing about this look is that it is achievable, even for hair novices.

To achieve this style, simply spray a texture spray and blow dry your hair to keep it in before separating the hair into two horizontal sections.

'Secure the top section into a ponytail at the crown of the head,' he explained.

'Gather the bottom section, securing into a second ponytail directly below the first. Creating two ponytails keeps it tight and helps avoid sagging underneath.

'Take a section of hair and wrap around the base of both ponytails, hiding the hair elastics.'

Margot had her hair styled in a high ponytail in 2016 when she attended the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot world premiere in New York

8. LAID BACK WAVES

'Margot has created a cool contrast by pairing a glamorous gold dress with lived-in, boho texture,' Joey said of Margot's look at the 88th Annual Academy Awards in 2016.

To create the soft texture one would have to spray their locks with a sea salt texture spray and blast it dry.

'Using a large curling iron curl two-inch-wide sections from mid-lengths to ends and leave ends out for a more natural look,' he explained.

'Apply frizz control shaping cream to create definition without adding weight.'

9. RELAXED BED HAIR

Messy waves can occasionally be difficult to recreate. Although this style is described as 'effortless', it can take a certain amount of time and know-how.

For the special screening of the film Focus in 2015 Margot had messy locks.

'What keeps this blow dry from looking too ''done'' is the relaxed, lived-in texture,' Joey said.

All you have to do is apply a texture spray and dry your hair with a hairdryer.

Then finish it off with a dry powder volume paste to create that relaxed, day two texture.

To create the laid back waves you have to spray your locks with a sea salt texture spray and blasting dry (left) and for the relaxed bed hair finish the style off with a dry powder volume paste (right)

10. FLIPPED ENDS

At the Australian Peter Rabbit premiere this year Margot revived a vintage hair trend - flipped ends.

Variations date back all the way to the 'bubble flip' in the '60s and Farrah Fawcett's infamous waves in the '70s.

This look is simple as all it involves is a hair straightener and hair gel to make it look slick and in place.
How is it that Parisian women seem to be able to simply throw an outfit together and get it right every single time?

Its a question top personal stylist and Paris-based fashion blogger Alois Guinut, who studied at the French Institute of Fashion, has been asked again and again by her clients.

Alois says the answer is very simple: Parisian women stick to strict style recipes (she doesnt like to think of them as rules) governing colour, print, silhouette, fabrics and accessories.

The good news, says Alois, is that anyone can learn the secrets and, rather like developing a personal culinary repertoire, adapt them as they go along.

A gloriously detailed new book by Alois Guinut (pictured) spills the beans on how French women look so impossibly chic all the time

First of all, there are seven key qualities that define Parisian style: la nonchalance (the I-woke-up- like-this effect); lelegance (well, elegance); la discretion (effortless understatement); la sensualite (sensuality); le plaisir (fun); la singularite (individuality) and la rebellion (breaking the rules).

If you asked a Parisian woman, she would say she doesnt care too much about these style recipes, she is a free spirit. Truth is, the rules may be so ingrained in her DNA that she doesnt realise she is following them.

Even if it is full of dos and donts, the French style always contains a hint of wit and playfulness. Oui to a funky print, a scarf in the hair, or a vintage brooch. Be light-hearted and dont overthink it would be her dressing mantra  if she were to have one.

Follow this guide and youll discover that achieving an everyday Parisian style really is pretty easy.

The effort is made when actually buying the clothes  this is where you need to invest the time to find items that are ideal for you.

Then you simply throw on some perfect basics, stunning accessories and an optional statement piece, dont over-do your hair, apply bold lipstick and, voila!

Know what to show

Ah, les Parisiennes, the most gorgeous women in the world . . . The rumours may be slightly exaggerated, but we are kind of sexy, despite the fact we often wear less obviously sexy clothes.

Le naturel is probably our most important secret. Our concept of beauty is to reveal whats already there, rather than to add to it or hide it.

We stay away from anything that could transform us too much: heavy make-up, overprocessed hairdos, plastic surgery, push-up bras and so on.

French women attract attention to the body without showing too much skin, by directing focus to les attaches, which would translate as the joints.

To us, they are as sexy a body part to highlight as any. Crop the jeans, roll up your jacket sleeves, throw on some sexy heels and, boom, youve achieved that effortless French-girl style.

For French women, the concept of beauty is to reveal whats already there, rather than to add to it or hide it (pictured: model Ines de la Fressange at 55)

Classic coat that suits every woman

Trenches have a classic, timeless feel that I love. They also have a magic power to soften any look that seems too daring, giving it a hint of typically French conservative nonchalance.

In terms of colour, I would always go with beige or red  a Parisians most beloved accent colour. Black and navy appear, somehow, too strict. But you should always wear the right trench for your shape. Heres how . . .

Petite figures should choose a short trench (mid-thigh length).

Tall people should choose a long, fluid trench.

If you have a round belly and no defined waist, choose an unbelted trench without a structured waist (a belted trench will do you no favours).

The classic trench coat suits every woman. Left: 45.50, laredoute.com. Right: 85, riverisland.com

Belt up!

Dont worry about a belt creating a round tummy underneath. I hear this from my clients all the time. It may do, but only you will notice it. All other eyes will be on your wonderful hourglass figure.

But do avoid belting if you have a thick waist. Trying to create the illusion of a defined waist with a belt doesnt work and, worse, it only draws attention to the fact your waist is not so well defined.

Beware bad leopard print

Diane von Furstenberg shoes, 195, theoutnet.com

Parisian women like to be sexy, which is probably why they love leopard prints so much. Yet their biggest fear is looking like une cagole (a woman with too much tan, too much hair bleach, too much skin on show, too-high heels, too much leopard print . . . you get the picture).

In order not to jeopardise their elegance, Parisian women are all about playing down the drama of the print. Heres how to get yours right:

As in nature, spots should have softened edges. The print should not be too large, nor too small.

Animal fabrics such as leather and fur are best. Natural fabrics such as cotton, linen and wools work, too. Avoid shiny, synthetics and anything too transparent.

The shape of the piece should be basic, even minimalist. Avoid ruffles and superfluous details.

Avoid anything too feminine. Be cautious with leopard print dresses, skirts, anything with flounces and anything too tight.

Tie your scarf like a Parisian

The easiest shortcut to Parisian chic is le foulard, a feminine scarf such as le carre (the square scarf).

It is made of a light fabric such as cotton, linen, viscose or silk. Size varies from tiny to extra-large, but avoid the long, skinny ones. Fabric should be stiff enough to fluff, but loose enough to hang.

How to wear it: Hold up your scarf by one corner so that it creates a pointy shape rather than a horizontal line at the hem, and drape it around your neck.

If it is very big, fold in half to create a large triangle. The ends should hang above the hips, but below the breasts. Casually wrap the ends of the scarf around your neck while fluffing it out to create fullness.

Breton top: stylish wardrobe staple

J Crew breton, 45, net-a-porter.com

Stripes are probably the most casual print and the easiest to wear.

Horizontal stripes guarantee youll be mistaken for a French person, and a bonus is that they match pretty much everything.

Heres how to make sure yours are flattering:

Go for a medium-width stripe, this will be noticed while remaining casual. It can be treated in your wardrobe as a neutral.

As a neutral, a Breton top can work well with unruly patterns, such as floral, leopard and Batik.

If the piece you love has a thicker stripe, then treat this as the statement piece of your outfit (i.e. contrast with other neutrals).

For a smarter twist on the Breton top, try vertical blue-and-white stripes  they make a chic office staple and are more interesting than a plain shirt.

Invest in neutrals

It is true to say that our favourite colours are neutrals. My definition of a neutral colour is one that doesnt conflict with any other: black, white, grey, beige or navy blue; or their variations, such as cream, sand and taupe.

I consider natural leather and denim to be neutrals, too. On a daily basis I would advise wearing at least one neutral  though your wardrobe needs plenty of pieces in order to be versatile.

Black makes every other colour appear brighter, so it is not true that it goes with everything. Summery prints or bright, fresh colours wont work with this dark shade.

The rule is to make either the black or the colour in your outfit dominate so, for example, avoid neon colours, which lack subtlety.

Glad to be in grey: Brigitte Macron, 64, perfectly demonstrates the importance of investing in neutrals

Put black with silver, grey and blues for a cool, urban look, or flashes of warm colours such as burgundy, rust, sunflower yellow or gold to make you look lively and elegant.

Unlike black, navy matches almost every colour and, being lighter, contrasts more subtly with bright hues.

Grey, meanwhile, is your best shot for making pastels and pale, soft colours look edgy. It also works well with vibrant shades, including bright red and sunshine yellow, which could fight with black.

Finally, use white as a highlighter. Layering a white T-shirt or shirt underneath something is a great way to add lightness to an outfit.

Adapted by Anna Pursglove from Dress Like A Parisian by Alois Guinut (16.99, Mitchell Beazley) out April 5 (octopusbooks.co.uk). To pre-order a copy for 12.74 (25 per cent discount), visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640, p&p is free on orders over 15. Offer valid until March 26, 2018.
While we are all faced with a frantic morning every now and then, one Australian scientist says there are certain personality types that are prone to 'chronic' lateness.

Appearing on Today Extra recently, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki said lateness is often a trait of four distinct personalities - The Dreamer, The Crisis Maker, The Perfectionist and The Defier.

'If you are a really obsessive person who is really driven by goals then if one minute ticks by you think "Oh my God the whole minute has gone by" but you only thought it was 56 seconds,' Dr Karl said.

'If you are a relaxed and laid back person the minute goes by and you don't even worry about it.'

Scroll down for video

1. THE DREAMER

These people will be in a hotel room and think "I can have a shower, pack, get down to the lobby, check out and be in a taxi within three minutes",' Dr Karl said.

In his book, Karl, the Universe and Everything, Dr Karl said 'Dreamers live in a different reality'.

'They see travel times as really short - and imagine that it's perfectly reasonable to fit five jobs into a five minute window.'

Dr Karl recommends travel apps on a smartphone to help these people as it helps them to 'see the reality of the situation on a screen'.

These people will be in a hotel room and think think "I can have a shower, pack, get down to the lobby, check out and be in a taxi within three minutes",' Dr Karl said

2. THE CRISIS MAKER

'These people think they will only perform well if there is a lot of stress on them and they love the adrenaline rush,' Dr Karl said.

'Their motto is "If it wasn't for the last minute, nothing would ever get done".'

These people 'don't start until just before the deadline' and 'prefer desperately rushing to get to their next appointment, than strolling calmly into the building five to 10 minutes early'.

Dr Karl recommends these people get their adrenaline rush from physical activities instead of an approaching deadline.

'These people think they will only perform well if there is a lot of stress on them and they love the adrenaline rush,' Dr Karl said

'Their motto is "If it wasn't for the last minute, nothing would ever get done"

3. THE PERFECTIONIST

'Even if they know they have to be at a meeting Perfectionists will insist on having the dishwasher packed perfectly first,' Dr Karl said.

Dr Karl said the Perfectionist's appearance and the project they're presenting also have to be perfect ' but they 'don't realise that arriving late at the meeting rules out the possibility of a perfect presentation'.

The scientist recommends these people 'learn to see the big picture, and realise that small details can be left till later'.

'Even if they know they have to be at a meeting Perfectionists will insist on having the dishwasher packed perfectly first,' Dr Karl said

4. THE DEFIER

'This is the person who wants to stand up against the filthy capitalist oppressors by being late deliberately,' Dr Karl said.

Dr Karl said these people 'feel somebody has to stand up against the broad authority of our existing societal constructs that tell us what to do, and when to do it'.

These people, Dr Karl said, need to focus on being "pro-active" rather than "reactive".
Music floats up from the downstairs flat. Fair enough  it is Saturday night. To my astonishment, my friend G puts down her gin and hammers on my floor. You need to teach them a lesson about the noise.

Hang on, I reply. I live here and I dont mind.

G is what I might politely term a noise obsessive. She cant stand even hearing her neighbours shower.

Another friend complains that when her upstairs neighbour arrives home, she picks up her baby and does a little dance. So, as revenge, she cranks up her music. I need to read my newspaper in peace, she insists. That doesnt sound very peaceful.

Meanwhile a friend boasts he went out into the street and cut a cable to stop a noisy extractor fan. He was nearly electrocuted.

Liz Hoggard says that people are driving themselves mad by caring so much about noise (file photo)

They tell their stories with triumph. But it worries me. If you decide to be upset by communal noise, youll drive yourself mad.

Last week it was revealed that Jools Holland wants a curfew on weddings held in the venue next to his Kent castle (though he got married at the venue himself).

This month a London financier won 100,000 damages from a couple with children in the flat above  complaining the sound ruined the tranquillity of her 2.6 million apartment.

But is it possible to live a completely tranquil life in a city? When I bought a flat in a Victorian terrace, I knew I would be sharing my life with the neighbours. Im not talking about enduring months of building work or anti-social behaviour. But you cant completely control your environment.

Whether its trains or church bells, zone it out. Youll be much happier.
Victoria's Secret model Bridget Malcolm has revealed the shocking body shaming that goes on behind closed doors in the industry.

The 26-year-old Aussie model share deeply personal blog post on her personal website about a modelling shoot where the women on set judged her body.

'Whilst shooting, I had one lady refuse to look me in the eye, choosing instead to address my stomach with a sneer,' Bridget wrote about the incident.

Aussie model Bridget Malcolm, 26, (pictured) shared a blog post about an incident where she was body shamed while on set as a model

'I addressed her, smiled, and she didn't even look away from my stomach, let alone respond to me beyond mono syllables,' she said.

'Another lady asked me to please make my ribs show more whilst shooting, suck in my gut, and tied a sarong around my hips, to "hide them".'

These confessions come after a previous blog post, where Bridget spoke about her journey to accept her body.

Bridget wrote in a previous blog post about her journey to body acceptance, 'In August this year I made myself a promise. It was time to make peace with my body'

'In August this year I made myself a promise. It was time to make peace with my body,' the model wrote.

'I threw away my scales, my measuring tape and my body checking. I threw away all my clothes from when I was at my smallest.'

Bridget criticised the fashion industry for it's impossibly high standards, where a size 4 woman was made to feel 'fat'.

Bridget expressed anger at the fashion industry for unrealistic expectations of women, where even a size 4 model is made to feel ashamed of her body. She said, 'What messed up parallel universe is this?'

'It makes me enraged when a woman is made to feel fat at a size 4. What messed up parallel universe is this?'

She shared about how her time as a teenage model affected her health.

'My body did not belong to me from the ages of 14-25,' she said.

Bridget has been modelling for over a decade. She opened up about her experiences as a teenage model including her health struggles

'When I finally started trying to reclaim it, I was so saddened by how much time and energy I had wasted trying to hit an ever moving target.'

Bridget even wrote about how her period went away during this time and only returned when she changed her lifestyle - a reality faced by many young models in the industry.

'When I finally got my period back regularly, I was amazed at all the emotion that came with it (a lot of it relief, a little of it insanity),' she said.

'At the end of the day, people should be able to look in the artistic world of fashion and see women with bodies similar to theirs,' she said

In a wider sense, Bridget wrote about how the fashion industry should change to realistically reflect the range of body types in the world.

'At the end of the day, people should be able to look in the artistic world of fashion and see women with bodies similar to theirs,' she added.

'They should not be looking at hungry, tired teenagers who havent hit puberty yet. They should see strength and power and individuality.'

Bridget vows to never shame another woman on her appearance, after being deeply affected by judgment of her body and ridiculous expectations in the fashion industry

The model said she will never body shame other women after her own experiences.

'After my experiences of body shaming whilst modeling (and this is one of many) I will never, EVER shame another woman on how she looks.

'Or man for that matter. But women have enough s*** to put up with  we should be celebrating each other wherever we happen to be at.'

Bridget advises women to stick together and encourage one another, saying 'we should be celebrating each other wherever we happen to be at'

Bridget also shared words of advice with other young women: 'Today, make the effort to let go of your body hang ups.

'It will take time, but let yourself find what is right for you. No more trying to fit some one elses f*****d up mold. Destroy it and take up your own space in the world.'
Saving for a home is top of the list for many young professionals seeking to get on the property ladder.

But often life gets in the way, and even the most careful of budgeting plans can fall by the wayside.

No longer. New Zealander, Cherie Howie, recently shared the budgeting plan that helped her to buy an apartment in Auckland in 2015 - and it's surprisingly simple.

New Zealander, Cherie Howie, recently shared the budgeting plan that helped her to buy an apartment in Auckland in 2015 - and it's surprisingly simple (pictured)

'My mum taught me this way of organising my money, and after three years I was able to buy my unit in 2015,' the New Zealander revealed (stock image)

'I know lots do this stuff already, but I wanted to share a plan that I wrote for a friend a couple of months ago,' Cherie posted on the Facebook group, Cheaper Living (NZ Only).

'She wanted to save money. This is exactly how I saved to buy a home by myself in Auckland,' she continued.

'My mum taught me this way of organising my money, and after three years I was able to buy my unit in 2015.'

Cherie recommends dividing your accounts into three sections - the Working account, the 'Slush fund' and the Savings account (pictured: her plan)

Cherie recommended 'adapting [the plan] to suit your own needs'.

'For example, I left car expenses off as my friend doesn't own a car.

'And yes, I know "life can drop a grenade on the best-laid plans"... but I still think a plan doesn't do any harm, and might make the recovery a bit less painful.'

She then divided up all of her monthly outgoings into the accounts they should be coming from (stock image)

So how does Cherie's simple notebook budget work?

For the New Zealand-based homeowner, it's all about thinking about the 'monthly budget'.

On a piece of paper, she recommends setting up 'three accounts': one for 'working or regular bills', a 'slush fund' for 'irregular bills' and a 'savings' account.

The three accounts Cherie Howie recommends you have 1. A Working Account - for regular bills, like rent and transport. 2. A Slush Fund - for irregular bills, like the doctor and hairdresser. 3. A Savings Account - for the rest of your money. Advertisement

She then divided up all of her monthly outgoings into the accounts they should be coming from.

For example, rent, insurance, power, water, internet and phone bills, subscriptions, public transport, bank fees and $60 of pocket money a week all come out of the 'working account'.

Meanwhile, the doctor and dentist, haircuts, beauty, clothes, shoes, domestic flights, gifts and more all come out of the so-called 'slush account':

'You dip into this as bills come in. Don't be tempted to use it for other bills,' she said.

'Slush is hard to budget for exactly, but some planning takes the edge off.'

Finally, the rest should go into 'savings' and can be used for your property or 'for you to do whatever you want re: travel'.

Since the New Zealand woman posted her trick on a Kiwi-based Facebook group, people have been quick to comment on and like the post - praising it for its simplicity.

Have you got a budgeting plan that works? Email FemailAU@mailonline.com
An angry shopper who struggled to squeeze into a skirt of her size has called on Kmart to sort out it's 'ridiculous' clothing measurements.

Taking to social media, Kirra shared a picture of herself donning a size 18 black and white pinstriped mini skirt she purchased for $8.

'Bought my first size 18 skirt today. F*** you Kmart and your ridiculous sizing,' she wrote on the Kmart Mums Australia Facebook page.

While it's unclear what her original clothing size is, some women claimed there are inconsistencies in dress sizes at the stores.

Kirra had to purchase a couple of sizes up after she struggled to fit in her regular sized skirt

Taking to social media, the woman urged Kmart to sort out its 'ridiculous sizing' after she had to choose a couple of sizes up from her usual measurement

One woman said: 'Kmart thinks I'm a size 20+. I am freaking 10-12! I tried to buy gym clothes and ended up running out of the store in tears after sitting in the change room watching the size go up and up and up.'

Another woman agreed, saying: 'I usually wear a size 16. The other day I had to buy a top size 26... 26! Made me feel awful.'

One posted: 'I'm usually a 14/18 depending and I've had to buy 22-24 size stuff lately and even then some of them have been firmly fitting. Very disheartening.'

While it's unclear what her usual clothing size is, some women claimed there are inconsistencies in dress sizes at the stores

And another wrote: 'I am usually in a size 16 or 18 and the other day I bought the cotton cardigan and a size 10-12 fits me.'

As shoppers share their stories, others urged Kirra not to let the label bring her down.

'It's just a tag - don't let it define you,' one wrote.

Another said: 'You look great, just remember they are made overseas where the people there are so tiny and your 18 would be size 12 normally.'

And other posted: 'The labels lie. I don't buy anything without trying it on first.'

Kirra purchased a black and white pinstriped mini skirt for $8 from department chain Kmart

A Kmart spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'At Kmart, we strive to deliver products that our customers can be confident with the quality and consistency of the fit.

'We appreciate there is more work to be done in this space across our full range and are continuously listening to our customers.

'All product feedback is shared with our team for a full review.'

Despite the discrepancies, the Australian clothing standard size coding scheme for women was scrapped in 2007, after it was deemed no longer relevant.

Lifting the standard meant retailers are allowed to develop their own sizing scale based on their target audience.

A study conducted by the University of South Australia and SHARP Dummies in 2002 found about half the people surveyed said they couldn't buy 'regular' sized clothing as it didn't fit their body shape, and it seems things haven't improved since.
There may still be snow on the ground but shoppers are already in a hurry to update their summer wardrobe with one dress from M&S proving especially popular.

Giving customers a preview of their upcoming new line the retailer shared a photo of a blue and white wrap dress on its fashion Instagram account.

The post quickly attracted interest amassing more than 5,000 likes and hundreds of comments from impatient shoppers inquiring as to when it will be in stock.

A blue and white wrap dress from Marks & Spencer has sent shoppers into a frenzy after the retailer shared a snap of the frock on Instagram

The post proved so popular that it garnered more likes than a photo shared of Meghan Markle wearing an M&S jumper.

Commenting on the post one shopper wrote: 'is this dress available yet? What's the item number? I need it in my life!!!'

Another added: 'Oh my!! I well and truly need to get my hands on this!'

The 39.50 dress attracted more than 5,000 likes, almost double that of a photo shared of Meghan Markle wearing a jumper from the store

The photo was flooded with comments from shoppers asking when the dress will go on sale

Marks & Spencer has confirmed that the dress won't be available in store or online until May

The 39.50 belted-wrap dress is cut just below the knee and features a three quarter length sleeve.

Despite the mass interest shoppers will have to wait a little longer to get their hands on the frock with the retailer confirming to Good Housekeeping that it won't be available until May.

A spokesperson at M&S added: 'It's great to see such excitement and anticipation for this summer dress.'

This is not the first time that Marks & Spencer have caused a fashion frenzy with customers going in to melt down over a star-print dress last season.

In September shoppers scrambled to get their hands on a 45 dress from the store (pictured)

The dress, championed by bloggers and celebrities alike, sold out on every size online

The 45 Constellation Print Long Sleeve Midi Dress was championed by fashion bloggers, while Victoria Derbyshire wore it on her show soon after its release in September last year.

Fashion fans admitted they were 'gutted' at not snapping up the frock which sold out in all sizes online.

And in 2015 a 199 '70s suede skirt sold out several times after it was seen on socialites Alexa Chung and Olivia Palermo.

Hailed as the must-have piece of summer 2015, the 199 piece was pre-ordered by thousands and sold out several times over.
A bride was forced to hobble down the aisle on crutches after breaking her ankle at her hen party - just five weeks before her big day.

Kim Hutchinson, 38, from Hereford, was dancing the night away on her hen do in Liverpool when an over-excited stranger jumped on her back and knocked her to the floor.

The fall, which was caught on camera by one of Kim's friends, caused her ankle to snap, and the crestfallen bride was told by staff at the Royal Liverpool hospital that she would need to wear a cast for six weeks.

Her nuptials were just five weeks away at the time, meaning she had to forgo her 'amazing' wedding shoes for a crutch on one foot and a sparkly trainer on the other when she exchanged vows with now husband Iain, 34.

Kim even had to use a stair lift to get her up a flight of steps at the venue on her big day.

Walking on air? Cheerful bride Kim didn't let the fact that she was on crutches spoil her day

... Even when she was had to use a stair lift to mount the steps at the wedding venue

She hobbled down the aisle with an ankle brace under her white dress - and was forced to use a stair lift at the venue to make her elegant entrance on her wedding day.

At the reception, groom Iain resorted to picking her up and carrying her across the dance floor - as she struggled to hobble along to their first dance.

And the pair, who have a three-year-old daughter, Sophie, had to swap their romantic honeymoon in Italy for a week in Wales, after doctors told Kim she couldn't fly.

Kim, a healthcare assistant, said of her hen party: 'We were all dancing away, having so much fun, and then a random girl jumped on my back and we fell down.

'A random girl jumped on my back and we fell down,' Kim says of the moment disaster struck at her hen party - it was captured on camera by one of her friends

Kim, seen being led away from the dance floor by a friend, was told she'd be in a cast for six weeks after going to hospital in Liverpool

It meant she would have to wear crutches to make her way down the aisle five weeks after her hen party

'I think she was just having fun and messing around and at first I thought it was one of my friends, next thing I know I felt something snap in my ankle.

'My friends rushed round to ask me if I was okay, they said my face went a green colour, and they rushed me in a taxi to the nearest hospital.

'I have always worked in hospitals, so as soon as I saw the X-ray I knew it was bad. It was a clean fracture but a bad area to have a break.'

Kim, who has been off work since her accident, was determined that her wedding would go ahead and with the help of her best friend, Tracey, who became her personal shopper and chauffeur, the big day took place on March 10.

Keep smiling: The bride beams as she's given a helping hand up some steps on her big day

Bride Kim managed to make her way down the aisle with the help of a pair of crutches

Kim said: 'We had a few elderly guests attending the wedding so we had already noticed that the stairlift at the venue would be a good idea, I didn't think it would be me using it though.

'I had a hospital appointment the day before the wedding and we tried to use an air cast so I could wear a shoe but my foot was just too swollen and I had to wear an ankle brace.

'I had bought the most amazing pair of shoes which I wasn't able to wear but I did have a sparkly pair of trainers that I had bought to wear on the evening and decided they would be a safe bet.'

Kim was forced to forgo her 'amazing' wedding shoes, which she swapped for a cast on one foot and a trainer on the other

'She looked amazing regardless,' said groom Iain of his bride on their big day on March 10

Kim and Iain, who works in IT, were planning to spend their honeymoon in Italy, but changed the destination to Wales following Kim's mishap

Husband, Iain, who works in IT, said: 'These things happen and we definitely made the best of the day.

'She still looked amazing regardless.'

Kim used the lift to get to the first floor of the Hereford Town Hall and later used the lift at the reception, held at the Hereford Rowing Club before being picked up by her groom throughout most of the couple's first dance.

The pair are now celebrating their honeymoon in Wales after their original plan to fly to Italy was postponed due to Kim's broken ankle but she hopes she to back up on her feet very soon.

Kim said: 'I wouldn't have been able to do it without the support of friends and family, and Sophie has been really good She tells everyone to be careful of Mummy's foot.

'Everyone knows what I'm like and it's made a good story.'
Prince Charles made sure to give the produce a very close inspection during a visit to a food supplier on Monday.

The Prince of Wales could be seen sniffing a purple carrot at Freshtime UK in Boston Lincolnshire.

He later broke the root vegetable in half to be sure to get a good whiff of the carrot at the company who supply produce to the UK's leading supermarkets.

Prince Charles was seen giving a purple carrot a very close inspection during a visit to Freshtime UK in Boston, Lincolnshire on Monday

He later broke the root vegetable in half to be sure to get a good whiff of the carrot at the company who supply produce to the UK's leading supermarkets

While in the town the royal also visited the Age UK offices on the high street where one plucky fan leaned forward to give the prince a kiss.

This goes against the traditional forms of greeting members of the royal family.

While Royal.UK says there are no obligatory codes of behaviour traditionally women will curtsy while men perform a neck bow.

Following his visit to the high street Charles then travelled to Tattershall Castle in capacity with his role as President of the National Trust.

One plucky fan gave the prince a kiss as he arrived at Age UK on Boston high street

Later this afternoon Charles took a trip to The Holy Trinity Church as part of his role as the Patron of the Lincolnshire Churches Trust.

Here the royal could be seen taking part in a spot of bell-ringing, much to the amusement of the prince and the congregation.

Earlier today Charles made the acquaintance of a group of cows as he joined them in their pen during a trip to Lincolnshire.

The Prince of Wales is visiting the county to celebrate the launch of a farming project visiting Louth Livestock Market for the launch of the Farm Resilience Programme.

The Prince of Wales also tried a spot of bell-ringing during a trip to The Holy Trinity Church as part of his role as the Patron of the Lincolnshire Churches Trust

Charles enjoyed a cup of tea as he talked to members of the congregation at the church

The royal looked in very high spirits as he tried out a spot of bell ringing during his visit

While in the town the royal also visited Tattershall Castle in capacity with his role as President of the National Trust

Charles was seen speaking to a group of school children at the Holy Trinity Church

The Prince of Wales was seen admiring the 15th century church as he met with members of the congregation

Charles, 69, was directed into the cattle pen where he gave a short speech to mark the opening of the event.

His highness appeared to be highly amused by the whole situation, seen beaming from ear to ear as he joined his four-legged friends in the pen.

The Princes Farm Resilience Programme is held in 15 locations each year, having been launched by Charles in 2016.

The project a network designed to help farmers improve their businesses and make them more sustainable.

Prince Charles joined a group of cattle in their pen as he visited the Louth Livestock Market in Lincolnshire

He delivered a short speech as he opened The Princes Farm Resilience Programme

The Prince of Wales appeared highly amused, beaming from ear to ear as he entered the pen

Upon his arrival Charles was greeted by a young cadet who stood to attention, saluting the royal as he stepped out from his car.

The prince appeared charmed by the young woman who appeared to have opened the car door for his highness.

The royal had wrapped up warm, dressed in a thick brown coat, which he had buttoned up in light of the chilly temperatures.

He was seen chatting to a group of school children who had gathered at the market in a hope of catching a glimpse of the royal.

The project, launched by the royal in 2016, isa network designed to help farmers improve their businesses and make them more sustainable

In light of the chilly weather Charles wrapped up warm in a thick coat as he performed his engagement on Monday
James Bulger's father has opened up about how he grappled with his overwhelming grief in the wake of his two-year-old son's brutal murder at the hands of Jon Venables and Robert Thompson in 1993.

Ralph Bulger, 51, who has three daughters with his second wife, appeared on Loose Women just days after what would have been his James' 28th birthday.

He said he never sought grief counselling after losing James in such unthinkable circumstances, choosing instead to throw himself into work in an effort to numb the pain.

Crediting his family with helping him to rebuild his life, Ralph told the daytime TV panellists: 'I work seven days a week - just to keep my head busy.'

Ralph Bulger appeared on Loose Women to discuss how he was coping with the grief of losing his son

Jamie Bulger, pictured, was killed 25 years ago next week. The tale of two 10-year-olds killing the two-year-old shocked the nation

Ralph, who had James with ex-partner Denise Fergus, said he often visited the grave of his son

Ralph, who had James with ex-partner Denise Fergus, said thinking about the murder that stunned the public 25 years ago was 'like a knife sticking in my back'.

Venables and Thompson, who were just 10 at the time, abducted the youngster before brutally torturing and then murdering him.

They became the youngest killers in British history, and Ralph told how seeing CCTV footage of the two children leading toddler James away appeared, at first glance, innocent.

'At first you wouldnt think that would happen, these two little kids,' he said on Loose Women.

More than 20 years on, Ralph says he still struggles with grief over what happened to his little boy.

Over two decades later and Ralph admits he is still dealing with grief: 'You just keep yourself busy, you take every day as it comes. [You] keep yourself busy not thinking as much.

He added of visiting his son's grave: 'Its when it really affects you, you feel the need to go. Anytime I will just go.'

Ralph, who recently called for the identities of his son's killers - both of whom were given new identities and moved to secret locations upon their initial release from prison in 2001 - to be released, is now hoping to help others going through bereavement

There is light at the end of the tunnel, you have to stick with it. You just need to keep your chin up, the only way I deal with it is to keep working.'

James Bulger's mother Denise posted a heartbreaking tribute to her son over the weekend as she wished him a happy birthday on the day he would have turned 28

Ms Fergus believes there is 'mystery' surrounding the case and wants information about her son's killers Jon Venables (pictured) and Robert Thompson to be made public

Last month Mr Bulger launched a legal challenge to Venables lifelong anonymity when his sons killer was jailed again after admitting charges of making indecent images of children and having a sickening paedophiles manual.

The Old Bailey heard that he continues to pose a life-long risk and presents a high risk of serious harm to children.

The 35-year-old could be freed in just 20 months, even though the court heard that while supposedly under the supervision of probation and police he downloaded 1,170 images and videos of youngsters being sexually abused.

It was the second time he had been caught downloading child pornography following his release from jail in 2001, along with Jamess other killer, Robert Thompson, having served eight years for the kidnap, torture and murder of the two-year-old in 1993.

In 2010, Venables pleaded guilty to downloading and distributing child pornography and was jailed for two years.

For the past four years Venables has lived a relatively normal life anonymously in a flat, with only police and his probation workers knowing his whereabouts and new identity.
Ivanka Trump may well have found her calling working as an advisor to the president, but it seems that the first daughter is just as much as home in a science lab as she is in Washington, D.C.

The 36-year-old mother-of-three got the chance to go back to her high school days during an official trip to Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday, where she paid a visit to a local learning centre, getting a tour of its many facilities, including the robotics and science labs.

She wasted no time getting stuck into the action, putting on a pair of safety goggles and a white lab coat over her chic ensemble in order to take part in a few science experiments with both the students and faculty at the Waukee Innovation and Learning Centre.

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White House 101: Ivanka Trump took part in several science experiments on Monday during a trip to a learning centre in Des Moines, Iowa

Getting involved: The 36-year-old was seen putting on a pair of blue latex gloves as she prepared to join the students and staff at the Waukee Innovation and Learning Centre

A closer look: The was pictured leaning in to examine something under a microscope at one point during the experiment

Something funny? At one point, Ivanka was pictured laughing happily as she chatted with the faculty members at the learning centre

A helping hand: The students at the centre also seemed tickled by something funny

Chic: Under the lab coat, Ivanka wore a chic outfit of a tight black turtleneck and a black, brown, and white mermaid-style skirt

What's that? Ivanka got a first hand look at some of the equipment in the centre's robotics lab

Ivanka looked incredibly focused as she poured chemicals from one small vial into another, before peering carefully into a microscope, and then laughing uproariously as she chatted happily with the students and staff at the centre.

Before donning her lab coat, Ivanka was given a tour of a robotics lab, and had the chance to experiment with some of the equipment, while also showing off her coding skills at a computer.

Ivanka is a known supporter of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education in schools, particularly for young women, and is frequently seen joining in classes with young students.

And she was clearly overjoyed to get the chance to join in again, sharing her excitement in a series of posts on her Instagram.

'This is such a cool place to be able to come,' she is heard telling the centre's staff in a video on her Instagram Story, before admitting: 'Tt's going to be hard to get rid of us!

'We want to do a project here.'

As well as touring the robotics and science labs, Ivanka also took part in several roundtable discussions with students and staff at the centre, which is decsribed on its website as 'a hub for creativity and innovation for Waukee Community School District students and surrounding businesses'.

Sharing it: The mother-of-three happily documented her day on Instagram, sharing several pictures and videos on her account

Teacher: Ivanka watched on as the students at the centre demonstrated one of the many different experiments

Thrilled: In one video shared on her Instagram Story, Ivanka was heard telling the staff at the centre how excited she was to be there

The inner workings: The staff seemed incredibly keen to show off their equipment during Ivanka's tour of the facilities

A quick chat: She also took part in several roundtable discussions with students

'Excited': Ivanka looked incredibly stylish upon her arrival at the learning centre

Despite later adding a lab coat to the mix, Ivanka wore an incredibly chic look for the visit, modeling a form-fitting black turtleneck, which she tucked into a figure-flattering $1,025 brown, white, and black skirt by designer David Koma.

She wore her blonde hair in a straight style around her face, with just a few strands pulled back in order to keep it away from her eyes as she did her experiments.

Documenting her day on Instagram, Ivanka actually started off the trip with breakfast at the Terrance Hill Governor's Mansion, dining alongside Governor Kim Reynolds and her husband, First Gentleman Kevin Reynolds.

Despite being a frequent visitor to the White House, Ivanka seemed incredibly impressed with the Governor's Mansion, sharing several images from the breakfast meeting on her social media, and admitting she was 'awestruck' by the 'historic' building.

The trio were seen posing in several images together in different locations throughout the house, including at the breakfast table, with each person sitting with a glass of orange juice and a coffee in front of them, no doubt waiting for their food to be served.

Ivanka's busy Monday comes after a weekend spent at home with her children, during which she shared an adorable video of her daughter Arabella singing along to music on an iPhone.

In the clip, the six-year-old can be seen staring straight at the camera, while confidently belting out her own rendition of Imagine Dragons' Thunder as it plays in the background.

Back to an old favorite: Ivanka tucked her black turtleneck into a figure-flattering $1,025 brown, white, and black skirt by designer David Koma

Busy bee: Prior to her visit to the labs, Ivanka enjoyed breakfast at the Governor's Mansion along with Governor Kim Reynolds and her husband Kevin Reynolds

Eat up! The trio sat down to enjoy an early morning meal together

New friends! Ivanka happily posed alongside the Governor and first husband after their breakfast was over

'Historic': Ivanka said she was 'awestruck' by the impressive appearance of the Governor's Mansion, despite being a frequent guest at the White House

Catching it all: Ivanka started off her day by taking a selfie video in Des Moines

The song then quickly shifts to Taylor Swift's Look What You Made Me Do, as Ivanka pans the camera to reveal Arabella's brother Joseph is holding an iPhone and controlling the music, giggling as he switches tunes.

Arabella, who is wearing a pair of pink pajamas covered with a funky ice cream pattern, appears unfazed by the transition, and confidently launches into the next song without so much as a second glance at her brother.

Although she is not entirely sure of all the words at the start of the song, she doesn't hesitate to keep singing along and bopping from side to side as she does - all while her brother controls the music from outside the shot.

Joseph, four, is also wearing pajamas, looking adorable in red plaid as he plays around with his older sibling.

Quality time wit the kids was no doubt exactly what Ivanka needed after a busy weekend that saw her pay a trip to New York - and suffer through a near miss helicopter accident with her husband Jared Kushner.

The pair were onboard the aircraft on their way to New York City from Washington, D.C. on Thursday when it had to turn back due to engine failure.

A report that was released on Sunday evening detailed how the chopper turned back to Ronald Reagan National Airport shortly after taking off on Thursday afternoon.

President Trump's daughter and her husband, who also works as a senior adviser in the White House, ended up catching a commercial flight back to the city instead.

Sing it! Over the weekend, Ivanka shared a video of her daughter Arabella performing a couple of different songs as chosen by her brother Joseph

Another hit: Arabella began by singing Imagine Dragons' Thunder, before the song was switched to Taylor Swift's Look What You Made Me Do

Sibling fun! While Arabella performed, her brother ran the music

Holding down the fort: While Ivanka was enjoying her day in Des Moines, her husband Jared was pictured outside of their home in D.C.

Alternative measures: It was revealed over the weekend that a helicopter carrying Ivanka and Jared had to turn around due to an engine failure

Information as to the type of helicopter Trump and Kushner were flying, nor their reason for heading up to New York were revealed.

Apart from the pilot, the only other person on board the aircraft was a member of their security detail.

On Monday, Ivanka and Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds will travel to Iowa to promote workforce development.

She will visit the Waukee Innovation and Learning Center in the Des Moines suburb of Waukee to promote the Trump administration's infrastructure plan.

'Workforce development is a critical part of our infrastructure proposal that the White House sent to Congress,' Ivanka said Friday, according to the Des Moines Register.

'Over the past year, Gov. Reynolds and I have worked closely on a number of workforce development initiatives. Gov. Reynolds serves on the task force for apprenticeship expansion and remains an important voice in discussions to increase K-12 STEM and computer science education nationwide,' she added.

While Ivanka will be traveling to Iowa, Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will be in New Hampshire to talk about plans to combat the nation's opioid crisis.
As May 19 draws nearer, it's one of the biggest questions of every fashion lover's lips - who will Meghan Markle wear as she walks down the aisle to marry Prince Harry?

While many had been speculating that the 36-year-old would wear a dress design by Australian-born, British-based duo Ralph and Russo, the designers she chose for her Hollywood inspired engagement shoot with Prince Harry back in December 2017, other names like Erdem and Alexander McQueen have also been thrown into the ring in recent weeks.

But now one of Meghan's best friends, US-based womenswear designer Misha Nonoo may well have dropped the biggest hint of all about who - and what - Megan has chosen to wear on her special day.

Coincidence: Meghan Markle's designer friend Misha Nonoo, who is reportedly responsible for introducing her to Prince Harry, has just released a range of bridal inspired jumpsuits

I do: The New York-based Brit may well have been hinting that Megan will wear a jumpsuit at her upcoming wedding, after releasing her own line of bridal jumpsuits

Fan: Nonoo is also responsible for the popular white Husband shirt Meghan wore when she made her first public appearance with Harry at the Invictus Games in Toronto in September

The fashion designer who is one of Meghan's closest female friends and is reportedly responsible for introducing the California native to Prince Harry nearly two years ago, has just released a selection of bridal jumpsuits, urging brides-to-be to say 'I do' in one of her alternative designs.

'Walk down the aisle with an unforgettable timeless MN piece. Modern silhouettes inspired by classic styles,' she wrote on a press release to accompany the launch.

'The Magdelena and Chiara jumpsuits will have you saying "I do" in style,' she added.

A former finalist for the 2013 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, Nonoo was also named one of Forbes 30 under 30 in 2015, so has the fashion credentials needed to undertake a task as mammoth as designing a bridal gown for a royal wedding.

The designer who was born in Bahrain but raised in Britain is also responsible for the popular white Husband shirt Meghan wore when she made her first public appearance with Harry at the Invictus Games in Toronto.

The two women met after being seated next to one another during a lunch in Miami, and became firm, fast friends forming a strong bond.

In the summer of 2016, Markle and Nonoo took a three-week holiday in Europe, encompassing London, Madrid, Mallorca and Formentera  along with Soho House group of private members' clubs, Markus Anderson.

Close: A former finalist for the 2013 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, Nonoo has referred to Markle as 'the coolest girl I know' and has also dubbed the pair 'sisters'

Lending her support: Meghan has been a longtime supporter of her friend's label, pictured at Nonoo's Fall 2015 show during New York Fashion Week

Speculation: Many have speculating that Meghan will wear British-based design duo Ralph and Russo, the designers she chose for her engagement shoot in December 2017 (pictured)

And Misha hasn't been shy about expressing her affection for her friend, dubbing her 'the coolest girl in the world' with 'the most remarkable and generous spirit'.

'I love her to death,' she added.

Similarly when Misha posted a picture of the pair giggling over drinks in Madrid last summer, she captioned it: 'When only children find sisters.'

And the connection to the royal family doesn't stop there - her ex-husband Alexander Gilkes attended Eton with Princes William and Harry, his younger brother Charlie previously dated Pippa Middleton, and he briefly employed Princess Eugenie at his New York art auction house Paddle 8.

Married in 2012, Nonoo and Gilkes parted ways in 2016 after four years of marriage but remain friends.

However, designer Roland Mouret, also a friend of Markle's, has sparked speculation that he may be designing Markle's dress after he made comments to the New York Post in February.

'Meghan knows really well what she likes and the main thing with Meghan is to listen to her and work in collaboration with her,' he told the publication.

Adding more fuel to the fire, he coyly added: 'I've already said too much.'
The start of spring (officially tomorrow) can be a harsh reminder of the time off you're no longer automatically getting: Spring Break.

But just because you're out of college and in the real world, that doesn't mean you can't take a pre-summer jaunt and have the time of your life.

Where should you go? FEMAIL rounds up must-stay hotels in the US for sitting back, relaxing and forgetting about the stresses that adulting can bring. Plus, we take the guess work out of what to pack.

Pendry San Diego

Prime location: Pendry San Diego is located at the epicenter of the city's historic and buzzing Gaslamp Quarter

Indoor/Outdoor rooftop: Spend the day soaking in some sun at the hotel's premier rooftop lounge, or indulge yourself with a spa treatment

Pendry San Diego boasts an unbeatable downtown location in the city's Gaslamp Quarter, a few blocks from the home of the San Diego Padres, Petco Park.

Each of the 317 guestrooms provides a variety of services and amenities including luxury bedding by Fili DOro, bathroom accessories by Waterworks and 24-hour room service.

Spend the day soaking in the sun at the hotel's premier rooftop lounge, or by indulging in a personalized spa treatment.

Just put a coin in: The Pendry San Diego is home to the first Moet & Chandon Champagne Vending Machine in Southern California

There are several dining options at the Pendry: Nasons Beer Hall, a California coastal establishment offering a wide variety of beers, comfort food, and vintage bar games or Provisional Kitchen, Cafe & Mercantile, a restaurant and marketplace with seasonal fare and grab and go offerings.

For a more upscale experience, check out Lionfish, the hotel's signature restaurant, driven by seasonal, local ingredients, the menu features inventive fresh-catch along with prime meats.

No need to stand at the bar. You're on vacation! Order a delicious cocktail at Fifth & Rose and enjoy it reclined on a couch in front of a cozy fireplace located in the hotel's gorgeous lobby.

In the mood for some bubbles? The hotel hosts a champagne vending machine, yes vending machine! The Pendry San Diego is home to the first Moet & Chandon Champagne Vending Machine in Southern California.

After dinner, experience an elevated nightlight experience at the hotel's nightclub, the Oxford Social Club.

The San Diego look: When packing for a trip to San Diego, think relaxed chic. Pack easy separates like maxi dresses that can take you from the beach to wine country and don't forget a light layer to combat the evening chill.

Shop it: Abby Kimono wrap and duster by Endless Summer, $142; shopendlesssummer.com. Ripped Denim Jacket by Hollister, $49.95; hollisterco.com. Marina swimsuit by Haight, $205; net-a-porter.com. Studded Block Heel Sandal by American Eagle, $49.95; ae.com. Gold-Tone Drop Hoop Earrings by INC International Concepts, now $7.86; macys.com

W Miami

Location, location, location: W Miami provides the ultimate urban retreat. The hotel is located at the epicenter of the city's Brickell neighborhood - moments from world-class shopping and dining, and just over a mile away from American Airlines Arena

All in the details: Each of the 146 luxury rooms features private balconies with views of downtown Miami or the river, plus sleek bathrooms with floor-to-ceiling marble and W signature lemon + sage Bliss amenities

W Miami provides the ultimate urban retreat. The hotel is located at the epicenter of the city's Brickell neighborhood - moments from world-class shopping and dining, and just over a mile away from American Airlines Arena.

Each of the 146 luxury rooms features private balconies with views of downtown Miami or the river, plus sleek bathrooms with floor-to-ceiling marble and W signature lemon + sage Bliss amenities.

Whether you're mingling at the hotel's weekly 'Wet and Bubbles' Friday night party located on the 50th floor Wet deck, or admiring the breathtaking views at Whisper Cocktail Lounge, W Miami offers the ultimate electric experience.

Whether you're mixing and mingling at the hotel's weekly 'Wet and Bubbles' Friday night party located on 50th floor Wet Deck, or admiring the breathtaking views at Whisper Cocktail Lounge, W Miami offers the ultimate electric experience

Whether you're in the mood for something light or savory, the hotel will satisfy your appetite.

Dine at the 15th & Vine Kitchen and Bar (open for breakfast, lunch and dinner) or grab a lite bite and cool cocktail on the Wet Deck while you can soak up the sun in a chaise lounge.

The Miami look: When traveling south, the goal is to beat the heat and turn some heads. Glamorous, seductive and effortlessly chic is the quintessential Miami look. Pack garments in vibrant colors made of light, airy fabrics, in sexy silhouettes.

Shop the look: The Long Way Home embellished printed silk crepe de chine kaftan by Camilla, $535; net-a-porter.com. Panama Pearl by Greenpacha, $150; greenpacha.com. Crystal Encrusted Orbiting Band Ring by Alexis Bittar, $135; alexisbittar.com. Sunglass studded bandeau bikini top by Norma Kamali, $293; matchesfashion.com. Luca studded bikini briefs by Norma Kamali, $298; matchesfashion.com. Cat eye metal sunglasses with crystals by Gucci, $1,105; gucci.com. Portofino Ankle-Strap Sandals by Gianvito Rossi, $1,195; barneys.com

1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge

Room with a view: The 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge is located at Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, standing right beside the East River and five blocks west of the Brooklyn Bridge Promenade

Brooklyn made: Set In a 10-story building, the hotel's design is inspired by the industrial history of the of the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood, with an interior outfitted by local artists

The 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge is located at Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, standing right beside the East River and five blocks west of the Brooklyn Bridge Promenade.

A waterfront hotel surrounded by breath-taking, panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline and green lawns.

Set In a 10-story building, the hotel's design is inspired by the industrial history of the surrounding Brooklyn Heights neighborhood, with an interior outfitted by local artists, Brooklyn-made furnishings, native plants and reclaimed materials.

Sit back and relax: The hotel offers 194 guest rooms and suites, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows

The hotel offers 194 guest rooms and suites, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows, rain shower heads, couch and seating areas, and more.

Communal spaces are available for working or relaxing and enjoying a cocktail, a 24-hour Fieldhouse fitness center is fully equipped with strength training, weights, cardio equipment and yoga mats.

Unwind at the Bamford Spa or taste new Brooklyn-style cuisine at The Osprey.

The Brooklyn look: New York natives are privy to dark colors and tend to underdress. With temperatures still cool this time of year, a black leather motorcycle jacket is a must. Wherever you are in the city, it is never out of place. Carry a hip crossbody bag and wear trendy shoes.

Shop the look: California T-Shirt by Adidas, $30; nordstrom.com.Wool Baker Boy Hat by Ruslan Baginskiy Hats, $160; modaoperandi.com. Ultimate Leather Motorcycle Jacket by Madewell, $498; madewell.com. Calie Point Toe Boots by Kendall + Kylie, $175; shopbop.com. Je t'aime Medium Crossbody by Rebecca Minkoff, $295; rebeccaminkoff.com. Levity Pant by C/MEO Collective, $135; fashionbunker.com
Brigitte Macron looked glamorous in an embellished silk gown as she joined the French president at a state dinner in Paris.

The 64-year-old opted for the striking dress featuring sequin detailing around the neckline for the reception at the Elysee Palace tonight.

She finished her look with a pair of nude heels, while wearing her hair in a chic up-do.

Both President Emmanuel Macron and his wife looked in high spirits as they hosted the glitzy dinner for the Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg, who are currently on a three-day state visit.

Brigitte Macron looked glamorous as she joined the French President at a state dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris

The First Lady, 64, opted for a striking gown featuring sequin detailing around the neckline

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, 61, opted for a flowing green gown as she arrived with her husband Grand Duke Henri, 62.

This week's tour marks Luxembourg's first state visit in France for 40 years.

The two countries will sign an updated taxation treaty, as well as discussing infrastructure plans, during the state visit.

Earlier in the day, Mrs Macron opted for a stylish blue shift dress as she welcomed the Luxembourg royals to Paris.

Mrs Macron, who wore her hair in a chic up-do, looked in high spirits as she posed for pictures outside the palace

The French President and First Lady were hosting the state dinner for the Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, 61, opted for a flowing green gown as she accompanied her husband Grand Duke Henri at the state dinner

The Grand Duchess meanwhile opted for a bold printed coat dress as she arrived for a meeting at the Elysee Palace.

Mrs Macron has become known for her sense of style, and has been seen on the front row at Paris Fashion Week in the pat.

Describing Mrs Macron's fashion sense, personal stylist Chantelle Znideric previously told Brigitte has an 'effortlessly chic' look that most women can only dream of.

Mrs Macron showed off her diamond ring as she gave a wave outside the Elysee Palace

The First Lady finished off her glamorous look with a pair of nude pumps, while keeping her other accessories to a minimum

Mrs Macron looked relaxed as she and President Macron welcomed their guests today

The couple posed outside the palace with Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and husband Grand Duke Henri

Mrs Macron sat with Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel (left) at the dinner

President Macron and the Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg enjoyed a toast during the dinner

'She dresses youthfully by wearing classic, well-tailored and feminine styles - such as the shift dress - to suit her shape,' she explained.

'She also swears by skinny jeans, a style usually favoured by women half her age.

'Her simple styling - think tailored jackets, clean lined blouses and figure-hugging trousers - combined with an understated neutral colour palette ensures an elegant and well coordinated wardrobe for every occasion.'

Earlier in the day, Mrs Macron had opted for a stylish blue shift dress and blue pumps as she and her husband welcomed the Luxembourg royals to Paris
Joy-Anna Duggar gave birth to her first child at the age of 20 last month  and, as she revealed last week, things didn't go as smoothly as she'd hoped.

In a TLC webisode of the series Counting On that premiered last week, Joy shared how she was rushed to the hospital to deliver her son Gideon after it was discovered that he was in breech.

Now, fans of the show will be able to watch the whole saga unfold on tonight's episode of Counting On.

Emergency: Joy-Anna Duggar was rushed to the hospital for a C-section for the birth of her first child

Tonight: The drama unfolds in tonight's episode of TLC's Counting On

Home birth: In a preview clip, Joy is seen breathing heavily and moaning while her husband calms her

Tough: She had planned to have a home birth, a popular route for her family

Joy-Anna had planned a home birth for her son, and was indeed in labor at home for 20 hours before it was discovered that the baby was in breech. When a baby is in breech, it's positioned with its feet down  with makes vaginal labor impossible.

The 20-year-old needed to be rushed to the hospital for an emergency C-section, which was captured for the latest episode of the reality show.

In a preview clip teasing what's to come, matriarch Michelle Duggar is seen in a car speaking to the camera.

'We are on our way to go see Joy and Austin. Joy's in labor and they're progressing,' she says.

Joy is seen during her long labor, breathing heavily, turning red, and moaning.

The scene then cuts to patriarch Jim Bob, who is at the family home with the rest of the children. He gets a text, presumably from Michelle, telling him that they are en route to the hospital and she can't talk.

Doting: Her mother drove over in the middle of the night when she first went into labor

Uh-oh: After 20 hours of labor, the midwife discovered that the baby was in breech and Joy was rushed to the hospital much to her father's concern

Scared: The 20-year-old's worried family can be seen receiving the news

Big: The Duggar home is less crowded these days, as six of the adult children have married and moved out

Finally, a clip from the hospital plays. Joy-Anna is being wheeled into surgery, and she tells the camera: 'Love you guys. Thank you for your prayers.'

In two ten-minute web clips leading up to the labor, Joy-Anna explained what her birthing plan was while still pregnant.

'If we need to go and get checked out at the hospital, were just gonna go to the closest one, which is 25-30 minutes away,' she told Austin's in the clip.

'I decided to have a home birth just 'cause I'd know that it's more comfortable being at home. I really wanted to just try it,' she added to the camera, admitting she was still quite nervous.

More clips showed her in labor, moaning in pain while her new husband rocked her and held a cold compress to her head.

She'd gone into labor at 4am, but it wasn't until midnight the following day that the midwife determined that Gideon was in breech. The baby was finally born 24 hours after she went into labor.

Pride and joy: They shared pictures of their new baby on Instagram days after the birth

'We are so blessed by the arrival of our son, Gideon Martyn Forsyth! He was born on 02/23/18 @ 3:39pm, weighing 10lbs. 3oz. and was 22 inches long!' they wrote

Look! They wasted no time putting the baby on social media

Hello world: The Counting On star gave birth to son Gideon in February

Joy-Anna wasn't the first Duggar girl to unexpectedly end up in the hospital. Her older sister Jessa was also rushed there after giving birth to her first son, when she began bleeding heavily following delivery.

Despite the drama, all seemed to turn out well for Jessa  and for Joy-Anna, too, who debuted photos of her son Gideon on Instagram a few days later.

'We are so blessed by the arrival of our son, Gideon Martyn Forsyth! He was born on 02/23/18 @ 3:39pm, weighing 10lbs. 3oz. and was 22 inches long!' the caption read.

'We are blessed beyond measure with the arrival of our son, Gideon Martyn Forsyth. Looking at our child for the first time was such an incredible moment! God is so good, and we are so thankful,' the couple told People.

It is likely that Joy-Anna may have gotten pregnant on her wedding night, which was 36 weeks and five days before Gideon was born. A full term pregnancy is 40 weeks.

RadarOnline claimed last year that she was pregnant before she was married, breaking the courtship principles the family holds so dear.

Young newlyweds: Joy-Anna and Austin wed at Cross Church in Rogers, Arkansas, in May after a three-month engagement

Surprise: In August they revealed that they were expecting their first child together

Abstinence: Joy-Anna and Austin were both raised in strict Christian homes, and the two were expected to wait until their wedding day for their first kiss

Quick: Joy gave birth 36 weeks and five days after her wedding. A full term is 40 weeks

Eyebrows were also raised when Joy-Anna moved up her wedding date by several months. It was speculated she had to get married quickly before she started showing.

Joy-Anna, 20, and Austin, 24, wed in May 2017 at Cross Church in Rogers, Arkansas. They announced their pregnancy in August.

'Were so happy and thankful to announce that were expecting a baby!' Joy-Anna told People at the time. 'Every child is such a precious gift from God.'

The Counting On star added: 'Im most looking forward to watching Austin as a dad and raising children together with him.'

The Duggar family also shared the exciting news on their website, writing: 'We are so blessed to share that Joy and Austin are expecting!

'We know they will be such wonderful parents! We can't wait to meet this little one!'

Joy-Anna met Austin when he moved to Arkansas and started attending the same church as her family. Like his wife, Austin was raised in a strict Christian home, and the two were expected to abstain from sex before marriage and wait until their wedding day for their first kiss.
They're set to marry in the autumn, and Princess Eugenie and fiance Jack Brooksbank looked the picture of happiness at a charity event tonight.

Eugenie, 27, looked stylish in a black collared shirt dress as she arrived at the first night of Teenage Cancer Trust concert series at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

The bride-to-be finished off her ensemble with a pair of knee-high leather boots, while showing off her glittering engagement ring.

Wearing her locks down over her shoulders, she opted for a subtle make-up look for the charity event.

Princess Eugenie and fiance Jack Brooksbank looked the picture of happiness at the first night of the Teenage Cancer Trust concert series at London's Royal Albert Hall

Meanwhile Jack, 31, looked dapper in a tailored navy suit and white shirt as he beamed for cameras.

Eugenie was attending the event tonight in her role as honorary patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust.

UB40 was tonight's headline act, with Roger Daltrey, Nile Rodgers and Kasabian set to take to the stage later in the week.

Eugenie's appearance tonight comes after the royal joined Instagram earlier this month.

Bride-to-be Eugenie, 27, looked stylish in a black collared shirt dress at the event

On Saturday, she shared a sweet snap of her and elder sister Princess Beatrice, who is seen rolling her eyes to the ceiling and poking out her tongue.

The sisters had been attending wedding celebrations for Prince Christian of Hanover in Peru over the weekend.

Eugenie announced her engagement to Jack back in January, after the wine merchant popped the question when the couple were on holiday in Nicaragua.

The wedding will take place on October 12, in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, where Prince Harry and Meghan will also be tying the knot.

Eugenie's appearance comes after the royal joined Instagram earlier this month, sharing a sweet picture of her with sister Princess Beatrice on Saturday
Wine and coffee lovers rejoice - you now have a chance to mix the two in a unique and delicious way.

California wine company Apothic Wine is releasing a 'one-of-a-kind' limited edition red that has been infused with cold brew coffee, and is set to hit shelves on April 1.

The wine brand said that it was inspired to create the wine - named Apothic Brew - in response to the growing demand for cold brew coffee in the US, which increased by about 80 per cent in the year ending February 2017.

Wine and cold brew: Wine company, Apothic Wine, announced that it will be releasing Apothic Brew, wine infused with cold brew coffee

Rising demand: The company was inspired to make Apothic Brew by the growing demand of cold brew coffee in the US

But although the demand for cold brew motivated the company to create Apothic Brew, it's still known for 'challenging convention through its innovative blends'.

It has launched the Apothic Crush, which is described on its website as 'a decadent red wine blend that combines red fruit flavors with notes of caramel and a velvety, smooth mothfeel'.

It also has the Apothic Red, which is a red blend with 'layers of dark red fruit complimented by hints of vanilla and mocha'.

Christine Jagher, Apothic's Director of Marketing said: 'We've always sought to break the mold to bring our fans products we know they will love. Apothic Brew is a game changer that offers the best of both worlds  cold brew and wine  and I can't wait for people to try it.'

Cold Brew coffee uses more coffee grounds than traditional coffee and requires a significantly longer and more delicate steep, according to Apothic Wine.

Go together: A winemaker at the company said she realized that a lot characteristics in cold brew coffee and red wine complement each other

Smells like coffee: The Apothic Brew has less caffeine than a standard cup of decaf but still has the coffee aroma

It's also much smoother than its warmer counterparts, which results in a taste that 'captures the smooth mouthfeel and velvety chocolate notes of cold brew with the juicy blackberry characteristics of a dark red wine'.

Deb Juergenson, Apothic Winemaker, added: 'Last year during the long hours of harvest, I joined the cold brew craze myself. Quickly, I realized that many of the characteristics in cold brew coffee and red wine naturally complement each other.'

'This led us to experiment with a few blends, eventually leading to the seamless creation of Apothic Brew, which brings together red fruit notes and subtle mocha essences of cold brew.'

And while the idea of combining coffee and wine isn't completely new as just last March, a coffee shop in Napa Valley, California, took red wine from local vineyards and roasted it with coffee beans thus creating coffee infused with red wine.

But what makes Apothic Brew special is that it contains less caffeine than a standard cup of decaf but still has the coffee aroma.

The price is also a plus as the cold brew wine, which can be served either at room temperature or slightly chilled, most likely won't be expensive because the Apothic Red only costs $9.37 and the Apothic Crush costs $10.99 at Total Wine so even the wine lovers who tend to lean toward the cheaper side can have a sip (or two).
There's nothing more comforting than a silky bar of chocolate - but every year, millions of pounds worth of bars go to waste because they become speckled with what looks like white powder.

Now it can be revealed that this strange phenomenon is due to the fat particles in the chocolate rising to the surface - and it's all down to the temperature we store our treats at.

Keeping chocolate in too cold or too warm a place will make the so-called 'fat bloom' appear, which leads to thousands of customer complaints every year, according to Channel 4's Food Unwrapped.

The white 'powder' that appears on chocolate is in fact called fat bloom and occurs when the fat separates within the chocolate

Co-presenter Jimmy Doherty investigates the cause of this white bloom on tonight's show, and finds out that scientists have only recently discovered how the white speckles appear on the chocolate's surface.

Using the world's biggest X-ray at a factory in Hamburg, Germany, technicians discovered that the white powder rises to the surface through tiny cracks in the chocolate, which occur when a bar hasn't been stored at the correct temperature.

The show later reveals during a visit to the Lindt factory in Switzerland that it's best to keep chocolate stored between 14 and 18 degrees Celsius to protect it from bloom.

Fat bloom isn't harmful and a chocolate bar is still edible even if you can see white specks on it.

The best way of preventing bloom? To eat your chocolate quickly, say master chocolatiers

Scientist Dr Stephen Roth explained to Jimmy how fat bloom appears on chocolate.

He said: 'Crystalline fat melts and the fat can start moving via the cracks.

'This is where the fat can go into and then it goes to the surface.'

Fat bloom is the biggest cause of customer complaints and costs the chocolate industry millions of pounds every year.

Chocolatiers are working on ways to prevent bloom from occurring.

The best solution at the moment is to precisely temper the chocolate which creates the perfect crystalline conditions, making it more difficult for the fat to separate and form bloom.

However Lindt's chocolatiers say the ultimate way to prevent bloom is simply to eat the chocolate quickly before it has a chance to form.

Food Unwrapped airs tonight at 8.30pm on Channel 4
Bedtime teas claim to make you drift soundly off to sleep, but studies have shown that there is little evidence they help you snooze at all.

A herbalist has revealed that ingredients such as chamomile and lavender help you relax but don't actually aid with sleep.

Katie Pande, a senior herbal adviser at herbal tea company Pukka Herbs, told presenter Kate Quilton on Monday night's Food Unwrapped on Channel 4 that there is only one herb that is scientifically proven to help with sleep called valerian root - but it smells like cat's wee.

They may help you relax but so-called bedtime teas don't actually help you to sleep, studies have shown

Chamomile contains chamazulene which is proven to relax the nervous system, as well as apigenin, which is a mild sedatitive.

Although it has been used to relax drinkers since ancient Egyptian times, there is no solid scientific evidence it helps us to sleep.

The same is true of lavender. Katie told Kate that lavendar has no direct impact on sleeping patterns but has been shown to relax 'the mind and body.'

'They help you get in the mindset of a better night's sleep,' said Katie.

There's no evidence that chamomile tea helps to get you to sleep

Despite this, many bedtime teas contain a mix of these herbs which claim to help make you drift off to sleep.

There is one herb that has been shown to help you drift off to sleep: valerian root.

The strong-smelling herb, which is said to smell of cat's urine, is found in very small quantities in some bedtime teas.

However studies have shown that you would need to drink eight cups of tea containing valerian for it to have a soporific effect.

The herb is a sedatitve, and according to Katie, can 'make you feel very, very relaxed'.

However it is not exactly palatable, as Food Unwrapped presenter Kate found out in a visit to a tea factory in Belgium.

Factory manager Ivan told Kate: 'No-one wants to drink pure valerian tea'.

The company, Tilman, is instead making valerian into herbal tablets as a natural alternative to sleeping tablets.

It is become the fastest growing consumer health product in Belgium.

However in your tea, Kate Quilton states on the show: 'It's unlikely enough of it to really help with your beauty sleep'.
A contraceptive pill for men has come a step closer to development.

Taken daily like the female Pill, it switches off a mans testosterone and the hormones that cause sperm production.

This should bring the sperm count low enough so that a man cannot get his partner pregnant.

Researchers who gave the tablet to men for a month said it did not cause liver damage  a side effect shown in previous trials of oral hormonal contraceptives.

A contraceptive pill for men has come a step closer to development. Taken daily like the female Pill, it switches off a mans testosterone and the hormones that cause sperm production

Past attempts to give men contraception have focused on injections or gels, but experts say men may find it easier to take a pill.

While there is a fear men may forget to take the tablets, researchers hope this can be addressed by a longer-lasting ingredient that means they can be taken daily rather than twice a day as with previous versions.

A 2011 survey found half of women would not rely on a male pill because they did not trust their partners to remember to take it.

A team led by the University of Washington has trialled the male pill on 83 men aged 18 to 50, who suffered no physical side effects beyond mild weight gain and acne.

After a month, men showed significant declines in their testosterone and gonadotropins  the hormones needed to make sperm.

Past attempts to give men contraception have focused on injections or gels, but experts say men may find it easier to take a pill

Co-author Dr Arthi Thirumalai said: It is quite old-fashioned to think that men would forget to take a pill and survey data shows that men want to take responsibility for contraception in couples.

This study showed that the pill we have developed worked safely and efficiently at blocking mens testosterone and gonadotropin production, while avoiding problems in the liver.

Holy grail of birth control For decades researchers have searched for an effective male equivalent to the Pill. Aside from condoms, a vasectomy is the only method of contraception for men  but women have long insisted that they should not have all the responsibility for family planning. Women are also uneasy about the female Pills potential to raise the risk of blood clots and heart problems. But the search for a male contraceptive has been beset by difficulties. Many attempts have had an impact on libido, while others had affected virility. Researchers also found using hormones affected liver function  a problem the latest attempt seems to have solved. One radical alternative being considered is a temporary chemical vasectomy, using medication to stop sperm leaving the body. Advertisement

It is exciting to see a single oral agent achieve such notable effects. Further studies are needed to see if this translates into blocking sperm production as well. The female pill became available in 1961, and scientists have been trying for more than 30 years to develop a male version.

This new pill, which has to be taken with food, blocks receptors in the brain to shut off hormones required for sperm production.

The next step is to look at whether sperm count is affected in men who take the pill for at least three months. This studys major result is to show the pill is safe, with all the men passing safety tests including on liver and kidney function.

The findings of the study, carried out with the Harbor-UCLA Medical Centre, were presented at ENDO 2018, the Endocrine Societys annual meeting in Chicago. Dr Kevin McEleny, of the British Fertility Society, said the research was interesting, but added: The study is short term and really only looks at a few potential outcomes. It doesnt actually look at semen quality.

Allan Pacey, professor of andrology at Sheffield University, said: The search continues for a reliable and safe male birth control pill and this small study does provide some hope. However, it would be important to test this in a large randomised controlled trial so that both the efficacy and safety of this approach can be tested.
A mother claims her psoriasis disappeared after using a cream for children that has been branded a 'miracle moisturiser'.

Laura Gray, from the North East, suffered from the incurable skin condition for years. Only 'harsh' creams from pharmacists offered her any sort of relief.

But her patches were gone within a day after her mother's suggestion to try Childs Farm Baby Moisturiser, which she bought from Asda.

Her post on Facebook recommending the 3.99 product, which is aimed at children, went viral and attracted more than 40,000 shares.

She wrote: 'Needed to share this with you all. I suffer from psoriasis, have done for years.

Laura Gray, from the North East, suffered from the incurable skin condition for years. Only 'harsh' creams from pharmacists offered her any sort of relief

'I get it all up my arms, neck and chest and up until yesterday only hydrocortisone cream would get rid of it, but its really harsh and only pharmacists can give it you.

'Yesterday my Mam told me try this baby moisturiser, Im not joking 24 hours later my psoriasis is gone. Anyone suffering with psoriasis or eczema you need to try this.'

Ms Gray is one of just dozens of women who claim to have noticed benefits.

Paige Sweeney, 23, spent more than two years with dermatologists trying to find a cure for the eczema afflicting her daughter Evie-Rae - until she found Childs Farm.

The toddler, now three, would wake up every night, scratching herself until she bled, Ms Sweeney, from Nottingham, revealed last June.

Describing it as a 'miracle cream', she said: 'Within a matter of days I could see her skin starting to clear up. I couldn't believe it.'

But her patches were gone within a day after her mother's suggestion to try Childs Farm Baby Moisturiser, which she bought from Asda

Her post on Facebook recommending the 3.99 product, which is aimed at children, went viral and attracted more than 40,000 shares

Joanne Nevin, 28, of Ballynahinch, Galway, revealed in February how the cream cleared up her baby's eczema within just four weeks.

Her daughter Kelisha looked as though she had 'boiling water poured over her' because of the severity of the skin condition.

WHAT IS PSORIASIS? Psoriasis is an immune condition that occurs when a sufferer's skin cells are replaced in just a few days rather than the usual 21 to 28 days. This causes an accumulation of skin cells that build up to form raised plaques, which can be flaky, scaly, red and itchy. Some sufferers have a family history of the condition. Triggers for flare-ups include stress, certain medication, hormonal changes and skin injury. There is no cure. Treatment usually starts with topical creams and gels. Source: Psoriasis Association Advertisement

But Ms Nevin claimed at the time her child's eczema hadn't returned ever since.

Damien Broderick, 26, from Dublin, explained in December how using the children's cream helped to keep his psoriasis flare-ups at bay.

The fashion blogger claims his skin used to 'shed like snow' and used to vacuum frequently to pick up the flakes that would fall off his body.

Desperate attempts to combat his psoriasis with Chinese medicine and acupuncture proved unsuccessful. He found relief in Child's Farm.

And last September, a 21-year-old hairdresser revealed that the cream tackled her condition - which plagued her hands - within two weeks.

Nicole O'Dwyer, from Tipperary, Ireland, was warned to give up her job because she struggled to find a treatment for her condition. But she was able to treat it using the Childs Farm Baby Moisturiser.

Joanna Jensen created Childs Farm, which sells 12 million worth of products a year, from her Basingstoke home eight years ago.

The 47-year-old started making her own toiletries in her 'freezing cold' barn because her children had sensitive skin.

Ms Gray is one of just dozens of women who rave about the cream. Paige Sweeney, 23, spent two years trying to find a way to tackle the eczema afflicting her daughter Evie-Rae
Doctors should quiz men who struggle to get an erection in bed if they are actually gay, according to new guidelines.

Some 100,000 Britons are estimated to be 'wrestling' with their sexuality - which is causing them to fail to rise to the occasion and perform when it matters.

A new 28-page report, by the British Society for Sexual Medicine, has been dished out to GPs to ask them about their sexual orientation.

But the move has received backlash from the Royal College of GPs, which warns it is 'difficult' to see why doctors need to ask if their patients are gay.

The new BSSM report reads: 'There can no longer be an excuse for avoiding discussions about sexual activity due to embarrassment.

Some 100,000 Britons are estimated to be 'wrestling' with their sexuality - which is causing them to be unable to perform when it matters

Geoff Hackett, former president of the BSSM and consultant urologist at the Good Hope Hospital, Birmingham, is the author of the report.

What did the author say?

According to The Sun, he said: 'Some people can be wrestling with their sexuality and need to be pointed in the right direction.

'This may be your one and only chance as a doctor to do so.

'If a man is in a relationship with a woman and is having problems with erectile dysfunction it might be because they are in a relationship with the wrong gender.'

He continued: 'They might be able to overcome their issue if they come to terms with this.

'If you do not get at this problem you will waste a lot of time and ineffective treatment going down the wrong path.'

WHAT IS ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION? Erectile dysfunction, also known as impotence, is the inability to get and maintain an erection. It is a very common condition, particularly in older men. Half of all men between the ages of 40 and 70 will have it to some degree, experts suggest. Erectile dysfunction can have a range of causes, both physical (such as the narrowing blood vessels) and psychological (depression). It is primarily treated by tackling the cause of the problem, whether this is physical or psychological. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

However, Dr Hackett warned that doctors need to be 'tactful so you do not cause offence'.

What do critics say?

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, from the Royal College of GPs, said: 'There are many reasons for erectile dysfunction.

'It is essential patients have the safe space to discuss issues with their GP, whenever they choose to and in their own time.

'But it is difficult to see how asking all patients unsolicited and impromptu questions about their sexuality is going to instil confidence and trust.'

Erection problems, including impotence, strike around half of all men between the ages of 40 and 70, according to figures.

Most men occasionally fail to get or keep an erection. This is usually due to stress, tiredness, anxiety or drinking too much alcohol.

Doctors say it is usually nothing to worry about  but recommends patients should see a GP if it keeps happening. It can be linked to heart disease.

'Ask all patients if they are gay'

The guidelines given to GPs by the BSSM comes after the hugely controversial NHS decision to ask all patients if they are gay.

NHS England bosses received huge backlash in October when they announced the plans, set to be implemented in 2019.

Every patient visiting their GP or attending a hospital appointment will be asked if they are gay, straight or bisexual under the new rules.

Furious doctors have branded the move as being 'political correctness gone mad', while others blasted it 'intrusive' and 'bonkers'.
Stem cell transplants are a 'game changer' for millions of patients with multiple sclerosis, doctors have declared.

A groundbreaking trial of more than 100 patients showed the pioneering method was able to stop the debilitating disease in its tracks.

The 30,000 treatment involves flooding the immune system with chemotherapy drugs before it is rebooted with stem cells from the patient's blood.

A 36-year-old mother, who was part of the breakthrough study, explained to the BBC how the life-changing effects of the treatment are nothing short of 'a miracle.'

Louise Willetts, from Rotherham, was diagnosed with MS when she was 28, and lived in fear of a relapse before the stem cell transplant.

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Louise Willetts, a 36-year-old mother who was part of the breakthrough study, explained to the BBC how the life-changing effects of the treatment are nothing short of 'a miracle.'

Speaking about its effects on her life, she said: 'I feel like my diagnosis was just a bad dream. I live every day as I want to, rather than planning my life around my MS.'

Charities estimate there are around 100,000 MS sufferers in the UK, while the figure is more than four times higher in the US.

The debilitating disease, which worsens over time, occurs when the immune system mistakes myelin  the fatty, protective coating surrounding nerve cells  for a foreign body and attacks it.

This damages and disrupts signalling between the brain and spinal cord, either partially or completely.

It can lead to vision and balance problems, dizziness, fatigue, stiffness and spasms. The disease progressively gets worse.

A groundbreaking trial of more than 100 patients showed the pioneering method was able to stop multiple sclerosis in its tracks

WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE CAUSES OF MS? No one knows for sure why people get MS. It's likely to be due to a mix of genetics and environmental and lifestyle factors. Some of the factors that have been suggested as possible causes include: Your genes MS isn't directly inherited, but people who are related to someone with the condition are more likely to develop it; the chance of a sibling or child of someone with MS also developing it is estimated to be around 2-3%. Lack of sunlight and vitamin D MS is more common in countries far from the equator, which could mean that a lack of sunlight and low vitamin D levels may play a role in the condition, although it's not clear whether vitamin D supplements can help prevent MS Smoking People who smoke are about twice as likely to develop MS compared to those who don't smoke. Viral infections It has been suggested that infections, particularly those caused by Epstein-Barr virus (responsible for glandular fever), might trigger the immune system, leading to MS in some people. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

There is currently no cure and treatment revolves around attacking the symptoms to prevent them from striking.

The new study raises hopes of a more effective way of disabling the disease and preventing relapses in patients with the most common form of MS.

More than 100 patients with relapse remitting MS, in which attacks are punctuated by periods of remission, took part. They were recruited from hospitals in Sheffield, Chicago, Uppsala in Sweden and Sao Paulo in Brazil.

Volunteers were either given the conventional drug treatments or a haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

The method proved to work in just a year - and was 10 times more effective than the drugs, dished out to sufferers.

Just one patient experienced a relapse in the HSCT group after 12 months, the BBC's Fergus Walsh reports.

And after a follow-up of three years, on average, six per cent of the transplants had failed. In contrast, 60 per cent of those in the drug group relapsed.

Scientists presented their findings at the annual meting of the European Society for Bone and Marrow Transplantation in Lisbon.

Professor John Snowden, director of blood and bone marrow transplantation at Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire Hospital, described stem cell transplants as a 'game changer'.

Professor Richard Burt, lead author, from Northwestern University Chicago, said the neurological community had been 'sceptical' about transplants.

However, he added the data will change the consensus because it was 'stunningly in favour' of the method 'against the best available drugs'.

The study comes just months after an inventor of an internationally-hyped multiple sclerosis treatment finally admitted it was ineffective.

Dr Paolo Zamboni's so-called 'liberation treatment' claimed to alleviate pain and restore mobility for MS patients through an invasive procedure to reopen collapsed blood vessels.

However, in December he published the disappointing results of a standardised trial, proving finally that the technique is 'largely ineffective.'

MS sufferers flocked to the treatment when Dr Zamboni introduced it, but other doctors have long been skeptical of it.
A 51-year-old mother claims that her partner dumped her because her controversial vaginal mesh implant sliced his penis during sex.

Theresa Bartram, from East Sussex, had the scandal-hit device removed following the incident - only to end up single two months later.

The former health worker has been left battling post-traumatic stress disorder and unable to work after undergoing the 'barbaric' procedure.

She is one of thousands of women who have been tainted by vaginal mesh. Many have been on the brink of suicide or left in wheelchairs.

Before the decision for the removal of the brittle plastic, which can curl, twist and cut through tissue, she also experienced unbearable pain and infections.

Like hundreds of other victims, she claims she was told the agony was all in her head and was offered anti-psychotic drugs. Her own family dismissed her concerns.

She is now planning on suing Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, where she was fitted with a TVT sling in 2007. It was removed three years ago.

Relentless fights by campaigners have led to the Government announcing an audit into the 'barbaric' procedure.

Theresa Bartram, from East Sussex, is one of thousands of women who have been tainted by the scandal-hit vaginal mesh procedure

Ms Bartram, who is now barely able to walk, is the latest in a chain of 'meshed up' women to speak about their horrific ordeal.

She said: 'I had the sling put in because I had a mild prolapse while giving birth standing up, and was told that it was the "gold standard" for women like me.

'The doctor said the risks were minimal, it was fantastic, and there was only a one per cent chance of infection - I had no idea at all that it could cut through me.

'In 2010, it cut my partner during sex because it had perforated my vaginal walls after three years.

'I blew up - I was hugely swollen and looked eight months pregnant - so I went to A&E, but they said I was fine and to go home.'

Ms Bartram revealed that bungling doctor actually looked at someone else's blood results - meaning they failed to sport her liver and pancreas problems.

She added: 'I felt so sick, I kept falling asleep in conversations and on the phone and was sleeping for 18 hours a day.

'I had swollen up all over and I spent five-and-a-half years going from doctor to doctor and they all told me I wanted to be ill and it was all in my head - they tried to give me anti-psychotic medication.

'Eventually in summer 2015, I was able to see a gynecologist, who admitted that the mesh was cutting through my vaginal wall.

'It smelt like I had leg ulcers and I didnt know what was going on, it was only later that the penny dropped with the doctors that it was the mesh.

'I had been screaming it from the rooftops and no one listened - even my own family.'

GRANDFATHER, 65, SLAMS THE CONTROVERSIAL VAGINAL MESH PROCEDURE THAT LEFT HIS BELOVED WIFE SUICIDAL A 65-year-old grandfather slammed the controversial vaginal mesh procedure that destroyed the life of his beloved wife and left her contemplating suicide. John Sharman, from Reading, revealed Lynne's heartbreaking account of the scandal-hit surgery in December. The father-of-three said it left her in unbearable pain and unable to have sex, following the emergence of hundreds of similar stories. John Sharman, from Reading, revealed Lynne's heartbreaking account of the scandal-hit surgery in December Speaking to MailOnline, he explained her painstaking ordeal from a man's point-of-view, often forgotten amid the scores of women who have spoken. Mr Sharman announced he has sometimes thought about leaving Mrs Sharman, who he has been married to for 43 years, due to the effect the mesh has had on their marriage. Mr Sharman, who met his wife at a chess club, told MailOnline: 'It does impact your relationship and now I'm more of her carer than I am her lover and a husband. 'She has been left in constant pain which has totally altered our sex life, social life and the way we operate and what we do.' Advertisement

Ms Bartram finally had the sling removed at Eastbourne District General Hospital in November 2015, in a three-hour operation, described as very violent'.

It took five months for the wound to heal, and she has even developed an allergy to five antibiotics since the meshs removal, meaning she struggles with any infection.

Ms Bartram, whose partner left her two months after the penis-slicing incident, added: 'I cant work because of all the pain Im in.

'I have a constant low level electrical buzz all over my body, Im sore all over, with shooting pains in both ankles and my left elbow.

'Because my pelvic floor has been cut through, holding my body up is a struggle and Im constantly incontinent.

'Ive had sepsis even after the mesh was removed, which you dont expect, and still now Im having treatment for PTSD - which is difficult, because Im still living in this trauma.'

Ms Bartram is now hoping to take legal action against the hospital and the tape manufacturers, Johnson & Johnson.

A 51-year-old woman in the US was awarded 42.5 million by the pharmaceuticals company last September.

Her case revealed that the implant was launched without a clinical trial, and then marketed for five years despite the company discovering it had a higher failure rate than two similar devices.

Ms Bartram wants to instruct a solicitor, but is unable to access legal aid and is currently on benefits.

She said: 'Im going to get legal advice, but I have no money.'

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust refused to comment on her individual case. However, a spokesperson said her consultant no longer works there.

They added that vaginal mesh is 'no longer being inserted at the Trust for vaginal wall prolapse'. But added it remains an option of urinary stress incontinence.

The spokesperson said they have conducted eight vaginal wall prolapse treatments since March 2018 - but no patient reported pain and none needed a removal.

NHS England estimates 100,000 women have undergone the procedure since it was introduced for surgeons to treat incontinence and prolapse in the 1990s.

Chiefs have remained adamant that only three per cent of patients will experience complications of vaginal mesh, which can curl, twist and cut through tissue.

However, an array of trials into mesh - made of brittle plastic - have revealed the true rate of serious side effects is likely to be nearer the 10 per cent figure.

At least 4,800 women have suffered lacerations and nerve damage from the mesh in England, but only 1,000 have reported it to the MHRA.

However, campaigners stress these are just the tip of the iceberg and that actually there are thousands more - but they have been kept silent.
A 55-year-old woman has died after undergoing a bizarre form of acupuncture that involves being stung by bees.

The unnamed patient, from Spain, attended a session of apitherapy every four weeks for more than two years without any allergic reactions.

Yet, she eventually suffered an anaphylactic shock to the venom, which led to her entering a coma and enduring multiple organ failure. She passed away weeks later in Ramon y Cajal University Hospital in Madrid.

The unidentified clinic that offered the woman the procedure claims the therapy relieves painful muscular contractions and eases stress.

The patient's death comes after the Hollywood actor Gerard Butler admitted last October that he suffered a life-threatening reaction after being injected with the venom of 23 bees in an attempt to tackle muscular problems.

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who has faced backlash for her controversial health advice on her Goop website, has also tried the ancient health treatment.

The Shakespeare in Love star told The New York Times in 2016 the 'painful' procedures produces 'pretty incredible' results.

The unnamed patient, from Spain, attended four sessions of apitherapy - bee sting therapy - for more than two years without any allergic reactions

The woman's death, revealed in the Journal of Investigational Allerology and Clinical Immunology, raises questions about the strange procedure.

Apitherapy is the use of substances from honeybees, including honey, propolis and royal jelly. If their venom is used, the bee dies.

It involves a therapist holding a bee by its head and pinching it until the bee's stinger emerges and punctures the patient's skin. Substances can also be injected.

There is very little evidence to suggest apitherapy can treat any condition, despite claims it can cure arthritis, multiple sclerosis and stress.

The new case report adds to the dangers of the treatment, which is rare in Britain, although it is more widespread in the US.

According to the report, repeated exposure to such an allergen increases the risk of a severe reaction.

It comes months after Hollywood actor Gerard Butler admitted in October that he suffered a life-threatening reaction to the bee-sting therapy

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who has faced backlash for controversial health advice on her Goop website, has also tried the ancient health treatment

WHAT IS APITHERAPY? Apitherapy is the use of substances from honeybees, including honey, propolis and royal jelly. If their venom is used, the bee dies. It involves a therapist holding a bee by its head and pinching it until the bee's stinger emerges and punctures the patient's skin. Substances can also be injected. There is very little evidence to suggest apitherapy can treat any condition, despite claims it can cure arthritis, multiple sclerosis and stress. Hollywood actor Gerard Butler admitted in October that he suffered a life-threatening reaction to the bee sting therapy. And actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who has faced backlash for controversial health advice on her Goop website, has also tried the ancient health treatment. Advertisement

Doctors have called for patients to be 'fully informed of the dangers' before they undergo the procedure, which is common in Korea.

The patient, whose identity has been witheld, started having breathing difficulties and suddenly lost consciousness after being stung.

She was rushed to the Ramon y Cajal University Hospital midway through a session, wrote medics Paula Vazquez-Revuelta and Ricardo Madrigal-Burgaleta.

Due to the hospital not having adrenaline, the necessary treatment, on site, the woman's treatment was delayed by 30 minutes.

Tests later revealed her anaphylactic shock to the bee venom had triggered a stroke and left her in a 'permanent coma'.

Attempts to keep her alive proved unsuccessful. Writing in the journal, the medics said: 'The patient died some weeks later of multi-organ failure.

'Persistent hypotension during severe anaphylaxis had caused a massive watershed stroke and permanent coma with multi-organ impairment.

'To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of death by bee venom apitherapy due to complications of severe anaphylaxis in a confirmed sensitized patient.

'The risks of undergoing apitherapy may exceed the presumed benefits, leading us to conclude this practice is both unsafe and unadvisable.'
Anne Soloviev, 76, was charged almost $3,000 for two prescriptions to treat a toenail fungus without knowing the medication's hefty price tag

A woman was handed an 11-month prescription for toenail fungus that she didn't know would cost her an eye-watering $16,456.

Anne Soloviev, a 76-year-old retired French teacher, went in for her semi-annual dermatology appointment in January and was diagnosed with a fungus in two of her toenails, although she hadn't noticed any symptoms.

She told NPR that, since she has health insurance, cost didn't even cross her mind when the physician assistant prescribed 11 months of topical treatment Kerydin.

About a month later Soloviev went to pick up a different medicine and was told she had no money left in her prescription account.

It was then that she learned the price tag on the two toe fungus prescriptions she'd already received: $1,496 each and $2,992 total.

Despite cancelling the remaining nine months of the prescription, she will be forced to pay out-of-pocket for any other medications she may need for the rest of the year.

A manager at the clinic in Washington, DC, defended the bill by saying they don't take cost into account when making treatment recommendations and instead focus on what they think will lead to the best outcome.

Soloviev's experience highlights a big flaw in that approach to patient care: ignoring cost can lead to patients getting prescriptions that they don't know they can't afford until it's too late.

Soloviev hadn't been experiencing any symptoms before her checkup but a physician assistant diagnosed the fungus in two of her nails and prescribed topical solution Kerydin

As with many early cases of toe fungus, Soloviev hadn't noticed a problem when she went in for her checkup at Braun Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center.

The early symptoms, such as discoloration and brittleness, are easy to ignore, but as the fungus progresses from the tip of the nail toward the cuticle it can cause pain and inflammation.

If left untreated, the fungus can migrate to the other parts of the body, which occurs in less than one percent of cases - typically in older people.

The fungus can also create cracks in the skin where bacteria can enter and cause infections.

When toe fungus was found in two of her nails, Soloviev didn't question the assistant's prescription recommendation especially because she has extensive insurance.

Soloviev is covered by Medicare parts A and B, has supplemental coverage for prescriptions from her late husband who worked for the government and has a health reimbursement account (HRA) that provides nearly $1,500 for uncovered medical expenses each year - which she uses for the medicines she takes regularly.

After she had been using the Kerydin for a few weeks, Soloviev went to a CVS to pick up a different prescription and was told that her HRA was empty.

In January she had been billed $1,496 for the first prescription of Kerydin - most of which had been drawn from the HRA and about $50-worth was covered by a patient assistance program.

In February a manufacturer coupon had been applied to cover what was left of her $2,000 deductible and her insurance covered the rest.

'I just find it is outrageous for a fungal medicine to cost $1,400, to be prescribed for 11 months, and for neither the [physician assistant] nor the pharmacy to warn you,' Soloviev told NPR.

Soloviev's bill for two months of the Kerydin treatment is shown above. She didn't realize how expensive it was until after first refill came in February

Xavier Davis, practice manager at Braun, said prescribers don't pay attention to the cost of a drug when writing a prescription for treatment.

'When our providers are treating patients, we're not treating them based on what the cost's going to be. We look for what's the best care for the patient,' Davis told NPR.

'If the patient calls and says that's too expensive, then we'll look for alternatives.'

But in many cases such as Soloviev's, the patients don't see the price of the drug until it's too late.

Soloviev's fungus could also have been cleared up by other less expensive treatments, according to Dr Shari Lipner, an assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York and director of its nail unit.

Lipner said that pills for toe fungus are more likely to be covered by insurance plans and typically only take three months to work, while topical treatments such as Kerydin take a year.

In two separate trials, a year-long treatment of Kerydin found to completely cure toe fungus in 6.5 percent and 9.1 percent of patients respectively.

Soloviev has since cancelled the prescription, but will have to pay out-of-pocket for other medications until the end of the year.
Women who have an unhealthily wide waistline before pregnancy are more likely to deliver a baby with autism, major new research suggests.

While previous research has found no link between autism and pre-motherhood obesity, every study to date has used body mass index as the primary metric, which does not discriminate between fat and lean mass.

Switching to assess waist circumference, Northwestern University researchers found a clear correlation between obesity in young women and autism in the children they had years later.

The landmark finding, presented today at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, is the latest in a boom of evidence suggesting the rising rate of obesity globally is linked to a spike in autism diagnoses, and it likely has something to do with inflammation.

The paper also adds more weight to the growing campaign to focus on obesity among young women as a critical public health concern, not least to curb the staggeringly high rates of American women dying in childbirth from heart complications.

A Northwestern study found a clear link between obesity in young women and autism in their children, despite previous studies finding no link. Previous studies used BMI as their metric

'Children born to mothers with a waist of 80 centimeters (31.5 inches) or more before pregnancy showed a 65 percent increase in the risk of autism than those born to a mother with a smaller waist,' said lead author Dr Geum Joon Cho, visiting scholar of obstetrics and gynecology at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University in Chicago.

'It is assumed there are multiple factors that cause autism, both inherited and environmental,' Cho, who is also associate professor of obstetrics at the Korea University College of Medicine in Seoul, said.

'Of the environmental risk factors, emerging evidence has linked maternal pre-pregnancy obesity to the risk of autism in offspring.

'However, other studies have reported no associations between the two conditions. We wanted to investigate this association further.'

According to Dr Cho, waist circumference is the best way to measure visceral fat - body fat stored inside the abdominal cavity which, as a result, comes into close contact with organs such as the liver, pancreas and intestines.

It is hardly the first time someone has suggested such a change. For years, people have rallied against the 'archaic' BMI approach, which measures height and weight to produce a result (meaning Donald Trump has the same BMI as Tom Brady and Jason Momoa).

Dr Cho's team analyzed data on 36,451 mothers, who each gave birth between 2007 and 2008, and each got screened within a year of their pregnancy.

Many women in that group were classed as obese using the body mass index alone, but just a handful who had an obese waist circumference (more than 31.5 inches).

Next, researchers tracked the women's babies for seven years. They found 265 of them (0.76 percent) had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

Comparing the two data sets, they found obesity as measured by BMI had no correlation with autism.

However, overwhelmingly, most of the babies diagnosed with autism (65 percent) were born to mothers with an obese waist circumference.

Dr Cho, who was not surprised by the results, said the link is likely down to inflammation, since that is a key factor in both obesity and autism.

'Both intrauterine inflammation and fetal brain inflammation are implicated in the development of autism,' Dr Cho said.

'As obesity increases, circulating immune system proteins called inflammatory cytokines in pregnant women and the inflammation associated with maternal obesity may be related to the development of autism.

'Waist circumference, as a measure of central obesity, is associated with an increase in inflammatory cytokines, which is known to be involved in the development of autism.'

'The findings suggest the need for clinicians to monitor for maternal obesity, based on waist circumference, to minimize the risk of development of autism spectrum disorder in offspring,' Dr Cho said.

'Further studies are needed to evaluate whether altering maternal waist circumference would lessen the risk of the development of autism in offspring.'
US health officials have seen a surge in the number of people using bug spray to get high.

In the last year the alarming trend has been reported in Mississippi, Tennessee and most recently Indiana.

Exposure to high concentrations of the active ingredients in bug spray creates what's been described as a zombie-like state with unpredictable behavior including convulsions, difficulty breathing and rage.

Emergency responders have struggled to keep up with the changing combinations of drugs laced with household chemicals for more than a decade and experts warn that even if the bug spray trend is stopped, another will likely pop up in its place.

Health officials in Mississippi, Tennessee and Indiana have reported an increasing number of overdoses from people getting high off of heavy-duty bug sprays such as Raid in the last year

The active ingredients in bug spray, called pyrethroids, are considered to be safe in small exposures.

However, exposure to high concentrations can cause respiratory distress and over-activity in the central nervous system that leads to sweating, muscle spasms or seizure, and the risk of falling into a coma.

'It's why we use it on bugs, because it overstimulates the bug, they have the equivalent of seizures and die,' Indiana Poison Center's medical director Daniel Rusyniak told the IndyStar.

In Indianapolis, KD is the street name for a group of bug spray-laced drugs including marijuana, spice, tobacco and banana leaves.

Firefighter Scott Lebherz told the IndyStar that bags of KD are sold for about $20 and create a catatonic high for about 45 minutes.

'You look at what it does to a bug and then you got to think what it's doing to your brain, and your body and everything else,' Lebherz said.

In January emergency medical personnel were called to aid a total of 17 people who were believed to have overdosed on 'Katie' - another mix of spice and an unknown chemical or drug - near a homeless shelter in downtown Indianapolis called Wheeler Mission.

In December a Tennessee man admitted to smoking 'wasp' - a mix of methamphetamine and bug spray - before breaking into a home and trying to cut himself at a family's dinner table.

Mississippi law enforcement officials warned of a dangerous drug called 'hot shots' last July - which requires crystallizing wasp spray with a battery before melting it down and injecting it intravenously.

'A person will stand at a jail cell door, slobber like a mad dog, wanting to fight. Everything is wrong, nothing is right for one minute, then calm down and be just like a normal human being and then go right back into a rage,' Monroe County Sheriff Cecil Cantrell told NewsMS about the drug.

In the past decade there have been many reports of drugs including ecstasy, cocaine and marijuana being laced with widely-available chemicals such as rat poison - with deadly effects.

A person will stand at a jail cell door, slobber like a mad dog, wanting to fight. Everything is wrong, nothing is right for one minute, then calm down and be just like a normal human being and then go right back into a rage Sheriff Cecil Cantrell, Monroe County, Mississippi

These chemicals are said to increase the 'buzz' from the drugs, but they are toxic for the brain.

Rusyniak said mixing drugs with other chemicals is a common way for dealers to make more money.

'Cutting your drug with ingredients has been a longtime thing that drug dealers have done to increase profits,' he said.

Because there is obviously no guideline for the production of laced drugs and rarely any warning about what drugs may be laced with, users don't know how it will affect them.

Rusyniak said that many people using drugs laced with bug spray likely know the dangers associated with it but use them anyway because they're addicted.

'It's a different decision making process,' he said. 'There's a difference between "What's bad for me", which requires you to think forward, versus "I need to get high now".'

Dan O'Donnell, medical director for the Indianapolis Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services, said treating a person who's overdosed on a mixed drug like KD is difficult because their individual reaction is different depending on the concentration of the chemical, the base ingredients used and their physiological response.

'Someone can go from extremely combative to suddenly unconscious, not breathing and potentially in cardiac arrest,' O'Donnell told the IndyStar.

'We try to stay on top of it as much as we can through education and training and situational awareness about just what drugs are in the city, but as soon as we kind of catch up to one, they seem to introduce a new substance out there.'

O'Donnell also warned that little is known about the long-term consequences of getting high off bug spray.

Drug overdose deaths have increase five-fold in the past two decades in large part because of the opioid epidemic, which claims the lives of 115 Americans every day.

A 2017 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that drug overdose deaths now kill more Americans than fatal illnesses such as influenza and pneumonia - which, combined, kill about 57,000 people.
When I was 19 I took my first psychiatric drug, imipramine, for depression.

At the time, my body seemed to be healthy, even if I was cripplingly depressed.

Now, 35 years and 12 drugs later, my kidneys are failing, I have diabetes, I am overweight and my memory is perforated. My lifetime seems seriously foreshortened, not because of a psychiatric illness but because of the drugs I have taken to treat it.

Swell: Anti-depressant prescriptions have increased by 700 per cent since 1991, meaning they are now the fastest-growing dispensed medicines in the UK

Diabetes and kidney trouble are only two of the well-documented side-effects associated with the powerful antidepressant and anti-psychotic drugs which prop me up so that I can sail through my days, going as fast as I can in the hope I will get everything done before I die.

But I am not angry at psychiatry for limiting my life in the way it has, even as my decaying body scares me to my roots. Because of these drugs, I am able to think and to move productively through my life.

However, too often, psychiatric drugs are made in the dark as serendipitous mistakes, with researchers trying a little of this and a little of that.

The end result is that all of our drugs are in some sense dirty, casting their effects over the entire ball of the brain so that nothing is spared and the pill-taker is left with the dreaded side-effects.

I first started seeing a psychiatrist at the age of ten. As a child I had become so bereft and terrified of life that I skipped school most days.

My mother was herself depressed. There is some convincing evidence that depression, especially the bipolar sort I have, is inherited genetically. Theres also speculation that mothers who are depressed during pregnancy may pass stress hormones to their unborn babies.

After six years of talking therapy, my psychiatrist sighed and said: Ive been thinking you might respond well to drug treatment. Imipramine. An anti-depressant. It was 1982. I had no idea what an antidepressant was. Psychiatric medication to my mind was for madmen and women locked up behind bars.

Popular: 1 in 4 Patients take antidepressants for an average of 15 months  nearly double the length of time compared with 20 years ago

Imipramine is a tricyclic, the oldest type of antidepressant, which was developed in the Fifties. It is said to work by prolonging the action of the chemicals noradrenaline (which boosts emotional arousal) and serotonin (considered to be a feelgood neurotransmitter) in the brain.

I did not get well on imipramine and seemed to have no real prospect of getting well. I whipped between states of despair, whirling anxiety and unstable ecstasy. I was in and out of mental hospital.

When I was 25, I was switched on to fluoxetine, a second-generation antidepressant best known by its brand name, Prozac. Its a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), thought to work by boosting serotonin levels in the brain.

It turned my life around fast. It was as if my world had been washed with a window cleaner and everything had an elfin sparkle at its edges. I took fluoxetine for 17 years before its effect finally wore off and I had to switch to another serotonin booster, venlafaxine, which acts on noradrenaline as well, and so is called an SNRI  serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor.

On SSRIs and SNRIs I have been able to stay out of mental hospitals, to write nine books, to bear two babies who are now adolescents, to manage a marriage and then a divorce, and, just as importantly, to nurture a circle of friends.

If that isnt an advertisement for psychiatry, then I dont know what is.

On the other hand, the 10mg of fluoxetine I first took 29 years ago worked only for a little while. It wasnt too long before I needed 20, then 30, then 60, then 80, then 100mg to get the relief that the initial tiny 10mg had provided.

The rising doses and the relapses that preceded them suggested that my brain was adapting to the drug and that my illness, far from being quelled, was raging right along beneath the blanket fluoxetine provided.

65,000: The number of young people in England prescribed antidepressants last year  a record. Some 315 were children aged six and under

Even though I was terrified of having to raise the dose continually, fluoxetine exerted such a powerful effect against my obsessive-compulsive behaviour and my bipolar depression, that I became completely dependent on it psychologically and perhaps physically. The idea that one day it might not work for me any more horrified me.

But 100mg of fluoxetine is a whopper of a dose. When I relapsed even on that in 2005, I finally switched to venlafaxine (another type of SSRI).

When that still didnt work, my psychopharmacologist upped the drugs punch with the anti-psychotic olanzapine, which also increases the availability of serotonin still further in the brain.

The combo has worked wonders for my mental state, but the venlafaxine gave me high blood pressure, necessitating that I take another drug called lisinopril to regulate this.

And the problem with the olanzapine is that it intensified my appetite beyond satiation. Mere mention of food caused my mouth to water. I would eat marshmallow fluff straight from the jar and wolf down multiple Mexican enchiladas.

At 54 years old, my body is in the shape of an octogenarian with issues. This is largely due to psychiatrys drugs. Yet I cannot live without them. Lauren Slater

I was warned about weight gain in connection with olanzapine, but I had no way of comprehending how much my body would balloon and how badly the accumulation of internal fat would damage my organs and put me at risk of stroke or heart attack.

I am now an overweight diabetic. High blood sugar is destroying my eyesight, so that without glasses everything looks fuzzy, with ever-stronger lenses necessary for me to get a clear view. At the back of my mind is the fear I will go blind.

When I see the doctor, he checks my feet very carefully because diabetics often get festering sores from poor circulation, and, in the long run, risk amputation.

My high sugar has also caused my kidneys to malfunction, so that my mouth is always thick with thirst. My urine, far too infrequent, is thick with sediment. And my blood fats, dangerously high as a result of olanzapine, put me at risk of pancreatitis and coronary heart disease.

At 54 years old, my body is in the shape of an octogenarian with issues. This is largely due to psychiatrys drugs. Yet I cannot live without them.

I am also quite certain my brain has been permanently altered, and that I would not be able to function without these daily doses.

At times, scared of dying before getting to see my children have children, I have tried to go off my drug buffet, but the withdrawal has been physically horrible and mentally dangerous.

Lifetime: Lauren Slater has taken medication since aged 19 , but was depressed from age 5

The depression has been so deep that I once bought a gun, and another time wrote suicide letters to my children. Eventually. I gave up the chase and went back on my medications.

I often wonder what would have happened to me had I never begun taking imipramine, or fluoxetine after that. Would it have been possible for me to move out of the depression on my own?

There is no way of knowing. But given my experience, given the fact that I am dying as I live, dying more quickly than I would be were I not sustained on these drugs, I cannot give them an unqualified round of applause.

When I began investigating the science behind these drugs, I expected to encounter ample research on the long-term side-effects of the SSRIs, which have been around for 30 years now.

But I met instead with an eerie silence, and almost no science at all.

For side-effects, virtually all we have are the original studies that the drugs manufacturer, Eli Lilly, did to get Prozac approved, along with similar short-term studies by others in the years since, despite the fact that I, and many others, have been sustained on serotonin boosters for decades.

Pharmaceutical companies need only come up with two studies that demonstrate their new drugs efficacy. When fluoxetine was tested, it needed to outperform the placebo in six-to-eight-week trials.

But even in Eli Lillys published research, any difference between fluoxetine and earlier antidepressants was inconsequential and two thirds of the people in its trials would have fared just as well or better on a placebo.

When scientists and doctors looked into the unpublished research on six approved SSRIs through the Freedom of Information Act, they discovered some pretty unfavourable data.

At times, scared of dying before getting to see my children have children, I have tried to go off my drug buffet, but the withdrawal has been physically horrible and mentally dangerous. Lauren Slater

Of the 47 trials conducted for the six major antidepressants (citalopram, venlafaxine, paroxetine, nefazodone and sertraline, in addition to fluoxetine), the drug beat the placebo only 20 of those times  fewer than half. In those same trials, using a scale most clinicians use to measure a persons depression, the average patient improved on the drug only two points better than on the placebo.

Irving Kirsch, a Harvard psychologist and associate director of the Program in Placebo Studies, calls this difference trivial and clinically meaningless.

Now add in the fact that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) [the U.S. health regulator] approved fluoxetine after just six to eight weeks of clinical trials. Virtually no one takes these drugs for just six to eight weeks. The vast majority of patients taking fluoxetine use the drug for far longer.

Many psychiatrists believe that patients who have had a depressive episode should stay on the drug indefinitely in order to prevent relapses, since each relapse, the theory goes, makes the brain more vulnerable to future episodes and thus justifies a lifetime of antidepressant use.

But despite the fact that the original six-to-eight-week trials did not reflect real life, and despite the millions of people to date who have ingested, and continue to ingest these drugs for years on end, there have been very few studies on the long-term side effects of serotonin boosters.

Why? The answer, says Donald Klein, former head of the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology, is plain: The industry is concerned about the possibility of finding long-term risks.

We are subjecting millions of brains to drugs that disturb the complex interplay inside our heads, clogging neural pathways with excess chemicals and sometimes causing the entire brain, which is intricately interlinked, to malfunction in ways we do not yet understand.

The dominant line in psychiatry is that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance  no one has yet proven this, but if a depressed patient doesnt have a known chemical imbalance in their brain, once they ingest fluoxetine, they will have, because the drug artificially boosts the brains levels of serotonin.

The brain cells become desensitised to serotonin  so these patients have abnormal brain functioning that, in the long term, exacerbates the very symptoms the drugs are trying to treat.

In other words, our antidepressants are making us increasingly depressed.

Thus we turn to them still more keenly, upping the dose, which causes still more problems, and so we go round and round, down and down  as I did, going from 10mg of fluoxetine to 100mg.

PROZAC NATION BY NUMBERS 700 PER CENT  The rise in antidepressant prescriptions handed out in the UK since 1991. They are now the fastest-growing prescriptions in the UK. 50 per cent  the increase in the average time patients take antidepressants compared with 20 years ago (four months in 1995, nearly six months in 2015). 1 in 4 Patients take antidepressants for an average of 15 months  nearly double the length of time compared with 20 years ago. 65,000 The number of young people in England prescribed antidepressants last year  a record. Some 315 were children aged six and under. Advertisement

While we have very little in the way of studies on long-term side effects for antidepressants, we do have studies comparing the fates of medicated versus unmedicated patients.

These have found that 23 per cent of adult patients, if theyve never been medicated, will experience remission of a depressive episode without treatment in one month, 67 per cent in six months and 85 per cent in a year.

Medicated patients tend only to get sicker, with the intervals between their depressive episodes shortening as time goes on.

The picture looks especially glum for depressed patients who recovered on an antidepressant and then went off it. A whole range of studies has demonstrated theyre likely to have a relapse of depression within 18 months at a rate of anywhere from 50 to 70 per cent.

However, mainstream psychiatry has largely ignored these studies, clumping those who cite them such as Robert Whitaker, an award-winning medical and science writer  with the anti-psychiatry establishment.

In attempting to exile such critics, the field has lost a chance to examine itself and learn something important in the process.

As psychopharmacology gains a tighter and tighter grip on psychiatry, with drug companies luring psychiatrists to ghost-write papers or represent medications in a positive light in exchange for handsome fees, psychiatry has enmeshed itself massively in the corporate culture of the drug industry.

This is a serious problem to which psychiatry seems to be particularly vulnerable. There is not, for instance, an epidemic of heart specialists touting drugs for profit.

One naturally wonders what it is about the profession of psychiatry that makes it so susceptible to compromise, both financially and diagnostically.

Moreover, it seems that psychiatrists themselves are responsible for the current oil spill of depression diagnoses, by converting a whole host of human difficulties such as sadness and grief into the depression scale, and making them all treatable with antidepressant wonder drugs.

This indeed may be all the explanation we need for why depression is on the rise.

But with the terrible dearth of properly rigorous independent research into antidepressant drugs and their long-term effects, no one can truly argue these matters with any certainty.

One day, I found myself calling the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Centre in Massachusetts  known colloquially as the Brain Bank  to donate my brain.

At the time of my death, their staff will cut a wide hole in the top of my head and remove my brain, after which they will stuff my empty skull with cotton and sew up the incision so that no one at my open-casket funeral will know.

Meanwhile, back at their laboratory, my brain will be halved and each hemisphere preserved in formaldehyde until a scientist is ready to cut the delicate slices of neural tissue that might give some clues as to what these antidepressant drugs really do after decades of use.

This is my contribution to the psychopharmacological snarl we are in. It is the only way I can think of that I can really and truly help.

In the meantime, I will find some way to live with my rising sugar, my failing eyesight, my fading memory and the occasional motor tics that cause me to jerk in weird and unsettling ways.

Adapted from The Drugs That Changed Our Minds, by Lauren Slater, published by Simon & Schuster on March 22 at 18.99.  Lauren Slater 2018. To order a copy for 15.19 (offer valid to 29/3/18; P&P free), visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0644.
Supercharged growth and the prospect of it continuing for the foreseeable future have fired the value of mobile payments platform operator Bango upward.

Results for 2017 revealed the companys key metric, end-user spend (EUS), more than doubled during the course of the year to 271million.

This growth in user spend  which was running at an annualised rate of 465m at the end of February  relative to the increase in operating expenditure is the crux of the Bango investment case.

Solid platform: Supercharged growth and the prospect of it continuing for the foreseeable future have fired the value of mobile payments platform operator Bango upward

While end-user spend was doubling, operational costs were down slightly at 2.3m from 2.4m the year before, demonstrating the high scalability of the platform.

Revenues grew 62 per cent to 4.2m from 2.6m, a shade ahead of the consensus forecast of 4.1m.

Ian McInally, an analyst at broker Cenkos, had previously estimated gross EUS would rise to 259m for 2017 and to 498m by 2018, at which point, he predicts the group would be generating 8.2m of gross profit with positive earnings of 3m for the year.

That is a punchy valuation by conventional measures with a market value of 113m at 171p, but the hope is that Bango eventually proves to be anything but the norm.

According to the company, the scalability of the platform means it can comfortably handle at least a doubling of end-user spending at current stable cost levels.

Furthermore, the platform was tested to a capacity of more than 5billion worth of transactions a year in mid-2017 and not found wanting.

True, 2017 saw an underlying loss of 1.6m (2.8m the previous year), but from November there was an underlying profit as the benefits of scalability started to come through.

A strong pipeline of new relationships and upgrade opportunities with existing partners also suggest that Bango might need all of this capacity.

Significantly, these included a new payment method for customers of global online retail behemoth Amazon in Japan.

Amazon customers with a KDDI or NTT DOCOMO mobile phone account can now pay for physical goods from Amazon.jp by simply adding the cost of the goods to their mobile phone bill.

The system saves all the faff of adding a credit or debit card to an online account and remembering the three-digit security code and so on.

Payment processor: Bango has already processed hundreds of millions of digital content payments for Amazon, Microsoft, Samsung and Google

The Japanese e-commerce market is estimated at $100bn annually and Amazon is the market leader, so the deal should be meaningful for Bango and there are plenty of other opportunities in the pipeline.

The fixed cost nature of its platform should mean a large proportion of any increase in revenue drops through to the bottom line or profit.

Amazon was a major breakthrough for the group not only in the size of company but also the type of product as previously it was enabling payments for apps and games such as Pokemon GO.

Bangos tech simplifies the way customers to buy goods or digital content like apps, games and music on our phones and tablets.

Once users are ready to complete their purchases, they just click once and theyve paid.

The payment is charged to the users mobile phone bill, meaning that there is no need to enter card details or any other personal information.

Essentially, you can make purchases whenever, wherever and in one tap.

Gaming craze: Amazon was a major breakthrough for the group not only in the size of company but also the type of product as previously it was enabling payments for apps and games such as Pokemon GO

The firm says that its technology reaches more people and delivers a higher conversion rate than any other method.

Within a split second of pressing the buy button, Bango is able to work out the users identity; which operator the customer is paying through; if funds are available to make the purchase; as well as anti-fraud information to help secure the payment.

Bango has already processed hundreds of millions of digital content payments for Amazon, Microsoft, Samsung and Google.

For each of these purchases made using Bangos payment platform, the firm takes a small percentage.

Bango also collects data by the masses from these transactions, which it uses to generate unique insights into customers buying habits.

It uses the information to offer optimisation recommendations to its partners about how they could improve the user experience and, more importantly, how they could increase their conversion rate.
In the spotlight: The brand was founded in 1987 in Glasgow

Upmarket fashion retailer Ted Baker is set to defy the doom and gloom on the High Street when it posts results this week.

The 1.4bn listed high street firm is tipped to post profits of 74m, some 12 per cent higher than the previous twelve months.

The brand was founded in 1987 in Glasgow and now has fans including Kate Middleton and Amal Clooney as well as millions of ordinary women.

Ray Kelvin, its eccentric 62-year-old founder and chief executive, has put its success down to cautious expansion and not trying too hard.

He said: We dont make ourselves so readily available, we dont oversell and were not hungry for profit.

Kelvin was brought up in Cockfosters, North London, which his late mum Trudie told him to pronounce Cofosters to sound posher.

He chose to call his business  now worth nearly 1.4bn  Ted Baker, because he didnt want his own name associated with it in case it went bust, claims one version of the firms founding tale.

Kelvin has previously described Ted as a pioneering fashion icon, an intrepid aviator, an all-round sportsman and consort of princesses and Hollywood beauties.
Two former Carillion finance bosses are to be investigated over their conduct by the UK's accounting watchdog.

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) will probe the collapsed construction giant's former group finance directors Richard Adam and Zafar Khan over statements made between 2014 and 2017.

The inquiry will cover the years ending December 31 2014, 2015 and 2016, the six-month period to June 30, 2017, and the preparation and reporting of other financial information between 2014-2017.

Monumental collapse: Carillion's demise left in its wake a 900m debt pile, a 590m pension deficit and hundreds of millions of pounds in unfinished public contracts

The FRC announced a separate investigation earlier this year into how accountancy giant KPMG audited the accounts of Carillion, which was the UK's second largest construction firm, employing 43,000 people including 20,000 in the UK, before it plunged into liquidation in January.

The firm's demise left in its wake a 900million debt pile, a 590m pension deficit and hundreds of millions of pounds in unfinished public contracts.

City banks, law firms and accountancy giants have been sharply rebuked by MPs over Carillion's fall, with former bosses coming under fire for the pay awards they received as the company struggled.

Adam and Khan are among senior Carillion figures to have been questioned by MPs looking into the company's collapse.

An influential group of MPs claimed last month that Adam 'dumped' his last shares in Carillion - worth hundreds of thousands of pounds - at the first opportunity.

Adam retired at the end of December 2016.

On March 1, 2017 he sold his entire existing shareholding for 534,000, including performance awards for 2013-2015 of 277,000 which vested on his retirement.

He then sold his long-term incentive plan awards for 2014 on May 8, 2017, the day they vested, for 242,000.

In total, in March and May 2017 he sold shares worth 776,000, the Work and Pensions and Business Select Committees revealed last month.

Khan had his contract terminated last September after eight months in the job, having 'spooked' Carillion's board with a financial update a few days earlier that showed there had been a further decline in the company's position since the 'shock' 845m contract write down in July 2017, said the committees.

Fresh probe: Zafar Khan, along with fellow former group finance director Richard Adam, is being investigated by the FRC over statements made between 2014 and 2017

Earlier this month, MPs released a report, commissioned by the firm's board last year that concluded Carillion 'aggressively managed' its balance sheet to make its accounts look better.

The draft independent business review said that income had been brought forward and payments postponed in order to flatter the company's accounts.

The report was intended to be presented to would-be lenders, but it was never used.

The FRC said that it was liaising closely with the Official Receiver, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Insolvency Service and the Pensions Regulator 'to ensure that there is a joined-up approach to the investigation of all matters arising from the collapse of Carillion'.

The FCA is currently looking into the 'timeliness and content' of Carillion's market updates.

The work and pensions committee chair, Frank Field, welcomed the FRC's decision to widen its probe to include directors but said regulators should have acted sooner.

'If the select committees hadn't undertaken this review, all the horrors of Carillion would have been swept under a carpet, lumpy as the carpet would have been afterwards,' he said.

Jobs saved: Network Rail is on the cusp of securing the future of up to 500 workers on the remaining Carillion contracts that were left up in the air after its dramatic collapse in January

'Great news the FRC is acting but where were they when all this was blowing up?

'What Britain desperately needs is a regulatory system that is on the front foot.'

The Official Receiver said 8,216 jobs have been saved since the company went into liquidation, with nearly 1,500 workers losing their jobs.

Network Rail, meanwhile, is on the cusp of securing the future of up to 500 workers on the remaining Carillion contracts that were left up in the air after its dramatic collapse in January.

The state-controlled track owner said it was close to confirming the future of four contracts which were valued at a combined 160m when they began.

These include rail improvement schemes in Sheffield and Edinburgh, projects which Carillion was working on with joint venture partners.

In Scotland, SPL Powerlines, a joint venture between Powerlines Group and Carillion, will continue electrification work in Edinburgh, safeguarding about 200 jobs.

The other two contracts in Cardiff and Oxford, which Carillion was working on alone, are set to be handed to new firms by its special administrator PwC as early as the end of the month, securing a further 300 workers' futures.
5G technology is set to revolutionise the way we live, if you believe the hype from mobile experts that is.

It is expected to be 50 to 100 times faster than current 4G networks and estimates are that within seven years, more than a billion people will have access to a 5G network. It is currently in its final testing stage,

As much as a third of this access by 2025 will be in China  but plans to roll it out in Britain are also advanced.

Mobile operator O2 has been taking steps to pave the way for the rollout of 5G here. Last month, it announced it will launch a trial at the O2 Arena in Greenwich, London shortly.

Future savings: O2 has given a list of ways 5G could help the economy in the future

The move to 5G will mean faster speeds and connectivity, including between city infrastructure, such as buildings, transport and utilities, as well as day to day devices from fridges to clothes rails, unlike the rollout of 2G in the early 1990s, 3G in the 2000s and 4G in the 2010s.

Before the new technology becomes a reality, two key transitions need to take place.

Mobile operators have to upgrade their networks with 5G gear and phone manufacturers need to make handsets with built-in 5G radios ready to hook up to networks. This will take time and money.

Margot James, minister for digital and the creative industries, said: 'We want the UK to be a world leader in 5G, and this O2 report highlights the huge potential we have to get ahead and reap the benefits of this exciting new technology.

'We're already investing 25million in new testbeds across the UK that will pave the way for our 5G future and our work with industry will be vital to help us achieve our ambitions.'

The new report from O2 suggests that 5G will generate total collective productivity savings of 6billion for the economy of British cities.

This seems like a huge sum and we can't know for sure how it will play out.

Here are the ways O2 predicts it will help save the economy money:

Households could save up to 450 a year

Around 145 would potentially be shaved off household energy bills through the introduction of 5G-enabled smart grids that drive dynamic pricing, enable better distribution and allow people to choose where they buy energy, according to O2.

WHAT'S THE 'G' MEAN? 'G' = the generation of wireless technology. Each generation offers faster internet access than the previous generation. However, it is incompatible with the previous generation - it means phones and carried have to upgrade to use it.

Households' council tax bills could be 66 less, if councils pass on the saving created through smart refuse collection.

Households could also save an additional 236 by reducing food waste.

This would be thanks to the introduction of smart fridges, which will send 'shelfies' of their contents to consumers' smartphones, helping them avoid buying un-needed food.

Car owners may save an additional 1,600 in annual fuel costs, when an extra 1.3million electric cars are brought onto the roads by 2025 as a result of 5G-proofed energy grids that can withstand mass charging of electric cars.

Local councils to share 2.8bn in efficiency savings

O2 estimates an 890million reduction in social care costs for those living alone like the elderly, facilitated by 5G telehealth and monitoring.

This will allow families and councils to consider alternatives to private residential care or employing carers.

The introduction of commercial and residential smart refuse collection, could save councils 1.8billion annually.

Energy savings of 91million could also be made. This would be facilitated by the adoption of smart LED street lighting, which can be dimmed or brightened remotely as needed  like Telefonica's projects in Malaga and Santander.

Tele-health: The rollout of 5G could help a rise in health video conferencing instead of GP visits

Relieving pressure on the NHS

Replacing just five per cent of GP appointments with tele-health video conferencing would reduce physical GP visits by 9.4million per year, O2 says.

This should be made possible thanks to the responsiveness and speed of 5G, which will power improvements in tele-health imaging and data collection.

Waiting times for GP appointments could fall, as 1.1million hours of GP time is freed up, creating productivity gains of 1.3billion through less employee absence during the working day.

Meanwhile, 5G could enable the widespread adoption of wearable monitoring devices.

This may help reduce 30-day NHS hospital re-admissions by 30 per cent through aftercare monitoring, potentially saving cities a collective 463million per year and decreasing overall bed occupancy rates by six per cent.

Traffic times to be reduced 10%

5G sensors on railway lines would help drive improvements in predictive maintenance.

O2 says this could mean reclaiming an estimated 440million in lost productivity for the UK economy and regaining the average rail commuter 2.6 hours a year.

Meanwhile, 5G-enabled road management systems, able to respond seamlessly to traffic volumes, will reduce the time spent stuck in traffic by 10 per cent for the UK's 5.6million vehicle commuters.

Commuters will also be better connected to street-level data via mobile journey planning apps linked to connected street furniture such as lamp posts and bus stops, helping them better plan journeys and avoid congested routes.

O2: The mobile operator is keen to highlight the cost savings - but the above are just estimates

'O2: Greater collaboration needed'

The savings mentioned in each example seem high  but it is an interesting snapshot of how potential savings from the new technology could happen.

O2 says there needs to be greater collaboration between industry, government, local councils, landlords and developers to ensure Britain can reap the benefits of 5G and maintain its digital leadership.

Mark Evans, O2 chief executive, said: 'Of all the ingredients that keep our economy and society moving, arguably top of the list is mobile.

'Our report demonstrates how 5G technology, when it arrives, will provide unprecedented benefits for consumers, councils and cities alike.

'The enhanced connectivity on offer will make a real difference to people's lives and pockets.

'However none of these benefits are assured. We need a high level of collaboration to press ahead with the rollout and to hardwire 5G into the fabric of our cities.'

Georg Polzer, founder and chairman of Teralytics, a firm that uses anonymous data from mobile networks to analyse the way people move in urban environments, says the arrival of 5G technology will allow cities to finally become truly 'smart'.

He said: 'The speed and reliability of 5G will enable the kind of connectivity that will allow for data from mobile devices, as well as a host of connected devices to be transmitted, analysed and the insights applied with unprecedented accuracy faster.

'We have partnered with mobile network operators to unlock the most inclusive data around - the signals transmitted by the ubiquitous mobile devices - to provide cities with insight into mobility needs of their citizens.

'The impact can be life-changing. For example, if a train is disrupted, we can identify when, where and how many people are affected and transmit these insights directly to transport operators to quickly make adjustments to the schedules.

'The data can also be shared with alternative mobility providers, such as ride-sharing companies, to ensure that they are prepared to take pressure off the areas of disruption.

'The exponentially better connectivity of 5G means the ever greater inclusivity of our data will allow cities to develop sustainable solutions to their infrastructure challenges faster.'
Investigators searching for missing American pilot Jerry Krause have made contact with local tribal leaders in Libya seeking help to track him down, DailyMail.com has learned.

Leaders of the Tuareg tribe, who run the remote airport near Ghat where Krause was last pinpointed, have assisted the American team in finding the pilot who vanished without trace in West Africa five years ago.

Krause, originally from Waseca, Minnesota, was at the controls of a routine flight from South Africa to Mali where he was working as a missionary on April 7, 2013 when he disappeared.

The last message from his Beechcraft 17 1900C 17-seat passenger plane was to a control tower on the tiny island of Sao Tome, saying he was nine miles from its shore. Then he vanished - apparently without trace.

But Krause's family first told DailyMail.com in November last year how they had received an email from one of his friends - who they say is a former U.S. intelligence officer with high-level contacts in the government - saying that he is still alive.

Vanished without a trace: Jerry Krause, from Waseca, Minnesota, disappeared during a routine flight from South Africa to Mali while working as a missionary in April 2013. Above he is pictured with his wife Gina

The last message from his Beechcraft 17 1900C 17-seat passenger plane was to a control tower on the tiny island of Sao Tome, saying he was nine miles from its shore

This is the flyer that his family issued in Sao Tome and Principe after Krause went missing. They have searched the area around the tiny island country off the coast of Gabon, but found no wreckage

The friend said they feared he is being held hostage by a criminal gang and used to smuggle high value goods against his will.

Then earlier this month DailyMail.com exclusively revealed investigators working for the family claimed intelligence 'assets' they have on the ground in Africa had reported seeing the pilot at an airport in Ghat, Libya.

The assets have since clarified their position to state that, in fact, it was radio chatter between known local gangs which had placed Krause in Ghat rather than a sighting, although proof of life has been reported.

Nevertheless, the information is believed to be strong enough that the hunt for the missing father-of-three is now solely focused on Ghat.

Special investigator Stephen Komorek, who is working with the Krause family, says his team has been assisted by the Tuareg tribe in their hunt.

He told DailyMail.com: 'We received reports with information concerning Jerry coming out of Ghat in the southwestern part of Libya at an old airport used by Colonel Gaddafi.

'As a result we made contact with the Tuareg tribe which handles the security and well being of the town and airport in Ghat.

'Tribal leaders told our assets on the ground that they have a zero tolerance for human trafficking, so that has helped us rule out any human trafficking gangs from having take Jerry hostage.

Krause was allegedly last seen in Ghat Airport in Libya. The airport is under the control of local Tuareg tribes after the collapse of Libya's government and plunge into civil war. It is now seen as a human trafficking hotspot

In the aftermath of the fall of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, the area has come under the control of local Tuareg tribesmen and is largely lawless

'It does not, however, rule out gangs who smuggle guns or drugs. The Tribal leaders are still assisting us to help locate Mr Krause.'

He added: 'What's important is that we have active operational resources in the country and throughout the continent activity searching and reporting on new information; which leads us closer to Krause. As of last December it has lead us to Ghat.

'And one of the many sources assisting in this investigation has reported proof of life, this was a turning point in the investigation.'

Komorek, a former intelligence operator, says Ghat has a direct smuggling link with Angola, which is where Krause's cell phone pinged a tower hours after he vanished mysteriously in 2013.

The airport is just outside the town of Ghat, an oasis close to both the Algeriana and Nigerian borders.

In the aftermath of the fall of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, the area has come under the control of local Tuareg tribesmen and is largely lawless.

Tuareg is an Arabic term meaning abandoned by God. Tribesmen call themselves Imohag, translated as free men.

Family: Gina Krause, 58, is said to be 'up and down' with her emotions and the family have launched a Facebook page called Help Find Jerry

Family: Jerry's family remains hopeful that they will see their father again but say 'there's no way he will come back the same person, there's no way.'

The tribe numbers nearly one million and inhabits the sub-Saharan regions of North Africa including parts of Libya and Niger.

Komorek, based in Ohio, says the assets his team has on the ground in Libya are trying to get a better handle on Krause's whereabouts through communication with Tuareg leaders, only then can they consider a rescue mission.

Kormorek also revealed his assets on the ground had confirmed with international kidnap and recovery teams working out of North Africa that no proof of life videos released by known kidnappers had featured Krause in recent years.

Kormorek is working closely with respected California based private investigator Logan Clarke to help find the pilot.

The two men, both members of the World Association of Detectives, are carrying out the work pro bono in a bid to help the family.
Superstore company Fred Meyer has become the first major chain to stop selling guns and ammunition after the Parkland massacre where 17 people were killed.

The Portland, Oregon,-based chain in a statement Friday said it made the decision after evaluating customer preferences.

The company sells guns at nearly 45 of its 132 stores in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska.

'Fred Meyer has made a business decision to exit the firearms category,' the company said. 'We are currently working on plans to responsibly phase out sales of firearms and ammunition.'

Fred Meyer said it will stop selling guns and ammunition. The Portland, Oregon,-based chain in an announcement Friday said it made the decision after evaluating customer preferences

The company, a subsidiary of Cincinnati, Ohio,-based Kroger Co., didn't give a timeline in the statement.

Fred Meyer stores sell a range of goods that include groceries, clothing, electronics, outdoor equipment, furniture and jewelry. Stores also include pharmacies.

The company said the firearms category represents about $7million annually of its revenue and sales have been declining.

'We made the decision early last week after evaluating changing customer preferences and the fact that we've been steadily reducing this category in our Fred Meyer stores over the last several years due to softening consumer demand,' the company said.

'More recently we have been transitioning away from gun departments as a result of our ongoing work to optimize space in our Fred Meyer stores.'

Following last month's high school shooting in Parkland, Florida that left 17 people dead, Fred Meyer said it would stop selling firearms to anyone under 21.

The company had already stopped selling assault-style guns several years ago, except in Alaska.

Nikolas Cruz entered Marjory Stoneman High School on February 14 and shot dead 17 people before he was arrested.

Since then, people around the country have debated what restrictions should be in place in terms of purchasing a firearm.

Fred Meyer did not mention the school shooting in its statement Friday.

Other stores announced in the wake of that shooting that they would stop selling guns to anyone under 21 including Walmart Inc. and L.L. Bean. Dick's Sporting Goods recently banned sales of assault rifles.

Several outdoor chains, including Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's, Gander Outdoors and Academy Sports, continue to sell assault-style rifles.
A Canadian computer expert who studied fashion trends in university created the powerful software tool which harvested 50 million Facebook profiles and is credited with electing Donald Trump and passing Brexit.

Christopher Wylie, 27, developed software for London-based Cambridge Analytica which was able to use the data gleaned from the social media giant to target the users and manipulate their prejudices.

Speaking to the Observer, Wylie said: 'We exploited Facebook to harvest millions of people's profiles. And built models to exploit what we knew about them and target their inner demons. That was the basis the entire company was built on.'

Christopher Wylie, pictured, has blown the whistle on Cambridge Analytica and the extent to which they exploited Facebook to harvest millions of people's profiles

Cambridge Analytica is accused of using 50 million Facebook profiles to build a software program to predict and influence the choices of people at the ballot box. As a result, Facebook has suspended the London-based firm from their social network

Prior to Donald Trump's election, Cambridge Analytica was headed by Steve Bannon, pictured

Wylie, when aged 21, worked for the Liberal Democrats while studying at the London School of Economics and pitched them his software for targeting voters. He said he had developed a way for the party to find new supporters.

He said the party, which was still in coalition with the Conservatives, listened to his pitch, but thought he was 'too pessimistic' about their chances at the 2015 election.

He predicted they would lose half of their seats at the subsequent election, when they only returned to Westminster with eight.

After being rebuffed by the party, a contact in the Lib Dems put Wylie in contact with a company which went on to form Cambridge Analytica - which was funded by US right wing hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer.

According to The Observer, Wylie was first introduced to Steve Bannon in autumn 2013. Bannon who was editor-in-chief of Breitbart at the time was sent to the UK by Robert Mercer to assist Nigel Farage in removing Britain from the European Union.

Bannon met with Wylie to assess his product.

'He [Bannon] got it immediately. He believes in the whole Andrew Breitbart doctrine that politics is downstream from culture, so to change politics you need to change culture. And fashion trends are a useful proxy for that. Trump is like a pair of Uggs, or Crocs, basically. So how do you get from people thinking "Ugh. Totally ugly" to the moment when everyone is wearing them. That was the inflection point he was looking for.'

After meeting Bannon, Wylie was flown to New York and introduced to Mercer and his daughter Rebekah in her Manhattan apartment.

He said: 'In politics, the money man is usually the dumbest person in the room. Whereas it's the opposite way around with Mercer. He said very little, but he really listened. He wanted to understand the science. And he wanted proof that it worked.'

Bannon was sent to London by Robert Mercer in 2013 to meet with Nigel Farage to assist him in securing a Brexit referendum to remove Britain from the European Union

The company claimed they could target ads at individual people based on their social media profiles and play on their prejudices.

The claims raise questions over the 2016 Brexit referendum as Cambridge Analytica, which claims it only pitched to work on the Leave.EU campaign funded by Ukip backer Arron Banks, is already part of an investigation by the Information Commissioners Office.

In an interview with Channel 4, Mr Wylie told the broadcaster: 'Imagine I go and ask you: I say, "Hey, if I give you a dollar, two dollars, could you fill up this survey for me, just do it on this app", and you say, "Fine".

'I dont just capture what your responses are, I capture all of the information about you from Facebook, but also this app then crawls through your social network and captures all that data also.

'By you filling out my survey, I capture 300 records on average.

'And so that means that, all of a sudden, I only need to engage 50,000, 70,000, 100,000 people to get a really big data set really quickly, and its scaled really quickly.

'We were able to get upwards of 50 million-plus Facebook records in the span of a couple of months.'

He added that 'almost none' of the individuals knew about how their data was used.

Chief Executive of Cambridge Analytica Alexander Nix, pictured, denied his firm worked along with Leave.EU during the Brexit referendum although said they did hold talks

Cambridge Analytica could then tailor specific political adverts to small groups of people, already knowing what their likes and interests were, it is alleged.

Cambridge Analytica denied working on behalf of Nigel Farage's Leave.EU organisation.

Addressing MPs last month, the company's chief executive Alexander Nix admitted the firm held exploratory meetings with the campaign.

Appearing before the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, he said: 'We didnt get hitched. We dated each other. We had a couple of dinners but we didnt get married.'

However, Leave.EU co-founder Arron Banks, who wrote in his book on the referendum campaign that they had 'hired' Cambridge Analytica in 2015 to 'develop messages' for target voters.

Writing on Twitter as the hearing was ongoing, Mr Banks said: 'CA wanted a fee of 1m to start work & then said they would raise 6m in the states. We declined the offer because it was illegal.'

However, Arron Banks, pictured, who bankrolled the Leave.EU campaign claimed in his book, The Bad Boys of Brexit, he had 'hired' Cambridge Analytica to 'target voters'

Asked about his online comments by the committee chairman Damian Collins, Mr Nix said they were 'absolutely incorrect'.

'Mr Banks is at liberty to say what he likes but I dont have to agree with it. That is totally untrue,' he said.

Mr Nix told the committee  which is inquiring into 'fake news'  that Cambridge Analytica had been linked with Leave.EU as a result of a statement issued 'erroneously' by a 'slightly over zealous PR' saying they would be working together on the referendum.

He said: 'Unfortunately and ironically this was an example of fake news that got disseminated virally. By the time it had penetrated the internet it became a matter of fact even though there was no fact behind it.'

Mr Nix was repeatedly challenged by MPs over the claims in Mr Bankss book, The Bad Boys Of Brexit, and about the appearance of a Cambridge Analytica employee at a Leave.EU press conference, but insisted they had never worked together.

'We did not work for Leave.EU. We have not undertaken any paid nor unpaid work for them,' he said.

He said that he was unaware Leave.EU had included Cambridge Analytica in its unsuccessful bid to the Electoral Commission to be designated the lead the Leave campaign in the referendum.

'I can only assume that they felt by associating themselves and aligning themselves with Cambridge Analytica that would give them extra credibility and leverage in trying to compete in a bid where they were clearly the underdogs,' he said.

Cambridge Analytica is also credited with targeting US social media users with specific adverts promoting Donald Trump's candidacy as president during the 2016 election

Commissioner Elizabeth Denham told The Mail on Sunday: We are investigating the circumstances in which Facebook data may have been illegally acquired and used. Its part of our ongoing investigation into the use of data analytics for political purposes.

According to The New York Times and The Guardian, one of the largest data leaks in Facebook history allowed Cambridge Analytica, which had ties to Trump campaign strategist Steve Bannon, to develop techniques that formed the basis of its work on the Trump campaign.

Facebook said it suspended Cambridge Analytica over allegations that it kept the improperly obtained user data after telling Facebook it had been deleted. It has also suspended Wylie's access to the network.

In a blog post, Facebook explained that Cambridge Analytica had years ago received user data from a Facebook app that purported to be a psychological research tool, though the firm was not authorized to have the information. Roughly 270,000 people downloaded and shared personal details with the app.

Cambridge Analytica later certified in 2015 that it had destroyed the information it had received, according to Facebook, although the social network said it received reports 'several days ago' that not all the data was deleted. Facebook says it is investigating.

Cambridge Analytica is probably best known for its political work during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign. Although, it was also involved in the Bexit campaign, according to Wylie.

The company claims to build psychological profiles based on personal details.

Wylie has passed on his information about Cambridge Analytica's alleged involvement in the Brexit referendum to the National Crime Agency's cybercrime unit and the Information Commissioner's Office.

A spokesperson for Cambridge Analytica told MailOnline: 'Cambridge Analytica fully complies with Facebooks terms of service and is currently in touch with Facebook following its recent statement that it had suspended the company from its platform, in order to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.

'Cambridge Analytica's Commercial and Political divisions use social media platforms for outward marketing, delivering data-led and creative content to targeted audiences. They do not use or hold data from Facebook profiles.

'In 2014, we contracted a company led by a seemingly reputable academic at an internationally-renowned institution to undertake a large scale research project in the United States.

'This company, Global Science Research (GSR), was contractually committed by us to only obtain data in accordance with the UK Data Protection Act and to seek the informed consent of each respondent. GSR was also contractually the Data Controller (as per Section 1(1) of the Data Protection Act) for any collected data. GSR obtained Facebook data via an API provided by Facebook.

'When it subsequently became clear that the data had not been obtained by GSR in line with Facebooks terms of service, Cambridge Analytica deleted all data received from GSR.

'We worked with Facebook over this period to ensure that they were satisfied that we had not knowingly breached any of Facebooks terms of service and also provided a signed statement to confirm that all Facebook data and their derivatives had been deleted.

'No data from GSR was used by Cambridge Analytica as part of the services it provided to the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign.

'Cambridge Analytica only receives and uses data that has been obtained legally and fairly. Our robust data protection policies comply with US, international, European Union, and national regulations.'

MailOnline has approached Facebook for a comment.
Democrats and Republicans have called on Mark Zuckerberg to be grilled by the Senate Judiciary Committee following reports that a data firm took Facebook users' private information for President Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign.

Lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic criticized Zuckerberg, after reports surfaced that Cambridge Analytica improperly harvested information from 50 million Facebook users.

Sen Amy Klobuchar tweeted on Saturday: 'This is a major breach that must be investigated. Its clear these platforms cant police themselves.

'I've called for more transparency & accountability for online political ads. They say trust us. Mark Zuckerberg needs to testify before Senate Judiciary.'

Sen Amy Klobuchar (right) tweeted on Saturday: 'This is a major breach that must be investigated'

'I've called for more transparency & accountability for online political ads. They say trust us. Mark Zuckerberg needs to testify before Senate Judiciary,' Klobuchar tweeted

US Sen Mark Warner (pictured) of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, echoed Klobuchar's complaint

US Sen Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, echoed Klobuchar's complaint.

'This is more evidence that the online political advertising market is essentially the Wild West,' he said. 'It's clear that, left unregulated, this market will continue to be prone to deception and lacking in transparency.'

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said on Twitter that 'Massachusetts residents deserve answers' and announced that her office will investigate.

The officials reacted to reports in The New York Times and The Guardian of London that Cambridge Analytica, which is best known for working on Trump's 2016 campaign, had improperly obtained Facebook user data and retained it after claiming it had deleted the information.

It was also reported that senior members of Cambridge Analytica met with Russian business executives ahead of the 2016 campaign.

Facebook suspended the group on Friday for not fully deleting all of the data it had obtained.

A British lawmaker accused Facebook on Sunday of misleading officials by downplaying the risk of users' data being shared without their consent.

Conservative legislator Damian Collins, who heads the British Parliament's media committee, said he would ask Zuckerberg or another Facebook executive to appear before his panel, which is investigating disinformation and 'fake news'.

Collins said Facebook has 'consistently understated' the risk of data leaks and gave misleading answers to the committee.

'Someone has to take responsibility for this,' he said. 'It's time for Mark Zuckerberg to stop hiding behind his Facebook page.'

Collins also accused the head of the UK-based data firm Cambridge Analytica, Alexander Nix, of lying.

Nix told the committee last month that his firm had not received data from a researcher accused of obtaining millions of Facebook users' personal information.

The officials reacted to reports that Cambridge Analytica, which is best known for working on Trump's 2016 campaign, had improperly obtained Facebook (file image) user data and retained it after claiming it had deleted the information

Former Cambridge Analytica employee Chris Wylie said that the company obtained information from 50 million Facebook users, using it to build psychological profiles so voters could be targeted with ads and stories.

Wylie told Britain's Channel 4 news that the company was able to amass a huge database very quickly from an app developed by an academic that vacuumed up data from Facebook users who agreed to fill out a survey, as well as their friends and contacts - a process of which most were unaware.

'Imagine I go and ask you: I say, "Hey, if I give you a dollar, two dollars, could you fill up this survey for me, just do it on this app", and you say, "Fine,"' he said.

'I don't just capture what your responses are, I capture all of the information about you from Facebook. But also this app then crawls through your social network and captures all of that data also.'

Wylie said that allowed the company to get roughly '50 million plus' Facebook records in several months. He also criticized Facebook for facilitating the process.

'Why Facebook didn't make more inquiries when they started seeing that, you know, tens of millions of records were being pulled this way, I don't know,' he said.

Lawmaker Collins said he would summon Nix to reappear before the Parliament committee.

'It seems clear that he has deliberately misled the committee and Parliament by giving false statements,' Collins said.
The data analysis firm employed by Donald Trump's presidential campaign that allegedly tapped the Facebook profiles of more than 50 million users is trying to stop the broadcast of a Channel 4 news report on them, according to reports.

Cambridge Analytica is allegedly trying to block a news segment which features footage of an undercover reporter talking with the firm's chief executive about their practices.

The company claims to build psychological profiles based on personal details from millions of Americans that can categorize individual voters.

After creating these profiles of individual U.S. voters the data can be used so they could be targeted with personalised political adverts.

Cambridge Analytica are allegedly trying to block the broadcast of a Channel 4 news report which features an undercover interview with their chief executive Alexander Nix (pictured in November 2017)

The reporters posed as potential clients and filmed a series of meetings with staff at the firm including one with Alexander Nix, the chief executive, according to the Financial Times.

Both Channel 4 and Cambridge Analytica declined to comment on the undercover report.

Earlier this week whistleblower Christopher Wylie told the Guardian that the firm used the private social media activity of a large portion of the U.S. electorate to develop techniques that underpinned its work on President Trumps campaign in 2016.

Mr Wylie claimed that in 2014 it advertised the This Is Your Digital Life app as a research programme used by psychologists.

Around 270,000 downloaded the app and gave permission for it to access data from their Facebook profiles including their likes and information about friends.

Facebook has since suspended Cambridge Analytica, University of Cambridge psychology professor Aleksandr Kogan who created the harvesting app in question, and Christopher Wylie of Eunoia Technologies (previously employed with Cambridge Analytica), who also allegedly received user data from the app.

Whistleblower Christopher Wylie said the firm used the private social media activity of a large portion of the U.S. electorate to develop techniques that underpinned its work on President Trumps campaign in 2016

In a blog post, Facebook explained that Cambridge Analytica had years ago received user data from a Facebook app that purported to be a psychological research tool, though the firm was not authorized to have the information.

Cambridge Analytica later certified in 2015 that it had destroyed the information it had received, according to Facebook, although the social network said it received reports 'several days ago' that not all the data was deleted.

Facebook has said it is investigating.

Cambridge Analytica denied wrongdoing in a statement. It said the parent company's SCL Elections unit hired Mr Kogan to undertake 'a large scale research project in the U.S.,' but subsequently deleted all data it received from Mr Kogan's company after learning that he had obtained data in violation of Facebook policies.

According to Cambridge Analytica's parent company, SCL Elections, the firm said none of Mr Kogan's data was used in its 2016 election work for the 'avoidance of doubt.'
A 15-year-old boy allegedly stabbed a woman five times with a knife as she walked to an inner-city train station in Perth before fleeing on his bike and screaming he was sorry.

The 27-year-old woman was walking towards Claisebrook station at 9.20pm on Saturday when she was attacked at random and her mobile phone was stolen.

She was heard banging on windows and screaming for help shortly before Tactical Response officers arrived.

A 15-year-old boy allegedly stabbed a young woman five times with a knife as she walked to Claisebrook station in Perth before fleeing on his bike (pictured) with her mobile phone

The 15-year-old allegedly pounced on the woman while she was walking near Perth's Claisebrook station (pictured) at around 9.20pm on Saturday

The attack took place on the corner of Fielder and Kensington Street just near the station.

'No woman should be put in that situation,' Joanne McBeath told Seven News.

Two guards from the station called police and stayed with the seriously injured woman until paramedics arrived, Nine News reported.

A heavily armed group of Tactical Response officers were called to the scene.

Police searched the streets and found the boy on a bicycle where he was arrested shortly after the incident on a nearby street, about 250m from the scene.

People in the area heard the woman banging on windows and screaming for ten seconds, repeatedly calling for help.

The boy tried to leave the scene on a bike (pictured), but only made it 250m before he was arrested

Police searched the streets and found the boy on a bicycle where he was arrested shortly after the incident on a nearby street, about 250m from the scene

'He was screaming that he was sorry and he didn't know what he was doing,' Joanne McBeath told Nine News.

The 15-year-old has been charged with aggravated armed robbery and grievous bodily harm.

Police say the boy was with other people but broke away from the group before the random attack occurred.

A heavily armed group of Tactical Response officers (pictured) were called to the scene

They said the woman did not know the boy who is accused of stabbing her in the arm, leg and shoulder.

The woman underwent surgery to treat the stab wounds and remains in Royal Perth Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

The boy is due to appear in Perth Children's Court tomorrow.
The last of the six victims who died after a 950-ton pedestrian bridge under construction at Florida International University collapsed were identified on Sunday.

Five bodies were pulled from crushed cars and one man died at the hospital. Authorities believe they have recovered all the bodies.

Married father-of-three Brandon Brownfield was the final victim named following the collapse on Thursday.

His wife of nearly four years, Chelsea, posted a tribute to him in a Facebook post on Sunday.

'It's a pretty magical thing to find your soulmate in this world. Like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, our crazy curvy edges matched and we fit together like no one else could,' she wrote.

Married father-of-three Brandon Brownfield (pictured, right, with his wife) was the final victim named following the pedestrian bridge collapse in Miami on Thursday

His wife of nearly four years, Chelsea (pictured, left, with Brownfield and their three daughters), posted a tribute to him in a Facebook post on Sunday. Brownfield was driving home from work when the bridge collapsed

Six people in total were killed after a 950-ton pedestrian bridge under construction at the Florida International University in Miami collapsed on Thursday (pictured)

Crushed cars are shown under a section of the collapsed pedestrian bridge on Friday

The Brownfields have three young daughters, and the family moved to Florida several years ago for his job at Maxim Crane Works, according to a fundraising page a friend started for the family that had raised more than $50,000 in a few days.

Brownfield was driving home from work when the bridge collapsed.

'I now have to find the words and the answers to tell my girls that their Daddy is not coming home,' his wife wrote on Facebook.

Police released names of the other five victims on Saturday: Rolando Fraga Hernandez, 57-year-old Oswald Gonzalez, 53-year-old Alberto Arias, 37-year-old Navarro Brown, and FIU student Alexa Duran, 18.

Oswald Gonzalez, 57 (left), and Alberto Arias, 53 (right), friends and business partners, were on a drive to a travel agency to pick up airline tickets for their annual visit to their beloved homeland of Cuba

Gonzalez (left) and Arias (right), who together owned a party rental and decoration business, were among the dead. Their bodies were found on Saturday inside their white Chevy truck

Gonzalez and Arias, friends and business partners, had just finished lunch and were on a drive to a travel agency to pick up airline tickets for their annual visit to their beloved homeland of Cuba.

'Imagine,' said Amauri Naranjo, who has known Gonzalez since before he left Cuba in the 1980s, 'a longtime friendship that survives even with the sea between us, and it ends because of something like that.'

Gonzalez and Arias, who together owned a party rental and decoration business, were among the dead.

Their bodies were found on Saturday inside their white Chevy truck as rescuers for days painstakingly dug through the debris of the fallen pedestrian bridge at Florida International University.

Hope for a miracle rescue faded as the names of the six dead became known, and those left living grappled with the senselessness, the suddenness of it.

FIU student Alexa Duran, 18 (right), was giving her a friend a ride to his doctor's office to pick up some medication when the bridge collapsed, killing her

Before police officially identified Rolando Fraga Hernandez (pictured) as being among the dead on Saturday, his nephew, Jorge Fraga, told ABC News he planned to hold out hope until there was none left

Inside one car, one teenager was killed and one walked away with minor injuries - a fate decided by which seat they happened to be sitting in.

Richie Humble, a 19-year-old student at FIU, had not been feeling well earlier in the week. On Thursday, a friend, Alexa Duran, the nicest person he said he ever knew, gave him a ride to his doctor's office to pick up some medication. They stopped at a red light, under the bridge.

'I heard a creak, a long creak,' Humble told The Associated Press in a phone interview. 'I looked up, and in an instant, the bridge was collapsing on us completely. It was too quick to do anything about it.'

Once he realized he was alive, he also realized that he couldn't get to his friend. As he called out for her, getting no response, a group of men outside the car started yelling at him to try crawling out of the car. They pried open the door to free him.

Before police officially identified Rolando Fraga Hernandez as being among the dead on Saturday, his nephew, Jorge Fraga, told ABC News he planned to hold out hope until there was none left.

'I'm trying not to think he isn't there,' Fraga said.

Hernandez's body was found about 5.40am on Saturday when his gold Jeep Cherokee was removed from the debris.

Navarro Brown, 37 (pictured), was working with VSL Structural Technologies on the pedestrian bridge tightening cables when it collapsed. He died at the hospital

Six crosses are placed at a makeshift memorial on the Florida International University campus in Miami on Saturday where six people were killed

Sweetwater police Detective Juan Llera was at his office a few blocks away, when he heard what he thought was a bomb exploding.

He sped to the scene and, within minutes found a man lying unconscious on the street and started performing CPR.

He could barely feel a pulse, but someone with the medical staff from the university came by and said: 'You are keeping him alive. Keep going.' And so he did, and the man was alive when they rushed him away.

Llera checked in at the hospital but could get no information. He thought the man had lived. He'd hoped they could shake hands one day.

But on Sunday morning, he studied a picture on the news of a young man in a crisp red shirt.

He was identified as Navarro Brown and he has died at the Kendall Regional Medical Center.

Brown was working with VSL Structural Technologies on the pedestrian bridge tightening cables when it collapsed. Two other employees were injured.

A spokesperson for the Maryland-based company said they were helping Brown's family to travel to Miami.
President Donald Trump will unveil a plan on Monday to combat the opioid addiction crisis that includes seeking the death penalty for drug dealers and urging Congress to toughen sentencing laws for drug traffickers, White House officials said on Sunday.

The White House plan will also seek to cut opioid prescriptions by a third over the next three years by promoting practices that reduce over prescription of opioids in federal healthcare programs, officials told a news briefing.

Trump will outline his proposals at an event in New Hampshire, which has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic.

President Donald Trump (left) talks to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (right) before the opening ceremony of the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Manila on November 13, 2017

'The Department of Justice will seek the death penalty against drug traffickers when it's appropriate under current law,' said Andrew Bremberg, director of Trump's Domestic Policy Council, in the briefing detailing the plan.

The White House did not offer any specific examples of when it would be appropriate to seek the death penalty for drug dealers and referred further questions to the Justice Department.

Trump declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency in October. He raised the issue of using the death penalty for drug dealers at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month.

The president has repeatedly said individual drug dealers are responsible for thousands of deaths.

Last week, Trump said at a rally in Moon Township, Pennsylvania: 'Think of it, you kill one person you get the death penalty, in many states.

'You kill 5,000 people with drugs, because you're smuggling them in and you're making a lot of money, and people are dying and they don't even do anything.

'Then you wonder why we have a problem, and that's why we have a problem. I don't think we should play games!'

'I never did polling on that, I don't know if that's popular. I don't know if that's unpopular. Probably you'll have some people who say 'Oh that's not nice', Trump continued. 'But these people are killing our kids and killing our families! And we have to do something.'

Trump remarked last week at a rally in Moon Township, Pennsylvania that the nation should consider the death penalty for drug dealers, whose products kill 'thousands'

Trump cited Singapore and China for their 'zero tolerance' policy on drugs.

In fact, 33 countries allow the death penalty for drug offenses, many of them in Asia, according to a 2012 report from Harm Reduction International.

Surprisingly, the US is among them, at least in theory.

In 2008, the Supreme Court ruled in Kennedy vs Louisiana left open the question of whether the death penalty for 'offenses against the State' including 'drug kingpin activity' would be constitutionally permissible.

The US Code authorizes a sentence of death in certain large-scale federal drug trafficking convictions, even when murder is not a component of the conviction.

But in practice, no criminal has been executed in the US for a crime other than murder since September 1964, when Alabama executed James Coburn for robbery.

In the Philippines, more than 4,000 mostly poor drug suspects have been killed under President Rodrigo Duterte's drug crackdown, according to the national police, although human rights groups have reported larger death tolls.

This map shows countries with capital punishment for drug offenses in red, and countries that allow the death penalty for drug offenses only in special circumstances in yellow. The US Supreme Court has left open the possibility of death for 'drug kingpin activity'

Last year, Trump congratulated Duterte for his efforts in eradicating drugs from the country, according to a leaked transcript of their phone call.

'I just wanted to congratulate you because I am hearing of the unbelievable job on the drug problem,' Trump reportedly said in his call with Duerte.

'Many countries have the problem, we have a problem, but what a great job you are doing and I just wanted to call and tell you that.'

In 2016, every day an average of 175 people died of drug overdoses in the US.

Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death for Americans under age 50.

Trump's plan will also call for the launch of a public awareness campaign about the dangers of narcotics and will support research to develop a vaccine to prevent opioid addiction.

The White House also wants to make sure first responders are fully supplied with naloxone, a lifesaving drug used to treat a narcotic overdose in an emergency situation.
The federal government will create a new visa which makes it easier for highly-skilled migrants to come to Australia.

The Global Talent Scheme aims to attract the world's 'high-tech skills and talent' and will allow companies to sponsor migrants for positions paying over $180,000.

'The Government recognises there is fierce competition globally for high-tech skills and talent, and that attracting these people helps to transfer skills to Australian workers and grow Australian-based businesses,' a government statement read.

The federal government will create a new visa which makes it easier for highly-skilled migrants to come to Australia (stock)

'Established businesses with an annual turnover of more than $4m will be able to sponsor highly-skilled and experienced individuals for positions with earnings above $180,000 into Australia.'

The new trial will initially run 12 months and will replace the 457 temporary skilled shortage visa.

'We will still have control in terms of having to approve each one as they come through,' Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Minister Alan Tudge told the AFR.

'It is a pilot because we want to make sure business is fair dinkum in terms of the applications.'

The Global Talent Scheme aims to compete for the world's 'high-tech skills and talent' and will allow companies to sponsor migrants for positions paying over $180,000 (stock)

The visa, for which there will be no set list of occupations, will require migrants to have at least three years relevant experience.

The companies which sponsor applicants will need to show they have tried to hire Australians first.

'Australians are prioritised for the jobs, but where the skills and experience are not available here, we want to be able to attract talent from overseas,' Mr Tudge said.

'This is part of the ongoing reforms to our skilled visa programs to ensure that Australians have priority for Australian jobs, but acknowledge that there are times when the skills are not available in the country.'

The government will consult further on the details of the scheme over the next few months, before piloting it for one year starting in July.
An adult visited a popular wildlife sanctuary while infected with measles, sparking fears of a mass outbreak.

Queensland Health issued a health alert after the adult went to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary last weekend.

Warning others to be vigilant, the department said the person also visited Woolworths in Marsden Fifth Avenue, Brisbane before being admitted to Logan Hospital.

An adult visited a popular wildlife sanctuary while infected with measles, sparking fears of a mass outbreak (stock image of a baby with the disease)

Queensland Health issued a measles alert after the adult visited Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (pictured) last weekend

The initial symptoms of measles include fever, lethargy, runny nose, moist cough and sore and red eyes.

This is followed a few days later by a blotchy, red rash. The rash often starts on the face then becomes widespread over the body.

Queensland Health told Daily Mail Australia: 'Metro South Health, the Public Health Unit, is working with the health care facilities and venues where the person visited, and is urging anyone who was in those areas around the same time to ensure they are immune to measles.

'Contact your GP or call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) for more information.

'If you have any of the measles symptoms contact your GP and remember it is VERY important to call the medical practice first if you think you might have measles, so that staff can take precautions to avoid you spreading it to others.'

Metro South Health (pictured) is working with the health care facilities and venues where the person visited
Brandon Brownfield, pictured above with his wife Chelsea, was identified as the sixth victim in the bridge collapse

A married father-of-three has been identified as the sixth victim killed in Thursday's fatal bridge collapse in Miami.

Authorities have yet to release the name, but Chelsea Brownfield confirmed in an emotional Facebook post Sunday that her husband Brandon Brownfield had died in the incident.

'It's a pretty magical thing to find your soulmate in this world. Like pieces to a jigsaw puzzle, our crazy curvy edges matched and we fit together like no one else could. On March 15, 2018 my husband was tragically taken away from us,' she wrote.

Brandon, a tower crane technician and father to three young girls, was driving his truck when Miami's Florida International University pedestrian bridge buckled.

The married father-of-three was on his way home from work when the bridge collapsed on his truck

Chelsea Brownfield confirmed in an emotional Facebook post Sunday that her husband Brandon Brownfield had died in the incident. They are pictured together

The couple, who have three young daughters, would have celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary next month

Brandon died one month before his fourth wedding anniversary.

'I keep trying to find the words to share with you - our friends and family - but nothing feels right,' Chelsea Brownfield posted.

'Please keep us in your prayers, as I now have to find the words and the answers to tell my girls that their daddy is not coming home.'

Brandon worked as a tower crane technician for Maxim Crane Works. He had moved to south Florida a few years ago to take a job in the crane industry, his friend Ryan Lee said on a GoFundMe set up to help cover expenses for the family.

Brandon was on his way home from work when the 950-ton walkway fell on his truck.

'Brandon is a friend, a father, a husband, and a genuine stand-up family man,' Lee said. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with Brandon, Chelsea, and their family though this tragic event.'

'I now have to find the words and the answers to tell my girls that their Daddy is not coming home,' his wife posted on Facebook

Six people were killed in the March 15 incident after a walkway for Florida International University collapsed

Eight cars were trapped by the wreckage, with four vehicles crushed underneath, authorities said

So far more than $55,000 has been donated to help the Brownfield family.

Eight vehicles were trapped when the bridge buckled, with at least four cars crushed underneath the rubble.

Juan Perez, director of the Miami-Dade Police Department, told WTSP that officials believe the death toll will stay at six but crews still planned to search the rubble again Sunday to make sure there were no additional victims.

One victim killed in Thursday's incident was Florida International University freshman Alexa Duran. The 18-year-old political science major was driving under the bridge with a friend when it crashed down on her Toyota SUV. Her friend survived.

Her uncle called the collapse 'complete incompetence' and said it was a 'colossal failure' that cars were allowed to travel underneath the bridge, despite concerns from officials that the walkway had developed cracks.

'Why they had to build this monstrosity in the first place to get children across the street?' Joe Smitha told the Associated Press. 'Then they decided to stress test this bridge while traffic was running underneath it?'

The bridge was scheduled to open in 2019 and was intended to link Florida International University's new dorms with off-campus housing above a seven-lane roadway.

Hours before the collapse the university's stakeholders held a two-hour meeting to discuss the cracks that had formed. An engineer with FIGG Bridge Group, the firm that built the structure, had also left a voicemail with the state transportation expressing concern with the bridge.

The bodies of Oswald Gonzalez (L), 57, and Alberto Arias (right) were pulled from the rubble on Saturday morning

Named: Alexa Duran, an 18-year-old FIU freshman (right), and bridge worker Navaro Brown, 37, (left) are among the six victims of Thursday's fatal pedestrian bridge collapse

Truck driver Rolando Fraga Hernandez was also killed

'This was a colossal failure of the system,' Smitha said. 'This was complete incompetence from the top... I want someone to step up and say, The buck stops with me.'''

Other victims included Oswald Gonzalez, 57; and his friend Alberto Arias, 53. Both men were traveling in the same car when the walkway fell on their vehicle.

Bridge worker Navaro Brown was working on site during the collapse and was also listed as one of the six victims. Authorities said Rolando FragaHernandez's gold Jeep Cherokee was pinned underneath the wreckage. He also died during Thursday's incident.

Mark Rosenberg, the president of Florida International University, said in a tweet that a moment of silence will be held at the school Monday at 1.47pm to honor the victims.
Outlander actor Graham McTavish tweeted on Friday that crew members on his United Airlines flight to Chicago were joking about dogs in overhead bins, just days after Kokito, the bulldog puppy suffocated in an overhead bin on a United flight.

'Sorry, but my journey with @united today was rubbish. crew on the NOLA/Chicago leg making jokes about dogs in the overhead,' McTavish tweeted.

He added that United crew members were also 'plain rude on the delayed Chicago/Vancouver flight "If you want lunch you'd better get that table out". Just makes a bad experience worse guys,' McTavish tweeted.

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Outlander actor Graham McTavish (pictured) tweeted on Friday that crew members on his United Airlines flight to Chicago were joking about dogs in overhead bins, just days after Kokito, the bulldog puppy suffocated on a United flight

'Sorry, but my journey with @united today was rubbish. crew on the NOLA/Chicago leg making jokes about dogs in the overhead,' McTavish tweeted

On Monday, Kokito (pictured) suffocated in his owner's bag in the overhead bin. The owner claims a United flight attendant forced her to put him there

United was blamed for Kokito's death on Monday. And the airline accidentally sent a passenger's pet to Japan in place of another animal on Tuesday.

And more recently, during a Thursday flight from Newark, New Jersey, to St Louis, Missouri, flight attendants suddenly became aware of a dog in the hold which should not have been there.

The animal was mistakenly boarded onto the plane instead of a flight to Akron, Ohio.

To rectify their mistake, the pilot diverted the entire flight to Ohio to drop the animal off safely.

It's not clear how far into the three-hour flight they made the decision to stop and drop the animal off.

United has reimbursed every passenger on board as compensation for the inconvenience.

On Thursday, United Airlines diverted a flight from New Jersey to St Louis to drop off a dog at Akron Airport in Ohio (above) which had been accidentally boarded. That dog's owner has not been identified

In a statement, the airline said the dog had been reunited with its owner. They are yet to come forward to identify themselves.

'United Express flight 3996 from Newark to St. Louis diverted to Akron to drop off a pet that had been loaded onto this flight mistakenly.

'The pet has been safely delivered to its owner. We provided compensation to all customers on board for the diversion,' a spokesman told DailyMail.com.

It is the third dog-related incident in a week for the airline which has struggled to regain its reputation after a doctor was filmed being dragged off a plane bloodied and beaten last year.

On Monday, Kokito the bulldog puppy suffocated in the overhead bin after being placed there by his owner who claims she was forced by a United flight attendant to stow him away.

Despite her protests, the woman said the flight attendant told her she must put the dog in the overhead bin.

United immediately apologized, describing the puppy's death as a 'tragic accident'. The flight attendant was 'distraught' and said she did not know the dog was there despite being told.

The airline then issued a statement to say although the passenger did tell her that the puppy was inside, she did not 'hear or understand her'.

On Tuesday, Irgo the German Shepherd (left) and Lincoln the Great Dane (right) were mixed up by staff. Irgo was accidentally sent to Japan and had to be flown home on a corporate jet and Lincoln ended up in Wichita, Kansas

United Airlines accounted for 18 of 24 animal deaths on flights in 2017 For the full year 2017, United accounted for 18 of 24 animal deaths on flights among the 17 airlines that reported to the Department of Transportation. Two geckos were found dead upon arriving at Raleigh-Durham airport, but no medical exam was performed. No corrective action was required. January 28, 2017: Hope, the nine-year-old cat died of suspected heart failure. No corrective action required. January 21, 2017: Rocco, the dog, died on a flight from a cardiac abnormality due to congenital heart disease, according to a necropsy examine. No corrective action required. March 13, 2017: Bull terrier was discovered deceased upon arrival to Denver, Colorado. Post mortem exam attributed primary cause of death to gastric dilation. No corrective action was required. For the full year 2017, United (file image) accounted for 18 of 24 animal deaths on flights among the 17 airlines that reported to the Department of Transportation March 21, 2017: Riko, the three-year-old Abyssinian escaped his shipping container during the acceptance process. The dog evaded capture and was struck by an oncoming vehicle. Corrective Action Taken: United will review existing procedures to enhance security of animal during acceptance process. April 26, 2017: An 11-year-old pug named Domi was discovered deceased upon arrival in Brazil. The pet owner refused a medical exam to determine the actual cause of death. No corrective action was required. June 24, 2017: A two-year-old Spanish Alano named Chocofan arrived deceased from Newark, New Jersey, to Orlando, Florida. An examine determined the dog died from gastric dilation volvulus and torsion (GDVT). No corrective action was required. July 5, 2017: A 12-year-old Labrador retriever named Tank was discovered deceased upon arrival on a flight from Delhi, India, to Newark, New Jersey. An examine concluded that the cause of death could not be determined by pathologic examination. No corrective action was taken. July 13, 2017: Oliver, the 11-year-old American-shorthair cat arrived deceased to Denver, Colorado, after traveling from Guam via Honolulu. The necropsy attributed his cause of death to be heart failure. No corrective action was required. August 6, 2017: Lulu, the four-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel arrived deceased to San Francisco, California. A necropsy attributed the cause of death to heat stroke. Corrective Action Taken: Three animals were on board flight 1815; the other two animals were healthy upon arrival into San Francisco. No corrective action taken. September 26, 2017: An eight-year-old pug named Bella was discovered deceased upon arrival in San Francisco, California. The preliminary diagnosis of the medical exam concluded the cause of death could not be determined, however, there was an indication of preexisting heart disease, which may have contributed to sudden heart failure. No corrective action was taken. September 30, 2017: Hope, a one-year-old American bully was discovered deceased upon arrival in Newark, New Jersey from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. A preliminary exam was inconclusive; pathology is still pending. Cause of death is unknown at this time. No corrective action was taken. October 10, 2017: Trek, the two-year-old Irish Water Spaniel, was discovered deceased upon arrival in Marshall Islands. The dog had been transported to Oahu for a medical exam, but the cause of death was never determined. No corrective action was taken. October 23, 2017: Tabby, the eight-week-old Devon-Rex, was discovered deceased upon arrival in Chicago, Illinois. An exam attributed the cause of death to anxiety, limiting the oxygen flow in the respiratory system. No corrective action was taken. October 23, 2017: Mambo, the Staffordshire bull terrier, appeared to be in distress during the pet's layover. He was then transported to the vet. The dog became non-responsive by the time he arrived to the hospital. An exam determined he suffered from a cardiac dysfunction, which contributed to the death. No corrective action taken. December 21, 2017: One of four pet Conure birds was discovered deceased at a kenneling facility during layover. The cause of death is unknown. No corrective action was required. December 22, 2017: Bator, the bulldog, was discovered deceased upon arrival in Newark, New Jersey. A necropsy is still pending. No corrective action was taken. Source: Transportation.gov Advertisement

On Tuesday, two other dogs belonging to other passengers ended up on the wrong side of the world in a colossal mix-up.

Irgo the German Shepherd was meant to fly with his owners to Wichita, Kansas, from Portland, Oregon, stopping off at Denver on the way.

Instead, he was sent by mistake to Naruto, Japan.

When his owners in Wichita went to collect him, they were greeted instead by Lincoln, a Great Dane whose family live in Japan and were on their way there without him.

United rushed to fix the mistake and flew Irgo, who has an ear infection, back to the US on board one of its corporate jets.

Lincoln was forced to slum it in the hold of an ordinary flight.

Irgo's owner Kara Swindle told DailyMail.com on Friday she would pursue legal action against the airline.

Anna Beck, Lincoln's Texan owner who lives in Japan with her military husband, said she has not yet decided what to do.
One in six burglary suspects is under 18, research reveals.

More than 17,000 children were arrested on suspicion of burglary between 2014 and the first half of 2017, and under-18s accounted for 12 per cent of all arrests for aggravated burglary in England and Wales.

From 2014 to the end of 2016, 4,250 children were prosecuted for domestic and aggravated burglary, with a conviction rate of 68 per cent.

Churchill Home Insurance researchers studied data recorded between 2014 and the first half of 2017.

More than 17,000 children were arrested on suspicion of burglary between 2014 and the first half of 2017, and under-18s accounted for 12 per cent of all arrests for aggravated burglary in England and Wales

In the three and a half year period, police forces in England and Wales arrested 17,082 children on suspicion of committing burglary, with more than 2,000 arrested in the first six months of 2017.

Martin Scott, head of Churchill Home Insurance, which compiled the statistics, said: As a society we urgently need to address the level of crime committed by those under 18.

Young people may not understand the trauma they are inflicting on people when they burglarise their property. There is not just a financial cost, it has a terrible and sustained emotional impact.

Mr Scott added: It is vital that if minors do commit crime there are appropriate interventions in place to help ensure that these patterns of behaviour are not repeated.

Over the three-year period, at least 976 children were arrested for aggravated burglary.

Suspects can be charged with aggravated burglary if they are carrying a weapon at the time.

Minors accounted for 15 per cent of burglary arrests in the first half of 2017, and one in eight arrests for aggravated burglary

Under UK law, those convicted can be handed a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Meanwhile the maximum sentence for domestic burglary is 14 years.

Minors accounted for 15 per cent of burglary arrests in the first half of 2017, and one in eight arrests for aggravated burglary.

And while the figures showed the number of domestic burglaries involving minors had fallen over the time period, the percentage of those committing aggravated burglaries had risen.

The conviction rate for minors is lower than the average for all age groups, where defendants are found guilty in 76 per cent of prosecutions.

But the conviction rate across the period for aggravated burglary by a minor was lower, with just under a third of cases (32 per cent) resulting in a guilty verdict.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is defending his use of a Japanese greeting when responding to a question from a congresswoman of Japanese descent.

The Arizona Republic reported Sunday that Zinke was asked about his use of the word 'konnichiwa' while touring the U.S-Mexico border in Arizona on Saturday.

Zinke told reporters: 'How could ever saying "good morning" be bad?'

Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke put his foot in his mouth during a hearing of the House Natural Resources Committee on Thursday

Hawaii Rep. Colleen Hanabusa asked Zinke about a small grant that preserves historical sites relating to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II  and said her grandfathers were both among them  and Zinke opened his response with, 'Well, konichiwa'

Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, of Hawaii, asked Zinke on Thursday whether he would continue a program that preserves sites where Japanese-Americans were interned during World War II.

One woman seated behind Zinke was visibly horrified by his Japanese greeting

Zinke replied with 'konnichiwa' - a Japanese greeting typically spoken in the afternoon.

The Democratic congresswoman corrected him and used the Japanese phrase for good morning.

'I think it's still "Ohayo gozaimasu",' she shot back, correcting him. 'But that's okay.'

In a statement Saturday, Hanabusa said 'this is precisely why Japanese Americans were treated as they were more than 75 years ago. It is racial stereotyping.'

Video footage shot in the House Natural Resources Committee hearing room showed a woman in the audience behind Zinke with a horrified look on her face.

Hawaii Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono was equally horrified.

'The internment of nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans is no laughing matter, @SecretaryZinke, Hirono tweeted. 'What you thought was a clever response to @RepHanabusa was flippant & juvenile.'

Hirono is the first female Asian-American U.S. senator, and the first senator born on Japanese soil.

Sen. Mazie Hirono slammed Zinke as 'flippant and juvenile,' while Hanabusa called his gaffe a 'teachable moment'

This photo shows Japanese-Americans in Los Angeles being rounded up in April 1942 before being taken to internment camps under 'War Emergency Orders' issued by the U.S. Army
A mother and her five-year-old son were sent flying off the bonnet of a car after the female driver allegedly ran a red light and slammed into the pair.

The mother-son duo were crossing at the traffic lights outside Bankstown Plaza in Sydney's west before they were hit by a Toyota Camry just after 8am.

The boy's mother, 30, was incredibly distressed, shouting at the female driver as she was dragged away from the scene with injuries of her own, Nine News reported.

The boy was taken to the Children's Hospital at Westmead where he was treated for lower leg fractures and head injuries and remains in a serious but stable condition.

A mother and her five-year-old son were hit by a car as the pair were crossing at the traffic lights outside Bankstown Plaza in Sydney's west (pictured)

The pair were crossing at the traffic lights outside Bankstown Plaza in Sydney's west before they were hit by a Toyota Camry just after 8am

Witnesses said they saw the car allegedly running a red light before it slammed into the pedestrians, Nine News reported.

NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the boy at the scene as police spoke to the driver.

His mother was taken to Westmead Hospital with abdominal injuries and is now in a stable condition.

The female driver of the car was uninjured and taken to Bankstown Hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing, NSW police told Daily Mail Australia.

The Metropolitan Crash Investigation Unit will conduct an investigation into the incident and the car is expected to be taken for forensic investigation.

The pair were crossing at the traffic lights on the intersection of Rickard Road and Lady Cutler Avenue in Bankstown (pictured)
This quaint Sydney cottage has a private backyard, waterfront views, is surrounded by bush and sold for for only $650,000.

An unheard of price in the Sydney housing market, the property's one down fall is it can only be accessed by boat.

The two-bedroom cottage is 35 kilometers from the CBD near the affluent suburb of Church Point in the Northern Beaches.

This island retreat in Sydney's Western Foreshores sold for $650,000 after six weeks on the market

The isolated cottage was owned by the same family for decades and was bought by a man from the Central Coast

The isolated cottage which has been owned by same family for decades went on the market six-weeks-ago and was scooped by a sailor from the Central Coast.

PMC Hill Real Estate agent, Melanie Marshall told the Daily Mail off-shore living is becoming more popular and more working professionals are drifting towards the lifestyle.

She said: 'Water life is magic, it's only 40 minutes away from the city it's actually closer than living in Palm Beach.'

The waterfront cottage can only be accessed by boat but is 35 kilometres from Sydney's CBD

The house was described as needing some 'TLC' but was loved by everyone who inspected the property

Properties in Elvina Bay rarely come on to the market and the median house price of the area is $1,855,000 just across the water.

'We had so much interest in it,' Ms Marshall said.

The house was described as needing some 'TLC' but everyone who inspected the home fell in love according to Ms Marshall.

Melanie Marshall told the Daily Mail off-shore living is becoming more popular and more working professionals are drifting towards the lifestyle

The waterfront property is a grassed 550 square metre block with a grassed backyard

'It's a real cutie and everyone that came to see it said it was so gorgeous,' she said.

The real estate agent said there is a demand for off-shore properties to escape the hustle of busy city life.

The property is a 550 square metre block with a grassed backyard.

According is Ms Marshall the sailor intends to keep the waterfront cottage in it's original state but make small renovations on the property.
Children as young as seven are to be consulted on Brexit as Waless Minister for Children Huw Irranca-Davies seeks to ensure their views and concerns are listened to

Children as young as seven are to be consulted on Brexit as Wales seeks to ensure their views and concerns are listened to.

Ministers have launched a formal survey for young people in a move condemned by MPs as an attempt to brainwash children.

Announcing the scheme, Waless Minister for Children Huw Irranca-Davies said Brexit would bring about some of the biggest changes children would face in their adult lives.

He said: The majority of the adult population took a monumental decision that the UK should leave the EU.

We accept that decision, and are doing all we can to ensure Wales and the rest of the UK gets the very best deal from it.

However, our children are our future, so its absolutely vital we ensure their views and concerns are listened to.

But last night the initiative was criticised by pro-Brexit Tory MP David Davies who branded it risible.

He said: This will be yet another attempt by the Welsh government to brainwash and create fear among children about a perfectly reasonable decision taken in a democratic fashion.

Ministers have launched a formal survey for young people in a move condemned by MPs as an attempt to brainwash children (file photo)

Youngsters aged between seven and 11 will be asked for their opinions in school with their teachers present, while over-11s will be consulted through the Welsh governments youth project, Young Wales.

A report on the outcome of the survey will be released in the autumn.

The Labour-run Welsh government said it was committed to the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that children have a right to say what they think when adults are making decisions that affect them.

Wales voted for Brexit in June 2016 by 52.5 per cent to 47.5 per cent.

Exports boost for economy Britain's economy will strengthen as it leaves the EU, a top business lobby group says. Admitting it was too gloomy on Brexit, the British Chambers of Commerce is raising its growth forecasts for this year from 1.1 per cent to 1.4 per cent. And it predicts growth will rise to 1.5 per cent in 2019 when we depart and 1.6 per cent in 2020. The groups brighter outlook is down to stronger than expected consumer spending and robust exports boosted by the fall in the pound. Advertisement

Details of the scheme emerged as the Brexit Committee of MPs called for a delay in leaving. They said more time was needed to strike a deal before we leave in March next year.

But eight of the committees 19 MPs refused to back the report.

One of them, Jacob Rees-Mogg, said: Its a prospectus for the vassal state. It would keep us in the customs union and single market [and] keep us in the EU by sleight of hand.

EU leaders are this week expected to agree their negotiating guidelines for the next phase of talks. On Thursday Theresa May will attend an EU council meeting where she hopes to sign off the so-called transition deal.
Jeremy Corbyns full links to the founder of a Facebook group hosting anti-Semitic slurs can be revealed today.

Labour has sought to play down its leaders relationship with Palestine Live founder Elleanne Green, describing her as an acquaintance.

But the Mail can reveal the pair enjoyed a warm friendship and that Mr Corbyn organised events with her.

Labour has sought to play down its leaders relationship with Palestine Live founder Elleanne Green, describing her as an acquaintance

Mrs Green, a Labour member, was placed under investigation a year ago after her anti-Semitic comments came to light. Among her offensive posts, she shared a story claiming Zionists are killing children and stealing children to sell them on the black market.

She also posted material claiming Israeli intelligence services were behind the 9/11 and Paris terror attacks.

Labour said yesterday she was still under investigation but remained a member.

It was revealed earlier this month that Mr Corbyn was a member of her closed Facebook group, which she described in one post as a secret group.

Palestine Live has hosted shocking anti-Semitic comments including one saying: Am reading Mein Kampf [by Adolf Hitler] everybody should be forced to read it, especially Jews who have their own agenda as to why they were not liked.

Mr Corbyn is understood to have been added to the group by Mrs Green in 2013 and was a member for two years before leaving after becoming party leader in 2015. An investigation by the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism (CAA), shared with the Mail, has now revealed that the Labour leader had a friendly relationship with its founder.

Mrs Green, a Labour member, was placed under investigation a year ago after her anti-Semitic comments came to light

He regularly commented on and liked Mrs Greens posts on her general Facebook page. He also organised an event with her in his office, then apologised on her page for missing it.

Although he rarely posted on social media before becoming leader, he discussed poetry online with her and wished her a wonderful time on her holiday in Cuba. She, in turn, referred to conversations in person with him. Mrs Green is also close to key members of Mr Corbyns circle. She has been pictured with Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott and boasts of face-to-face discussions with Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell.

Mr Corbyns spokesman said the party leader was not aware of any anti-Semitic remarks on the group but Mrs Green regularly posted comments that were offensive to Jewish people.

She once commented on a post saying no friend of Israel should be able to stand as an MP in Westminster, adding: The time must surely come.

She shared a post suggesting the BBC employed obnoxious Jews in order to encourage anti-Semitism, adding that this could even be true.

Mrs Green is also a member of the group Jewish Voice for Labour, which, during last years Labour conference, hosted a speaker who said questioning the Holocaust was acceptable.

Joseph Glasman, of the CAA, said: Jeremy Corbyn said he was added to the group by an acquaintance but in fact it was his intimate friend Elleanne Green, a prolific disseminator of extreme anti-Semitic material.

In doing this, he takes the public for fools, drags the Labour Party into further disrepute and causes yet more fear and anguish for British Jews.

Labour said it had suspended some members of the party who had posted in the group.

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said: The only contact Jeremy can recall having with Elleanne Green is limited to a few Facebook exchanges.

Mrs Green said last night: Jeremy Corbyn does not have an anti-Semitic bone in his body and nor do I. The Labour Party is an anti-racist organisation.
Striking lecturers who refuse to help with exams this summer will be in breach of their contracts, the universities minister has warned.

Sam Gyimah said the academics union has no mandate to force exam cancellations - meaning anyone doing so would leave themselves vulnerable to disciplinary action.

His comments follow threats from the University and College Union (UCU) to cause maximum disruption to this years exam season as part of a dispute over pensions.

Sam Gyimah said the academics union has no mandate to force exam cancellations - meaning anyone doing so would leave themselves vulnerable to disciplinary action

It is feared they could ask members to strike on exam days or refuse to mark papers.

The moves would mean chaos for students, who have already endured 14 days of missed teaching due to strikes so far.

Missing out on key exams could mean delays in graduating, and may hamper job applications.

But yesterday, Mr Gyimah said the unions threats were empty because the mandate they had got for strikes from their members did not specifically cover exam disruption.

Missing out on key exams could mean delays in graduating, and may hamper job applications (pictured: Protesters)

He said: Under the UCU current mandate for strike action, they have no remit to directly disrupt students exams.

It is thought that even if staff hold a strike on an exam day, non-academic staff and non-union members can be drafted in to invigilate the tests.

Lecturers would be expected to mark exams on non-strike days too.

And even if they refuse, assessments and exam scrips legally belong to universities - meaning they could hold on to them until the dispute is over to get them marked.

The government anticipates that unless there are extreme circumstances, all students should be able to submit assessments and take their exams this year.

However, the minister also called on universities to help minimise any trouble caused to students on strike days this summer.

No students future prospects should be put at risk as a result of this dispute, he said.

Providers should be taking steps to minimise any disruption or impact on their students studies.

While I welcome the efforts that some universities are already taking to do that, I am calling on all universities involved to be crystal clear and set out what action they are taking.

The government anticipates that unless there are extreme circumstances, all students should be able to submit assessments and take their exams this year (pictured: Protesters)

He said he was deeply concerned about the impact on students of the ongoing strikes and was disappointed about the collapse of talks last week.

And he reiterated calls for students to be compensated by universities if their experience has been seriously affected.

I call on all sides to redouble their efforts to reach a constructive agreement that will protect students education, he added.

The dispute involving 65 universities centres on proposals to slash the benefits of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pension scheme.

UCU says this would leave a typical lecturer almost 10,000 a year worse off in retirement than under the current set-up.

Last week, Universities UK, which represents vice chancellors, offered a compromise on the pensions changes, but it was rejected by UCU members.

Yesterday, UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: We share the ministers concerns about disruption to students education.

The only way this dispute will be sorted is with the employers presenting an improved offer.

Students do not want universities to try to implement contingency plans to mitigate the impact of action - they want the dispute sorted.

We have an incredibly strong mandate for 14 days of more strikes that will impact on the exam and assessment period.
An 11-year-old girl has been struck and killed by a freight train while playing with friends on tracks on New Zealand's north island.

The friends were playing on the rail bridge at Ngaruawahia when they heard the sound of the train's horn and quickly tried to flee.

Unable to get out of the Auckland-bound train's path quick enough, the young girl was hit and knocked to the ground below.

An 11-year-old girl has been struck and killed by a train on the rail bridge at Ngaruawahia (pictured) on New Zealand's north island

The scene of the accident is a popular spot for locals to jump off into the Waikato River below

The tragedy happened in the town of Ngaruawahia, about 90 minutes south of Auckland on Sunday evening.

Paramedics quickly attended the accident, but the girl died at the scene with her family arriving shortly afterwards.

KiwiRail CEO Peter Reidy told Radio New Zealand the popularity of the bridge as a spot for local children to jump into the Waikato River made the tragedy 'many years in the making'.

'Young children are accessing the track to jump off the bridge, so this (death) has been many years in the making,'he told the station.

'We've spent a significant amount of money on fencing, anti-trespassing measures and we have weekly inspections of the area.

'This is a situation where local youth will use cars to drag the fencing off.'

On social media, members of the tight-knit Ngaruawahia have paid tribute to the girl who was part of a large local family.

KiwiRail CEO Peter Reidy told Radio New Zealand the popularity of the bridge as a spot for local children to jump into the Waikato River made the tragedy 'many years in the making'

'So sorry for your loss at this time, so very sad, I would like to do some baking for the whanau,' said one sympathetic local.

A number of family members are said to have turned out at the scene on Sunday night where a marquee was soon erected for their privacy.

A report on the incident is currently being prepared for the Coroner.
An irate McDonald's customer has been filmed launching an extraordinary tirade at a female employee during a dispute over the payment of an ice cream.

The man waved his arms and shouted at the worker at the Hougang Mall in Singapore, complaining he was too eagerly asked to pay for his dessert.

'What service is this, tell me. Is the McDonald's service like that?' he said in the online video, which has since gone viral.

The employee repeatedly apologised to the man and tried to calm him, explaining the incident as a 'miscommunication.'

'Don't tell me sorry. I am very angry. What! I haven't order finish, money money money, what is this?' the man fired back.

'Miscommunication? And keep on asking, money where? Money where?'

Later, the customer took cash from his wallet and slammed it on the counter.

An irate McDonald's customer has been filmed launching an extraordinary tirade at a female employee during a dispute over the payment of an ice cream

'What? I got no money to pay for this ice cream? Money? I got no money to pay for the ice cream? F***!,' he yelled.

Caren Choo, who filmed the video, said she had been sitting nearby when she heard the commotion.

'The woman he was shouting at was an old lady. I felt, even if she did something wrong, he should just let it go after he scolded her,' Ms Choo told The Straits Times.

Ms Choo said the man eventually paid for the ice cream and left, before returning moments later with the half-eaten cone.

'He said it was not the flavour he ordered,' she told the publication.

'The manager was very accommodating and said she would change the flavour, but he didn't take a new cone and just left.'

The man (pictured) waved his arms and shouted at the worker at the Hougang Mall in Singapore

A McDonald's spokesperson told NewsAsia it was aware of Thursday's incident.

'While our employees strive to do their best everyday to serve our customers with care, we also hope that any unintended misunderstandings can be resolved amicably,' the said.

'We believe that under any circumstance, our employees - just like any human being - should be treated with respect, and do not deserve to be shouted at in the manner as portrayed in the video.'
Rick Thorburn, foster father of Tiahleigh Palmer, will plead guilty to murdering the Gold Coast schoolgirl.

Thorburn's lawyer told the Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday Thorburn, 57, would enter a plea on May 25 to murdering the 12-year-old and disposing of her body.

Tiahleigh's body was found on the banks of the Pimpama River in October 2015, six days after she went missing while in the care of Thorburn and his family.

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Thorburn's lawyer told the Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday Thorburn, 57, would enter a plea on May 25 to murdering the 12-year-old (pictured) and disposing of her body

Tiahleigh's body was found on the banks of the Pimpama River in October 2015, six days after she went missing while in the care of Thorburn (pictured) and his family

Pictured are police divers searching the Pimpama river on the Gold Coast a week after Tiahleigh's body was found

Her foster father was arrested and charged in September 2016, and in July 2017 was committed to stand trial for murder.

Thorburn's lawyer, told the court next month's pre-trial hearing should be dismissed and requested a sentencing date, ABC News reported.

Thorburn, who was not in court on Monday, will also plead guilty to a charge of perjury relating to lies he told about the young girl's disappearance, his lawyer said.

A pre-trial hearing later this week where Thorburn was expected to seek a judge-only trial because of publicity around the high-profile case has been cancelled.

Tiahleigh's (pictured) death led to reviews of protocols on cases of children who go missing while in out-of-home care

Rick Thorburn, foster father of Tiahleigh Palmer (pictured), will plead guilty to murdering the Gold Coast schoolgirl

Rick Thorburn (pictured, left, with Joshua, second left, Julene, second right, and Trent, right) remains in custody and is facing a life sentence for the murder

Thorburn, who was not in court on Monday, will also plead guilty to a charge of perjury relating to lies he told about the young girl's disappearance, his lawyer said (pictured is Thorburn's son Trent)

Thorburn remains in custody and is facing a life sentence for the murder.

Trent Thorburn, Rick's 20-year-old son, was released in January after serving 16 months in jail for incest, perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Julene Thorburn, Rick's wife, was jailed for 18 months in jail for perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice over Tiahleigh's death.

Joshua Thorburn, Rick's other son, pleaded guilty to perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice and was jailed for three months in July 2017.

Tiahleigh's death led to reviews of protocols on cases of children who go missing while in out-of-home care.

Tiahleigh's foster father was arrested and charged in September 2016, and in July 2017 was committed to stand trial for murder

Trent Thorburn (pictured), Rick Thorburn's 20-year-old son, was released in January after serving 16 months in jail for incest, perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice
One of the tycoons in line to share 285million if they get their hands on GKN was yesterday forced to defend their actions.

After a firestorm of criticism at the threat to the leading British engineering firm, Simon Peckham said they would only divide up the vast sum if they met tough expansion targets.

Mr Peckham, chief executive of predator Melrose, said: Some think we buy GKN and get handed a 285million cheque. It. Is. Not. True.

Executives and founders of Melrose from left to right: Simon Peckham, David Roper, Chris Miller and Geoff Martin

His counter-attack came after a huge backlash against Melroses hostile 8.1billion takeover bid for GKN, the UKs biggest and most bitter such battle in a decade.

There are now only ten days to decide the fate of GKN, which employs around 58,000 people around the world, including 6,000 in the UK.

The bid has been rejected by GKNs board as cheap and opportunistic, while Melroses strategy of selling firms on within three to five years has raised widespread concerns.

Melrose have launched a hostile 8.1billion takeover bid for leading British engineering firm GKN

Last week MPs from all parties called on ministers to block Melroses bid. They lined up alongside the Daily Mails campaign to save GKN and highlighted the defence giants critical importance to UK industry.

Melroses bid was dealt a major blow last week when GKNs biggest customer, Airbus, said it would be practically impossible to give GKN more work if it was bought out by Melrose because the short-term approach of Melrose was not suited to the aviation sector.

Melrose's 'hard man' is Simon Peckham, a 55-year-old lawyer, pictured is his 10.3 million West London home

And four major shareholders are now publicly backing GKN. The Government is considering whether it should intervene, given 259-year-old GKNs work on the US-UK joint strike fighter F-35 and Eurofighter Typhoon.

Details of the 285million incentive scheme are revealed in company documents as the investment firm tries to convince shareholders to vote for the takeover. Yesterday Mr Peckham, 55, hit back at criticism over the scheme in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph.

To earn that amount Melrose would have to do the same of amount of value creation in two years as GKN has done in 250 years  wed have to add 6billion. Mr Peckham said he will gain nothing from the GKN takeover until its market value has increased by 1billion.

He is sensitive to the charge that Melrose is simply a turnaround firm that buys and sells companies.While we might not own a company forever, while we do own it we treat it as if we were going to own it forever, he said.

Mr Peckham, David Roper, 67, and Christopher Miller, 66, founded Melrose and then listed it on the stock market in 2003. They were joined in 2005 by finance director Geoffrey Martin, 50. They all own large stakes in the firm.

Under a bonus scheme agreed last year, the top four directors will be awarded shares based on how much Melrose is worth as a company.

Christopher Miller, 66, is an accountant by training and is the executive chairman of Melrose. Pictured is his 5.5 million west London home

David Roper, 67, is known as 'The Grinder' and is the executive vice chairman of Melrose. Pictured is his 9 million pound home in south London

Analysts believe they are aiming to add 5.6billion to the value of the investment firm after the deal, putting them in line for 285million. Melrose, which is worth 4billion, has itself talked about creating a firm worth 10billion.

Support for GKNs fight against the Melrose takeover has grown, with two more major shareholders speaking out against the bid.

Pelham Capital and Sanderson Asset Management, which are among the 20 shareholders with the biggest stakes in GKN, both said Melroses offer undervalues the engineering firm.

Jupiter Asset Management and Lancaster Investment Management went on the record late last week with their backing for GKN.

One shareholder, Aviva Investors, has said publicly that it is backing Melrose. The bid deadline is on March 29.
The BBC has cancelled its big FM radio switch off  meaning listeners have wasted money on expensive digital sets.

Analogue signals were due to begin to be turned off in 2015 under Government plans, forcing millions to tune in to digital.

But the proposals were put on hold amid fears that not enough listeners had switched to Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) radios.

The BBC have decided not to switch off FM over fears that it could leave motorists with no choice but to abandon radio (FILE photo)

Despite advances in technology, digital signals are still patchy in some parts of the country and suffer a time delay.

Now, Bob Shennan, the BBCs director of radio and music, will announce that FM will continue as part of a hybrid future with DAB and the internet.

The decision will come as welcome news to millions of motorists and analogue listeners, who rely on FM to catch their favourite programmes.

However, it will be met with dismay from the many who have wasted money on expensive DAB radio sets, which cost up to 150, in anticipation of a switchover. A lot of cars are not fitted with DAB radios, and converter kits cost around 100.

In addition, many homes have multiple radios and switching them all to digital could cost hundreds of pounds.

Mr Shennan will tell a radio industry conference in Vienna today: We all once thought that DAB was the only digital future of radio, but audiences want choice.

We now know DAB is important, but only part of the story, along with FM and the internet. We need to do more before we consider a switchover in the UK, and for that to be genuinely audience-led.

Mr Shennans appeal for unity indicates an increasing fear at the BBC over the ever-widening choice for audiences online. Last year, commercial stations gained a higher share of the population than the BBC for the first time. They have been aided by the increased choice offered by DAB and the internet.

Not enough people have switched over to DAB and digital signals in some parts of the country are still patchy and suffer from time lags

Mr Shennan will also say that 5G mobile internet coverage has the potential to transform radio, but that its future relies on the industry to stick together. He will also express fears that the growth of in-car apps such as Spotify and Apple Music could threaten radio.

The worry is that switching off FM could leave motorists with no choice but to abandon radio altogether. Analogue radio was originally set to begin turning off in 2015 under Government plans. But a weak take-up of DAB, on which stations such as BBC 6 Music are available, meant the proposals were put on hold, and ministers said a switchover would begin after digital audiences accounted for half of overall listening.

That threshold has already passed, with DAB now accounting for 36 per cent and the internet more than 50 per cent.

It comes after BBC deputy director general Anne Bulford asked the commercial television industry for greater collaboration to tackle the threat from Netflix and Amazon. A BBC spokesman said: We remain fully committed to DAB as part of our distribution strategy but we must also take account of the needs of our audience across a range of platforms.
Soldiers cleaning up the mess left behind after a Russian spy was attacked with a nerve agent have removed a taxi thought to have brought his daughter to visit him.

Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia remain critically in hospital two weeks after they were poisoned by a Russian 'Novichok' nerve agent in Salisbury city centre.

Army officials involved in the investigation were today seen removing yet another car, which is thought to have brought Yulia to Salisbury from Heathrow Airport the day before the attack.

The vehicle was examined, tested and removed from Durrington, a village to the north of Salisbury.

It came after American officials said they now have a 'clearer picture' of how the attack was carried out and suggested the nerve agent was put in air vents in Mr Skripal's BMW.

Army experts prepare to remove another car today in the on-going spy poisoning probe

It is understood police and military were testing and removing a car from Durrington, Wiltshire

The vehicle is understood to have brought Ms Skripal from the airport to visit her father

Durrington, to the north of Salisbury, is the latest location which investigators have taken over

This graphic shows Mr Skripal and his daughter's movements around Salisbury on the day of the poisoning

The former Russian spy and his daughter Yulia may have inhaled a 'dust-like' form of the lethal Novichok toxin, three sources claimed

A senior US intelligence figure told ABC News that the toxin was a 'Cold War substance' that the Russian authorities 'claimed never to have.'

Scotland Yard, which is leading the inquiry, refused to comment on the report.

Security expert Philip Ingram called on police to release more information about how the chemical weapon was deployed.

He told MailOnline: 'Exposure via the car ventilation system is plausible - as is it being brought in in Yulia's luggage, or put on the seats of his car, or smeared on the door handles of the car, or on his coat.

'In essence - with the information we have at the moment we could come up with lots of different plausible methods of it being delivered to the Skripals.

'I think it is time for the police to make a statement clarifying if there is a wider threat.'

Theresa May today hit back at Vladimir Putin's dismissal of the British Government's claim that Russia was responsible for the Salisbury spy poisoning.

The Prime Minister said Russia had the capability, motive and intent to carry out such an attack, adding that there can be 'no other conclusion'.

Mrs May, speaking during a visit to Birmingham, said: 'I'm clear that what we have seen shows that there is no other conclusion but that the Russian state is culpable for what happened on the streets of Salisbury.'

Investigators from the international Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) are meeting officials from the Defence laboratory at Porton Down today

Scotland Yard issued the first clear photograph of the former double agent's car, a burgundy BMW (pictured) and are trying to piece together where it was on Sunday 4

Mrs May's comments followed strong words from Boris Johnson, who accused Russia of trying to conceal 'the needle of truth in a haystack of lies' over the case - after Mr Putin dismissed the idea of Russian responsibility as 'nonsense'.

Arriving for a meeting with EU counterparts in Brussels, the Foreign Secretary said Moscow's denials over the incident were 'increasingly absurd' as he accused the Kremlin of changing its story regarding the Novichok nerve agent Britain says was used in the attack.

The gathering of the EU Foreign Affairs Council declared its 'unqualified solidarity' for the UK over the incident.

Experts from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) are arriving in the UK on Monday to take samples of the nerve agent used in the case.

Mr Johnson said: 'At one time they (Russia) say that they never made Novichok, and at another time they say they did make Novichok, but all the stocks have been destroyed ... but some of them have mysteriously escaped to Sweden, or the Czech Republic, or Slovakia, or the United States, or even ... the United Kingdom.

'I think what people can see is that this is a classic Russian strategy of trying to conceal the needle of truth in a haystack of lies and obfuscation.'

Theresa May today hit back at Russian president Vladimir Putin today, saying there can be 'no other conclusion' than that Russia carried out the attack

The sources also told ABC News that as many as 38 people were affected by the nerve agent in Salisbury and more victims are expected. Pictured: Skripal's BMW after the attack

Police officers were wearing protective suits and masks close to the scene where Yulia and Sergei were found

Putin has said claims his country was behind the Salisbury poisoning are 'drivel, rubbish and nonsense' as he won a landslide victory in last night's election

Russian president Vladimir Putin has said claims his country was behind the Salisbury poisoning are 'drivel, rubbish and nonsense' as he won a landslide victory in last night's election.

He contradicted Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's claims earlier in the day that Russia has been stockpiling Novichok - the nerve agent used in the attack.

Will fresh US leaks about UK probe cause trans-Atlantic rift? Yet again, information about an important British investigation has been revealed in the US, rather than by UK authorities. British police have been criticised by residents of Salisbury over the lack of information revealed since the nerve attack in the city centre. Scotland Yard has released limited information what happened and is yet to say how detectives believe the former spy was poisoned. Yesterday's leaking of information by US officials follows a similar incident after last year's Manchester Arena bombing, where photos of the scene of the terror attack were given to the New York Times. French officials also released details about the bomber before British police. Following that episode, Home Secretary Amber Rudd said she was 'irritated' by US leaks, but Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said it would not stop UK authorities sharing information with US agencies. Advertisement

Putin said Russia has 'destroyed all chemical weapons' as he gave a victory speech in Red Square, during which he also pledged to work with British police over Salisbury.

Johnson claimed Russia has kept producing Novichok as the row over the Salisbury attack escalated.

He added: 'With regards to this tragedy, the first thing that came to my mind: If this was a military substance, they would have died straight away. You have to understand that. Second, we don't have chemical weapons.

'We've gotten rid of that, unlike some of our international partners.'

Russia is 'ready to cooperate,' he explained, stressing: 'We are ready to take part in the necessary investigations, but for that there needs be a desire from the other side, and we don't see that yet. But we are not taking it off the agenda, joint efforts are possible.

'As a whole, of course, I think 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. It's just unthinkable.'

The Foreign Secretary said the UK had evidence that development of the nerve agent had continued over the past 10 years - despite Moscow's claims to have destroyed it.

Mr Johnson also revealed that chemical experts will be coming to the UK tomorrow to check the samples from the scene of the attempted murder of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Vladimir Putin, pictured voting in Moscow for presidential elections today, has denied Russia was involved in the 'hit' but made thinly-veiled threats at 'traitors'

On the BBC's Andrew Marr show today, Boris Johnson said the UK had evidence that development of the nerve agent had continued over the past 10 years - despite Moscow's claims to have destroyed it

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr show, Mr Johnson said: 'We actually have evidence within the last ten years that Russia has not only been investigating the delivery of nerve agents for the purposes of assassination but has also been creating and stockpiling Novichok.'

Yesterday it was revealed the critically ill daughter of poisoned Russian spy Sergei Skripal was dating a secret service agent.

Yulia, 33, was with her father when the pair were attacked with a nerve agent in Salisbury, Wiltshire, two weeks ago.

The pair collapsed in the city and are still fighting for their lives in hospital following the incident which shocked the world.

It has now emerged that Yulia was in a stormy relationship with a man who is believed to have been working for Vladimir Putin.

According to The Sun on Sunday, the unnamed man's mother was also a 'high ranked' security agent working in Moscow.

It has now been revealed that Yulia (pictured with her father Sergei) was in a relationship with a secret service agent

Yulia (pictured with her father) was not liked by her boyfriend's mother who was also a security agent in Russia

Sergei, 66, (pictured) enjoyed drinking in Salisbury and was attacked with a nerve agent in the city with his daughter

The revelation that he was working for the Russian president's security network adds weight to any suggestion she was deliberately targeted along with her father.

Meanwhile, it is also believed that Yulia worked in the US Embassy in Moscow while she was in the on-off relationship with her boyfriend.

It comes as Moscow retaliated by expelling 23 British diplomats on Saturday - just days after Theresa May authorised the same sanction.

According to Russian media, her boyfriend was not introduced to her friends and was a 'shadowy' character.

Newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda added: 'Her friends we managed to talk to say that they have only seen him in photographs.

'A couple mentioned that he allegedly works for Russian special services.'

And images of the pair which Yulia uploaded to social media have since been deleted.

On Sunday, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said that experts from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will come to the UK.

They will arrive in Britain on Monday to test samples of the nerve agent used in the poisoning.

The Sun on Sunday reports that the woman who bought the family's flat in Moscow for 165,000 said the former Holiday Inn employee had 'issues in her love life'.

The woman, named Tamara, said: 'She complained about her on-off boyfriend and said she struggled to make their relationship work.'

Yulia worked in the information centre at US Embassy which is thought to have angered her boyfriend's mother who was not pleased her son was dating the daughter of Mr Skripal.

She 'did not accept her' and thought that she would end up betraying her son because she is the 'daughter of the traitor', according to Mr Skripal's 45-year-old niece Victoria.

She also claimed that her boyfriend's mother may have planned the Novichok gas attack, according to the newspaper.

Police set up a forensic tent close to where the pair were found collapsed in Salisbury city centre

Yulia worked at a private school in her hometown of Moscow before moving to Southampton where she worked at Holiday Inn.

She later returned to the Russian capital to work for huge global brands Nike and PepsiCo.

Around 250 specialist counter-terror officers are working on the case and have taken statements from 400 witnesses, recovered 762 exhibits and trawled through 4,000 hours of CCTV footage.

A timeline produced by the Met shows that they know Skripal's daughter arrived at Heathrow on a flight from Russia at 2.40pm on Saturday, the day before the attack.

One theory is that the nerve agent Novichok was somehow hidden in her luggage by a hit squad acting on the orders of President Vladimir Putin, so that it would strike Skripal when his daughter unpacked.

And Labour shadow attorney general Shami Chakrabarti today called for 'economic measures' to target dirty money in the wake of the Salisbury poisoning.

Ms Chakrabarti, appearing on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, reaffirmed Labour's position that the incident was either a 'loss of control' or a 'malevolent attack' by the Russian state.

The Labour peer also refuted claims her party was divided on the issue, saying the frontbench was united.
China Eastern Airlines has strongly denied rumours that its staff were filmed enjoying a wild orgy in a Spanish karaoke room.

Raunchy sex tapes emerged on Chinese social media network Weibo purporting to show at least six naked flight attendants having sex and dancing in Madrid.

Rumours began to circulate that the four women and two men filmed in the video worked for China Eastern Airlines.

China Eastern Airlines has strongly denied rumours that its staff were filmed enjoying a wild orgy in a Spanish karaoke room

Raunchy sex tapes emerged on Chinese social media network Weibo purporting to show at least six naked flight attendants having sex and dancing in Madrid

A statement allegedly issued by China Eastern claims the video does not show any employees, and appears to have been filmed in Africa.

The airline also claims those who created the video and shared it on social media have set out to deliberate harm the company's reputation.

The videos have been censored in China and taken off Weibo.

Despite being banned in China the videos have made their way onto Twitter.

Rumours began to circulate that the four women and two men filmed in the video worked for China Eastern Airlines

A statement allegedly issued by China Eastern claims the video does not show any employees, and appears to have been filmed in Africa

They show naked men and woman having sex while a television flashes in the background.

Tweets of the videos mention China Eastern by name in the captions.

'Eastern Airlines 6p' and 'Eastern Airlines' are the top searches on Weibo according to Free Weibo.

Some social media users have suggested the videos may have been recorded at an exclusive spa in Thailand, rather than Madrid or Africa.

They have also claimed that those filmed are prostitutes rather than airline staff.

'China Eastern' is the second-most censored term on Weibo behind eye-rolling reporter Liang Xiangyi, Medium reported.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted China Eastern Airlines for comment.
A personal trainer caught with steroids, cannabis, knuckle dusters and a telescopic baton has been let off with a $950 fine.

Daniel Fitts, 31, was busted after police raided his Townsville home in February.

They found seven syringes filled with liquid testosterone, 50 blue steroid pills, eight grams of cannabis and hundreds of prescription tablets alongside the illegal weapons.

Personal trainer Daniel Fitts (pictured) who works with criminals has been caught with steroids, cannabis knuckle dusters and a telescopic baton

Daniel Fitts (pictured), 31, was busted after police raided his Townsville home in February

Defending himself in court on Wednesday, Fitts said he used the cannabis for medication after getting injured in a car crash.

He admitted injecting the testosterone, possessing prescription medication without a doctors approval and taking the steroids which he said was common practice in the fitness industry.

The instructor, who posts motivational videos on YouTube, said the weapons were 'never intended to be used as weapons but just a very poor choice of souvenirs.'

Fitts begged the judge at Townsville Magistrates' Court not to record a conviction because that would stop him working with offenders.

Defending himself in court on Wednesday, Fitts (pictured) said he used the cannabis for medication after getting injured in a car crash

He admitted injecting the testosterone, possessing prescription medication without a doctors approval and taking the steroids which he said was common practice in the fitness industry

'I work in Stuart prison and the irony of stopping these guys from doing this kind of thing has been a massive wake-up call and reality check,' he said.

Fitts pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a dangerous drug, possessing drug utensils, possessing a restricted drug, possessing a restricted item and possessing a weapon, reported the Townsville Bulletin.

The judge fined him $950 and did not record a conviction.
A drone put 130 lives at risk when it came close to hitting a passenger jet as it approached Gatwick, according to a report today.

The pilot of the Airbus A319 reported that the 'very large' craft passed directly over its right wing in the incident last July.

It was one of 92 near misses between aircraft and drones recorded last year, according to data from the UK Airprox Board.

The figures reveal such incidents have more than tripled in two years. There were 71 near misses with drones in 2016 and 29 in 2015.

A drone put 130 lives at risk when it came close to hitting a passenger jet as it approached Gatwick, according to a report today (file photo)

Steve Landells, safety specialist at the pilots' union Balpa, believes the true extent of the problem could be even worse as pilots might not always see drones from cockpits.

Twenty-eight near misses in the past year were classified as having the most serious risk of a collision.

Near misses between aircraft and drones have more than tripled in just two years.

Some 92 incidents were recorded in 2017, according to Press Association analysis of UK Airprox Board (UKAB) data.

This is compared with 71 during the previous 12 months and 29 in 2015.

Former RAF and British Airways pilot Steve Landells, flight safety specialist at pilots' union Balpa, described the figures as 'very worrying'.

He believes the true extent of the problem could be even more severe as pilots struggle to see drones from cockpits.

'It's really hard to see something that small,' he said.

The pilot of the Airbus A319 (similar to the one pictured, though it is unknown which airline operated the flight) reported that the 'very large' craft passed directly over its right wing in the incident last July

'There's a possibility there are a lot more near misses that aren't being seen,' he said.

'This could just be the tip of the iceberg.'

Twenty-eight near misses in the past year were classified as having the most serious risk of a collision.

These included incidents near the London airports of Heathrow, Gatwick and London City, as well as Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool and Bristol.

Mr Landells explained that pilots are particularly concerned about near misses which occur when they are preparing to land.

'It's a critical stage of the flight and you really don't need to be distracted,' he said.

It was one of 92 near misses between aircraft and drones recorded last year, according to data from the UK Airprox Board. Pictured: Gatwick Airport, where the near miss happened

'If you see a drone flying past your cockpit it's a real shock to the system.

'Anything that distracts you from getting the aircraft down on the ground is a safety hazard.'

A study part-funded by the Department for Transport found that a drone weighing 2kg could critically damage a plane windscreen in the event of a mid-air collision.

Available for as little as 30 and often boasting built-in cameras, sales of the gadgets have risen sharply in recent years.

Drone users must follow restrictions on flying near airports, people and built-up areas.

The Government is due to publish a draft Drone Bill in the coming months which will require users to register and sit safety awareness tests.
Hundreds of homes have been evacuated overnight after a car crashed into an energy plant and caused a 'pungent' gas leak.

Residents in Croydon, south London were forced to abandon their homes and seek shelter in a local Sainsburys and Salvation Army church.

Several people took to social media to reveal how they were out into the snow with some describing the gas leak as 'pungent'.

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Residents were forced to take shelter in a Sainsburys after hundreds of homes in Croydon were evacuated because of a gas leak

Croydon Metropolitan Police confirmed that the incident is not being treated as suspicious and there are no injuries.

Just after 1am, police tweeted: 'The emergency services remain on scene following a gas leak in Whitestone Way in Croydon. A number of homes have been evacuated as a precaution. No injuries.

'A 250 metre cordon is in place, there are road closures and motorists are advised to avoid the area.'

A video posted on YouTube showed a number of residents evacuated to Sainsburys.

The London Fire Brigade, and ambulance service also attended the scene and a 25 metre cordon remains in place in the area.

Residents took to Twitter to reveal how they had been forced to abandon their homes with very little possessions.

Sarah Ellis commented: 'Suddenly that time I got stranded in Luxembourg doesn't seem so bad compared to tonight. At least I had a suitcase full of clothes and toiletries then.'

A cordon was put up around the area with cars stopped from entering and people forced to mill about in the snow

Emma Well-Jones praised the emergency services but said: 'I wish we packed a bag of essentials but didn't realise it was this serious. We've checked in to a hotel.. no toothbrush, hair brush or change of clothes. We didn't even pack a phone charger. Thankfully everyone is safe though.'

Footage shared on social media showed hundreds of evacuated people milling around in the snow as they waited for an update.

Croydon council released the following statement: 'The council is currently supporting officers from the Metropolitan Police and London Fire Brigade who are dealing with an incident at Whitestone Way. We have set up a rest centre for residents who have been evacuated as a precaution.

'All other residents in the area are advised to stay in their homes unless told otherwise by the police.'
Winston Churchill was involved in activities which could today be considered war crimes, a BBC historian has claimed.

David Olusoga, who co-presents the new Civilisations series, said that while he accepted Churchill was a national hero, almost all historical figures did good and bad.

He also said those who criticise historical statues  such as ones of Cecil Rhodes in Oxford and Edward Colston in Bristol  should not be dismissed as snowflakes because they have legitimate voices.

David Olusoga, who co-presents the new Civilisations series, said that while he accepted Churchill was a national hero, almost all historical figures did good and bad

We are entering a period of history wars in which accepted versions of Britains past are being challenged, Mr Olusoga told the Oxfordshire Literary Festival.

So while Im personally glad that Churchill overcame Halifax in early 1940 and it was Churchill who faced the Nazis that year and the years that followed, that doesnt mean that he wasnt somebody that wasnt responsible, or largely responsible, for the Bengal famine [of 1943-44].

It doesnt mean that he wasnt someone who took part in things we would consider war crimes in Africa. It doesnt mean that his views, the things he espoused, were shocking to members of his Cabinet, never mind to people at the time. Both of those things are true. Both of those Churchills exist. Were going to have to accommodate the fact that these things are true, and there are two sides to these stories and were not good at it.

Mr Olusoga said: So while Im personally glad that Churchill overcame Halifax in early 1940 and it was Churchill who faced the Nazis that year and the years that followed, that doesnt mean that he wasnt somebody that wasnt responsible, or largely responsible, for the Bengal famine [of 1943-44]'

He said that people are brought up with a certain version of British history so that some subjects become sacrosanct.

Certain people, we only want to hear the good things that they do. Certain events, we only want to hear the stories that were familiar with, he added.

And other people want to tell different stories, so we have this conflict. I think these are the history wars we are having.

He gave the example of the statue to slaver trader Edward Colston in Bristol. One woman told him she felt humiliated by a statue of someone who owned and killed her ancestors towering over her as she cycled to work.

He added: I think were struggling to come to terms with the fact that things were familiar with actually mean something to somebody else and its a real challenge.

Mr Olusoga, whose father is Nigerian, went on to discuss the British Empire, and said countries such as China and India havent forgotten how it treated them

Their voices are legitimate and their feelings mean something and they arent snowflakes and they arent trying to end history.

They have a real case. Its partly because we get into this idea of heroes.

Mr Olusoga, whose father is Nigerian, went on to discuss the British Empire, and said countries such as China and India havent forgotten how it treated them.

He said: They havent forgotten. We dont get the right to choose which bits we remember. This idea that these histories are dormant is naive. The holding back of the tide of acknowledging and apologising is doomed to the weight of whats coming.

There are statues all over this country of people that have a different reputation in countries that are critical to our future.
Alexander Perepilichny (pictured) died suddenly without being tested for nerve agent

The bodies of Russian exiles who unexpectedly died in Britain could be exhumed to test for nerve agent poisoning after Boris Johnson claimed yesterday that Moscow has been stockpiling Novichok - which was used in the Salisbury attack.

At least two dissidents remains are likely to be re-examined, after both Badri Patarkatsishvili and Alexander Perepilichny died suddenly without being tested for nerve agent.

Badri Patarkatsishvili was found dead in his 10million mansion in Leatherhead, Surrey, in February 2008.

Weeks earlier, the 52-year-old told police he feared he would be assassinated. The tycoon, who was a business partner of Vladimir Putin's nemesis, Boris Berezovsky, said he believed his political enemies wanted him dead and that a four-strong team of hitmen had been activated to kill him.

Mr Berezovsky was also found dead in 2013 in Sunninghill, Berkshire.

A friend, who wished to remain unnamed for fear of the consequences, told the Telegraph: 'The Home Office must consider exhuming Badri's body. They never did the toxicological report on Badri.

'Surrey police just said he had a bad heart and had a heart attack. But I had seen him before his death and he was absolutely fine. The next day he was gone.'

It was also revealed that tests for a nerve agent were not done in the case of Alexander Perepilichny, 43.

Mr Perepilichny, who had been investigating a Russian money-laundering scheme linked to the Krelim, collapsed after going for a run near his home in Surrey in 2012.

At the time, officers said the death appeared not to be suspicious although they were unable to determine the reason behind the tragedy.

An associate has now called for his body to also be exhumed: 'He was never tested for nerve agent.'

Badri Patarkatsishvili (right) was found dead in his 10 million mansion in Leatherhead, Surrey, in February 2008. The tycoon was a business partner of Vladimir Putin's nemesis, Boris Berezovsky (centre), who was also found dead in 2013 in Sunninghill, Berkshire

Foreign Secretary, Mr Johnson, said Moscow has been investigating ways of using nerve agents for assassination over the last decade in a breach of international rules.

Mr Johnson told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show: 'We actually have evidence within the last 10 years that Russia has not only been investigating the delivery of nerve agents for the purposes of assassination, but has also been creating and stockpiling Novichok.'

Yet Russian president Vladimir Putin has said claims his country was behind the Salisbury poisoning are 'drivel, rubbish and nonsense' as he won a landslide victory in yesterday's election.

Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were poisoned with Novichok in Salisbury, Wiltshire, two weeks ago, and are still fighting for their lives in hospital following the incident.

Independent inspectors will arrive in the UK on Monday to test the substance used in the Salisbury attack, but the results will take at least two weeks.

And Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, has called for a fresh inquiry into a total of 14 deaths, including those of Mr Perepilichny, Mr Berezovsky and Mr Patarkatsishvili.
Television icon Frankie J Holden has revealed his popular caravan park has been damaged by fire ripped through their tiny coastal town - but he won't know what is left until he is allowed to return to the site.

Holden and his soapie star wife Michelle Pettigrove moved to Tathra on the NSW south coast three years ago and bought the beachside caravan park  one of three parks in the pretty coastal town.

The Tathra Beachside park was in the direct line of a bushfire which ripped through the coastal town on Sunday, destroying more than 70 homes.

But as fire fighters worked to control the blaze on Monday, the stars and their guests are no closer to knowing what they will go back to.

Soapie stars Frankie J Holden and Michelle Pettigrove are among the hundreds of people who have been displaced after a bushfire ripped through their country town

The couple who moved to Tathra on the NSW south coast three years ago bought the beachside caravan park  one of three parks in the pretty coastal town

There have been some reports the park was destroyed in the blaze, as guest fled along the beach however these have not yet been confirmed as access to the town is difficult

'We know we have lost some cabins,' the couple wrote on Facebook.

But they are still unclear of the details.

'It is still unsafe to enter Tathra. We will update you with more information as soon as we have it.'

There have been some reports the park was destroyed in the blaze, as guest fled along the beach however these have not yet been confirmed as access to the town is difficult.

A pre-recorded message on the holiday park's answering machine says it is 'another beautiful day' in the region.

The couple have urged guests with upcoming bookings to stay home until they know how much damage has been done to the property.

There have been some reports the park was destroyed in the blaze, as guest fled along the beach however these have not yet been confirmed as access to the town is difficult

There are three caravan parks on the beachside in Tathra - the owners have not been able to return to the area

Frankie J Holden first shot to fame as frontman for the Australian retro-rock band Ol' 55 before becoming an actor - appearing in Prisoner and Round the Twist.

His wife Michelle Pettigrove is well known for her role as Kate Bryant in A Country Practice. The couple live at the park with their teenage daughter.

Former guest have responded to the couple's Facebook posts wishing them well.

'Thinking of all the people in Tathra and your holiday park losses. Having just been through a fire ourselves its horrible and stressful. Stay safe and take care. Lots of love to you all Frankie and Michelle,' one person wrote.

Police have urged locals and holiday makers not to return to town until the area is deemed 'safe' by firefighters

The fire has destroyed dozens of properties in the town

Meanwhile the neighboring Big 4 Park is said to have stood through the blaze which burned through the town on Sunday.

'The owners have lost their home but the park is untouched,' a friend claimed on Facebook.

The third park, Tathra Beach Motor Village was also damaged in the firestorm with the reception area being burnt out - but the owners told Daily Mail Australia they won't know the extent of the damage until they're allowed back into town.

Police have urged locals and holiday makers not to return to town until the area is deemed 'safe' by firefighters.
ISIS fighters in the Philippines could soon launch suicide bombings and chemical attacks in Australia, an expert has warned.

Alan Dupont, chief strategist and defence analyst for The Cognoscenti Group, said ISIS soldiers are regrouping for an offensive in the southern Philippines.

If they establish a state as they did in Iraq and Syria, this would pose a risk to national security and increase the threat of death and destruction on Australian soil.

ISIS fighters in the Philippines could soon launch suicide bombings and chemical attacks in Australia, an expert has warned. Pictured: Trucks in Marawi

Alan Dupont, chief strategist and defence analyst for The Cognoscenti Group, said ISIS soldiers are regrouping for an offensive in the southern Philippines. Pictured: Soldiers in Marawi

If ISIS fighters establish a state as they did in Iraq and Syria, this would pose a risk to national security and increase the threat of death and destruction on Australian soil. Pictured: Marines in Marawi

'Those fighters would be upskilled in all kinds of bombmaking and other activities we saw in Iraq and Syria, and those skillsets could then be brought back to Australia and used here,' Dupont told Nine News.

ISIS was defeated in the southern Philippines in October after the five-month battle for Marawi that claimed more than 1,100 lives - but The Philippines Army has recently reported increased jihadist activities in southern towns.

The government said the regrouping of militants in Mindanao, the southern region of the Philippines that has been marred by Islamic and Communist uprisings for decades, was highly dangerous.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said: 'There is always the danger of these groups regaining strength enough to mount another Marawi-like operation.'

ISIS was defeated in the southern Philippines (pictured) in October after the five-month battle for Marawi that claimed more than 1,100 lives - but The Philippines Army has recently reported jihadist increased activities in southern towns

The government said the regrouping of militants in Mindanao, the southern region of the Philippines that has been marred by Islamic and Communist uprisings for decades, was highly dangerous. Pictured: Marawi

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said: 'There is always the danger of these groups regaining strength enough to mount another Marawi-like operation.' Pictured: Marawi

At the moment there are only 80 Australian special forces personnel deployed in the southern Philippines, less than 3,000km north of Darwin.

The Royal Australian Navy has also been active in the area, conducting drills with their Philippine counterparts.

Dupont urged the Australian government to be prepared to do more if required, whether by providing equipment, troops or intelligence.

'The problem in the southern Philippines is probably going to get worse before it gets better,' Dupont predicted.

'Over the next two years we are going to see further deterioration of the security situation.'

In October Philippene soldiers killed 42 militants including two women and five foreign jihadists in the terror group's last stand in the southern city of Marawi.

The conclusion of the conflict ended immediate fears that the extremist terror group would establish a Southeast Asian base in the city. But concerns remain about its longer-term intentions and capabilities in the region.

A five-month battle against ISIS in the southern Philippines that claimed more than 1,100 lives ended in October after a final battle inside a mosque. Soldiers are pictured returning from the front line

More than 40 militants were killed in a battle inside a mosque as the Philippines declared the end of a five-month campaign against ISIS

Hundreds of local and foreign gunmen who had pledged allegiance to ISIS rampaged through Marawi, the principal Islamic city in the mainly Catholic Philippines, on May 23. They then took over parts of the city using civilians as human shields.

An ensuing US-backed military campaign claimed the lives of at least 920 militants, 165 soldiers and 47 civilians, according to the military.

More than 400,000 residents were displaced as near-daily air strikes and intense ground combat left large parts of the city in ruins.

Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (left) with armed forces chief Eduardo Ano (right), answers questions during a press conference in Clark in October

The Philippines' Muslim minority regards the southern Philippines as its ancestral homeland.

Muslim rebels have been battling in the south since the 1970s for independence or autonomy, with that conflict claiming at least 120,000 lives.

The nation's biggest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, is in talks with the government to end the rebellion, and its leaders regularly denounce ISIS.

But there are more extreme groups with no interest in peace, some of which were originally part of the MILF.

Hapilon and Maute led small armed groups that declared their allegiance to ISIS in recent years, and they formed an alliance aimed at taking over Marawi and establishing a regional caliphate for the Middle East-based jihadists.

Duterte imposed martial law across the southern third of the Philippines immediately after the Marawi fighting erupted, saying it was needed to contain IS's influence spreading throughout the region.

At the moment there are only 80 Australian special forces personnel currently deployed in the southern Philippines. Pictured: Marawi
Controversial Muslim youth activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied has been awarded a free speech prize for her offensive Anzac Day post.

A civil liberties group gave the 27-year-old former ABC presenter, who now lives in London, its Young Voltaire Award for 2018.

Liberty Victoria said the Muslim activist and writer, who previously worked as a mechanical engineer for Dutch oil giant Shell, deserved to be recognised for weathering criticism from 'internet trolls, tabloid newspapers and even numerous members of parliament'.

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Controversial Muslim youth activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied has been awarded a free speech prize for her offensive Anzac Day post

Ms Abdel-Magied, who was born in Sudan and grew up in Brisbane, caused a furore in April last year when she published a tweet politicising Anzac Day

'Yassmin refused to give in to fear mongering,' they said.

'Despite being personally targeted by high-profile political figures through inaccurate and racist media reporting, she would not be silenced.'

Ms Abdel-Magied, who was born in Sudan and grew up in Brisbane, caused a furore in April last year when she published a tweet likening Anzac Day to refugees.

'Lest. We. Forget. (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine),' she said.

The hijab-wearing founder of Youth Without Borders quickly deleted that tweet and apologised unreservedly, however, late last year she likened the criticism in Australia she faced to 'dating an abusive guy'.

Liberty Victoria said the Muslim activist and writer deserved to be recognised for weathering criticism from 'internet trolls, tabloid newspapers' and federal politicians

Two months earlier, she declared Islam to be 'the most feminist religion' during a clash on the ABC's Q&A program with former senator Jacqui Lambie.

Ms Abdel-Magied had previously travelled to repressive nations in the Middle East and North Africa as a member of the taxpayer-funded Council for Australian Arab Relations.

But despite going on a taxpayer-trip to promote her book and having a part-time job hosting the ABCs' now axed Australia Wide, she described Australia as a 'neo-liberalist capitalist project'.

She has also accused white Australians of having ancestors who were guilty of 'colonising and enslaving' the world and said the House of Representatives 'does not represent anyone' because most federal lawmakers were white.

Former cabinet minister Eric Abetz last year called on her to 'move to one of these Arab dictatorships' where 'forced marriages, female genital mutilation and sexuality-based executions are legal'.

Media commentator and public relations executive Prue MacSween also joked she would have 'been tempted to run her over, mate'.

Liberty Victoria described Ms Abdel-Magied as a courageous activist 'on topics of race, equality and unconscious bias'.

'She continued to speak out against racism, discrimination and harmful stereotypes,' they said.

Liberty Victoria awarded its Voltaire Award for 2018 to comedian and writer Magda Szubanski for her work campaigning for gay marriage

'Yassmin continues to give voice to the experience of young Muslim women in Australia and beyond.'

Last month, the Australian Human Rights Commission dropped a racism complaint against her, without specifying the nature of the complaint.

Liberty Victoria awarded its Voltaire Award for 2018 to comedian and writer Magda Szubanski for her work campaigning for gay marriage.

The award was named after the eighteenth century French philosopher also known as Francois-Marie Arouet who said: 'I disapprove of what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it'.

English author Evelyn Beatrice Hall in 1906 attributed that phrase to him.

Ms Abdel-Magied's free speech award has been criticised by former federal Labor leader Mark Latham, who noted how she walked out of American writer Lionel Shriver's Brisbane Writers' Festival talk in 2016 after she argued it was appropriate for authors to create characters from different minority groups.

The Muslim activist, who walked out after 20 minutes, later accused Shriver of exploiting the stories of 'others' as part of cultural appropriation.
A helicopter heading for New York that was carrying Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner had to turn back to Washington D.C. after suffering an engine failure.

A report that was released on Sunday evening detailed how the chopper - one of the Trump Organization's Sikorksy helicopters - turned back to Ronald Reagan National Airport shortly after taking off on Thursday afternoon.

President Trump's daughter and her husband, who also works as a senior adviser in the White House, ended up catching a commercial flight back to the city instead.

A helicopter carrying Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner had to return to an airport in Washington on Thursday after one of its engines failed (file photo)

It is not clear whose helicopter Ivanka and Jared were on or why they took a helicopter instead of a plane. Here the couple are pictured boarding Marine One last March (file photo)

Information their reason for heading up to New York were revealed.

The couple ended up taking a commercial flight up to New York in the end. Here they are pictured with their children Joseph and Arabella in March 2017 (file photo)

Apart from the pilot, the only other person on board the aircraft was a member of their security detail.

The Trump Organization owns three Sikorsky S-76B aircraft, two built in 1989 and one built in 1990.

On Monday, Ivanka and Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds will travel to Iowa to promote workforce development.

She will visit the Waukee Innovation and Learning Center in the Des Moines suburb of Waukee to promote the Trump administration's infrastructure plan.

'Workforce development is a critical part of our infrastructure proposal that the White House sent to Congress,' Ivanka said Friday, according to the Des Moines Register.

'Over the past year, Gov. Reynolds and I have worked closely on a number of workforce development initiatives. Gov. Reynolds serves on the task force for apprenticeship expansion and remains an important voice in discussions to increase K-12 STEM and computer science education nationwide,' she added.

While Ivanka will be traveling to Iowa, Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will be in New Hampshire to talk about plans to combat the nation's opioid crisis.
Haley Anderson's (pictured) death was ruled a homicide after her body was found at Orlando Tercero's off-campus apartment near Binghamton University

The father of murdered nursing student Haley Anderson brought friends and family to tears Sunday as he delivered an emotional eulogy at her funeral.

More than 1,000 mourners gathered at Donohue Cecere Funeral Home in Westbury, Long Island on Sunday morning to say goodbye to the 22-year-old, who was found strangled March 9 in the bedroom of an ex-lover and classmate who had reportedly become 'obsessed' with her.

Anderson's father, Gordon Anderson, delivered the heart-wrenching 40-minute eulogy reflecting on the moment he had to clean out his daughter's bedroom following her death.

A quick look about gave great insight into who she was and where she was going: light colors, dreamcatchers, collectibles, keepsakes from good times. The room spoke of happiness, dreams, aspirations, and joy,' he said, according to the New York Post.

'Over the window, straight ahead as you walked in, cut out of wood and painted purple, was the word "love".'

Family and friends gathered at a Long Island funeral home on Sunday to say goodbye to 22-year-old Haley Anderson

Anderson's funeral was held on March 18 at Donohue Cecere Funeral Home in Westbury, Long Island

Anderson's friends Stefanie Lyn Kaufman (left) and Jorge Navarro (center) are outside the funeral home on Sunday. The nursing student was found dead last Friday

Anderson's father, Gordon Anderson, gave a heart-wrenching 40-minute eulogy describing what a 'light' and 'joy' his daughter was. Pictured are mourners at the young woman's funeral

Two women are seen crying outside the Long Island funeral home where friends and family gathered to say goodbye to Anderson

More than 1,000 people attended the young woman's funeral on Sunday

The grieving father encouraged gatherers to 'try and keep that joy when you leave'.

'Leave here with a smile and that warmth that comes with it. Because, simply, thats what Haley would have wanted,' he said.

Mourners sobbed as Gordon Anderson spoke about his daughter. The girl's mom, Karen, and sister, Maddie 'wept and trembled' in the front row,' the Post reports.

Friends, family and classmates of Anderson's were seen embracing and crying outside of the funeral home.

Anderson, a student at Binghamton University in New York, was found dead in jilted former lover and classmate Orlando Tercero's bed.

After her death he fled the country to Nicaragua where he has dual citizenship, and was arrested by Nicaraguan authorities Tuesday.

However, a police report filed on September 16, six months before her death, reveals Anderson was suspicious of Tercero's nature.

A woman is seen emotional sitting on the steps outside the Donohue Cecere Funeral Home

Leave here with a smile and that warmth that comes with it. Because, simply, thats what Haley would have wanted,' Anderson's father Gordon told mourners . Pictured: A mourner leaves the funeral home

Anderson was a nursing student at Binghamton University in New York. She was found in the bedroom of her classmate who is said to have become 'obsessed' with her

Family and friends are seen entering the funeral home Sunday morning to say goodbye to 22-year-old Haley Anderson

According to the report obtained by WBNG, Anderson believed Tercero, 22, was behind the slashing of all four of her car tires after the two got into a spat the day prior at a party at his home.

At the party Tercero, with whom she had a previous relationship, got mad at her. He angrily confronted her and shouted at her, supposedly angry at her for dating her on-off boyfriend.

He then tried to make amends by pouring shots for Anderson and her friends.

He drank too much and became sick. Anderson reportedly helped him get into bed.

The next morning she found her tires flat.

'Haley stated that she believed but wasn't sure, that a male named Orlando Tercero, may have been involved with the damage of her vehicle,' the police report sates.

'Haley stated that she and Orlando dated for a short time, and that she had gone to a party at his house, 23 Oak St, on 09/15/17. She stated that Orlando had confronted her about dating his friend, her now boyfriend, and that he got very upset and was shouting at her,' the report said.

Tercero has been charged in Anderson's murder, and was detained by Nicaragua police on Tuesday. He is pictured sporting a head wound and a fat lip

Tercero was photographed surrounded by armed police in balaclavas, bleeding from the lip with a bandage across his left eye

A police report from six months prior to her death reveals that she was suspicious of Tercero's actions

Orlando Tercero, 22, has been charged with second-degree murder

'While I (the investigator) deposed Haley, she advised that she believed that Orlando may have slashed her tires but that she wasn't sure, and that she did not wish to pursue charges for the damage to her vehicle at this time,' the report added.

Anderson posted a video of the slashed tires on Snapchat, to which Tercero replied saying his rear tires were also slashed.

He then sent her a screenshot of text messages he sent to his roommates asking if they had slashed his tires.

When she said she was going to file a police report, he said it wasnt a good idea.

He himself never reported the incident to police.

She told police she would sort out the matter between Tercero and herself.

Scene of crime: This is the home where friends found Anderson's body in Tercero's bed

Anderson, left, and Tercero, right, had dated. In September he got mad at her for dating her boyfriend and yelled at her at a party. The next day he allegedly slashed her tires

She reported to police that she suspected Tercero was behind the slashing of her car tires and posted a video of it on Snapchat, to which he replied his tires were also slashed

Tercero was arrested on Tuesday by Nicaragua National Police in connection to Andersons death, according to ABC News.

A photo of his arrest shows Tercero with a bandage across his left eye and a busted lip surrounded by Nicaraguan police wearing balaclavas.

Before he fled to Central America he reportedly told his sister that he had done 'something bad' and was a 'disgrace to the family'.

'Orlando is being detained by Nicaraguan authorities while matters are being further investigated,' his attorney, Michael Bachner, told the New York Post.

Police are seeking to extradite Tercero. He was charged with second-degree murder in Andersons death on Saturday.
A teenage girl whose 'inoperable' brain tumour was discovered after she hit her head during a netball match has had the deadly cancer '100 per cent removed' by the only doctor willing to perform surgery.

Ciara Nelson, 18, from Melbourne, was in 2016 diagnosed with a high-grade glioma which doctors said couldn't be removed because of the risks of brain damage, stroke or death.

The rare form of cancer was growing on the most inaccessible part of the brain - the stem - and medical experts from around the globe refused to operate.

The family turned to renowned Sydney neurosurgeon, Charlie Teo, who two weeks ago 'took a gamble' and 'removed 100 per cent of the tumour' during a mammoth five-hour keyhole surgery, Ciara's mother said.

Ciara Nelson (pictured with her mother Colleen) has had an 'inoperable' brain tumour '100 per cent removed' by the only doctor willing to perform surgery

Ciara's surgery was performed by renowned Sydney neurosurgeon Charlie Teo. The pair are pictured together

'Ciara's surgery was a success and even though Charlie Teo has said it was the most difficult surgery he has performed, he believes he has removed 100 per cent of the tumour,' Colleen Nelson wrote on Facebook.

The single mother-of-three described Dr Teo as 'a miracle worker' and praised him for pushing medical boundaries when so many others refused to operate.

'I think we are very fortunate to have him in this country that's for sure. Because no one else would touch her. No-one would touch her with a 10-foot pole and we are just lucky that he took a gamble and was able to do it,' she told Nine News.

Ciara is back home in the Melbourne suburb of Pakenham and faces a four-week wait until scans reveal if the tumour has been completely removed.

'Ciara's surgery was a success and even though Charlie Teo has said it was the most difficult surgery he has performed, he believes he has removed 100 per cent of the tumour,' Colleen Nelson wrote on Facebook

Dr Teo 'took a gamble' and 'removed 100 per cent' of Ciara's tumour two weeks ago, her mother said

'She is getting stronger every day. She is still very tired and it is going to take a while. There is a little bit of disturbance to her vision, but we are hoping that it's only temporary,' her mother said.

Ms Nelson originally thought Ciara had suffered a delayed concussion when she started vomiting and complaining of headaches after a fall during a netball game at the end of May 2016.

'She had a fall and hit her head quite severely on the court,' she told Daily Mail Australia early last year.

'A couple of days later, she was vomiting and had headaches. Doctors had Ciara undergo a CT scan and then an MRI as well.'

A lesion was found on Ciara's brain and her GP referred her to Monash Medical Centre in Clayton, Victoria.

Ciara's tumour was discovered after she hit her head during a netball match in May, 2016

Colleen Nelson (second from left) is pictured with her daughters Ciara (left), Jaime (second from right) and Rylee (right)

'They admitted her so quickly. By the afternoon, the neurosurgeon told us she had a glioma in her brain,' Ms Nelson said

A follow-up MRI found Ciara's tumour had grown significantly and was considered high grade.

A GoFundMe page established to raise money for Ciara's surgery has raised more than $130,000.

Any money raised that is not used for her treatment will be donated to support other families who have children with brain tumours.

Ciara is pictured in a wheelchair, alongside her sister Rylee, before her operation
Congressional leaders and the White House are pressing to strike an accord on a $1.3 trillion catchall spending bill, though disputes remain over immigration, abortion and a massive rail project that pits President Donald Trump against his most powerful Democratic adversary.

An agreement by Monday would pave the way for a House vote on Wednesday. Action is needed by midnight Friday to avert another government shutdown.

The bipartisan measure is loaded with political and policy victories for both sides. Republicans and Trump are winning a long-sought budget increase for the Pentagon while Democrats obtain funding for infrastructure, the opioid crisis and a wide swath of domestic programs.

Top-level Capitol Hill talks on a massive $1.3 trillion catchall spending bill are reaching a critical stage as negotiators try to head off another government shutdown

House Speaker Paul Ryan (right) has emerged as President Donald Trump's key ally on issues as broad as immigration issues, abortion and a battle over a massive rail project

The bill would implement last month's big budget agreement, providing 10 percent increases for both the Pentagon and domestic agencies when compared with current levels.

Coupled with last year's tax cut measure, it heralds the return of trillion-dollar budget deficits as soon as the budget year starting in October.

While most of the funding issues in the enormous measure have been sorted out, fights involving a number of policy 'riders'  so named because they catch a ride on a difficult-to-stop spending bill  continued into the weekend.

Among them are GOP-led efforts to add a plan to revive federal subsidies to help the poor cover out-of-pocket costs under President Barack Obama's health law and to fix a glitch in the recent tax bill that subsidizes grain sales to cooperatives at the expense of for-profit grain companies.

A White House trial balloon to use the measure as a vehicle to extend Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival, or DACA, protections for immigrants brought illegally to the U.S. as children remained tenuously afloat, aides said.

Trump killed the Obama-era program in September, but a court decision has essentially left it in place, for now.

'I'm urging the leaders to basically come together and understand there is an emergency at hand here  780,000 young people have their lives hang in the balance because President Trump killed the DACA program. We have to move on a bipartisan basis to put it back in business,' said No. 2 Senate Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois on 'Fox News Sunday.'

Trump, meanwhile, has privately threatened to veto the whole package if a $900 million payment is made on the Hudson River Gateway Project, a priority of Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

New York Senator Chuck Schumer is crossing swords with Trump over the Gateway Project, a massive rail infrastructure proposal for the New York City metro area

On the House side, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi could push Trump to the brink of a second shutdown in as many months

Trump's opposition is alarming Northeastern Republicans such as Gateway supporter Peter King, a House member from New York who lobbied Trump on the project at a St. Patrick's luncheon in the Capitol on Thursday.

The Gateway Project would add an $11 billion rail tunnel under the Hudson River to complement deteriorating, century-old tunnels that are at risk of closing in a few years. It enjoys bipartisan support among key Appropriations panel negotiators on the omnibus measure who want to get the expensive project on track while their coffers are flush with money.

Most House Republicans voted to kill the funding in a tally last year, however, preferring to see the money spread to a greater number of districts.

'Obviously, if we're doing a huge earmark ... it's troubling,' said North Carolina Republican Rep. Mark Meadows, a leader of House conservatives. 'Why would we do that ... Schumer's pet project and we pass that under a Republican-controlled Senate, House and White House?'

Schumer has kept a low profile, avoiding stoking a battle with the unpredictable Trump. One potential resolution is to include money for Gateway but not specifically earmark it for the project.

There's also a continuing battle over Trump's long-promised U.S.-Mexico border wall. While Trump traveled to California on Tuesday to inspect prototypes for the wall, what's pending now is $1.6 billion for earlier designs involving sections in Texas that double as levees and 14 miles of replacement fencing in San Diego.

It appears Democrats may be willing to accept wall funding, but they are battling hard against Trump's demands for big increases for immigration agents and detention beds they fear would enable wide-scale roundups of immigrants illegally living in the U.S.

One controversy continues to boil over a border wall Trump wants to erect between the U.S. and Mexico; shown is the president inspecting prototypes in San Diego last week

Infrastructure continues to be a hot-button issue as the president has pledged to heavily invest taxpayer dollars in new highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, seaports and railroads

Meanwhile, a White House trial balloon to trade additional years of wall funding for a temporary reprieve for immigrants brought to the country illegally as children  commonly called 'Dreamers'  landed with a thud last week.

Republicans are holding firm against a provision by Washington state Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, designed to make sure that Planned Parenthood, intensely disliked by anti-abortion Republicans, receives a lion's share of federal family planning grants.

But another abortion-related provision  backed by House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican  that would strengthen 'conscience protection' for health care providers that refuse to provide abortions remained unresolved heading into the final round of talks, though Democrats opposing it have prevailed in the past.

One item that appears likely to catch a ride on the must-pass measure is a package of telecommunications bills, including a measure to free up airwaves for wireless users in anticipation of new 5G technology.
President Donald Trump has no plans on firing special counsel Robert Mueller - even though he's been attacking the politician in a series of tweets over the weekend.

White House lawyer Ty Cobb released a statement dismissing the rumor after Trump went on a Twitter tirade against Mueller and his team, who are investing possible collusion between Trumps campaign and Russia.

Trump believes the probe is politically motivated.

'In response to media speculation and related questions being posed to the Administration, the White House yet again confirms that the President is not considering or discussing the firing of the Special Counsel, Robert Mueller,' Cobb said.

The White House says president Trump has no plans to fire special counsel Robert Mueller (pictured)

Trump (pictured) went on a Twitter rant over the weekend slamming Mueller and his team, calling the Russian probe an 'unfair witch hunt'

On Saturday and Sunday, Trump posted several tweets criticizing the Russian probe into possible collusion between the 2016 election and Russia

Rumblings that Trump was going to hand Mueller the pink slip came after the president lashed out at the special counsel in a series of tweets over the weekend.

'Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added..does anything think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!' he tweeted Sunday.

In a post on Saturday, Trump fumed: 'The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime. It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA Court for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT!'

'As the House Intelligence Committee has concluded, there was no collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. As many are now finding out, however, there was tremendous leaking, lying and corruption at the highest levels of the FBI, Justice & State,' he posted, adding the hashtag 'drain the swamp'.

Trump also went on the attack against ousted FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and former FBI Director James Comey.

Comey was fired last May, and McCabe was booted Friday just two days before his scheduled retirement date.

'Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI - a great day for Democracy,' Trump wrote on Twitter. 'Sanctimonious James Comey was his boss and made McCabe look like a choirboy. He knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI!'

Trump also posted tweets attacking former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and former FBI Director James Comey

McCabe was fired as FBI Deputy Director on Friday two days before his scheduled retirement

He added in another tweet: 'Spent very little time with Andrew McCabe, but he never took notes when he was with me. I dont believe he made memos except to help his own agenda, probably at a later date. Same with lying James Comey. Can we call them Fake Memos?'

McCabe has been a frequent target of Trumps anger and criticism after McCabes memos were handed over to Mueller.

McCabe's lawyer, Michael R Bromwich, posted Sunday that Trump's tweet were proof McCabe's firing was improper.

'We will not be responding to each childish, defamatory, disgusting & false tweet by the President. The whole truth will come out in due course. But the tweets confirm that he has corrupted the entire process that led to Mr McCabes termination and has rendered it illegitimate,' he tweeted.
D.C. Council member Trayon White Sr. (pictured) espoused the outlandish conspiracy theory in a clip uploaded to Facebook on Friday

A DC lawmaker found himself in embroiled in controversy over the weekend after suggesting in a video published to social media that Jewish financiers were manipulating the weather.

D.C. Council member Trayon White Sr. (D-Ward 8) espoused the outlandish conspiracy theory in a clip uploaded to Facebook after a brief snowfall touched the nation's capital Friday morning.

'Man, it just started snowing out of nowhere this morning, man. Y'all better pay attention to this climate control, man, this climate manipulation,' he says.

'And D.C. keep talking about, "We a resilient city." And that's a model based off the Rothschilds controlling the climate to create natural disasters so they can pay for to own the cities, man. Be careful.'

The Rothschild family is a prominent Jewish dynasty descended from Mayer Amschel Rothschild, a wealthy banker who lived in Germany during the 18th century, according to The Washington Post.

Initially, White expressed surprised that some interpreted his comments as anti-Semitic but later apologized after consulting with a Jewish advocacy group

Like many anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, the Rothschilds have been targeted as clandestine manipulators of world events who exploit others for their own advantage.

'This kind of anti-Semitism is unacceptable in any public official,' Rabbi Daniel Zemel of Temple Micah in Northwest Washington said in response to the lawmaker's remarks.

'This so diminishes what America is about and adds to the oppressive feeling going on in the country right now,' said Zemel.

'We all have to be better. Public officials have to learn not to say the first ignorant thing that comes into their head,' he added.

Initially, White expressed surprised that some interpreted his comments as anti-Semitic, telling The Post 'The video says what it says.'

But in the wake of the controversy, the 33-year-old said that he had reached out to his 'friends' at Jews United for Justice who helped him 'understand the history of comments made against Jews.'

Rabbi Daniel Zemel (L) immediately condemned White for his language but Jewish D.C. Councilwoman Brianne K. Nadeau (R) said in a statement that White was sincere in his apology

'I work hard everyday to combat racism and prejudices of all kinds. I want to apologize to the Jewish Community and anyone I have offended,' said White.

'The Jewish community have been allies with me in my journey to help people. I did not intend to be anti-Semitic, and I see I should not have said that after learning from my colleagues,' he added.

The Rothschild family is a prominent Jewish dynasty descended from Mayer Amschel Rothschild (pictured)

Jews United for Justice is a progressive advocacy group that endorsed White in 2016.

Jewish D.C. Councilwoman Brianne K. Nadeau (D-Ward 1) said in a statement that after speaking with White, she was convinced that he was contrite in his apology to the Jewish community.

'It is my sincere hope that my colleague has learned from this experience, and that together we can serve the diverse people of the District of Columbia with a focus on lifting each other up, rather than tearing one another down.'

Conspiracy theorists allege that the Rothschilds, working in conjunction with the Rockefeller family, posses technology that can augment the weather.

At the heart of the allegations is the Rockefeller Foundations Resilient Cities program, which provides grants to cities to address environmental and economic problem.

Believers in the conspiracy claim the organization is actually part of a secret scheme to control and reduce the population of North America.
An accused thief has been caught on camera stealing a hot meatball roll by stuffing it in his underpants.

The man entered an IGA at Noosa on Queensland's Sunshine Coast and visited the hot food section at the back of the supermarket.

While some thieves are known for having balls, this accused shoplifter found a creative way to hide some meatballs in roll.

An accused thief has been caught on camera stealing a hot meatball roll by stuffing it in his underpants

The man entered an IGA at Noosa on Queensland's Sunshine Coast and walked to the hot food section at the back of the supermarket (stock image)

After a shop assistant handed him the hot food, he allegedly secreted the meatballs under his shorts and left the store without paying.

'Stealing with a chance of meatballs. Do you recognise this guy?,' Queensland Police tweeted on Monday.

'He may be able to help our investigation into the theft of a meatball sub that was secreted in underwear. We sure hope the sauce wasn't spicy.'

After he had left the store on Saint Andrews Drive at Tewantin, on March 1, he is alleged to have removed the roll from his shorts and continued walking away.

A shop attendant attempted to follow the man but was warned off by him, police said.
A new advertising campaign was banned after causing a stir for its slogan to help 'stop the spread of the Ginger Gene'.

The Carlton United Breweries ad was banned after Ad Standards was flooded with complaints that the slogan was 'offensive, bullying, racist and vilifying' those with ginger hair, Mumbrella reported.

The advertisement in question was for CUB's Rusty Yak Gingery Ale line of beer and was made by Clemenger BBDO Melbourne.

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A new advertising campaign was banned after causing a stir for it's slogan to help 'stop the spread of the Ginger Gene'

The Ad Standards website states that after receiving a complaint they assess whether the advertisement in question goes against the Code of Initiatives.

'Its very offensive for the advertisement to be discriminating against those with red hair,' one complaint said.

'Children already get bullied at school for having red hair, and advertisements like this only further encourage that type of bullying.'

CUB immediately responded to the criticism in a statement and said in their view the advertisement was not racist.

'The complaints address discrimination and vilification against people on account of their red hair, but this attribute does not fall within race,' the statement read.

'The advertisements do not promote discrimination or vilification as defined above in a literal or figurative way.'

The statement went on to say that the ad was not negative towards red heads but rather a 'humourous' and 'comical announcement about the 'ginger gene' in beer.

However Ad Standards rebutted CUB's claims and said hair colour could be attributed to race definition.

'DNA can be considered to be related to ancestry and descent and therefore considered that in this context the reference to people with red hair falls within the definition of race,' the statement said.

The advertising watchdog said the single line about stopping 'the spread of the ginger gene' was a step too far.

After it was all said and done CUB stood by its claims but removed the add in a sign of showing respect to their consumers and the complaints that were lodged.

According to the Ad Standards website the most complained about advertisement last year was one produced by ultra tune Australia.

In the ad, a muffler falls of a car that has two women inside and starts a fire.

The two women get a fire extinguisher trying to stop the fire before leaping away as the car explodes.

The ad received 359 complaint sin total based on the grounds it was discriminating or vilifying and exploitative or degrading.

Ad Standards dismissed the complaint.
Eric Trump has paid tribute to Colin Hayward Toland, the little boy who became the 'youngest member' of a New York police department.

Toland was diagnosed with an ependymoma brain tumor at the age of two. He spent many years in remission before the disease returned in 2015.

His family announced on Facebook that he died Saturday at St Jude's Children's Research Hospital. He was 10 years old.

'Colin Hayward Toland End of Watch 3/17/18: Lieutenant Colin returned to the cosmos in the loving embrace of his family. His passing was more peaceful and gentle than we could have imagined. On his last day, he went outside and felt the sun on his face and the wind in his hair,' his family wrote on Facebook.

Eric Trump mourned the passing of 10-year-old Colin Hayward Toland, who died Saturday from brain cancer

Toland became the 'youngest member' of the Ithaca Police Department after he was sworn in as an honorary officer

Eric Trump shared pictures of them together and posted a touching tweet about the little boy

A viewing will be held in Ithaca, his family said, and a funeral will be held later in the week at Lansing Funeral Home followed by a burial at Greensprings Natural Cemetery.

'Please carry Colin's spirit with you in life. Find opportunities to help others, even in small ways. Keep joy and light in your heart, as these will light the darkest pathways,' the Facebook post read.

Trump mourned the little boy's passing on Twitter, sharing photos of him posing with Roland.

'We are so saddened by the passing of our dear friend Colin. Colin, you will forever remain in our hearts  you are the reason we will continue to fight so hard for (St Jude's).... RIP buddy,' Trump posted.

He added on Instagram: '... Despite a lifetime full of medical procedures, countless surgeries and stints in the hospital, Colin always greeted everyone with a warm smile and inspired us all to keep hoping for a miracle.'

Toland dreamed of becoming a police officer, and in September 2016 his dream came true when the Ithaca Police Department swore him in as an honorary officer.

The department said Toland, who was known as the force's 'youngest member', would help with 'ongoing training and community policing work'.

Toland had always dreamed of becoming an officer so the Ithaca Police Department swore him in in September 2016

Toland was diagnosed with brain cancer when he was two. He spent years in remission before the disease came back in 2015

His family said a funeral will be held later in the week at Lansing Funeral Home

Toland made his first 'arrest' in December 2016 when he cuffed The Grinch for 'stealing Christmas'.

'Rest In Peace brother. It was an honor to serve with you,' the Ithaca Police Department posted on Facebook Sunday.

The Thompkins County Sheriff's Office also commented on Toland's death thanking the brave little boy for his service.

'Our thoughts are with Lt Colin Toland, his family, and his fellow officers today,' the touching tribute read. 'We are so appreciative of the positive impact Lt Colin has had on our community. Thank you for your service. Rest in Peace.'
Anna Campbell, 26, from Lewes in East Sussex, died in Afrin, which has been under attack by Turkish forces

A British woman who left to join an all-female Kurdish brigade in their battle against ISIS has been killed in Syria.

Anna Campbell, from Lewes in East Sussex, died on March 15 in a Turkish missile strike while travelling in a convoy in the Kurdish enclave of Afrin.

The 26-year-old is the first British woman known to have died in Syria with the YPG or YPJ groups, which have around 50,000 Kurdish men and women fighting in northern Syria.

Her father confirmed her death this morning and said his daughter had known that she was risking her life fighting in the troubled region.

The qualified plumber travelled to Syria in May last year to help the Kurds, who were battling ISIS. But she reportedly left the fight against the terror group in Deir ez-Zor, to defend Afrin, which was being bombarded by Turkish forces attacking the Kurds along the northern Syrian border.

Turkey views the Kurdish forces in the enclave as terrorists and launched an offensive in the area on January 20.

Ms Campbell's father, Dirk Campbell, told the BBC: 'She wanted to create a better world and she would do everything in her power to do that.'

He added: 'I told her of course that she was putting her life in danger, which she knew full well she was doing.

'I feel I should have done more to persuade her to come back, but she was completely adamant.'

The qualified plumber travelled to Syria in May last year to help the Kurds, who were battling the ISIS

The 26-year-old (centre) is the first British woman known to have died in Syria with the YPG or YPJ groups, which have around 50,000 Kurdish men and women fighting in northern Syria

Turkish-backed Syrian rebels walk past a burning shop in the city of Afrin in northern Syria

Mr Campbell told the BBC that he believed Kurdish comrades had tried to stop his privately educated daughter from travelling to war-torn Afrin.

He said: 'With fair hair and blue eyes they knew she would stand out, but she dyed her hair black and persuaded them to let her go.

'I contacted my MP Maria Caulfield as soon as I knew she was in danger from the Turkish bombardment. I emailed my MP and said my daughter is in danger, you have to get on to the Foreign Office and get them to put pressure on Turkey to stop.'

He added that she had wanted to join the group after learning of the Kurdish aim of creating a democratic society once ISIS had been driven out.

One of three sisters, she grew up with a keen love of nature and the environment and later became interested in radical left-wing politics, Mr Campbell said.

Educated at the independent St Mary's Hall in Brighton, where fees were around 10,000 a year, she went on to study at Sheffield University before moving to Bristol where she worked as a plumber.

It was during her time there that she became more and more interested in the Kurdish cause.

Although she was 'bookish', she began training to get fit and in May last year she announced she was going to fight for the YPJ - part of the YPG force - in Syria.

The Britons killed in Syria while fighting with Kurdish forces Anna Campbell is the eighth Briton to have been killed in Syria while working with Kurdish forces. Here are the seven others: Oliver Hall Mr Hall, from the Portsmouth area, joined the Kurdistan People's Protection Units (YPG) to fight against ISIS. The 24-year-old was said to have been killed on November 25 last year while clearing mines in Raqqa. Olive Hall, from the Portsmouth area, joined the Kurdistan People's Protection Units (YPG) to fight against ISIS Jac Holmes The sniper, from Bournemouth, had been fighting with YPG since January 2015. His mother, Angie Blannin, said the 24-year-old was killed while clearing mines in the newly-liberated city of Raqqa in October last year. Jac Holmes, from Bournemouth, had been fighting with YPG since January 2015 Mehmet Aksoy The 32-year-old, who grew up in England, is believed to have joined the YPG to work as a press officer. He was killed in October last year during an ISIS attack while he was on duty in the Syrian city Raqqa, according to the Kurdish military force. Mehmet Aksoy. who grew up in England, is believed to have joined the YPG to work as a press officer Aladdin Sinayic, a friend of the film-maker, told the BBC in the wake of his death that 'Mehmet never fought, the plan was never to fight', and wanted to tell the stories of the fighters instead. Luke Rutter The 22-year-old, from Birkenhead, was killed in Raqqa on July 5 2017 and had also joined the YPG. A video of a 'final message' from Mr Rutter, also known as Soro Zinar, was posted on the force's Facebook page, in which he apologised for lying to loved ones about going to fight. He said: 'I lied to people I care about to come here. I said that I was going somewhere else. I didn't. I apologise massively for that. 'Apart from that I don't regret my decision and I hope that you respect it.' Ryan Lock The 20-year-old former chef, from Chichester, West Sussex, shot himself to avoid falling hostage to ISIS on December 21 2016. With no previous military experience, he was fighting with the YPG in Raqqa and had told his family he was going backpacking to Turkey when he left the UK. An inquest into his death, held in Portsmouth, Hampshire, heard that, after being surrounded by ISIS fighters, he turned the gun on himself to avoid capture and a 'frightening and painful death'. Ryan Lock, a 20-year-old former chef, from Chichester, West Sussex, shot himself to avoid falling hostage to ISIS on December 21, 2016 Dean Evans The 22-year-old dairy farmer, from Reading, Berkshire, died in the Syrian city of Manbij in July 2016. Following his death, which happened during an offensive to take back the north-western city, his stepfather, John Evans, described him to the BBC as a 'martyr', who was 'courageous, not stupid'. Having always wanted to be a soldier he was rejected by the British Army because he had asthma, his stepfather told the broadcaster. Mr Evans arrived in Syria in March 2015. Konstandinos Erik Scurfield The 25-year-old former Royal Marine, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, died fighting alongside Kurdish forces in the northern village of Tel Khuzela, Syria. He was fatally wounded by shrapnel from a rocket propelled grenade on March 2 2015 after flying out to the war zone in secret, his mother said. Nicknamed Kosta, he was said to have been 'horrified by the atrocities being carried out' by the extremist group and became the first volunteer Briton to die in the conflict. Advertisement

Mr Campbell, a folk musician and composer, said: 'Obviously I was worried for her, we all were. I told her she would be in terrible danger, that she could come under bombardment but she was insistent. It was something she desperately wanted to do and there was no stopping her.'

'I heard yesterday at mid-afternoon. A friend of Anna's came to the door and rang the bell and said she was here to talk about Anna and I knew right away.

'She was in Afrin which was under bombardment from the Turks and contingents of the Syrian government army. She moved to Afrin a couple of weeks ago when the war was escalating then. The Turks are trying to demonise the YPG, to turn them into terrorists.

'Anna was part of the Rojava movement. What is going on in Rojava is a social experiment, it's Utopian. It isn't just a Kurdish initiative, it's mixed.'

Mr Campbell said the family had known Kurds for a long time.

'We were fully supportive of their aims and their hopes for self-determination. The Turks want to stamp out any move by the Kurds towards self-determination. They are fighting separatism.

One of three sisters, Ms Campbell grew up with a keen love of nature and the environment and later became interested in radical left-wing politics, her father said

Dirk Campbell told the BBC that he believed Kurdish comrades had tried to stop his privately educated daughter from travelling to war-torn Afrin

Mr Campbell said his daughter (pictured) was 'very brave, very beautiful and was really idealistic'

Mr Campbell said his daughter was working as a freelance plumber and had a partner but they split up before she went to Syria

'Anna was very brave, she was very beautiful and was really idealistic, a dedicated idealist. She was very intelligent and creative. She was a leading light in many areas and was very popular.

'She went there knowing what might happen to her. When she told me I was alarmed because I knew she was likely to face lethal fire there, if not from Islamic State then from the Turks and Syrian Army. I told her that. I said: "You could be killed" and she said: "I know. There's nothing I can do to reassure you about that".'

He said: 'I had to let her do what she wanted to. I couldn't force her not to go. She was a grown woman, she could make her own decisions in life.'

Mr Campbell said his daughter was educated at Lewes New School - a school set up by her mother Adrienne before moving to St Mary's Hall.

Mr Campbell added: 'Anna was very interested in learning about political history and that interest grew as she got older.

'She was good at art, languages and literature and had a broad circle of friends in the area. She was radical left, a idealistic purist. She had studied the Spanish Civil War and the aftermath of that and the syndicalist experiment that happened in Barcelona. It was an ideal she held.'

He said his wife and Anna's mother, Adrienne, had lots of conversations about politics and they both went on a demonstration in London around eight years ago when women stormed the Houses of Parliament.

He said his daughter was working as a freelance plumber and had a partner but they split up before she went to Syria.

Turkish-backed Syrian rebels walk past a burning shop in the city of Afrin in northern Syria on March 18, 2018. Ms Campbell had apparently 'insisted' on leaving the fight against ISIS to help defend the Kurdish enclave

A Turkish-backed Syrian rebel raises a dagger in Afrin. Turkish forces and their rebel allies are now said to be in control of the Kurdish-majority city

Her sister said: 'Anna was exercising an hour a day, every day before she went to Syria to get fit.'

'Her friends, sister and myself were all concerned about her going but it was the most important thing in her life for her to do.'

As news of her death emerged, YPJ commander and spokesperson Nesrin Abdullah said Ms Campbell had 'insisted' on leaving for Afrin.

He said: 'Although we tried to keep her far from the frontlines, the attacks from the Turkish state were very heavy.'

In a statement to The Guardian, he added: '(Campbell's) martyrdom is a great loss to us because with her international soul, her revolutionary spirit, which demonstrated the power of women, she expressed her will in all her actions.

'On behalf of the Women's Defence Units YPJ, we express our deepest condolences to (her) family and we promise to follow the path she took up. We will represent her in the entirety of our struggles.'

Mark Campbell, co-chairman of the Kurdistan solidarity campaign, said Ms Campbell, who is no relation to him, was killed alongside two Kurdish women amid the air strikes.

Speaking to the Press Association, he said: 'Anna is a woman who seemed to have more humanity in her little finger than the whole of the international community.'

He described Ms Campbell as an 'inspiration' and a 'hero'.

He added: 'I did not know her but I met with her father this morning. I have the utmost respect and condolences for her family.'

The Turkish military and allied Syrian forces have taken 'total' control of the town centre of Afrin in their offensive against the Kurdish militia.

Turkey views the Kurdish forces in the Afrin enclave along the border as terrorists linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which has waged a decades-long insurgency within Turkey's borders

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Turkish flag and the flag of the Syrian opposition fighters have been raised in the town, previously controlled by the YPG.

'Many of the terrorists had turned tail and run away already,' Mr Erdogan said in a speech in western Turkey.

Turkey views the Kurdish forces in the Afrin enclave along the border as terrorists linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which has waged a decades-long insurgency within Turkey's borders.

Ankara launched the operation, codenamed Olive Branch, against the town and surrounding areas on January 20, slowly squeezing the militia and hundreds of thousands of civilians into the town centre.

A Kurdish official, Hadia Yousef, said the YPG was still fighting inside the town, but had evacuated the remaining civilians because of 'massacres'.

But Salih Muslim, a senior Kurdish official living in exile in Europe, tweeted that Kurdish fighters had withdrawn, saying 'the struggle will continue and the Kurdish people will keep defending themselves'.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said nearly 200,000 people have fled the Afrin region in recent days amid heavy airstrikes, entering Syrian government-held territory nearby.

Syrian State TV on Sunday broadcast footage of a long line of vehicles and civilians on foot leaving Afrin.
A knife-wielding mentally-ill young woman who was shot dead by police outside a western Sydney Hungry Jack's had been using the tip of the blade to brush hair away from her face, her inquest has heard.

Courtney Topic was brandishing a large kitchen knife when she lunged at two officers in the fast-food restaurant's car park at West Hoxton in February 2015.

New South Wales Police tried to subdue the 22-year-old with pepper spray and a defective Taser before shooting her in the chest in broad daylight, and although they carried out CPR, she died shortly afterwards.

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Courtney Topic (pictured) was brandishing a large kitchen knife when she lunged at two officers in the fast-food restaurant's car park at West Hoxton in February 2015

Ms Topic's parents Leesa and Ron were in Glebe Coroner's Court on Monday, and her mother wept alongside other family members.

Counsel assisting Gerard Craddock SC told the court Ms Topic had suicidal thoughts and likely suffered undiagnosed schizophrenia when she died.

The Carnes Hill woman, who was just a few weeks shy of her 23rd birthday, was spotted swinging the 30cm knife backwards and forwards and talking to herself in the minutes leading up to her death.

An inquest into the death of the 22-year-old began in the NSW Coroner's Court in Glebe on Monday, and is expected to continue all week

Some witnesses saw her swaying and resting the flat of the blade on her head and pressing the weapon into her stomach while sipping from a takeaway cup.

An expert medical witness is expected to give evidence stating Ms Topic had likely developed an undiagnosed schizophrenia and was experiencing an untreated 'psychosis for a sustained period of time', Mr Craddock said.

The court heard Ms Topic had a major depressive disorder and ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), and was taking antidepressants at the time of her death on February 10.

NSW Police tried to subdue the 22-year-old with pepper spray and a defective Taser before shooting her in the chest in broad daylight, and although they carried out CPR, she died shortly afterwards

Police arrived on the scene after receiving several triple-zero calls before midday, and 41 seconds later a single fatal shot was fired.

The inquest will examine the adequacy of police training for responding to people suffering mental health problems, communication strategies and the use of weapons.

The court heard two of the three officers had only had one day of mental health training before the incident, and the third had none at all.

Police arrived on the scene after receiving several triple-zero calls before midday, and 41 seconds later a single fatal shot was fired

The court heard two of the three officers had only had one day of mental health training before the incident, and the third had none at all

Police and Forensic Service personnel on the scene of a shooting at a fast food restaurant at West Hoxton, New South Wales
The woman charged over a bizarre oral sex incident with a man on a train claims she has 'no memory' of the sordid encounter, and says she is trying to turn her life around.

Chantell Gordon, 34, was charged with willful and obscene exposure and offensive behaviour in a public place after the alleged daylight romp in Wollongong, south of Sydney, on December 14.

Wollongong Local Court heard last week the public romp began when Gordon allegedly approached her co-accused, Shane Brennan, on the train platform and asked for sex.

Chantell Gordon, 34, (pictured) charged over a bizarre oral sex incident with a man on a train claims she has 'no memory' of the sordid encounter, and says she is trying to turn her life aroud

Brennan, who was also charged over the incident, said he declined but claimed Gordon started masturbating on the train carriage. The father-of-three then said he allowed her to perform oral sex on him because 'I can't help myself'.

Brennan was caught by police and train station staff after leaving a 'disgusting mess' because he had rinsed his private parts with a bottle of Coca Cola.

When Daily Mail Australia approached Gordon on Monday for her side of the story, she admitted she has a problem with drugs, but flatly said 'I can't remember' when the sex incident was put to her.

Chantell Gordon, 34, (pictured) was charged with willful and obscene exposure and offensive behaviour in a public place after the alleged daylight romp in Wollongong, south of Sydney, on December 14

Shane Brennan (pictured), who was also charged over the incident, said he declined but claimed Gordon started masturbating on the train carriage

Gordon, known affectionately as 'Channy', is often seen walking the streets of Port Kembla scantily clad and has a lengthy criminal record of petty crimes, including allegedly stealing deodorant, hats, vaseline and Palmolive gel, court documents revealed.

Gordon said she was 'shocked' to learn she had been in the news.

'Someone told me yesterday and I didn't believe them because I haven't been in trouble,' she said.

She claimed police had only recently told her she hadn't been causing trouble.

Brennan claims Gordon was masturbating on the train carriage (stock) before performing a sex act on him

Shane Brennan (pictured) was caught by police and train station staff after leaving a 'disgusting mess' because he had rinsed his private parts with a bottle of Coca Cola

'They said I hadn't been in trouble and stuff like that,' she said. 'They said I was getting a fine for (the sex incident)'.

While speaking about the past few months where she has been using methadone to recover from her drug problem, Gordon said: 'I haven't had a bloke... I've been trying to bring myself up, care for myself,' she said.

Gordon will face court over her charges on Wednesday.

Her co-accused Brennan was convicted and fined $700 last week. 'How can you be so lucky and unlucky in the one day?' he asked Daily Mail Australia.

He has since admitted being 'in strife' with his girlfriend of 12 years.
Vladimir Putin has been accused of fraudulently doubling his vote share in the dirtiest election since the fall of the Soviet Union.

The Russian strongman won Sunday's election with a reported 77 per cent of the vote on a 67 per cent turnout, his best result in four elections which grants him another six years in power.

But his political opponents have accused him of using blatantly dishonest tactics amid video evidence of ballot boxes being stuffed, claims of goons waiting at polling stations, and other irregularities in voting data.

Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a political opponent of Vladimir Putin, has said the strongman fraudulently doubled his share of the vote in Sunday's election

Pavel Grudinin (left) called the ballot the 'dirtiest' since the Soviet Union collapsed, while Grigory Yavlinsky (right) insisted the country was moving toward a 'dangerous abyss'

Putin officially received 77 per cent of the vote on a 67 per cent turnout, but that comes amid video evidence of ballot boxes being stuffed and other irregularities

Ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky - who came third - said rigging was so great that Putin's real level of support in a free poll would be no more than 40 per cent.

Communist candidate and runner-up Pavel Grudinin said the poll was 'dishonest' and 'the dirtiest' since the Soviet Union collapsed.

'Regretfully, [opposition politician Alexei] Navalny was right. One can vote two or three times, and there are such examples in Moscow region.'

Navalny - seen as the biggest threat to Putin - was banned from standing but his calls for a boycott of the election flopped if the turnout figure is accurate.

The independent mayor of Yekaterinburg Yevgeny Roizman warned of a lurch towards authoritarianism with Putin back in the Kremin.

'The quality of life will get progressively worse,' he said.

'But each new election turnout will be higher, the president's rating will keep rising  and North Korea will grow closer and closer.'

Zhirinovsky - aged 71 and a veteran of six presidential elections - said: 'There is no democracy [in Russia], there is no competition.

Ksenia Sobchak, the only female election candidate, said her supporters had been arrested and her campaign intimidated during the election

Mayor of Yekaterinburg Yevgeny Roizman warned that Russia is turning into North Korea as memes began circulating of Putin superimposed on to the body of Kim Jong-un (left) and showing him as a Tsar (right)

'[There is] just one candidate from the Kremlin and all others are 'pugs'.

'In reality, Putin should have a lesser percentage.'

His genuine figure in a free European-style election would be 'no more than 40 per cent', he insisted.

The only female candidate, TV presenter Ksenia Sobchak, said sarcastically: 'I do acknowledge that today Putin enjoys majority support, secured by various methods.'

She described a 'dirty campaignparticularlythe arrests of our supporters in various cities, as well as attempts at intimidating us.'

Another veteran candidate trounced in the poll, liberal Grigory Yavlinsky, insisted it was not a 'real election'.

'The county is moving to a dangerous abyss, bad times are ahead and there are fewer opportunities to change this,' he warned.

Critics looked at the results in Chechnya - where almost 92 per cent were reported to have backed Putin - as evidence is suspicious results.

Putin won the same percentage in Tuva, home region of loyalist defence minister Sergei Shoigu in Siberia.

Putin is now poised to shake-up his regime after his election landslide, with lacklustre premier Dmitry Medvedev tipped for the axe by the scheduled 7 May inauguration date.

The latest result is officially Putin's best in four elections, meaning he will end his political career on a high note unless he changes the constitution so he can run again

CCTV captured ballot boxes being stuffed with filled-in votes in one district of Moscow

In another Moscow district and election official was also seen filled a ballot box with votes

Veteran foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, who led the charge against Britain in the current nerve agent spy scandal, is also set to depart.

Putin - who will be 71 if he completes a full term - is seen as wanting to revitalise his regime by propelling younger cadres into power and grooming an ultra-loyal successor to protect himself from corruption charges in his retirement.

The Russian constitution bans Putin from standing for election again, unless he changes the rules.

Memes of the all-powerful Putin went wild on Russian social media - mocking him as a tsar-for-life, and morphing into Soviet-era stagnation ruler Leonid Brezhnev - or Kim Jong-un.

Putin's supporters hailed the result and claimed it showed Britain's attempts to interfere with the poll - by exploiting the Salisbury nerve agent poisoning - had spectacularly failed.

Valentina Matviyenko - speaker of the Russian upper house of parliament - hit out at the 'brazen and cynical interference in Russia's internal affairs'.

She wanted this 'will not be left unnoticed', making clear she was referring to the West.

'We faced a really powerful Russophobic information, political and economic pressure on the country, which was expected to influence the attitudes of people,' she said.

The aim was to force people to boycott the poll or vote against Putin, she indicated.

'We proved once again that one cannot speak the language of ultimatums with our country,' said Matviyenko.

'The opposite happened. People got united  and the fact that more people came to polling stations than at the previous election is the main sign.'

Putin in his victory speech said the outcome showed the 'confidence and hope' of the Russian people.

Hinting at changes, he said: 'Our thoughts will turn to the future of our great country -and the future of our children.'
Australian officials were quick to shutdown sensational claims by an Australian engineer that he had found the doomed flight MH370.

Peter McMahon, a mechanical engineer said he believed he had found the flight using Google Earth and NASA images and that it was riddled with bullet holes.

A spokesperson for the Joint Agency Coordination Center (JACC) told Fox News that while Mr McMahon did send them his find, at no point did they imply that it could be the missing flight.

An Australian mechanical engineer claims to have found doomed Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 using Google Earth, the first picture (above) shows what looks like a plane

The JACC also said Mr McMahon's claims were plainly false.

'[And] must be particularly upsetting for the family and friends of those lost on Malaysia Airlines flight MH370,' the spokesperson said.

Mr McMahon, who has a background in crash investigations, said he used Google Earth to locate the wreckage of the flight which went missing in 2014, The Daily Star reported.

According to Mr McMahon's claims, the wreckage of the flight is located 16km south of Round Island, which is 22.5km north of Mauritius, in an area of the ocean that has not been searched before.

The second picture shows what looks to be the front end of a plane and the cabin just below the water's surface

He took his claims one step further by saying he also believed US officials were refusing to search the area.

Four American investigators had been sent to Australia to work on the MH370 case but he believes they are keeping crucial information hidden.

'They have made sure that all information received has been hidden from the public, even our government, but why,' he said.

According to Mr McMahon the wreckage of the flight is located 16km south of Round Island (pictured) which is 22.5km North of Mauritius, an area that has not been searched before

'...(they) do not want it found as its full of bullet holes, finding it will only open another inquiry.'

Mr McMahon also made the sensational claim that the wreckage of the plane is full of bullet holes.

In one of the two images what looks to be the outline of an aircraft can be seen just below the water's surface while the second picture shows what looks to be the front end of a plane.

The prevailing theory on the whereabouts of the plane (pictured) is that it crash landed in the Indian Ocean about six hours after take off

Mr McMahon said he sent the information to the Australian Transport and Safety Bureau (ATSB) and they where unable to rule out completely that it wasn't the missing plane.

The prevailing theory on the whereabouts of the plane is that it crash landed in the Indian Ocean about six hours after take off.

Radar imaging at the time showed the flight taking a sharp change in course less than 60 minutes after take off before vanishing form radar completely.

The flight had 239 passengers on board plus the flight crew.
This is the dramatic moment a female parascender dies after colliding with another above a popular beach in Mexico.

Footage of the tragedy showed how the 47-year-old tourist who lost her life plunged to the sand from height after hitting the chute of the other person attempting a beach landing like her.

The incident happened on Saturday afternoon on a beach in the coastal resort of Puerto Escondido.

The victim, named as Ursula Hernandez from the capital Mexico City, was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead.

The other unnamed parascender, also on holiday in the region, received treatment but her injuries were not described as serious.

Local reports said the pair had hired their equipment from a company which made them sign a document which absolved them of any blame in the event of an accident.

Ursula Hernandez, 47 collided with another parascender while in mid-air causing her to plunge to the ground

Journalist Juan Perez, among those who posted footage of the collision on social media, said: 'Just before the Easter Holidays start, one person has died and another has been injured in an accident in Puerto Escondido.

'I'm sure no-one will be held to account. No-one regulates these types of services.'

Puerto Escondido is a port town and resort on Mexico's Pacific coast in the state of Oaxaca.

It is popular with Mexicans, expats and travellers from all the world, including many surfers.

In recent years it has become known as one of the world's premier surf destinations.
Campaigners have blasted a gambling watchdog for not bringing down maximum stakes far enough on highly addictive betting machines dubbed the 'crack cocaine' of gambling.

Fixed odd betting terminals (FOBT) are said to be dangerously addictive and currently allow punters to stake up to 100 every 20 seconds - and theoretically gamble away 18,000 an hour.

In October last year the Gambling Commission announced it was going to tackle the problem by slashing the amount punters could stake to below 50 - and today it recommended wagers should be capped at 30 a spin.

The decision dismayed campaigners who were adamant the maximum price per spin should be 2.

Fixed odd betting terminals currently allow punters to stake up to 100 every 20 seconds (stock image)

The Lord Bishop of St Albans criticised the decision and insisted it should be much lower to protect vulnerable people.

Rt Rev. Alan Smith said: 'Any stake on fixed-odds betting terminals higher than 2 simply does not go far enough to protect the interests of the most vulnerable, their families, and communities.

'When ministers choose the stake for these machines, they must put the interests of those affected by them ahead of concerns about tax take or the powerful gambling lobby.

'We desperately need a scheme of gambling regulation that is ordered, sensible, and has care for the vulnerable at its core.

'I hope the ministers will be courageous and use the review to do the right thing and reduce the maximum stake to 2.'

A trio of MPs also criticised the decision after it was estimated that the Government could lose 5.5bn in tax revenues over the next ten years if it was to go through with it.

The terminals generated more than 1.8bn in tax revenue last year. Iain Duncan Smith, Carolyn Harris and Ronnie Cowan have all been part of the FOBT all-party parliamentary group, which has scrutinised the use of the machines and called the large tax gains 'questionable'..

The MPs said they also feared the government was using data sponsored by bookmakers, who have it in their best interest to keep gamblers using their machines.

Gambling Commission chief executive Neil McArthur said: 'We've put consumers at the heart of our advice - advice which is based on the best available evidence and is focused on reducing the risk of gambling-related harm.

'In our judgment, a stake cut for fixed-odds betting terminals alone doesn't go far enough to protect vulnerable people.

'That is why we have recommended a stake cut plus a comprehensive package of other measures to protect consumers.

The Gambling Commission will not explicitly back a maximum 2 stake, instead they plan to suggest measures to tackle the risk of harm and raise awareness.

The move is significant because the watchdog is the government's statutory advisory on the gambling industry and ministers would be expected to agree with its recommendations.

Last year the government announced the maximum stake on fixed odd machines would be reduced to 50 or less but it has yet to commit to a specific limit.

The terminals generated more than 1.8bn in tax revenue last year.

'We have proposed actions that will tackle both the risk of harm and provide solutions that are sustainable in the longer term.'

Share prices in British betting shops rose today after the Gambling Commission made its recommendation.

In their current form fixed odd betting terminals allow players to gamble away 18,000 an hour (stock image)

Shares in prominent bookmakers William Hill and Ladbrokes Coral, which have the biggest presence on the high street, were up 3 per cent each.

The maximum stake was a lot higher than campaigners had sought.

An FOBT is a touch-screen machine that allows players to bet on the outcome of various games such as roulette.

The machines are dubbed the 'crack cocaine' of gambling by campaigners who argue that they let players lose money too quickly, leading to addiction and wider social problems.

Responding to the Gambling Commission's report Simon Blackburn, chair of the Local Government Association's Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said:

'Councils have consistently raised concerns about the number of high stakes FOBTs and betting shops on our high streets, and the impact these have on individuals and communities.

'The Gambling Commission's advice is clear  maximum stakes should not exceed 30, but we would encourage the Government to go further and implement the maximum possible reduction to 2, alongside other protection measures outlined by the commission.

'The higher stakes permitted on FOBTs is significantly out of line with other high street gambling machines and the harm and anti-social behaviour they can cause has become an issue of growing national concern. It's essential the Government commits to taking the strongest possible measures to address these concerns.'
Boris Johnson vowed to crack down on corrupt Russian cash held in Britain today after talks with Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg on the Alliance response to Salisbury.

The Foreign Secretary has been in Brussels for talks with EU foreign ministers and the Alliance Secretary General.

As Britain continued to gain support for its furious reaction to the Salisbury attack, Theresa May reiterated her belief in Kremlin responsibility today as international weapons inspectors arrived at Porton Down to carry out independent tests.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has continued to deny any involvement since winning a new six year term by a landslide in a disputed election yesterday.

Boris Johnson (pictured today at Nato's Brussels headquarters) vowed to crack down on corrupt Russian cash held in Britain today after talks with Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg on the Alliance response to Salisbury

T he Foreign Secretary has been in Brussels for talks with EU foreign ministers and the Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (right at today's press conference)

Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured today in Moscow) has angrily rejected claims he was responsible for the Salisbury attack

Following talks in Brussels with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Mr Johnson welcomed the support of the alliance following the Salisbury incident.

'We share the view that the poisoning of Sergei Skripal is not an isolated case but the latest in a pattern for reckless behaviour by the Russian state,' he said.

German foreign minister says the poison attack is a 'bilateral issue' The German foreign minister today said Britain should clarify the details on the Salisbury poison case with Russia directly (file pic) The German foreign minister today said Britain should clarify the details on the Salisbury poison case with Russia directly. Heiko Maas said that 'all the evidence' points to Moscow being behind the attack. But he also said the UK should clarify the details of the evidence they have 'bilaterally' with the Kremlin. His comments can be seen as a hint that Britain will get only lukewarm support from the Germans. According to the EU Observer he said that while Germany is 'firmly on the side of Great Britain' it must continue a 'dialogue' with Russia ought to continue. He said: 'We assume that Russia will remain a difficult partner. 'Russia is  needed when it comes to solving major international conflicts. That is why we want to stay in dialogue, but we also expect constructive contributions from Russia,' he added. But while the words will be greeted by some as a sign Berlin is being guarded in the support it offers the UK, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been far more forthright. She joined Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron and Theresa May in signing a joint statement blaming Russia for the attack. Advertisement

'We stand united in adversity, be it in response to the attack in Salisbury or a threat to any Nato ally.'

Mr Johnson said there were actions that Britain could take with its allies, including 'going after the money that has been illicitly and corruptly obtained'.

He said: 'That is one of the most important ways forward. We have a National Crime Agency, a National Economic Crime Unit, that are looking into this kind of stuff right now but you can only do it in concert with partners around the world.'

Mr Stoltenberg said the use of a nerve agent represented an 'unacceptable breach of international norms and rules'.

'Russia's response so far has demonstrated a clear disregard for international peace and security,' he said.

'We continue to call on Russia to provide a complete disclosure of the Novichok programme to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

'Russia will continue to seek to divide us but Nato allies stand united and we stand in solidarity with the UK.'

Speaking in Birmingham today, Mrs May said: 'They have the capability. This nerve agent was one from a group of Novichoks that were developed by the Soviets.

'Russia has the capability and I believe the motive and intent and this is part of a pattern of behaviour we see from Russia across Europe.

'This happened in the United Kingdom, it could have happened in another country and our international allies have been strong in their support for us and their recognition that culpability leads to the Russian state.'

Asked if Mr Putin was therefore lying with his comments, she said: 'I'm clear that what we have seen shows that there is no other conclusion but that the Russian state is culpable for what happened on the streets of Salisbury.'

Earlier, Mr Johnson branded the Russian denials 'increasingly absurd'.

He told reporters: 'At one time they say they never made Novichok, another time they made it but all the stocks have been destroyed...

'I think what people can see is that this is a classic Russian strategy of trying to conceal the needle of truth in a haystack of lies and obfuscation.'

He added: 'They are not fooling anybody any more.'

As the political developments continued in Brussels scientists at Porton Down carried on work on the chemical agent used to poison the Skripals, with international observers due today

The Foreign Secretary (pictured in Brussels today) is meeting EU counterparts as the diplomatic standoff continues with the Kremlin

Theresa May (pictured today in Birmingham) reiterated her belief in Kremlin responsibility today as international weapons inspectors arrived at Porton Down to carry out independent tests

EU foreign ministers this morning issued a staunch statement of support for the UK over the nerve agent outrage.

The group offered 'unqualified solidarity with the UK' and said: 'The Union calls on Russia to address urgently the questions raised by the UK and the international community and to provide immediate, full and complete disclosure of its Novichok programme to the OPCW.'

It added: 'The lives of many citizens were threatened by this reckless and illegal act. The EU takes extremely seriously the UK Government's assessment that it is highly likely that the Russian Federation is responsible.

'The European Union is shocked at the offensive use of any military-grade nerve agent, of a type developed by Russia, for the first time on European soil in over 70 years.'

German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen said: 'Putin is no longer a partner. When it's clear where the trail leads, the community has to decide how to respond.'

Vladimir Putin addressed a crowd in Moscow's Red Squareafter winning reelection last night

Boris Johnson welcomed the supportive statement from EU foreign ministers today

Polish minister Konrad Szymanski urged Germany to abandon the Nord Stream 2 pipe line from Russia.

'This will be one of the most important topics of conversation, because after Salisbury a new situation has developed,' he said.

German MEP Manfred Weber, an ally of Angela Merkel, 'Putin is leading a modern war against the West. A line has been crossed. We Europeans need to wake up and stop being naive: our lifestyle is under attack. We have to defend ourselves.'

The EU's statement on the Salisbury nerve agent attack Here is the statement issued by EU foreign ministers at their meeting in Brussels today: 'The lives of many citizens were threatened by this reckless and illegal act. The EU takes extremely seriously the UK Government's assessment that it is highly likely that the Russian Federation is responsible,' the statement said. 'The European Union is shocked at the offensive use of any military-grade nerve agent, of a type developed by Russia, for the first time on European soil in over 70 years. 'The use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances is completely unacceptable and constitutes a security threat to us all. 'Any such use is a clear violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, a breach of international law and undermines the rules-based international order. 'The EU welcomes the commitment of the UK to work closely with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in supporting the investigation into the attack. 'The Union calls on Russia to address urgently the questions raised by the UK and the international community and to provide immediate, full and complete disclosure of its Novichok programme to the OPCW. 'The EU expresses its unqualified solidarity with the UK and its support, including for the UK's efforts to bring those responsible for this crime to justice.' Advertisement

Mr Johnson accused Moscow yesterday of 'creating and stockpiling' the deadly nerve agent used to poison Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

He said scientists had produced Novichok in breach of international chemical weapons conventions and researched how to use them to assassinate its enemies over the past decade.

But as the war of words intensified, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Britain's allegations were 'difficult to explain... groundless and slanderous'. He demanded the UK provide evidence or apologise.

Last night Vladimir Putin dismissed claims his country was behind the Salisbury poisoning as 'drivel, rubbish, nonsense'.

The comments came after Mr Putin won a landslide victory in yesterday's presidential election.

Mr Putin said Russia has 'destroyed all chemical weapons' as he gave a victory speech in Red Square.

'With regards to this tragedy, the first thing that came to my mind: If this was a military substance, they would have died straight away. You have to understand that. Second, we don't have chemical weapons,' he said.

'We've gotten rid of that, unlike some of our international partners.'

Russia's ambassador to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, yesterday hinted the nerve agent could have come from the UK military's chemical weapons laboratory at Porton Down away.

He said all production of nerve agent had ended in the early 1990s and stockpiles had been destroyed.

But Mr Johnson described Russia's response as a combination of 'smug sarcasm and denial, obfuscation and delay' and said Mr Chizhov was telling lies.

Inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in the Hague are due to arrive in the UK today to take samples of Novichok from the British authorities.

Theresa May (pictured with husband Philip on the way to church in her Maidenhead constituency yesterday) says the UK is considering its next move in the diplomatic spat

The poisoning of Yulia, left, and her father Sergei Skripal, right, sparked a huge investigation and clean-up operation (file picture)

Interviewed on the BBC's Andrew Marr show, Vladimir Chizhov said the military-grade Novichok poison might have originated at Porton Down as it was only eight miles from the scene in Salisbury

The results of the tests are expected to take at least two weeks.

The Foreign Secretary told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show the government had given Russia 'every opportunity' to come up with an alternative explanation for how the nerve agent came to be in Britain.

'And their response has been a sort of mixture of smug sarcasm and denial, obfuscation and delay.

'In response to Mr Chizhov's point about Russian stockpiles of chemical weapons.

What is the Novichok nerve agent used against the Skripals? The Novichok nerve agent used against former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia is among the most deadly poisons ever created. They were secretly developed by the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold war in the 1970s and 1980s. Communist scientists developed the poison so it would not be able to be detected by Nato's chemical detection equipment. They come in the form of a ultra-fine powder, Novichok is up to eight times more potent than the deadly VX gas. Victims who are poisoned by the powder suffer muscle spasms, breathing problems and then cardiac arrest. There is a known antidote to the nerve agent - atropine can block the poison. But doctors find it very tricky to administer the antidote because the dose would have to be so high it could prove fatal for the person. Novichok poisons are highly dangerous to handle, requiring the expertise of skilled scientists in a sophisticated lab. Dr Vil Mirzayanov, former Chief of the Foreign Technical Counterintelligence Department at Russias premiere, was among the team of scientists who helped develop the agent. Advertisement

'We actually had evidence within the last ten years that Russia has not only been investigating the delivery of nerve agents for the purposes of assassination, but it has also been creating and stockpiling Novichok.

He added: 'Listening again to the response of the Russian Ambassador to the EU with his satirical suggestion that this was done by UK agents from Porton Down, this is not the response of a country that really believes itself to be innocent.

'This is not the response of a country that really wants to engage in getting to the bottom of the matter.'

On Saturday Russia announced it would expel 23 British diplomats, matching the number of Russian spies ordered to leave the UK last week. It also closed a consulate and barred the British Council from working in the country.

Tomorrow, the National Security Council will meet to discuss the UK's response. Mr Johnson suggested there would not be an immediate retaliation.

He said ministers were 'hardening our borders' and ensuring the authorities pursue Russians who have 'corruptly obtained their wealth'.

In a BBC interview, Mr Chizhov claimed Mr Skripal had been 'almost forgotten' in Russia.

'He has been living in Britain for eight years now. Before that - I think I should stress the point - he was officially pardoned by presidential decree.'

He also claimed that because Yulia is a Russian citizen the British authorities had violated 'consular convention' by not allowing Russian officials access to her in hospital.

Russia had 'no stockpiles whatsoever' of chemical weapons.

'Actually Russia has stopped production of any chemical agents back in 1992.. So we cannot even talk about any chemical agents produced by Russia. All that have been produced previously was produced by the Soviet Union.

He pointed to a ruling from the chemical weapons body only last year that Russia had destroyed all its stockpiles, adding: 'There is only one country today which hasn't done so, which is still retaining its chemical stockpiles, and that is the United States of America.'

He added: 'But when you have a nerve agent or whatever, you check it against certain samples that you retain in your laboratories. And Porton Down, as we now all know, is the largest military facility in the United Kingdom that has been dealing with chemical weapons research. And it's actually only eight miles from Salisbury.'

The Russian embassy in Britain posted a picture of Agatha Christie's detective Poirot with the caption 'In absence of evidence, we definitely need Poirot in Salisbury!'
Liam Gordon Murphy leaves court on Monday

A woman who met a Sydney businessman via online fetish forum FetLife begged him to stop hitting her, using the safe word 'Red', a magistrate has been told.

But the woman agreed while her police statement, made seven months later, refers to using the word, she did not mention having said it that night in earlier posts or in an online article.

She was one of two women who gave evidence via video link in the Downing Centre Local Court on Monday at the committal hearing of Liam Gordon Murphy, who used the pseudonym The Wolf on the website.

The 42-year-old is charged with three counts of aggravated sexual assault and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in 2015 in relation to the first woman.

He is charged with sexual intercourse without consent in 2016 of the second woman.

Murphy's lawyer Charles Waterstreet previously told the court the 2015 incidents occurred in the context of a Bondage, Domination, Sadism and Masochism (BDSM) world.

Liam Gordon Murphy leaves the Downing Centre Courts in Sydney, Monday, March 19

Two women gave evidence via video link in the Downing Centre Local Court on Monday at the committal hearing of Liam Gordon Murphy, who used the pseudonym The Wolf on the website

In her police statement, the woman said she screamed at Murphy: 'Please don't hit me again, please don't touch me again, Red.'

Prosecutor Amay Tembe asked her when she first remembered having used the word Red.

'It was after .. I begged him not to hit me,' she replied.

Mr Waterstreet read out a message she sent Murphy after the incident which included: 'I did not have a safe word with you because I have always trusted you.'

She could not say why she didn't refer to using the word Red that night in a FetLife posting.

'You were saying you never used safe words with him and never used safe words that night,' Mr Waterstreet suggested.

'I disagree,' she replied.

Sydney businessman Liam Gordon Murphy is fighting allegations he sexually assaulted two women he met via online fetish forum Fetlife

The second woman was referred to messages said to have been sent by her to Murphy but she testified she couldn't remember them at all.

Mr Waterstreet read out some, including when she purportedly said: 'I like the way you bring out a different aspect of me, kind of like a victim, which I'm not.'

When he asked her if there was any reason she would have said things that were not true, she replied: 'Are you asking why I would lie to my rapist?'

The hearing continues before magistrate Christopher Halburd.
A pig-farming former Met police officer who traded his wife in for a glamorous young hog breeder has been sacked from the force for gross misconduct in what has been described as 'a scandal that rocked the pig breeding world'.

Neil Giles, 48, met Sally-Anne Pawson, 38, at a pig show while still married to his wife Michaela and began an affair.

He then left his wife and his job with the Met to move from his Billingshurst, West Sussex pig farm to Lincolnshire with Sally-Anne.

Neil Giles, 48, (left) left his wife Michaela (right) and moved to Lincolnshire

Neil Giles is now living with a fellow hog-breeder, Sally-Anne Pawson (pictured together) in Lincolnshire

The pig-farmer was put in charge of money at the British Saddleback organisation due to his 'trustworthy' background as a police officer.

But last week, the swine-farming Lothario was sacked buy Humberside Police for stealing 1,436 from the pig breeding club.

While he won't face any further action as the club does not want to press charges, he has been let go from the force.

In a statement, Humberside Police said that Neil Giles actions 'fell well below the standard we would expect of our officers'.

The force also confirmed the thefts took place while he was at the Met, where he specialised in child-trafficking cases.

Neil and Sally-Anne (pictured) now live in a home together in Lincolnshire where they make sausages

Neil met Sally-Anne (pictured), who is ten-years his junior at pig-shows all over the country

The Casanova now lives in a terraced house in Lincolnshire with his Sally-Anne, where they now make sausages together.

A friend of wife Micheala told the Sun Online the pair began the affair after meeting at pedigree shows across the country.

The friend said: 'It culminated in the Great Yorkshire Show at Harrogate in summer 2015. Days later he walked out on Michaela, their teenage son Oliver and the pigs.

'She was devastated. She had no idea it was coming.

The friend added that the financial misdealings was 'hot gossip' and 'a scandal that rocked the pig breeding world'.

'He had been dipping in for 20 here and there, just little things to maintain his image while he was wooing her' the friend said.
A woman who was abandoned in a blackberry bush as a baby has finally discovered the identity of her father after DNA tests were carried out on a stamp.

Anthea Ring, now 81, was found by a family who heard her crying on the South Downs in Sussex on August 26, 1937.

She was wearing a pink dress, her hands were tied and she was covered in scratches and insect bites. She was just nine months old.

Her discovery follows a 35-year search, which only ended after her own DNA matched a sample taken from a stamp on an envelope sent 30 years ago.

After her search was narrowed down to six brothers in Ireland, a newly-found cousin produced a series of letters penned by Patrick Coyne, whose DNA was left on the back of the stamp after it licked it.

The blackberry bush baby: Anthea Ring finally has closure after discovering who her father is after a 35-year search to find him

She was discovered by a family who heard her crying on the South Downs in Sussex in 1937. She was wearing a pink dress, her hands were tied and she was covered in scratches and insect bites. She was just nine-months-old

Left for dead on the hilltop, Anthea was taken to hospital but despite a nationwide search for her parents, they didn't come forward and after six months she was adopted by a family in Surrey.

She only learned she was the blackberry baby when she was 25 and she has spent the last 35 years searching for her birth parents.

However, the only real breakthrough happened after Anthea decided to take a DNA test in 2012, and discovered her ethnicity was 92% Irish - with family links to Ireland and America.

After months more work, research narrowed to her mother being from County Mayo, Ireland.

An entry in the 1936 record of illegitimate births listed a daughter to unmarried mother Lena O'Donnell, who researchers discovered later married in 1945, and had four children.

One of her sons agreed to take a DNA in 2017, and Anthea discovered she not only had a half-brother, but also the identity of her mother.

Focus then turned to who Anthea's father was, and researchers believed she could be the daughter of one of six brothers by the surname Coyne from County Galway.

The daughter of one of the brother's agreed to have a DNA test, and revealed she and Anthea were first cousins - meaning one of the brothers was her true father.

Scientists finally pinned down the correct father when 30-year-old letters from one brother, Patrick, were found, and saliva on a stamp confirmed he was her father.

It was one of Anthea's new-found cousins called Dot who remembered she had a series of letters sent by Patrick from England to the US - still in their original envelopes - that finally gave Anthea the closure she had been searching for.

She was taken to hospital but despite a nationwide search for her parents, they didn't come forward. After six months she was adopted by a family in Surrey (Pictured: appeals at the time)

Although her father Patrick died before she could meet him, she is now in contact with his wider family, but the reason behind her being abandoned, and her why her hands were tied, remains a mystery.

Anthea, a married grandmother who now lives in Bradford-upon-Avon, said: 'I'm delighted to have found the final piece in the puzzle of my family history.

'Who would have thought that stamps from decades old letters were the key to unlocking my story?

The discovery provides closure for Mrs Ring, who now knows her father was Patrick Coyne (pictured)

'I can now finally tell my children and grandchildren about their roots and where they came from.

'I feel like I have some closure. It's wonderful. Being able to track down my family has been incredible.'

David Nicholson, Founder and Managing Director at Living DNA which carried out the test, said: 'Stamps and other materials containing DNA such as hair from a brush, can often provide vital evidence in DNA testing, and this has proved critical in Anthea's very personal, and long-running, case to learn her roots.'
The biological mother of missing boy William Tyrrell has failed to appear in court for sentencing in two separate cases today.

One case was for assaulting a police officer and the other for alleged drug possession.

Karlie Tyrrell, 29, plead guilty to assaulting a police officer and using offensive language when her case was heard for mention, but failed to appear for sentencing in Burwood Local Court today.

Legal Aid informed the court that Tyrrell had also failed to inform them that she would not appear and didn't give them any instructions, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Karlie Tyrrell, 29, plead guilty to assaulting a police officer and using offensive language when her case was heard for mention, but failed to appear for sentencing in Burwood Local Court today

The police incident happened at the Top Ryde mall in Sydney's northern suburbs on December 22, 2017.

Security guards at the shopping centre reported to police that Tyrrell had been acting aggressively and swearing around other customers, including children.

According to police reports, Tyrrell got abusive when an officer asked her why a child that was with her had marks on their legs to which she replied 'none of your f****** business'.

Tyrrell then spat in the face of a second officer before saying that 'Ryde coppers lost my son you c***'.

Tyrrell was also due to appear in the very same court today on drug possession charges after she was allegedly found with 6.2 grams of cannabis on February 9.

Court documents obtained by The Daily Telegraph show that Tyrrell has a criminal history which includes assaulting officers and civilians as well as resisting arrest, damaging property and breaching bail.

William Tyrrell was last seen playing in his grandmother's yard south of Port Macquarie before he vanished in 2014, he was removed from the care of Karlie Tyrrell, his biological mother, due to concerns about domestic violence and drug abuse

Tyrrell penned a letter stating that mental health problems were the cause of her erratic and violent behaviour.

'I recently found out I suffer from panic attacks which played a major part into my behaviour but Im not making any excuses,' she wrote.

Due to Tyrrell's absence the matter was adjourned to April 3.

William Tyrrell was last seen playing in his grandmother''s yard south of Port Macquarie before he vanished in 2014.

He was removed from the care of Karlie Tyrrell, his biological mother, due to concerns about domestic violence and drug abuse.




A Ukrainian pilot blamed by Moscow for shooting down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 has been found dead at his home.

Captain Vladislav Voloshin always maintained he was the victim of a grotesque smear by Russia. The West believes Russia was responsible for the tragedy.

Voloshin, 29, was a Su-25 pilot in the Ukrainian Air Force when the Boeing 777 was blasted out of the sky on July 17, 2014, leading to 298 deaths.

Reports in Ukraine say he was found dead at his home in Mykolayiv from a gunshot wound. A murder probe has been launched by the Ukrainian authorities although initial reports suggest he took his own life.

Ukrainian pilot Captain Vladislav Voloshin (pictured) who was blamed by Moscow for shooting down Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 has been found dead at his home

Captain Vladislav Voloshin (pictured) always maintained he was the victim of a grotesque smear by Russia which is seen in the West as being responsible for the downing of the jet

The 29-year-old was a Su-25 pilot in the Ukrainian Air Force when the Boeing 777 was blasted out of the sky on July 17, 2014 (pictured) leading to 298 deaths

Work colleagues reported that he had been feeling 'depressed'.

His wife said she heard a gun shot and ran to him. Reports say she called police and ambulance, but a team of paramedics was unable to save his life.

After the Russian accusations originally made in December 2014 , Voloshin quit the Ukrainian air force and since last year was acting director of Mykolayiv International Airport.

A BBC documentary in 2016 highlighted the claims which directly conflict with the official Dutch-led probe into the air horror which insists MH17 was downed by a powerful surface-to-air Buk missile shot from pro-Russian rebel held territory.

Voloshin said last year: 'I did not shoot down the MH17 Boeing. A former military mate of mine called (Evgeny) Agapov, a mechanical engineer, falsely gave evidence against me.'

He stressed: 'We did not carry out flights on July 17. The mechanic also says that three aircraft went out on a mission and I was the only one to return. But again this actually happened on the 23rd.

Reports in Ukraine say he was found dead at his home in Mykolayiv from a gun shot wound

A murder probe has been launched by the Ukrainian authorities although initial reports suggest he took his own life

Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, Oleksandr Turchynov, accused Moscow of using propaganda to 'hide the crimes organised by the Russian Federation, including against civilians' in relation to flight MH17

'He said that the aircraft was carrying air-to-air missiles. There were no air-to-air missiles. I was carrying air-to-surface weapons for ground targets.'

Russia had claimed Agapov was a credible witness from Dnipropetrovsk air base, where both men served.

Agapov alleged the Ukrainian captain went on a sortie armed with air-to-air missiles, and returned without them soon after the Boeing 777 was downed.

After landing, Voloshin was 'scared', muttering that the incoming 'aircraft' - supposedly MH17 - 'was in the wrong place at the wrong time', he claimed.

The Russian Investigative Committee, headed by Alexander Bastrykin, a former university classmate of Vladimir Putin, insisted that the witness has passed a polygraph test and his testimony was credible.

SBU official Markiyan Lubkivskyi countered that Voloshin was not engaged in combat flights on July 17, the day MH17 was downed, and had not used weapons against aerial targets in the current conflict.

Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, Oleksandr Turchynov, accused Moscow of using propaganda to 'hide the crimes organised by the Russian Federation, including against civilians' in relation to flight MH17.

He said: 'A great deal of evidence, including data from satellite observation, has proved that terrorist groups controlled by the Russian military shot down the passenger aircraft'.

After the Russian accusations originally made in December 2014 , Voloshin quit the Ukrainian air force and since last year was acting director of Mykolayiv International Airport

is wife said she heard a gun shot and ran to him. Reports say she called police and ambulance, but a team of paramedics was unable to save his life

They used 'a Russian BUK surface-to-air-missile system', he said.

But Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said: 'The facts and information that the witness possessed and shared - clearly and without getting confused - convince the investigators that his testimony is truthful, something that, by the way, a polygraph test has confirmed.'

He 'personally' saw Voloshin's warplane 'loaded with R-60 type air-to-air missiles, with which Su-25 fighters were not normally equipped'.

His aircraft returned without these missiles.

Voloshin quit the Ukrainian air force in 2016 claiming that he could not afford to raise his two children on his service pay.

Reports since his death said that he had admitted to feeling 'suicidal'.

Police said it was normal to launch a murder probe in such circumstances.
A nine-year-old boy shot and killed his 13-year-old sister after an argument over a video game controller, authorities said.

The boy grabbed a gun when the girl, Dijonae White, would not give up the video game controller when her brother wanted it on Saturday, Monroe County Sheriff Cecil Cantrell said.

He said the boy shot the teenager, a student at Tupelo Middle School in Mississippi, in the back of the head and that the bullet entered her brain.

A nine-year-old boy shot and killed his 13-year-old sister, Dijonae White, after an argument over a video game controller at their home Okolona, Mississippi

She was rushed to a children's hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, where she later died.

Their mother was in another room at the home in Okolona feeding lunch to other children when it happened, Sheriff Cantrell told WTVA.

Authorities said they do not yet know how the firearm used in the shooting had been accessed.

The sheriff added that the circumstances of the shooting are still being investigated.

She was rushed to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital (pictured) in Memphis, where she later died

He added that he isn't sure what consequences the face will face.

'He's just nine. I assume he's seen this on video games or TV,' Sheriff Cantrell told the Clarion Ledger.

'I don't know if he knew exactly what this would do. I can't answer that. I do know it's a tragedy.'




Keelan Rowley, 20, was jailed for five years on Tuesday after he used Snapchat to blackmail young girls to send him nude images

An acne-ridden pervert has been jailed for five years after he used a Snapchat account offering free pizza to young girls if they sent him naked pictures of themselves.

Spotty Keelan Rowley, 20, used a string of fake names as he targeted more than a dozen girls in his twisted online campaign before he was sentenced on Tuesday.

Rowley, from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, used social media, including Snapchat and Instagram, to persuade the young girls to send him explicit photos or videos of themselves.

One of the perv's accounts was called 'freepizzaforyou' and was used to lure his victims, including four 12-year-olds, into messaging him.

But once he got the girls chatting, the predatory defendant threatened to subject the youngsters to sexual violence.

He also warned he would share their intimate pictures with their family and friends if they did not comply.

Shockingly, even after two of the terrified victims gave in to Rowley's dark demands, he still posted images and footage of them on social media.

The man from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, had an account called 'freepizzaforyou', which was used to entice his victims. But once he got the girls chatting, the predatory defendant threatened to subject the youngsters to sexual violence

Rowley's 14 victims all lived in the Hertfordshire area and also included two 13-year-olds, two girls aged 14, one girl aged 15 and three girls aged 16.

Hertfordshire area police were alerted to his illegal activities and the case was passed to specialist online officers in Essex.

The team executed a warrant at Rowley's home in November 2015 and he was arrested.

Rowley was charged and admitted to a string of charges when he appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Tuesday.

He was jailed for 64 months, put on the Sex Offenders Register for life and was made the subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Afterwards, DC Suzanne O'Neill praised Rowley's young victims for their bravery.

She said: 'Rowley was a cold and calculated sexual predator.

'He used social media to target young girls and blackmailed and exploited them to comply with his demands.'

Rowley was charged and admitted to a string of charges when he appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court (pictured) on Tuesday. He was jailed for 64 months, put on the Sex Offenders Register for life and was made the subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order

O'Neill continued: 'Two of them were so terrified they did everything he asked.

'However, these girls have shown nothing but bravery and courage and have worked with us to make sure Rowley is put behind bars where he belongs.

'We know offenders like Rowley use social media to sexually exploit young people and that's why we urge people to know how to keep themselves and their loved ones safe online.'

Rowley admitted to two counts of inciting a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity, five counts of inciting sexual exploitation of a child aged between 13 and 17, five counts of inciting a child aged between 13 and 17 to engage in sexual activity, two counts of making an indecent image of a child and one count of distributing an indecent image of a child.

One of the girls he targeted refused to co-operate with police.

He pleaded to the charges on Tuesday and was sentenced.
Romain Franck, the man suspected of smuggling the guns

A French consulate worker has been arrested on accusations of using an official car to smuggle dozens of guns from the Gaza Strip to the occupied West Bank, Israeli authorities said Monday.

The French citizen and several Palestinian suspects are accused of belonging to a gun-running network that eventually sold the weapons to arms dealers, Israel's Shin Bet domestic security agency said in a statement.

It said Romain Franck, in his mid-20s, had taken advantage of reduced security checks for consular vehicles to transport the weapons - 70 pistols and two assault rifles - out of the Palestinian enclave.

The Shin Bet said he acted on his own and was motivated by money. His superiors were not aware of his actions, it added.

A spokesman said: 'The consulate employee smuggled the arms on a number of occasions in recent months while using the French consulate's consular car, which underwent a more lax security inspection at the border crossing, as is the case with this type of car.

'The consulate employee transferred arms on five occasions, during which he transferred some 70 pistols and two automatic rifles.'

A total of nine suspects have been arrested and six were to be charged in court later Monday, including Franck.

Gaza, run by Islamist group Hamas, has been under an Israeli blockade for over a decade but weapons have been smuggled in through tunnels from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

A truck said to have been part of the gun-running operation which prosecutors believe Franck was part of

Vehicles in the Gaza Strip move towards the Israeli-controlled Erez crossing on November 1, 2017

News of the February 15 arrest emerged on Sunday, but the details were still unclear.

A spokesman for France's embassy in Israel said Sunday 'we take this case very seriously and are in close contact with the Israeli authorities'.

Franck 'has benefited and continues to enjoy the consular protection' provided to French nationals, he said.

The Shin Bet called the incident 'very severe', saying that 'the immunity and privileges given to foreign representatives were cynically abused to smuggle dozens of weapons that could be used for terror attacks against Israeli civilians and security forces'.

'The investigation was conducted in cooperation with the Israeli foreign ministry while constantly updating the French authorities,' it said.

Members of Palestinian Hamas security forces escort the convoy of Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah after it was targeted by an explosion, in the northern Gaza Strip March 13, 2018

A Israeli official said on condition of anonymity that while authorities were taking the case 'very seriously,' diplomatic relations were not affected.

'The relations with France are excellent and won't be affected by this affair,' the official said.

'We thank the French authorities for their cooperation.'

Those entering and exiting the Gaza Strip through the Erez crossing with Israel undergo strict security checks by Israeli authorities, but these measures are eased for diplomatic visitors.

The Palestinian enclave, home to some two million people, is sealed off from Israel by a wall.

Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008.

Israeli authorities carry out regular operations to seize weapons in the West Bank, which has been under Israeli occupation since 1967.
A British sniper has killed a senior ISIS fighter with a 'one in a million' night-time shot from nearly a mile away, it has been claimed.

The unnamed SAS marksman is said to have killed the terrorist with a 'head shot' close to the Syrian border having been given a window of just 15 seconds.

He is understood to be a sergeant with the SAS G-Squadron and a veteran of operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where he is said to have recorded as many as 100 kills.

A British sniper has killed a senior ISIS fighter with a 'one in a million' shot from a mile away using a US-made McMillan TAC-50 sniper rifle (as seen in this file picture), it has been claimed

According to the Daily Star Sunday, he is believed to have used a US-made McMillan TAC-50 sniper rifle as he targeted the fanatic from more than 1,500m away as he arrived at a safe house in a village.

The trooper is reportedly part of a counterterrorism drive in Iraq and Syria, which has been operating since the beginning of the year.

A source told the newspaper that the village in question was under ISIS control making a more preferable 'capture mission' impossible. The exact location has not been revealed.

The unnamed sniper is believed targeted the fanatic as he was arriving at a safe house in a village close to the Syrian border

'The SAS team had hoped that the ISIS commander would arrive during the day because a night shot was regarded as too dangerous,' the source said.

'But as evening approached the team realised that they were going to have to either abort or go for a night shot. The sniper said he wanted to take the shot and was given a "go order".'

The sniper had 15 seconds to take his shot as the extremist pulled up in a car. The source said the extremist was killed instantly after being shot in the back of the head.

The Ministry of Defence declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline this morning.
A giant yellow inflatable duck named Daphne that made a break from its moorings in Australia has been located after a week on the lam.

Daphne - the oversized mascot of the Cockburn Masters Swimming Club in Perth - made a bid for freedom on March 11, drifting out into the Indian Ocean and sparking an appeal for help along Australia's west coast.

Reports of sightings flooded in, including one from 440 kilometres (270 miles) away.

But on Monday a local fisherman revealed that he had spotted the escaping bath toy on the day of its disappearance and towed it 30 kilometres back to shore.

Quacking news: An enormous inflatable duck that broke its moorings in Australia and drifted off into the Indian Ocean has been recovered after a week on the lam

The missing duck flyer was shared to Facebook with the promise of a reward of her return

Unlikely rescue hero Tony Gibb told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: 'No-one knew about a missing duck at that point, we didn't know where did it come from.

'It looked perfect. It was fully inflated, there was no damage to it whatsoever.'

The fisherman towed Daphne back to shore, and said he would return the inflatable soon.

Swimming club president Peter Marr, who made a daring - but ultimately fruitless - dash to catch the duck after it blew away, quipped that he was in 'delicate negotiations, and we want Daphne back'.

The Cockburn Masters Swimming Club hosted its annual Coogee Jetty to Jetty swim in Perth on March 11, but while setting up the event, Daphne the Duck disappeared.

She was supposed to be the centre of attention, a nod to the 22-year anniversary of the event, which in bingo calls means two small ducks.

Daphne the Duck went missing from Coogee Beach in Perth during the annual Jetty to Jetty swim (stock image)

As Race Director, Peter Marr's role included coordinate deployment of buoys and Daphne.

He got her to the beach but when he went to tie her down the strong wind caught her and 'Daphne flew across the beach and into the water'.

After trying to chase after her, Mr Marr lost track of her.

'So we had Daphne for two weeks, one photo and about three minutes on the actual day,' he said at the time.
An urgent measles alert has been issued for airline passengers after a man with the disease flew from Bali to Australia.

The Department of Health and Human Services issued the alert after the man contracted the disease and was hospitalised in Melbourne on Sunday.

The man fell unwell after flying from Bali to Sydney and onto Melbourne at the weekend.

The Department of Health and Human Services issued the alert after the man contracted the disease (measles stock) and was hospitalised in Melbourne on Sunday

He flew on Qantas flight QF44 from Denpasar to Sydney before boarding QF415 from Sydney to Melbourne.

He landed in Sydney at 6.25am and in Melbourne at 10.35am, Nine News reported.

Health experts warn he was likely contagious during both flights and could have passed the disease onto scores of people.

'We are working with airline officials to identify and contact passengers who shared both the international flight into Sydney and the domestic flight into Melbourne,' Dr Finn Romanes said.

He urged anyone with concerns to visit a doctor or hospital immediately.

'People who were at Melbourne Airport on Saturday March 10, particularly around the domestic baggage collection area, who develop illness from now until Wednesday April 4 should alert their doctor or hospital emergency department.'

The department also warned he was potentially contagious when he ate at north-east Melbourne restaurant Lentil as Anything about 2pm on Saturday.

The man flew on Qantas (stock) flight QF44 from Denpasar to Sydney before boarding QF415 from Sydney to Melbourne
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With clients that included princes, artists and a future King of England, these are the women who ruled Paris from their bed.

Fascinating pictures reveal the prostitutes who featured in 'The Pretty Women of Paris' - the nineteenth century directory for the French capital's best courtesans and brothels.

Published in 1883 and limited to 169 copies, the notorious guide listed the names of the city's most famous scarlet women - along with their addresses, qualities and faults.

All of these women featured in an 1883 booklet entitled Pretty Women Of Paris, which served as a guide to the city's prostitutes for visiting English gentlemen. Left is Leontine Massin, one of France's most famous prostitutes who once bedded Edward VII, the future King of England. She was described as being 'short, plump, and chubby, with lovely blue eyes, fair hair and complexion and spending pulpy lips that she is always biting and licking with her rosy tongue. Right is Louise Valtesse, 'she allows herself to be rummaged by anybody, and takes what she can get, refusing no man ... Valtesse is one of the most handsome and clever of the whores of our time,' it says. She amassed a fortune of $3million in today's money

Prostitution became legal in France in 1804 under Napoleon, who ordered that all sex workers had to register and submit to fortnightly health checks. Pictured left and right is Cora Pearl, a British-born prostitute. The guide says 'she was once served up naked, with a sprinkling of parsley, upon an enormous dish borne by four men'. Cora dressed creatively, with the intent to provoke either shock or awe, and dyed her hair with bold colours. She was once seen riding out in her carriage, her hair dyed to match the carriage's yellow satin interior. She also appeared in a blue gown, with her dogs coat colored to match

By 1809 there were officially 180 brothels in Paris alone, although the true number was likely far higher. Pictured left and right is Alice Loady who could be found at 12 Rue D'Edimbourg. Alice was an acting prodigy and was rushed onto the stage by her parents when she was 18 years old. The guide says that 'lovers of early delicacies pursued her as madly as dogs after a heated b****, and she was soon crushed beneath the sweating bodies of elderly amateurs with disgusting leches but full purses.' It adds: 'For money she will do all you may ask her'

By law French brothels had to be run by a woman, typically a former prostitute. Left is Jeanne Aladie, whose 'low tastes, arising from her early education, will amuse those whose palates are satiated with finely prepared dishes,' the guide says. Right is Delphine Delizy, who 'is thirty-eight, but we are duty bound to state that she is still of very appetising aspect .... and there is nothing in the whole catalogue of Cupid's diversions that she has not done'

The handbook - which was aimed at visiting English gentlemen in Paris - meticulously described the sexual specialities and background of every prostitute.

Under Napoleon, prostitution became legal in France and the booklet arranges the various courtesans in Paris by district for ease for the potential customer.

Pictured are famed Parisian prostitutes such as Leontine Massin whose besotted clients included Queen Victoria's eldest son and future king of England, Edward VII - as well as Louise Valtesse of 98 Boulevard malesherbes who amassed a fortune worth $3million in today's money through her wealthy customers.

The collection also includes British-born Cora Pearl, who was based at 6 Rue Christophe Colomb and is described in the handbook as being 'One of the most celebrated whores of her time'.

Meanwhile another image shows Alice Lody who could be found at 12 Rue d'Edimbourg - the directory describes how 'For money she will do all you may ask her'.

Prostitution was legal and regulated in France throughout the nineteenth century.

When Napoleon become Emperor in 1804, he ordered the registration and fortnightly health inspection of all sex workers in France.

Five years later, Paris alone had 180 officially approved brothels. By law, these brothels had to be run by a woman - typically a former prostitute - and their external appearance had to be discreet.

Prostitution in France remained legal until 6th April 2016 when the French National Assembly voted to punish customers of sex-workers by a fine of $1,500.

The Paris guide was divided by district, allowing gentlemen to easily find the women they were after. Left and right is Leonide Leblanc, of 1 Rue d'Offemont. The guide says 'it is difficult to do justice to such a celebrated whore ... she has charmed a generation and every notable rake has passed at least one night in her arms.' It adds: 'By 1864, she had already gone through several fortunes. She ate a pennyworth of fried potatoes with one admirer, and truffles the following week with another'

Marguerite Baretti, of 46 Rue Du Faubourg Poissonniere. For those acquiring her services, it was said 'you will find yourself looking at a tall, dark, elegant young woman, with smiling mouth, handsome nose and a dainty chin with a tiny dimple'. It adds 'her principal lover is a young banker, who is too sensible to be jealous  and if a client has a good voice, he had better join in at once, when a most enchanting trio may be performed with her sister'

Left and right is Alice Marot, of 4 Rue De Marignan, who is described as a 'sprightly, fair, little whore [who] has been very lucky. After a more than usually chequered career upon the boards of provincial theatres, she came to Paris, and at the Palais Royal Theatre enlarged the circle of her lovers'

Ellen Andree, also of the Palais Royal Theatre. It is written in the guide that 'she takes many lovers especially artists in the capital city and is happy to be seen minimal clothing'
A mother who lost one of her six-day-old twins after her delivery was left in the hands of three inexperienced midwives has accused NHS staff of failing her.

Nicola Baines, 35, gave birth to a healthy baby boy naturally at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester, but her placenta burst while daughter Eleanor was still in the womb.

An inquest heard that as she attempted to carry on with the birth, unaware of danger, three midwives in the delivery theatre talked among themselves and tried to call for a doctor only to be told all were 'busy' in theatre.

Nicola Baines, 35, pictured with her husband Colin, gave birth to a healthy baby boy naturally at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester, but her placenta burst while daughter Eleanor was still in the womb

Eventually a doctor arrived at the delivery room and Mrs Baines was transferred to theatre for an emergency caesarian section.

But baby Eleanor was born seriously ill and died six days later with tests showing the placenta abruption had likely caused the infant a fatal brain injury.

It emerged the three midwives present at the delivery of the first child had never worked on a twin birth.

A doctor was present in the delivery room for five minutes but left before problems arose over Eleanor.

At a Manchester inquest Mrs Baines, a marketing manager from Hale, near Altrincham Greater Manchester said: 'I do believe the standard of care fell below the standard expected and there was miscommunication between staff.'

The tragedy occurred after Mrs Baines, whose husband Colin is an accountant, was admitted to the hospital on September 15 2016 after her waters broke.

She said: 'I was taken to the triage room and at this point I was in quite a lot of pain. I didn't see any doctors around and I know I wasn't examined by any.

In a statement after the hearing Mr and Mrs Baines said: 'It is hoped that Wythenshawe Hospital have learnt lessons from what happened on the day of Eleanor's birth so that similar situations do not arise in the future'

'Lucas was delivered very quickly and I was on all fours at this point. I said to the midwife: 'how long until the next one?'

'Pretty much at the same time I felt my water rupture and this is when I was asked to turn on my side because there was a query about the position of Eleanor.

'There seemed to be some kind of discussion about what they were feeling and that's when they called a doctor to examine me. I never had any concern at that point - there was no indication of any issues.

'When the doctor came over I thought we were dealing with a breached birth but I was then told it was the placenta that could be felt and I needed an emergency caesarean.

'Initially I said I didn't want a caesarean because at this point I didn't realise my baby was at any risk. I was transferred to theatre and Eleanor was born in very poor condition. We were moved to St Mary's Hospital but she died on the September 21.'

Midwife Stephanie Richardson said: 'Before Ms Baines I had been present for several twin births but I had not actually experienced a twin delivery myself. I was asked by the senior midwife to take Nicola Baines who was coming in by ambulance as the lead midwife. It seemed like she was in the advance stages of labour.

'I did communicate at some point that this was my first twin birth but I can't remember at what point. We managed to get the cardiotocography machine on but I noticed there was a paper jam and I asked someone to fix that but Mrs Baines was already starting to push at that point.

'Guidelines suggest that a doctor should be present in the room and an ultrasound after the birth of twin one should be considered. A doctor was there to fit a cannula but there was no communication and she left the room.

'After twin one had been delivered I pressed the call bell for assistance and another midwife came to wrap twin one but then left the room. It was then that we had difficulty finding the heart beat for twin two. That is when two other midwives came in. At that point I asked for a doctor but I was told they were busy in theatre.

'There were four people in the room at this point and there was a discussion about needing a doctor. In hindsight, I would have insisted that the doctor stayed in the room. Both myself and the doctor have reflected and said that communication should have been better. In my experience if doctors are aware of a twin delivery they don't leave.

'I made the decision to artificially rupture the membrane to induce labour and after this an obstetrician came. Since this delivery, I have been the lead midwife again for another twin pregnancy a couple of months after. Following this case I received special online training and there is now a study day once a year for twin pregnancy emergencies.'

Another midwife Gloria Hartley said: 'I asked midwife Richardson if she would be happy to take Mrs Baines and she said yes no problem.

'I didn't know anything about her experience when I asked if she was happy to take Mrs Baines and she said she was happy to. I don't recall her saying anything about her lack of experience but it was never the intention that she would be on her own.

'I had explained to the doctor that the mother was coming in and the intention was that we would all be there and support would be given. I stood by the door waiting for the ambulance and myself and the doctor ad a conversation about Nicola Baines.

'My expectation, generally speaking is that the midwife would look after the mother until the delivery of twin one but you would always have a doctor after for when twin one was delivered.

'Neither myself or the doctor were in the room when twin one was delivered. I had left the room to get the hormone drip which is needed after the delivery of the first twin. When I left, in the room was Steph and two other midwives. I was shocked to find out that not one of these midwives had delivered a twin pregnancy before.

'I had to go and deal with an emergency and my assumption was that the doctor would be there to help Mrs Baines. I thought the policy was that there was always a doctor in the room. For every twin pregnancy I had been involved in there has always been a doctor. I think this should be trust policy and it is now trust policy in light of these events.'

Senior midwife Angela Cook said: 'There should have been a registrar present in the room after the birth of twin one. Things can often go wrong between the delivery of twin one and twin two.

'This developed into a very urgent situation and should have required the registrar to be present. I would have expected continuous use of the tracing machine in between the birth of twin one and twin two. As soon as twin one was born if expertise was not in the room at that point, the emergency call bell should have been rang.'

Dr Maha Hassan said: 'I was told there was a twin pregnancy coming and I was in theatre at the time. I was asked to cannulate Nicola Baines and I was in the room for about five minutes. I didn't carry out an assessment of Mrs Baines because at that stage there wasn't any concern raised by the midwives.

'I sited the cannula and informed the midwife I was going to take the bloods. If I had known she was 9cm dilated I would have stayed in the room. I think now I should have told the midwife to inform me if she had any concern. I think I should have told her my intentions to come back.

'I had expected to go back in about 15 minutes. But in the corridor a student midwife approached me and said: 'We need you in room seven because we think we have a breached baby.' I was very surprised when I went into the room and I came to the view that it was a placental abruption. It looked like this had occurred very quickly.

'The midwife should have informed me if someone was 9cm dilated and I should have told the midwife my plans. Since this I have been on a four-day course in communication.'

Recording a narrative conclusion, Coroner Fiona Borrill said there was 'an absence of monitoring of the foetal heart rate.'

In a statement after the hearing Mr and Mrs Baines said: 'It is hoped that Wythenshawe Hospital have learnt lessons from what happened on the day of Eleanor's birth so that similar situations do not arise in the future.

'We hope that this inquest will go some way in raising awareness of the importance of continually questioning and challenging standards of care to ensure less families have to face the same devastating consequences as ourselves.'
Tamas Farkas, 36, was found guilty of sexual assault at Manchester Magistrates' Court

A young woman was left 'frozen, trapped and powerless' as a plane passenger caressed her leg for up to 20 minutes while they sat next to each other.

The victim was sat in the middle of a row of three seats on the Jet2 plane when taxi driver Tamas Farkas, 36, who was pretending to be asleep, suddenly pressed his leg against her before running his hand up her thigh.

The woman in her 20s tried to move away, read and listen to music as the plane cruised at 30,000ft - but Farkas continued to fondle her leg until she tapped him on the shoulder; asking him to move so she could go to the toilet.

She fled to the back of the plane where she broke down in tears as she told cabin crew of her ordeal. The woman was moved to a different seat and police were alerted after the plane from Budapest touched down at Manchester.

At Manchester Magistrates' Court, the victim had to relive the incident as Farkas, from Broughton in Flintshire, North Wales, was found guilty of sexual assault.

He claimed he might have touched her accidentally during turbulence. But the woman told the hearing: 'Normally if you do accidentally touch someone on a flight you apologise, but he didn't. The movement was not involuntary.

The woman fled to the back of the Jet2 plane (file picture) where she broke down in tears

'I was doing everything to distract myself. I tried to read but I couldn't, I tried to listen to music but I couldn't focus. I could just feel his fingers on me.

'He was caressing my leg. I was too scared to say anything to him because I didn't know how he would react and I wanted to draw as little attention as possible.

'I didn't want to call the cabin crew, I just wanted to get out as quickly as possible. I felt trapped and I didn't want to be stuck there next to him.'

The assault occurred on May 25 last year after the woman was allocated a seat in a row between Farkas and another man.

She added: 'I put my rucksack between my legs but as soon as he sat down, his leg encroached into my area and it came into contact with my leg.

'He also took up all of the arm rest so I couldn't put my arm on there. I put my earphones in and fell asleep for 20 to 30 minutes when something woke me up.

'I felt his leg touching my leg and he was moving it up and down deliberately and slowly rubbing his leg on mine.

'It was touching my entire leg from the thigh area all the way down to the ankle. It was right up against my leg. I was trying really hard to avoid this contact with him.

'He didn't speak to me. He was resting his whole arm on the arm rest at this point. He wasn't giving me any space to use the arm rest.

'It was particularly his knee and thigh that wears rubbing against my knee and thigh. It moved a few inches up and down. This went in for almost 20 minutes.

Farkas claimed at Manchester Magistrates' Court that he might have touched her accidentally

'I tried to move my phone from underneath my right leg but I dropped it and it fell between the seats on the other side where the other man was.

'As I bent down to pick it up the man on my left took this as an opportunity for his arm to fall over the arm rest and land on my thigh on the outer side.

'I didn't understand what was going on I couldn't move my leg. He was making subtle circular motions on my thigh, really slowly.

'Although it wasn't that obvious to people around, he was doing it and I could feel it through my jeans. I found myself pressing up against the other arm rest to make as less contact as possible. He was still rubbing his leg against mine. I was frozen.

'I just thought my best bet was to try and leave the seat and tell them and ask if I could move to a different seat. I decided I had to get away from him. I prodded him very hard on his right shoulder and said 'excuse me, I need to go to the toilet'.

'He made a play of waking up. He kept his eyes closed for a very long time before slurring very slowly and dramatically moving his head.

'I prodded him again and said it again and it was obvious that he wasn't asleep. A normal person would have woken up and apologised.

'He got out of the way so I could leave my seat. I went to the back of the plane and took a minute for myself. I didn't want him to see me speaking to them.

'I went over to the cabin crew and asked if I could move to a different seat and said that a man had been touching me. I got really upset and they gave me a drink of water to calm me down.

'They let me switch my seat and I sat at the back of the plane. I spoke to the police as soon as I got off the plane. He was not asleep. The touching of my leg was deliberate.

'His pretending to be asleep was not believable. I don't understand how some could do this. I felt powerless and very small in that moment.

'I wanted to get away from him. I was really worried when his hand started to move to my inner thigh, I just wanted to escape.

'The contact didn't stop when I prodded him. When he pretended to wake up, it was over the top and unbelievable. I just wanted to get away.'

Joe Connor, prosecuting, said: ' This touching was sexual and he carried on for 15-20 minutes. When she left her seat and sat at the rear of plane, she broke down in tears and was clearly in distress.

'In police interview the defendant said he was asleep during the flight and suggested that the lady made a false allegation in order to get compensation.

'He said he kept his legs together during the flight and kept his arms on his lap.'

Farkas, who had flown to Hungary for dental treatment, denied sexual assault and said: 'I would never touch a woman like that during a flight.

'It wasn't intentional and I had my earphones in. I cannot tell you anything about this flight as I have no memories of it - and if I did touch her it would have been in my sleep. It could have been the turbulence.'

Richard Thomas, defending, said: 'This was a long flight. It is possible he was asleep and made the movements whilst he was asleep.

'There was opportunity for her to tell him, or the man next to her. She could have used the button above to call the cabin crew or asked the drink carriage steward for help. People who fall asleep often make movements like this in their sleep.'

But, finding him guilty, district judge Sam Goozee told Farkas: 'Your account is not believable. Your actions and behaviour were deliberate and intentional.

'This is not something a sleeping person would do. There was a sexual element with the touching as you caressed her thigh for a substantial period of time.

'She did not consent to this. She gave clear, concise and detailed evidence, whilst you changed your evidence from your police evidence as you claimed you couldn't remember the flight. You even said she made a false allegation to claim compensation.'

Farkas will be sentenced later and was granted bail. His passport was seized.
Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker agreed the outline of a divorce deal in December

Theresa May and the EU effectively fudged the Irish border issue in the Brexit divorce deal before Christmas.

But the commitments to leave the EU customs union, keep a soft border, and avoid divisions within the UK were always going to need reconciling at some stage. Currently 110million journeys take place across the border every year.

All sides in the negotiations insist they want to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, but their ideas for how the issues should be solved are very different.

If they fail to strike a deal it could mean a hard border on the island - which could potentially put the Good Friday Agreement at risk.

The agreement - struck in 1998 after years of tense negotiations and a series of failed ceasefires - brought to an end decades of the Troubles.

More than 3,500 people died in the 'low level war' that saw British Army checkpoints manning the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Both London and Dublin fear reinstalling a hard border - whether by checkpoints or other means - would raise tensions and provoke a renewal of extremism or even violence if people and goods were not able to freely cross.

The DUP - which opposed the Good Friday Agreement - is determined to maintain Northern Ireland inside the UK at all costs, while also insisting it wants an open border.

The UK blueprint:

The PM has made clear her favoured outcome for Brexit is a deep free trade deal with the EU.

The UK side iniset out two options for how the border could look.

One would see a highly streamlined customs arrangement, using a combination of technology and goodwill to minimise the checks on trade.

There would be no entry or exit declarations for goods at the border, while 'advanced' IT and trusted trader schemes would remove the need for vehicles to be stopped.

Boris Johnson has suggested that a slightly 'harder' border might be acceptable, as long as it was invisible and did not inhibit flow of people and goods.

However, critics say that cameras to read number plates would constitute physical infrastructure and be unacceptable.

The second option has been described as a customs partnership, which would see the UK collect tariffs on behalf of the EU - along with its own tariffs for goods heading into the wider British market.

However, this option has been causing deep disquiet among Brexiteers who regard it as experimental. They fear it could become indistinguishable from actual membership of the customs union, and might collapse.

Brussels has dismissed both options as 'Narnia' - insisting no-one has shown how they can work with the UK outside an EU customs union.

The EU blueprint:

The divorce deal set out a 'fallback' option under which the UK would maintain 'full alignment' with enough rules of the customs union and single market to prevent a hard border and protect the Good Friday Agreement.

The inclusion of this clause, at the demand of Ireland, almost wrecked the deal until Mrs May added a commitment that there would also be full alignment between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

But the EU has now translated this option into a legal text - and hardened it further to make clear Northern Ireland would be fully within the EU customs union.

Mrs May says no Prime Minister could ever agree to such terms, as they would undermine the constitutional integrity of the UK.

A hard border:

Neither side wants a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

But they appear to be locked in a cyclical dispute, with each adamant the other's solutions are impossible to accept.

If there is no deal and the UK and EU reverts to basic World Trade Organisation (WTO) relationship, theoretically there would need to be physical border posts with customs checks on vehicles and goods.

That could prove catastrophic for the Good Friday Agreement, with fears terrorists would resurface and the cycle of violence escalate.

Many Brexiteers have suggested Britain could simply refuse to erect a hard border - and dare the EU to put up their own fences.
This is the moment an MMA fighter scored a knockout  against himself.

Matt McCook, 33, was pressed against the cage at the Shogun Fights event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday.

He had tried to fling his opponent Caleb Williams over his hip.

Matt McCook was pressed against the cage at the Shogun Fights event by his opponent

But he struggled to manage it since Williams had his arm in a strong grip and ended up face-planting onto the canvas.

McCook was unconscious the moment he hit the canvas, according to the Bleacher Report.

Williams, 27, proceeded to celebrate his first round victory.

The win means the fighter, based out of Coconut Creek, Florida, is now 9-4 in his professional career.

He had tried to fling Caleb Williams over his hip, but ended up face-first on the canvas
This is the moment a New Jersey judge can be heard telling state troopers 'I'm a f**king judge' during a drink-driving arrest in 2016.

On dash-cam footage from the arrest, part-time judge Wilfredo Benitez can be heard repeatedly telling troopers of his position, calling one of them 'a d**k' for putting him in handcuffs.

Benitez, who serves the towns of Belleville, East Orange and Bloomfield, New Jersey, had been found asleep at the wheel at 2am in Teaneck, New Jersey on November 12, 2016.

Scroll down for video

Two troopers spotted Benitez's car parked on the right shoulder of the interstate where the judge was asleep in the front seat.

After police woke him up, they noticed his eyes were bloodshot and there was a scent of alcohol coming from the car.

In the video footage, obtained by NJ.com, Benitez tells police that he had been on his way home after dropping his daughter off at school, before changing this to his son.

Benitez told the officers he hadn't been drinking or taking any drugs before the stop.

Officers then decided to conduct a field sobriety test at which point Benitez can be heard asking 'What are you trying to do? I mean, I'm a judge.

On video footage from the arrest, part-time judge Wilfredo Benitez can be heard repeatedly telling troopers of his position, calling one of them 'a d**k' for putting him in handcuffs

'I can't believe you're doing this. I'm not a f**king drug addict. I'm not a drunk! I can't believe you're doing this'.

According to NJ.com, Benitez was found to be twice the drink-driving limit.

As the officers locks the handcuffs, Benitez kept on insisting: 'I'm a f**king judge.'

The officer then said: 'I'm going to read you the Miranda warning. I'm sure you know it.'

Benitez apparently yelled 'You're wasting your time and you know it. I'll fight you. You know you're being a d***. I will f**king fight you.'

Benitez was arrested, but was ultimately found not guilty of the DWI charge 'because of flaws in the investigation'.

He is is still under investigation by the judicial conduct board for allegedly requesting preferential treatment during the stop.

A complaint for the ethics violation was filed on in January. A hearing on the complaint has not yet been publicly announced.
David Davis and Michel Barnier today shook hands and declared they have made a 'decisive' step in sealing a Brexit transition deal.

The EU chief negotiator and Mr Davis announced the dramatic breakthrough at a press conference in Brussels.

Under the terms, the transition period will end in December 2020, while the UK has also given ground on free movement rights and fishing quota rules.

However, Britain will be free to negotiate and sign trade agreements after the formal exit date next March. Gibraltar was also explicitly included in the scope of the deal.

The hard-fought package is now set to be signed off by EU leaders at a summit later this week.

However, Mr Barnier stressed there are still difficult arguments about the Irish border to come. And there was an immediate backlash on some of the concessions, with Scottish fishing industry angry that EU quotas for using our waters will still apply.

Mr Barnier said: 'A decisive step remains a step. We are not at the end of the road and there is a lot of work still to be done on important subjects including Ireland and Northern Ireland.

'But this decisive step will be presented by me on Friday.'

Mr Davis said the settlement gave 'certainty' to businesses in the UK and the EU.

'The deal we struck todayshould give us confidence that a deal good for the United Kingdom and the EU is closer than ever before,' he said.

The pound rose sharply against the US dollar and the euro as the apparent breakthrough was unveiled.

Theresa May hailed the agreement, saying it proved doubters wrong and showed that a good trade deal was possible.

David Davis and Michel Barnier shook hands today as they declared the breakthrough in talks

Mr Davis and Mr Barnier were clearly relieved to have cleared another hurdle in the fraught Brexit process

Mr Davis said the outline agreement meant that businesses had 'certainty' about the terms of the relationship immediately after Brexit

The Pound rose sharply against the dollar as the transition deal agreement emerged today

Among the details in the blueprint unveiled by a clearly relieved Mr Davis and Mr Barnier were:

The transition period will end in December 2020, making it shorter than the two years that had initially been suggested by the UK.

Despite Mrs May's protestations, EU nationals arriving in Britain during the transition period will get the same rights as those before - including the right to permanent residency. However, the UK will be able to charge them for obtaining visas.

B ritain will be able to negotiate and sign free trade deals around the world during the transition period, but they can only come into force a fter December 2020.

The UK will still be subject to EU fishing quotas during the implementation phase, and will only have the right to be consulted on the levels. But there is a provision that Brussels cannot reduce the UK's quota.

The issue of the Irish border was effectively kicked down the road, with both the UK and the EU reaffirming their commitment to a soft border.

Gibraltar was explicitly included in the scope of the agreement, but Mr Barnier stressed that a deal with Spain would still be needed on the Rock before it could come into force.

Mr Barnier reiterated the importance of the 'backstop' on the Irish border that was agreed by Mrs May before Christmas.

That deal meant if no other solution could be found the UK would agree to align closely enough with EU rules to avoid a hard border.

The UK has angrily dismissed a legal text prepared by Brussels setting out the backstop arrangement, saying it would effectively rip up the UK.

Outlining the deal today, Mr Barnier said: 'The UK will no longer participate in the European Union decision making processes, simply because after the 30 March 2019 it will no longer be a member state.

'The UK will preserve all the benefits and advantages of the single market, customs union and European policies, and will, therefore, be required to respect all the European rules just like member states.'

EU nationals arriving in the transition period will have the same rights as those arriving before, he added.

Mr Davis said: 'The United Kingdom will be able to step out, sign and ratify new trade deals with old friends and new allies for the first time in more than 40 years.

'These will come into force when the implementation period ends, providing new opportunities for businesses across the UK and seizing one of Brexit's greatest opportunities.

'We have agreed those international agreements arising from our EU membership continue to apply as they do now.

'Businesses can be confident there will be no disruption to existing trade relationships when we leave the EU.'

What are the key points agreed in the Brexit transition deal? Brexit Secretary David Davis and EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier were all smiles as they unveiled the Brexit transition deal Rights of EU nationals Britain has agreed that EU nationals arriving in the country during the transition period will have the same rights as Europeans living in the UK now. Free trade deals Britain will be able to negotiate and sign free trade deals around the world during the transition period. However, they will only come into force after the transition period has ended. The transition period The transition period will end on 31 December 2021 - meaning Britain will have a 21 month implementation phase. The Irish border Britain and the EU promised to keep a soft Irish border. Britain says it hopes to use technology to come up with plans to have an invisible border as part of the free trade deal. If nothing is agreed then a 'backstop' agreement will come into force meaning the UK would agree to align closely enough with EU rules to avoid a hard border. Divorce Bill: Britain signed up to the Brexit divorce bill, which is around 40billion. Advertisement

Mr Davis said the UK remained committed to the divorce deal agreed before Christmas, including the provisions on the Irish border.

But he said he believed the wider trade deal could be 'so close' that no additional measures would be needed to guarantee a soft border.

In a victory for the British side, the scope of the transition explicitly includes Gibraltar.

There have been fears that Spain could try to use its veto over Brexit to reopen the issue of the Rock's sovereignty.

Mr Davis said: 'Yes it includes Gibraltar. That is our view of it.

'We are having negotiations, very constructive discussions with Spain. They will continue.'

Mr Barnier said Gibraltar would leave the EU at the same time as the UK, and said it was included in the 'territorial scope' of the legal text.

But he added that Spain had been granted a specific veto on the Gibraltar issue, and would still need to approve the terms.

Mrs May said: 'I think the message people can take from this is that prior to December people questioned whether we would get agreement then. We did. People questioned whether we would get agreement now. We have.

'I think what this shows is that with good will on both sides, working hard, we can get an arrangement for the future which will be in the interests of the UK and in the interests of the European Union and it will be good for all parts of the UK.'

CBI director general Carolyn Fairbairn said the agreement brought 'a welcome gift of time' for firms in the UK and the EU.

'Agreeing transition is a critical milestone that will provide many hundreds of businesses with the confidence to put their contingency planning on hold and keep investing in the UK,' she said.

'While some sectors may need more than 20 months to prepare for post-Brexit life, this is a victory for common sense that will help protect living standards, jobs and growth.'

The Scottish Fishermen's Federation chief executive Bertie Armstrong said the terms fell 'far short of an acceptable deal'.

'We will leave the EU and leave the CFP (Common Fisheries Policy), but hand back sovereignty over our seas a few seconds later,' he said.

'Our fishing communities' fortunes will still be subject to the whim and largesse of the EU for another two years.

The EU and UK negotiators met this morning to put the finishing touches to the deal before making the announcement

Theresa May, pictured on a visit to Birmingham today, said the transition agreement proved the doubters wrong

'Put simply, we do not trust them to look after us. So we issue this warning to the EU: be careful what you do or the consequences later will be severe. To our politicians we say this: some have tried to secure a better deal but our governments have let us down.

'As a consequence, we expect a written, cast iron guarantee that after the implementation period, sovereignty will mean sovereignty and we will not enter into any deal which gives any other nation or the EU continued rights of access or quota other than those negotiated as part of the annual Coastal States negotiations.'

Britain braced for fresh wave of immigration as restrictions on Croatian workers to be lifted Britain is braced for a fresh wave of EU immigration just before Brexit after ministers announced they will lift restrictions on Croatians being allowed to live and work in the country. Croatia joined the EU in 2013 but the UK decided to impose controls on free movement upon its nationals. It meant that Croatians could only get a job in the UK if they had the permission of the Home Office. But Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes today said the restrictions will be lifted in June. It comes even though immigration is on the rise again - hitting 244,000 in February - more than double Theresa May's target of 100,000. Ms Nokes said: 'This decision has not been taken lightly, but after careful consideration, we have concluded that there is not enough evidence to satisfy the legal requirements to extend the controls for the final 2 year period.' The controls will be lifted less than a year before Britain quits the Brussels club in March 2019. The Home Office said net migration form the EU has fallen by 75,000 since 2013. Alp Mehmet, vice chairman of Migration Watch UK, said: 'Levels of unemployment in Croatia and wage disparities with the UK will of course attract Croatians when restrictions are lifted, as happened with Romanians and Bulgarians in 2014. 'The Home Office has again missed an opportunity to stem EU migration in the way the electorate has called for. 'This is just another capitulation.' Advertisement

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said it was an 'undoubted disappointment' that the UK would not have control over fishing waters from next year.

Blaming the EU for being 'unwilling to move', she warned that Tories from north of the border would not support a final Brexit deal that did not reclaim control of fishing quotas.

'I should make it clear today that I will not support a deal as we leave the EU which, over the long-term, fails to deliver that full control over fish stocks and vessel access,' she added.

The Conservative MP for Moray, Douglas Ross, was even blunter, saying the Government had delivered 'far less than I hoped and expected' on fishing.

'There is no spinning this as a good outcome,' said Mr Ross.

'It would be easier to get someone to drink a pint of cold sick than try to sell this as a success.

'I hope my disappointment on behalf of Moray fishermen is clear, and I will now be redoubling my efforts to ensure their interests are protected during the implementation period.

'Any final deal that does not deliver, unequivocally, full control over stocks and vessel access will not have my support.'

Nicola Sturgeon said the agreement was 'shaping up to be a massive sellout' of Scotland's fishing industry.

Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer welcomed the deal but said it had taken too long.

'This agreement could have been signed months ago but ministers wasted time fighting among themselves, holding out on negotiating objectives that they have failed to achieve and pursuing their reckless red lines,' he said.

'It is welcome that they have finally struck a deal on transition and now the government must prioritise negotiating a final agreement that protects jobs, the economy and guarantees there will be no hard border in Northern Ireland.'

And Mrs May wrote to Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, to outline her backing for the deal reached - and urge the EU to sign it off later this week.

She wrote: 'I therefore hope that the European Council will, when it meets in Article 50 formation later this week, be able to welcome the agreement we have reached on the framework for the implementation period, citizens' rights, the financial settlement and other aspects of our orderly withdrawal, and set the tone for an ambitious and close partnership for the future.'

Theresa May (pictured on a visit to an employment charity in Birmingham today) is trying to thrash out a Brexit deal with the EU

Jacob Rees-Mogg, Tory MP and leading Brexiteer, said the transition deal is 'unsatisfactory' but 'tolerable'.

Mr Rees Mogg, chairman of the European Research Group - the influential backbench group of Brexit backing Tory MPs - said: 'The transition agreement in itself is unsatisfactory.

'It is hard to see what points the Government has won and it has given in on fishing rights, free movement and the issue of sincere cooperation.

'As one correspondent said the Government has rolled over without even having its tummy tickled.

'It is, nonetheless, tolerable if the end state is a clean Brexit. As so often the words of Sir Francis Drake apply "it is not the beginning, but the continuing of the same unto the end, until it be thoroughly finished, which yieldeth the true glory".'

Mr Barnier met Irish deputy PM Simon Coveney in Brussels this morning before his talks with Mr Davis.

Mr Barnier met Irish deputy PM Simon Coveney (pictured left) this morning before his talks with Mr Davis

Irish deputy PM Simon Coveney hinted at progress after his meeting with Michel Barnier today
Up to 30 volunteer firefighters were unable to get to the frontline of Victoria's bushfire crisis and help save homes on Sunday because of gutless thieves who stole most of their equipment.

Unknown offenders broke into Parwan Country Fire Authority's Exford Road headquarters in the small town 45 kilometres west of Melbourne on Saturday night, where a long list of equipment was stolen.

They included a fire hydrant, breathing apparatus and cylinders, pumps, a ride on Mower, radio, torches, a GPS and an air compressor.

Volunteer firefighters arrived at Parwan Country Fire Authority's Exford Road headquarters on Sunday morning to find most of their equipment had been stolen

Hours later, firefighters across the state were called to help battle several out of control blazes burning near Cobden, Terang, Garvoc, Camperdown and Gazette in Victoria's south west.

'Parwan fire brigade have become a victim once again of what is becoming all too common to fire stations,' the bridge posted on its Facebook page on Sunday.

'A break in occurred between 11pm and 6am last night, which has left our volunteers angry and disappointed. We are now operational again however it could have been a very different story if we were called out overnight  especially with a total fire ban currently in place.'



The brazen robbery has left firefighters angry.

'It's horrible, just horrible to all CFA members and the public also i guess. It just leaves one numb and dead inside to think people would violate a volunteer department that helps the community,' a firefighter's wife posted.

'You have made my husband and all the Parwan CFA members feel down and out and I won't forgive you for doing this to them and I hope your caught and hung out to dry.'

Parwan Country Fire Association's Exford Road headquarters was broken into on Saturday night

Brigade captain Graeme Miles told 3AW presenter Neil Mitchell the robbery left the the 30-member brigade unable to attend the bushfires in Victorias south west, where up to 18 homes have been destroyed.

'We were supposed to get down to Cobden but with all the mucking around with police, we couldnt go,' Mr Miles told the Melbourne radio station.

'We had a call out last night but weve got no breathing apparatus so if weve got a house fire in the area, well have to call another brigade to come and help us.'

'We were supposed to get down to Cobden (pictured) but with all the mucking around with police, we couldnt go,' Brigade captain Graeme Miles said

The brigade does have CCTV but it hasn't working for the last week.

Mr Miles doesn't know when the vital breathing apparatus equipment will be replaced and all of his firefighting colleagues are all volunteers.

Mr Miles himself is a farmer.

'Its the third break in weve had in the last couple of years,' he said.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed to Daily Mail Australia it is investigating the incident.

All of the stolen equipment all have CFA identification on them.

Anyone with information about the robbery is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The Culture Secretary has vowed to end the 'Wild West' for tech giants amid anger at claims data from Facebook users was harvested to be used by political campaigns.

Matt Hancock warned social media companies that they could be slapped with new rules and regulations to rein them in.

He said that for many years tech giants thought 'government should just get out of the way' but said the era where they could do what they wanted is ending.

It comes amid fury at claims the Facebook data of around 50 million users was taken without their permission and used by Cambridge Analytica.

The firm played a key role in mapping out the behaviour of voters in the run-up to the 2016 US election and the EU referendum campaign earlier that year.

The Culture Secretary Matt Hancock (pictured in Downing Street last week) has vowed to end the 'Wild West' for tech giants amid anger at claims data from Facebook users was harvested to be used by political campaigns

Tory MP Damian Collins, chairman of the Culture select committee, has said he wants to haul Mark Zuckerberg to Parliament to explain himself.

Speaking to The Telegraph today, Mr Hancock said that tech giants will face a fresh wave of regulation as he warned 'the Wild West for tech companies is over'.

He said: 'Freedom operates within a framework.

'The liberal values of cherishing freedom whilst protecting the freedom of others is the new approach we're taking and the argument we're making in the UK is getting global resonance.'

The minister said that government have failed to keep up with the massive pace of change ushered in by tech firms.

But he sad that the Silicon Valley attitude of 'Break things fast then fix them' must come to an end - especially given the rise of artificial intelligence.

Tech companies store the data of billions of people around the world - giving an unparalleled insight into the lives and thoughts of people.

And they must do more to show they are storing the data responsibly, Mr Hancock said.

He said: 'The tech industry grew up with a libertarian attitude that the government should just get out of the way because connecting people would improve lives,' he says.

'And for the vast majority of people that is true. But it isn't true for everybody.

'The rules that society has  whether norms of behaviour or formal legislative and regulatory rules  have not kept up with technology.

'For emerging technologies like AI (artificial intelligence), putting in place the framework in which the technology operates is incredibly important.

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has been accused by MPs of 'hiding' as they urged him to give evidence to a Commons inquiry

'We as a society need to ensure that the framework in which tech operates is strong and robust.

'The trick is to pull off is to support the innovation and the amazing freedoms that this technology allows while ensuring that it works for the good of mankind,'

The role of social media companies is again under the spotlight after whistleblower lifted the lid on how vast amounts of data was taken from Facebook users without their permission.

Mr Collins has urged Mr Zuckerberg 'stop hiding behind his Facebook page' and give evidence to their inquiry fake news.

Mr Collins also accused the chief executive of Cambridge Analytica, Alexander Nix, of 'deliberately misleading' Parliament following claims it was passed individuals' personal data from Facebook apps without their consent.

Culture committee chair Damian Collins (pictured) made the call after it emerged Facebook has suspended a British data firm amid allegations it harvested personal details from more than 50million users

Facebook's vice president Paul Grewal said that Cambridge professor Dr Aleksandr Kogan had passed on information to Cambridge Analytica and others after launching a Facebook app called thisisyourdigitallife.

Assurances were apparently given in 2015 that the data had been destroyed, but the social media company was informed in recent days this had not happened - prompting the suspension of the firm.

Whistleblower Chris Wylie, a former research director at Cambridge Analytica, told Channel 4 News a so-called data grab had been carried out on more than 50 million profiles in 2014.

Dr Kogan is alleged to have been involved in this, using his company called Global Science Research (GSR) to accrue information.

Mr Collins said Mr Nix had denied to the committee that his company had received any data from GSR.

He added: 'From the evidence that has been published by The Guardian and The Observer this weekend, it seems clear that he has deliberately misled the committee and Parliament by giving false statements.

'We will be contacting Alexander Nix next week asking him to explain his comments and answer further questions relating to the links between GSR and Cambridge Analytica, and its associate companies.'

Mr Collins said Facebook had repeatedly understated the risks and have been 'misleading' to his inquiry.

He said: 'We need to hear from people who can speak about Facebook from a position of authority that requires them to know the truth.

'The reputation of this company is being damaged by stealth because of their constant failure to respond with clarity and authority to the questions of genuine public interest that are being directed to them.

'Someone has to take responsibility for this.

Cambridge Analytica is accused of using 50 million Facebook profiles to build a software program to predict and influence the choices of people at the ballot box. As a result, Facebook has suspended the London-based firm from their social network

'It's time for Mark Zuckerberg to stop hiding behind his Facebook page.'

Mr Wylie alleged that the data grab involved users being offered a small amount of money to complete a survey on the condition they consented to share personal details through Facebook.

This, it is claimed, allowed researchers to build personality and psychological profiles on millions of users.

He added that 'almost none' of the individuals knew about how their data was used.

Cambridge Analytica could then tailor specific political adverts to small groups of people, already knowing what their likes and interests were, it is alleged.

The firm said in response to the claims that it was 'quite obvious' the former employee 'had a grudge to bear' and dismissed his accusations as 'pure fantasy'.

Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said she would investigate the circumstances 'in which Facebook data may have been illegally acquired and used'.
Sergeant Lee Stephens, 42, deserted his duty on 12 shifts

A hero policeman honoured by David Cameron for rescuing six people from a burning building has been sacked for skipping shifts to see his boyfriend.

Sergeant Lee Stephens, 42, deserted his duty on 12 occasions to drive home or to a hilltop cafe to spend time with his new partner.

But he was caught out when senior officers checked the GPS on his police car - and discovered he was 16 miles away from his station.

Stephens won a police bravery award in 2011 presented to him by then Prime Minister David Cameron for helping rescue a family of six from a burning building.

But his 13-year police career was ended after it was discovered he was bunking off for up to an hour and 40 minutes at a time.

Stephens said he was skiving because his partner was dealing with some personal problems - but a picture he put on Facebook showed them 'smiling and happy'.

He admitted he may have kissed or hugged his lover while meeting up with him at the picturesque Caerphilly Mountain cafe near Cardiff.

A disciplinary hearing was told Stephens went missing while he was in charge of a team of ten officers based in Bargoed, Gwent, in South Wales.

Stephens went missing while he was in charge of a team of ten officers based in Bargoed, Gwent, in South Wales

Stephens won a police bravery award in 2011 presented to him by then Prime Minister David Cameron for helping to rescue a family of six from a burning building

Prosecutor Barnabas Branston told the hearing: 'He was there to supervise and do everything that supervision involves, he was there to set an example.

'He has epically failed in his role as a police officer, he was there to provide support.

'It was not a one-off, it was not an emergency. If it was a one-off it could have been justified.

'He pulled the wool over everyone's eyes, he does not have integrity whatsoever because he does what he wants.'

The sergeant was bunking off for up to an hour and 40 minutes at a time to 'help his partner' cope with some personal problems

Stephens was in full uniform and drove a marked police car during his secret meetups, the hearing was told

The hearing was told Stephens was in full uniform and drove a marked police car during his secret meetups.

Father-of-two Stephens admitted to four allegations of misconduct. He told the hearing that his partner was having problems due to a previous relationship.

He said: 'I thought I could juggle personal issues with work and looking back now I realise I couldn't do both.

Father-of-two Stephens said: 'I thought I could juggle personal issues with work and looking back now I realise I couldn't do both'

'I was juggling both my family and my partner. If I know what I had done now I would have accessed a GP and got some time off work. I have let my team down.'

An independent panel found Stephens had committed gross misconduct on two allegations and was 'dishonest and lacked integrity'.

Panel chairman Peter Jones said Stephens' disappearances meant that 'confidence could not be maintained in his ability to serve as a police officer.'

Stephens, who was said to be 'professional and hard-working', was dismissed without notice from his 41,000-a-year job with Gwent Police.
A driver has been charged after a six-year-old boy went flying off a bonnet of a car when a female driver allegedly slammed into the boy and his mother.

The mother and child were on a marked crossing at the intersection of Rickard Road and Lady Cutler Avenue when they were hit by a a Toyota Camry at 8.15am.

The driver, a 32-year-old woman, was charged with dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, dangerous driving and negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.

A driver has been charged after a six-year-old boy (pictured) went flying off a bonnet of a car when a female driver allegedly slammed into the boy and his mother

The boy's mother, 35, was incredibly distressed, shouting at the female driver as she was dragged away from the scene with injuries of her own, Nine News reported.

The boy was taken to the Children's Hospital at Westmead where he was treated for shoulder and leg fractures and face injuries and remains in a serious but stable condition.

NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the boy at the scene as police spoke to the driver.

His mother was taken to Westmead Hospital where she was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and is now in a stable condition.

The boy's mother (pictured), 35, was incredibly distressed, shouting at the female driver as she was dragged away from the scene with injuries of her own, Nine News reported

A woman was taken to Bankstown Police station where she was charged with dangerous and negligent driving

The female driver of the car was uninjured and taken to Bankstown Hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing, NSW police told Daily Mail Australia.

The driver was granted conditional bail to appear at the Bankstown Local Court on Wednesday April 18.
Saudi Arabia's crown prince has insisted 'there is no difference' between men and women as he prepares to meet US President Donald Trump.

Mohammed bin Salman, who is due to meet Trump in Washington on Tuesday, has pledged to introduce significant changes in the kingdom, including the end of a ban on women driving.

The powerful 32-year-old, who as heir to the throne could be set to reign in Saudi Arabia for the next half century or more, said 'only death' could prevent his rule.

Prince Mohammed has implemented reforms on women's rights, loosening clothing restrictions and pushing for greater participation in the workforce.

Saudi Arabia's crown prince has insisted 'there is no difference' between men and women as he prepares to meet US President Donald Trump. The pair are pictured at a previous meeting in the White House in March 2017

But guardianship laws, which require women to seek the permission of male relatives for a host of activities, remain in place.

'We have extremists who forbid mixing between the two sexes and are unable to differentiate between a man and a woman alone together and their being together in a work place. Many of those ideas contradict the way of life during the time of the Prophet,' he said.

'We are all human beings and there is no difference.'

Donald Trump will host Saudi Arabia's crown prince in Washington Tuesday, giving the president a receptive audience to denounce rival Iran and a chance to take stock of the significant changes the prince is engineering in the kingdom.

Ten months after the last face-to-face meeting between Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh, the 71-year-old president and the 32-year-old strongman prince are expected to deepen an already warm and congenial relationship.

Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman acknowledged in an interview with CBS News that Saudi society was dominated by particularly harsh strain of conservative Islam

But they are also expected to take up major developments for Saudi Arabia, both internally and externally: the end of a ban on Saudi women driving, the unprecedented detention of dozens of people that was billed as a high-level anti-corruption purge, Saudi involvement in the war in Yemen, and the crisis with the Gulf state of Qatar.

In an interview he gave to CBS News on Sunday, the prince acknowledged Saudi society was dominated by particularly harsh strain of conservative Islam, which he traces back to 1979, the year of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the seizure by extremists of the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

'We were victims, especially my generation that suffered from this a great deal,' he said.

'This is not the real Saudi Arabia. I would ask your viewers to use their smart phones to find out. And they can google Saudi Arabia in the 70s and 60s, and they will see the real Saudi Arabia easily in the pictures.

Saudi women should have a choice over headcovers, says crown prince Women in Saudi Arabia need not wear headcover or the black abaya - the loose-fitting, full-length robes symbolic of Islamic piety - as long as their attire is 'decent and respectful', the kingdom's reform-minded crown prince said. With the ascent to power of young Prince Mohammad bin Salman, the kingdom has seen an expansion in women's rights including a decision to allow women to attend mixed public sporting events and the right to drive cars from this summer. The changes have been hailed as proof of a new progressive trend towards modernisation in the deeply conservative Muslim kingdom, although the gender-segregated nation continues to be criticized for its continued constraints on women. 'The laws are very clear and stipulated in the laws of sharia (Islamic law): that women wear decent, respectful clothing, like men,' Prince Mohammed said in an interview with CBS television aired late on Sunday. 'This, however, does not particularly specify a black abaya or a black head cover. The decision is entirely left for women to decide what type of decent and respectful attire she chooses to wear.' Women in Saudi Arabia need not wear headcover or the black abaya - the loose-fitting, full-length robes symbolic of Islamic piety - as long as their attire is 'decent and respectful', the kingdom's reform-minded crown prince said A senior cleric said last month that women should dress modestly, but this did not necessitate wearing the abaya. It remains unclear if these statements signal a change in the enforcement of women's dress code in the kingdom. Saudi Arabia has no written legal code to go with the texts making up sharia, and police and judiciary have long enforced a strict dress code requiring Saudi women to wear abayas and in many cases to cover their hair and faces. But the kingdom has witnessed a cautious new climate of social freedoms with the rise of the 32-year-old crown prince to power after decades of elderly rulers. Saudi women have started wearing more colorful abayas in recent years, the light blues and pinks in stark contrast with the traditional black. Open abayas over long skirts or jeans are also becoming more common in some parts of the country. On March 8, a group of women in the Saudi city of Jeddah marked International Women's Day by exercising one of their newly acquired freedoms: the right to go for a jog, paying no heed to bemused onlookers. However, activists have blasted the countryas continued guardianship system requiring a male family member to grant permission for a woman to study abroad, travel and other activities. Last week, a U.N. rights watchdog called on Saudi Arabia to end discriminatory practices against women including male guardianship, and give them full access to justice. Advertisement

'We were living a very normal life like the rest of the Gulf countries. Women were driving cars. There were movie theaters in Saudi Arabia. Women worked everywhere. We were just normal people developing like any other country in the world until the events of 1979.'

He also defended at length his anti-corruption purge which saw many of the kingdom's princes and tycoons detained for several weeks inside Riyadh's luxurious Ritz-Carlton hotel - widely seen as an attempt to cement his grip on power.

'What we did in Saudi Arabia was extremely necessary' and legal, he said.

He said he was able to recover more than '$100 billion' of ill-gotten wealth from the detainees, but added: 'The idea is not to get money, but to punish the corrupt and send a clear signal that whoever engages in corrupt deals will face the law.'

The prince has been accused of hypocrisy over his opulent lifestyle at a time his government is preaching greater austerity of its citizens and has imposed new taxes.

He was recently revealed as the owner of a French chateau described as the world's most expensive home, according to a report in the New York Times.

But he insisted his wealth was a private matter. 'As far as my private expenses, I'm a rich person and not a poor person. I'm not Gandhi or Mandela.

The powerful 32-year-old, who as heir to the throne could be set to reign in Saudi Arabia for the next half century or more, said 'only death' could prevent his rule

He added: 'But what I do as a person is to spend part of my personal income on charity. I spend at least 51 percent on people and 49 on myself.'

The United States and Saudi Arabia are historic allies. Ever since Franklin Delano Roosevelt met with King Abdul Aziz ibn Saud on a US naval ship in the Suez Canal in 1945, every American president has carefully nurtured relations with the Saudi royal family.

But the unstinting support Trump offered when he chose Riyadh as the destination of his first overseas trip as president brought the relationship to a new level.

While Barack Obama said in 2015 that it was important 'not to perpetuate any long-term confrontation with Iran, or to even marginalize Iran,' Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the nuclear deal reached that year with Tehran, has chosen a very different path.

'Everywhere we go in the Middle East it's Iran, Iran, Iran,' he said a few days ago. 'Every problem is Iran.'

Even before setting foot on American soil, Prince Mohammed struck a scathing tone toward Iran in an interview with CBS, comparing the territorial ambitions of that country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to those of Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany.

And he warned that if Iran were to develop a nuclear bomb, Saudi Arabia would do the same 'as soon as possible.'

But critics are cautioning the White House not to blindly embrace every stance taken by the Saudi prince, particularly as concerns its role in the bloody civil war in Yemen.

Fighting between the Huthi movement, supported by Iran, and Yemeni government forces, backed by the Saudis and the UAE, has claimed nearly 10,000 lives and left the country on the verge of a disastrous famine.

In an opinion column early this month in the New York Times, Thomas Friedman, writing in the form of an open letter to Trump, urged the president not to give in to Prince Mohammed's 'bad impulses' as he seeks to modernize Saudi Arabia's 'economy and religious/social structure.'

He then adds: 'If you think you can just applaud his anti-Iran stance and religious reforms and all will work out fine, you're wrong.'
Army sergeant Emile Cilliers faces a retrial over his alleged attempt to kill his wife by sabotaging her parachute

An Army sergeant accused of trying to kill his wife by tampering with her parachute will be re-tried next month.

Emile Cilliers, 37, is said to have sabotaged his wife Victoria Cilliers' parachute before it failed to deploy when she made the jump in Wiltshire in 2015.

Mrs Cilliers, 40, an experienced army physiotherapist and parachute instructor, suffered near-fatal injuries after the 4,000ft dive on the Easter Sunday.

She sustained a broken leg, collarbone and cracked ribs when the main and reserve chute failed to deploy properly, causing her to spiral out of control on Salisbury Plain.

Prosecutors claim South African-born Cilliers tampered with the parachute just days after deliberately damaging a gas valve at the family home in Amesbury, Wiltshire, in a bid to kill his wife.

The jury in the first trial failed to reach a verdict after examining evidence for approximately 30 hours at Winchester crown court following a seven-week trial.

Cilliers was based in Aldershot, Hampshire, and worked with the Royal Army Physical Training Corps - attached to the Royal Engineers.

Mrs Cilliers, a parachute instructor, suffered near-fatal injuries after the 4,000ft fall in 2015

Father-of-six Cilliers attended the Old Bailey today for a pre-trial review hearing in front of Mr Justice Sweeney.

Prosecutor Michael Bowes QC said the retrial is expected to last six weeks.

Cilliers, of Aldershot Barracks, Hampshire, denies two counts of attempted murder and one count of criminal damage as to recklessly endanger life.

He was bailed ahead of his retrial, fixed for April 11 at Winchester Crown Court.
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These majestic giraffes are used to being the tallest thing around - but they're given a run for their money when they look out on a city full of skyscrapers.

Photographer Paras Chandaria managed to capture the graceful animals strolling within what seems like touching distance of the towers in Nairobi.

The herd of giraffe were found in Nairobi National Park, which borders the Kenyan capital city of Nairobi.

Just four miles from the heart of town, lions, hyenas and giraffes roam at will in the vast reserve that is facing multiple pressures from a burgeoning city and the accompanying infrastructure demands.

The giraffes roam Nairobi National Park, which is just four miles from the heart of the city, which can be seen in the background

It's rare for animals who live in the bush to come onto the outskirts of the park - but luckily, Paras, 34, was there just at the right moment.

And with the sheer size of the buildings in the background, the animals are made to look like they are strolling just metres away from of them.

He said: 'Nairobi National Park, is one of the most unique parks in the world and one of its kind.

'I couldn't believe I was able to get such an amazing shot.

'Although it was great to photograph the city, the tower of giraffes is definitely more important to me than the concrete structures behind them.

'I hope my images raise awareness of the fact the entire existence of this park is threatened by the ongoing encroachment and developments around and in the park.

'Currently, even thought are stop orders from the High Court, there is a railway being built straight through the middle of the park.

'This park is very small and therefore it will suffer a lot and may never be the same again.'

The image taken by Paras Chandaria, which makes it look like the giraffes are within touching distance of the skyscrapers in Nairobi

Earlier this month, Kenyan conservationists expressed their outrage after the construction of a railway line began inside Nairobi's famed national park.

The extension of a Chinese-built railway - Kenya's biggest infrastructure project since independence - through the vast wildlife reserve on the outskirts of Nairobi has been tied up in legal battles since 2016 and demonstrators claimed the building work breached a court order.

At the beginning of March, cranes, heavy machinery and scores of workers from the China Road and Bridge Corporation were set up inside the park borders, working furiously inside an area cordoned off and protected by armed rangers.

Jim Karani, legal affairs manager of Wildlife Direct, which has been involved in the litigation, said: 'What we have seen here is a government that is hell-bent on getting its way and building this project even in defiance of court.'

A small group of activists held a protest to demand government comply with court orders stopping construction.

One demonstrator, Catherine Chumo, said: 'It is very disappointing. The government is openly breaking the law.

A first 483-kilometre (300-mile) railway line from Mombasa to a terminal east of the Nairobi National Park was completed in 2017.

The second phase through the park is being portrayed as vital to Kenya's ambitions to eventually link to its regional neighbours.

Under the scheme, an elevated rail line will run across six kilometres of the park perched on pillars between eight and 40 metres (24 to 120 feet) tall.

Rail authorities maintain the pillars will be camouflaged, noise pollution reduced and freedom of movement maintained for the animals.

A coalition of interested parties first appealed to the National Environment Tribunal in 2016 to complain about the way in which an impact study was carried out, citing lack of public participation.

The tribunal ordered construction be stopped until the case could be heard, which it was required by law to do.

However in 2017, government tried to amend the law imposing an automatic halt to a project when a complaint is lodged at the environmental tribunal -- burying the change in an unrelated prevention of torture act.

When conservationists learned of this they complained to the high court which suspended the amendment.

While the protesters insist the stop order is still in place, Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) insists construction is taking place legally.

Spokesman Paul Gathitu said that the Chinese construction company had appealed to the high court, arguing this automatically invalidated the stop order while that case was ongoing.

Kenya's government has come under fire for recently ignoring a string of court orders.

Transport Minister James Macharia said he did not wish to comment.
This driver is lucky to be alive after his 35,000 pickup truck smashed into a Land Rover Discover who failed to spot him at a junction.

Chris Marshall, 44, collided with the female driver who shot out of a junction straight into his path - caught in this dramatic dashcam footage.

Mr Mashall was knocked unconscious in the 45mph smash on the A61 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

The camera broke during the crash and is thrown from the dashboard but cars can still be heard beeping in the footage.

The A61, previously named in a Which? list of top ten most dangerous roads, is notorious for vehicle collisions.

Paramedics then rushed Mr Marshall to hospital where he was found to have escaped with just cracked ribs and a broken sternum.

The father-of-one has now vowed to always use a dash-cam after he claims the other driver initially refused to accept responsibility, potentially leaving him to replace the written off Toyota Hilux out of his own pocket.

This was the result of the head-on smash which happened after a driver in a Land Rover pulled out of a junction on the A61 in Harrogate

The front Chris Marshall's pick-up truck was completely destroyed in the crash

Chris, a mining manager, from Harrogate, said: 'As a result of the crash, my car was written off and I was in a bad really way.

'The impact of the airbag knocked me out and I just remember coming round with people in the car trying to free me.

Mr Mashall, 44 (pictured) was knocked unconscious in the 45mph smash

'It was very confusing coming too in this strange commotion. I was dazed and in a lot of pain.

'I was so lucky because there was an ambulance further back in the traffic and they were able to get to me relatively quickly.

'The driver had three people in the car with her who were taken to Leeds General Infirmary, while I was in Harrogate Hospital.

'The crash left me with a broken sternum and cracked ribs so I had to stay in over a weekend to be observed.

'When I was discharged, I had to stay on light duties for several weeks and was forced to work from home.'

Chris had been driving back from Manchester Airport to his home on Friday, November 26, in 2016, when footage shows the other motorist appeared to misjudge as he pulled out of a junction straight into the front of his car, leaving it with irreparable damage.

Police didn't take any action following the collision.

Chris is now adamant that the dash-cam was the deciding factor in a dispute with the driver over who was responsible and has bought his son one.

The silver Land Rover can be seen waiting at a junction as Mr Marshall approaches in his pick-up truck

The dash cam footage shows the silver Land Rover Discovery shooting out in front of the oncoming car

Chris said: 'I was driving back from Leeds at about lunchtime when the woman sped straight through the junction. She didn't even brake.

'I was only going at 45mph as I was behind a truck and at a corner, but had I been going the full 60mph limit it would have been a lot worse.

'I think at the beginning there was a bit of confusion about who was responsible, I remember that being discussed in the ambulance, but as soon as I told the police to look at my dash-cam it became clear who was at fault.

'The insurance paid out straight away after I sent them the footage and there was no form filling or drawing silly pictures.

The Land Rover Discovery smashed into Mr Marshall's pick up head on

'My dash-cam really saved me a lot of hassle. I drive all over Europe with my job and I've had about 10 in the UK alone in the last year who have scraped me or bumped into me and as soon as I've shown them my dash-cam they've admitted fault.

'At first it was a gadget to me - I like technology- but it's quickly become a security thing too.

'My 17-year-old son, Aidan Marshall, recently passed his test and he's got one in his car now. We've all got them because you have to be careful.

'I still drive for my job but I'd say I'm a lot more paranoid now, especially near that junction. I tense up every time I pass it.

'I've not had any major long-term injuries but I'm no spring chicken anymore so I do get some aches and pains as a result of the crash, even two years later.'
Parliament's fig trees could face the chop after the authorities had to pay 10,000 to stop them falling over.

The exotic trees  ficus benjamina  line the grand atrium of the glass-roofed Portcullis House, the new extension the Parliament.

They were imported form Florida in 2001 and provide MPs and their staff with a scenic canopy above the cafe.

But they cost around 20,000 a year to maintain - and the parliamentary authorities had to cough up an extra 9,875, excluding VAT.

John O'Connell, chief executive of the Taxpayers' Alliance, attacked the authorities for spending the cash on the trees at a time when many public sector services are feeling the squeeze.

The exotic trees  ficus benjamina  line the grand atrium of the glass-roofed Portcullis House - the new extension the Parliament (pictured)

He told The Times, 'There is clearly some dead wood in parliament's spending priorities.

'Politicians should spend more money on necessities instead of internal decor.'

The Commons authorities said that it had ordered a review - raising the prospect that the trees could be axed.

A spokesman said: 'The trees in Portcullis House contribute to the building's environmental and acoustic performance.

'We are currently reviewing a number of options to minimise costs, as last year additional expenditure was required to stabilise the trees to prevent them from uprooting and becoming unsafe.'

The parliamentary authorities attracted a storm of criticism when it emerged that they had spent 400,000 over around a decade on the trees.

But architects have said the trees, surrounded by water features, are essential to provide shading to prevent the coffee bars and courtyard restaurants from becoming too hot on sunny days.
Lawyers for Rick Thorburn announced Monday that he will plead guilty to murdering foster daughter Tiahleigh Palmer while in his care in 2015.

But it has been revealed that Tiahleigh's biological mother, Cindy Palmer, put the case in jeopardy in September 2016 when she made a post to her Facebook page 'Justice4Tiahleigh.'

Police were at a particularly sensitive point in their investigation, having just seized a blue Ford Falcon as a 'vehicle of interest' in relation to the 12-year-old's death, when Cindy made the post.

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Thorburn's lawyer told the Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday Thorburn, 57, would enter a plea on May 25 to murdering the 12-year-old (pictured) and disposing of her body

'The car that was seized is identical to the one that  and  had, the one they had sold within days of Tiahleigh's body being found,' she wrote, 'And as the news and police depicted this car was in the possession of a new owner who was NOT a suspect in their investigation ...'

Cindy's shock at the development became apparent as she continued the post appearing to directly implicate Tiahleigh's foster family before police had made any such assertion public.

' and  were the carers of Tiahleigh, the people who were intrusted [sic] where [sic] her care and wellbeing, the same carers who are publicly selling up everything they own.'

The 2009 blue coloured Ford XR6 sedan that police seized during their investigation into the girl's death while in foster care

Tiahleigh's body was found on the banks of the Pimpama River in October 2015, six days after she went missing while in the care of Thorburn (pictured) and his family

Cindy was ordered to remove the post but it had already been picked up by media outlets.

Police allege Rick Thorburn had used the car to drive Tiahleigh's body to the Pimpama River and then sold the vehicle online.

Thorburn's lawyer told the Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday Thorburn, 57, would enter a plea on May 25 to murdering the 12-year-old and disposing of her body.

Pictured are police divers searching the Pimpama river on the Gold Coast a week after Tiahleigh's body was found

Tiahleigh's body was found on the banks of the Pimpama River in October 2015, six days after she went missing while in the care of Thorburn and his family.

Her foster father was arrested and charged in September 2016, and in July 2017 was committed to stand trial for murder.

Thorburn's lawyer, told the court next month's pre-trial hearing should be dismissed and requested a sentencing date, ABC News reported.

Thorburn, who was not in court on Monday, will also plead guilty to a charge of perjury relating to lies he told about the young girl's disappearance, his lawyer said.

A pre-trial hearing later this week where Thorburn was expected to seek a judge-only trial because of publicity around the high-profile case has been cancelled.

Tiahleigh's (pictured) death led to reviews of protocols on cases of children who go missing while in out-of-home care

Rick Thorburn, foster father of Tiahleigh Palmer (pictured), will plead guilty to murdering the Gold Coast schoolgirl

Rick Thorburn (pictured, left, with Joshua, second left, Julene, second right, and Trent, right) remains in custody and is facing a life sentence for the murder

Thorburn, who was not in court on Monday, will also plead guilty to a charge of perjury relating to lies he told about the young girl's disappearance, his lawyer said (pictured is Thorburn's son Trent)

Thorburn remains in custody and is facing a life sentence for the murder.

Trent Thorburn, Rick's 20-year-old son, was released in January after serving 16 months in jail for incest, perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Julene Thorburn, Rick's wife, was jailed for 18 months in jail for perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice over Tiahleigh's death.

Joshua Thorburn, Rick's other son, pleaded guilty to perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice and was jailed for three months in July 2017.

Tiahleigh's death led to reviews of protocols on cases of children who go missing while in out-of-home care.

Tiahleigh's foster father was arrested and charged in September 2016, and in July 2017 was committed to stand trial for murder

Trent Thorburn (pictured), Rick Thorburn's 20-year-old son, was released in January after serving 16 months in jail for incest, perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice
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Standing at 4ft tall and weighing some 14 stone at the age of just six years old, Johnny Trunley was viewed by his contemporaries in Edwardian Britain with equal measures of fear and curiosity.

But the youngster's electric personality and wit - asking country folk 'how much money they earnt this week' when goaded about his size during roadshows - led Johnny to become a celebrity of his day.

As a seven-year-old in 1904, Trunley - also known as The Fatboy of Peckham - toured the country, sharing a stage with American showman Buffalo Bill, music hall impresario Fred Karno and meeting stars including Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel.

To modern audiences, circus shows of this nature are an antiquated embarrassment and a throwback to an age before political correctness.

But in Trunleys era it was not unusual for crowds to gawk at those who were considered different from the norm, whether they were obese children, giants, dwarfs, Siamese twins and hairy men.

Now historian Dr Jan Bondeson has highlighted some of the most unusual and remarkable tales from a bygone age in his new book, The Lion Boy And Other Medical Curiosities.

The Fat Boy of Peckham: This posted depicts Johnny Trunley aged six in 1904, at the start of his successful tour of Britain. The rotund youngster became a major celebrity in the early 20th century thanks to his size and even went on to tour Europe with Buffalo Bill

By the time he was five-years-old, Trunley, who acquired the nickname the Fat Boy of Peckham, was 4ft tall and 10st. He was enormously strong for his age and could lift his father (pictured together) off the ground. As his fame grew, he kept piling on the pounds and by late 1909 he was advertised to be more than 25 stone. But the unexpected death of his father, who was also his manager, in 1912 and the advent of the First World War two years later prematurely ended his performing career

Lionel the Lionman, who was born Stephen Bibrowski in Warsaw, Poland, in 1891, became a celebrity because of his long facial hair, which was like a mane down his neck, and his extraordinarily hairy torso. He took up residence at the famous Coney Island amusement park in New York where over many years he was seen by millions of visitors

Among the most famous giants of the age were the French Brothers Hugo who measured 7ft 6ins and 7ft 5ins respectively, and the Tyrolean Giantess Maria Fassnauer who pipped 7ft. There were many photos of them stood next to average height people and also, occasionally, well known dwarfs of the age like Tom Thumb

Brighton-born conjoined twins Violet and Daisy Hilton were one of the most high profile nightclub performing acts in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. They performed with legendary American comedian Bob Hope and appeared in the films Freaks (1932) and Chained for Life (1950)

Revealed: The incredible Fat Boy of Peckham who went on to become a star of early British freak shows Trunley also signed a contract with music hall impresario Fred Karno, performing in sketch comedies and meeting Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel. He contracted tuberculosis and died aged 45 in September 1944 Rotund youngster Johnny Trunley became a major celebrity in the early 20th century because of his size and even toured Europe with Buffalo Bill. By the time he was five-years-old, Trunley, who acquired the nickname the Fat Boy of Peckham, was 4ft tall and 10st. He was enormously strong for his age and could lift his father off the ground. His sheer size baffled doctors at the time and became a local celebrity, spending most of his time in a local beerhouse entertaining the punters. A school inspector recommended he should be exempt from attending school because his size might injure the other pupils. But the London School Board insisted he attend and a carpenter was instructed to build him a king-sized chair and desk. However, his education took a back seat as he made his debut at the Yarmouth Hippodrome before embarking on a successful British tour in 1904 at the age of just seven. The practice of exhibiting obese children was commonplace in the United States in the 1880s and 1890s and some of the most high profile acts including Willie Filtz became household names on this side of the Atlantic. Trunley had British competitors too such as the Westwood family whose boy Wilfrid weighed 22st aged 11. But it was his quick wit which also made him stand out. When goaded by country folk about his size during one of his many successful roadshows, Trunley would reply and how much money did you earn this week? His popularity came to the attention of American showman Buffalo Bill who invited him on tour. He also signed a contract with music hall impresario Fred Karno, performing in sketch comedies and meeting Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel. As his fame grew, he kept piling on the pounds and by late 1909 he was advertised to be more than 25 stone. But the unexpected death of his father, who was also his manager, in 1912 and the advent of the First World War two years later prematurely ended his performing career. The introduction of rationing saw him shed the stones and in later life had a more traditional career as a clock maker. Trunley caught pneumonia from spending the nights in damp air raid shelters during the Second World War. He contracted tuberculosis and died aged 45 in September 1944. Advertisement

Jack and Jill: Trunleys tale was not unusual as late-Victorians and Edwardians were fascinated with people who were different to the norm. Obese children, giants, dwarfs, Siamese twins and hairy men were paraded on stage and at circuses. Today this practice would be seen as highly insensitive and against political correctness, but over 100 years ago it was not considered to be cruel

To modern audiences, circus shows of this nature are an antiquated embarrassment and a throwback to an age before political correctness. But in Trunleys era it was not unusual for crowds to gawk at those who were considered different from the norm, whether they were obese children, giants, dwarfs, Siamese twins and hairy men. Pictured, A German postcard from the early career of Machnow the Giant, stamped and posted in August 1904

The practice of exhibiting obese children was commonplace in the United States in the 1880s and 1890s and some of the most high profile acts including Willie Filtz became household names on this side of the Atlantic. Trunley had British competitors too such as the Westwood family whose boy Wilfrid weighed 22st aged 11 (pictured)

Jan Bondeson explores the timeless fascination with the freakish and bizarre people and events in the colourful history of medicine - including the Lion Man - in his new book

Other popular acts were Siamese Bohemian (today the Czech Republic) sisters Rosa and Josepha Blazek who toured playing the violin in the 1880s

A cabinet card depicting Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren getting married
One of the largest inquiries into alleged abuse of teenage Army recruits in Britain has collapsed after the Royal Military Police bungled the investigation.

A judge branded the three-year police probe 'seriously flawed' amid problems of missing evidence and claims of witness coercion.

There are fears the Royal Military Police may have mishandled other cases such as Operation Northmoor - the inquiry into alleged abuses by British soldiers in Afghanistan - and there are now calls for senior RMP officers to be investigated.

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Royal Military Police spent three years investigating abuse against teenage army recruits who were allegedy punched in the face and spat on while posted to the Army Foundation College in Harrogate . Above, a stock image from the college

It was alleged that 16 instructors, all sergeants or corporals, abused 28 school leavers while attending the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

The recruits told a court martial in Bulford, Wiltshire, the instructors would get them fired up by making them play British Bulldog.

WHO WERE THE 16 ARMY FOUNDATION COLLEGE INSTRUCTORS? - Sergeant Simon Girault, 29, of 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, was accused of four charges of battery and five of ill-treatment. He was found not guilty of three charges of battery and three charges of ill-treatment. The remaining charges were stayed. - Staff Sergeant Steven Harrison, 34, of 3rd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery, was accused of one charge of battery and one of ill-treatment. He was acquitted of battery and the ill-treatment charge was stayed. - Sergeant Thomas Bryan, 31, of 2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment, was accused of one charge of battery and one of ill-treatment. He was acquitted of ill-treatment and the battery charge was stayed. - Staff Sergeant Brian Crawford, 32, of 152 (North Irish) Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps, was accused of six charges of ill-treatment. He was acquitted of five charges and the sixth was stayed. - Corporal Andrew Armitage, 33, of 156 Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps, was accused of one charge of ill-treatment. This charge was stayed. - Sergeant Mark Graham, 31, of the HQ Defence Food Services School, Royal Logistic Corps, was accused of four charges of ill-treatment. He was found not guilty on all charges. - Acting Sergeant Steven Duncan, 32, of 1st Battalion Scots Guards, was accused of four charges of ill-treatment. He was found not guilty on all charges. - Acting Sergeant Daniel Royle, 33, of 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, was accused of one charge of ill-treatment. He was found not guilty. - Corporal Anthony Thomas, 31, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment, was accused of one charge of ill-treatment. He was found not guilty. - Sergeant Robert Comley, 33, of The Queen's Dragoon Guards, was accused of one charge of ill-treatment. He was found not guilty. In a second court martial beginning on March 12 Acting Sgts Duncan and Royle were due to go on trial accused of eight charges alleged to have taken place at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate between July 2013 and October 2014. Following the abuse of process ruling in the first court martial, the prosecution offered no evidence and the defendants were acquitted. - Acting Sergeant Steven Duncan, of 1st Battalion Scots Guards, was accused of two charges of ill-treatment, two charges of battery and one of conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline. - Acting Sergeant Daniel Royle, of 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, was accused of two charges of ill-treatment and one of conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline. On April 16 the final six instructors were to face a court martial accused of accused of 24 offences relating to alleged abuse at a battle camp in Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway, in June 2014. Following the abuse of process ruling in the first court martial the prosecution offered no evidence and the defendants were acquitted. - Sergeant David Harley, of the Scots Dragoon Guards, faced one charge of ill-treatment and three of battery. - Sergeant Anthony Owen, of The Parachute Regiment, faced six charges of ill-treatment and one of battery. - Sergeant Jonathan Carter, of 1st Battalion, Royal Horse Artillery, faced two charges of ill-treatment, one of battery and one of actual bodily harm. - Corporal Hassan Ghaith, of The Parachute Regiment, faced three charges of ill-treatment and two of battery. - Colour Sergeant Scott Dyson, of the Infantry Battle School, faced three charges of battery. - Former Lance Corporal of Horse Stephen Warren, of the Household Cavalry Regiment, faced one charge of ill-treatment. Advertisement

They'd be made to run between two hills ahead of bayonet training during a battle camp at Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway, in the summer of 2014.

It was claimed the teenagers, who were aged 16 or 17, were slapped and punched in the face, spat at, grabbed by the throat, 'clotheslined', had their faces submerged in mud and were forced to eat animal manure.

But after eight days, the prosecution offered no evidence in 24 of the 31 charges the first ten defendants faced, meaning five were acquitted and walked free from court.

The trial of the remaining five instructors continued for another day until Assistant Judge Advocate General Alan Large stayed proceedings, ruling they could not get a fair trial.

Following his ruling the prosecution indicated it would offer no evidence against a further six instructors.

Large condemned RMP for a 'seriously flawed' and 'totally blinkered approach' to the investigation.

Restrictions remained in force until the conclusion of the final court martial featuring two of the defendants from the first trial but at the 11th hour it was also dropped.

Now with all criminal proceedings over, it can now be revealed that the Royal Military Police botched the investigation by taking a 'policy decision' not to secure evidence that might 'undermine the prosecution's case'.

It was split into ten separate inquiries investigating complaints from 40 recruits against 30 instructors, which resulted in the failed prosecution of 16 defendants in three court martials.

Ten went on trial in February facing 31 charges, two from the first court martial were due to face trial in March accused of eight offences, with a further six instructors being tried in April on 24 charges.

The officer leading the investigation, Captain Teresa Spanton, did not question eyewitnesses, including a major, several captains and a warrant officer, because she believed they would lie in their witness statements.

The judge described her decision as 'frankly, startling'.

Capt Spanton is the officer who took criticism for the RMP's handling of the probe, but it was apparently a policy decision approved by those above her.

Handwritten accounts made by some recruits shortly after the alleged abuse have never been found and neither have up to 500 photographs of the training taken by an officer.

It also took two years to interview under caution the accused soldiers and another 12 months before they knew they were being charged.

Lewis Cherry, a Northern Ireland-based solicitor who specialises in military law, said: 'I have never found anything that has been as badly done as this. This is so absolutely appalling.

'I am normally a bit cynical about it but this time I am lost for words. Not only was this policy running in 2014, it was allowed to keep running until 2018 and absolutely nobody has called a halt.

'This policy decision was not taken by a lowly captain alone; those managing the RMP investigations over those years must themselves now be investigated.

'I just don't know where it is going to go. I've had my doubts about them for many years but I couldn't believe it was this bad. It has never been proved to me that it is this bad.'

During the court martial, several of the teenagers gave evidence that conflicted with their original written statements given to the RMP.

Some recruits were accused of lying by barristers representing the defendants by saying things in court that were not in their statements.

Others alleged they had been forced or threatened into making statements and to come to court to give evidence in person.

One recruit said: 'I was forced into making one in Catterick by the platoon staff in Catterick.'

A guardsman said the RMP suggested names to him during his interview saying things like 'Did you see such and such?'

'It wasn't really a case of if you didn't want to be a part of it you could say no,' he said.

'That was how it was put to me - that I'd be doing a disservice to future recruits and there could be an alternative motive proven as to why I'd chosen not to say anything.'

One barrister suggested that sounded like a threat.

The guardsman replied: 'Yeah, it did kind of intimidate me into coming forward with it.

'It did feel like there was quite a lot of pressure put on your shoulders to come forward and do the right thing. There was no way of saying no. Your choice was removed.'

Emma Sangster, co-ordinator of ForcesWatch - which scrutinises the ethics of armed forces - said she was 'alarmed' and called for a full review.

'The Army has a special duty of care towards 16 and 17-year-old recruits and the system of dealing with complaints is an important part of this,' she said.

'It is vital that serving personnel are able to trust the military justice system should they experience bullying or harassment. We are calling for a full review of how these cases were handled, from investigation to the trial process itself.

'Not only has the investigation of these complaints been seriously mishandled, the prosecution today offered no evidence in the final case, which resulted in the charges being dropped, yet no explanation has been given.

'The armed forces are the only organisations in the UK that are allowed to investigate their own crimes and conduct their own criminal trials.

'There are obvious dangers in organisations being allowed to police themselves when faced with criminal allegations of the abuse of young people.

'What is really needed now is a change in the law so that serious allegations of abuse against members of the armed forces are investigated by civilian police and tried in civilian courts.'
Strongman governments from around the world lined up to congratulate Vladimir Putin on his election victory on Monday morning amid silence from the West.

China, Venezuela and Egypt were among the first to send their good wishes to Putin along with the likes of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Iran, all of whom are staunch allies.

But most western countries remained silent amid tensions over the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Sailsbury, which the UK has blamed on Russia.

China's Xi Jinping led strongman governments from around the world in paying tributes to Vladimir Putin following his election victory on Sunday

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani also offered his congratulations, along with other staunch allies of Russia including Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

Putin (pictured on Monday at his campaign headquarters) claimed to have won 77 per cent of the vote on a 67 per cent turnout on Sunday amid widespread allegations of fraud

Germany was the only country to release a statement on Monday morning, with foreign minister Heiko Maas saying Russia remained 'a difficult partner'.

A statement will be issued by Chancellor Angela Merkel later in the day, he added.

French President Emmanuel Macron called Putin later on Monday, wishing him 'success' while expressing concern over the war in Syria and the spy poisoning.

What world leaders are saying about Putin China - Xi Jinping congratulated Putin, vowing to push ties with Russia to a 'higher level'

- Xi Jinping congratulated Putin, vowing to push ties with Russia to a 'higher level' Iran - Hassan Rouhani praised the 'decisive victory' and said he would like to develop relations further

- Hassan Rouhani praised the 'decisive victory' and said he would like to develop relations further Saudi Arabia - Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman wished Putin 'good health and happiness'

- Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman wished Putin 'good health and happiness' Egypt - Abdel Fattah El Sisi sent his 'warmest congratulations'

- Abdel Fattah El Sisi sent his 'warmest congratulations' Venezuela - Nicholas Maduro described Russia as a 'brother country' who are in a fight against global 'imperialism'

- Nicholas Maduro described Russia as a 'brother country' who are in a fight against global 'imperialism' Bolivia - Evo Morales said on Twitter that Putin's win 'guarantees geopolitical equilibrium and peace'

- Evo Morales said on Twitter that Putin's win 'guarantees geopolitical equilibrium and peace' Japan - Shinzo Abe congratulated Putin and agreed to work together denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula, but said the poisoning of Skripal was 'unacceptable'

- Shinzo Abe congratulated Putin and agreed to work together denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula, but said the poisoning of Skripal was 'unacceptable' Germany - Angela Merkel is set to congratulate Putin but speak of 'challenges' to their relationship

- Angela Merkel is set to congratulate Putin but speak of 'challenges' to their relationship France - Emmanuel Macron called Putin to congratulate him, but also expressed concern over the spy poisoning

- Emmanuel Macron called Putin to congratulate him, but also expressed concern over the spy poisoning Poland - Andrzej Duda said it was unacceptable that voting took place in Crimea, calling it 'illegal' Advertisement

China's Xi Jinping led the congratulations with a telegram which said: 'Currently, the comprehensive, strategic Russian-Chinese cooperation and partnership, are at an unprecedented high level.

'[They] have served as an example of a new type of international relations, based on mutual respect, equality and mutually beneficial cooperation.'

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani congratulated Putin on his 'decisive victory' and pledged to boost ties.

'I am sure that during your new term, relations between our two countries will develop further,' he said.

Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro, who has crushed protests calling for him to resign amid his deeply unpopular leadeship, also paid tribute to Putin's victory.

In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia's new strongman, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his father King Salman sent congratulations and wished Putin 'constant good health and happiness and his people steady progress and prosperity'.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi, Kazakh leader Nursultan Nazarbayev and Uzbek president Shavkat Mirziyoyev were also among those singing Putin's praises.

Cuba's Raul Castro was also sent his early good wishes.

Japan's Foreign Ministry said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had congratulated Putin and they agreed to work together for North Korea's denuclearisation.

'The two leaders confirmed their close cooperation in realising North Korea's denuclearisation' before an expected summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the ministry said.

Britain's Theresa May, France's Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Angela Merkel all remained silent over Putin's victory on Monday morning, though Macron did later call Putin and offer his congratulations, while criticising the war in Syria

It comes after former double-agent Sergei Skripal (right) and his daughter Yulia (left) were poisoned with nerve agent Novichok, which the UK blamed on Russia

Putin claimed victory in Sunday's ballot with 77 per cent of the vote, his highest ever share, amid a reported 67 per cent turnout.

The vote allows him to rule for another six years after which he will be forced to retire at the age of 71, if the Russian constitution remains unchanged.

However, election officials were caught stuffing ballot boxes in Moscow with voting slips amid widespread allegations of fraud.

Other voters complained of goons around polling stations making sure people voted 'the right way', while in the region of Stavropol Krai, which only has 35 registered home voters, 50 home ballots were counted.

Putin's opponents all denounced the process as unfair following their defeats.

Ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky - who came third - said rigging was so great that Putin's real level of support in a free poll would be no more than 40 per cent.

Communist candidate and runner-up Pavel Grudinin said the poll was 'dishonest' and 'the dirtiest' since the Soviet Union collapsed.

'Regretfully, [opposition politician Alexei] Navalny was right. One can vote two or three times, and there are such examples in Moscow region.'

Navalny - seen as the biggest threat to Putin - was banned from standing but his calls for a boycott of the election flopped if the turnout figure is accurate.

CCTV cameras in districts of Moscow captured election officials stuffing ballots into the boxes amid widespread allegations of voter fraud

An election official places filled-out voting slips into a ballot box in Moscow

Opponent Vladimir Zhirinovsky said Putin fraudulently doubled his vote share, while Pavel Grudinin said the ballot was the dirtiest since the fall of the Soviet Union

The independent mayor of Yekaterinburg Yevgeny Roizman warned of a lurch towards authoritarianism with Putin back in the Kremin.

'The quality of life will get progressively worse,' he said.

'But each new election turnout will be higher, the president's rating will keep rising  and North Korea will grow closer and closer.'

Zhirinovsky - aged 71 and a veteran of six presidential elections - said: 'There is no democracy [in Russia], there is no competition.

'[There is] just one candidate from the Kremlin and all others are 'pugs'.

'In reality, Putin should have a lesser percentage.'

His genuine figure in a free European-style election would be 'no more than 40 per cent', he insisted.

The only female candidate, TV presenter Ksenia Sobchak, said sarcastically: 'I do acknowledge that today Putin enjoys majority support, secured by various methods.'

She described a 'dirty campaignparticularlythe arrests of our supporters in various cities, as well as attempts at intimidating us.'

Alexei Navalny, a Putin opponent who was banned from running in this election, dismissed the president's other challengers as 'puppets'

Navalny was barred from the election but encouraged people not to vote and oversaw anti-corruption efforts from his Moscow headquarters (pictured)

Following the victory Putin told a crowd of 30,000 people in the capital's Red Square that Russia has a great future ahead of it provided its people stayed united, adding: 'Think about the future of our great motherland'.

Before leaving the stage to applause, he led the crowd in a chant of 'Russia, Russia!'

He also laughed off a question about whether he would run for another term in office after 2024.

Putin said he regarded the query about whether he would seek yet another term in six years' time as 'funny.'

'Let's count. What, do you think I will sit (in power) until I'm 100 years old?' he told the reporter who asked him the question.

A spokesman for Putin told Interfax news agency it was an 'incredible victory', adding: 'The percentage that we have just seen speaks for itself. It's a mandate which Putin needs for future decisions, and he has a lot of them to make'.

The statement came as Europe's Organisation for Security and Cooperation said the election was marred by a lack of 'genuine competition', though was well conducted.

'Restrictions on the fundamental freedoms of assembly, association and expression... have limited the space for political engagement and resulted in a lack of genuine competition,' the organisation said.

But it added that Russia's Central Election Commission administered the process 'efficiently and openly'.

Seigei Skripal, a Russia former double-agent in the pay of Britain's MI6, was found collapsed in Salisbury on March 4 alongside his daughter Yulia, both of whom are now in a coma.

Putin told a crowd of 30,000 supporters in the Red Square that Russia has a great future ahead of it, provided the country stays united

Putin led the crowd in chants of 'Russia, Russia!' before leaving the stage on Sunday night

Last week Prime Minister Theresa May revealed Skripal had been poisoned with a chemical weapon called Novichok, which was developed by Russia, and subsequently accused the state of being behind the attempted assassination.

France, Germany and the US then issued a joint statement backing the UK, saying there is 'no plausible alternative explanation'.

Russia had accused the UK of trying to use the scandal to swing the result.

Alexei Navalny, a political opponent of Putin seen as the only realistic challenger to his leadership, was banned from running in Sunday's race.

He had encouraged voters not to participate in the 'fraudulent' process, though his words fell on deaf ears if official figures are to be believed.

Navalny also oversaw anti-corruption efforts from his headquarters in Moscow.

Putin's victory will extend his total time in office to nearly a quarter of a century, until 2024, by which time he will be 71.

Only Soviet dictator Josef Stalin ruled for longer.

Putin has promised to use his new term to beef up Russia's defences against the West and to raise living standards.

He is poised to shake-up his regime after the victory, with lacklustre premier Dmitry Medvedev tipped for the axe by the scheduled 7 May inauguration date.

Veteran foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, who led the charge against Britain in the current nerve agent spy scandal, is also set to depart.

Putin is seen as wanting to revitalise his regime by propelling younger cadres into power and grooming an ultra-loyal successor to protect himself from corruption charges in his retirement.
The California couple who were falsely accused of making up a kidnapping three years ago spoke out for the first time in an interview with Good Morning America on Monday.

Denise Huskins, 32, was staying the night at her 33-year-old boyfriend Aaron Quinn's apartment in Vallejo one night in March 2015, when the couple says they were woken up by a group of men who kidnapped Huskins.

Quinn immediately went to police, who at first suspected that he killed his girlfriend.

But then two days later, Denise showed up in her hometown of Huntington Beach, seven hours south of Vallejo. She told investigators that her captors decided to let her go, but not before raping her repeatedly during her two days in captivity.

After that, police held a press conference, publicly doubting the couple's story and saying that they believed the two made the whole thing up. The media drew comparisons to the popular novel, Gone Girl, in which a woman makes up her own kidnapping.

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Denise Huskins, 32 (left), and Aaron Quinn, 33 (right), spoke out for the first time after they were accused three years ago of making up Huskins' kidnapping

Huskins broke down in tears as she described the two days of hell, during which she was sexually assaulted

The two remained suspects in the kidnapping until two months later, when one of Huskins' captors, Matthew Muller, a Harvard-educated former lawyer, was caught trying to carry out another kidnapping. Police found strands of Huskins' hair attached to swimming goggles he had put on her to cover her eyes during the March abduction.

Matthew Muller broke into the couple's home and drugged them both on March 23, 2015. He was arrested two months later after police found Denise's DNA in his car

The Vallejo Police department privately apologized to the pair but they sued for defamation and last week settled the case for $2.5million.

The couple have never spoken out publicly about the kidnapping until this week, when they sat down for an interview with Good Morning America, which aired Monday.

In the interview, Huskins described the horrifying moment that she and her boyfriend were both woken from their sleep by the intruders in their room.

'I remember thinking that this is a really bad nightmare. I don't like this.

'The voice kept saying over and over again, "Wake up, this is a robbery, we're not here to harm you."

'I opened my eyes and there's flashing light and he said Aaron turn over--

'He knew his name?' interviewer Amy Rohrbach asked.

'Yeah,' Huskins responded.

She continued: 'So he said Aaron's going to put his hands behind his back...to tie his hands behind his back and his feet together and he was encouraging me, saying, "You're doing a good job."'

At a press conference on March 25, 2015, the same day Denise reappeared, Vallejo Police Lt. Kenny Park labeled the couple liars and said they should both apologize to the community for 'wasting resources'

Quinn and Huskins (pictured after getting engaged last March) last week settled a lawsuit with the Vallejo Police for $2.5million

Muller told prosecutors he has bipolar disorder and was taking medication at the time of the kidnapping. He is a former Marine and Harvard-educated lawyer

The couple say they were bound, drugged and had goggles placed over their eyes and headphones plugged into their ears.

The kidnappers told Quinn that they would need two installments of $8,500 in order to release Huskins. Then they took off with her.

Quinn says he immediately went to police, but was met with suspicion from the very beginning.

'Everything was accusatory and fairly quickly, detectives said "I don't believe you" and just started saying I killed Denise.

'I knew they were going to look at me as a suspect. Actually that's what they should do, I was the last person to see her. But if she didn't get the kidnapper to let her go, I would be behind bars,' he said.

During her 48 hours with the captors, Huskins said she 'expected the worst'.

'My only hope was to maybe show him the human that is in front of him. He spoke to me a lot, he shared with me that he just had a difficult time in his life.

'And so I kind of shared with him something that happened when I was younger, hoping that maybe knowing that I've already been assaulted that he wouldn't want to add to it,' Huskins said.

The couple were asleep in their home in Vallejo, California, when Muller broke in at 3am and drugged them both

Unfortunately, her story of being molested as a child didn't stop her from being sexually assaulted during her two days of hell.

Huskins also detailed the heart-stopping moment that her captors let her go - a moment which she personally thought was going to be her last.

'When he opened the car door, I thought, "This is it. Either I'm going to hear a gunshot and that's it or I'm gonna get pushed off a cliff."

'And he was guiding me and I thought I was walking to my death. And then I heard a door close behind me and I pulled up the blindfold and I thought, "Oh God, he is going to release me,"' Huskins recalled.

But the nightmare of course didn't end there. Even after being safely reunited with her family and boyfriend, Huskins learned that police didn't buy her story.

Two days after she went missing, Huskins reappeared at her parents' home hours away. She and her boyfriend (seen above at a press conference in July 2015) were immediately branded liars by the police department

'There are so many parallels to how I was treated by the kidnappers and how I found out Aaron was treated by the "good guys,"' Huskins said.

Quinn and Huskins plan to get married in September

She added: 'I don't know how to describe what it's like to sit back silently and watch the world have a conversation on the most horrific thing that you've ever lived through.'

When Muller was arrested two months later, the couple got a private letter of apology from the Vallejo Police for having doubted them. But they said they would not make that apology public until they wrapped up the investigation. To this day the police department has not issued that public apology.

'They've acknowledged they were wrong but they wouldn't have done anything differently. It's kind of like, sorry i'm not sorry,' Huskins said.

The couple are also troubled by the fact that they believe more of their captors are still out there, ready to strike again.

'We know that they're still out there. We know that the public is in danger. They're trained professional criminals..they're going to do this again,' Huskins said.

In happier news, the couple got engaged last year and are planning to wed in the fall.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller has been focused on events that have happened since President Trump's swearing-in when having discussions with the president's lawyers.

Axios first reported the tidbit, in which the publication wrote that Mueller has expressed interest in the firings of FBI Director James Comey and National Security Advisor Michael Flynn so far.

That suggests that Mueller is looking for evidence of obstruction of justice when it comes to Trump, as opposed to focusing on whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians.

When talking to President Trump's lawyers, Special Counsel Robert Mueller is zeroing in on the firings of FBI Director James Comey and National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, which suggests Mueller is building an obstruction of justice case against Trump

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's (pictured) team is asking questions about the firings of FBI Director James Comey and National Security Advisor Michael Flynn when talking to President Trump's lawyers, Axios reported on Monday

FBI Director James Comey (left) said he was fired over his role leading the Russia investigation, while National Security Advisor Michael Flynn (right) was axed after lying to Vice President Mike Pence about conversations he had with the Russian ambassador about Obama-era sanctions

Of course both firings are linked with Russia too.

The president fired Flynn, who had been an important surrogate for him during the campaign, in February 2017 after Flynn had lied to Vice President Mike Pence on whether he had spoken to Russian Amb. Sergey Kislyak about sanctions that President Obama's administration had imposed.

Flynn later pleaded guilty of lying to the FBI over his conversations with Kislyak.

In May, President Trump decided to fire FBI Director James Comey.

While the president and administration officials gave an array of explanations for the firing, when talking to NBC's Lester Holt in the days following the decision, Trump suggested it was because of the Russia probe, then in the hands of the FBI.

'When I decided [to fire Comey], I said to myself, I said, "You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story,"' Trump said on May 11.

When Comey testified before Congress the next months, he told lawmakers that Trump had tried to pressure him to drop the investigation into Flynn.

'I take the president at his word that I was fired because of the Russia investigation,' Comey also offered.

On Saturday, President Trump called out Special Counsel Robert Mueller by name - for the first time - again labeling the Russia probe a 'WITCH HUNT'

Failing to mention that Special Counsel Robert Mueller is himself a Republican, President Trump charged on Sunday that the Russia probe is politically biased

On Monday, the president was likely taking aim at the Russia probe once again, calling it a 'total WITCH HUNT with massive conflicts of interest!'

Comey's firing led to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, then in charge of the Russia probe because of Attorney General Jeff Sessions' recusal, appointing Special Counsel Mueller to take over the investigation.

As Mueller's and Trump's teams are hashing out the details for a presidential interview in the coming weeks, the president for the first time criticized the special counsel by name in a weekend Twitter rant.

'The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime,' Trump wrote Saturday. 'It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT!'

On Sunday, failing to mention that Mueller himself is a Republican, Trump suggested that probe was politically biased.

'Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added...does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!' the president wrote.

On Monday morning, Trump was likely referring to the Russia probe again when he tweeted, 'A total WITCH HUNT with massive conflicts of interest!'

Trump's new complaints led to a number of Republicans saying publicly that if the president fired Mueller, it would be 'the beginning of the end of his presidency,' according to Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican.

Speculation that Mueller's firing could be in the works prompted one of the president's lawyers to release a statement Sunday night.

'In response to media speculation and related questions being posed to the Administration, the White house yet again confirms that the president is not considering or discussing the firing of the Special Counsel, Robert Mueller,' Trump's attorney Ty Cobb said.
A murder probe is underway after Russian exile and Putin critic Nikolai Glushkov was found dead at his London home

A Russian exile found 'murdered' at his suburban home may have known his killer, new evidence suggests.

Nikolai Glushkov, 68, was found dead by his daughter, Natalia, at his suburban home in New Malden, south London last Monday night - just eight days after the nerve agent attack on spy Sergei Skripal.

On Friday, Scotland Yard announced they are treating the death of the former Putin critic as murder.

Today, detectives revealed they have found no sign of forced entry at the house, suggesting he may have let whoever killed him into his house.

It also emerged Mr Glushkov may have been killed more than 24 hours before he was found, with police appealing for information about anything unusual locals saw on Sunday.

It was claimed over the weekend that Mr Glushkov was strangled then hung up to make his death look like a suicide.

Mr Glushkov was found by his daughter, Russian businesswoman Natalia Glushkova

Police officers stand on duty outside the home of Nikolai Glushkov in New Malden, today

A post-mortem has found Mr Glushkov, a former businessman who had to flee Moscow amid claims of financial crimes, died from 'compression to the neck'.

Commander Clarke Jarrett, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command said today: 'The investigation is progressing; we have taken a number of statements and have over 400 exhibits which are being processed.

'We have found no sign of forced entry thus far, but the forensic examination at Mr Gluskov's home continues and we expect to be there for some time.'

He added: 'I must stress that there is nothing we have found in our investigation so far to suggest any link to the attempted murders in Salisbury and I would like to reassure the public in New Malden that there are no wider public health concerns in relation to this investigation.'

The Russian Embassy renewed calls for police to allow them access to the investigation today.

The Embassy tweeted: '7 days passed since the murder of Nikolay Glushkov. UK hasn't complied with its obligation under the Vienna consular convention to provide access to the course of investigation.'

The Russian Embassy today renewed its calls to be given access to the investigation

Mr Glushkov's friend Boris Berezovsky was found dead in his Berkshire home in 2013 and the death of another of their circle, Badri Patarkatsishvili, is also unexplained

The usually quiet street in New Malden, south London has been flooded with Scotland Yard counter-terrorism officers this week as a huge probe was launched into Glushkov's death

Mr Glushkov was one of the most wanted men in Russia thanks to his career as right-hand man to billionaire Boris Berezovsky, who died in 2013.

He was the only surviving member of the tycoon's inner after Badri Patarkatsishvili, 52, suffered an apparent fatal heart attack five years earlier.

Last year he appeared at the top of a 'hit list' published by the Russian Embassy in London of exiles which the British authorities refused to extradite.

Mr Glushkov was found by his daughter Natalia, 34, a socialite and student in luxury brands, shortly before 11pm on Monday.

It is understood she travelled to his property in New Malden, south London, after failing to rouse him on the phone.

Teams of forensic experts pored over every inch of the house as specialist tests were conducted to ensure neighbours were not at risk.
Firefighter who were on high alert this weekend due to the resurgence of the 'Beast from the East' were told to 'f*** off' by a motorist parked in their driveway when they politely asked him to move.

Despite the safety concern that the man was causing by blocking the area emergency exit, he refused to move away from the Kings Norton fire station, in Birmingham, while he ate his breakfast.

The team tweeted an image of the car parked in the heavy snow with the caption 'This car has been left on our station cobbles, when asked to move he has told us to F$* off whilst he got his breakfast from the cafe opposite, some people have no consideration. Stay safe out there!

'This car has been left on our station cobbles, when asked to move he has told us to F$* off whilst he got his breakfast from the cafe opposite' the fire brigade tweeted

Nearby Cricklade Fire Station responded by posting their own photo of a driver parked over keep clear lines outside their station.

Last week, a stubborn parent on the school run refused to move their Mercedes at pick-up time - even though they had parked it in front of a fire station.

Firefighters asked the parent to move their car from outside Cricklade Fire Station in Wiltshire.

But the driver refused to budge, claiming they were not an obstruction.

Kings Norton replied to their nearby colleagues saying: Its frustrating as they have no consideration for others, just themselves.

Glynis CJ tweeted: Selfish & probably the first to complain if you were delayed when he needed help.

Others called it: Unbelievable selfishness' and some said 'hopefully they will be visiting the drivers home'.

A parent on the school run has sparked fury by refusing to move their car from outside a fire station last weel

Disgruntled parents took to social media to describe the parking as 'disgusting' and suggest perpetrators are 'named and shamed'

The brigade later tweeted that crews were going out in the city to do safety checks on vulnerable members of the community as snowfall swooped the country.

It comes as the latest in a string of reports of abuse being hailed at emergency service staff.

In February, a retired engineer blasted his 'nightmare' neighbour after she was fined just 120 for telling paramedics to 'move your f**king van'.

Kirsty Sharman admitted a public order offence over leaving a foul note on when a crew that had been responding to a 999 call from her next-door neighbour in Stoke-on-Trent. She wrote 'I couldnt give a s*** if the whole street collapses. Now move your van from outside my house.

In November, a teaching assistant left a moaning note on an ambulance telling it not to 'block his driveway' while paramedics treated a patient who later died.

Last week, a paramedic who returned to his ambulance outside a hospital found an angry note pinned to his windscreen from a consultant whose illegally-parked car had been blocked in.
Police have arrested a student after finding pipe bombs at his home after a threat was made against a Michigan high school.

Students and staff were told not to come to Paw Paw High School in Michigan on Monday.

The student was arrested for making threats to shoot up the school after his home was searched, WWMT reports.

Police have arrested a student after finding pipe bombs at his home after a threat was made against Paw Paw High School (pictured) in Michigan

Evidence found at his home, including pipe bombs, supported the threat that was made to the school, a sourced confirmed to the website.

Principal Michael Dahlinger took to Paw Paw Public Schools' Twitter account to inform students not to report to school 'due to a threat.'

A number of parents said they received a robocall announcing the school would be closed.

The Van Buren County Sheriff's Department is currently investigating.
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This is the moment a giant Soyuz rocket was delivered to a launch pad in Kazakhstan ahead of its mission to take US astronauts to the International Space Station.

A train could be seen hauling the huge Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft towards the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Central Asian nation before it was lifted into position.

The spacecraft, carrying US crew members Ricky Arnold and Drew Feustel of NASA and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos, is scheduled to launch on Wednesday.

They will spend the next five months living and working aboard the International Space Station, a rare example of American and Russian international cooperation that has been orbiting Earth at about 17,000 miles per hour since 1998.

A giant Soyuz rocket has been delivered to a launch pad in Kazakhstan ahead of its mission to take US astronauts to the International Space Station

The spacecraft, carrying US Crew members Ricky Arnold and Drew Feustel of NASA and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos, is scheduled to launch on Wednesday

The crew will spend the next five months living and working aboard the International Space Station, a rare example of American and Russian international cooperation that has been orbiting Earth at about 17,000 miles per hour since 1998

The Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft for the next International Space Station crew is transported from an assembling hangar to the launchpad ahead of its upcoming launch in Kazakhstan

A train could be seen hauling the huge Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft towards the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Central Asian nation before it was lifted into position

After a two-day journey, the three men are set to join ISS crew members Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos, Scott Tingle of NASA and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

During the mission, the crew will take part in about 250 space station science investigations and technology demonstrations 'to advance our knowledge of Earth, space, physical and biological sciences'.

NASA selected Arnold, from Maryland, as an astronaut in 2004. He worked in marine sciences and as a teacher in his home state and overseas, in countries including Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia.

Arnold has already spent more than 12 days in space during space shuttle Discoverys STS-119 mission to deliver the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and a truss element for the space station. During that assembly mission to the station, he conducted two spacewalks totalling more than 12 hours.

Feustel, a Michigan native, was selected as an astronaut in 2000, and has flown on two space shuttle flights.

In 2009, he served on space shuttle mission STS-125, the final servicing mission for NASAs Hubble Space Telescope.

The three men are set to join ISS ISS crew members Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos, Scott Tingle of NASA and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

NASA stopped its own manned launches to the ISS in 2011 but recently moved to increase its crew complement aboard the ISS as the Russians cut theirs in a cost-saving measure

Specialists work on the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft ahead of the planned launch on March 21. It will carry astronauts Drew Feustel and Ricky Arnold of the U.S and crewmate Oleg Artemyev of Russia

In February, two NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut returned to Earth, rounding off a mission of more than five months

The Soyuz MS-08 is scheduled for lift-off on March 21. It will transport three members of the Expedition 55 crew to the International Space Station

WHAT IS RUSSIA'S SOYUZ SPACECRAFT? Soyuz is a Russian spacecraft that carries astronauts and supplies to and from the International Space (ISS) station, as well as bringing people back to Earth. Its comprised of a rocket which carries a capsule into space. After launch the capsule and the rocket separate, with the rocket returning to Earth and the capsule continuing onward. The capsule has space for three passengers and acts like a lifeboat for the ISS, with at least one Soyuz capsule always attached to the space station. Each capsule has three parts, called modules. Crew members spend their time in orbit in the Orbital Module, which is about the size of a large van. A US-Russian crew launched to the ISS from Kazakhstan aboard a Soyuz rocket on March 21 The Descent Module is used by astronauts when approaching the ISS or returning to Earth. A third module houses life support systems and instruments, including batteries, solar panels and steering engines. Soyuz launches from Kazakhstan, Russias southerly neighbour, and takes just six hours to get to the space station. The crew uses the hatch on the Soyuz to enter and leave the station. When the crew is ready to come home, they ride in the Soyuz capsule back to Earth. To land, Soyuz drops through Earth's atmosphere and deploys parachutes which slow its descent. When Soyuz gets close to the ground, it fires small rocket engines to further reduce its momentum. Advertisement

Feustel also served on STS-134, the final flight of space shuttle Endeavour, to deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the space station. He has logged more than 29 days in space and more than 42 hours on six spacewalks.

Arnold, Feustel and Artemyev are scheduled to return to Earth in late August.

NASA stopped its own manned launches to the ISS in 2011 but recently moved to increase its crew complement aboard the ISS as the Russians cut theirs in a cost-saving measure.

Roscosmos will replenish its crew once a new, multi-purpose space module called Nauka docks at the ISS, but the launch of the module has been delayed several times and is now not expected to take place before 2019.

Heavy load: A train was needed to haul the mighty rocket into position at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan

The crew will spend five months on the International Space Station and will be taken there in this giant Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft

An official stands guard as people photograph the giant rocket during its transportation to a launch pad in Kazakhstan this morning

Dozens of officials watched on as the huge rocket was gradually lifted into position at the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome

During the mission, the crew will take part in about 250 space station science investigations and technology demonstrations 'to advance our knowledge of Earth, space, physical and biological sciences'

The Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft is mounted on the launch pad at the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan

The Soyuz rocket is raised into a vertical position on the launch pad ahead of the launch. It will take the team two days to reach the ISS

NASA astronauts Andrew Feustel (left), Richard Arnold (right) and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev (centre) pose for pictures as they attend the final training for their upcoming space mission in Star City outside Moscow

In February, two NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut returned to Earth, rounding off a mission of more than five months.

Alexander Misurkin of Russia's Roscosmos space agency and NASA's Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba touched down on steppe land southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan in central Kazakhstan.

Misurkin, 40, who handed over command of the International Space Station to compatriot Shkaplerov and took charge of the Soyuz descent module carrying the trio down to Earth, had spent 334 days in space over two flights.

He was in buoyant mood on the way down, telling Russian Mission control he felt 'better than anyone', and was the first crew member to emerge out of the spacecraft onto the snow-covered steppe.

Following him out of the craft that landed upright were Acaba, 50, who has now racked up some 10 months in orbit over three missions and his 51-year-old colleague Vande Hei, who was in space for the first time.

The three-strong team - Arnold, Feustel and Artemyev - are scheduled to return to Earth in late August this year

The trio will form part of Expedition 55, to study Earth atmospherics, the effects of microgravity on bone marrow, materials' responses to space environments, and biological samples' responses to simulated gravity

Baikonur Cosmodrome is located in the desert steppe of Baikonur, about 124 miles east of the Aral Sea and north of the river Syr Darya

Spectacular photographs show the rocket being gently lifted into position, two days before its planned launch

The giant Soyuz rocket is pictured in its launch position this morning having been brought to the site on a train in Kazakhstan
Parsons Green bomber Ahmed Hassan's foster parents today revealed the moment armed terror police swooped on their house and shouted: 'You are surrounded - get out now.'

Penny Jones, 71, and her husband Ron, 89, were watching darts on television when officers arrived at their home and told them to 'put everything down'.

The loving couple, from Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, were looking after the 18-year-old asylum seeker and he had just been placed with them.

But they had no idea about his links to the terror group as he secretly assembled a deadly bomb in their house after watching a YouTube video.

Penny and Ron Jones were on This Morning today and said that they were told they were surrounded by armed terror police

The device was left on the train and only half detonated at the platform at Parsons Green underground station

The couple today said they were left in shock after learning the teenager was arrested for trying to kill 93 commuters at Parsons Green station last year.

Speaking on This Morning today, Mrs Jones told Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield that he was the ninth refugee they had fostered.

She said: 'I wasn't aware that he had told the Home Office he had been trained to kill. He was our 9th refugee [we had fostered].

'He was a lovely young lad, very caring towards us. When we went shopping, he would come running out, [saying] 'me do'. He would put the bags up so I wouldn't have to bend down to unpack them.'

She added they were informed he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and explained she had been to the Home Office twice with him but they had never been told the full details of his background.

Mr Jones added: 'There was nothing to make us suspicious whatsoever.'

His wife said that on the morning of the bomb attempt in September he came downstairs at around 6.45am and said 'good morning'.

Ahmed Hassan, 18 (pictured), is now facing years in prison after he was convicted of attempted murder

Hassan told her he would be heading to college and then staying with one of her former refugee foster children at his flat.

But Penny called the police when she became concerned after learning this was not the case.

Mrs Jones added: 'We were sitting watching a darts match. The phone rang and I answered it.

'This voice said, "This is the police, you are surrounded by armed police just put everything down and get out NOW!" I looked out and there were two eyes at the window and a gun.'

The couple, who have fostered children for years, added they were later told the kitchen table had to be taken away as there were traces of high explosives on it.

Mrs Jones added: 'Either side of us we have children. One side we're their godparents.

'They [the police] did tell us there was enough [explosives] there to take the block down. I feel sorry for the people who did get hurt, particularly the ladies who got burnt.

Asked if the experience had put them off fostering, she said: 'No, we will go back when we've had a rest. We will go back into [fostering another refugee].'

Speaking to other people who might want to foster, she said: 'Please, please don't let this put you off. It's just a one off.

'Most of them are such lovely kids, they are desperate to have someone care for them and show them some affection and somewhere safe to live.'

The loving couple, (pictured) from Sunbury-on-Thames, were looking after the 18-year-old after he had just been placed with them

The homemade bomb was left on the train and it was detonated by asylum seeker Ahmed Hassan

Mr Jones added: 'I'm still shocked, to think he could do such a thing. He was such a good lad. There were mornings he would come down from his bedroom and he would have his head bent down a bit.

'I would ask if there was anything wrong, any problems... 'We're here, talk to us'. The only thing that surprised me. He said he had friends but he never brought them home.'

The couple, who have fostered more than 250 children, took him on holiday with him and noticed the teen was reluctant to ever have his picture taken.

Hassan is now facing years in jail after he was convicted of attempted murder when a homemade bomb exploded in a massive fireball and injured 51 train passengers.

A statement by Surrey County Council said: 'We are sorry they didn't feel we didn't support them well enough. We told them about Hassan's background when he was placed with them. We place a high value on openess with all our foster carers.'
While anxious residents in Victoria's south west spent Saturday night evacuating their homes due to raging bushfires, brazen thieves helped themselves.

In the deserted town of Terang where many residents had no choice but to flee their homes, a popular cafe was broken into.

Hundreds of dollars were stolen from the Latte on High cafe, including donations to a number of different charities.

Thieves broke down the back door to steal cash and charity donation tins stolen, which were taken from the top of the cash till.

Latte on High cafe was broken into by callous thieves in the deserted town of Terang on Saturday night

'They smashed in through the back and stole money from the till,' upset owner Beverley Carroll told the Herald Sun.

Leading Senior Constable Lee Thomson told the publication that detectives were now investigating.

Meanwhile, unknown offenders broke into Parwan Country Fire Authority's Exford Road headquarters in the small town 45 kilometres west of Melbourne on Saturday night, where a long list of equipment was stolen.

Up to 30 volunteer firefighters were unable to get to the frontline of Victoria's bushfire crisis and help save homes on Sunday because of the robbery.

Hundreds of dollars were stolen from the Latte on High cafe, including donations to a number of different charities

Terang and other communities in Victoria's south west are now counting the cost of the devastating fires where at least 18 homes were destroyed.

That number could rise as residents return to home.

The fire blackened 607 hectares of Brad Gilmour's farm outside Terang.

The raging fire burned down the shearing shed, outbuildings and every fence.

'It's shattering to be honest,' he told the ABC.

'A lifetime's work is all gone in probably five minutes and it'll take years to get it all back up again.'

Anxious residents in Victoria's south west spent Saturday night evacuating their homes due to raging bushfires, leaving towns deserted

Terang resident Phil Beasley came home from dinner on Saturday night to find his house and a shed destroyed.

'We went out for tea about 7.30pm. We got a call out to go to the CFA [telling us the fire] was coming past our place,' he told the ABC.

'We didn't come initially, we thought the wind was blowing away from our place so we'd be OK. By the time we did arrive, there were flames over the trees and in the house.'

Anyone with information on the thefts can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestoppersvic.com.au.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has won a fourth term in office with nearly 77 percent of the vote, ensuring his rule over the country for the next six years, despite videos revealing blatant ballot rigging.

During the election, Russias relationship with the United Kingdom and Theresa May became tumultuous amid claims that Putin was behind the Salisbury poisoning and he was forced to deny rumours that Russia had been stockpiling Novichok after comments from Boris Johnson.

As well as being renowned as one of the most divisive political figures of this generation, Vladimir Putin is also known as a very secretive man, especially when it comes to his personal life and his net worth.

However, ahead of the Russian presidential election, Putin was asked to disclose his average yearly salary to the Central Election Commission, but many believe that Vladimir Putins assets are worth much more than he has suggested.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has won a fourth term in office with 77 percent of the vote

Alongside being one of the most powerful men in the world, the Russian President may also be one of the richest, but what is Vladimir Putins net worth?

Who is Vladimir Putin?

Born Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin on October 7, 1952 in Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union or what is now referred to as Saint Petersburg, he was the youngest child of Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin and Maria Ivanova Putina.

At first, Putin was one of the few in his class who was not part of the Young Pioneer organisation but later, after taking classes in sambo and judo, he became interested in the intelligence officers that were portrayed in some Soviet films.

During his time at university, he was required to join the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and he remained a member until 1991. This is also where he met Anatoly Sobchak, a professor who would later be a great influence to Putin.

After graduating in 1975, Vladimir joined the KGB and trained at a school in Okhta, Leningrad before working in counter-intelligence and then was responsible for monitoring foreigners and consular officials.

Putin then served in Dresden, East Germany using a cover as a translator and according to his biography, at this time, he burned KGB files to prevent demonstrators from obtaining them during the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The collapse of the Communist East German government led to Putin returning to Saint Petersburg where he worked at the University, searched for new KGB recruits and renewed his friendship with Sobchak, who was the Mayor of the city at the time.

In 1991, Vladimir resigned from his role as the Lieutenant Colonel on the second day of the Soviet coup d'etat attempt on President Mikhail Gorbachev and this is when his political career began.

Vladimir Putins political career

Putin started out in politics as an international affairs advisor to Mayor Sobchak and a year later, became the head of the Committee for External Relations, working with global relations related to foreign investments.

During his time there, Vladimir was investigated for understating prices and exporting metals valued at $93 million (66m) in exchange for food aid that never arrived. Putin remained in his role despite this until 1996 and was involved in politics outside of work.

Vladimirs other roles included the appointment as First Deputy Chairman of the Government of Saint Petersburg, organising the citys branch of the Our Home - Russia political party and managing the legislative election campaign for that party.

After Mayor Sobchak lost his re-election bid, Putin moved to Moscow where his responsibilities included organising the transfer of the Soviet Union and Communist Partys former assets to the Russian Federation. His tenure in this role lasted until March 1997.

Vladimir was then appointed deputy chief of Presidential Staff by the Russian President Boris Yeltsin and went on to rise in the ranks before becoming the Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) a year later.

Vladimir Putin is renowned as one of the most divisive political figures of this generation

In 1999, Putin became one of three Deputy Prime Ministers and Yeltsin announced that he would like to see Vladimir as his successor. Putin agreed to run for presidency that very same day and at the end of the year, Yeltsins surprise resignation led to Putin becoming Acting President of the Russian Federation.

Vladimir went on to win in the Russian election on March 26, 2000 with 53% of the vote. During his first presidential term, Putin was criticised for the way he had handled the Kursk submarine disaster as well as favouring the needs of oligarchs and working to maintain their power. Alongside this, the Chechnya referendum led to Russia disabling the regions rebel movement.

During his second presidential term, Putin enjoyed record-breaking approval ratings after the Beslan school hostage crisis in 2004, during this time of upheaval and ten years after the Soviet rules dissolution.

However, the prosecution of Russias then richest man Mikhail Khodorkovsky and the death of the journalist Anna Politkovskaya led to Putin being criticised and in 2007, the Dissenters Marches led by opposition group The Other Russia resulted in many arrests, as well as the eventual dissolving of the government.

Vladimir was barred from a third term but in 2008, after a power-switching operation, Putin became the Prime Minister of Russia where he claimed responsibility of overcoming the world economic crisis and stabilising the size of the countrys population.

In 2011 at the United Russia Congress, former Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev proposed that Putin should run for presidency and the election results led to thousands protesting against alleged electoral fraud, the most notorious being the Pussy Riot.

During his third term, Vladimir made several military incursions in Ukraine and Syria as well as the annexation of Crimea. In 2017, US intelligence also expressed that Putin had personally ordered an influence campaign during the 2016 election in order to harm Hillary Clintons chances of becoming President.

Who is Vladimir Putins wife?

Vladimir Putin married Lyudmila Shkrebneva in 1983 and the couple had two daughters, Mariya Putina and Yekaterina Putina.

Although Putin is notoriously secretive about his personal life, Vladimir and Lyudmila are thought to have separated in 2013.

Putin has been linked to the Russian ex-gymnast Alina Kabaeva who gave birth to a baby in 2015 but rumours that it is Vladimirs baby have been discredited. Alina has also been seen wearing a ring on her wedding ring finger.

What is Vladimir Putins net worth?

Vladimir Putins net worth has accumulated to approximately $70 billion (50bn), according to Celebrity Net Worth.

While his net worth has been a subject of discussion, ahead of March 18, 2018, the Russian President was asked to declare his average yearly salary to the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation.

Putin declared that he earned 38.5m rubles, or $673,000 (478,000) between 2011 and 2016, resulting in his annual income totalling $112,000 (79,600). He also listed assets including 13 bank accounts with a sum of $241,000 (171,000) and 230 shares in Bank Saint Petersburg, two Volga vehicles and an 800-square-foot apartment in Saint Petersburg.

However, some believe that Putin may have more money that he is revealing; in 2015, CEO of Hermitage Capital Management Bill Browder calculated that Putins net worth was $200 billion (142bn), which would make him the richest man in the world, above Amazon founder Jeff Bezoss net worth of $121 billion (86bn).

Alongside this, his stakes in several companies cannot be verified but rumours suggest that the Russian President controlled 37 percent of oil company Surgutneftegaz, 4.5 percent of natural gas company Gazprom and, according to the U.S Treasury, he had substantial holdings in commodities trader Gunvor, although the crude oil trading company has always denied any links to Putin.

Vladimir is also thought to own a palace on the Black Sea with a reported worth of $1 billion (710m), allegedly paid for by a secret slush fund created by Russian oligarchs. In addition to this, there are also rumours circulating that he has 20 palaces, four yachts, 58 aircraft and a watch collection worth over 400,000.
Pope Francis has asked forgiveness for all Christians who buy sex from women, saying men who frequent prostitutes are criminals with a 'sick mentality' who think that women exist to be exploited.

'This isn't making love. This is torturing a woman. Let's not confuse the terms,' Francis insisted.

The pope made the comments during an intimate, four-hour-long listening session with 300 young people who were invited by the Vatican to Rome.

Stern words: Pope Francis said men who frequent prostitutes are criminals with a 'sick mentality' who think that women exist to be exploited

The purpose of the session was to help church leaders learn about young people's attitudes towards the Catholic Church.

Blessing Okoedion, who was forced into prostitution but escaped, asked Francis how the church could allow Catholics to be clients for the many Nigerian women in Italy who - like her - were victims of human trafficking.

'I ask myself, and I ask you: Is the male chauvinistic church able to truthfully ask itself about this high demand by clients?' she asked.

Francis, who has made the fight against human trafficking and modern-day sex slaves a priority of his pontificate, urged young people to take up the fight against trafficking and forced prostitution.

Pope Francis greets Blessing Okoedion, who has been a victim of human trafficking, during a pre-synodal meeting with young people at Collegio Maria Mater Ecclesiae in Rome

The Pontiff said women who had been forced into prostitution were being tortured

'This is one of the battles that I ask you young people to do, for the dignity of women,' he said.

The pontiff said forced prostitution was born of a 'sick mentality' that no form of feminism has managed to rid from society, one that thinks that 'women are to be exploited.'

Speaking directly to Okoedion, he concluded: 'I want to take advantage of this moment, because you talked about baptized and Christians, to ask your forgiveness, from society and all the Catholics who do this criminal act.'

Monday's meeting was preparation for a big synod of bishops in October on helping young people find their vocations in life.

Pope Francis sits among youths for a group photo during the opening session of the pre-synod of the youths meeting, at the the Mater Ecclesiae college in Rome

Pope Francis flanked by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, right, delivers his speech at the opening session of the pre-synod of the youths meeting

Pope Francis thanks Chinese nun Chaoying Cheng after she presented him with a scarf during the opening session of the pre-synod of the youths meeting

Francis has insisted that young adults - Catholic and not - be integral in the process informing the otherwise all-male, celibate and rather old church hierarchy about the future of the church.

'Young people must be taken seriously,' he said.

He got an earful when he opened the meeting by urging the young people to speak with courage, without shame or 'anesthesia' to dull the truth.

Nicholas Lopez, a college campus minister from Texas, told Francis that young people today face racism, poverty and gang violence, as well as 'unjust immigration laws that threaten to split children from families.'

Angela Markas from Australia told Francis young people want debate in the church about sexuality, same-sex attraction and the role of women.
The firing of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe  and the tongue-lashing doled out by President Trump to McCabe and his former boss James Comey  sent Comey's forthcoming tome to the top of the best-seller list.

Comey's book, titled 'A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership,' won't hit bookshelves until April 17, but got bumped to Amazon's No. 1 slot from No. 15 by Sunday evening.

The former FBI director was back in the news because of Friday's shock firing of his former deputy, at the hands of Trump's Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Former FBI Director James Comey's forthcoming book shot to the top of the Amazon best-seller list over the weekend as he was being attacked by President Trump, who was happily tweeting about Comey's deputy being fired a day before he was set to retire

President Trump (left) celebrated the firing of the FBI's former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe (right), using Twitter to lash out at McCabe and his former boss, fired FBI Director James Comey

McCabe was a little more than 24 hours away from turning 50, which means he was eligible to retire  which he planned to do  and able to take his whole government pension.

James Comey's book, 'A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership' isn't set to come out until April 17, but is already topping the best-seller list

Instead, McCabe found his ouster being celebrated on Twitter by the president of the United States.

'Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI - A great day for Democracy,' Trump said in a tweet he sent out in the early minutes of Saturday morning.

Then Trump brought Comey into it.

'Sanctimonious James Comey was his boss and made McCabe look like a choirboy,' the president added. 'He knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI!'

The president continued his assault on McCabe and Comey throughout the weekend.

'The Fake News is beside themselves that McCabe was caught, called out and fired,' Trump said Saturday. 'How many hundreds of thousands of dollars was given to wifes campaign by Crooked H friend, Terry M, who was also under investigation?'

Trump was referring to a political donation given to McCabe's wife when she was running for office by a political action committee associated with ex-Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a close friend and political ally to Bill and Hillary Clinton.

'How many lies? How many leaks? Comey knew it all, and much more!' Trump also said.

A weekend tweet from James Comey was one-part defense and one-part book promotion, as the ex-FBI director indicated 'the American people will hear my story very soon'

The president also suggested that Comey had lied under oath when he told Sen. Chuck Grassley in May of 2017, before his firing at the hands of Trump, that he had never been an anonymous source in a news report, nor did he green-light other FBI officials to talk to reporters anonymously.

McCabe was fired at the recommendation of the FBI's Office of Professional Responsibility after the Justice Department's inspector general concluded that the official hadn't been forthcoming about his decision to allow FBI officials to speak to a reporter about the Hillary Clinton investigation.

In a statement, McCabe said Comey was aware of his decision to have two FBI officials speak with a Wall Street Journal reporter.

McCabe also argued that it was a pretty standard part of his job to green-light conversations with the media.

Overall, McCabe said he was fired because he knew too much about Comey's firing.

'Here is the reality: I am being singled out and treated this way because of the role I played, the actions I took, and the events I witnessed in the aftermath of the firing of James Comey,' McCabe's statement read. 'The release of this report was accelerated only after my testimony to the House Intelligence Committee revealed that I would corroborate former Director Comey's accounts of his discussions with the President.'

Comey had said his own firing was because the president wanted to see the end of the Russia probe, though instead it prompted the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

After testifying before Congress in June, Comey has laid low, making news occasionally by sending out a tweet.

His tweet this weekend was one-part defense, one-part book promotion.

'Mr. President, the American people will hear my story very soon. And they can judge for themselves who is honorable and how is not,' Comey wrote Saturday.

By Sunday Comey's book had spiked to the top of Amazon's list.

By Monday, however, it was sitting at a respectable No. 2.

It was eclipsed by the satirical version of Vice President Mike Pence's daughter's new book about the family's rabbit Marlon Bundo.

This version, 'A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo,' was produced by HBO's Last Week Tonight host, comedian John Oliver, and features a bunny with an identical name to the Pence family rabbit, only this Marlon Bundo is gay.
Christian Ramsay was due to act as petty officer to the guard at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, but was too drunk to perform

A drunken sailor got so merry on free alcohol at a Royal Navy lunch he couldn't carry out his duties at the prestigious Edinburgh Tattoo later that evening, a court martial heard today.

Christian Ramsay was due to act as petty officer to the guard at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, carrying out important ceremonial duties at the renowned event in front of VIP guests.

However, the 39-year-old instead spent the ceremony being looked after by a Royal Navy colleague after he got 'seriously drunk' at a military lunch hours before.

The meal included a number of senior guests from armed forces around the world. During the lunch, Officer Ramsay 'over-consumed' the free alcohol and became so drunk he 'lost all self-control' and 'embarrassed himself and his colleagues'.

A court martial heard today the sailor was 'completely out of his head' and bizarrely took it upon himself to 'swan around' the reception 'offending people'.

PO Ramsay made distasteful jokes about 'rape' to a female colleague, made offensive remarks to a senior Indian military representative about his heritage, and told an offensive joke to US military personnel about 'USA's history'.

The court heard PO Ramsay still tried to insist he was in a good enough condition to carry out his duties at the Tattoo.

PO Ramsay, who is based in Faslane, Scotland, and has served with the Royal Navy for 18 years, was today fined 1,500 at Portsmouth Military Court, for his drunken antics on August 26, 2016.

He admitted two counts of unfitness through alcohol and Assistant Judge Advocate General Robert Hill said his behaviour 'could not be more of a disgrace to the navy'.

Prosecutor Captain John Atwill said: 'These allegations arose when he was working for the Royal Navy at the Royal Edinburgh Tattoo.

The 39-year-old was fined 1,500 at Portsmouth Military Court, for his drunken antics on August 26, 2016

Christian Ramsay was due to act as petty officer to the guard at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (pictured)

'Put simply, he had very clearly over-consumed a very large amount of the free alcohol and his behaviour descended at the lunch reception to the point where a number of people had to intervene.

'Junior ranks and officers all had to intervene, they were embarrassed by him and for him.

'His behaviour while drunk is almost difficult to describe, he was seriously drunk and pretty much every element of his self-control was gone.

'He did rounds of the reception trying to offend people. Perhaps the most troubling was when he approached a young woman.

'He knew the woman and said to her 'do you want to hear a joke?' She didn't want to hear a joke, she knew his jokes were bad and made it clear she didn't want to hear one.

'He asked her if she wanted to be raped, she said 'I do not' and he said 'that's the spirit' and walked off.

'A colleague came over and apologised for him. A leading hand told him 'you need to shut up', he took him by the arm and took him outside.

'He told PO Ramsay 'you need to calm down' and PO Ramsay then replied 'f*** off mate, I'm a senior rate'.

'He spoke to a senior representative from the Indian military and asked where he was from, the senior representative replied 'Mumbai' and PO Ramsay then proceeded to make a derogatory remark which I will not repeat.

'He turned to the US military band and offered them an offensive joke about the USA's history, which I will also not repeat.

PO Ramsay admitted two counts of unfitness through alcohol and Assistant Judge Advocate General Robert Hill said his behaviour 'could not be more of a disgrace to the navy'

'His behaviour got worse and worse throughout the day. He was due to be the on duty petty officer of the guard for the Tattoo that evening, however he was so drunk he could not fulfill his duty.

'So concerned were his colleagues that they had to place a sentry on him that day.'

Captain Atwill added: 'Everyone could see that he was getting more and more drunk except from himself, he insisted that he was fine and could carry out his duty.'

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a renowned annual event which features a number of musical performances from the British armed forces as well as Commonwealth and international military bands.

The tattoo, which takes place every August at the Scottish capital's Edinburgh Castle, attracts around 220,000 visitors in the audience and a further 100 million across the globe who watch it on television.

And the prestigious event, which began in 1950 and has been billed as 'the greatest show on Earth', was given its royal status by the Queen in 2010 to celebrate six decades of existence.

PO Ramsay was due to be petty officer of the guard. While this role did not require him to perform as part of the display on stage, he was due to be part of the guard displayed in front of VIP guests at the event.

Lieutenant Freddie Huntley, defending, said PO Ramsay is remorseful for his actions and has given up alcohol.

She said: 'There is nobody half as embarrassed as himself. PO Ramsay deeply regrets the damage he has done to the Royal Navy.

'His remorse is visceral, his shame is visceral.'

Lieutenant Huntley also said PO Ramsay was in a 'heightened state of emotion' as his wife of 12 years had left him a month before the incident and also his young nephew had died violently shortly before.

She said the father-of-one accepts his behaviour, and added: 'He still has not drunk, he said this is a life choice, a permanent resolve, as alcohol does not agree with him.'

In a letter to the court, PO Ramsay said: 'I want to publicly and sincerely apologise.

'I feel ashamed of myself and I am currently taking action to help myself and prevent this ever occurring again in any way.

'I know my behaviour at the function was wholly unacceptable for that of a senior rate.

'Again, I deeply regret my actions and I value the medical and emotional support to me throughout this time.'

Fining PO Ramsay, Judge Hill said: 'The drunkenness and behaviour that followed frankly could not be more of a disgrace to the Royal Navy.

'The Tattoo is a prestigious event and you were at the reception before swanning around completely out of your head.'

He added that he accepts PO Ramsay is remorseful and has rehabilitated himself.
The girlfriend in online 'Bonnie and Clyde' scamming duo duped her disabled husband into thinking her obscene cash flow was legitimate, and enjoyed a love affair with her younger boyfriend behind his back.

Angela Greer, 52, and her boyfriend Michael Tozer, 42, defrauded online shoppers of almost $2 million over seven years.

Greer carried out the fraudulent operation behind the back of her unsuspecting husband of 22 years, who is a pensioner confined to a wheelchair in Bendigo, Victoria.

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Michael Tozer (pictured right with partner Angela Greer) scammed $950,000 out of online shoppers to feed the couple's lifestyle

Greer made him believe she was a high-flying businesswoman, who travelled endlessly for work.

Meanwhile, she was gallivanting around the world with her younger boyfriend, Tozer, who created thousands of fake accounts on PayPal, eBay and Gumtree to scam would-be customers out of their hard-earned money.

Detective Sergeant Brad McLeish said Greer would fly her husband around the country and put him up in hotels while staying with her lover just next door.

'She would fly him to stay in hotels around Australia and overseas but what he didn't realise was that his wife's scammer lover was staying at the same hotel in another room,' he told A Current Affair on Monday.

Det Sgt McLeish said Greer's husband was completely in the dark about his wife's seven-year crime spree.

They used the money to splash out on lengthy stays hotels and lavish trips (pictured: Greer with a wad of US notes)

The pair boasted of lavish overseas holidays and luxury goods including Louis Vuitton bags, Gianni Versace and Rolex watches, on their social media accounts

Det Sgt McLeish said the sheer size of the pair's fraudulent operation was uncovered when the couple was arrested at the Cairns Shangri-La Hotel in August 2016.

Officers found more than 1100 bank accounts, 700 of which were in Tozer's name and the rest under alias names.

Det Sgt McLeish said some accounts were in the names of family members, whose identities they had stolen.

'From all those bank accounts you could just see PayPal money pouring into them,' he said.

The pair also made no attempt to hide the dirty money.

Officers found a stash of jewellery (pictured) inside the hotel room when they burst in in 2016

They boasted of lavish overseas holidays and luxury goods on their social media accounts - even expensive cars with personalised number plates (pictured)

They boasted of lavish overseas holidays and luxury goods including Louis Vuitton bags, Gianni Versace and Rolex watches, on their social media accounts.

The pair's glamorous lifestyle came to an end when officers raided their hotel room and uncovered overwhelming evidence including $3,000 in cash.

Officers also discovered six mobile phones and three diaries used to record their fraudulent activity.

Det Sgt McLeish said details of the pair's online trading operation very quickly unravelled.

The pair's glamorous lifestyle came to an end when officers raided their hotel room and uncovered overwhelming evidence including $3,000 in cash and designer items (pictured)

The pair's glamorous lifestyle came to an end when officers raided their hotel room and uncovered overwhelming evidence including cards and records of their operation

'The fake buyer would purchase [an item] and when it never arrived, the fake buyer would make a claim and PayPal would compensate him for the item that never existed,' Det Sgt McLeish said.

'He (Tozer) was ultimately caught red handed in possession of all of the tainted property,' Crown Prosecutor Melanie Franklin said in court.

His lawyer claimed Tozer always had an interest in maths but the scam was not too advanced.

'What's said to be sophisticated is just basic transactions. There's just so many of them,' Defence barrister Peter Feeney told the court.

Greer refused to comment, or apologise for her crimes when confronted by reporters near Cairns this week, where she was spending time at a luxury resort

The pair's glamorous lifestyle came to an end when officers raided their hotel room and uncovered overwhelming evidence including $3,000 in cash and luxury items (pictured)

Tozer took responsibility for masterminding the operation and pleaded guilty to fraud and dishonestly obtaining $950,000 from PayPal.

He was jailed for eight years and will be eligible for parole next March.

Greer pleaded guilty to five counts of identity theft and was sentenced to three months behind bars. She has already walked free.

Greer refused to comment, or apologise for her crimes when confronted by reporters north of Cairns this week, where she was spending time at a luxury resort.

Det Sgt McLeish said Greer's husband had since divorced her and wanted to move on with his life.
A man has been airlifted hospital after being accidentally shot in the chest with a nail gun in the northwest of Sydney.

The 36-year-old was helping a friend with a home renovation project at Freemans Reach when he was injured at the Hawkesbury residence.

A CareFlight helicopter was sent with crews reporting he was hit below the sternum.

The helicopter reportedly landed at the Hawkesbury High School, across the road from the scene of the accident, at 3pm Monday

The victim was flown to Westmead Hospital in a stable condition.

A 36-year-old man (pictured) has been airlifted hospital after being accidentally shot in the chest

A spokesperson for New South Wales Police said it was most likely an accident.

People quickly reacted online, with one person suggesting nail guns should be banned.

'Needs to be some sort of control over these deadly weapons,' one Facebook user said.

Another person commented: 'Nail guns have safety guards to prevent these accidents, hopefully (he) will be OK.'
A British language student has died after falling from a fourth-floor balcony in Spain following a St Patrick's Day party with friends.

James Walton, 22, a Sheffield Hallam University student who was on a placement year in Majorca, was killed in the early hours of Sunday in Majorca.

He suffered fatal injuries after falling head-first onto a pavement below the apartment block, it emerged on Monday.

James Walton, 22, a Sheffield Hallam University student, fell four storeys to his death in the early hours of Sunday morning on the Spanish island of Majorca

James was from Ealing, London, but had been in Palma since last September and was working as a global loyalty intern at Melia Hotels International.

A statement from his family said: 'James was working in Spain as part of his university studies where he was exploring his love of different cultures and his passion for languages.

'He seized the opportunity to perfect his Spanish while working towards his ambition of a career in international business.

'He lived life to the full and was full of joy, despite losing his father to cancer, when he was aged seven. He was a loving brother, uncle, cherished son and nephew.

'James was loved by everyone who was lucky enough to know him and, as one friend said, he would walk in to a room of strangers and leave, having made life-long friends.

'He will stay on in our memories and, when the sadness passes, we will feel fortunate for the time which we had with him.'

He was in his third year of a BA Honours degree in languages with international business in Spanish.

Police believe James, who spoke German as well as Spanish, lost his balance after a with colleagues from the hotel chain and friends visiting from the UK.

A post-mortem due to take place on Monday was expected to confirm he had been drinking heavily before the tragedy and may have played a part in what happened.

The results of the post-mortem will not be made public, as is normal in Spain.

A passer-by alerted the emergency services just after 6am on Sunday after discovering James lying on the pavement in a street in the centre of Palma called Calle Aragon, near the city's famous El Corte Ingles department store.

James (pictured here with his mother) had been celebrating St Patrick's Day with friends. They were unaware he had fallen to his death until police knocked on their door and broke the news

Efforts by paramedics to revive him failed and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

It also emerged on Sunday that his friends were unaware he had fallen until police knocked on their door to inform them.

They have been questioned as part of a routine inquiry led by an investigating judge, and said they had been drinking and did not see their friend fall.

A well-placed source said on Monday: 'They had been partying in the flat and there were bottles of alcohol lying around.

'It was St Patrick's Day on Saturday and they had been celebrating.

'The friends confirmed the dead man's identity after being informed about what had happened.

'Two of the men inside the apartment were living there and another two were visiting.

'They weren't aware of what had happened till police knocked on their door.'

James, who grew in Ealing, west London, and was educated at Twyford Church of England in nearby Acton, had started at Sheffield Hallam University in 2015 and was due to graduate next year.

Friend and colleague Maja Jaroszewska, also based at the same hotel group James, posted a series of heart emojis on her Facebook alongside a link to a news report about the tragedy.

A relative wrote: 'So sad RIP.'

A spokesman for Spain's National Police confirmed ahead of the post-mortem there was nothing to indicate the man's death was the result of a crime.

She said: 'At this point in time everything is pointing towards it being accidental.'
An investigation is underway after workers were seen throwing rubbish from a 40ft high block of flats.

The incident in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, was caught on camera by a member of the public.

In pictures the two workers can be seen peering precipitously off the edge of the building after one throws material to the ground below.

The workers started clearing up the roof before one of them was seen discarding rubbish over the side

In pictures the two workers can be seen peering precipitously off the edge of the building after one throws material to the ground below

The workers were arrived at the residential site in a South Lanarkshire Council van before making their way to the top of the building, according to onlookers.

They started clearing up the roof before one of them was seen discarding rubbish over the side.

Pictures show the men peering over the edge of the building after handfuls of rubbish had been cast down.

Members of the public were seen walking in the area when the men were on the roof but no one has been reported as being injured.

Council officials have launched an investigation into the incident which happened on March 5.

One onlooker said: 'I looked out of my window and saw two council workmen on the roof of the block of flats.

'They were walking very close to the edge of the roof and leaning over and it didn't look very safe.

'They appeared to be cleaning the roof and sweeping up debris then one threw handfuls of rubbish over the side of the building to the ground below.

'I was very surprised at this as these are busy flats. They were on the roof for over an hour before driving off in a South Lanarkshire council van.'

The incident in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, was caught on camera by a member of the public

Dr Karen McDonnell, occupational safety adviser for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents(RoSPA) said: 'Work at height remains one of the most significant causes of fatalities and major injuries in Great Britain and falling objects also pose a risk to employees and members of the public alike.

'Activities where there is the potential for either require planning, supervision, and should be conducted by competent people.

'The process should be underpinned by a suitable and sufficient risk assessment.'

Health and Safety Executive(HSE) guidance says material should never be thrown from a roof and harnesses should be worn when working at height.

An HSE spokesman said the incident had not been reported to them.

Frank McCafferty, head of property services at South Lanarkshire Council, said: 'The council will carry out an investigation into the incident reported and appropriate action will be taken against any employees who have breached the council's policies.'
Wendy Williams is back after taking a three-week break from her eponymous daytime talk show, and opening up about her private battle with Graves' disease.

She emerged from backstage on Monday's episode of The Wendy Williams Show looking refreshed and rested, before spending some time updating her audience about her time off from work.

'So it's really good to be back. Nice to be missed. Thank you so much for waiting. Thank you so much. I know society is so fickle these days. You love something one day and you forget about it the next and you replace it with something else. So thank you for not replacing us,' Williams told her studio audience.

'Thank you for being here today. Thank you. And Jerry O'Connell, you are a one of a kind fool. I love your tomfoolery. I'll tell you and I've said this before, he needs his own show. Like he needs to be doing something, either with the kids like one of those funniest home videos shows or next to Kelly on the Kelly show. Just saying.'

Williams then said that she had 'a very productive three weeks off' that included 'rest, rest and more rest' per her doctor's orders.

'I had the Graves' disease combined with the thyroid disease and a whole bunch of tests, battery of tests that were done on me. I am optimum right now,' she told her fans.

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Back in action: Wendy Williams kicked off her show on Monday (above) by thanking Jerry O'Connell for filling in and then got right to work talking about celebrity break-ups she missed while away

Big moment: 'So it's really good to be back. Nice to be missed. Thank you so much for waiting. Thank you so much,' said Williams to her studio audience (above entering the studio)

Refreshed and relaxed: Williams spent three weeks at home getting 'rest, rest, and more rest' per her doctor's orders she said on Monday

Emotional moment: Williams started crying (above) 20 minutes into the show after getting a loud ovation from the crowd

Keeping it on the QT: Williams used Q-tips in order to dry her eyes and protest her make-up

Williams later broke down in tears about 20 minutes into the the show after a spirited around of applause.

'I do the show but there are hundreds of people who are the show. And they don't - they don't really get the credit that they deserve,' said Williams.

'So thank you to everyone! Thank you. Thank you.'

She then gave an extra-special shout out to her husband Kevin.

'And I have to really credit my family, you know, my son Kevin and also my husband Kevin, the love of my life. I could not have done this without you,' said Williams.

'I have been having bats swimming in my head since maybe July. Didn't tell anybody because I figured, well, it's menopause. Whole bunch of things going on, you know, I had more important things to do. I have to miss this doctor's appointment because there's more important things to do. I missed the one in August. More important things to do. What? I don't know. More important things to do.'

She continued: 'I missed the one in late September. By this particular point, the bats are really swimming but more important things to do. As long as I get out there, stand on my mark, I can go right back home. More important things to do.

Loved gal: Williams is seen leaving her studios in New York City Monday morning after returning back to work. She had a plenty of gifts with her, including a personal massager

Thankful: Williams thanked her family and team during her return to her show. She's pictured leaving her studios in New York City

'We put so many things ahead of ourselves and our health, it' ridiculous. So I want to thank my husband because I heard him talking to Dr. Oz on the phone. He got Dr. Oz all up in the house. All involved.

'So Kevin, thank you for calling Dr. Oz and thank you so much for ushering me through wellness. Kevin, thank you so much. And also, thank you to the boy as well. He was a good one as well.'

Williams was in tears once more when Dr. Oz appeared on the program to discuss her medical issues with the audience.

In her first interview since she took that leave of absence to manage her medical condition, Williams told Amy Roach on Good Morning America that her life was at risk after years of putting her job ahead of her health.

'I met a great team. I learned that I was very deficient in Vitamin D,' revealed Williams.

'My internist told me that I was if not the worst case of Vitamin D deficiency she has ever seen in her career.'

Williams also revealed that Graves' disease was just one of the medical conditions she was dealing with t the time.

'I have vertigo, which I've had all my life and was affecting my equilibrium. Just a mess going on inside my body,' said the host.

'But I'm saved.'

Williams is now doing her best to put herself first for the sake of her health.

'We as women, particularly if we have families, you know we're taking care of children, we're taking care of home, our husbands. We're taking care of everyone but ourselves,' said the 53-year-old mother.

Helping hand: Williams was seen being helped by her husband Kevin as she got into her car back in February (above)

Doctor's office: Williams and Kevin visited a New York City medical building after she announced her three-week leave of absence

'I'm not doing that any more. Wendy first.'

Williams also urged her fans to not feel pity for her when they see her in public and greet her with a 'how you doin'' as opposed to looking at her with puppy eyes.

'I'm Wendy, I'm not that girl, come one on now,' said Wendy.

'Throw your dubs up.'

Robach asked Williams during the interview if she now sees a connection between her incidents on the show and her deteriorating medical condition.

'Do you think now that perhaps that fainting spell you had on live television had something to do with the Graves or with your thyroid?' asked Robach at one point.

'Okay - I had missed three doctors' appointments with my endocrinologist. He's the one who handles my thyroid and Graves,' said Williams, who goes on to admit that her health was 'at the bottom of the list.'

'I'm functioning okay. I'm a feeling a little weird, but I'll get through it. And I went in February and that's where I found, whoa, your levels are way off,' Williams explains to Robach.

Then she got the news she did not expect to hear - she would have to take time off from the show.

'How did you receive that information?' asked Robach.

'I cried, and then I laughed. 'Are you out of your mind? It's sweeps,' said Williams adding a it go humor.

'And what did he say back to you?' responded Robach.

'Do you want to be swept?'

How she doin': Williams (above on GMA) revealed that her Vitamin D deficiency was one of the worst her internist had ever seen but that she has now found a great team of doctors

Leave of absence: Wendy announced on February 21 that her doctor had prescribed that she be on a three-week medical leave for hyperthyroidism and Graves' disease

Mother liberty: Wendy first caused concern when she toppled over back in October while hosting her Halloween episode (above)

Williams previously appeared on Good Morning America back in November, when she opened up about the scary moment she collapsed on live television while hosting the Halloween episode of her eponymous talk show.

'People thought that I was having a stroke on TV,' said the host, who was dressed as the Statue of Liberty at the time.

'And other people thought that I was having a heart attack.'

That was not the case however according to the 53-year-old Williams.

'You know, I'm a woman of a particular age. I'm also going through menopause,' explained Williams.

'I didn't think my costume was hot when I first tried it on. It was a catsuit, if it was a dress I'd be like this. You know, like oh my god, I'm hot.'

The incident was so surreal said Williams, that even her crew thought it was all a stunt.

Paramedics arrived on the scene soon after, and an hour later Williams was headed back home to New Jersey with her husband Kevin looking no worse for the wear.

'Apparently I was dehydrated according to the paramedics, and instead of drinking regular water I had electrolyte drinks,' said Williams.

'Then, you know, I went to my own doctors and I'm fine including blood work.'

Robach then asked Williams how she was even able to get herself back up off the floor and finish out the episode.

'Well, I'm not your average talk show host,' said Williams.

'You know, it's pretty special thing to be a Wendy Williams. It takes a lot.'

As for Williams taking any time off, that is not in the cards, with the host saying 'that's what the weekend is for.'

A month prior to that incident, DailyMail.com reported that Williams' husband Kevin Hunter was leading a double life and engaging in a secret long-term affair with a younger massage therapist.

Hunter has been seeing Sharina Hudson for more than 10 years, splitting his time between the New Jersey home he shares with Wendy and their teenage son Kevin Jr, and a secluded suburban house that he bought for his mistress just nine miles down the road.

Wendy and Kevin married in 1997. And this wasn't the first time the TV host's husband has been caught in a cheating scandal.
Cooking Mexican food, watching Star Wars films, and taking long walks are everyday things that most Americans would take for granted.

But for the 'House of Horrors' children - who were allegedly imprisoned and abused by their own parents - these have all been brand new experiences.

Seven of the 13 siblings were released from Corona Regional Medical Center in California on Thursday and moved into an undisclosed rural home.

Meanwhile, their parents David Turpin, 57, and Louise, 48, are behind bars on charges including torture, child abuse, and false imprisonment.

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The 'House of Horrors' adult children have gotten their first taste of freedom after being released from the Corona Regional Medical Center in California on Thursday

The seven adult siblings had been recovering at the hospital since they, along with their younger siblings, were rescued by police from the family home in January

The 13 children were rescued from this Perris, California home where they were allegedly shackled and abused by their parents

They have pleaded not guilty.

Now the seven siblings, who range in age from 18 to 29, are relishing the independence they have long been denied, according to their lawyer Jack Osborn.

'It's just really fun. It's fun to be around them,' Osborn, who specializes in clients with special needs, told Good Morning America.

'They're really full of joy about their life and the things they get to experience right now.'

The siblings, who are still under the state's care, have been reunited with the family dog and are enjoying the chance to pick their own bedding and have their own closet space.

Other new experiences have included picking citrus, making ice cream sundaes with hot fudge, and preparing Mexican food.

Now the seven siblings, who range in age from 18 to 29, are relishing the independence they have long been denied, according to their lawyer Jack Osborn

It is a world away from the frozen food they were fed in the House of Horrors - if they were fed at all.

'They pretty much love any food that is fresh,' Osborn said. 'They love fruit, pasta, and soup.'

Authorities said the siblings were routinely starved by their parents. All children, except for a two-year-old toddler, were found severely malnourished.

The eldest of the siblings, a 29-year-old woman, weighed only 82lb when she was rescued by police.

Osborn said the siblings are continuing occupational, psychological, and physical therapy, as well as watching plenty of movies - including the Star Wars films.

He said they are looking forward to 'going out to restaurants and stores and movies and going for walks and shopping and all of those things'.

The siblings, who are still under the state's care, have been reunited with the family dog and are enjoying the chance to pick their own bedding and have their own closet space

Meanwhile, their parents David Turpin, 57, and Louise, 48, are behind bars on charges including torture, child abuse, and false imprisonment

But Osborn said the siblings most of all just love to go outside. It is the first time in their lives that they can walk out the front door whenever they like.

They are now looking forward to reuniting with their younger siblings, who are currently being cared for in two foster homes.

Osborn said the older siblings are also hoping to become independent, getting their drivers licenses and eventually finding careers and spouses.

'The adult siblings want to be known as survivors, not victims,' he said .

'They want to do things for themselves and they want to start having independent lives where they're responsible for themselves.'

'That's the goal and that's what everyone is working toward.'

David and Louise Turpin were arrested in January after their 17-year-old daughter escaped from the family home in Perris, California, and called 911 on a deactivated cell phone.

Police discovered the 12 other siblings at the home amid the stench of human waste.

The couple are being held on $13million bail and, if convicted, they face up to life in prison.

Louise Turpin's uncle, James Taylor, 67, spoke with DailyMail.com at his home in Princeton and said his family were blindsided by reports of the abuse that his great-nieces and nephews had suffered.

Osborn said the siblings are continuing occupational, psychological, and physical therapy, as well as watching plenty of movies - including the Star Wars films

The victims, who range in age from two to 29 years old, were chained to their beds as punishment and weren't even unshackled during bathroom trips, prosecutors said.

District Attorney Michael Hestrin revealed that the children were kept up all night and slept during the day in a suspected attempt to avoid any outsiders witnessing the abuse.

They were regularly beaten and occasionally strangled, he also alleged during a press conference in January.

None of the children have ever seen a dentist and none have seen a doctor for four years, Hestrin said.

Some of the children did not know what a police officer was when they were rescued and many are mentally impaired as a result of what prosecutors called 'severe, prolonged and pervasive abuse'.

While the children starved, the parents bought food including pumpkin and apple pie and kept it out on worktops for them to look at and desire, Hestrin said.

According to Hestrin, the abuse began in 2010 and has intensified ever since. At the time, the parents would tie the children up as punishment with rope, he said.

When the children managed to escape, their parents moved on to using chains and padlocks.

'Everybody is shocked that this even happened,' Taylor said. 'What made them do it? I wouldn't treat an animal like that.'

Taylor said that it had been a 'few years' since Louise Turpin brought some of her children to West Virginia to meet family.

'I haven't seen her in so long, we lost contact. It was years ago that she lived here. She ran off with David and got married when she was 14 or 15,' he said.

'She didn't even come to my mom and my sister's funeral. I thought that was kind of strange. But if they had those kids all chained up that's probably why they didn't come.'

Taylor said that he was close to Louise's mother, Phyllis Robinette, before she passed away in February 2016 at the age of 66.

Taylor said that he believed Louise spoke to her on a daily basis.

The couple were arrested in January after their 17-year-old daughter escaped from the family home in Perris, California, and called 911 on a deactivated phone

Evidence against the couple includes videos, audio recordings and physical evidence of the years of abuse

Police said the only child who wasn't severely malnourished was the couple's two-year-old daughter (pictured with Louise)

'Phyllis planned on going down there [to California] but they kept making excuses. I see why now.'

Taylor said he was particularly shocked because he believed that David Turpin was educated and had a high-paying job, giving the impression that he was taking good care of his family.

The great-uncle said that he had not spoken to any of his great-nieces and nephews but was relieved to hear that they were being well cared for.

'I had a hard time dealing with the details but then I saw on the news that they were getting money and clothes,' he said. Fundraising efforts have netted hundreds of thousands of dollars for the siblings.

He said that the family, who still lived in West Virginia, would welcome the children with open arms should they ever want to visit.

'I would love to see them,' Taylor said.

James Turpin, the father of David Turpin, told DailyMail.com he has recently spoken to some of his grandchildren and said they are 'doing just fine'.

Turpin, 84, who lives in the small town of Princeton, West Virginia, with his wife Betty, 81, said that he also hoped to visit his grandchildren in California.

Evidence against the couple includes videos, audio recordings and physical evidence of the years of abuse

As the adult siblings become accustomed to life on their own, their younger siblings are being introduced to experiences other children may take for granted - like toothbrushes, Harry Potter and iPads.

A preliminary hearing for the Turpins' trial is set for May 14.

Evidence against the couple includes videos, audio recordings and physical evidence of the years of abuse.

Earlier this month it emerged that the 17-year-old girl who had escaped from the home had shared videos of herself singing on YouTube.

The teen, who posted the clips under an alias, revealed the squalid conditions inside the home as a result.

In one clip, obtained by GMA, a huge pile of dirty clothes are seen in the corner of the room.

She was also seen playing with two small dogs - which were found well-fed and in good health by rescuers, in stark contrast to the condition of the children.
Daniel Creagh walked free from the Old Bailey on Monday after he accidentally downloaded a bomb-making manual in February of last year

A bus driver who inadvertently downloaded a bomb-making manual has slammed prosecutors for late disclosure of evidence after he walked free from court on Monday.

Daniel Creagh, 27, downloaded the Anarchy Cookbook Version 2000, which details how to produce explosives, fuses, victim-operated switches, mines and booby traps, onto his Sony Xperia phone last February.

Hours before downloading the PDF, Creagh had searched Terrence Brown, who was convicted of producing and distributing similar material, as well as searching 'is the Anarchy Cookbook illegal', the Old Bailey heard.

He had also searched for 'Hadiths on killing' and 'forbidden knowledge', and used his phone to look up a Wikipedia entry for the group 'Revolution Muslim'.

Within that page is a mention of the Anarchist Cookbook, and the leader of the Revolution Muslim group, Yousef Al-Khattab, had posted links to it from the group's websites.

Creagh told police in an interview he didn't realise he downloaded the document, and had only been curiously researching crystal meth after watching the hit TV series Breaking Bad on Netflix.

The Muslim convert and father-of-one lost his job as a bus driver as a result of the case.

Creagh, 27, downloaded the Anarchy Cookbook Version 2000, which details how to produce explosives, fuses, victim-operated switches, mines and booby traps, onto his Sony Xperia phone

Long-haired Creagh denied possessing information likely to be useful to a terrorist and was cleared by the jury.

Prosecutors confirmed they would not be seeking a retrial on a charge of possessing counterfeit currency after jurors failed to reach a verdict on that count.

Judge Mark Lucraft, QC, told him: 'Mr Creagh, you are free to go.'

Speaking outside of court the former bus driver said he had 'never supported violence or terrorism in any form'.

'The police agreed I was not an extremist,' he added.

'I am proud of my Muslim faith. This does not make me a criminal for browsing the internet.

'This case raises serious questions about the Crown Prosecution Service's ability to disclose material vital to the defence.

'Evidence which proved my case was only given after repeated requests and an intervention by the judge.

'I call upon the Home Secretary, the Attorney General and the Independent Reviewer on Terrorism to make an immediate and full inquiry into my case.

'I hope no one will ever be prosecuted on the same terror laws again.

'No other family should experience the hell my family has suffered.

'I want to thank the twelve jurors for their courage and independence in a very difficult case.'

Creagh also thanked his barrister, David Gottlieb, before adding: 'Allah-hu'akbar. Barek Hashem.'

Creagh told police he didn't realise he downloaded the document, and had only been curiously researching crystal meth after watching the hit TV series Breaking Bad

The fired bus driver slammed prosecutors for late disclosure of evidence after he walked free from Old Bailey (file photo) on Monday

Prosecutor Kelly Brocklewurst said: 'He admitted having opened and read some of the Anarchy Cookbook document online but claimed that he had not downloaded it.

'He stated that he had been watching the Netflix series Breaking Bad and that this had got him interested in learning about the drug crystal meth.

'He used the internet to search for information about this drug which in turn led him to click on a link which opened the Anarchy Cookbook as a PDF on his phone.

'He stated that whilst he opened this document, he didn't intentionally save it on to his phone.

'He agreed that after he read the book he did a search to see if it was illegal.'

When police searched Creagh's house on March 3 they found 560 in counterfeit 10 notes, which all had the same serial number.

Creagh runs an Islamic stall which seeks to convert people to the religion, and said he came up with the idea of printing fake money and throwing it into the air as a way to get people to talk to him.

The former bus driver of Edmonton, north London, denied possessing a document containing information useful for terrorist purposes and control of counterfeit currency.

He was cleared of the first charge and the jury was discharged from returning a verdict on the second after indicating they were deadlocked.
Anthony Morgan, 42, raped a toddler 225 times from when she was just three years old

A toddler repeatedly raped by a monstrous paedophile was left so traumatised she barricaded her bedroom door with toys.

Anthony Morgan was jailed for 16 years in March 2017 for raping his first victim from when she was aged six onwards.

The drug-addict paedophile was handed an extended four years on licence for the sickening 'campaign of rape'.

But the 42-year-old sex offender was dragged back to Liverpool Crown Court after another traumatised victim came forward.

Morgan, from Liverpool, admitted eight counts of rape against the second girl, from when she was aged three.

Judge Andrew Menary, QC, jailed him for 18-and-a-half years with an extended six years on licence.

Robert Jones, prosecuting, said the latest offences came to light after the girl started to show 'signs of sexualised behaviour'.

He told the court: 'It's quite apparent the little girl was behaving in a way that was entirely indicative of long-standing abuse.

'It manifested itself in other ways - she would try and barricade her bedroom door with toys. She became very upset on a number of occasions.'

He said the victim spoke out after she 'became extremely upset with tears pouring down her face' and 'said things were bad inside her head'.

Mr Jones said she was also left frightened of people touching her and, when describing the abuse said it was 'horrible'.

He said the little girl recalled how she would often vomit after the attacks, but felt like 'she did not know what was going on'.

When interviewed by police, Morgan admitted the abuse and said he would give her sweets and warn her not to tell anyone.

Mr Jones said: 'He said he felt bad about what he was doing but was unable to explain why he persisted in the abuse. He blamed his urges.

'He accepted he had caused the most grievous and psychological damage to her and said he regretted it now.'

Morgan - aka Anthony Murphy - previously admitted eight counts of rape and one count of attempted rape against the first girl.

He raped her on no less than 225 occasions and offered her ice cream and other treats in exchange for sex.

Eventually, she confided in an adult, revealing the rapes had happened 'for as long as she could remember'.

Morgan also warned her to keep quiet and 'she thought nobody would believe her'.

The girl has struggled with education, suffered emotionally and physically and sustained 'severe psychological trauma'.

She told the court she feared she would never be able to have a family, as she could not face having sex in the future.

Morgan will serve at least two thirds of his sentence in jail and will only be released early if a parole board deems it safe.

This means he will be behind bars for at least the next 12 years and could serve the whole 18-and-a-half year sentence in prison.

He must also sign on the Sex Offenders Register and comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life.

Judge Menary said: 'What you did to this victim has effectively ruined her life. It's highly unlikely she will now enjoy normal, healthy child relationships.

'Any adult relationship for her will be challenging, particularly intimate relationships, which she is bound to find very difficult indeed.

'What this means is you have devastated the lives now of two children.'
New South Wales Rural Fire Service reportedly refused offers of help from Fire and Rescue NSW just hours before a devastating bushfire ripped through Tathra, it has been revealed.

Fire and Rescue NSW incident logs show the authority tried to send a crew to battle the fire outbreak at Reedy Swamp in Bega Valley at 12.34pm and then again at 12.58pm, sparked by a high volume of Triple 0 calls, the Daily Telegraph reports.

The New South Wales south coast town was devastated by the fire that destroyed 69 homes on Sunday but both offers to help were said to refused by the RFS.

Three hours after it rejected assistance from Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW RFS sent out the first emergency alert messages to Tathra residents to evacuate

Tathra residents say they were given no advance warning of the impending danger

Hours later after rejecting offers for help, the RFS issued a 'priority request' for 'all available FRNSW appliances' as the blaze ripped through Tathra

More 69 homes were destroyed in Tathra on the New South Wales south coast

'FR assistance offered and declined,' Fire and Rescue NSWs log for 12.58 reads, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Fire and Rescue NSW then dispatched a pumper engine crew but by then, the fire had rapidly increased and was fast approaching Tathra, according to the publication.

Less than three hours later after rejecting offers for help, the RFS issued a 'priority request' for 'all available FRNSW appliances' as the blaze ripped through Tathra.

Questions are being asked about the apparent lack of warning given to residents before it was too late to evacuate

It was after this that the RFS finally sent out the first emergency alert messages to residents.

The RFS must formally accept an offer of assistance from Fire and Rescue before the government agency is able to respond to emergencies.

The incident logs shows 48 Triple 0 calls received for the Reedy Swamp fire, according the Daily Telegraph.

Two dozen fire crews battled the blaze which is affecting the area from Tathra to Tarraganda as strong winds pushed the fire into Tathra after crossing the Bega River

An RFS spokesman said the first Triple 0 calls were received just before 12.30pm on Sunday and and that first firefighters arrived on scene at 12.43pm.

He said the blaze was in remote and rugged bushland with restricted access for the Fire and Rescue NSW pumper and hazardous materials vehicle.

'The local NSW RFS duty officer who received the offer of assistance, based on the information they had on the location and terrain, identified that the vehicle would not be able to gain access to the area,' he told the Daily Telegraph.

'As an urban structure firefighting vehicle, the pumper is not suitable for firefighting areas off established roads and does not have the correct safety equipment to be working in a remote bushland area.'

A RFS spokesman told Daily Mail Australia early Tuesday morning that it was unable to comment further on the claims until later in the day.

RFS assessment teams have assessed 90 per cent of the fire ground

Fire and Rescue NSW was unavailable to comment on the claims.

Emergency Services Minister Troy Grant said there would be an investigation into Sundays operations.

The latest revelations come on top of questions are being asked about the apparent lack of warning given to residents before it was too late to evacuate.

'Communication was a challenge, but Im absolutely confident we did everything we could as quickly as possible to get the message out,' Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

Around 30 caravans or cabins destroyed on top of the 69 homes destroyed in Tathra.

Another 39 houses were damaged while 398 houses saved or not affected.

No lives have been lost.

As of Monday night, there were 14 bush and grass fires in NSW, with eight uncontained.

'Conditions have eased and firefighters have been working to slow the spread of the fire. It will be some time before the fire is contained,' the RFS posted on its Facebook page.

RFS assessment teams have assessed 90 per cent of the fire ground.

As of Monday night, there were 14 bush and grass fires in NSW, with eight uncontained

Around 30 caravans or cabins destroyed on top of the 69 homes destroyed in Tathra

'The number of properties may change as these assessments are completed,' the RFS website states

'Schools in the area have not been impacted by the fire. Information about specific homes which have been impacted is being provided to residents through the evacuation centre at Bega. Access to homes is being provided to residents as it is safe to do so.'

A RFS spokesman told Daily Mail Australia early Tuesday morning that it was unable to comment further on the claims until later in the day
A China state-run newspaper warned on Sunday that the country could use 'military pressure' to stop diplomatic talks between the U.S. and Taiwan.

President Donald Trump angered the Chinese on Friday when he signed a bill into law, allowing diplomats to travel to Taiwan to have talks with the government there.

While Taiwan is an independent country, China considers the island nation a province, and refuses to have diplomatic relations with countries that recognize Taiwan as an independent state.

Washington cut formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979 in favor of Beijing under the 'one China' policy. But it maintains trade relations with the island and sells it weapons, angering China. Trump's decision on Friday now throws this policy into question.

A China state-run newspaper says that the country could use 'military pressure' to stop diplomatic talks between the U.S. and Taiwan. Left: Chinese President Xi Jinping. Right: President Trump

President Trump on Friday signed a bill allowed increased talks between the U.S. and Taiwain. Above, a Chinese military parade in 2015

On Sunday, China's English-language Global Times, an off-hoot of its state-run People's Daily, reported: 'China will and should take timely countermeasures against the US and all 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces through diplomatic and military means if US legislation that encourages high-level contact between the US and the island of Taiwan is implemented.'

A former major general in the Chinese army and Liu Weidong, an expert in US relations at a government-run research institute, spoke to the paper.

'If any 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces perceive the US bill as a 'pro-independence' signal, the Chinese army will resume its military probes circling the island and send more military vessels and airplanes to patrol the Straits,' Liu said.

The views expressed in the report are likely to mirror those of China's power brokers, since its connections to the government.

Taiwan is an independent island nation, but China considers it a province. China refuses diplomatic relations with any country that recognizes Taiwan as independent

The report also said that China could exercise diplomatic action, like stopping high-ranking officials from traveling to Washington, DC for some time.

China sees Taiwan as a renegade province and has long stated its desire for reunification.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the bill's clauses, while not legally binding, 'severely violate' the one China principle and send 'very wrong signals to the "pro-independence" separatist forces in Taiwan.'

'China is strongly opposed to that,' Lu said in a statement issued on Saturday.

'We urge the US side to correct its mistake, stop pursuing any official ties with Taiwan or improving its current relations with Taiwan in any substantive way,' he said.

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen is pictured above in October

In a separate statement, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said the act 'interferes in China's internal affairs'.

China urges the US to 'stop pursuing any US-Taiwan military ties and stop arms sales to Taiwan, so as to avoid causing serious damage to the bilateral and military relations between China and the US, and to the peace and stability in the Taiwan strait,' the statement said.

The new US law describes Taiwan as 'a beacon of democracy' in Asia, and states that 'Taiwan's democratic achievements inspire many countries and people in the region.'

Trump's signature, announced late on Friday - when the White House usually tries to bury news - comes amid increasing tensions between the mainland and the self-ruled island.

Beijing has cut off official communications with Taipei because President Tsai Ing-wen refuses to acknowledge the democratic island as part of 'one China'.

The travel act also comes amid trade tensions between the United States and China as Trump mulls fresh measures that have raised fears of a tit-for-tat trade war.
A young waitress who was allegedly repeatedly stabbed for her $100 mobile phone revealed she thought she would die when her attacker left her lying in a pool of her own blood.

Italian woman Stella Trevisani, 27, was on her way home after work about 9.20pm on Saturday when she was attacked at Claisebrook train station in Perth's east.

Ms Trevisani, who has been in Australia for about two years, said she was stabbed about five times in her arms, shoulder and leg.

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Speaking from her hospital bed, Stella Trevisani said she thought she would die after the attack

Speaking from her hospital bed on Monday, Ms Trevisani said she didn't know how serious the attack was until she saw blood gushing from her open stab wounds.

'I resisted and I fought back but I didn't realise he had a knife,' she told Seven News.

The 27-year-old said she thought her attacker was only using his fists to punch her.

'He smashed me against the wall and then he said, 'If you don't give me your phone I'm going to stab you everywhere'.'

Speaking from her hospital bed on Monday, Ms Trevisani said she didn't know how serious the attack was until she saw blood gushing from her open stab wounds

Ms Trevisani said she passed out and woke to find strangers standing over her body, after which paramedics were called to the scene

When she handed over her phone, she claims the boy stabbed her one last time before he fled the scene on bicycle.

'I thought I would die  I could see the blood springing out and I said to myself, 'I am going to die'. I called out 'help, help', but I was getting weaker so I stopped yelling and I started getting nauseous and feeling really cold,' she said.

Ms Trevisani said she passed out and woke to find strangers standing over her body.

The 27-year-old Italian woman remains at Royal Perth Hospital, where she is recovering from her injuries.

The 15-year-old allegedly pounced on the woman while she was walking near Perth's Claisebrook station (pictured) at around 9.20pm on Saturday

The boy tried to flee the scene on a bike (pictured), but only made it 300m before he was arrested

A 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested a short time later, just 300 metres from where the attack happened.

He was charged with aggravated armed robbery and grievous bodily harm.

The teenager fronted Perth Children's Court on Monday but was ordered out of the courtroom after he repeatedly kicked the door of his holding cell, Perth Now reported.

When he reappeared later in the day, he interrupted proceedings to tell the magistrate he wanted to plead guilty and get his punishment over and done with.

The magistrate did not accept his plea, and urged him to speak with a lawyer ahead of his next court appearance on Thursday.
A missing Colorado toddler at the center of an Amber Alert died just hours after being found.

Nain Dominguez, two, was found on Sunday morning with what the El Paso County Sheriff's Office described as 'life-threatening injuries'.

He was taken to the hospital but later died, family confirmed.

Nain was last seeing playing, wearing a green sweatshirt and sweatpants, with his siblings on Saturday at the Stratmoor Hill Trailhead Park in Colorado Springs around 5pm.

Nain Dominguez, two (pictured), from Colorado Springs, Colorado, disappeared on Saturday. A statewide Amber Alert was issued around 9.30pm

He was found on Sunday morning with what the El Paso County Sheriff's Office described as 'life-threatening injuries'. Nain (pictured) was transferred to the hospital where he laterdied, family confirmed

According to family and friends, an older sibling noticed he was missing. Four hours later, at around 9.30pm, a statewide Amber Alert was sent out.

In an earlier statement, authorities said he was possibly being carried by a man into a large, white van with no rear windows.

However, just after midnight on Sunday, both El Paso County deputies and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said information about the man and the vehicle were no longer believed to be related to the toddlers disappearance.

Nain was found around 7.15am, more than 14 hours after he went missing.

Nain was last seen playing, wearing a green sweatshirt and sweatpants, with his siblings on Saturday at the Stratmoor Hill Trailhead Park (pictured) in Colorado Springs around 5pm

The sheriff's office did not elaborate on where he was found, although KKTV said he was put into an ambulance at the intersection of Aqualane Drive and Forest Road, near where he was last seen.

No details were provided by the sheriff's office regarding the child's condition or how he died.

The investigation into Nain's disappearance is still active., according to a police spokesperson.
A collection of powerful U.S. senators are demanding that Facebook explain how a third-party firm with ties to the Trump campaign was able to gain access to data on 50 million of its users.

Senior lawmakers from both political parties want answers about Cambridge Analytica, the firm with deep Trump campaign ties, was able to gain access to the data and then keep it for years.

Two have now written to the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee calling for Mark Zuckerberg to be summoned to answer questions on the mounting crisis for his platform.

'Who knew what when? This is a big deal, when you have that amount of data. And the privacy violations there are significant,' said Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona.

'So, the question is, who knew it? When did they know it? How long did this go on? And what happens to that data now?' Flake told CNN's 'State of the Union.'

'Who knew what when? This is a big deal, when you have that amount of data. And the privacy violations there are significant,' said Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona.

Sen Amy Klobuchar (right) tweeted on Saturday: 'This is a major breach that must be investigated'

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, told NBCs 'Meet the Press' he was 'disturbed' by the news. 'Their growth has been a lot faster than perhaps their ability to mature institutionally from within on some of these challenges that they're facing,' Rubio said.

Republican Senator John Kennedy joined his Democratic colleague Amy Klobuchar in calling on Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg to testify before Congress.

In a joint letter, Kennedy and Klobuchar asked Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley to hold a hearing with Zuckerberg and the chief executives of Alphabet Inc's Google and Twitter Inc, reflecting mounting bipartisan concern in Washington about how the companies share personal user data.

'Facebook, Google, and Twitter have amassed unprecedented amounts of personal data and use this data when selling advertising, including political advertisements,' the senators wrote.

'The lack of oversight on how data is stored and how political advertisements are sold raises concerns about the integrity of American elections as well as privacy rights.'

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who was one of President Trump's GOP primary opponents, took shots at Facebook on Sunday, telling NBCs 'Meet the Press' he was 'disturbed' by the news.

'Their growth has been a lot faster than perhaps their ability to mature institutionally from within on some of these challenges that they're facing,' Rubio said.

'I think another part about it is sometimes these companies grow so fast and get so much good press, they get up high on themselves that they start to think that perhaps they're above sort of the rules that apply to everybody else.'

'Every time that we've spoken to them it's kind of rolled out as more coming out,' Rubio vented. 'I'm disturbed by that.'

The Senate Intelligence Committee member complained about the firm: 'Every time that we've spoken to them, it's kind of rolled out as more coming out.'

Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota tweeted on Saturday that Mark Zuckerberg, the firm's multibillionaire CEO, must explain to Congress wheat happened.

'This is a major breach that must be investigated. It's clear these platforms can't police themselves,' Klobuchar wrote. 'I've called for more transparency & accountability for online political ads. They say 'trust us.' Mark Zuckerberg needs to testify before Senate Judiciary,' she wrote.

The New York Times reported Saturday that Cambridge, which had a $15 million investment from billionaire Robert Mercer, had maintained the data for years. Facebook banned the firm on Friday. The firm new about the leak back in December 2015, according to the Times.

Facebook said in a statement: 'Protecting people's information is at the heart of everything we do, and we require the same from people who operate apps on Facebook.

'In 2015, we learned that a psychology professor at the University of Cambridge named Dr. Aleksandr Kogan lied to us and violated our Platform Policies by passing data from an app that was using Facebook Login to SCL/Cambridge Analytica, a firm that does political, government and military work around the globe. He also passed that data to Christopher Wylie of Eunoia Technologies, Inc.'

The firm also said it was 'completely false' that what happened constituted a data breach.

In the House, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking member of the Intelligence panel, said: 'We need to find out what we can about the misappropriation of the privacy, the private information of tens of millions of Americans.'

Lawmakers want the Senate Judiciary Committee to probe the issue following reports that a data firm took Facebook users' private information for President Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

Lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic criticized Zuckerberg, after reports surfaced about the massive leak of Facebook user data.

'I've called for more transparency & accountability for online political ads. They say 'trust us.' Mark Zuckerberg needs to testify before Senate Judiciary,' Klobuchar tweeted

US Sen Mark Warner (pictured) of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, echoed Klobuchar's complaint

US Sen Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, echoed Klobuchar's complaint.

'This is more evidence that the online political advertising market is essentially the Wild West,' he said. 'It's clear that, left unregulated, this market will continue to be prone to deception and lacking in transparency.'

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said on Twitter that 'Massachusetts residents deserve answers' and announced that her office will investigate.

The officials reacted to reports in The New York Times and The Guardian of London that Cambridge Analytica, which is best known for working on Trump's 2016 campaign, had improperly obtained Facebook user data and retained it after claiming it had deleted the information.

It was also reported that senior members of Cambridge Analytica met with Russian business executives ahead of the 2016 campaign.

Facebook suspended the group on Friday for not fully deleting all of the data it had obtained.

A British lawmaker accused Facebook on Sunday of misleading officials by downplaying the risk of users' data being shared without their consent.

Conservative legislator Damian Collins, who heads the British Parliament's media committee, said he would ask Zuckerberg or another Facebook executive to appear before his panel, which is investigating disinformation and 'fake news'.

Collins said Facebook has 'consistently understated' the risk of data leaks and gave misleading answers to the committee.

'Someone has to take responsibility for this,' he said. 'It's time for Mark Zuckerberg to stop hiding behind his Facebook page.'

Collins also accused the head of the UK-based data firm Cambridge Analytica, Alexander Nix, of lying.

Nix told the committee last month that his firm had not received data from a researcher accused of obtaining millions of Facebook users' personal information.

The officials reacted to reports that Cambridge Analytica, which is best known for working on Trump's 2016 campaign, had improperly obtained Facebook (file image) user data and retained it after claiming it had deleted the information

Former Cambridge Analytica employee Chris Wylie said that the company obtained information from 50 million Facebook users, using it to build psychological profiles so voters could be targeted with ads and stories.

Wylie told Britain's Channel 4 news that the company was able to amass a huge database very quickly from an app developed by an academic that vacuumed up data from Facebook users who agreed to fill out a survey, as well as their friends and contacts - a process of which most were unaware.

'Imagine I go and ask you: I say, 'Hey, if I give you a dollar, two dollars, could you fill up this survey for me, just do it on this app', and you say, 'Fine,'' he said.

'I don't just capture what your responses are, I capture all of the information about you from Facebook. But also this app then crawls through your social network and captures all of that data also.'

Wylie said that allowed the company to get roughly '50 million plus' Facebook records in several months. He also criticized Facebook for facilitating the process.

'Why Facebook didn't make more inquiries when they started seeing that, you know, tens of millions of records were being pulled this way, I don't know,' he said.

Lawmaker Collins said he would summon Nix to reappear before the Parliament committee.

'It seems clear that he has deliberately misled the committee and Parliament by giving false statements,' Collins said.
Police in Indiana arrested a man after finding a 'one-pot' meth lab inside a White Castle restaurant.

Officers responded to a report of a suspicious person at a branch of the fast food chain at 7996 E. Ridge Road in Hobart at around 10.50am on Friday.

They found a man, from LaPorte County, with a suspected 'one-pot' meth lab  a bottle filled with chemicals used to make meth  and arrested him.

Police in Indiana arrested a man after finding a 'one-pot' meth lab inside a White Castle restaurant in Hobart (pictured)

One-pot meth labs are considered extremely dangerous because the chemicals inside the bottles could explode at any time.

The Indiana State Police responded to safety contain the hazardous chemicals at the scene.

Four officers from the Hobart Police Department were treated for exposure to the chemicals.

As the investigation is ongoing, further details will only be made available after criminal charges are filed, the Hobart Police Department said.

A White Castle spokesman told NewsChannel3 that the restaurant reopened by 6pm on Friday after an inspection by the board of health found no violations.

DailyMail.com has contacted White Castle for further comment.
Peru Two drugs mule Melissa Reid is dating a backpacker who visited her in jail when she was behind bars in South America.

Gary Stafford, 34, flew to Peru to visit Reid when she was locked up for smuggling millions of pounds worth of cocaine.

When Reid, from Lenzie, near Glasgow, was released the couple's romance blossomed and they now share a house in Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire.

Melissa Reid (pictured right) is now is dating backpacker Gary Stafford, 34, who visited her in jail when she was behind bars in South America. Pictured: Reid and Michaella McCollum were arrested at an airport in Lima, Peru, after being found with millions of pounds of cocaine

A friend revealed Mr Stafford spent years travelling around South America and made contact with Reid when he heard about the drug controversy.

'His visits meant the world to Melissa as it was a very tough experience. When she was eventually released, Gaz came back to Scotland too,' a friend told The Sun.

'They then moved in together and are very happy. They have really fallen for each other.

'Melissa just wants to live a quiet life. She has no desire to be famous on the back of what happened.'

Mr Stafford flew to Peru to visit Reid (right) when she was locked up over the drugs scandal

The couple were seen kissing in an Edinburgh bar weeks after Reid's release from notorious Ancon prison in Lima.

Reid was found with a 1.5million stash in suitcases at Lima airport in 2013.

Reid claimed she was forced into it by armed hoods but later admitted she knew what she was doing.
The White House said Monday that President Donald Trump is not moving to fire special counsel Robert Mueller  on a day when Trump resumed his attacks on Mueller's Russia probe, which he again branded a 'witch hunt.'

'The president is not moving to get rid of Robert Mueller,' said White House spokesman Hogan Gidley aboard Air Force One on Monday.

'There are no conversations or discussions about removing Mr. Mueller,' said Gidley.

Gidley added there is 'some well established - frustration on behalf of the president for more than a year this has been going on,' referring to the Mueller probe.

'At the same time there has been no collusion, the president has said multiple times,' Gidley added.

President Donald Trump waves to the news media while walking with first lady Melania Trump to board Marine One to depart for travel to New Hampshire from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., March 19, 2018. He resumed his attack on the 'Witch Hunt' Mueller probe

The White House was already certain to get asked about Mueller's future following a weekend of Trump attacks on him. Trump provided another reason on Monday, when he tweeted about the probe: 'A total WITCH HUNT with massive conflicts of interest!'

Over the weekend, Trump poked at Mueller's team of investigators, labeling them '13 hardened Democrats.' He also wrote Saturday that the Mueller probe 'should never have been started' because there was 'no collusion and there was no crime.'

Trump didn't mention that Mueller himself is a Republican.

Trump's attacks drew immediate outrage from Democrats and a some Republicans. GOP Sen. John McCain tweeted over the weekend it is 'critical he be allowed to complete a thorough investigation into Russias interference in the 2016 election  unimpeded.'

But his return to the subject Monday indicated he had no intention of backing down.

GOP Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina urged Trump and his lawyer, John Dowd, who himself had called for the Mueller probe to end: 'When you are innocent  act like it.'

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who has become a Trump ally, warned on CNN's State of the Union against the president getting rid of Mueller. 'As I have said before, if he tried to do that, that would be the beginning of the end of his presidency, because we're a rule of law nation.'

Trump also on Sunday went after newly-fired former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, in a line of attack that could bolster McCabe's legal case if he seeks to contest the firing and its affect on his pension.

Trump accused him of creating 'fake memos' of their conversations, while suggesting James Comey, the fired former FBI director, with lying under oath.

'Spent very little time with Andrew McCabe, but he never took notes when he was with me. I dont believe he made memos except to help his own agenda, probably at a later date. Same with lying James Comey,' Trump tweeted. 'Can we call them Fake Memos?'

Early Saturday morning, the president had called it a 'great day for democracy' when Attorney General Jeff Sessions made the decision to fire McCabe, a little over 24 hours before his 50th birthday  the date he was expected to retire, and eligible to start receiving his pension.

President Trump took to Twitter Sunday morning to lash out at Andrew McCabe, who was fired on Friday after serving as the FBI's No. 2. Trump also criticized former FBI Director James Comey, who he fired in May, and Special Counsel Robert Mueller who is handling the Russia probe

President Trump charged that former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who was fired on Friday, 'never took notes' when the two spoke, and so his memos - which have been turned over to Special Counsel Robert Mueller - were likely 'fake'

Andrew McCabe, the former FBI deputy director, was fired on Friday, with a little more than 24 hours left before his 50th birthday, the date he was planning to retire, and would be eligible for his government pension

President Trump accused former FBI Director James Comey of lying under oath. During a May 3 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Comey answered 'never' and 'no' to Sen. Chuck Grassley when asked if he'd ever been an anonymous media source or ever authorized other officials to be one

Ex-FBI Director James Comey, seen at a Congressional hearing after his firing, knew that Andrew McCabe had green-lit two FBI officials to talk to the Wall Street Journal about the Clinton investigation, McCabe said. Comey testified in May he never authorized anyone to be an anonymous source

Trump continued beating this drum on Saturday writing, 'The Fake News is beside themselves that McCabe was caught, called out and fired.'

'How many hundreds of thousands of dollars was given to wifes campaign by Crooked H friend, Terry M, who was also under investigation? How many lies? How many leaks? Comey knew it all, and much more!' Trump charged.

For months the president had suggested that McCabe was biased because his wife had taken a campaign donation from the political action committee associated with ex-Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat and a longtime ally of both Bill and Hillary Clinton.

The justification for firing McCabe was that he directed FBI officials to speak to the media about an investigation into the Clinton Foundation and then misled investigators about it, charges he denies.

The Associated Press reported that McCabe had kept personal memos detailing his interactions with the president, much like the memos Comey had kept on Trump.

He's since handed those memos over to Mueller, who is investigating Russian inference in the 2016 presidential election and looking into whether there was collusion with the Trump campaign.

Trump did not elaborate in his attack on alleged conflicts of interest regarding Mueller.

Mueller received an ethics waiver to take his post. It is believed to relate to his time as a partner at the WilmerHale law firm, which also represented former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, Politico reported in December. Mueller and Comey are former Justice Department colleagues.

On Sunday, the president also charged Comey with lying to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee when he testified before the panel in May 2017.

President Trump also tweeted about Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Sunday morning, alleging that his team was made up of more Democrats than Republicans

'Wow, watch Comey lie under oath to Senator G when asked have you ever been an anonymous source...or known someone else to be an anonymous source...? He said strongly never, no. He lied as shown clearly on @FoxandFriends,' Trump wrote.

The exchange in question was between Comey, at the time still the head of the FBI, and Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley.

Comey first answered 'never' when asked by the Iowa Republican whether he had been an anonymous source in media reports related to the Clinton emails investigation.

In a follow-up, Grassley asked if Comey ever authorized someone else at the FBI to be an anonymous source.

'No,' Comey said.

That runs counter to what McCabe told the media this weekend, as he talked to outlets about his ouster.

'It was not a secret, it took place over several days, and others, including the Director were aware of the interaction with the reporter,' McCabe said, referencing how he authorized two FBI agents to speak to a Wall Street Journal reporter about the Clinton email investigation and a probe into the Clinton Foundation.

'It was the type of exchange with the media that the Deputy Director oversees several times per week,' McCabe continued. 'In fact, it was the same type of work that I continued to do under Director Wray, at his request,' McCabe said, name-dropping Trump's chosen replacement for Comey, FBI Director Christopher Wray.

In a third tweet Sunday morning, the president swatted at Mueller's team yet again.

'Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added...does anyone think this is fair?' the president asked.

'And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!' he added.
A baby boy was hit by a 4.4 lbs wooden plank that fell from a high-rise building in southwest China.

The 10-month-old boy was sent to hospital with bleeding in the head. Doctors found an eight centimetres (3.15 inch) deep wound in the forehead in a critical condition.

Local police found the wooden plank with a sticker labelled 'Ikea' and launched an investigation to find out where it fell from.

Ms Liu is pushing her grandson in a pram in a residential neighbourhood in Chongqing, China (left). A wooden plank suddenly falls from a building and hits on the baby's head (right)

According to Kan Kan News, the incident happened when Ms Liu pushing her grandson in a pram at a park in Yuzhong district of Chongqing at 1pm, on March 16.

Surveillance camera footage shows a rectangular plank falling from heights and hitting a baby in a pram.

Ms Liu quickly took her grandson to nearby Children's Hospital.

Passing-by neighbours said the wooden plank was falling at a 'high speed'. The wooden plank was marked with a logo of a Swedish furniture company, Ikea. It weighed about two kilograms (4.4 lbs).

The 10-month-old was cut in the forehead and bleeding after being strike by the piece (left). Onlookers said the wooden plank was falling at 'high speed' (right)

Ms Liu quickly took her grandson to nearby Children's Hospital for immediate treatment

The plank of wood weighs about 4.4lbs, marked with 'Ikea', a Swedish furniture company

The baby's mother, Ms Qin, told Kan Kan News that doctors found an eight centimetres (3.15inch) deep wound in the forehead.

'There is a soft spot in the head where the plank hit. Doctors diagnosed the newborn with comminuted fracture, where a part of the skull has broken into pieces', she said.

The baby remains in a critical condition after having emergency surgery.

Security guards at the residential block put up notices to remind neighbours not to place any decorations or plants near windows or the balcony.

Yuzhong Police has launched an investigation to find out where the wooden plank fell from.
Damascus has demanded Turkish troops leave the Syrian city of Afrin - after they seized the region's main town from Syrian Kurdish fighters at the weekend.

'The announcement of Turkish regime's president that his invading forces control Afrin is illegitimate,' the Foreign Ministry said in letters to the United Nations.

'Syria demands the invading forces withdraw immediately from the Syrian lands they have occupied.'

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed the Turkish army will drive Kurdish forces out of northern Syria on Monday following the capture of Afrin district

But Turkey has vowed to continue expanding its Syria offensive.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed on Monday to 'entirely eliminate' Kurdish forces on the Syrian side of the Turkish border.

He also raised the prospect of launching surprise attacks on Kurdish positions in Iraq, which is a strategic partner of the US.

Kurdish fighters formed the backbone of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces which were instrumental in defeating ISIS.

Turkish forces along with allied rebel groups (pictured) will 'entirely eliminate' Kurdish forces from along Turkey's border, Erdogan said

Erdogan said the Turkish campaign in Syria, conducted in tandem with Syrian forces, could now extend east, following the Turkish border to the town of Qamishli, the last Kurdish-held town before the Iraqi border.

'Now we will continue this process until we entirely eliminate this corridor, including in Manbij, Ayn al-Arab, Tel-Abyad, Ras al-Ayn and Qamishli,' Erdogan said.

Manbij, the next main YPG-held town east of Afrin, is a particular flashpoint as there is a US military presence there, raising the risk of confrontation between NATO allies.

Ayn al-Arab is the border town known as Kobane in Kurdish, of symbolic importance as it was the epicentre of a struggle with Islamic State jihadists that saw the US lauch its first airstrikes in Syria.

Turkish forces had watched from across the border as ISIS swept down on the city.

Turkey has been involved in conflict with Kurdish separatists for decades as they demand their own state, which would fall partially on Turkish territory.

Erdogan even raised the prospect of surprise attacks against Kurdish forces in Iraq, a key US strategic partner in the region (pictured, Turkish-backed rebels in Afrin)

Kurdish forces formed the backbone of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces which helped to defeat ISIS (pictured, smoke rises over Afrin)

Turkey sees the YPG as a Syrian offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a bloody insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984.

Most of Afrin's 350,000 residents have fled since Turkey and allied Syrian rebels launched an air and ground offensive on January 20 to root out the YPG.

The capture of the city is seen a major step forwards for Turkey as it seeks to bolster its control along the border in northern Syria.

Erdogan described Afrin's capture after almost two months as a 'major stage' of the operation, codenamed Olive Branch. But he said more would come.

'We marked a comma. God willing a full stop will come next.'

But he insisted that Turkey 'has no intention of being occupiers' in Syria and only wanted to remove the threat posed by the 'terrorists.'

Syrian President Bashar Assad was seen in a video released by the Facebook page of the Syrian Presidency

Footage shows him driving through the newly captured areas of eastern Ghouta, near Damascus

Observer groups said Turkish-backed rebels began looting the city after capturing it, with masked figures pictured with tractors full of goods

A Turkish-backed rebel fighter drags a car away with a tractor after capturing Afrin

He also evoked a possible operation against PKK camps in Iraq's Sinjar region, saying this could come any time.

Erdogan said he had told the Iraqi authorities in Baghdad to deal with PKK camps there, warning Sinjar risked becoming one of the group's strongholds, like the Qandil mountain area.

'If (Baghdad) cannot, we may turn up in Sinjar suddenly one night and clean up the PKK there.'

Erdogan spoke as Turkish-backed Syrian rebels were accused of looting in Afrin following the capture of the city.

Monitoring groups said shops, military and government facilities had been raided, while pictures showed masked figures making off with tractor trailers full off goods.
Ellie Butler was battered to death by her father 11 months after she was returned to her mother and father's care. An inquest is examining why she was handed back to him

Social workers 'rushed' returning a little girl to the father who later murdered her - despite concerns of grandparents, school and the local council, her inquest has heard.

Ellie Butler was battered to death by Ben Butler at their family home in Sutton, south London, in October 2013, 11 months after being returned to Butler and her mother from her grandparents.

Catherine Harris, of Services for Children (S4C), told the inquest into Ellie's death at South London Coroner's Court that no risk assessment had been made.

She also described the timetable to transfer Ellie to her parents as 'rushed', as Ellie's grandfather Neal Gray and her mother Jennie Gray could not see eye to eye.

The independent social workers had been brought in following a family court ruling.

Inquest counsel Adam Wiseman QC asked Ms Harris: 'You agree concerns were raised by grandparents, school and the local authority designated officer as to the pace of the transition?'

Ms Harris responded: 'The local designated officer did express some concerns and then when some more detail about the support was given.'

Ben Butler was convicted of shaking her when she was a baby. But the conviction was quashed and Ellie was returned to Butler and her mother Jennie Gray in 2012

Mr Wiseman continued: 'The people you were talking to in the lead up to it were saying 'stop, don't do it, it's too quick' - is that a fair characterisation?'

She replied: 'I don't think loads of people were. I think Mr and Mrs Gray [the grandparents] were'.

Mr Wiseman asked Ms Harris if she had 'concerns' before November 2012, when Ellie was returned to her parents, about Butler's 'volatility and the risk that might cause to Ellie'.

Ms Harris replied: 'No, I was not concerned that posed a risk to Ellie.

'In my engagement with Mr Butler, he would get quite heated and express himself a bit forcefully. He would calm down when you asked him to do so.'

She said she only saw him behave like that with adults, adding: 'It was part of his presentation to get quite heated. I never felt threatened by Mr Butler. I'm aware others did.'

An inquest heard there were concerns about returning Ellie to her mother and father

Ellie was returned to the care of her birth parents in November 2012 after a ruling by Mrs Justice Hogg in the Family Division of the High Court.

She had been placed in the care of her grandparents as a baby after Butler was accused of shaking her.

Butler is currently serving life with a minimum term of 23 years for Ellie's murder and has been listening to the hearing via video link from prison.

Ellie's mother was convicted of child cruelty and perverting the course of justice and sentenced to 42 months' imprisonment.

Mr Wiseman said that concerns about the pace of moving Ellie was raised by the grandparents, the school and the designated officer from the local authority.

Asked by Mr Wiseman if anybody was 'positively' saying to go down this route, Ms Harris replied 'the guardian' had backed the approach.

Ellie with grandparents Neal and Linda Gray. The inquests heard they raised concerns about the youngster being returned to Butler and their daughter

Mr Wiseman also asked if a parenting assessment was carried out at the time that the proposition was made for Ellie to return to her parents.

Ms Harris said 'there were observations made about capacity but there was no formal parenting assessment'.

She said that lots of people had been spoken to about moving Ellie.

Ms Harris said the transition timetable might not have been 'that rushed' if 'ideally' the adults involved could have been able to work together.

She said this would have meant Ellie would have been prepared, but added 'we do not work in ideals in many situations'.
A 90-year-old mobster wants to be released so he can die in Italy in front of his friends and family, however Brooklyn federal prosecutors have no interest in letting him go.

Frank (Frankie Pearl) Federico wants to end his supervised release early so he can die in Italy, reported the Daily News.

The decision will be up to a judge who once called Federico a 'cold-blooded murderer' and hoped he'd never leave a prison cell.

Frank (Frankie Pearl) Federico 90, wants to be released so he can die in Italy in front of his friends and family, however Brooklyn federal prosecutors have no interest in letting him go

Frederico was accused of murdering Robert Kubecka, 40, and Barstow, 35, in August 1989.

Carting business owners Jerome Kubecka and his son, Robert and Roberts brother-in-law, Barstow were enlisted to do some of the family's dirty work.

However, in 1980 they were done with the mob and instead began cooperating with authorities, who launched criminal and civil cases to clean up the industry.

Kubecka was heard gasping on his 16-minute 911 call, slipping out of consciousness, as he tried describing his killer. A day earlier, Kubecka got a telephone call vowing, 'You're going to get killed.'

Investigators found three blood types at the scene and served Federico with a 1992 grand jury subpoena to give blood and hair samples, court papers said.

In 1998 a judge ordered New York State to pay $10.8 million to the families of two garbage contractors.

Federico escaped to Italy for about 10 years before his 2003 bust at a doughnut shop in East Tremont Avenue in the Bronx. His blood and DNA samples matched the crime scene, according to court papers.

Just ahead of trial, Federico pleaded guilty in exchange for a 15-year prison term.

Frank (Frankie Pearl) Federico (circled) wants to end his supervised release early so he can die in Italy with his family and friends

Since his 2016 release, Federico's had no scrapes or new cases and he lives alone according to his lawyer Murray Richman..

Apparently he has congestive heart failure, artery failure, high blood pressure and hip problems. 'He's got it all,' Richman.

But prosecutors said earlier this month that Federico's poor health didn't count as a 'changed circumstance.' He shouldn't get special treatment for staying out of trouble on supervised release, because that's what he's supposed to do, they said.

They stressed Federico was in supervised release because of his 'extraordinarily serious crime' of murdering two cooperators.

'Early termination of the defendant's term of supervised release for such a serious crime is not in the interest of justice,' prosecutors wrote.

Richman said Federico is 'absolutely remorseful' and recognizes the 'horror and terror' of his case.

'The man is literally on death's door. Is it our intent to continue with our vindictiveness, to cross the threshold of life itself to continue the punishment?' Richman said.
Four billboards have gone up in Kansas calling for the prosecution of a police officer after he shot and killed an unarmed man during a fake emergency call.

Andrew Finch, 28, was killed on December 28 last year after someone called 911 with false information implying that there was a hostage situation at Finch's home in Wichita.

The man who called in fake report, Tyler Barriss, 25, of Los Angeles, has been charged for involuntary manslaughter, giving false alarm, interfering with law enforcement, and false reporting a felony.

Investigators believe Barriss made the bogus 911 call from Los Angeles after getting in a dispute over the online video game Call of Duty. It's believed that the bet was over $2.

But residents are now calling for justice regarding the officer that shot Finch before he knew the circumstances.

Four billboards have gone up in Kansas calling for the prosecution of a police officer after he shot and killed Andrew Finch, 28, an unarmed man during a fake emergency call

The digital billboards have a red background with bold black text over it, although these are digital. They read: 'Andy Finch is dead. If you believe in justice, it's time to file charges'

Billboards have been put throughout Wichita in the style of the Oscar-nominated movie, 'Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri'.

In the movie, a mother rents three billboards to call attention to her daughter's unsolved rape and murder.

Just like the billboards in the film, the Wichita ones also have a red background with bold black text over it, although these are digital.

They read: 'Andy Finch is dead. If you believe in justice, it's time to file charges.'

Finch, 28 (left and right), was killed on December 28 last year after someone called 911 with false information implying that there was a hostage situation at Finch's home. Tyler Barriss, of Los Angeles, who called in the report, has been charged for involuntary manslaughter

Investigators believe Barriss (pictured) made the bogus 911 call from Los Angeles after getting in a dispute over the video game Call of Duty

Wichita police have not revealed the name of the officer who fired the shot, and have only confirmed that he is a seven-and-a-half year veteran of the department.

According to The Wichita Eagle, an unwritten rule in Kansas law is that the name of an officer involved in a shooting is only released if he or she has been charged with a crime.

The officer in this case has not been charged.

Finch's family has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city in hopes of someone being held accountable and preventing a similar situation from occurring again, they've stated.

The group behind the billboards calls itself 'Justice for Andy' but who is running the group or paying for the billboards remains unclear.

Finch's family has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city in hopes of someone being held accountable and preventing a similar situation from occurring again, they've stated (Pictured, Finch's home)

Lisa Finch (pictured, December 2017), the victim's mother, says she doesn't know who put up the billboards but wants to thank them

According to their websites, one of the billboards - range in price from $515 to $1,750 - depending on the frequency of the ad being shown, reported The Eagle.

Lisa Finch, the victim's mother, says she doesn't know who put up the billboards but wants to thank them

'It makes me feel wonderful, I wish I knew who did so I could personally thank them,' she told KAKE. 'Complete strangers are willing to do things on behalf of my son and what that means to me as a grieving mother is indescribable.'
Affluenza teen Ethan Couch is a changed man who has finally realized the consequences of what he did when he drove drunk and killed four people, the best friend of one of his victims claims.

Amazingly, Tim Williams sought Couch out as he sat behind bars, and after dozens of meetings with him he now believes the country's most notorious drunk driver finally understands the severity of his actions.

'He told me "I don't want to scam the system anymore. I don't want to figure out how I can get around my probation. I just want to do what I need to do."'

'I was astonished. I didn't anticipate that,' Williams tells DailyMailTV.

Williams, 43, is a chaplain within the family court system in Tarrant County, Texas, who was helping couples with anger issues.

But after his friend Brian Jennings was killed in Couch's horror crash he decided to work with prisoners, just so he could meet with the man responsible for his pal's death.

Turning over a new leaf: Ethan Couch, 20, became infamous at 16 years old when he killed four people while drunk driving in 2013. Above he is pictured when he was taken into custody after fleeing to Mexico after he violated his probation

RIP: Tim Williams ( right) explained to DailyMailTV why he sought out the teen who killed his best friend Brian Jennings (left)

And for some 18 months he thought he was wasting his time. 'Ethan just oozed arrogance,' Williams said in an exclusive interview with DailyMailTV.

But then everything changed one Wednesday in October and after more meetings, Williams believes Couch is finally ready to accept his responsibilities.

'I believe he is genuine in what he says.'

Couch, 20, is due to be released in less than two weeks after serving less than two years in jail.

He was behind the wheel of his father's red Ford F-350 pick-up on the night of June 15, 2013 when he sped at 70 mph down the road from his home in Burleson, Texas, where he was hosting a drunken teenage party. Earlier in the day Couch and two friends had stolen three cases of Miller Light from a local Walmart.

As the party got into its swing, one of the guests found she needed a tampon and everyone there piled into Couch's father's truck to go to a nearby convenience store.

Couch, then 16, smashed into an SUV that had stopped by the side of the road after its tire blew, killing its driver Breanna Mitchell, 24, and three people who had come to her aid, Jennings, who was on his way home from his son's graduation, and mother-and-daughter neighbors Hollie and Shelby Boyles.

Sergio Molina, one of Couch's passengers, was paralyzed and can now communicate only by blinking.

A blood test taken three hours after the crash showed Couch was three times over the limit and that he had both marijuana and valium in his system.

Couch's trial sparked a media firestorm after his legal team infamously invoked the 'affluenza' defense that got him off the hook and resulted only in probation

He was behind the wheel of his father's red Ford F-350 pick-up on the night of June 15, 2013 when he sped at 70 mph down the road from his home in Burleson, Texas, where he was hosting a drunken teenage party

At his trial, psychologist Dick Miller said Couch was the victim of 'affluenza'  as his millionaire parents had never taught him right from wrong. Judge Jean Boyd agreed and gave him a slap-on-the-wrist sentence of 10 years' probation with the condition he went to rehab and did not drink alcohol.

Prosecutors had asked for the maximum 20-year prison term.

But 20 months into his probation a video posted on Twitter showed Couch at a beer pong party. Even though there was no evidence in the video that he was drinking, Couch and his mother, Tonya, fled to Mexico with the family dog rather than deal with a possible probation violation.

After nearly three weeks on the lam they were found living in an apartment in the Pacific coast resort of Puerto Vallarta. Police detected a ping from one of their cellphones as they ordered a pizza from Domino's.

Forgiveness: Tim Williams told DailyMailTV that he believes Couch is a reformed person on a 'good journey'

During his time in Mexico, Couch spent hundreds of dollars at the Harem strip club where he was seen snorting cocaine as he cavorted with two topless girls.

Couch even fought plans to repatriate him to the United States, but was eventually brought back and sentenced to 720 days in jail for breaching probation.

Now that jail term is near its end and Couch will re-enter society just a few days before he turns 21  he would be able to take his first legal drink of alcohol on April 11 if he wasn't banned by the terms of his probation.

And Williams believes he can make it despite his infamy. 'I believe Ethan is on a good journey,' he told DailyMailTV. 'But he will carry this weight that continues to burden him.'

He can even be a force for good, Williams believes, speaking to other kids in a bid to get them on the right path.

'He has expressed some desire to assist others. My impression is he has no wish to go and do the big stuff but rather just to say "Hey, kids, don't do what I did. Don't think like I thought. Don't believe you're going to get away with it."'

Williams and Jennings grew up in Burleson, a suburb of Fort Worth. Though Jennings was two years older, they became friends in high school through their church.

They both studied at Howard Payne University and worked in the Baptist Church, and each stood as best man at the other's wedding.

So when Jennings, a father-of-three, was killed, Williams was shattered and when Couch's sentence was handed down, he believed it was a travesty.

'I was very upset at what I thought was a terrible injustice,' he told DailyMailTV. 'You shouldn't get probation at any age for willfully stealing and then drinking and driving. It was intentional decision after decision after decision.'

He was particularly offended by the concept of affluenza, a term coined to describe the negative effects of having too much.

Victims: Couch slammed into the SUV of 24-year-old Breanna Mitchell (left) and mother-and-daughter neighbors Hollie and Shelby Boyles (right)

Sergio Molina, one of Couch's passengers, was paralyzed and can now communicate only by blinking

'In my view, the idea of affluenza is a joke. I'm not sure that there is an opposite term that says you can get away with things if you are too poor,' he said. 'It is a huge error of thought.

And when he saw the video of the beer pong party he immediately thought that Couch would not be able to keep to the terms of his probation. 'My feeling  and that of others involved in the case  was: "Well, we kind of expected this."

'At that stage I didn't know him. He was just the kid who was drunk and killed,' Williams told said. But after Couch was sentenced to jail in April 2016, Williams decided he wanted to meet the man who had killed his best friend.

'I don't know why. I didn't need anything from Ethan,' he said, but nevertheless he spoke to then-Tarrant County sheriff Dee Anderson and asked if it would be possible. 'He got really wide-eyed and he leaned back and got really cautious and he said 'Why would you want to do that?'

For the first several months their contact was limited to video conferences as Couch was in solitary confinement in the Tarrant County Corrections Center in downtown Fort Worth.

'I would be in the jail in a cubby looking at a monitor, looking through the slot where they pass his food and could only see half of Ethan's face through the slot.'

Tonya Couch, pictured at a Fort Worth mall last week, is due back in court on May 21, for her much-delayed trial on charges of hindering the apprehension of a fugitive and money laundering after she fled with Ethan to Mexico

Even after he was released into the general population, Williams said he did not want physical contact with him. 'There needed to be glass involved, I didn't want to reach out and touch this kid at all.'

He has still never shaken hands with Couch or given him a hug. He has only met him through the glass.

At their first meeting, Williams told Couch of his close connection to the case. 'I told him I'm not coming here to yell or fix you, I don't know where this is going.

'I told him I had asked myself over and over and over why would I do this. I had talked to my wife, my guy friends, my pastor. There is still no real clear answer today as to why I felt the need to meet him.

'He was stumped, kind of "You don't know why you're here, I don't know why you're here, so what are we doing?"

'It was that awkward. I told him I didn't know if we would meet again or meet long-term, but that my hope and prayer was that we would meet today and that we would meet another time so I asked if we could meet again, and he said OK.'

But for months Williams thought he was getting nowhere as he tried to get Couch to accept his forgiveness. 'For the first year I would tell him "I just don't think you are telling the truth."'

When Couch's mother Tonya went on television last summer complaining that Ethan had been moved to a different part of the jail without her being informed, he even got concerned. 'She was crying for her son and I thought, "Do you want him to be a target?" because you don't want to look weak in jail.

After his jail term, Ethan is expected to move in with his father Fred in his specially built 7,300 square foot home in Fort Worth

'I asked him what in the world is your mom doing on TV? It's not good for you. He said: "You have no idea how much I yelled at her."'

Williams pressed the idea of forgiveness, but Couch was reluctant to accept it, the chaplain said. 'I told him "Ethan I have not met anyone who needs forgiveness more than you, I know that they are out there, there are people who intentionally planned to take lives, but I have never met them."

'To me, it was like having a box at your front door and thinking "I am not going to open that. Thank you but that's not for me." That is the way I interpreted him.

But that all changed on October 25 last year, said Williams. 'He said: "I think I can open that box today" and I just froze. I said why today, and he said "I haven't been able to do it but today I think I can."

'It sounds a bit trite I know, but that's what happened.'

And from then on, Williams said, Couch has continued on his journey, realizing the extent of what he did and how it affected so many.

But even he is not sure. 'It really hit me two weeks ago. I was at home and I called my dad for some house maintenance questions, I think I knew the answers but I don't want to buy the wrong thing and have to go back to Lowe's and return it.

'It just hit me, Brian's kids are not going to be able to call their dad when they're my age. It sort of broke the dam that I thought I was past and I think it is because Ethan is so close to coming out.

'I told Ethan the story and said these people don't have their father any more, the other families don't have their wife and daughters and there is the son that's so badly injured. He was somber, he faced me and said: 'Yeah, I know, that's why it's so hard.'
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has ordered the attorney general to investigate the handling of allegations against disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Cuomo made the announcement Monday evening after pressure from the Time's Up organization calling for a probe into New York's District Attorney after he failed to prosecute Weinstein in a sexual assault case.

Italian model Ambra Battilana accused the disgraced producer of groping her in his Manhattan office in 2015 when she was 22.

But, despite the fact that the New York Police Department had recorded proof of the movie mogul admitting to touching her breasts, District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr decided not to go forward with the case.

In a statement Cuomo said: 'It is of great concern that sexual assault cases have not been pursued with full vigor by our criminal justice system.

'Specifically, there are questions about the handling of the 2015 sexual assault case of Ms. Ambra Battilana against Harvey Weinstein. The Manhattan District Attorney is currently in the midst of a separate investigation, which involves witnesses and facts from the 2015 case.

New York's District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr (left) is set to be investigated after he failed to prosecute Ambra Battilana's (right) case against Harvey Weinstein in 2015

Cuomo (right) made the announcement Monday evening after pressure from the Time's Up organization calling for a probe into New York 's District Attorney after he failed to prosecute Weinstein (left) in a sexual assault case

'The Manhattan District Attorney at this point believes this current investigation will be completed within approximately 45 days. It is critical not only that these cases are given the utmost attention but also that there is public confidence in the handling of these cases.

'Therefore, I have directed the Attorney General to begin a review of the 2015 case in a way that does not interfere with the current investigation and, at the conclusion of the Manhattan District Attorney's current investigation, to review the entire matter and report to me on its findings. Based on these findings we will decide what further actions may be necessary.

'The recent revelations about sexual assault and harassment pervasive in our society are most disturbing. We are leading the way forward with the nation's most comprehensive reform package. This behavior must end.'

Special Victims Division commander Michael Osgood was so concerned that the DA office would derail the case that he booked Battilana (pictured) into several different Manhattan hotels

The Time's Up group had said in a letter to Cuomo obtained by Variety: 'Reports that District Attorney Cyrus Vance could have been improperly influenced by Mr. Weinstein and/or his representatives, and that senior officials within the DA's office may have sought to intimidate Battilana are particularly disturbing and merit investigation.

'Similarly, reports that the New York Police Department chose to isolate Battilana from Vance's staff because they feared his office was actively working to discredit her story demand immediate scrutiny.'

The organization, which is being led by the likes of Reese Witherspoon and Shonda Rhimes, said it is concerned by the 'negative relationship between the sex crimes unit of the Manhattan DA's Office and the Special Victims Unit of the NYPD'.

'[It] makes it even less likely that victims who have been assaulted by rich or powerful men will be willing to come forward and that their assailants will be prosecuted and convicted,' the statement reads.

'Greater awareness of sexual abuse crimes is essential, but it is hollow and can even be a deterrent if survivors cannot access justice through fair and unbiased prosecution.'

A New York Magazine article revealed that Special Victims Division commander Michael Osgood was so concerned about the case that he booked Battilana into several Manhattan hotels under different aliases.

Osgood's decision came after the DA - led by Martha Bashford, head of the Sex Crimes Unit at the Manhattan District Attorney Office - began to conduct its own investigation.

The NYPD found out that the DA office had interviewed Battilana's roommates and asked questions such as if she worked as a prostitute or a stripper.

The NYPD thought they had a bulletproof case against Weinstein after setting up a meeting between the producer and Battilana at the Tribeca Grand Hotel (pictured)

It was there that detectives heard Weinstein yet again admit to grabbing Battilana's breasts and heard the married producer try to convince the model to come into a hotel room

'Osgood believed that Vance and his office were actively working to discredit Battilana,' the article reads.

'The police decided she needed protection - not only from her alleged assailant, but from the elected official responsible for prosecuting him.'

Danny Frost, a spokesperson for the DA's office, claimed the New York Magazine article 'bears little resemblance to the facts'.

'The idea that our Office would shrink from the challenge of prosecuting a powerful man is belied by our daily work and unparalleled record of success on behalf of sexual assault survivors,' Frost said in a statement.

'Police and prosecutors play different roles in the justice system. Police evaluate arrests based on probable causes, whereas prosecutors must make sure they can prove to a jury that every element of a criminal statute was violated beyond a reasonable doubt  a much higher standard.'

Frost said the DA had 'great admiration for Time's Up' and that the office's 'commitment to justice in these cases is unwavering'.

'We welcome the engagement that powerful advocates like Time's Up have brought to this work,' the statement continued.

'Our investigation of Mr Weinstein is active and ongoing. It would therefore be inappropriate to comment further.'

Once Weinstein heard Battilana had filed a formal complaint, he hired attorneys that had direct ties to Vance and Martha Bashford, head of the Sex Crimes Unit at the Manhattan District Attorney Office (pictured together)

One of those lawyers was Linda Fairstein, who was a close friend to Bashford (pictured together) and the former head of the DA's Sex Crimes Unit

The NYPD's Sexual Victims Unit thought it had a bulletproof case on Weinstein before the DA got wind of the allegations, according to the New York Magazine article.

Battilana reported Weinstein the very day of the assault, arriving at the NYPD's 9th Precinct House in a flood of tears on March 27, 2015.

She made a formal complaint that she had been sexually assaulted by Weinstein, who she said had groped her during what was supposed to be a business meeting.

Weinstein also hired Elkan Abramowitz (pictured), Vance's former law partner who had donated to his DA campaign

Battilana told police that Weinstein had groped her breasts with both hands and then 'put a hand on her left thigh, moved it up her skirt, and asked for a kiss'.

When she told Weinstein to stop, he bragged that he could make her $2million a year.

Weinstein got Battilana a ticket to Finding Neverland on Broadway that night.

When Battilana didn't show up, he sent an email to the model asking where she was.

A detective who was with Battilana when the email arrived told her to set up a phone call with Weinstein and instructed her to ask him, 'How did my breasts feel?'

'They felt beautiful,' Weinstein replied. 'They're great.'

The NYPD then had Battilana set up a meeting with Weinstein at the Tribeca Grand Hotel the next day at 1pm.

It was there that detectives heard Weinstein yet again admit to grabbing Battilana's breasts. The married producer also tried to convince the model to come into a hotel room he had purchased for the meeting.

After Battilana left the hotel, Weinstein was taken to the precinct, all the while threatening the detectives that they were putting their jobs 'in jeopardy'.

Once Weinstein heard Battilana had filed a formal complaint, he hired attorneys Elkan Abramowitz and Linda Farstein.

Both had direct ties to the DA office: Abramowitz was Vance's former law partner and had donated to his DA campaign. Farstein, the former head of the DA's Sex Crimes Unit, was a close friend to Bashford.

Battilana did eventually meet with Bashford, who the NYPD said went on an 'aggressive and accusatory' line of questioning.

A representative for Vance denies the questioning was aggressive, saying it was standard protocol to cross examine a complainant.

Three days after the interview, Bashford told Osgood that Vance had decided not to prosecute the case.

It was a decision that baffled the unit, according to now-retired SVD sergeant Michael Bock.

'They prosecute people for misdemeanors with far less probable cause than this. We gave them beyond reasonable doubt,' he said.

'We obviously know who this man is. We obviously know we have a different burden of proof. So to go above and beyond as we did, he should have been arrested.'

A task force in the SVU has since been working full-time sine October on the complaints another 14 women have filed against Weinstein.

Battilana, 24, is getting back to work after her name was cleared when dozens of women came forward to accuse Weinstein of harassment and sexual assault last September

Meanwhile, Battilana, 24, is getting back to work after her name was cleared when dozens of women came forward to accuse Weinstein of harassment and sexual assault last September.

Battilana is now back on the scene and was snapped on Miami Beach on Monday during a bikini shoot.

The model, who appeared at her first catwalk in years last month, says she is just glad to be able to work again without Weinstein's black mark hanging over her.

'I'm very happy because it was two, maybe three years where I wasn't working with big designers because my reputation was so bad,' Battilana told New York Daily News.

'People don't realize what (Weinstein) did to me and his other victims,' she said. 'He was very powerful.'
Martin Shkreli boasted about his alleged IQ of 150 and lack of psychological issues in an email from jail - but prosecutors said his evaluation didn't find that to be the case.

Shkreli  who was dubbed the most hated man in America after ratcheting up the price of an HIV drug  wanted to publicize the results of his psychological evaluation.

'I want to watch the press squirm when they see I have a 150 IQ and no overt psychological issues,' he wrote in an email in January, the New York Post reports.

But in a footnote in Shkreli's sentencing papers, prosecutors noted that evaluation supplied by his defense team didn't say Shkreli had an IQ of 150.

The evaluation also offered diagnoses for certain conditions, according to the filing.

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Martin Shkreli boasted about his alleged IQ of 150 and lack of psychological issues in an email from jail, court documents show. Pictured, Shkreli outside the United States Federal Courthouse in New York in August last year

Shkreli had written the gloating email before seeing the final report, according to the Post.

It came a week after Shkreli was sentenced to seven years in prison for defrauding investors.

The disgraced former pharmaceutical executive and hedge fund manager was convicted in August of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and two counts of securities fraud.

Shkreli, who once led Turing Pharmaceuticals, became known as 'Pharma Bro' and is infamous for suddenly raising the price of the drug Daraprim in 2015 by 5,000 percent - from $13.50 a pill to $750.

He smirked through a congressional hearing that scrutinized his actions and has since earned a reputation for an extravagant, self-publicizing lifestyle.

Shkreli, who was dubbed the most hated man in America after ratcheting up the price of an HIV drug, wanted to publicize the results of his psychological evaluation

Although the drug controversy had nothing to do with his trial before a federal court in New York, so great was the 34-year-old's notoriety that it was initially difficult to find an impartial jury for the trial.

Arrested in December 2015, his bail was revoked in September after he offered a reward for anyone who would grab a strand of former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's hair.

Shkreli insisted it was a joke.

His high-profile lawyer, Ben Brafman, described Shkreli as a mildly autistic, self-taught genius.

Brafman asked US District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto to limit the prison sentence to a maximum of 18 months.

But even Brafman acknowledged 'there are times when I want to punch him in the face' because his client's behavior complicated the defense, according to reporters who were in the courtroom.

Prosecutors were seeking 15 years' prison, arguing that Shkreli showed no remorse for his actions and pointing to his provocative and bizarre statements posted on social media.

'He wants everyone to believe he is a genius, a whiz kid, a self-taught biotech wonder,' said prosecutor Jacquelyn Kasulis.

'He can't be just an average person who fails, like the rest of us.'

Shkreli was sentenced to seven years in prison for defrauding investors. Pictured, Shkreli smiles during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in February 2016

In a letter sent to the judge, Shkreli pleaded for leniency and for the first time admitted he had erred.

'I made serious mistakes but I still believe that I am a good person with much potential. I was a fool,' he said, expressing a wish to work 'for the betterment of humanity.'

With a choking voice, he reiterated in court his remorse at the 'shameful actions' that led to his downfall.

On top of six months of good behavior already spent behind bars, and after charity donations he made before his arrest, the repentance helped to lower his sentence far below what the prosecution requested.

On Monday, Matsumoto ordered Shkreli to pay back $7.36 million to federal authorities, an amount they can recover by seizing his assets.

These include a Picasso painting and his unique copy of an album by rappers Wu-Tang Clan.

In 2015, he purchased for $2 million the sole edition of the ensemble's 'Once Upon a Time in Shaolin,' which he put up for sale on eBay in September - while also threatening to 'break this album in frustration.'

The winning bid was a little more than $1 million but by then Shkreli was already in jail after his bail revocation, throwing the deal in doubt.

Shkreli had been convicted of securities fraud and conspiracy a month earlier.

The jury, however, cleared him of more than half the charges for allegedly stealing $11 million in stock from his first pharmaceutical company Retrophin to pay off investors who lost money in two of his hedge funds.
A ten-year-old black pupil was told his drawing of a monkey was a portrait of himself by his primary school teacher.

Isaiah Powis sketched the picture while in class at Lowfield Primary School in Sheffield, on March 7.

Isaiah was asked to write down facts about the rainforest and finish off his work by drawing an animal.

Isaiah Powis sketched the picture while in class at Lowfield Primary School in Sheffield

He decided to draw a monkey's head and wrote the word monkey in the text above the drawing.

When his teacher came to collect his work, she made the remark 'I see that you have drawn a portrait of yourself' before laughing about it.

His mother Paulina Francis, 33, says her son expressed that he did not find the remarks funny while other children on his table began to laugh at him.

'I was disgusted by the teacher's poor choice of words,' said Miss Francis.

His mother Paulina Francis (right), 33, says her son expressed that he did not find the remarks funny while other children on his table began to laugh at him

'People need to realise that using this word is not a joke. I came here from Sierra Leone when I was 12 due to civil war in the country.

'I had people saying go back to your own country with the rest of the apes. My daughter has also been called a monkey by another pupil.

'You can almost forgive a child for not knowing the seriousness but to have a teacher compare my son to a monkey is unbelievable.

'This is 2018 now and we live in a multi-cultural Britain. The teacher is seen as a person of authority for these kids so because she was laughing it made the pupils laugh and call my son a monkey because they now think its acceptable.'

Isaiah came home feeling upset and offended by what his teacher had said to him.

She said: 'You can almost forgive a child for not knowing the seriousness but to have a teacher compare my son to a monkey is unbelievable'

Miss Francis made Isaiah write down what happened in class after he told her what the teacher had said to him.

She immediately rang the school to speak to the head master or deputy head about the incident but was told they were in a meeting.

Both Miss Francis and her son then went into school to speak to someone about the incident.

She says they spoke to one member of staff before the teacher came out to speak with them.

According to Miss Francis, the teacher said she apologised to Isaiah immediately after she made the comment.

She also told Miss Francis that the drawing was not clear and she was rushing before telling them she thought Isaiah had drawn a bear.

Miss Francis was later told over the phone that another member of staff was in the room at the time of the remark and that they heard the teacher apologise to Isaiah, although he says he didn't hear it.

The class were asked to write down facts about the rainforest and finish off their work by drawing an animal

She added: 'The teacher said she could not tell what the drawing was but why would you say it was a self-portrait if you can't tell?

'The majority of people would have just said "I can't tell what you have drawn, what is it Isaiah?"

'She also told me she thought it was a bear. Whether she thought it was a bear or a monkey, it is not the best way to describe a black child.

'Once I had been in school, a member of staff called me and said I was angry about this because of personal issues. They also told me they don't see colour in this school and I told them that is part of the problem.'

Miss Francis would like the school to investigate the incident and believes Lowfield Primary School should look at educating their teachers further on the use of appropriate language towards black children.

A spokesperson for Lowfield Primary School said: 'We take all complaints seriously and the incident has been investigated. We have passed the outcome onto Miss Francis.'

Since the row, Miss Francis has received an unauthorised absence fine of 120 dated March 15 this year for Isaiah being out of school in October 2017.

Isaiah was absent on the October 16 to October 27 last year but Miss Francis said she had cleared this with the headteacher with the necessary forms before the holiday was even booked for him to go away with his uncle.
Mauricio Venzor escaped from a health facility while wearing leg restraints

A manhunt is underway after a suspect in an attempted murder case escaped from a health facility while wearing leg restraints.

Mauricio Venzor fled the Denver Health Medical Center in Colorado, where he was being held, in the early hours of Monday.

He was not wearing handcuffs but was reportedly strapped into leg irons, which are designed to prevent prisoners from lashing out.

Venzor allegedly took his ex-girlfriend and their son from a home in Adams County at gunpoint late last summer.

The woman and the child were found unharmed but the subsequent search for Venzor lasted several days.

He fled the Denver Health Medical Center in Colorado (pictured), where he was being held, in the early hours of Monday

Police are searching in an area south of the medical facility for the escapee, who was dressed in a dark green uniform that had the letters CCMF on it.

Venzor is approximately 5-foot-7 and weighs 170 pounds.

Anyone who spots him is asked to call 911 or Crimestoppers at 720-913-STOP.
A 19-year-old student delayed her admission into Harvard University last year to pursue a career as a race car driver.

Aurora Straus, from Cold Spring, New York, is currently the only female teenage professional race car driver in the nation.

Her professional career started at the age of 16, and she has since worked to inspire other females in a relatively male-dominated field.

Straus plans to attend the elite Ivy League college in the fall and continue her full-time career as a professional race car driver.

Aurora Straus, 19, is the only female teenage professional race car driver in the nation. She deferred her acceptance into Harvard for a year to pursue professional racing

Straus plans to attend Harvard in the fall while still balancing a full-time career as a race car driver

The 19-year-old is competing in the Pirelli World Challenge in Austin, Texas, starting Friday. She will be one of three females competing in the race with 150 total competitors

'A lot of taking time this year was about developing momentum in my career,' Straus said to Dailymail.com

The 19-year-old didn't initially intend to become a race car driver, but her dad signed her up for safe-driving lessons at the age of 13 and she was hooked.

After her safe-driving class, she started racing go-karts in 2014 before entering her first pro race in the Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup at the age of 16.

Straus became interested in racing after she attended a safe-driving lesson at the age of 13

Since then, she has battled against not only being one of the youngest on the track, but also the challenge of being in a male-dominated sport.

While Straus has experienced moments of misogyny because of her gender - one of which happened when a driving instructor said she 'handled the car like a girl' - she has found the sport to grow more diverse professionally.

'I've actually found less backlash at the professional level,' she said.

'For every one (misogynistic) driver, there are 20 drivers that love that I am there because they have daughters and sisters who need role models in the sport.'

Progressively, she has seen more women enter the sport and join her as competitors.

'When I started racing when I was 13, there were very few female role models out there,' Straus said.

'I definitely think the face of the sport has changed.'

Straus has used her position to encourage other girls that they can also achieve their own dreams of joining the sport.

The world of racing is mainly dominated by males. Straus has used her position as the only female teen to inspire other girls that they can pursue a career in the profession

Straus said she is seeing more and more woman competitors on the track, but admits the sport still has ways to go in terms of diversity

'They didn't think the career path was a viable option for them,' she said. 'Girls come up to me at race weekends saying, I didnt know girls were allowed to race.'

But Straus admits this conversation has happened less and less as the competitors become more diverse.

The 19-year-old faced a difficult decision when she graduated from high school in New York.

She decided to take a year off so she could continue racing professional.

This break allowed her to end 2017 as the highest-finishing rookie in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge.

'The last year in racing was a huge inflection point for my year,' Straus said. 'Every year before that I have been balancing my racing with high school.'

The 2017 year was her first time professionally participating in the full season.

Her commitment to competing allowed her to make a name for herself within the sport before she goes back to dividing her attention between racing and schoolwork.

Straus plans to attend Harvard in the fall and pursue degrees in mechanical engineering and English literature. Pictured is her meeting with young fans

Last year was her first time competing professionally during the full season. She used her time off from school to grow her name in the sport

Straus is considering designing race cars after she graduates from college. Pictured is her with professional racers Justin Piscitell (left) and Steven McAleer (right)

She will compete in her 35th race during the Pirelli World Challenge in Austin, Texas, which starts on Friday.

Straus will be only one of three women out of 150 drivers to compete.

'That ratio is pretty typical,' she said. 'A couple years ago, I was very used to being the only female on track.'

But now she finds herself competing more and more with at least one other woman.

Even though Straus had widespread success while racing full-time this past year, she is still committed to attending Harvard in the fall.

'I know if I take another year off it will be hard to get that momentum back,' she said. 'I'm not going to delay it anymore.'

Straus will pursue degrees in both mechanical engineering and English literature while she decides which profession she wants to go into for the long term.

'I have always been interested in car design,' she said. 'Mechanical engineering is a good basis for that.'

Her busy schedule will continue in the fall as she plans to stay full-time as a professional racer in-between attending her classes.
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Pet lovers across the world will be familiar with the problem of their cats and dogs not always getting on.

But one clever animal lover has come up with an ingenious solution to keep his warring pets under control  by installing a cat flap on his home's second floor.

Marcin Telus, 47, cut a hole in the wall of his property in Edinburgh for the plastic flap and made a cat ladder out of shelves and wooden jumping blocks.

Determined: Simba the cat begins her ascent to the cat flap, as she deftly makes her way up the obstacle course to her home

Simba can use her upstairs cat flap in order to have access to the top floor of the home, while German Shepherd Zara remains downstairs

The innovative creation was made by Marcin Telus, who said the cat and dog 'tolerate each other but they prefer to stay apart. The cat flap was originally in the front door'

The property in Edinburgh from the street, where the innovative design to allow Simba access to the top floor can be seen clearly

Now, his four-year-old cat Simba has plenty of space across the top floor of the house - while three-year-old German Shepherd dog Zara lives downstairs.

Mr Telus told the Daily Record: 'They tolerate each other but they prefer to stay apart. The cat flap was originally in the front door.

'When we changed the door, we would lose the guarantee for the new one if we cut a hole in it.

Marcin Telus, 47, cut a hole in the wall of his property in Edinburgh for the plastic flap, and made a cat ladder out of shelves and wooden jumping blocks

Mr Telus's four-year-old cat Simba has plenty of space across the top floor of the house - while three-year-old German Shepherd dog Zara (pictured) lives downstairs

Pampered pussycat: Simba now has her own front door, and doesn't have to share the upstairs of her home in Edinburgh with dog Zara

Simba's owner Marcin says that the four-year-old is now 'very independent' and can go in and out without bothering the dog

'So the flap had to either go in through a wall or in the glass door at the back of the house. We decided that's the best option and the cat was to have it upstairs.'

He added that Simba would sometimes walk down the cat flap rather than jump, which is why he put in the stepping blocks for her.

Mr Telus also said that his cat has become 'very independent' and can now go in and out without bothering the dog.

But the pets are not living in complete peace, as they do still 'flick each other with their paws' when walking through the house.
A mother is furious after her eight-year-old daughter was sent home from school because her teacher branded her buzz cut 'distracting.'

Tara Sysaknoi, 30, says her daughter Layla has been rocking buzz cut hairstyles since she was in preschool at Columbia Elementary School in Fresno, California, Fox News reports.

She was inspired after seeing a music video in tribute to the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting which featured a little girl who had part of her head shaved with a heart design in it.

Eight-year-old Layla Sysaknoi was sent home from school because her teacher found her haircut distracting

It's never been an issue with the school before  but Sysaknoi says her daughter was sent home on March 5 because her teacher thought it was a distraction.

She fears the third-grader is being unfairly targeted because of an incident with her previous teacher in February.

Sysakhoi told Fox News Layla had reported that a male teacher 'yanked her by her arm' and she was afraid of him.

She has since been reassigned teachers and is no longer scared to go to school.

Her mother says that she has had the haircut since pre-school and that it has never been an issue beforehand

The little girl was inspired after seeing a music video in tribute to the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting

'It's OK to other little boys to cut their hair in a similar style but not OK for her,' she told Fox.

'Or is it that because Layla and I spoke up about her previous teacher, is this their way of 'getting us back'?'

After her teacher sent Layla home, her mother was told she could be banned from the school or face suspension, according to Yahoo.

'I decided that my child shouldn't be punished for being herself or expressing herself so I did not send her back to school,' Sysaknoi added to Fox News.

But worried that she would be fined or face jail time because of her daughter's absences, she reluctantly sent her back to school.

Her mother said: 'I decided that my child shouldn't be punished for being herself or expressing herself'

She said she spoke to the school principal, who agreed the school district's dress code - which forbids hairstyle which 'draw undue attention' and 'detract from the education environment'  is ridiculous.

Prohibited styles include unusual designs and colors, mohawks, tails or unusual razor cuts.

However, he repeated attempts to contact the school district's superintendent have failed.

DailyMail.com has contacted the Fresno School District for comment.
Almost 29 per cent of 15-year-olds in Britain now come from an immigrant background, new data from an international think tank reveals today.

The figure is higher than the EU average of 21 per cent but similar to both France, at 26 per cent, and Germany, at 28 per cent. The figure is higher in Ireland and Belgium.

It includes second generation immigrants, natives of mixed heritage, first generation immigrants and people returning after being born abroad.

The study, by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), also shows immigrant children who arrive in the UK aged 12 or older are less likely to do well at school and to feel like they belong, according to a study.

The findings come amid a fresh Government push to encourage social integration in England's schools and communities.

Almost 29 per cent of 15-year-olds in Britain now come from an immigrant background, new data (pictured) from an international think tank reveals today. The figure is higher than the EU average of 21 per cent but similar to both France, at 26 per cent, and Germany, at 28 per cent

The study is based on an analysis of the OECD's 2015 PISA tests which are taken by 15-year-olds across 35 nations and economies.

Compared with PISA tests taken in 2003, the percentage of immigrant students in the UK rose by nine percentage points, compared with an OECD average of around six percentage points and an EU average of around seven percentage points.

The study splits immigrant children into four categories: first generation - foreign-born children of foreign-born parents; second generation - UK-born children of foreign-born parents; native students of mixed heritage - those born in the UK, with one UK and one foreign-born parent; and returning foreign-born children - those born abroad to UK parents.

The findings show that in 2015, 73 per cent of UK-born students of UK-born parents reached a 'baseline level' of achievement in the 2015 PISA tests, which cover reading, maths and science, compared with 67 per cent of all immigrant children.

But a country note on the UK also says: 'In the United Kingdom, there is a considerably large penalty associated with late arrival of first-generation immigrant students.'

It also says that while those who arrived in the country before the age of 12 were as likely as native students to achieve baseline levels of academic achievement, those who arrived when they were aged 12 or older were 27 percentage points less likely than native students to achieve this level.

The study, by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), also shows immigrant children who arrive in the UK aged 12 or older are less likely to do well at school and to feel like they belong, according to a study

Immigrant students with at least one UK-born parent had a similar chance of achieving baseline levels of achievement.

Baseline achievement means, for example, that in maths they can carry out basic arithmetic when instructions are given, and deal with simple maths problems such as comparing distances between two routes or converting between currencies, while in reading they can read simple and familiar texts, connect information and draw inferences and connect a text to their own experience and knowledge.

The OECD's report also says immigrant children who arrived in the UK at or after age 12 were 17 percentage points less likely than native students, and 20 percentage points less likely than immigrant children who arrived earlier in childhood, to say they felt a sense of belonging at school.

'The age at which foreign-born students immigrated is strongly related to the likelihood that they will report feeling a sense of belonging at school,' the study says.

It adds: 'In the United Kingdom, early arrivals exhibit no gap in sense of belonging compared to native students, while late arrivals are significantly disadvantaged.'

Earlier this month, ministers announced a proposed Integrated Communities Strategy, which includes measures to boost English language skills and plans to require schools whose pupils come from a single ethnic or religious community to ensure they mix with children from other backgrounds.
Famed Manhattan steak spot The Palm has removed the wall caricature depicting disgraced NBC Today host Matt Lauer.

The fine-dining restaurant made the decision to take the portrait down last month, sources confirmed to Page Six.

Sources said they also purged the pictures showing alleged serial rapists Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby.

The popular steakhouse originated in New York City back in the 1920's, and is well known for its caricature-covered walls of famous names from television, movies, politics and beyond.

Palm Too Restaurant, otherwise known as The Palm, is seen at its 2nd Ave location in New York, NY

Caricatures of famous named cover the walls of the New York City-based restaurant

The iconic steakhouse removed the wall caricature showing disgraced Today host Matt Lauer

Restaurant owner Jake Dell told the gossip site there are so many celebrities pictured inside the place, that it's a 'full-time' job trying to keep track of all the recent Hollywood scandals.

The caricature of Cosby, one of the first Hollywood men to be accused of serial sexual assault dating back decades, was removed with the help of a famous regular at the steakhouse.

TV journalist Barbara Walters, Harvey Weinstein and Sony USA Chairman Sir Howard Stringer are seen at The Palm Restaurant November 2, 2004 in New York City.

Weinstein's portrait was also removed from the walls of the steakhouse, sources said

The portrait of actor Bill Cosby, who is seen arriving to Montgomery County Courthouse prior a pre-trial hearing on August 22, 2017 in Norristown, Pennsylvania, was also removed

'Orange is the New Black' starlet Lea DeLaria reportedly took 'great pleasure' in helping cover the image of the shamed 'Cosby Show' actor and comedian, Page Six reports.

Another local restaurant with famous faces covering its walls, Sardi, is waiting on a verdict about other accused Hollywood men before making the decision to discard their portraits from the chophouse.

'Until there is some resolution one way or another, we feel it would be inappropriate to remove the portraits,' Sardi spokesperson, Terry Rooney, told Page Six.

Sardi, which also opened back in the 1920's in Manhattan, only has one location in New York's Theater District.
The carcass of a dead sea creature which recently washed up on a Georgia beach is drawing parallels to the Loch Ness Monster.

Jeff Warren took pictures and video of the mysterious sea creature while out boating with his son around Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge on Friday.

Warren told News 4 Jax that at first he thought the carcass was a dead seal when he saw a heron pecking at it.

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On Friday, Jeff Warren and his son were boating on the Georgia coast when they came across the carcass of a mysterious dead sea creature

The dead creature has drawn comparisons to the legendary Loch Ness Monster

But when they got closer, he saw that the dead creature more closely resembled a 'Loch Ness-type thing'.

With its long neck and small head, the animal has also drawn comparisons to the prehistoric Plesiosaur, an extinct species of large marine reptile.

Dan Ashe, the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, told the outlet that sometimes basking sharks can begin to resemble Plesiosaurs as their bodies decompose.

With its lawn neck, the creature also resembles the Plesiosaur, an extinct species of marine reptile

One expert said that basking sharks (pictured above) can sometimes begin to resemble Plesiosaurs as their bodies decompose

Locals in Georgia have a Loch Ness of their own - the Altamaha-ha. The Altamaha-ha is a river monster who lurks in the Altamaha River, just west of where the carcass was found

When the photos of the creature started going viral, social media users also pointed out that it looked like the mythical Altamaha-ha - a river monster who lurks in the Altamaha River, just west of Wolf Island. Skeptics pushed the theory that the corpse may be a fake, placed ahead of next week's April Fool's Day.

More practical social media users said it also resembles a frilled shark.

DailyMail.com has reached out to several experts for their opinions on the mysterious sea creature's identity, but is waiting to hear back.
Turkish police have seized 1.4kg of a radioactive material which had been due to be sold on the black market for 49million.

Four men were arrested after police searched their vehicle in a suburb of the capital Ankara and found 1,441grams of Californium following a tip-off.

Californium is a synthetic radioactive element which is reportedly used to 'kickstart nuclear reactors'.

Nuclear danger: The four men were found in possession of 1.4kg of Californium, a radioactive material they were planning on selling on the black market (stock image)

The men arrested are believed to be part of a larger criminal organisation, who were planning on selling the Californium for $72million (49million) on the black market, Turkish broadcaster NTV reported.

At regular market value, 1.4kg of Californium could fetch $5.8 billion (4.13bn), the Daily Sabah reports.

The suspects reportedly agreed to sell the cache of 1.441 kilograms of the element for $72 million on the black market. At regular market value, that amount could fetch $5.8 billion.

It is not known who the men were planning on selling the Californium to, but potential procurers include Iran and North Korea.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un has indicated that he would halt testing of nuclear weapons during any potential talks with the U.S. - but a date for these have yet to be set.

In 2015, Iran agreed to not extend its nuclear energy programs for at least ten years, leading to most of the international sanctions being lifted.

However U.S. President Donald Trump has been critical of the deal, agreed to under his predecessor Barack Obama.

As recently as yesterday, The chair of the Senate foreign relations committee, Senator Bob Corker, predicted that Trump will pull out of the deal in May.

Californium was first synthesized at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California in 1950, and to this day only the U.S. and Russia are known producers.

Turkish newspapers reported that the Californium found in Ankara had been smuggled into the country, and that although not source nation had been established, it may have come from Russia.

The element is used in nuclear reactors, in the oil industry and for detection of gold or silver when mining.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that it 'is often used to kickstart a nuclear reactor'.
The police officer who eventually arrested Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz has recalled how 'eerily calm' the teenager was and how he looked him right in the eyes soon after the deadly massacre.

Coconut Creek Police officer Michael Leonard took the 19-year-old shooter into custody on February 14 about an hour after he shot dead 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

The 46-year-old said he chose to leave the school and started looking for the gunman on his own with only a limited description of what he looked like.

Michael Leonard, the police officer who arrested Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz, has recalled how 'eerily calm' the teenager was soon after the deadly massacre

'He was on foot, so I knew he couldn't be far,' Leonard, who has been on the force for 17 years, told the Sun Sentinel.

'I drove through grass. I drove over medians and curbs. That was really the only way to get around.'

Leonard said he eventually spotted Cruz walking on a sidewalk a few miles from the school.

'For some reason, I was just led to that area. I don't know why. It was just me and him on that quiet road. We were all alone, just me and him,' he said.

Leonard said he was shocked by Cruz's young age.

'He looked like a student. He was just a skinny little guy,' he said.

He said the 19-year-old looked 'eerily calm' when he was taken into custody about an hour after he shot dead 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland

Leonard said he eventually spotted Cruz walking on a sidewalk a few miles from the school and shouted at him to surrender

Photos taken at the time showed a dazed and distant looking Cruz being placed into a cruiser still in his hospital gown before he was taken to the station

With his gun drawn, Leonard shouted for Cruz to surrender and the teenager complied with his orders.

'It probably was overwhelming to him. I just flooded him with commands. I told him to turn around, and he looked me right in the eye, looking down the barrel of my gun,' he said.

'He looked calm, eerily calm.

'I don't know how you could look that calm after doing something like that.'

Footage of Cruz's arrest showed him placing his hands behind his back in surrender. One officer could be seen pointing a gun at him before another ran behind and cuffed him.

The gunman was then taken to a nearby hospital before being transported to jail.

Cruz, pictured in court last week, is charged in a 34-count indictment with killing 17 people and wounding 17 others in the attack. He faces the death penalty if convicted

Photos taken at the time showed a dazed and distant looking Cruz being placed into a cruiser still in his hospital gown before he was taken to the station.

Leonard's heroics are in contrast to the Broward Sheriff's Office deputy who resigned amid accusations he failed to respond to the shooting by staying outside the building where the killings occurred.

Cruz is charged in a 34-count indictment with killing 17 people and wounding 17 others in the attack. He faces the death penalty if convicted.

Recent documents in his criminal case show that school officials and a sheriff's deputy recommended in September 2016 that Cruz be involuntarily committed for a mental evaluation but it was never acted upon.

A commitment under the law would have made it more difficult, if not impossible, for Cruz to obtain a gun legally.
An elite private school facing legal action from several former students claiming to have been sexually, physically and emotionally abused at the institution.

The Southport School (TSS) is the latest school to come under the scrutiny of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

A number of former boys at the Gold Coast school are said to have come forward to say they were victims at the hands of both male and female perpetrators.

It comes after a TSS old boy claimed his father - an ex-teacher at the school - told him he had raped a student, according to the Bulletin.

The Southport School (TSS) is the latest school to come under the scrutiny of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

Shine Lawyers launched the legal action against a swathe of Brisbane schools and will act on behalf the old boys.

Lisa Flynn, Shine Lawyers abuse law department national special counsel, told the Bulletin the claims stretched across various time periods, and said: 'From our experience in handling cases of this type, these few matters are just the tip of the iceberg.

Former TSS pupil Bill Edgar (pictured) has been campaigning on behalf of alleged victims

'We say this in the context of other group actions that we have been involved with including claims against Brisbane Grammar School, St Paul's School, BBC, Churchie and a number of Catholic institutions.'

In April last year it emerged police had launched an investigation into child abuse at the school in the 1970s and 80s after a campaign by a former pupil Bill Edgar who has gone onto become a private investigator.

Another former pupil at the school, an unnamed businessman, confessed to Mr Edgar about the time his father told him he had raped a boy when he was a TSS teacher.

According to the Bulletin, the father admitted: 'I've done some bad things. I raped and molested (a student) while he was a boarder at the school. It wasn't just me. There were other teachers and other students'.

The Royal Commission has already fielded complaints of an 'abusive group in the boarding house'.

Alleged offences range from watching child pornography to defecation and bondage.

A spokesman for the TSS has urged anyone who was abused in the Anglican school to report their claims to the police.

A spokesman for the TSS has urged anyone who was abused in the Anglican school to report their claims to the police

The school also advised potential victims to reach out to the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane to receive the support, car and assistance they need.

The spokesman said the diocese has already provided free counselling and provided $1,500 for survivors to spend on initial legal advice.

It is thought at least six old boys - from 1979 to 2006 - have claimed they were abused.
Elaine Herzberg, 49 (pictured), was killed after she was struck by an Uber vehicle in Arizona in the first pedestrian death via a self-autonomous car

A self-driving Uber car hit and killed a pedestrian as she was crossing the road in the first fatality involving the controversial fleet of autonomous vehicles.

Elaine Herzberg, 49, was hit by an SUV around 10pm on Sunday in Tempe, Arizona, when she was walking her bicycle outside of a crosswalk.

She was immediately rushed to the hospital where she died from her injuries, ABC 15 reported.

Tempe Police say the SUV was in autonomous mode at the time of the crash but that a vehicle operator was also behind the wheel.

The accident is the first time a pedestrian has been killed on a public road by an autonomous car, which has been praised as the safer alternative to a traditional car.

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According to police, Herzberg was hit by an SUV (pictured) around 10pm on Sunday in Tempe when she was walking her bicycle outside of a crosswalk

Tempe Police say the SUV (pictured) was in autonomous mode at the time of the crash but that a vehicle operator was also behind the wheel

In a statement, an Uber spokesperson said the company is aware of the incident and is 'fully cooperating with local authorities in their investigation'.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi offered his condolences to the victim's family on Twitter on Monday afternoon, and reiterated that the company will be working with local law enforcement to figure out what happened.

The ride-share service has since paused its self-driving car operations in Pittsburgh, Phoenix, San Francisco and Toronto.

Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell released a statement on Twitter on Monday afternon in support of the halt.

He wrote: 'The City of Tempe has been supportive of autonomous vehicle testing because of the innovation and promise the technology may offer in many areas, including transportation options for disabled residents.

'Testing must occur safely. All indications we have had in the past show that traffic laws are being obeyed by the companies testing here. Our city leadership and Tempe Police will pursue any and all answers to what happened in order to ensure safety moving forward.

'I support the step that Uber has take to temporarily suspend testing in Tempe until this event is fully examined and understood. That is a responsible step to take at this time'

This is not the first time Uber has grounded its fleet of self-driving cars. In March 2017, an autonomous Volvo SUV got into accident when the other vehicle 'failed to yield' while making a left turn, according to police.

'The vehicles collided causing the autonomous vehicle to roll onto its side. There were no serious injuries,' Tempe police spokeswoman Josie Montenegros said at the time.

The only known death involving a self-driving car and a driver was when Tesla driver Joshua Brown was killed in 2016 while operating the company's Autopilot software.

However, this crash occurred only after Brown ignored repeated warnings to put his hands back on the steering wheel.

Tesla has stated that Autopilot is a driver assistance feature, not a replacement for a human driver.

The accident seems to be the first time a pedestrian has been killed on a public road by an autonomous car, which has been praised as the safer alternative to a traditional car (Pictured, self-driving vehicles used for test drives conducted by Uber in Pittsburgh, March 2018)

The ride-share service has since paused its self-driving car operations in Pittsburgh, Phoenix, San Francisco and Toronto (Pictured, an Uber self-driving car drives down 5th Street in San Francisco, March 2017)

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board said on Monday that it will be sending teams to Tempe to investigate the accident.

In a statement, the NHTSA said it is 'in contact with Uber, Volvo, federal, state and local authorities regarding the incident' and will take appropriate action.

Meanwhile, other states are already taking action. California regulators ordered Uber to stop its newly launched self-driving car service in San Francisco until it gets a state permit.

In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, DMV officials wrote that Uber 'must cease' deploying the cars or face unspecified legal action.

Uber knew about the permit requirement but argued that its cars do not meet the state's definition of an 'autonomous vehicle' because they require a person behind the wheel to monitor and intervene if needed.

Herzberg has been arrested at least six times, mostly for a number of drug charges and some probation violations, which included in October 2014 (left), November 2014 (center) and February 2015 (right)

The offenses continued and she was arrested in March 2015 (left) and twice in October 2015 (center and right)

According to Herzberg's Facebook account, she (pictured) has been married three times and became a mother at age 15 and again at age 18

In September, US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao released new guidelines that permit more testing of self-driving cars and address regulation between the federal government and states.

Chao argued that self-driving technology could also improve mobility for the elderly, disabled and other restricted populations.

But the non-profit Consumer Watchdog has warned that roads are being turned 'into private laboratories for robot cars with no regard for our safety.'

Not much information has been released about Herzberg. However, she has been arrested six times between October 2014 and October 2015 for a number of drug charges and probation violations.

Additionally, according to her Facebook account, she has been married three times and became a mother at age 15 and again at age 18.
A New Jersey school district is under fire after it allegedly suspended two high school students for sharing a photo taken during a family visit to a gun range.

The picture, which was shared on Snapchat, showed four rifles, magazines, and a gun duffel bag. The caption read: 'fun day at the range'.

Both students were suspended for five days after a snapshot of the picture was shared among students at Lacey Township High School in Lanoka Harbor.

It was a decision that sent the community in uproar and prompted the New Jersey chapter of the National Rifle Association to threaten legal action.

A New Jersey school district is under fire after it allegedly suspended two students from Lacey Township High School for posting a photo on Snapchat durin a visit to a private gun range

The student later revealed on a community Facebook page that their suspension was wiped, but that they still received multiple detentions for 'disrupting the school climate'

Lacey residents were outraged when they learned of the students' suspension, which has been discussed at length on community Facebook pages.

It was alleged that the teens were suspended for violating a rule in the high school's handbook that prohibits students from using guns both on and off school grounds.

'Any student who is reported to be in possession of a weapon of any type for any reason or purpose on or off school grounds during the academic year should be disciplined as follows,' the rule reads.

'Long-term suspension, evaluation by the high school child study team, recommendation by the administration to the Board of Education for suspension for at least one year.'

Lacey Township School District Superintendent Craig Wigley denied that the two students were suspended for a weapons or firearms offense.

'Recently, inaccurate information became a point of discussion on several social and traditional media outlets,' he said in an email to parents.

'It is important to recognize that the information posted on social media is incorrect, which has resulted in more misinformation in and outside of our community.'

Wigley said no students had been disciplined or suspended under Policy 5611 'for the unlawful use of a firearm'.

The Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs sent a cease and desist letter to the district threatening legal action if the district's firearm policy was not changed

The superintendent would not reveal why the students were suspended, although one of them posted on Facebook that he was punished because the photo had 'disrupted the school climate', according to WKXW.

The student said the punishment was changed to three in-school detentions and a Saturday detention.

'They said they did us a favor by not suspending us and, no matter how many points I personally made, they would not change or even reconsider punishment,' the post read.

Wigley also told parents that the district was in the process of 'clarifying language' contained in the high school handbook to address their concerns.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Wigley for comment.

Lacey Township School District Superintendent Craig Wigley (pictured) denied that the two students were suspended for a weapons or firearms offense, a rumor that had been circulating on social media

The district's change comes after the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs sent a cease and desist letter threatening legal action if the policy was not altered.

'Both the actions taken against the students, and the Firearms Policy, are in blatant violation of the First and Second Amendments to the United States Constitution and the free speech protections of the New Jersey Constitution,' the letter reads.

'The act itself of the students training and practicing in the safe and lawful use of firearms is protected by the Second Amendment.'

'To the extent the Firearms Policy punishes the lawful use and possession of firearms by students off school grounds is plainly unconstitutional.'

ANJRPC executive director Scott Bach said the organization will pursue legal action if the policy remains unchanged.

'We hope they're reasonable people and they will fix it,' Bach told NJ.com.

'Schools do not have the authority to chill the rights of their students off of school grounds, and this blatant infringement of constitutional rights will not be tolerated.

'I don't care if no students were disciplined. The policy has got to go.'
A former Tennessee judge who was initially accused of helping a defendant with her legal troubles in exchange for sex faces a new indictment stemming from a suspected cover-up.

The US Justice Department said in a news release that former Davidson County General Sessions Judge Cason 'Casey' Moreland, 60, was originally indicted last April on five counts of obstruction of justice.

A superseding indictment returned last Wednesday adds two theft counts, two additional obstruction counts and one count of committing an offense while on pretrial release.

Disrobed: Former Tennessee judge Cason 'Casey' Moreland, 60 (pictured left and right in mugshot), is facing obstruction of justice counts for allegedly helping a defendant with her legal troubles in exchange for sex

until his resignation in March 2017, Moreland served as Davidson County General Sessions judge (pictured on the bench)

Moreland is accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from the Davidson County Drug Court Foundation over several years and of trying to interfere with a federal investigation by directing the foundations director to destroy documents.

Hes also accused of suggesting last month that a witness lie to the grand jury investigating his conduct. The witness was cooperating with the FBI.

Moreland was arrested in late March 2017 by FBI agents at his sister's home where he had been living. He resigned from the bench in March 2017.

According to a criminal complaint, Moreland learned in February 2017 that the FBI was investigating him for possible corruption.

That investigation was centered on allegations that Moreland extorted sexual favors as well as travel and lodging in return for official acts, such as having fines dismissed for defendants.

Natalie Amos (left) has gone public with accusations that Judge Moreland helped her eliminate court costs and traffic ticket fines with the expectation of receiving sex in return. She claimed her late friend Leigh Terry (right) had a similar arrangement with the judge

A female witness, who later came forward to the station WSMV and identified herself as Natalie Amos, told the FBI she believed Moreland offered his help with her legal troubles with the expectation of receiving sex in return.

Amos told the FBI that Moreland helped her eliminate $1,200 in court costs and traffic ticket fines, got an interlock breathalyzer removed from her car, and aided her in avoiding a ticket for a suspended license during a traffic stop, the complaint stated.

Court records cited by the station read that after Amos had her fines and fees wiped clean by the judge, she got a text message from him that said: 'your fee; fines and court costs are taken care of! You now officially owe me!! Haha.'

The two started their sexual relationship in April 2016, according to Amos.

Suspected thief: Moreland is also accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from the Davidson County Drug Court Foundation over several years

In November of that year, Moreland allegedly directed a clerk to 'pull' two of Amos' traffic ticket. He then texted her to set up a meeting at her apartment and instructed her: 'just be horny and naked.'

Amos told WSMV that Moreland had a similar arrangement with her friend Leigh Terry, who had committed suicide the year before after being arrested on DUI charges.

The judge has denied having sex with Amos or Terry, and told the Nashville Scene that when their cases came up before him, recused himself because he had 'minimal acquaintance' with both women.

'At no time did I intervene on their behalf during or after judgments were rendered by the appropriate courts,' Moreland said.

Moreland was accused of trying to pay Amos $6,100 through an intermediary known only as 'J.P.' in exchange for her signing an affidavit in which she would recant her statements about his improprieties, the complaint said.

At the FBI's direction, the intermediary recorded the meeting, during which Moreland said, 'this right here gets me out of trouble,' according to the complaint.

Moreland told an intermediary get Amos 'liquored up real good' before mentioning the affidavit, which had been written as if she had authored it herself, and bought a temporary 'burner' phone because he was worried about his phone calls being monitored, the complaint said.

In an attempt to further ruin Amos' credibility, Moreland also schemed to plant drugs on her and have a police officer pull her over in a traffic stop, the complaint said.

'As the conduct outlined in the charging document makes clear, allowing Judge Moreland to continue to exercise the vast power over the lives of individuals as a sitting judge can severely jeopardize the constitutional protections afforded to our citizens,' Acting US Attorney Jack Smith said at a news conference last year.

Moreland is being held at the Grayson County Detention Center pending his June trial.
Meghan McCain made a quick trip back to Arizona over the weekend, where she spent time with her father at the family's compound in Phoenix.

The newest co-host of The View posted a photo of herself and her dad, Senator John McCain, to Instagram on Sunday, writing: 'No place I would rather be.'

She and her father also posted the exact same video to their social media accounts of Oak River, which runs through the property.

It has now been over eight months since Sentator McCain revealed he was battling a primary glioblastoma, a brain tumor that renders most of its victims dead within just a few months.

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'No place I would rather be': Meghan McCain posted a sweet snap of her and her father John over the weekend in Phoenix

This came just two days after Meghan snapped at Liz Cheney on Twitter after the daughter for former vice president Dick Cheney accused Senator McCain of slandering CIA nominee Gina Haspel.

Senator McCain made it clear that he is no fan of Haspel soon after President Donald Trump announced that she would be his nominee for the position after nominating Mike Pompeo for secretary of state in the wake of Rex Tillerson's exit from the White House.

'The torture of detainees in U.S. custody during the last decade was one of the darkest chapters in American history. The Senate must do its job in scrutinizing the record & involvement of Gina Haspel in this disgraceful program,' wrote McCain.

The tweet did not unequivocally state whether or not Haspel was involved in this practice, but still drew the ire of Cheney, who last year was elected as a US Representative for the state of Wyoming.

'The Enhanced Interrogation Program saved lives, prevented attacks, & produced intel that led to Osama bin Laden. The techniques were the same as those used on our own people in the SERE program,' ,wrote Cheney.

'No one should slander the brave men & women who carried out this crucial program.'

That comment did not sit well with a number of people, particularly Meghan, who quickly fired back: 'My father doesnt need torture explained to him.'

Cheney had no response for Meghan on that tweet, but did make a point of posting her response for a second time.

The attack on McCain by Cheney was a bit shocking, but nothing like the ones he was subject to during the 2016 campaign.

First: John McCain voiced his belief that a thorough investigation into Gina Haspel was necessary last week

Second: Liz Cheney shot back by accusing Senator McCain of 'slander' following his remarks

Third: Meghan then jumped in and said that her dad 'doesn't need torture explained to him'

Senator McCain made it clear that he is no fan of Gina Haspel (pictured) soon after President Donald Trump announced that she would be his nominee for the position after nominating Mike Pompeo for secretary of state in the wake of Rex Tillerson's exit from the White House

President Trump displayed just how far he was willing to go in when he stated that the former POW was not a hero in his mind because 'heroes don't get caught.'

At the time, it seemed like that statement might signify the end of the Republican hopeful's campaign just two weeks into the race, especially since President Trump avoided the draft on five occasions.

Four times he was able to avoid heading overseas on an education deferment, while his fifth deferral was granted for his bone spurs.

Cheney's father got five deferments from the war as well incidentally, four because he was a student and the fifth on account of the fact that he was a new father.

McCain did not defer, and spent five years as a prisoner of war after his plane went down in Vietnam, where he was kept in a cage that limited his movement and left him unable to fully raise his arms.

Senator McCain has often said that it was those years that made him love his country and want to run for office.
The innocent smile on the face of nine year-old Samsia hides the nightmares of brutal ISIS-driven conflict and freak natural disaster that have scarred her young life  and left her afraid of even the sound of rain.

For in the space of a few months Samsia has been caught up in a five month siege as ISIS fighters used their sickening tactics of atrocities and fear to create a Caliphate in her home city in the Philippines and then, when she fled, survived in raging waters after her family's new makeshift shelter was struck by typhoon-driven floods.

Twice she feared she would die. First at the hands of gunmen who executed her brother, beheaded men, took children as human shields and drove her and tens of thousands of others from homes in Marawi, a southern city that is the Islamic capital of the mainly Catholic Philippines.

And then Samsia believed she would drown during hours spent in deep, surging water when her new home was hit last December by Typhoon Tembin that left 167 dead, many of them caught in landslides.

The innocent smile on the face of nine year-old Samsia hides the nightmares of brutal ISIS-driven conflict and freak natural disaster that have scarred her young life

The hours spent in the water fighting for her life have meant that she is now terrified every time it rains, fearing it will trigger more flashfloods.

As if that was not enough, she suffered another devastating blow when in the panic of fleeing Marawi, she was separated from her mother and has heard nothing of her in the past six months but clings to the hope she is alive.

Her remarkable story of survival and heartbreak was told this week to aid workers of the British-based charity Save the Children, who are providing her with psychological help, schooling and other care.

With more than 160,000 children driven from their homes in Marawi, it is one of the many chilling stories now beginning to emerge for the first time of life under the shadow of the gunmen loyal to Isnilon Hapilon, a militant on the FBI's most wanted list and ISIS' 'Emir' for South East Asia.

He formed an alliance with another local militant group and took over part of the city known now as 'Ground Zero' because it has been reduced to a wreck of scarred buildings torn apart, booby-trapped and bullet-ridden that resemble those that remain from other ISIS' occupations in the Middle East.

More than 1,000 people were killed as the army of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte battled ISIS street-by-street  around 800 of them militants, including foreign fighters  while 600,000 were displaced. The siege only ended when Hapilon was killed. Children have been left with horrendous psychological scars and their stories mirror those in Iraq and Syria.

Samsia has been caught up in a five month siege as ISIS fighters in the Philippines and when she fled, survived raging waters after her family's new makeshift shelter was struck by typhoon-driven floods

Survivors tell of executions, beheadings, boys being ordered to loot houses, people taken as human shields, men forced to fight for the rebels, houses torched and bombed, snipers terrifying people as they fled and women disappearing. Hospitals and schools were blown up by the fighters who used mosques for their snipers because they knew they would not be bombed by military planes. Survivors say Christians in particular were a target.

One mother told of fleeing past dead bodies and shots ringing overhead. She added: 'They were killing Christians, they would kill anyone who could not speak Arabic.'

Sasha Nicholl from Save the Children UK, who was the first British woman to enter Marawi since the conflict ended in October, told MailOnline: 'The children of Marawi are survivors of a forgotten crisis. First, they endured the longest urban conflict in recent Filipino history - a war of unspeakable horrors, which saw them loose their homes and many loved ones. Then many of those displaced had their lives turned upside down a second time  when Typhoon Tembin barrelled in last December, flooding temporary settlements and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

'During my time here, I've seen first-hand the psychological toll of these events on young minds: children scared of rainfall, angry at their parents, prone to breaking down in tears.

'Visiting their hometown of Marawi  seeing the bombed-out schools and destroyed homes - was a stark reminder of what they've been through. The city, once a town of wealthy traders, is now a ghostly wreck. The bombed out buildings look like skeletal remains; pro-rebel graffiti is scrawled over abandoned homes. We were shown a bombed-out former school and the dome of a once-magnificent mosque reduced to ribbons of mangled metal.

Bombed-out buildings in Marawi city, where Filipino troops battled with armed fighters for five months last year

'As we climbed the hill out of Marawi, our driver pointed above us to the lush tropical vegetation overhead. 'That's where the snipers would hide. You had to drive at 100 mph to avoid being hit as you fled the town,' he said, 'He then pointed down the precipice on the other side of the road. 'And that's where they would throw the corpses.'

She added: 'Save the Children's priority is to return a sense of normality and hope to these children's lives. This means getting them back in to school  and we've established several temporary learning spaces to cater for displaced communities - and ensuring they have the psychological support they need to thrive.'

Samsia, whose own home was destroyed by bombs, said the bullet ridden body of her brother, Abdulrahman, was returned to the family and she had watched in tears as he was buried. 'They ordered him to steal rice for them,' she said. 'He did not want to so they shot him. I cried.'

She said they were ordered to leave their home and described panic in the chaos as thousands fled the gunmen on foot and in packed vehicles clutching a few belongings. Of her two escapes, she said fleeing the bombs and shooting of Marawi terrified her more than when the typhoon hit although she admitted she thought she would die in the water. 'Our house was tied to a tree so it could not be swept away,' she said, 'But when the water rose, my uncles and I had to swim to escape, it was so deep, so fastwe swam so far that I lost energy and I kept thinking I had to keep going. I thought I was going to die.'

Joan del Mundo of Save the Children said: 'Samsia has been through an utterly harrowing ordeal  and the psychological scars that it's left behind are all too evident. This is a young girl whose life was ripped apart not once, but twice.

Children study inside a Save the Children temporary learning space. The centres were set up after the conflict in Marawi city left displaced children with no access to school

'First and foremost, she is haunted by her brother's murder and the separation from her mother. Once vivacious and outgoing, she now speaks shyly and reluctantly  and refuses to talk about the conflict. She is also terrified of rainfall, ever since the typhoon hit. A simple shower will leave her shaking with fear. She believes that at any minute she will  once again  be left fighting for her life underwater.

'This is no way for a young girl to live. But unfortunately, Samsia is one of millions of children around the world who require psychological support to recover from conflicts or natural disasters that are beyond their control. As part of that process, getting Samsia back into school has been a priority for Save the Children.

'Attending classes, learning new subjects and making new friends can be key to the recovery process. Education gives children a sense of routine and normality, whilst also opening up better opportunities for the future.'

In a region where tented villages now spread out on the edge of Marawi, Save the Children has set-up temporary learning places with learning kits and teaching aids while distributing back-to-school kits, hygiene kits and school uniforms to school-aged children. The charity is working with two civil society organisations to facilitate psychosocial support sessions for displaced youngsters to ensure that children are mentally healthy and build children's positive coping mechanisms.
The White House batted down a claim made by a Washington Post columnist that President Trump had ordered his senior staff to sign $10 million non-disclosure agreements.

'I saw the report over the weekend,' said Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley on board Air Force One Monday. 'I can tell you that the report was completely false.'

Giving himself a little bit of wiggle room, Gidley made a comment that suggested it was the dollar amount that the Post quoted that made the story, in the White House's eyes, factually inaccurate.

'While non-disclosure agreements are common-place and common practice for previous administrations, I can say that the report that staff were required or asked to sign $10 million non-disclosure agreements is not true,' the spokesman said.

Beyond that, the Trump spokesman said, he couldn't give details on personnel matter.

A spokesman for President Trump (left), seen with first lady Melania Trump (right) leaving for Manchester, New Hampshire on Monday, said a report in the Washington Post is 'absolutely false' that the president made senior staff sign non-disclosure agreements

When asked if he, personally, had signed a NDA to work in the administration, the aide said no.

Stormy Daniels reportedly violated a non-disclosure agreement no less than 20 times

'I've never seen one, I've never been aske dot sign one and I've never signed one,' Gidley said.

The Washington Post's Ruth Marcus, writing for the opinion section, said that senior White House officials were asked to, and did, sign nondisclosure agreements where they said they wouldn't reveal confidential information, and if they did, would face financial damages.

'Some balked at first but, pressed by then-Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and the White House Counsel's Office, ultimately complied, concluding that the agreements would likely not be enforceable in any event,' Marcus wrote.

A source told the columnist: 'I remember the president saying, "Has everybody signed a confidentiality agreement like they did during the campaign or we had at Trump Tower?"'

Marcus said she laid eyes on a draft copy of the agreement, calling it a 'doozy.'

The draft she saw would expose violators to a $10 million fine, which would be payable to the federal government, each time the individual revealed 'confidential' information, which included 'communications ... with members of the press' and 'with employees of federal, state and local governments.'

The columnist said other sources told her that $10 million fine was increased in the final versions, as they don't remember it being quite that large a sum.

The draft also banned 'the publication of works of fiction that contain any mention of the operations of the White House, federal agencies, foreign governments, or other entities interacting with the United States Government that is based on confidential information.'

Legal experts have questioned whether such an agreement is legal for a high-ranking government employee given constitutional free-speech protections.

Stormy Daniels shot to public attention in recent months after claiming she had an affair with the President and was secretly paid to keep quiet about it.

Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen said he has the right to seek at least $20 million in damages from the porn star.

Daniels' attorney has argued the NDA isn't enforceable because one of the parties, President Trump, never actually signed it.

Cohen claims she has violated a non-disclosure agreement no less than 20 times.

He intends to force the dispute with Daniels into private arbitration, according to a federal court filing made Friday.
A very fortunate cat 'who is lucky to be alive' after becoming impaled on three eight-foot metal fence posts less than a week ago has returned home.

Ginger moggy Skittles was found stuck on the railings by a shocked passerby in Cricklewood, north west London, but miraculously survived after three operations.

The cat was nicknamed Angus, which means 'strong' in Gaelic, by RSPCA staff who rushed him to a vet for the lifesaving surgery.

Inspectors have no idea how the cat ended up stuck on the three posts but they suggest that the cat could have fallen from a nearby building, or it might also be the work of the Croydon Cat Killer.

A very fortunate cat 'who is lucky to be alive' after becoming impaled on three eight-foot metal fence posts less than a week ago has returned home

Four-year-old Skittles has now been returned home to Shanakei Forde who lives in Neasden, north London

Ginger moggy Skittles was found stuck on the railings by a shocked passerby in Cricklewood, north west London, but miraculously survived after three operations

RSPCA Inspectors have no idea how the cat ended up stuck on the three posts but they suggest that the cat could have fallen from a nearby building, or it might also be the work of the Croydon Cat Killer

Four-year-old Skittles, his real name, has now been returned home to Shanakei Forde, 27, who lives in Neasden, north London.

The mum-of-two said: 'He came home on Saturday after having two operations at Medivet in Hendon, then he opened up his stitches and had to have a drain put in.

Shanakei Forde, mum-of-two, said: 'He came home on Saturday after having two operations at Medivet in Hendon'

'He had gone missing on the Friday (March 9) but because he's an outside cat, I left him, I just thought he'd be running up and down like he normally is.

'I started getting worried on the Sunday, and we were about to put posters up when my neighbour found out a cat had been discovered.

'He heard about it at a residents meeting and told me the good news that he'd been found, but that he'd been injured.

'When I saw the pictures I couldn't believe my eyes, I didn't believe that was him - it was so shocking.

'It's a miracle that he survived - three poles went through him but he was still very alert. He's a tough cat anyway, he's so friendly and loving, and he goes up to everyone on our estate.

'He's a bit shaken up, but he's happy to be home - he was going mad when he realised where he was.

'He's been keeping to himself really and sleeping a lot because he's on a lot of medication.

The cat was nicknamed Angus, which means 'strong' in Gaelic, by RSPCA staff who rushed him to a vet for the lifesaving surgery

The cat is lucky to be alive following major surgery - after he was found impaled on metal fence posts

'My daughter Shannai, who's eight, and my seven-year-old son O'Shane are so pleased - they love him, he's their best friend.'

Shanakei is now hoping to raise funds for Skittles' surgery, as he is not insured and bills have run to more than 3,000.

The page has raised 215 so far, and any extra cash will be donated to the RSPCA.

The RSPCA was called on March 9 at around 3.50am for help and deputy chief inspector Nicole Broster was first to arrive.

The cut railings show where the male ginger cat was found on a fence in north west London

Cut railings show where the RSPCA and the London Fire Brigade rescued a ginger cat

Firefighters also dashed to the scene to use car-crash rescue machines to cut away the section of fence the cat was stuck on.

DCI Broster said: 'He was so brave, continuously purring and nudging me whilst I comforted him despite his horrendous ordeal.

'The only time he ever cried was if I had to leave him to help with his treatment. It's an absolute miracle that this cat is alive, and even better, it's looking like he won't even have to have the damaged leg amputated.

'In fact, he is doing so well he's already up on his feet and walking which is astounding, I can't quite believe how lucky he is.'
With opioid overdose levels skyrocketing, President Donald Trump unveiled a strategy Monday to counter the impact of deadly drugs nationwide  including capital punishment for high-level traffickers

In a direct message to dealers and traffickers, he threw down the gauntlet.

'We will find you, we will arrest you, and we will hold you accountable,' he said to applause during a speech in Manchester, New Hampshire..

And his version of 'toughness,' he said, 'includes the death penalty.'

In a confusing moment on Monday, Trump stepped on his own messaging.

'Unless you have really, really powerful penalties  led by the death penalty  for the really bad pushers and abusers, we are going to get nowhere,' he said, appearing to equate drug 'abusers' with the dealers who supply them.

President Trump shared ideas he had for solving the nation's opioid crisis, like putting drug kingpins to death and building his border wall with Mexico

But most of his pitch was a brushback pitch to the criminals who fuel between one- and three-quarters of a trillion dollars in U.S. illicit drug sales each year.

'Some of these drug dealers will kill thousands of people during their lifetimes ... and they'll get caught, and they'll get 30 days in jail, or they'll go away for a year, or they'll get fined,' the president said.

Yet 'if you kill one person, you get the death penalty or you go away for life.'

Unless that lopsided equation is righted, he said, 'we are just doing the wrong thing. We have got to get tough.'

Part of Trump's task on Monday was to dove-tail his drug addiction policy with his long-stated immigration goals.

He said in New Hampshire that 90 per cent of the heroin in the U.S. comes through the Mexican border.

'Eventually the Democrats will agree with us and we'll build the wall to keep the damn drugs out,' he said, with a partisan audience whooping and cheering.

Sounding more like a campaign rally crowd than a group witnessing a presidential address, they shouted: 'Build that wall! Build that wall!'

TRAGIC OVERDOSE: President Donald Trump listens as Jeanne and Jim Moser of East Kingston, N.H. speak about their son, Adam, who died of an opioid drug overdose in 2015, during a speech about his plan to combat opioid drug addiction at Manchester Community College, Monday, March 19, 2018, in Manchester, N.H.

Trump traveled to New Hampshire, the first-in-the-nation primary state, for the speech. During the campaign, he referred to New Hampshire as a 'drug infested den'

The president raised eyebrows when he first floated the idea of making the death penalty available to federal prosecutors in some drug trafficking cases.

That national head-scratch split into a serious policy debate last week when a leaked copy of a policy blueprint included the idea of capital punishment for kingpins.

Presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway told reporters aboard Air Force One that the policy proposal 'is about drug traffickers. This is high-level, very specific cases.'

A senior administration official said Sunday night during a conference call with journalists that the Justice Department would only seek that penalty to the degree it is permitted 'under current law.'

American Civil Liberties Union objected loudly on Monday, with Jesselyn McCurdy, deputy director of its Washington legislative office, condemning Trump for endorsing 'draconian law enforcement provisions.'

McCurdy said in a statement that capital punishment for drug dealers would be 'unconstitutional and absurd.'

'Drug trafficking is not an offense for which someone can receive the death penalty. The Supreme Court has repeatedly and consistently rejected the use of the death penalty in cases where there has been no murder by the convicted individual,' she said.

But Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who appeared on stage with Trump on Monday  but did not speak from the podium  thanked the president for his 'strong leadership.'

'At the Department of Justice, we have made ending the drug epidemic a priority,' Sessions said. 'We will continue to aggressively prosecute drug traffickers and we will use federal law to seek the death penalty wherever appropriate.'

First lady Melania Trump watches as her husband, President Donald Trump speaks to supporters, local politicians and police officers at an event at Manchester Community College on March 19, 2018 in Manchester, New Hampshire

President Trump spoke about the nation's opioid epidemic Monday in Manchester, New Hampshire, a state that he heralded for his primary win, but also called a 'drug infested den'

The White House has sought to de-emphasize the criminal justice aspects of the president's rollout, focusing instead on prevention and treatment.

Trump played to that priority early in his speech Monday, declaring that 'failure is not an option. Addiction is not our future.'

'It will stop,' he promised.

'We will liberate our country from this crisis,' Trump said, pledging that Americans 'will raise a drug-free generation of American children.'

Trump also dipped his toe Monday into the unique political pond he'll need to master a second time in the 2020 presidential primary season.

A 2017 poll of Granite State residents found that the scourge of illicit drugs was the single biggest problem they faced  scoring higher than jobs, taxes, health care and immigration.

First lady Melania Trump gave the introduction Monday for her husband, President Donald Trump, in Manchester, New Hampshire

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visit Manchester Central Fire Station in Manchester, New Hampshire on March 19, 2018

It was the first time a majority of New Hampshirites ever told pollsters that any one issue outweighed all other concerns combined.

First lady Melania Trump introduced her husband Monday in New Hampshire, decrying the impact of opioid abuse on young mothers and children.

She said she hopes especially for a greater nationwide focus on educating women about the impact of opioids on unborn babies.

Trump's overall approach blends attacks on illicit drug traffickers and over-prescribing doctors with greater funding of addiction counseling and treatment.

But it remains unclear just how much money the administration will ask Congress to devote to treating what has become a national cancer.

Whatever the amount is, Democrats are likely to claim it amounts to a drop in the bucket.

One aide to a Democratic senator said Monday that the left side of Capitol Hill's aisles is afraid the funding scheme for Trump's new 'drug war' will resemble 'his laughable plan for infrastructure.'

'This White House has basically told all the states that it'll get some seed money out there for bridges and tunnels, but they're going to have to raise most of it themselves,' the Senate staffer said.

'If that's the way this opioid program is going to be built, it'll barely make a ripple in a gigantic pond.'

President Donald Trump is applauded prior to delivering remarks on 'combatting the opioid crisis' in a speech at Manchester Community College in Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S., March 19, 2018. Applauding (L-R): U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, White House Senior Counselor Kellyanne Conway; Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security; Alex Azar II, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services; and U.S. Attorney General Jess Sessions

KEEP CLAPPING: Attorney General Jeff Sessions(L) applauds as US President Donald Trump speaks about combating the opioid crisis at Manchester Community College in Manchester, New Hampshire on March 19, 2018

The White House says that, like international crises in Iran and North Korea, America's illicit narcotics boom is a deep-seated sickness that Barack Obama left for him to cure.

The senior administration official suggested Sunday that deadly variants of opioid painkillers like Fentanyl have been allowed to proliferate because of Obama's soft-glove approach to criminal justice.

'I think it's a shame that we've seen the prior administration did not prioritize enforcing the law as related to drugs,' the official said.

'That, I think, has been directly attributable to the rise and increase of Fentanyl, and the resulting overdose deaths.'

Conway said Monday that mandatory minimum sentences should be triggered at a different level for Fentanyl than for other drugs because just a 'trace' amount of it can kill.

Fentanyl is 100 times as powerful as morphine and 50 times the strength of heroin.

Accoding to current sentencing guidelines, mandatory minimums in place don't kick in unless a trafficker is caught with 20,000 doses.

Some states have decriminalized marijuana in recent years, sensing a willingness of the Justice Department to leave the overriding federal laws against the drug unenforced.

But Trump's DOJ has signaled a willingness to crack down, even where less potent 'gateway drugs' are concerned.

Before his speech, President Trump (right) and first lady Melania Trump (left) visited the Manchester Central Fire Station, where he held onto a fireman's hat

'For states that are choosing to follow that path, it is a terrible mistake to not vigorously enforce the law as it relates to illicit drug use,' the senior admininstration official argued.

Some experts say the same international pathways used by marjuana smugglers provide a conduit for harder drugs, including heroin, Fentanyl and cocaine.

A second administration official told DailyMail.com on Monday that 'sealing the border with Mexico' and 'getting tougher at [sea] ports' would have an impact on every facet of the illicit drug trade.

'Even if you build the president's wall, the problem isn't going to dry up overnight,' the official conceded, noting that some Drug Enforcement Administration figures indicate more narcotics come into the U.S. via ocean routes than by land.

'But the last White House did a lot of nothing,' the official claimed. 'it feels like we're starting from zero.'

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump listen as Daniel Goonan, Manchester City Fire Chief, speaks during a visit the Manchester Central Fire Station on Monday

One direction out of the starting blocks is cutting back on the drug channels that don't break any laws, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Monday morning.

Appearing on 'Fox & Friends,' he said his agency wants to slash legal prescriptions of opiates like OxyContin and Percocet by one-third in the next three years.

Azar compared the 'over-prescription' of those painkillers to a similar overuse of antibiotics, which has made some infectious diseases resistant to the medicines.

And he said the president's openness to seeing major drug traffickers put to death shows his 'seriousness.'

President Trump (left) and first lady Melania Trump (right) seen leaving the White House Monday en route to Manchester, New Hampshire

'If you are involved in the distribution of illicit drugs  or if you are improperly using, selling, distributing even legal opioids  there should be serious penalties attached and serious enforcement,' he said.

A different official said Sunday that the U.S. opioid addiction epidemic 'is a very tricky thing. It starts often in the family medicine cabinet, the little bottle there has a label with the local pharmacy and the family doctor.'

Many people find themselves addicted to painkillers that were covered under Medicare or Medicaid, only to learn that the same programs won't fund treatment programs.

The White House denies that choosing New Hampshire for Monday's speech has a political component, even though longtime Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich has already visited the state and a parade of other water-testers is sure to follow.

'It doesn't carry any political weight tomorrow,' a senior administration official insisted on Sunday, noting that the White House invited New Hampshire's entire Senate and House delegations  all Democrats  to appear with the president in Manchester.

President Donald Trump holds first lady Melania Trump, who lost her footing while walking across the South Lawn of the White in Washington, Monday, March 19, 2018, before boarding Marine One helicopter for the short trip to Andrews Air Force Base, Md. They traveled to New Hampshire for Trump's event on the opioid crisis

'We would like them to attend,' the official said. 'I don't think they are.'

Attorney General Jeff Session, who has been upbraided by Trump for his handling of the Russia probe, accompanied the president to New Hampshire but did not speak at the event.

He issued a statement praising Trump and promising to prosecute dealers 'aggressively.'

'Drug dealers show no respect for human dignity and put their own greed ahead of the safety and even the lives of others. Drug trafficking is an inherently violent and deadly business: if you want to collect a drug debt, you collect it with the barrel of a gun. As surely as night follows day, violence and death follow drug trafficking, and murder is often a tool of drug traffickers,' said Sessions.

'At the Department of Justice, we have made ending the drug epidemic a priority. We will continue to aggressively prosecute drug traffickers and we will use federal law to seek the death penalty wherever appropriate,' Session added.

'I want to thank the President for his strong leadership on this issue and I join him in sending the message that business as usual has ended,' Sessions concluded.
Jim Carrey has taken another jab at the Trump Administration with his latest piece of art.

The comedian-turned-artist posted a picture of a new painting to Twitter on Monday, depicting President Trump as the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz.

'If you like my last cartoon you may also enjoy... "THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST WING AND PUTIN'S FLYING MONKEYS,"' Carrey wrote.

Jim Carrey has released a new painting depicting President Trump as the Wicked Witch of the West

'If you like my last cartoon you may also enjoy... "THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST WING AND PUTIN'S FLYING MONKEYS,"' Carrey wrote about his latest painting

Carrey came under fire over the weekend when he released an unflattering painting of White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Carrey painted a caricature of 35-year-old Huckabee Sanders depicting her as a angry-looking woman complete with a ruddy complexion and furrowed brow.

Some Twitter users accused Carrey of shaming because of the unflattering portrait. Others were critical of his use of Christian.

Carrey came under fire over the weekend when he released an unflattering painting of White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders

Carrey tweeted the image to his 18 million followers on Saturday night.

He captioned his artwork: 'This is the portrait of a so-called Christian whose only purpose in life is to lie for the wicked. Monstrous!'

Carrey has been outspoken in his dislike for Trump administration over the past year.

The Ace Ventura star has been taking a break from films to devote more time to painting.

Carey makes no secret of the fact that he is not a fan of the Trump administration including this painting that shows the President kissing Russian President Putin's naked bottom

He told a magazine last year that creating political art isn't a new concept for him.

In a 2017 documentary I Needed Color, Carrey revealed his new creative outlet, which he said he uses to 'heal a broken heart.'

He has painted a number of other famous figures in recent months including the late Stephen Hawking whom Carrey referred to as the 'greatest mental athlete of our time' in the wake of his death.

Other portraits show historical figures like Abraham Lincoln crying over the state of the nation
The German foreign minister today said Britain should clarify the details on the Salisbury poison attack with Russia directly.

Heiko Maas said 'all the evidence' points to Moscow being behind the attack, which left former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia fighting for their lives.

But he also said the UK should clarify the details of the evidence they have 'bilaterally' with the Kremlin.

His comments can be seen as a hint that Britain will get only lukewarm support from the Germans.

But they come just days after German Chancellor Angela Merkel gave her full backing to Britain's position after holding talks with Theresa May.

According to the EU Observer, Mr Maas said that while Germany is 'firmly on the side of Great Britain' it must continue a 'dialogue' with Russia ought to continue.

Heiko Maas said that while Germany is 'firmly on the side of Great Britain' it must continue a 'dialogue' with Russia ought to continue (file pic)

He said: 'We assume that Russia will remain a difficult partner.

'Russia is  needed when it comes to solving major international conflicts. That is why we want to stay in dialogue, but we also expect constructive contributions from Russia,' he added.

But while the words will be greeted by some as a sign Berlin is being guarded in the support it offers the UK, Mrs Merkel has been far more forthright.

She joined Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron and Theresa May in signing a joint statement blaming Russia for the attack.

The four leaders agreed there was 'no plausible alternative explanation' than that Russia was to blame for the attack.

The leaders described the poisoning as 'the first offensive use of a nerve agent in Europe since the Second World War,' and warned that Russia's actions 'threaten the security of us all.'

Mr Mass' comments came as Boris Johnson vowed to crack down on corrupt Russian cash held in Britain today after talks with Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg on the response to Salisbury.

T he Foreign Secretary has been in Brussels for talks with EU foreign ministers and the Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (right at today's press conference)

Boris Johnson (pictured today at Nato's Brussels headquarters) vowed to crack down on corrupt Russian cash held in Britain today after talks with Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg on the Alliance response to Salisbury

The Foreign Secretary has been in Brussels for talks with EU foreign ministers and the Alliance Secretary General.

As Britain continued to gain support for its furious reaction to the Salisbury attack, Theresa May reiterated her belief in Kremlin responsibility today as international weapons inspectors arrived at Porton Down to carry out independent tests.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has continued to deny any involvement since winning a new six year term by a landslide in a disputed election yesterday.

Following talks in Brussels with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Mr Johnson welcomed the support of the alliance following the Salisbury incident.

'We share the view that the poisoning of Sergei Skripal is not an isolated case but the latest in a pattern for reckless behaviour by the Russian state,' he said.

'We stand united in adversity, be it in response to the attack in Salisbury or a threat to any Nato ally.'

Mr Johnson said there were actions that Britain could take with its allies, including 'going after the money that has been illicitly and corruptly obtained'.

He said: 'That is one of the most important ways forward. We have a National Crime Agency, a National Economic Crime Unit, that are looking into this kind of stuff right now but you can only do it in concert with partners around the world.'

Mr Stoltenberg said the use of a nerve agent represented an 'unacceptable breach of international norms and rules'.

'Russia's response so far has demonstrated a clear disregard for international peace and security,' he said.

'We continue to call on Russia to provide a complete disclosure of the Novichok programme to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

'Russia will continue to seek to divide us but Nato allies stand united and we stand in solidarity with the UK.'
The world got one final glimpse of cult leader Charles Manson, whose body was put on display before he was finally cremated.

Manson's open casket viewing preceded his cremation, four months after his death, during a memorial service in Porterville, California on Saturday.

The funeral came a week after Manson's grandson Jason Freeman was granted the rights to his body following months of legal battles.

Freeman and a Manson follower spoke at the service, which was attended by 30 people, according to TMZ.

Cult leader Charles Manson was cremated after an open casket memorial service in Porterville, California on Saturday

Attendees included his former fiancee Afton Burton and former Manson Family member Sandra Good, a lifelong devotee to the murderer.

Sources told the site that Manson's body was decomposing so badly it needed to be covered by heavy makeup and gloves.

Manson's body had been on ice in a Bakersfield morgue as Freeman battled with the cult leader's pen pal as well as his alleged son.

The funeral program included two verses from the Bible: 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends' (John 15:13) and 'I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me' (Philipians 4:13).

Following the service, Manson's body was cremated and his ashes were along the creek bed in a nearby forest.

Sources said the wind blew Manson's ashes back on his guest.

Pictured is the funeral program that was handed out before Manson's service on Saturday

Following the service, Manson's body was cremated and his ashes were along the creek bed in a nearby forest

Jason Freeman, Charles Manson's purported grandson (pictured), won a California court battle to retrieve his remains last Monday

Pastor Mark Pitcher, of Porterville Church of the Nazarene, told TMZ he would ordinarily feel conflicted performing a service with Manson's past.

But Pitcher decided to make an exception because he wanted to comfort Freeman, who he said was a 'follower of Christ'.

The funeral director approached Pitcher with the 'unique situation' last week, and the priest agreed to meet with Freeman and his wife Audrey last Friday.

Pitcher said he told Freeman he would not touch on the Manson Family murders, but did read a few scriptures that the cult leader's grandson requested for the service.

Manson, who died at 83, was hospitalized in Bakersfield while serving a life sentence for orchestrating the 1969 killings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and eight others.

Manson, who died at 83, had been hospitalized in Bakersfield while serving a life sentence for orchestrating the 1969 killings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and eight others

Manson (pictured left in 2017 and right on trial in 1970) was originally sentenced to death, but had his sentence commuted after California invalidated the state's death penalty statute

The fight over his corpse devolved into a circus of sorts with friends filing competing wills purportedly signed by the infamous inmate.

Kin began to come out of the woodwork to also stake a claim to the killer's body and an estate that could include lucrative rights to songs Manson wrote or to license his image and other material.

The case in Kern County was brought by the coroner's office, which said it wanted to quickly resolve the matter because bodies were piling up at the morgue from the methamphetamine and opioid epidemics.

To prevent photos of the body from being leaked, the coroner's office stored Manson's remains under a pseudonym and only two employees were told its true identity.

Attendees at Manson's funeral, held at Porterville Funeral & Cremation Center (pictured) included his former fiancee Afton Burton and former Manson Family member Sandra Good

The three-way fight for the body included Freeman, a man who said he was fathered by Manson, and a pen pal who was friends with Manson and has filed what he said was the cult leader's will.

The three all tried to cast doubt on the authenticity of the competing claims and Freeman largely won out because of problems with the other petitions.

Kern County Superior Court Commissioner Alisa Knight cited problems with the will submitted by pen pal Michael Channels because he was one of the two witnesses while also the sole beneficiary, which is suspect.

It was also ambiguous about what would be done with Manson's body other than for Channels to use his judgment.

Manson pen pal Michael Channels had also sought to claim Manson's body (file photo)

Michael Brunner, 49, whose birth certificate lists Manson and cult member Mary Brunner as his parents, was also in the fight. Born Valentine Manson in 1968, he has stayed out of the public eye after giving the above 1993 interview about his infamous father

Brunner's mother was an early member of the so-called Manson family and he was fathered by the cult leader, according to his birth certificate, though it misspelled Manson's middle name.

Knight said Brunner had shown evidence he was fathered by Manson, but lost his right to be deemed an heir because he was adopted by his grandparents.

Freeman, a former professional mixed martial arts fighter from Florida, is the son of the late Charles Manson Jr., who was the child of Manson and his first wife.

Although some raised questions about whether Freeman was really Manson's grandson, Knight determined he was 'the surviving competent adult next of kin'.

Channels befriended Manson by writing him letters in prison. He later became a regular visitor and avid collector and trader of memorabilia given to him by the cult leader.

Purported Manson daughter Rebecca Evans, 48, and son Matthew Roberts, 49, are also in the legal fight over Manson's estate

The 2002 will Channels filed names him as the executor and sole beneficiary of Manson's estate.

Another purported son, Matthew Lentz, who claims he was fathered by Manson during a Wisconsin orgy, supported Brunner's petition. He is named as the sole beneficiary in a 2017 will that Manson apparently signed and sent to Ben Gurecki, another friend and memorabilia collector, who is named as executor.

Knight noted that the will did not appear to be properly executed and that Lentz forfeited his claims as an heir because he was also adopted.

In the estate battle, purported Manson daughter Rebecca Evans, 48, and son Matthew Roberts, 49, have also filed claims.

Who inherits Manson's estate - which could include potentially lucrative rights to the use of his image and songs he wrote, as well as his possessions - will be adjudicated by Los Angeles Superior Court.
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The family involved in a horror crash with Ant McPartlin said the TV star was 'driving like a maniac' and could have killed them all.

Restaurant owner Faheem Vanoo and his wife Shilpa Dandekar were travelling with their four-year-old daughter Amaira when their green Mini was involved in a head-on collision with another Mini driven by the presenter.

The Sunday afternoon crash left the dad and his daughter 'shocked and dazed' - but without any serious injuries.

Mr Vanoo said Faheem he does not care 'whether [McPartlin is] a millionaire' or 'a famous TV star - he could have put my daughter in a wheelchair'.

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Restaurant owners Faheem Vanoo and wife Shilpa Dandekar were involved in the crash on Sunday with Ant McPartlin

The husband and wife team Faheem Vanoo and Shilpa Dandekar run a top Indian restaurant in west London

The couple say their experience has been 'a nightmare' and the family (pictured together last year) are 'shocked and dazed'

But furious Shilpa told The Sun - after MailOnline revealed the identity of the family in the crash - that she had to be held back after the collision because she wanted to smash McPartlin in the face.

Her husband, Faheem, explained: 'His Mini came flying around a sharp corner on the wrong side of the road trying to overtake a blue car. I hardly had time to react and turned in towards the kerb to avoid a head-on collision.

'I'm convinced that split-second turn of the wheel saved us all from being crippled or killed. I reckon he was doing 50 or 60mph.'

He added: 'The horn of his car was blaring and my little girl was crying in shock. It was a terrible, chaotic scene.'

As Ant McPartlin faced a fresh crisis in his life, it has emerged:

ITV presenter crashed his Mini into two cars on west London road near Richmond Park at around 4pm on Sunday;

His car, which also contained his mother and dog, ended up on the wrong side of the road after he lost control. Driver of a car he hit claimed he was driving at up to 60mph;

Geordie presenter allegedly failed a roadside breathalyser test, was arrested by police and spent 10 hours in custody. He was bailed over pending a blood test result;

The star, 42, arrived home at 3am yesterday and later held 90 minutes of crisis talks with his management team;

Friends say he is distraught about the crash - especially because it involved children. He and his mother suffered bruises;

Family involved say he 'was driving like a maniac' and could have killed them;

Last night it was announced Ant would take an indefinite break from work and head back to rehab where he has previously battled addiction to painkillers and alcohol;

The TV presenter, 42, is seen appearing dazed as he climbs out of his 26,000 John Cooper, which smashed into two other cars and injured a three-year-old girl

The TV presenter, 42, is seen appearing dazed as he climbs out of his 26,000 John Cooper, which smashed into two other cars and injured a three-year-old girl

The video shows the passers-by asking a startled McPartlin if he is OK. The telly favourite appears to nod as he stumbles and holds on to his car door

The video shows the passers-by asking a startled McPartlin if he is OK. The telly favourite appears to nod as he stumbles and holds on to his car door

Meanwhile a close member of McPartlin's family said the Saturday Night Takeaway star is 'distraught' that children were involved in the crash.

Speaking to The Mirror, the family member added: 'He is going through a bad time.

'Ant and [his mother] Christine have bruises. They are sore and in shock. Thankfully everyone was fine and it was bruising rather than any serious injuries.'

Shilpa said she suffered a bust lip while daughter Amaira was assessed in an ambulance but did not require further treatment.

'The whole experience has just been a nightmare,' Faheem told MailOnline.

'It is not something that we ever expected, but we are just grateful that no one was hurt.

'It has been a terrible experience and it feels like we are coming out of a nightmare. It has left us all a bit shaken up.'

The CCTV footage captures McPartlin driving along Sheen Lane towards a roundabout where he allegedly lost control and crashed

A CCTV camera captured the TV star four minutes before he was involved in a three-car smash that led to his arrest

Faheem said he had been asked not to talk directly about the accident by police.

But he added: 'I cannot talk about certain things, but the main thing is that we are all safe. My daughter and wife are okay and were not injured.'

Asked if he had been contacted by McPartlin, he replied: 'I cannot talk about that.' An ambulance was called to the scene of the crash on the Lower Richmond Road in south west London but was not used to transport any patient to hospital.

Amaira was taken to West Middlesex Hospital in Isleworth by her parents for a check up and was not kept in overnight for any treatment. Faheem said: 'She is fine. We are all okay.'

The green Mini (pictured yesterday), in which the couple and their daughter were travelling is pictured by the roadside following the collision with the TV star

Shipla had previously posted this photo of her husband Faheem on Facebook when they first bought their green Mini Cooper

A three-year-old girl was taken to hospital after the I'm A Celebrity presenter lost control of his black Mini and crashed into two cars at around 4pm on Sunday in Richmond, southwest London. Pictured is the smashed green Mini, which the young girl was in

Pictured is Lower Richmond Road in south west London, where Ant McPartlin crashed into two cars

A woman is seen opening the door of one of the cars involved in the crash, yesterday. McPartlin's car has been covered up by police

The restaurant boss was driving his 2017 registered green Mini when it was in collision with a sporty version of the same car with Ant at the wheel.

Faheem's Mini suffered extensive damage to the nearside front wheel while Ant's 26,000 Mini had its front nearside wheel completely sheared off.

Witnesses said Ant, who was returning home from walking his dog in Richmond Park, lost control of his car on a sharp bend after exiting a mini roundabout.

Faheem, who is originally from Mumbai, India, runs an Indian restaurant in Fulham called Pure Indian Cooking with his wife.

Shilpa trained at the Taj hotel group in India, before moving to the UK and cooking in various British pubs.

She has also worked as a sous chef in Quilon, and was Raymond Blanc's choice of head chef at London's first Brasserie Blanc.

Her husband has formerly managed at London's Bombay Brasserie Indian restaurant and an assistant manager the Taj Resort and Hotel in central London. The couple have run their own restaurant since 2015.

On its website, Faheem describes how he and his wife began their culinary careers at the Taj group of hotels in India.

It says: 'Since then, with Faheem managing front of house and Shilpa, who has worked with such masterchefs as the legendary Raymond Blanc OBE and Sriram Aylur of the Michelin starred Quilon, heading the kitchen, the restaurant has amassed a strong following as a refined as an exceedingly good local restaurant, with many clientele calling it a London 'West End restaurant in Fulham!'

McPartlin, who is worth 60million, spent most of Sunday night in police custody, before he was released under investigation and returned home at 3am yesterday.

The star has endured a troublesome year with his battle with painkillers addiction and the breakdown of his marriage to Lisa Armstrong.

Ant McPartlin's mother, Christine Woodhall, has been seen for the first time (pictured yesterday), leaving his London home, after her son's arrest

A statement on behalf of Ant & Dec confirmed McPartlin was taking a break from his on-screen duties, where he hosts on ITV with Declan Donnelly.

It said: 'Ant has decided to go back into treatment and step down from his current TV commitments.

'He has spoken with Dec and ITV and asked for time off for the foreseeable future. As such "Saturday Night Takeaway" will not be going ahead this Saturday.'

An ITV spokesman said: 'ITV has taken a joint decision with Ant and Dec's team not to broadcast Saturday Night Takeaway this weekend.

'We will be reviewing options for the last two episodes of the series (March 31 and April 7) which would not feature Ant who is taking time off to seek treatment. We very much hope that he gets the help that he needs.'

A witness to the crash told MailOnline: 'There were two cars travelling along Lower Richmond road - a green Mini Cooper and an X5 which was about much further back.

'A black Mini Cooper shot round the corner but instead of turning left went straight across the road and smashed into the green Mini.

'It was a bad crash but the black Mini Cooper still travelled on and crashed into the BMW behind which had done an emergency brake. There was a woman and her young son in there.

'Airbags deployed in the black Mini and a lady came out of the passenger seat. No one came out of the driver seat initially.

'The lady in the BMW came out but her son stayed in the car. The family in the Mini Cooper also came out and an Asian lady ran and screamed at the driver of the black Mini who was still inside. A passerby was asking her to calm down and checked on everyone to see if everyone was OK.

'People were checking that everyone was alright. There was a lot of confusion cos the horn remained blaring on the car for ages. Everyone was dazed by it all.

'When the driver came out, he just shouted intermittently at his mother but didn't speak to anyone else until the police arrived shortly. There were two dogs in the Mini.'

Ant McPartlin arrives back at his west London home at around 3am yesterday after his alleged drink-drive car crash

Just seconds before the crash, McPartlin was seen driving his John Cooper special edition car along Sheen Lane, after taking his dog for a walk in Richmond Park, southwest London, just before 4pm.

CCTV footage captured the TV presenter just seconds before he reached a mini roundabout on Lower Richmond Road and crashed into a green Mini and maroon BMW - injuring the three-year-old girl.

The video emerged shortly after his mother, Christine Woodhall, was seen for the first time, leaving his London home, after the arrest.

McPartlin failed a roadside breathalyser test - just 20 hours after appearing live on TV hosting Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. He was arrested by police and spent 10 hours in custody.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed the TV presenter, who has had a troublesome year with an addiction to painkillers and the breakdown of his marriage, had been released 'under investigation'.

He was spotted arriving home just before 3am, following his arrest.

A statement on behalf of Ant & Dec confirmed McPartlin was taking a break from his on-screen duties, where he hosts on ITV with Declan Donnelly. Pictured: The wheel of Ant's car is taken away

McPartlin, who is worth 60million, spent most of the night in police custody, before he was released 'under investigation and returned home at 3am yesterday. Pictured: The tyre belonging to Ant's car is taken away by a recovery team

His mother, Ms Woodhall, who is believed to have moved in with her son when the troubled star was struggling with painkillers, was seen yesterday getting into the back of a black Mercedes van which parked as near to the house in Chiswick, west London, as possible.

Charges and penalties Ant McPartlin could face after crash If Anthony McPartlin is charged and found guilty of driving while unfit through drink or drugs the maximum sentence he could receive is six months and a 5,000 fine and at least a two-year ban from the roads. Dangerous driving carries a sentence of up to five year and a minimum two-year driving ban. Careless and inconsiderate driving alone has a 5,000 fine and three to nine penalty points. Advertisement

A driver was seen removing several bags from the boot before Ms Woodhall, looking tired and shaken, jumped in the back before she was whisked away.

The troubled television personality allegedly crashed his black Mini after losing control of his vehicle on a roundabout, which veered into the opposite side of the road and collided with a green Mini, which had a young girl and couple inside.

Celebrity publicist Simon Jones visited the home of McPartlin yesterday. Jones, who is known to represent Little Mix, One Direction stars and McFly, spent around 90 minutes at the home for crisis talks.

He arrived in a Range Rover with two of his team members and refused to answer questions about how McPartlin was.

Several hours earlier an Audi A5 arrived at the car and a suited man spent around 30 minutes in the home.

Witnesses described McPartlin as being 'furious' when he got out of the car and he was seen shouting at his mother, Christine.

The crash is the latest in what has been a troublesome year for the telly favourite, after he went to rehab for his painkiller addiction and the breakup of his marriage to Lisa Armstrong.
Gogglebox star George Gilbey has been charged with attacking his girlfriend Gemma Conway

Gogglebox star George Gilbey has been charged with assault after rowing with his girlfriend and going on a wrecking spree in their west London home.

Gilbey, 34, reportedly snapped and 'shoved' partner Gemma Conway - who he shares a child with.

It is alleged he rampaged around their home, destroying a television, lamp, window sill and stairgate - doing 400 of damage.

Police were called to the incident at the couple's house in Twickenham on Friday.

Gilbey was arrested the following day and taken to Kingston police station for questioning.

He was changed with one offence of assault by beating and one offence of criminal damage to property valued under 5,000.

George and Gemma met in 2015 at the Royal Ascot Races and announced their pregnancy in February the next year, with the funnyman saying becoming a father was 'going to totally change my life and I can't wait.'

Gilbey (centre) shot to fame when he joined Gogglebox in September 2013

George, his mum Linda and her husband Pete became instant favourites with Gogglebox viewers when they joined the show in September 2013.

But a year later they were forced to leave the series when George chose to enter the Celebrity Big Brother house on rival Channel 5, deemed a rule break by producers.

Inside he became linked with Made in Chelsea star Stephanie Pratt. And in controversial scenes he later paired up with Edele Lynch after Pratt was evicted.

The reality TV star (left) and his girlfriend Gemma (right) welcomed a baby girl in 2016

Police were called to the couple's home on Friday and arrested Gilbey the following day

In 2016 the star admitted he blew most of his CBB fee, losing 12,000 in one night at a casino, and is now back working as an electrician.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson commented: 'A man has been charged following an assault on Friday, 16 March

'George Gilbey, 34, of Clacton, was charged with assault by beating and criminal damage on Saturday, 17 March.

'He has been bailed to appear at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 18 March.'
Celebrity chef Mike Isabella has been accused of sexually harassing one of his former employees, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in D.C. Superior Court.

The married 43-year-old first came to fame nearly a decade ago, when he competed on Season 6 of Top Chef.

While he only placed seventh in the reality show competition, the national attention landed him a book deal and the capital to launch his restaurant empire.

Today, Isabella heads a $30million restaurant company called Michael Isabella Concepts, with 11 eateries in the Washington, DC-area and surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs where the likes of Lady Gaga and Michelle Obama have been known to dine out.

But one former employee is now suing Isabella, his company, and four of his business partners for unspecified damages - saying that before she was fired in December, she was subjected to unwanted touching, inappropriate comments about her butt and derogatory name calling.

Chloe Caras, 33, says she joined Isabella's company as a regional manager in 2015, helping open three of his properties in Arlington, Virginia.

Celebrity chef Mike Isabella, 43 (left), was hit with a lawsuit on Monday by his former director of operations, Chloe Caras, 33 (right)

'The women bashing, the sexism  that was always there,' Caras said in an interview with the Washington Post, which exclusive broke the story of her lawsuit. 'I tried to sometimes play along or ignore it. I thought if I kept doing a good job, Id be okay.'

In her job, Caras said she was in 'frequent contact' with Isabella and his business partners and says she was 'routinely subject to their sexist comments, insults and ridicule.'

On February 19, 2016, Caras says she was sent a picture of a man licking a man's buttocks and a man with his penis against what appeared to be a plucked turkey while on a text chain with two of Isabella's business partners, Taha Ismail and Nicholas Pagonis.

According to the complaint, about a month later, Isabella asked her to name a cocktail the 'Itchy Kitty' and she refused.

She says he followed up about the cocktail with a text message on March 11, 2016.

'Itchy kitty,' he wrote.

'Oh come onnnnn,' she replied.

'Whats wrong, u got one?' Isabella wrote back.

Before she was fired in December, Caras says Isabella touched her inappropriately and called her a 'b****'. She was helping open the Isabella Eatery (above) in McLean, Virginia

And that's not all. On April 17, 2016, Caras says Isabella texted her and asked if she was going to a pork festival. When she said no, Isabella responded 'I thought u were going to be my date.' Isabella has been married to Stacy Nemeth since 2009.

On separate occasions, Caras says both Isabella and Ismail approached her from behind, grabbed her hair and pretended as if they were having sex with her.

Caras continued to work for Isabella though because she says she had convinced herself that his and his business partners' behavior was 'normal' for the male-dominated industry.

In July 2017, she was promoted to director of operations and put in charge of opening the Isabella Eatery in the Tysons Galleria Mall.

As she readied the restaurant for its launch, she says her bosses continued to harass her via text and make inappropriate comments about her appearance - which she says caused her develop anxiety.

Isabella achieved national attention in 2009 when he competed on Top Chef, placing seventh. He's pictured above on Top Chef Duels in 2014

All of this reached a tipping point on December 5, 2017, when she says Isabella made yet another sexually-charged comment about her.

The lawsuit says Isabella had 'consumed numerous drinks throughout the day and appeared visibly intoxicated' when a male sous chef approached him and Caras, who were both seated in a booth.

The sous chef asked if he could join them and Caras says Isabella responded: 'If you sleep with Chloe, you can'.

Caras told the Post that she told Isabella to stop and 'he immediately got angry'.

'I tried to walk away, and he followed me into the kitchen, calling me a "b****,"' she recalled.

'As Ms Caras reached the door to exit the restaurant, Mr Isabella chased after her and continued calling her a "b****" and tauntingly shouted, "Love you, Chloe. Nice working with you,"' the lawsuit states.

Caras says he then fired her.

Two former sous chefs corroborated Caras story to the Post.

Isabella is now the head of a $30million restaurant company that includes 11 restaurants in the DC-area and surrounding suburbs. He's pictured above working at his restaurant Graffiato in 2011

Isabella and his partners have denied the accusations and say the company does not discriminate against employees based on their sex.

'Simply put, the allegations of an unwelcoming or hostile work atmosphere are false,' Isabella and the accused partners said in a statement prepared by the Bascietto & Bregman law firm. 'Harassment, discrimination, bullying, abuse, or unequal treatment of any kind whatsoever are not tolerated at MIC.'

They added: 'After years of working for MIC and never before raising these allegations, in December, [Caras] stormed off the job and refused to return, insisting she had been fired.'

Isabella is also the author of a cookbook, Crazy Good Italian

Caras is speaking unspecified damages from Isabella, the company and four of his business partners: Taha Ismail, Yohan Allender, George Pagonis, Nicholas Pagnois.

And Caras isn't the only one who says she experienced a toxic male culture at the company.

Sarah Hancock, who worked as a pastry chef for Isabella from July 2017 to February, says that the chef kissed her on the cheek without her consent in late December and told her he would make her a superstar.

She told her boyfriend about the unwanted kiss via text message and said that 'it made my skin crawl'.

Hancock said the work environment at Isabella Eatery was 'degrading' for women.

'Its just not for me  to be treated in a way that feels like the workplace is a frat house,' Hancock said. 'The word "whore" was used quite often in the kitchen, and I hated it.

Isabella has previously come under fire for making a sexist comment.

During a 2009 televised clam-shucking event, Isabella said 'a girl shouldn't be at the same level that I am'.

The comment sparked outrage but Isabella insisted it was 'a joke'.

'I was raised in a broken family by my mother and my sister so I have plenty of respect for women. It was sarcastic,' he later said.
A man was shot dead in his home on Sunday while his wife and daughter were tied up.

Miguel Osorio, 44, was shot by an intruder after he tried to break from his restraints during the attack at his Gwinnett County home, police spokesman Jacob Albright confirmed.

Osorio's 56-year-old wife and 19-year-old daughter were tied up, their names have not yet been released.

A man was shot dead in his home on Sunday on Scholar Drive in Gwinnett County, Georgia while his wife and daughter were tied up

Miguel Osorio, 44, attempted to break free from being tied up, which is when the intruder shot him, Gwinnett police spokesman Jacob Albright confirmed

Cook said he came home from church and saw police in front of his neighbor's home, reported 11Alive.com.

He was horrified to learn that police believe home intruders shot a husband in front of his family in the middle of the afternoon. 'I would be scared, I would be worrying about my family, and say just whatever you get want, just don't hurt us,' Cook said.

Police said two men in bright construction or traffic vests got into the home without any obvious signs of forced entry.

Osorio's 56-year-old wife and 19-year-old daughter were tied up, their names have not yet been released

Police said two men in bright construction or traffic vests got into the home without any obvious signs of forced entry

Apparently neighbors heard multiple gunshots and then screams from the women in the house.

Cook said he didn't know the man who died but said this robbery never should have turned deadly. 'I understand he was scared and everything, but they didn't have to shoot him,' he said.

Police said the suspects got into a car that already had a driver inside of it - they were seen getting into a gold or tan SUV.
A Texas police deputy was terminated from his position after he allegedly assaulted a 12-year-old girl outside a barbecue joint when she began playing with a dog.

Witnesses at Oakwood BBQ in Austin say Jack Danford Jr, 42, brutally 'beat' the child outside the restaurant in a drunken, unprovoked attack on March 3.

It seems Danford, a regular at the restaurant, attempted to enter the eatery when employees informed him they were closed and asked him to leave. Danford refused.

He waited in the outdoor seating area for his daughter, Megan, and her boyfriend, Dahvi Winstead, who he was meeting up with, according to local Fox 26.

When they arrived, the deputy told his daughter he had 'been drinking all day'.

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Fired Williamson County deputy Jack Danford Jr., 42, (shown) is accused of punching a child on March 3 in a drunken rage

The unnamed girl, 12, recounted the horrific incident that happened after she simply went to play with her stepdad's dog

Before the alleged beating, Danford told his daughter he had been 'drinking all day'

The violent incident happened March 3 at Oakwood BBQ in Austin, Texas

At some point, Danford began petting a dog that was roaming around in the back of the restaurant.

The dog reportedly belonged to the girl's stepfather, Russell Cope, who the child was waiting for outside at the time.

While speaking with the news station, the girl was seen with an abrasion on her arm while she sat to explain the horrific incident.

'I was waiting for my mom's boyfriend to unload wood, so after that, we could go eat,' the young girl told the news station.

The child walked over to play with the dog - when Danford 'tackled and punched her in the face'.

The girl's stepdad and owner of the pup, Cope, said he witnessed the event happen when he tried to stop it.

Stepdad to the child, Russell Cope, believes the deputy was on some kind of drugs at the time

Manager of the barbecue joint, Will Atkins, said he had already threatened to call police on the deputy where the violent incident

'I seen him on top of her and he was hammer fisting it looked like to me... like UFC-style,' Cope explained of the upsetting sight.

'I got mad and started beating on the man and it seemed like he was on some kinda drug or something... because he wasn't stopping.'

The stepdad said he proceeded to kick Danford, who then fell to the ground.

Employees heard the girl screaming and saying, 'help!' initially, when several people rushed outside to see what was wrong.

It seems Danford, a regular at the restaurant, attempted to enter the eatery when employees informed him they were closed and asked him to leave

Danford was arrested at the scene. He has been charged with public intoxication, injury to a child and resisting search

Manager of Oakwood BBQ, Will Atkins, told CBS Austin that he had already threatened to call police on the deputy earlier when Danford refused to leave when asked.

'He came in, I guess he was a little drunk or on something. We asked him to leave... he refused to leave. We told him we were going to have to call the police if he didn't leave,' Atkins said.

Cope added that he hopes the deputy 'won't get off' on the charges for the disturbing incident.

Atkins also expressed his shock over Danford's behavior, and said he thought officers were supposed to be 'held to a higher standard,' according to News 4 San Antonio.

Danford, who was arrested at the scene, has been charged with public intoxication, injury to a child and resisting search.
A friend of the New York nanny accused of killing two children says the woman had been collapsing into crying fits and stabbing at her food in the weeks leading up to the gruesome murders.

Raquel Perez testified at the trial of Yoselyn Ortega on Monday, describing to jurors how her former friend had been acting oddly prior to the stabbing frenzy in October 2012.

She said Ortega, 55, once collapsed on the couch sobbing and she would cry regularly when they met up various times in September and October.

Perez said on one occasion she made Ortega a plate of food after she started crying but the nanny started repeatedly stabbing at it with her knife and court.

A friend of Yoselyn Ortega, 55, (above earlier this month) testified at her trial on Monday that the New York nanny had been acting oddly prior to stabbing two children in October 2012

'I asked her what was wrong, why she was crying,' Perez said with the help of a Spanish interpreter, the New York Post reported.

'She told me "nothing".'

Ortega is currently on trial for the murder of Lucia and Leo Krim.

The children were six and two years old respectively when their mother came home and found them stabbed to death in a bathtub of their Upper West Side apartment.

The Dominican nanny stabbed herself in the neck just as the children's mother was coming in the door but she survived her injuries.

Ortega has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and has mostly been sitting emotionless in court.

She offered a few smiles to her former friend Perez on Monday during her testimony.

Six-year-old Lucia and two-year-old Leo Krim were brutally stabbed to death in their Upper West Side apartment on October 25, 2012

Photos of two bloodied knives were shown to jurors in court last week

Perez told the court that Ortega had never mentioned hearing voices and said she loved the two children.

'She would tell me that she loved them very much, that they were good kids, that they were very intelligent,' Perez told jurors.

Dr Susan Ely, a city medical examiner, had previously told the court of the gruesome injuries inflicted on the children when they were brutally stabbed to death.

One female juror was left shaking after she heard how Ortega cut Leo's eck with a kitchen knife, leaving a 1.5-inch deep wound in the neck.

Leo had been stabbed so many times that he had no blood left in his body when he ended up on the autopsy table.

Another juror shook as the jury was shown a diagram of Lucia's body, showing how Ortega sliced and stabbed the girl 30 times on her head, neck, torso, arms and hands.

Her brother Leo had six wounds to his neck.

Ely said both children suffered horribly before they died because it took them several minutes to bleed out.

'They didnt die initially. Only some of [the knife wounds] were fatal. That takes an order of minutes, not seconds,' Ely said.

'Bleeding to death takes minutes.'

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 in court last week

Earlier in the case, the court heard what Ortega first told police as she recovered in the hospital, using her statement to complain about the cleaning duties she'd been asked to perform in the Krim home.

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 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.

She also said she paid Ortega $100 extra per week for the five hours of cleaning.

Kevin and Marina Krim, the parents of the children, recorded a video last month, shortly before Ortega went on trial.

The couple asked that with their case coming up in the news again, that people promote the foundation they started in honor of their slain children, the Lulu and Leo Fund, which aims to support innovative art programs for children.

Since the death of their two eldest children, the couple have gone on to have two more kids, Felix, born in 2013, and Linus, born in 2016.
Police investigating the death of a student who was battered by a gang of girls in a street attack last month have said they still do not know how she died but that the assault on her was not racially motivated.

Mariam Moustafa, 18, of St Ann's, London, died three weeks after being left in a coma following the brutal attack outside a shopping centre in Nottingham on February 20 at around 8pm.

The victim's family originally said they believed the attack was a race hate crime after the Egyptian-born teenager was targeted by the same group of girls the previous month.

Yet Chief superintendent Rob Griffin said that all of the 'evidence indicates that this incident is not in any way hate related'.

The last photo of Mariam Moustafa, (left) an engineering student, two weeks before she was left in a coma (right) after she was jumped by a group of female yobs. She died from her injuries on Wednesday

The engineering student's sister Malak, 16, later claimed Mariam may have been confused with a similar-looking girl who had been taunting the gang online.

Police have confirmed that a group of six girls were involved in the attack. The victim was allegedly punched several times and dragged by the female yobs before the assault continued - which was filmed by onlookers - after she boarded a bus.

Mariam was taken to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham then transferred to the City Hospital where she was treated until her death.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Mr Griffin said the policy in Nottinghamshire is to record a hate crime if anybody believes that to be the case.

He said: 'We had recorded a hate incident, however, the investigation has progressed really well... we have been able to establish what happened on February 20, and all the evidence indicates that this incident is not in any way hate-related.

Mariam (right) with her mother Nessrin Shehata, who claimed that her daughter had been assaulted by the same thugs four months before but police in Nottingham 'did nothing'.

'We now know that a group of six girls were involved in the incident and we believe that we have identified all six of those girls. One arrest has been made.'

A 17-year-old girl was arrested on suspicion of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm, but she has since been released on conditional bail.

Mr Griffin continued: 'There have been many reports about an incident in August last year where Mariam and her sister had been assaulted.

'It had been reported in the media that Mariam had broken her leg and we now know that this was not the case.

'The level of investigation at that time was appropriate and unfortunately no suspects were identified at the time.'

He added: 'In terms of whether or not the incident in August was connected to what happened in February - we are open-minded and these investigation continue and hopefully that picture will continue to become clearer.

The teenager (pictured) had been shopping in Nottingham city centre before she was assaulted

'We are working really closely with Mariam's family and providing support through specialist officers. I think it's really important I stress at this point that this investigation is very much live.'

Mariam's parents Nisreen, 41 and Mohamed, 49, claimed they had reported the original incident to police but said nothing was done.

And Mr Moustafa has called for 'justice' for his daughter, who was 'very kind' and 'like an angel'.

The case has sparked a diplomatic row in Egypt and Boris Johnson has already stepped in to reassure the nation the matter is being investigated thoroughly.

Egyptian authorities and her family had expressed concern about the police investigation and the care she received.

The teenager had been shopping in Nottingham city centre before she was assaulted by the women

They claimed she would still be alive if arrests had been made after the previous attack and also said doctors sent her home after the fatal assault despite her being in agony.

Mr Griffin said he will be having conversations with both the Egyptian and Italian embassies throughout the course of the week.

The Nottingham-based student was born in Rome where her family had moved to from Egypt in 1991.

Nottinghamshire Police have said a decision on whether the incident would be investigated as a crime more serious than that of assault would be made following the outcome of a post-mortem examination, which took place on Friday.

The force has now revealed that the outcome of the post-mortem was inconclusive and that more tests will be carried out.
A stay-at-home mother from Florida has been arrested for allegedly threatening to 'blow everyone up' at an elementary school last week.

According to the Nassau County Sheriffs Office, Christina Marie Maddox, 33, was taken into custody on Friday afternoon after posting a message on Facebook the day before that read: 'they have teaching planning day tomorrow and Ill def be there going to blow everyone up.

Investigators say the woman, who appears to have a young son and a daughter, was referring to Yulee Elementary School.

Mom charged: Christina Marie Maddox, 33, a mother from Florida, has been charged with threatening to 'blow everyone up' a a Yulee school

Maddox's Facebook threat was allegedly directed at Yulee Elementary School (pictured)

When interviewed by police, Maddox reportedly said that her post was taken out of context, according to an affidavit cited by First Coast News, and that she was planning to go to the school and talk to staff.

Maddox insisted she had no intention of hurting anyone.

The Yulee resident was booked into the Nassau County Jail and Detention Center on a single count of felony written threats to kill. Her bond was set at just over $15,000.

Jail records indicate that Maddox was arrested three times between September 2015 and January 2018 on misdemeanor counts of contempt of court, driving without a license and battery/domestic violence.
Adorable footage has captured the moment the first armadillo born in the UK this year drinks from a bottle.

In the clip, the baby armadillo can be seen wrapped up in a blue blanket on the lap of a Newquay Zoo volunteer in Cornwall.

The volunteer even dabs milk from around its mouth after it finishes its drink.

In the clip, the baby armadillo can be seen wrapped up in a blue blanket on the lap of a Newquay Zoo volunteer in Cornwall as it is fed kitten milk from a bottle

After being fed the three-week-old armadillo is taken out of the blanket and held and stroked by the volunteer

After being fed the armadillo is taken out from the blanket and the volunteer can be seen holding it and stroking its hard shell.

The tiny armadillo was born earlier this month to dad Wallace and mum Gromit.

It is being fed a special kitten milk replacement and will not open its eyes until it is around 25 days old.

Head keeper Sam Harley told Cornwall Live: 'We are delighted to have this little one - we made the decision to hand-rear him to give him the best possible chance of survival.

'So this means round-the-clock care from the keeping team. We've been up through the night to bottle feed him, which can prove very tiring, but it's all worth it.'

The baby armadillo has not yet open its eyes and will only do so when it is around 25 days old
A teenage boy has been left scarred for life after a girl threw acid in his face because he rejected her.

Mahmudul Hasan Maruf, 17 from Dhaka, Bangladesh, was pictured laying on a hospital bed with terrible injuries as a result of the attack.

According to reports, the acid was thrown in his face by a 16-year-old girl whose romantic advances he had turned down.

Mahmudul Hasan Maruf is just 17 and has been left with horrific injuries following an acid attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh

The girl and her mother have now both been arrested by police in Bangladesh.

Mahmadul was pictured with his mother who looked to be numb with shock at the horrific injuries suffered by her son.

The teenager's face was a mess of orange and red burns, with layers of his skin eaten away.

The 17-year-old was pictured laying on a hospital bed in clear and obvious pain following the horrific attack

Several layers of skin on Mahmudul's face appeared to have been burned off after the sickening attack

Pictures showed the skin on his face peeling off as a result of the acid attack.

He also suffered serious burns to his right shoulder.

Reports say that the boy was walking home after being out with friends when he was confronted by the girl.

As well as suffering serious burns to his face, the acid landed on the boys right shoulder, leaving permanent injuries

She had apparently been chasing after Mahamdul for a number of months despite his rejections.

After confronting the boy, she then threw the acid in his face.

The girl and her mother were both reportedly arrested the next day.

The 17-year-old's mother, pictured, looks utterly distraught at the injuries suffered by her young son

The pictures of the distressed boy reveal the shocking extent of the injuries he suffered in the attack.

Both sides of his face are equally damaged with entire layers of skin missing.

It is unclear whether the boy will ever make a full recovery, though the horrific injuries suggest he could be left with permanent scars.

Mahmudul was reportedly attacked by a 16-year-old girl when she confronted him as he returned home with a friend
A man is on the run from police after he was filmed racially abusing customers and staff at a Centrelink office.

The man was caught on camera yelling obscenities at an office in Salisbury, north Adelaide on Monday morning.

'I didn't vote for multiculturalism did I?' the man can be heard screaming as staff try to remove him.

'But you will do whatever you can for every other c**t other than Australians.'

A man is on the run from police after he was filmed racially abusing customers and staff at a Centrelink office

The man was caught on camera yelling obscenities at an office in Salisbury, north Adelaide on Monday morning

He then targets another Centrelink client calling her a 'black b**ch' and questioning how much money she receives.

The man says he will 'smash' staff as they attempt to protect children who are near him.

As the man leaves the building he offers one final piece of abuse: 'f**k youse all, you will pay me my f**king money'.

The video was filmed on a mobile phone of another Centrelink customer.

'I didn't vote for multiculturalism did I?' the man can be heard screaming as staff try to remove him

South Australia Police told Daily Mail Australia they have identified the man but are yet to track him down.

They attended the office about 11.30am, but by that time the man had already left.

Police enquiries into the incident are ongoing.
A woman crashed her car filled with fire accelerants into a Florida sheriff's office.

The driver was taken to hospital after she rammed her red Toyota Camry into Broward County Sheriff's office, in Pembroke Park, Florida, at around 11.30am on Monday morning.

The car crashed through the wall, into the office's community service room and burst into flames.

A woman crashed her car filled with fire accelerants into Broward County Sheriff's office (pictured)

A worker, who had been painting the office at the time, rushed to help the woman from the flaming wreck.

The driver was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital with third degree burns while the worker who helped her was also hospitalized, after hurting herself getting the woman out the car.

Crews were working to remove a vehicle that was driven into a Broward Sheriff's Office sub-station in Pembroke Park Monday morning

Police closed off the scene as emergency crews dealt with smoke inside the District 1 office with a red car visible inside

BSO confirmed that the woman driving the vehicle, which early reports say had a full tank of gasoline, was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital (pictured, emergency responders at the scene)

Video from the scene shows fire and emergency crews responding to the car which is inside the building.

It is not yet clear whether the woman, whose name is being withheld from the public crashed into the sheriff's office intentionally, or her motives to do so.

BSOs Violent Crimes Unit is investigating.
President Donald Trump has padded his legal team with a former U.S. attorney who has accused the FBI of trying to 'frame' the president  as his lawyers turned over written summary documents in hopes of limiting a sit-down Trump interview.

Joseph diGenova has joined a legal team that already includes John Dowd, Jay Sekulow, and White House official Ty Cobb.

DiGenova has decades of experience in Washington legal battles, and has described the FBI's handling of the Hillary Clinton and Russia investigations as a 'plot' to hurt Trump.

'There was a brazen plot to illegally exonerate Hillary Clinton and, if she didn't win the election, to then frame Donald Trump with a falsely created crime,' he said on Fox News earlier this year.

President Trump is beefing up his legal team once again, adding former U.S. Attorney Joseph diGenova to a legal team that already includes John Dowd, Jay Sekulow, and White House official Ty Cobb

'Make no mistake about it: A group of F.B.I. and D.O.J. people were trying to frame Donald Trump of a falsely created crime,' he said.

DiGenova said FBI lovers texts between FBI agents Peter Strzok and Lisa page showed the FBI 'conspired to violate the law, and deny Donald Trump his civil rights,' said DiGenova.

'The motive would be that they didn't like Donald Trump, they didn't think that he was fit to be president, and they were going to do everything within their power to exonerate Hillary Clinton, and if she lost to frame Donald Trump with a false crime, because they didn't think he should be president,' he told host Tucker Carlson in January.

DiGenova said FBI lovers texts between FBI agents Peter Strzok and Lisa page showed the FBI 'conspired to violate the law, and deny Donald Trump his civil rights'

Trump himself on Monday termed the Rober Mueller probe a 'witch hunt.'

The New York Times first reported diGenova's hiring was in the works. That report followed a Saturday statement from Trump attorney John Dowd calling on Mueller to end his Russia prboe.

'Former U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia Joe DiGenova will be joining our legal team later this week,' another outside Trump lawyer, Jay Sekulow, said in a statement. 'I have worked with Joe for many years and have full confidence that he will be a great asset in our representation of the President.'

The new legal hire comes as the Trump team has handed over summary documents to Mueller that they themselves drafted about key moments his team is investigating, the Washington Post reported.

The move was described as an effort to try to limit the scope of Mueller's planned interview with the president.

Trump's lawyers have been negotiating with Mueller for weeks over the terms of such an interview.

Trump has told reporters he is 'looking forward' to talking with Mueller in January  but that was before he uncorked a series of attacks on the special counsel over the weekend. The story described Trump as 'champing at the bit' to talk to Mueller.

DiGenova is a partner in the firm DiGenova and Toensing, along with his wife, Victoria Toensing.

Toensing represents former Trump campaign aide Sam Clovis and former Trump legal spokesman Mark Corallo.

Corallo is mentioned in Michael Wolff's book, 'Fire and Fury,' which claims he quit over Trump's role in crafting a misleading statement about Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Kremlin-linked lawyer in 2006.

'Mark Corallo was instructed not to speak to the press, indeed not to even answer the phone,' according to Wolff's account of the incident. 'Later that week, Corallo, seeing no good outcome  and privately confiding that he believed the meeting on Air Force One [about the statement] represented a likely obstruction of justice  quit.'

Trump on Monday blasted the Mueller probe as a 'total WITCH HUNT with massive conflicts of interest!'
Camille Balla, 32, is facing a murder charge for the death of her mother on Friday

A Florida woman gouged her mother's eyeballs out with glass shards and stored them in a cardboard box during a drug-induced attack, according to authorities.

Camille Balla, 32, is facing a first-degree murder charge after she was found covered in blood and sitting on the sidewalk by her Royal Palm Beach home on Friday.

'I killed my mother and I need help,' a frantic Balla told officials when they arrived at the home she shared with her mother, before handing them a blood-soaked set of keys.

A blood trail that started in the living room lead police to the house's garage, where they found the body of 55-year-old Francisca Monterio-Balla among broken glass and pools of blood.

Her eyeballs had been 'removed from her head and placed on a nearby cardboard box' and she had cuts all over her body, per the police report cited by NBC 5.

Handwritten notes with religious messages about clearing the soul were also found in the garage.

According to Balla's statements to fire rescue officials, she had smoked marijuana that she believed was laced with Flakka or PCP.

Scroll down for video

Police say the found Balla covered in blood and sitting on a sidewalk by her Royal Palm Beach home (pictured)

The body of Francisca Monterio-Balla, 55, was found in the home's garage. Her eyeballs had been 'removed f and placed on a nearby cardboard box'. Balla is pictured in court on Monday

Video courtesy of WPTV

'I'm a murderer, I'm a murderer!' Balla yelled as she ran around and then fell on the ground, according to the police report.

Police were called when one of Balla's co-workers went to the home after Balla called them saying she might have killed her mother.

Balla was treated for cuts on her hands and knees at Palms West Hospital and then taken to St Mary's Medical Center when she started screaming again.

Balla began screaming during her court appearance on Friday and had to be removed. A judge has ordered a mental evaluation

During her court appearance on Monday morning she began screaming again and had to be removed from the hearing. The judge then ordered her to have a mental evaluation.

A substance found at the home believed to be marijuana has been sent to a lab for testing.

Balla has a criminal record, including one arrest in 2015 for driving under the influence and another in 2014 for possession of marijuana- a charge she was never prosecuted for.
To Charles's intense annoyance, the Queen disapproved of his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, even when they were both divorced. In the gripping third part of our serialisation of a new biography of Prince Charles, Britains top investigative author reveals how a frustrated and angry Prince decided to have a late-night showdown with his mother at Balmoral . . .

On A late summers evening at Balmoral, Charles decided the moment had finally come. He was going to confront his mother and demand, once and for all, that she end her continued hostility to the woman he loved, Camilla Parker Bowles.

For years, both the Queen and her mother had refused to have anything to do with Charless mistress. Not only did they not want her present at any royal function, either formal or informal; they actively disapproved of her, and of Charless relationship with her.

Tensions: The Queen with Charles and Camilla on their wedding day in Windsor on April 9, 2005

But by the summer of 1998, Camilla was growing increasingly annoyed with Charless continued insistence that she must keep a low profile.

Youre off to the theatre with friends, so why cant I come? shed snap. She also wanted to meet William and Harry, and to be able to join Charles on holiday  and could see no reason, almost a year after Dianas death, why that shouldnt happen.

However, as the Prince knew better than anyone, there was no possibility of bringing their relationship out into the open without the Queens approval.

Princess Margaret, who sympathised with him, had tried to intercede on his behalf. But the Queen had told her sister she didnt want to meet, or even talk about, Camilla.

So, exasperated by what he termed an intolerable situation, and egged on by Margaret, he approached his mother one night in her sitting room at Balmoral.

He asked that she soften her antagonism so he could live openly with Camilla. His hope was that the Queen, who rarely interfered, would at least not directly forbid it.

But on that evening shed had several martinis, and to Charless surprise she replied forcefully: she would not condone his adultery, nor forgive Camilla for not leaving Charles alone to allow his marriage to recover.

She vented her anger that he had lied about his relationship with what she called that wicked woman, and added: I want nothing to do with her.

Met with a further hostile silence, Charles fled the room. In his fragile state, her phrase  that wicked woman  was unforgettable. Tearfully, he telephoned Camilla. In fact, the Queens disapproval of Camilla wasnt limited simply to moral grounds. She was also nervous that her character, exposed in the infamous Camillagate tapes six years earlier, was that of a shrewd mistress.

Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess Of Cornwall, Camilla Parker-Bowles pose for the Official Wedding photograph with their children and parents

Oh darling, I love you . . . I need you all the week, all the time, Camilla had gushed. The much less savvy Diana never made such over-the-top declarations.

Charles was distraught. As far as he was concerned, his mother had shown that she had little concern for his happiness.

Carried away by a gust of tenderness towards himself, the Prince complained that neither Diana nor the Queen had ever sympathised with his needs. His mother even stopped him moving into Clarence House, then his grandmothers home, after his 1992 separation from Diana.

Why? Because the Queen felt that he had to be reprimanded  and, in any case, the prospect of Charles entertaining Camilla in a palace shared with the 92-year-old Queen Mother was offensive to her. Instead, he was given St Jamess Palace, a cold, comfortless dwelling. To make matters worse, Charless beloved grandmother had also remained implacably opposed to Camilla.

Was Camilla truly smitten by Charles? Looking back over their three separate affairs, some members of their circle have questioned the degree of Camillas attachment to Charles. Their first dalliance had taken place in the early 1970s, six years into Camillas on-off relationship with Andrew Parker Bowles, a captain in the Blues and Royals. Aware that her boyfriend had lovers on the side, shed begun sleeping with the Prince. Andrew Parker Bowles knew, and was unconcerned. Camilla had actually laughed with him about Charles, saying he was an emotionally immature boy, suitable for a fun fling. It was Parker Bowles she was obsessed by and when he finally proposed, choosing her as the best of the bunch of his current girlfriends, she accepted. A week before their wedding, Charles rang from the Caribbean, where he was serving on a Royal Navy ship. Sounding desperately lonely, he asked whether she was sure about marrying, but didnt propose himself. After ending the call, Camilla immediately repeated the conversation to her fiance. They told each other that Charles felt isolated and depressed because his sister Anne had just married Mark Phillips. From the outset, the Parker Bowles marriage was unusual. Army officers expected their wives to play their part in regimental life, tolerate regular relocations of home and maintain appropriate standards in dress and housekeeping. Among her husbands fellow officers, however, it was known that Camilla avoided all that  not least because, as Andrew admitted to his friends, shes bone idle. Instead of basing himself in their untidy country home, he decided to live in London during the week, where he was soon having successive affairs. So when Camilla resumed her dalliance with Charles in 1979, he again made no objection. Even then, many of her friends felt, Camilla was not genuinely in love with the Prince, though she was flattered by his attentions. And then came her final affair with Charles, which began while he was married to Diana. Even Mark Bolland, who served as Charless assistant private secretary for six years and became very close to Camilla, was unsure that it was ever truly a big love story. Was it instead, he wondered, a case of two middle-aged people, at the tail end of their marriages, finding each other a convenient staging post? Advertisement

Neither the Queen nor the Queen Mother would allow Camilla even to be present in the same room as them.

Both, however, pointedly welcomed her ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles to receptions, race meetings and house parties.

Princess Margaret wasnt the only one whod tried to make them see reason. The Earl of Carnarvon, the Queens racehorse trainer and close friend, had volunteered to act as a go-between.

Unfortunately, that had been a disaster. After talking to the Queen, hed subsequently switched to her side.

Charles had also recruited Angus Ogilvy, the husband of Princess Alexandra, to speak up for Camilla. And, rather dramatically, Ogilvy had informed the Queen that her son would neither compromise nor surrender.

Nothing made any difference. The Prince boiled with frustration.

Ironically, it was Dianas infamous Panorama interview in 1995 that convinced the Queen that Camilla needed to go. More than 22 million people had watched as the Princess not only questioned Charless suitability to be king, but intimated that hed slept with his mistress on the night before the royal wedding.

There were three of us in the marriage, so it was a bit crowded, she said memorably. After the broadcast, the Queen and Prince Philip  neither of whom Charles viewed as well-meaning advisers  told him that he could not rebuild his image nor dampen the controversy about the succession until he broke with Camilla.

His misery deepened, and under pressure from his mother he agreed that he and Diana should divorce.

Racked by self-doubt, he telephoned friends for reassurance, often talking well into the night. He mainly sought consolation in long calls with his divorce lawyer, Fiona Shackleton, and Camilla. No one else, he later remarked, was willing to lift a finger to help me.

By December 1996, Charles felt that the entire House of Windsor was ranged against him. During the Christmas holiday that year, he brooded over his suspicion that his brothers, Edward and Andrew, were plotting his downfall.

Andrew, he believed, had been spreading poison about Camilla to the Queen and Prince Philip.

Now, mindful of Dianas prediction on Panorama that he would never be king, Charles convinced himself that Diana and Sarah, Andrews estranged wife, were hatching plans to replace him as heir  by announcing that on the Queens death, or abdication, Andrew would be Regent until William was 18, when he would take over.

Andrew wanted to be me, Charles later told his assistant private secretary, Mark Bolland, who acted as his spin doctor. I should have let him work with me. Now hes unhelpful.

As FOR Anne, his sister had aggravated the situation; instead of mediating between her siblings, she had criticised Charles for his adultery.

Shes one to talk, he said, irritated by her Goody Two-Shoes image. Look at her past.

The couples engagement was duly welcomed by the Queen, though few could be sure what she really thought. Thereafter, the wedding plans hit one embarrassing snag after another

Anne, he declared, had enjoyed an intimate friendship with Andrew Parker Bowles at the same time that Charles was with Camilla.

By the end of the Christmas holiday, Charles had decided to ignore his parents and continue his relationship with Camilla.

So when Prince Philip wrote his son a private letter, urging him not to marry her, Charles didnt keep it to himself. Instead, he angrily read it out loud to his spin doctor, urging him to leak it to a newspaper  which Bolland duly did.

On another occasion, Charles dared to tell his mothers private secretary, Robert Fellowes, that the Queen needed to move with the times.

Unsurprisingly, the Princes advice was ignored.

Fellowes had no sympathy for Charles and Camilla. Those two are the most selfish people Ive ever met, he said.

As for the Queen herself, by 1997, she was feeling battered. I cannot believe whats happening to me, she confessed to an adviser, after describing her continuing struggle with Charles.

Philip, her most loyal ally, offered little comfort. He merely encouraged her distrust of Charles and reinforced her anger towards Camilla.

Relations between the two palaces at times descended into farce. When Charles held a fundraising dinner at Buckingham Palace in the Queens absence, he knew that shed object if Camilla sat at his table.

The solution? Her name was kept off the seating plan, and she came in late  to slip into a seat opposite her lover.

While Maam is away, the mice will play, Charles told his guests.

After the showdown with his mother at Balmoral, Charless tactics became more sophisticated.

In 2000, he invited her to a 60th birthday party for King Constantine of Greece, knowing full well that shed be loath to miss it  even though Camilla would be there. He was right: the Queen agreed to come, though she made it clear that shed refuse to be introduced to his lover.

It WAS the Queens firm belief that Charles would not marry Camilla in her lifetime. Yet, in 2005, he proposed marriage to his mistress, by then aged 57

For Her Majesty, she does not exist, one courtier commented.

It was the death of the Queen Mother, in 2002, that finally led to a turning-point in the Queens attitude.

Initially, shed decided that Camilla couldnt be invited to the funeral, because the Queen Mother had disapproved of her so strongly. But she changed her mind after hearing Charless emotional tribute to her mother on TV.

And so, she relented  a little. Camilla, she conceded, could be present at the funeral as a friend of the Queen Mother, but not as Charless partner.

It WAS the Queens firm belief that Charles would not marry Camilla in her lifetime. Yet, in 2005, he proposed marriage to his mistress, by then aged 57.

The couples engagement was duly welcomed by the Queen, though few could be sure what she really thought. Thereafter, the wedding plans hit one embarrassing snag after another.

First, Charless private secretary announced that the couple would have a civil ceremony at Windsor Castle, followed by a blessing by the Archbishop of Canterbury in St Georges Chapel.

The day Fergie chased Charles around Highgrove with a bible When Fergie asked Prince Charles to her ex-husbands 40th birthday party, he turned the invitation down flat. It wasnt because he wanted to upset Andrew, but because he couldnt bear his former sister-in-law. Eight years after Fergie had been photographed topless while her financial adviser, Johnny Bryan, sucked her toes, Charles had still not forgotten her vulgarity. Charless dislike of his one-time sister-in-law had escalated after she had chased him around Highgrove carrying a Bible, begging to be allowed to swear her innocence of her reported misbehaviour. Advertisement

Within days, however, it emerged that three separate Marriage Acts specifically forbade the marriage of any member of the Royal Family in a register office. Charles could be married only in a church  yet the Anglican Church would not unite two divorcees.

On top of that, hed ignored the fact that civil marriages must be held in public places. Windsor Castle was the Queens private home, which meant it was out of the question.

In the end, to limit the royals embarrassment, the Prime Minister Tony Blair and Charles Falconer, the Lord Chancellor, decided simply to overlook the statutes, and permit Charles and Camilla to be married in a register office after all.

The next cause for consternation was a YouGov poll that revealed the majority of Britons preferred William as the next king, and only 16 per cent welcomed Camilla as the next queen.

Yet Charless private secretary, Michael Peat, had already categorically denied that shed ever be queen. After Charless accession, hed announced, Camilla would be named princess consort instead.

He was wrong. Government lawyers quietly admitted that the marriage would not be morganatic  that is, a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents a husbands titles and privileges passing to the wife.

This meant that on the Queens death, Camilla could, and would, become queen.

To minimise public displeasure in the meantime, Buckingham Palace briefings described her as an unwilling bride and a bundle of nerves whod gladly remain in the shadows  silent and supportive  and had no ambition to be queen.

In a similar vein, courtiers gave the impression that Charles had dithered about marriage until the Queen herself had persuaded him of the importance of averting a constitutional crisis if he were still unmarried at time of the succession. As supreme governor of the Church of England, he could not live in sin.

The wave of disinformation about Camilla being a protesting bride was soon ridiculed. This was a woman, her critics riposted, whod always posed as reluctant.

There was no mistaking the Queens frostiness towards her future daughter-in-law. During the weeks leading up to the big day, she excluded Camilla from both royal ceremonies and official dinners

To get her way, shed feigned resistance to marrying Charles; then shed hesitated about accepting a royal title; and now she was pretending to oppose being crowned queen.

It was all nonsense.

Certainly, she relished the prospect of her new title. As Duchess of Cornwall, shed rank above Princess Anne and Sophie Wessex, both of whom would be expected to curtsey to her and to acknowledge that no one could leave a room before her.

The final ignominy in the run-up to the wedding was the Queens unexpected disclosure that she wouldnt be present at the town hall ceremony.

Charles was inconsolable. In every spare moment, he phoned friends and sympathetic officials to complain about his fate.

He needed to get things off his chest, recalled one person on the list for regular tirades. He needed to let off steam. He would go on forever, far into the night.

On top of declining to attend the ceremony, the Queen had also rejected Charless proposal for a glittering dinner party for 650 guests at Windsor Castle. Anxious to avoid any controversy, she decreed that it would have to be a modest celebration.

Then she vetoed Charless plan for his former valet and fixer Michael Fawcett  whom the Queen disliked  to supervise it.

Still, the Prince was at least allowed to choose the guest list for the reception, which included those loyal friends  the Palmer-Tomkinsons, the Marquess of Douro, the Earl and Countess of Halifax and the Duchess of Devonshire  who had allowed their homes to be used by the couple after Dianas death, when they were trying to keep their relationship secret.

Wallowing in gloom during the run-up to his wedding, Charles was asked, half-jokingly, by one of his friends whether the Queen might abdicate. No, replied Charles, taking the question at face value. Can you imagine her looking out of the window of Clarence House and waving to me as I paraded in a carriage down The Mall?

Meanwhile, there was no mistaking the Queens frostiness towards her future daughter-in-law.

During the weeks leading up to the big day, she not only excluded Camilla from both royal ceremonies and official dinners, but also remarked that there was very little special Welsh gold left to make Camillas wedding ring.

There wont be enough for a third wedding, she pointed out.

On the morning of April 9, a small, enthusiastic crowd cheered outside Windsors register office. After the marriage, which was witnessed by Charless three siblings, the Prince and his bride shed a few tears as they went on to St Georges Chapel in the castle for the archbishops blessing.

The Queen looked serious as the archbishop asked: Will you, his relatives, his friends and supporters, support the Prince in his marriage vows and his loyalty for the rest of his life?

As she emerged into public view, she smiled then walked briskly to a side-room. The Queen was, as planned, just in time to watch the Grand National with Camillas ex-husband and other racing enthusiasts.

Afterwards, Charles looked warily at Andrew Parker Bowles as the Queen entered the reception. There was a call for silence.

I have two important announcements to make, she said. I know you will want to know who was the winner of the Grand National. It was Hedgehunter.

How Mandy left Charles plagued with self-doubt Prince Charles and Peter Mandelson at a garden party He may have been known as The Prince of Darkness, but Camilla was charmed by Labour spin-doctor Peter Mandelson when she was introduced to him at a dinner party. Not long after the 1997 General Election, he was duly invited to lunch at Highgrove to meet the Prince of Wales. Camilla was in high spirits. Recalling election night, she informed Mandelson that shed worn a red dress to a dinner with friends, telling them: Im dressing for the future. Then Charles weighed in with his prime concern: what did Labour ministers think of him, he asked. Mandelson reassured him that they saw the Prince of Wales as hard-working and civilised, with a deep social conscience. However, he added, some people have gained the impression you feel sorry for yourself, that youre rather glum and dispirited. This has a dampening effect on how you are regarded. Charles looked stunned. After Mandelson had left, he turned to Camilla and asked her beseechingly: Is that true? Is that true? I dont think any of us can cope with you asking that question over and over again for the next month, she replied. Well, then, said Charles, how about for just the next 20 minutes? Advertisement

After the laughter subsided, she continued: Secondly, having cleared Bechers Brook and The Chair and all kinds of other terrible obstacles, they have come through and Im very proud and wish them well. My son is home and dry with the woman he loves. They are now on the home straight; the happy couple are now in the winners enclosure.

Amid the cheers of approval, few noticed that the Queen had not once mentioned Camilla by name. Nor did she speak to her during the party.

I cant believe it, the new bride repeated to her friends in the room. I cant believe it.

The Queen was also noticeably cool towards her son. As for Charles, he hadnt appreciated her wedding gift.

Shed given him a brood mare as a wedding present, and a promise to cover her with a stallion and pay the expenses for the foal. Perhaps she forgot that Charles wasnt interested in racing.

After her speech, the Queen again went into the side-room to watch a replay of the big race. To her irritation, the event hadnt been recorded. Someone forgot to push the right button, Maam, explained a nervous courtier.

At this point, the Queen headed for the exit, passing Michael Fawcett  the servant closest to Charles  on the way. Oh look, she said loudly to Philip, theres Fawcett. Hes got so fat.

Charles was waiting for her on the steps outside. That went rather well, said the Queen.

Yes, Charles replied.

Were leaving now.

Oh, I really want a picture of us all.

The Queen stood for just 52 seconds, then, without another word, walked away.

After shed left the wedding reception, Charles turned to Billy Tallon, known as Backstairs Billy, whod been the Queen Mothers favourite steward.

If only Grandmama could have been here and seen this, he said.

If shed been alive, Tallon replied, you couldnt have married.

REBEL Prince: The Power, Passion and Defiance of Prince Charles by Tom Bower is published by William Collins on Thursday, priced 20.  Tom Bower 2018. To order a copy for 14 (30 per cent discount) visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640. P&P is free on orders over 15. Offer valid until March 31, 2018.

Plus, get an additional 5 per cent off this title when you redeem through MyMail.co.uk
A teenager is fighting for his life after a huge fire ripped through a car workshop in Perth.

The 19-year-old man suffered extensive burns during the inferno at the business in Osborne Park in the city's inner north west on Monday afternoon.

The young man's screams were heard by witnesses who saw him run outside and roll on the ground after his skin was burnt off.

The 19-year-old man is fighting for his life after a massive fire ripped through a workshop in Perth

The young man's screams were heard by witnesses as the building was quickly engulfed by the raging inferno

He suffered extensive burns and was rushed to hospital as witnesses said the man's skin was 'basically in his hands'

Strangers were also seen trying to put out the flames on him by using a hose, Nine News reports.

The fire started at the Precision Automatic Transmissions auto-repair shop at around 12.30pm.

The man is in a critical condition after being rushed to the Fiona Stanley Hospital across the city.

'He had been horribly burnt,' a witness told Nine. 'His face and body, his shirt was off him. His pants were burnt. His skin was basically in his hands.'

Explosions were heard from inside the building as witnesses said they believed tyres and chemicals were blowing up

Firefighters say they think the building will collapse due to the extensive structural damage caused by the fire

A second man was also given treatment at the scene for minor burns but was not taken to hospital, it is reported.

Explosions were heard from inside the building with as witnesses said they believed were tyres and chemicals blowing up.

Huge plumes of billowing black smoke were seen for miles across Perth as the fire took less than a minute to engulf the building.

Huge plumes of billowing black smoke were seen for miles across Perth as the fire took less than a minute to take hold

Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly four hours to protect neighbouring businesses as the flames threatened to spread.

People were warned to keep their doors and windows shut to protect against toxic fumes.

Workers were evacuated as firefighters assessed the scene and say the building is likely to collapse because of significant structural damage.

'We couldn't make entry, both because of what was burning as well as the structure itself being fully involved,' said Ryan Murtagh from the fire department.

It is believed the cause of the fire was accidental but caused around $700,000 worth of damage

The all-clear was given shortly before 4pm local time on Monday as 10 firefighters remained to extinguish remaining hotspots.

Department of Fire and Emergency Services WA said the cause of the fire was believed to be accidental.

The fire is estimated to have caused around $700,000 worth of damage destroying cars and a boat as an investigation is launched by WorkSafe.
Students at a Pennsylvania high school were ordered to serve detention after they participated in the National School Walkout last week.

But the 225 students at Pennridge High School turned their punishment into another form of protest against gun violence on Saturday.

'#Pennridge225 is fighting against gun violence. Saturday morning detentions are nothing if it means our voices are heard,' student Anna Tinneny tweeted.

Students at Pennridge High School in Pennsylvania were ordered to serve detention after they participated in the National School Walkout last week

But the 225 students at Pennridge turned their punishment into another form of protest against gun violence on Saturday

'#Pennridge225 is fighting against gun violence. Saturday morning detentions are nothing if it means our voices are heard,' student Anna Tinneny tweeted. Several students brought flowers and placed in the middle of their circle

Forty-six students, the first group of the 225 students, showed up to serve detention for participating in the walkout last Wednesday, according to The Morning Call.

'The new Flower Power. #Pennridge225 protests #NationalWalkout detention by leaving assigned seats to hold sit in in the middle of the room,' Tinneny wrote Twitter.

Videos and photos of the students' detention, showed them linking arms as they sat in a circle with the names of gun violence victims scrolled on their clothing and signs.

The students sat quietly together as some placed flowers in the center of the circle.

Their silent protest got the attention of Chelsea Clinton, who is a vocal advocate for gun control. She retweeted the video of the students on Saturday.

Actor Patton Oswald also retweeted the students' video with the caption: 'Holy sh*t. A Breakfast Club made up of only bada**es. #Pennridge225.'

Videos and photos of the students' detention, showed them linking arms as they sat in a circle with the names of gun violence victims scrolled on their clothing and signs

Their silent protest got the attention of Chelsea Clinton, who is a vocal advocate for gun control. She retweeted the video of the students on Saturday

The National School Walkout occurred on the one-month anniversary of the shooting deaths of 17 students and staff at the Majorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida

The walkouts to protest gun violence that mobilized students across the country also created tensions in hallways and classrooms as a new generation was thrust into the debate over guns

The National School Walkout occurred on the one-month anniversary of the shooting deaths of 17 students and staff at the Majorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

The walkouts to protest gun violence that mobilized students across the country also created tensions in hallways and classrooms as a new generation was thrust into the debate over guns.

Organizers of the national walkouts called for such measures as tighter background checks on gun purchases and a ban on assault weapons like the one used in the Florida bloodbath.

A protest against gun violence is also scheduled in Washington on March 24, and another round of school walkouts is planned for April 20, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High shooting in Colorado.

A student is seen placing flowers on the school's cafeteria floor as others link their arms together

Organizers of the national walkouts called for such measures as tighter background checks on gun purchases and a ban on assault weapons like the one used in the Florida bloodbath
A suspicious 'device' has been found near a police station and courthouse in Melbourne's south-east.

A police bomb response unit at about 8am Tuesday attended Fletcher Road in Frankston, where the station and Magistrates Court is located.

Pictures from the scene show an unattended brown bag was placed beside the entrance of the court house.

A police bomb disposal robot could be seen inspecting the bag, pulling out what appears to be a red jerry can with a gas bottle attached.

A suspicious 'device' (pictured) has been found near a police station and courthouse in Melbourne 's south-east

A police bomb response unit on Tuesday morning attended Fletcher Road in Frankston, where the station and Magistrates Court is located

A police bomb disposal robot was used to inspect the bag, pulling out what appeared to be a red jerry can with a gas bottle attached

The court remained closed for about 90 minutes as the bomb response unit investigated the package (pictured)

Police are now investigating who is responsible for the scare, asking anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in the court car park about 7am to come forward. Pictured: A member of the bomb response unit moves in to investigate a suspicious device

A police spokesperson said on Tuesday morning police conducted safety checks on the package

Police crews wearing flak jackets and fire services could also be seen arriving at the scene and cordoning off sections of the road.

A Frankston Magistrates Court spokesperson said the courthouse was evacuated about 9am after reports of the suspicious package.

The court remained closed for about 90 minutes as the bomb response unit investigated, the spokesperson said.

A worker at next-door body repair shop Repco told Daily Mail Australia that police shut down parts of Fletcher Road at the same time.

He said the road reopened shortly before 10am, allowing customers entry into Bayside Shopping Centre, which is across the road from the courthouse.

A police spokesperson said the area was declared safe after a police bomb response unit 'conducted safety checks'.

Police are now investigating who is responsible for the scare, asking anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in the court car park about 7am to come forward.



Police crews wearing flak jackets and fire services could be seen arriving at the scene at cordoning off sections of the road

Pictures from the scene show an unattended brown bag (pictured) was placed beside the entrance of Frankston Magistrates Court, where officers were attending on Tuesday morning

Police and emergency services investigate a suspicious device found in Frankston, Melbourne
Overseas investors who poured nearly $300 million into an Indian real estate firm that partnered with the Trump Organization have accused it of fraudulently draining two-thirds of the value of their investment.

The investors accuse the IREO real estate firm of 'illegally siphoning off' at least $147 million of invested funds  or possibly as much as $200 million.

The firm partnered with the Trump Organization on a partner in India, the Washington Post reported.

Children's Investment Fund Foundation charity and Axon Partners private equity firm made the investments and filed the complaint.

It charges Lalit Goyal and co-founder Anurag Bhargava with engaging in 'large-scale fraud.'

Vice Chairman & MD of Ireo Lalit Goyal with Sapna Goyal at the unveiling of a nearly 22 feet high installation, Dada Tree, by renowned artist, Subodh Gupta on April 25, 2015 in Gurgaon, India

In a letter to investors Goyal called the fraud allegation 'false, baseless and devoid of any merit.'

Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son who helps run the Trump Organization, visited India in February and attended a ceremony for a Trump-branded apartment building going up in Mumbai.

Trump Jr. called IREO a 'truly a fantastic group' during the April 2016 announcement of a planned new luxury office tower.

'We have enjoyed tremendous success in India with our existing properties in Mumbai and Pune, and we are thrilled to add yet another incredible development to our portfolio. IREO is truly a fantastic group and we are looking forward to pushing the boundaries together to create what will soon be one of the most exciting and sought after commercial towers in India and beyond,' Trump Jr. said.

Donald Trump Jr. visited India in February and hailed the family's investment partnerships there

The president has given up control of the family business but maintains ownership

Businessman Donald Trump Junior, Executive Vice-President, Trump Organization along with Abhishek Lodha, Managing Director, Lodha Group during the topping-out ceremony at the Trump Tower, on February 22, 2018 in Mumbai, India

His trip drew criticism for an offer of 'a conversation and dinner' with investors willing to put down a $38,000 fee.

The president has given up control of the family business but maintains ownership.

The Post reported that Trump Jr. didn't specifically plug the IREO project by name, but did say the company had 'five incredible deals that are all active,' which included the company's tower.

Goyal told the Post in 2017: 'We thought Trump would be the ideal partner,' for the project. He said in a meeting the year before, the president's son was 'very focused on what the commercial building should be. The shape of the glass, what customers like. He was very businesslike' Goyal said.

He didn't respond to the paper's requests for comment about the fraud allegations.

News of the problems in India come after a Orestes Fintiklis, a businessman with a majority stake in the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Panama, led an effort to cast off the Trump name and sever a management deal.
Brexit Secretary David Davis and EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier were all smiles as they unveiled the Brexit transition deal

Rights of EU nationals

Britain has agreed that EU nationals arriving in the country during the transition period will have the same rights as Europeans living in the UK now.

Free trade deals

Britain will be able to negotiate and sign free trade deals around the world during the transition period.

However, they will only come into force after the transition period has ended.

The transition period

The transition period will end on 31 December 2021 - meaning Britain will have a 21 month implementation phase.

The Irish border

Britain and the EU promised to keep a soft Irish border.

Britain says it hopes to use technology to come up with plans to have an invisible border as part of the free trade deal.

If nothing is agreed then a 'backstop' agreement will come into force meaning the UK would agree to align closely enough with EU rules to avoid a hard border.

Divorce Bill:

Britain signed up to the Brexit divorce bill, which is around 40billion.
Actress Anna Friel offered tea and sympathy to police officers who ended up outside her home dealing with a car that had spun off the road in icy weather conditions.

Friel walked out of her town house with steaming mugs of hot tea and a packet of biscuits for the officers as temperatures plummeted to below freezing overnight.

The 41-year-old dressed casually in a cream Aran-style jumper and skinny trousers with her hair swiped up in a messy pony tail, opened the door to the Thames Valley Police officers in Windsor yesterday.

Actress Anna Friel offered mugs of tea to police officers dealing with a car crash outside her home in Windsor in icy weather conditions

Ms Friel, who has a four storey-town house in the Berkshire town, was currently on television screens playing a former London detective Marcella Buckland in the second series of the crime noir.

She came to the rescue of PC Housby and PC Morgan who posted they were 'treated to a lovely cup of tea and some biscuits by Anna Friel after a car span on the ice near her house.

'Fortunately, there was only damage to the car but Anna came out to assist in the freezing cold whilst the officers waited for the recovery to remove the car. Many thanks for the kind words Anna and the goodies for our officers!'

Friel took to social media and said: 'This is why we pay our taxes. These guys were phenomenal. About to go to bed and hear a smash outside my front door.

'The emergency services were here in four mins. The roads hadn't been gritted. All involved in this instance were okay, thank goodness. Note: Be kind to those that are ready to help; even if you are not involved #realpolice.'

A spokesman for Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead said the road was a primary route and had been gritted.
A huge volcanic eruption helped convert Iceland's Vikings to Christianity more than a thousand years ago, according to new research.

The eruption produced the country's largest ever lava flood and was recorded in a medieval poem used to drive the island's conversion to Christianity, the study claims.

Scientists used information contained within ice cores and tree rings to date the massive Eldgja eruption, which took place soon after the island was first settled.

Having dated the eruption, the researchers found that Icelands most celebrated medieval poem, the Voluspa, contained a description of the event.

The poem also describes the end of the pagan gods and the coming of a new, singular god, and was a key text in the Christianisation of Iceland.

Until now, the date of the eruption had been uncertain, hindering investigation of its likely impacts, but scientists now believe it helped to push the country away from the Nordic gods of old.

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A huge lava flood was recorded in a medieval poem (pictured), the famed piece of literature was used to turn people against the old Gods and towards Christianity. New research suggests the event described in the poem was the the 10th Century eruption of Icelandic volcano Eldgja

The 10th Century eruption of volcano Eldgja left the island covered in huge swathes of lava as it belched huge amounts of sulphurous gas and ash.

It was a colossal event with around five cubic miles (20 cubic kilometres) of lava erupted - enough to cover all of England up to ankle-height.

The Eldgja lava flood affected southern Iceland within a century of the island's settlement by Vikings and Celts around 874AD.

A team of scientists and historians, led by Cambridge University scholars, used information contained within ice cores and tree rings to accurately date the eruption.

They found the event began around the spring of 939AD and continued at least through the autumn of 940AD.

Co-author Prof Andy Orchard, of Oxford University's Faculty of English, said: 'The effects of the Eldgja eruption must have been devastating for the young colony on Iceland - very likely, land was abandoned and famine severe.

'However, there are no surviving texts from Iceland itself during this time that provide us with direct accounts of the eruption.'

But Iceland's most celebrated medieval poem, Voluspa, could paint a dramatic picture of the event, according to a team of researchers.

Heralded as 'The prophecy of the seeress' it has been dated as far back as 961AD.

The Eldgja fissure in southern Iceland (pictured) looks idyllic but the vast magma chambers below the crust of the nation can produce powerful eruptions. A volcanic eruption and a medieval poem combined to end of the old Norse Gods and bring the dawn of Christianity

WHAT IS THE VOLUSPA AND WHAT IS IT ABOUT? The Voluspa is an ancient poem which dates back to the 10th Century. It is part of the Poetic Edda, which is the modern name for an unnamed collection of Old Norse anonymous poems. No texts exist from when it was first published in 961AD, the oldest surviving copies date back to the 1200s. The poem is made of around 60 stanzas, which varies depending on the version of the poem, and refers to the creation of the world and its imminent destruction. The order and wording of the poem varies according to different versions but the text has become a central part of medieval Viking history. As well as talking about the end of the Norse Gods reign, it mentions a single God becoming all-powerful. This is believed to be one of the major turning points in the religious history of the Nordic nations and has been attributed to the widespread adoption of Christianity by Vikings in Iceland. The first publications of the poem tie-in with the time when paganism was dying out. No texts exist from when it was first published in 961AD. The oldest surviving copies date back to the 1200s It tells of Odin, chief of the Gods, consulting a Volva (a wise-woman) who regales him with stories. As well as many different stories, the seer also tells of a prophecy regarding the destruction of the Gods. A final battle, in which fire and flood overwhelm heaven and earth as the gods fight with their enemies, called ragna rok (the fate of the gods). The wise-woman talks of a battle between evil Loki and Odin at ragna rok where the Valkyries raise dead warriors to fight for Odin. Despite the fight, Odin is slain and the Gods fall. This central piece of Nordic literature also tells of dwarves and names them. Some of these, Fili and Kili for example, were adopted by J. R. R. Tolkien as names for his dwarves in his Lord of the Rings series of books. Advertisement

It reads: 'The sun starts to turn black, land sinks into sea; the bright stars scatter from the sky. Steam spurts up with what nourishes life, flame flies high against heaven itself'.

The poem also depicts cold summers that would be expected after a massive eruption, and the researchers link these descriptions to the spectacle and impacts of the Eldgja eruption, the largest in Iceland since its settlement.

The poem's apocalyptic imagery marks the fiery end to the world of the old gods and the coming of a new, singular god.

This move towards a single deity spells out the conversion of the Vikings to Christianity, which was formalised as Iceland's principle religion around the turn of the 11th Century.

The researchers suggest Voluspa may have been intended to rekindle harrowing memories of the Eldgja eruption to stimulate the massive religious and cultural shift taking place in Iceland at the time.

The eruption of volcano Eldgja in 939AD left the island covered in huge swathes of lava. Iceland specialises in this type of eruption - the last example occurred in 2015 (pictured), and it affected air quality 1,400 (900 miles) kilometres away in Ireland

The Eldgja eruption in the tenth century caused devastation across several countries in the northern hemisphere. It resulted in the coolest summer for 1,500 years, researchers found

'This places the eruption squarely within the experience of the first two or three generations of Iceland's settlers,' said lead author Dr Clive Oppenheimer of Cambridge's Department of Geography.

'Some of the first wave of migrants to Iceland, brought over as children, may well have witnessed the eruption.'

Once they had a date for the Eldgja eruption, the team then investigated its consequences.

The volcanologists found that first, a haze of sulphurous dust spread across Europe.

In Irish, German and Italian chronicles from the same period, there were several reports of an exceptionally blood-red and weakened sun.

The huge ash cloud produced in Iceland reduced the sunlight in around much of the northern hemisphere.

Dr Oppenheimer added: 'With a firm date for the eruption, many entries in medieval chronicles snap into place as likely consequences - sightings in Europe of an extraordinary atmospheric haze; severe winters; and cold summers, poor harvests; and food shortages.

'But most striking is the almost eyewitness style in which the eruption is depicted in Voluspa.

Researchers dated the Eldgja eruption and found that Icelands most celebrated medieval poem, which describes the end of the pagan gods and the coming of a new, singular god, describes the eruption and uses memories of it to stimulate Iceland's Christianisation (stock)

'The poem's interpretation as a prophecy of the end of the pagan gods and their replacement by the one, singular god, suggests that memories of this terrible volcanic eruption were purposefully provoked to stimulate the Christianisation of Iceland.'

Analysis of tree rings showed that the volcanic eruption caused one of the coolest summers of the last 1,500 years.

'In 940, summer cooling was most pronounced in Central Europe, Scandinavia, the Canadian Rockies, Alaska and Central Asia, with summer average temperatures 2C lower,' said co-author Professor Markus Stoffel from the University of Geneva's Department of Earth Sciences.

The impact this had on people around the world was widespread and devastating.

HOW CAN RESEARCHERS PREDICT VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS? According to Eric Dunham, an associate professor of Stanford University's School of Earth, energy and Environmental Sciences, 'Volcanoes are complicated and there is currently no universally applicable means of predicting eruption. In all likelihood, there never will be.' However, there are indicators of increased volcanic activity, which researchers can use to help predict volcanic eruptions. Researchers can track indicators such as: Volcanic infrasound : When the lava lake rises up in the crater of an open vent volcano, a sign of a potential eruption, the pitch or frequency of the sounds generated by the magma tends to increase.

: When the lava lake rises up in the crater of an open vent volcano, a sign of a potential eruption, the pitch or frequency of the sounds generated by the magma tends to increase. Seismic activity : Ahead of an eruption, seismic activity in the form of small earthquakes and tremors almost always increases as magma moves through the volcano's 'plumbing system'.

: Ahead of an eruption, seismic activity in the form of small earthquakes and tremors almost always increases as magma moves through the volcano's 'plumbing system'. Gas emissions : As magma nears the surface and pressure decreases, gases escape. Sulfur dioxide is one of the main components of volcanic gases, and increasing amounts of it are a sign of increasing amounts of magma near the surface of a volcano.

: As magma nears the surface and pressure decreases, gases escape. Sulfur dioxide is one of the main components of volcanic gases, and increasing amounts of it are a sign of increasing amounts of magma near the surface of a volcano. Ground deformation : Changes to a volcano's ground surface (volcano deformation) appear as swelling, sinking, or cracking, which can be caused by magma, gas, or other fluids (usually water) moving underground or by movements in the Earth's crust due to motion along fault lines. Swelling of a volcano cans signal that magma has accumulated near the surface. Source: United States Geological Survey Advertisement

Effects of the eruption were felt as far afield as Iraq, Canada and China as hoards of locusts swept in at the same time that famine killed droves of people in the Northern hemisphere.

Iceland specialises in this type of eruption - the last example occurred in 2015, affecting air quality 900 miles (1,400 kilometres) away in Ireland.

Study co-author Dr Tim Newfield, of Georgetown University in the US, said: 'It was a massive eruption, but we were still amazed just how abundant the historical evidence is for the eruption's consequence.

'From northern Europe to northern China, people experienced long, hard winters and severe spring-summer drought.

'Locust infestations and livestock mortalities occurred. Famine did not set in everywhere, but in the early 940s we read of starvation and vast mortality in parts of Germany, Iraq and China.'
Rare footage has captured the horrifying moment a dolphin was ravaged by killer whales off the coast of Africa.

The gruesome attack was captured by scientists who recorded the moment the dolphin was tossed out of the water and into the jaws of one of the huge mammals.

Its ravaged carcass was washed up on a beach days later after being torn apart by two of the beasts.

Images of the remains of the Heaviside's dolphin show the body after it was disembowelled and shredded of its blubber.

Researcher Dr Simon Elwen said while such attacks were not uncommon, in 20 years of research on marine mammals, he had never seen a carcass so severely ravaged.

The body was found washed ashore on a beach near Pelican Point, Namibia, earlier this month.

Authorities contacted a marine biology team to identify the creature but, by the time they reached the scene, the body had been swept back into the ocean.

In a twist of fate, the same scientists had captured the start of the feeding frenzy footage just one day earlier.

The research team, known as Namibian Dolphin Project (NDP), was looking at the impact of an oil spill when the distinct dorsal fin of a killer whale broke the surface of the water.

In a flurry of activity, two killer whales can be seen in the clip hunting the unfortunate dolphin.

Dr Elwen, who is the NDP Director, said: 'The heavily mutilated, freshly dead carcass was reported on a nearby beach through the local strandings network.

The gruesome remains of a Heaviside's dolphin show the body after it was disembowelled and shredded of its blubber. Scientists captured the stunning moment the dolphin is tossed out of the water in the jaws of the huge whale

The day before the dolphin carcass washed up on a Namibian beach, researchers were investigating an oil spill when they caught two killer whales mauling a dolphin on camera. Experts believe that the death is as a result of the killer whale hunt

Scientists captured the stunning moment the dolphin is tossed out of the water in the jaws of the huge whale. The rare sighting was the first time the group had witnessed killer whales in those waters in 600 trips

'The NDP responded to the call but the carcass could not be found and is thought to have washed out to sea.'

Dr Elwen said in 20 years of research on marine mammals, he had never seen a carcass so severely ravaged.

Whilst the team can not study the remains, they believe the footage and the condition of the carcass indicate that the killer whales were responsible.

Whilst the team can not study the remains, they believe the footage and the condition of the carcass indicate that killer whales are responsible

HOW COMMON IS IT FOR KILLER WHALES TO HUNT DOLPHINS? Killer whales, also known as orcas and blackfish, are one of the top predators in the sea. They are apex predators that have been known to eat most animals, including large sharks. Highly intelligent and social creatures, they work as a pack to hunt and kill their prey. Killer whales are technically a species of dolphin but will hunt other types of dolphin for food. Orcas are considered the largest species of the dolphin family. They weigh up to 6 tons (5,443 kilograms) and grow to 23 to 32 feet (7 to 9.7 meters) - almost as long as a school bus. The predators' diet can vary depending on region but they have been known to eat anything from sea birds and squid to sharks and even moose. Dolphins do make up a portion of their diet, but footage of it is uncommon. Dolphins are normally faster swimmers than the larger killer whale, but the orcas will work as a pack to hunt. Operating in their pod, killer whales have been observed working in spaced out groups to isolate dolphins. Eventually, the dolphin becomes exhausted and runs out of energy. Once their prey is no longer able to outrun them, the killer whales rush in and charge the dolphin, hitting it or flipping it into the air in order to immobilise it before going in for the kill. Advertisement

'I have only ever seen animals "peeled" of their blubber and with their organs pulled out being caused by killer whales,' Dr Elwen added.

'So there's every indication the carcass belonged to the adult Heaviside's dolphin attacked in our footage from the day before.'

Killer whales hunt in packs, attacking their prey from multiple directions to keep them from escaping.

In this attack, the whales hunted as a pair, with one attacking and the other orca circling ominously.

The scientists had unwittingly captured an ultra-rare feeding frenzy as the apex predators hunted their fellow marine mammal.

In this event, the whales hunted as a pair, with one attacking and the other orca circling ominously. The rare sighting was the first time the group had witnessed killer whales in those waters in 600 trips

The rare sighting was the first time the group had witnessed killer whales in those waters in 600 trips.

Dr Elwen said: 'This is a once-in-a-lifetime event with highly valuable data, so the team mobilised immediately.'

'After about an hour they spotted a very quick rush at the surface back and forth. The larger killer whale lifted his body out of the water and revealed an adult sized Heaviside's dolphin in his mouth.

'We could see that the Heaviside's dolphin was bleeding but there was no further struggle and the killer whales dove underwater with their prey.'
A robotic hand that can translate words into sign language gestures for deaf people has been created by scientists.

Named Project Aslan, the 3D-printed hand costs as little as 400 ($560) to make and interprets both written text and spoken words.

The device communicates through 'fingerspelling', a type of sign language where words are spelled out letter-by-letter through separate gestures on a single hand.

The robot, which will be ready in five years, could one day be carried around in a rucksack, scientists say.

It could help some of the 70 million worldwide who are deaf or hard of hearing to communicate with people who don't know sign language.

A prototype device works by translating text or speech through a computer, though it is hoped the final product will be portable for translations on-the-move.

The Belgian team behind the technology says the ultimate goal is to build a two-armed robot with an expressive face to convey the full complexity of the languages.

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A robotic hand that translates your words into sign language gestures for deaf people has been created by scientists. Named Project Aslan, the 3D-printed hand costs as little as 400 ($560) to make and converts both written text and spoken words into fingerspelling gestures

Created at the University of Antwerp, Aslan (Antwerp's Sign Language Actuating Node) could even be used to help teach people sign language, researchers said.

Team leader and University of Antwerp robotics expert Erwin Smet said: 'This will change life for the deaf community.

'What we have seen in real situations is that there is a real gap and barrier between the deaf community and the real world - Aslan can reduce that barrier.

'The amount of hours of help that the deaf community can get via translators etc is really limited.

'I see Aslan as something being put in deaf people's backpacks - they can carry it with them, to lectures, to anywhere - there is a need for this.'

So far the team has created a single prototype, which works by connecting to a computer that users can send text or voice messages to via a local network.

Aslan could help some of the 70 million worldwide who are deaf or hard of hearing to communicate with people who don't know sign language

WHAT IS THE 'ASLAN' ROBOTIC SIGN LANGUAGE HAND AND HOW DOES IT WORK? 'Aslan' is a robotic hand created by engineers at the University of Antwerp, Belgium, that translates text and spoken words into sign language gestures. The robotic hand works by connecting to a computer that users can send messages to via a local digital network. It then begins spelling the message out using an alphabet system called fingerspelling, where each letter is communicated through a separate gesture. It is taught gestures using a special glove, and the team is looking into recognising them through a webcam as well for reverse translations. Aslan is significantly cheaper than similar technologies because it is mostly 3D-printed, which drives down production costs. Each device costs as little as 400 ($560) to make. Twenty-five printed plastic parts are moved by 16 motors, three motor controllers, a microcomputer and a few other electronic components. The plastic segments reportedly take 139 hours to print, while final assembly of the device takes a further ten. The team behind the technology says the ultimate goal is to build a two-armed robot with an expressive face to convey the full complexity of the languages. Advertisement

It then begins spelling the message out using an alphabet system called fingerspelling, where each letter is spelled out through a separate gesture.

It is taught gestures using a special glove, and the team is looking into recognising them through a webcam as well for reverse translations.

The idea is not to replace human interpreters entirely so much as make sign interpretation services more readily available.

The device communicates through 'fingerspelling', where each letter is communicated through a separate gesture on a single hand

The Belgian team behind the technology says the ultimate goal is to build a two-armed robot with an expressive face to convey the full complexity of the languages

'A deaf person who needs to appear in court, a deaf person following a lesson in a classroom somewhere,' Mr Smet told New Atlas last year.

'These are all circumstances where a deaf person needs a sign language interpreter, but where often such an interpreter is not readily available. This is where a low-cost option like Aslan can offer a solution.'

Aslan is significantly cheaper than similar technologies because it is mostly 3D-printed, which drives down production costs.

Created at the University of Antwerp, Aslan (Antwerp's Sign Language Actuating Node) could even be used to help teach people sign language, researchers said

Twenty-five printed plastic parts are moved by 16 motors, three motor controllers, a microcomputer and a few other electronic components.

The plastic segments reportedly take 139 hours to print, while final assembly of the device takes a further ten.

The technology can be recreated by anybody with a basic 3D printer, making it easily accessible worldwide.

The robotic hand works by connecting to a computer that users can send messages to via a local digital network. It then begins spelling the message out using an alphabet system called fingerspelling, where each letter is communicated through a separate gesture

Mr Smet said: 'We started some years ago, with the idea that students who are not able to hear, could use some help in every day life to communicate.

'It should be something that is reliable, cheap, and gives you the opportunity to program it with different languages.

'We started with small steps - with just one hand, and then the wrist, and then the elbow too.'

Researchers began with characters like individual letters in the alphabet.

The technology can be recreated by anybody with a basic 3D printer, making it easily accessible worldwide

'Then we looked at how we could translate the humans hand simply into mechanics', Mr Smet said.

'We didn't need every single joint in the hand, so we went for 16 joints in total - all the research was done by masters students, to give them the opportunity to learn and design at the same time.

'This is a low cost robot arm, that, when fully developed, can change the lives of all people who use it.'
Oceans on Mars formed 300 million years earlier than first thought, according to a new study.

Research suggests the planet's water systems appeared after a series of massive volcanic eruptions permanently altered the planet's surface around 4 billion years ago.

The formation of Mars's oceans was linked to the violent rise of Tharsis, a 3,000-mile- (5,000km)-wide string of volcanoes that make up the solar system's largest volcanic system.

Tharsis likely spewed gases into the atmosphere that created a global warming or greenhouse effect, which allowed liquid water to exist on the planet.

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Research suggests the red planet's vast water systems were created after a series of massive volcanic eruptions permanently altered the planet's surface. Pictured are artist's impressions of Mars's ancient oceans Arabia (left) and Deuteronilus (right)

Nearly a third of the surface of Mars was covered by oceans of liquid water early in the planet's geological history, but how they formed has largely remained a mystery.

To explore how the planet's ancient shorelines changed over time, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, examined images from early Mars orbiter missions.

Previously researchers believed Mars's oceans appeared long after Tharsis formed during a huge outpouring of lava from the planet's surface 3.7 billion years ago.

But a new model proposes that the oceans formed at the same time or even hundreds of millions of years before the volcanic system sprung to life.

After they appeared, these vast water systems evolved together, shaping the climate history of Mars, researchers said.

Experts thought Mars's oceans appeared after Tharsis (white spots left and right) formed during a huge outpouring of lava from the planet's surface 3.7 billion years ago. But the new model proposes that the oceans formed before or alongside the rise of the volcanic system

Study lead author and UC Berkeley scientist Dr Michael Manga said: 'The assumption was that Tharsis formed quickly and early, rather than gradually, and that the oceans came later.

'We're saying that the oceans predate and accompany the lava outpourings that made Tharsis.

'Volcanoes may be important in creating the conditions for Mars to be wet.'

Eruptions triggered by the volcanic system also created channels that allowed underground water to reach the surface and fill the northern plains, Dr Manga said.

Nearly a third of the surface of Mars was covered by oceans of liquid water early in the planet's geological history, but it has largely remained a mystery how and why this water system formed (stock image)

Shoreline-like features seen on Mars hint that oceans may once have filled the red planet's northern lowlands.

Dr Manga told MailOnline: 'The elevations of the shorelines vary by several kilometres over the lengths of the shorelines.

'This is unexpected because a shoreline should follow a constant line of elevation, or sea level. We were looking for an explanation on what could have deformed the shorelines since their formation.'

The team suggest that the oceans formed with a constant line of elevation but were later deformed by the appearance of Tharsis.

WAS MARS EVER HOME TO LIQUID WATER? Evidence of water on Mars dates back to the Mariner 9 mission, which arrived in 1971. It revealed clues of water erosion in river beds and canyons as well as weather fronts and fogs. Viking orbiters that followed caused a revolution in our ideas about water on Mars by showing how floods broke through dams and carved deep valleys. Mars is currently in the middle of an ice age, and before this study, scientists believed liquid water could not exist on its surface. In June 2013, Curiosity found powerful evidence that water good enough to drink once flowed on Mars. In September of the same year, the first scoop of soil analysed by Curiosity revealed that fine materials on the surface of the planet contain two per cent water by weight. In 2017, Scientists provided the best estimates for water on Mars, claiming it once had more liquid H2O than the Arctic Ocean - and the planet kept these oceans for more than 1.5 billion years. The findings suggest there was ample time and water for life on Mars to thrive, but over the last 3.7 billion years the red planet has lost 87 per cent of its water - leaving it barren and dry. Advertisement

The growing volcano would have depressed the land and deformed the shoreline over time, which could explain the irregular heights of some shorelines.

Older shorelines, such as those created by the planet's Arabia ocean, show these deformations, while bodies of water that formed after Tharsis, such as Deuteronilus, do not show these changes, the team said.

Dr Manga told MailOnline: 'Loading from the formation of the Tharsis volcanoes changes the shape of the planet, so a shoreline that formed before a portion of the Tharsis volcanoes would be deformed by any subsequent loads from later growth.

'The present day elevation changes of the shorelines suggest the younger Deuteronilus shoreline formed during the late stages of Tharsis, and the older Arabia shoreline formed before or during the early stages of Tharsis.'
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's comments that early users of his social network were dumb f***s for trusting him with their data have re-emerged.

Zuckerberg made the shocking remark during an instant messenger conversation with a friend at the age of 19, shortly after launching the site.

First picked up on by the media in 2010, his comments have now re-surfaced in the wake of a privacy row involving Facebook and Cambridge Analytica.

The firm is reported to have bought data from 50 million Facebook users that was obtained without their permission.

This information is said to have been used to help elect President Donald Trump in the US, as well as to boost the Brexit campaign in the UK.

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Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's comments that early users of his social network were dumb f***s for trusting him with their data have re-emerged. Zuckerberg made the shocking remark during an instant messenger conversation with a friend at the age of 19 (stock)

The leaked conversation was published in a Medium blog post by journalist Maria Bustillos.

Ms Bustillos it shows that Zuckerberg has a long history of disregarding the privacy expectations of users over handling of their data.

The conversation, which has since been discussed widely on social media, ran as follows:

Zuckerberg: Yea so if you ever need info about anyone at Harvard, just ask. i have over 4000 emails, pictures, addresses, sns

Friend: what!? howd you manage that one?

Zuckerberg: people just submitted it. i dont know why. they trust me. dumb f***s.

Cambridge Analytica is the firm currently centre of a scandal over alleged misuse of Facebook users' personal data.

First picked up on by the media in 2010, the Facebook founder's comments have now re-surfaced in the wake of a privacy row involving Facebook and Cambridge Analytica. The firm is reported to have bought data from 50 million Facebook users obtained without permission

Cambridge Analytica, a communications firm based in London, was hired by the team behind Donald Trump's successful US presidential bid.

An affiliate of British firm Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL), Cambridge Analytica has offices in London, New York, Washington, as well as Brazil and Malaysia.

The company boasts it can 'find your voters and move them to action' through data-driven campaigns and a team that includes data scientists and behavioural psychologists.

'Within the United States alone, we have played a pivotal role in winning presidential races as well as congressional and state elections,' with data on more than 230 million American voters, Cambridge Analytica claims on its website.

Speaking to TechCrunch in 2017, CEO Alexander Nix said the firm was 'always acquiring more' data.

'Every day we have teams looking for new data sets,' he told the site.

This information obtained by Cambridge Analytica is said to have been used to help elect President Donald Trump in the US, as well as to boost the Brexit campaign in the UK. CEO Alexander Nix has said the firm was 'always acquiring more' data

As well as working on the election which saw Trump reach the White House, Cambridge Analytica has been involved in political campaigns around the world.

In the US, analysts harnessed data to generate thousands of messages targeting voters through their profiles on social media such as Facebook, Snapchat, or the Pandora Radio streaming service.

British press have credited Cambridge Analytica with providing services to pro-Brexit campaign Leave.EU, but Nix has denied working for the group.

Globally, Cambridge Analytica said it has worked in Italy, Kenya, South Africa, Colombia and Indonesia.

Cambridge Analytica stole information from 50 million Facebook users' profiles in the tech firm's biggest-ever data breach, according to the New York Times and the Observer.

This was designed to help them create software that can predict and influence voters' choices at the ballot box.

University of Cambridge psychologist Aleksandr Kogan created a personality prediction test app, thisisyourdigitallife, which was downloaded by 270,000 people.

The tool allowed Kogan to access information such as content Facebook users had 'liked' and the city they listed on their profile, which was then passed to SCL and Cambridge Analytica.
A visitor from outer space identified as the first confirmed interstellar asteroid may have travelled from a binary star system, astronomers believe.

The cigar-shaped object, named 'Oumuamua, was spotted by the Haleakala observatory in Hawaii on October 19 last year.

Its appearance and behaviour baffled scientists and led to speculation that it might even be an alien artefact.

Astronomers now know it was an asteroid, but not one of our own.

'Oumuamua  Hawaiian for 'scout'  had entered the solar system from interstellar space after a journey that may have lasted millions of years.

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A cigar-shaped object that recently passed close to Earth has been confirmed as the first object object from outside the Milky Way to visit the solar system. The Oumuamua asteroid (artist's impression) floated through our star system in November

The latest research suggests it was expelled from a binary star system  one with two stars orbiting around each other.

Rocky objects are far more likely to be 'kicked out' of their home orbits by binary stars, the scientists found.

In contrast, icy comets, rather than asteroids, were more commonly ejected from lone star systems.

Lead researcher Dr Alan Jackson, from the University of Toronto in Canada, said: 'It's remarkable that we've now seen for the first time a physical object from outside our solar system.

'It's really odd that the first object we would see from outside our system would be an asteroid, because a comet would be a lot easier to spot and the solar system ejects many more comets than asteroids.'

The research, published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, suggests that 'Oumuamua originated from a system containing a hot, high mass star.

The mysterious asteroid was first spotted by a telescope in Hawaii on 19 October, and was observed 34 separate times in the following week. The asteroid is up to one-quarter mile (400 meters) long and highly-elongated - perhaps 10 times as long as it is wide

Our first interstellar visitor sailed past Earth at at 97,200mph in 2017, but what exactly was Oumuamua? A cigar-shaped object named 'Oumuamua sailed past Earth at 97,200mph (156,428km/h) in October. It was first spotted by a telescope in Hawaii on 19 October, and was observed 34 separate times in the following week. It is named after the Hawaiian term for 'scout' or 'messenger' and passed the Earth at about 85 times the distance to the moon. It was the first interstellar object seen in the solar system, and it baffled astronomers. Initially, it was thought the object could be a comet. However, it displays none of the classic behavior expected of comets, such as a dusty, water-ice particle tail. The asteroid is up to one-quarter mile (400 meters) long and highly-elongated - perhaps 10 times as long as it is wide. That aspect ratio is greater than that of any asteroid or asteroid observed in our solar system to date. But the asteroid's slightly red hue  specifically pale pink  and varying brightness are remarkably similar to objects in our own solar system. Around the size of the Gherkin skyscraper in London, some astronomers were convinced it was piloted by aliens due to the vast distance the object traveled without being destroyed  and the closeness of its journey past the Earth. Alien hunters at SETI  the Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence based at Berkeley University, California said there was a possibility the rock was an alien artefact. But scientists from Queens University Belfast took a good look at the object and said it appears to be an asteroid, or planetesimal as originally thought. Researchers believe the cigar-shaped asteroid had a 'violent past', after looking at the light bouncing off its surface. They aren't exactly sure when the violent collision took place, but they believe the lonely asteroid's tumbling will continue for at least a billion years. Advertisement

It may have been cast out some time during the process of planet formation.

When it was discovered, the 400 metre (1,312ft) long object was tumbling and travelling at 30 kilometres per second on a trajectory taking it through and out of the solar system.

At its closest point it passed about 33 million kilometres from Earth.

It appeared to have followed a path roughly in the direction of the star Vega in the southern constellation Lyra.

Thought to be an alien spaceship, it has now been determined that the mysterious space rock was the first asteroid from outside the Milky Way to come near Earth

Researchers previously determined the cigar-shaped asteroid had a 'violent past', after looking at the light bouncing off its surface.

Scientists aren't exactly sure when the violent collision took place, but they believe the lonely asteroid will continue tumbling in space for at least a billion years.

A study, by Queen's University Belfast, featured this finding in a Sky At Night episode on the BBC and published in Nature Astronomy.

Around the size of the Gherkin skyscraper in London, some astronomers were convinced it was piloted by aliens due to the vast distance the object travelled without being destroyed  and the closeness of its journey past the Earth.

Alien hunters at SETI  the Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence based at Berkeley University, California said there was a possibility the rock was 'an alien artefact'.

But scientists from Queen's University Belfast took a good look at the object and said it appears to be an asteroid, or 'planetesimal' as originally thought.

Scientists revealed that the object survived its long journey because it had a protective crust which stopped its core  probably made of ice - from vaporising.
The longstanding battle for net neutrality in the US is only getting hotter in 2018, with dozens of US states, massive corporations like Google, Reddit and Netflix all fighting to protect the internet from things like fast lanes.

Under George Bush, and later Barack Obama, net neutrality laws were bolstered so that internet providers such as Comcast, Verizon and AT&T be subject to the same regulations as telecommunications, meaning they had to act in the public interest when providing your internet connection.

However, the Trump administration moved to repeal these rules in 2017, sparking net neutrality protests that brought together many states, politicians and companies.

But what is net neutrality, what are the laws surrounding it and when does net neutrality actually end in the US?

What is net neutrality?

Net neutrality is a concept that says internet providers should provide internet access that is equal no matter what the content or application.

The concept of net neutrality was first coined by the Columbia law professor, Tim Wu in 2003

Under this concept, a person watching something on Netflix, should have the site load just as quickly as someone watching something on YouTube and Amazon Prime, or even buying something from eBay.

The concept of net neutrality means internet provider companies cannot create tiered levels whereby companies pay extra to get their content downloaded faster.

The term net neutrality was coined by a Columbia law professor, Tim Wu. In a 2003 paper, Wu outlined net neutrality as: An Internet that does not favor one application (say, the world wide web), over others (say, email)? Who cares if the Internet is better for some things than others?

The promotion of network neutrality is no different than the challenge of promoting fair evolutionary competition in any privately owned environment, whether a telephone network, operating system, or even a retail store, Wu wrote.

Government regulation in such contexts invariably tries to help ensure that the short-term interests of the owner do not prevent the best products or applications becoming available to end-users. 

Net neutrality laws and repeal

The first major net neutrality legislation was passed in 2015, when the Federal Communications Commission reclassified broadband access as a 'telecommunications service under Title II.

However, initially the FCC proposals allowed for the creation of internet 'fast lanes', which caught the attention of John Oliver.

On his Last Week Tonight show, Oliver urged viewers to leave comments on the FCC website, expressing their support for net neutrality.

The commission ultimately received 21.9 million comments and crashed its website. [WARNING: Graphic content]

This meant that broadband was now treated as a utility, subject to more FCC regulations. It also meant that sites creating content werent discriminated against by network owners.

However, in December 2017, the FCC, now chaired by Trump-appointed Ajit Pai, voted 3-2 to repeal net neutrality rules.

'The Internet wasn't broken in 2015. We weren't living in a digital dystopia. To the contrary, the internet is perhaps the one thing in American society we can all agree has been a stunning success,' Pai said on at the time.

However, in the run up to the vote, FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, a Democrat, said that Republicans were handing the keys to the Internet to a few multi-billion dollar corporations.

When will net neutrality end in the US?

The commissions decision was published in the Federal Register on February 23 and revealed that net neutrality laws are set to expire on April 23, 2018.

Net neutrality protest

The net neutrality repeal has been met with protests, with more than 20 states and Washington DC going on to sue the FCC in order to fight the commissions decision.

States such as California, Massachusetts and New Jersey have filed legal charges. New York Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman said: 'Repealing net neutrality will allow internet service providers to put corporate profits over consumers by controlling what we see, do, and say online.'
Police are demanding Google turn over mobile phone data from not just suspects, but also people who just happened to be near a crime scene.

The Raleigh Police Department in North Carolina requested the data in at least four criminal investigations last year, according to Raleigh local news agency WRAL.

The investigations spanned cases involving murder, sexual battery and possible arson.

It's unclear if Google provided all the requested data, but the details outlined in WRAL's report have raised concerns by privacy advocates.

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The Raleigh Police Department in North Carolina demanded Google turn over user data as it sought to find suspects related to four possible arson, sexual battery and murder cases. File photo

Police used search warrants to request that Google supply data from any mobile devices that 'veered too close to the scene of the crime,' WRAL said, citing court records.

In one case, police wanted to collect Google data spanning a 17-acre area that included homes and businesses.

The requested data wasn't limited to Android phones, but devices running any kind of location-enabled Google app.

And, the court orders often prevent Google from revealing information about the searches to suspects and unaware users for months, according to WRAL.

Google maintains that it tries to be as 'transparent as possible' when it comes to detailing its processes around government requests for user data, the company's website states.

'We have a long-established process that determines how law enforcement may request data about our users,' a Google spokesperson told WRAL.

Pictured is a warrant for search data in a possible arson case in Raleigh, North Carolina. According to WRAL, in one case, police requested data for a location spanning 17 acres

Google maintains that it tries to be as 'transparent as possible' when it comes to detailing its processes around government requests for user data, the company's website states

'We carefully review each request and always push back when they are overly broad,' they continued.

Google's website also noted that the company often 'successfully narrows' the scope of such government requests.

Google also publishes a Transparency Report charting requests for user information, but it hasn't been updated since January 2017.

According to the 2017 Transparency Report, Google received disclosure requests for roughly 80,000 users every six months.

The firm produced some data about 65% of the time it received a government request.

Law enforcement officials defended the actions, however, saying that they often collect user data for investigations.

A District Attorney in Wake County told WRAL that the data only contained anonymized account numbers and didn't include any personal content.

'We're not getting text messages or emails or phone calls without having to go through a different process and having additional information that might lead us to a specific individual,' the district attorney said.

IS YOUR ANDROID PHONE TRACKING YOUR EVERY MOVE? Your Android smartphone could be tracking your every move, even when location services are switched off, it has emerged. Handsets running the Google-developed operating system collect information about where you have been, transmitting it back whenever they connect to the internet. They continue to do so, even when there is no SIM card inserted or apps running, it is claimed. The finding raises worrying privacy concerns over the gathering of such detailed location data. As part of an in-depth investigation for Quartz, it was discovered that, since the beginning of 2017, Android phones have been collecting the addresses of nearby mobile transmitter towers Knowing the location of one nearby cell tower is not enough to identify the specific location of a handset, and it's user. But by using data from multiple towers, a location can be triangulated within about a quarter-mile radius. This becomes even more precise in built up areas like cities. Although the data sent is encrypted, a third party could make use of it if the handset has been infected with spyware, malware or other hacking tools. Every handset also has a unique ID number that can be associated with the location data. Location-sharing does not appear to have been limited to a particular brand of Android phone or tablet. Advertisement

The Raleigh Police Department began using the strategy after learning about a similar search warrant in California's Orange County, according to WRAL.

Still, the issue is likely to raise the ire of privacy advocates who argue that it threatens people's Fourth Amendment rights, or the right to not be subject to unreasonable search and seizure.

In particular, if the targeted users just happened to be in an area where a crime was committed.

More and more tech companies have been in scrutinized over how much data they're willing to share with government authorities.

Location-based data can go beyond just information collected from GPS apps, like Google Maps or Apple Maps.

Even if you turn off a device's location-sharing technology, some location data can still be transmitted by a WiFi or cellular network.
People can read your emotions even if your facial movements don't give them away, a new report has found.

The study details a previously unknown connection between emotional facial expressions and the central nervous system.

Researchers constructed computer algorithms, based on the new findings, that can recognize human emotions by analyzing facial color patterns.

New research suggests that humans can read other humans' moods based on facial colors alone - but that AI can do this more accurately than people can. Scientists developed AI that can predict what emotion a person is experiencing based on their facial colors alone

Cognitive scientist and Ohio State professor Aleix Martinez explained how the report informs our understanding of the connection between our feelings and our anatomy.

Professor Martinez said: 'We identified patterns of facial coloring that are unique to every emotion we studied.

'We believe these color patterns are due to subtle changes in blood flow or blood composition triggered by the central nervous system.

'Not only do we perceive these changes in facial color, but we use them to correctly identify how other people are feeling, whether we do it consciously or not.'

The research team responsible for the new report, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), is in the process of patenting their new computer algorithms.

The report said the team members hope their work inspires future artificial intelligence that can read and imitate people's facial expressions.

Previously, Professor Martinez's team had identified several facial expressions that are produced via unique muscle movement patterns.

But the new research is different because it focuses solely on how facial color changes communicate emotion without any muscle movement.

The researchers analyzed hundreds of photos of facial expressions for the study.

The images were separated into color categories, and, by way of computer analysis, the researchers learned that people expressing emotions such as 'sad' or 'happy' show unique color patterns.

The scientists determined that the amount of a certain color on a person's face - as well as the color's positioning - speaks volumes about the person's attitude. Above, the face is shown as it was originally photographed

The study said: 'Regardless of gender, ethnicity or overall skin tone, everybody displayed similar patterns when expressing the same emotion. To test whether colors alone could convey emotions - without smiles or frowns to go along with them - the researchers superimposed the different emotional color patterns on pictures of faces with neutral expressions.

'They showed the neutral faces to 20 study participants and asked them to guess how the person in the picture was feeling, choosing from a list of 18 emotions.'

These emotions included simple ones, such as 'sad' and 'happy', in addition to complex ones, including 'sadly angry' or 'happily surprised'.

Professor Martinez admitted that the images looked bizarre, but he said that the participants' guesses were mostly correct.

The report said that nearly 70 percent of the time participants guessed correctly when shown a neutral face overlain with the colors representing happiness.

They guessed correctly for faces supposed to be 'sad' 75 percent of the time, but their corresponding success rate for 'angry' was 65 percent.

'They perceived the emotion even though their only clue was the color superimposed on the face with no facial movements,' the study said.

A smiling person with red cheeks and temples and blue around their chin is presumed to be 'happy', the new study said. The researchers have enhanced the colors to emphasize this

After that, the researchers showed the participants facial expressions representing sadness, happiness and other emotions, but, this time, the colors of some of the images were mixed up.

'For example, they sometimes took a happy face and put angry colors on it or vice versa,' the report explained.

The study participants detected that something was 'off', though they were not completely sure what was weird about the images.

Professor Martinez said: 'Participants could clearly identify which images had the congruent versus the incongruent colors.'

This led to the development of algorithms capable of guessing a person's emotion based on their face color, and, in fact, the technology was more accurate than were the human study participants.

'Given photographs of people expressing emotion, the computer could match face color to feeling better than the human study participants could,' the report said.

The computer's success rates were 90 percent for 'happiness', 80 percent for 'anger', 75 percent for 'sadness' and 70 percent for 'fear'.

The report said the technology can be used to inform research among various fields including cognition, computer science, neuroscience and human evolution.

It stated: 'Language is replete with idioms that equate face color to emotion. When we argue until we're "blue in the face", we're angry. If we look "green around the gills", something has triggered our disgust...This study shows that there is some physiological truth to these old sayings, though the color scheme of human emotion is not as simple as a monochromatic blue, green or red.'

WHAT ARE THE 27 DISTINCT EMOTIONS HUMANS FEEL? In a recent study, researchers at UC Berkeley found there are 27 distinct human emotions. It was originally thought we feel just six emotions. Researchers asked more than 800 participants to freely report or rank the emotions they felt after watching 30 short video clips. In addition to happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, and, disgust, they also determined confusion, romance, nostalgia, sexual desire, and others to be distinct emotions. The full list inclues: Admiration Adoration Aesthetic Appreciation Amusement Anxiety Awe Awkwardness Boredom Calmness Confusion Craving Disgust Empathetic pain Entrancement Envy Excitement Fear Horror Interest Joy Nostalgia Romance Sadness Satisfaction Sexual desire Sympathy Triumph Advertisement

The researchers learned that the amount and location of hints of green, blue, red and yellow around the face can reveal one's emotions.

For example, they found that disgust can be characterized by a blue-yellow shade around one's lips combined with a red-green shade about the forehead and nose.

'It's all the more impressive, then, that our brains are able to decipher the meaning of these color arrangements in an instant. We see a smiling person with red cheeks and temples (with a little blue around the chin) and we automatically read their emotion as "happy". But the same face with a slightly redder forehead and slightly less blue chin registers as "surprised",' the study said.

The study pointed out the fact that humans might be the only primates with the ability to read emotions based on facial colors, though this is hard to know for sure considering the faces of other primates are covered in hair.

This raises the question of whether or not humans' relatively bald faces are the results of evolutionary changes.

The study explained: 'The fact that we evolved much less facial hair than the apes suggests that our early ancestors may have found some advantage to letting their blushes show.'
The Voluspa is an ancient poem which dates back to the 10th Century.

It is part of the Poetic Edda, which is the modern name for an unnamed collection of Old Norse anonymous poems.

No texts exist from when it was first published in 961AD, the oldest surviving copies date back to the 1200s.

The poem is made of around 60 stanzas, which varies depending on the version of the poem, and refers to the creation of the world and its imminent destruction.

The order and wording of the poem varies according to different versions but the text has become a central part of medieval Viking history.

As well as talking about the end of the Norse Gods reign, it mentions a single God becoming all-powerful.

This is believed to be one of the major turning points in the religious history of the Nordic nations and has been attributed to the widespread adoption of Christianity by Vikings in Iceland.

The first publications of the poem tie-in with the time when paganism was dying out.

No texts exist from when it was first published in 961AD. The oldest surviving copies date back to the 1200s

It tells of Odin, chief of the Gods, consulting a Volva (a wise-woman) who regales him with stories.

As well as many different stories, the seer also tells of a prophecy regarding the destruction of the Gods.

A final battle, in which fire and flood overwhelm heaven and earth as the gods fight with their enemies, called ragna rok (the fate of the gods).

The wise-woman talks of a battle between evil Loki and Odin at ragna rok where the Valkyries raise dead warriors to fight for Odin.

Despite the fight, Odin is slain and the Gods fall.

This central piece of Nordic literature also tells of dwarves and names them.

Some of these, Fili and Kili for example, were adopted by J. R. R. Tolkien as names for his dwarves in his Lord of the Rings series of books.
Edinburgh is famously the city where Harry Potter came to life when author J.K. Rowling wrote parts of the first book in the citys cafes. There are several walking tours celebrating Harry Potters links with the city, which allow aspiring young wizards (and older ones too) to discover the locations which inspired the Harry Potter stories. Weve rounded up some of the popular ones.

Discover the streets of Edinburgh that are mentioned in the books

The Potter Trail

Free of charge (although tipping is strongly encouraged), The Potter Trail promises to reveal who the worlds worst poet is and which Hogwarts teacher is named after him, as well as where Lord Voldemort is buried. Youll also see the cafe where JK Rowling wrote some of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The tour is for anyone aged five and up and includes stories about colourful characters from Edinburghs past, so you dont have to be a devoted Potter fan to enjoy it. One-and-a-half-hour tours run every day throughout most of the year, with at least two a day in high season (check the website for details). If youre lucky you can catch the occasional two-hour Magic Tour, which includes magic tricks from family-friendly magician Magus Negus. All tours leave from the Greyfriars Bobby statue on George IV Bridge and finish at Victoria Terrace. Theres no need to book but you do need to turn up on time. Private tours can also be booked for a fee.

The Potter Tour

Allegedly sponsored by Gringotts (the wizard bank operated by goblins, as any self-respecting Potter fan will know), the Potter Tour offers three different tours depending on how deep into the wizarding world you wish to go. A free one-and-a-half-hour tour includes important Potter sites such as Victoria Street, which was the inspiration for Diagon Alley, the Balmoral Hotel, where JK Rowling finished the series (theres a Rowling Suite which contains the desk on which she wrote the book), and the Elephant Cafe where JK Rowling wrote and whose toilets are now covered in Harry Potter graffiti. The two-and-a-half-hour tour adds a few extras such as the Quidditch postbox and Grassmarket (another Diagon Alley inspiration). For true Potter fans theres the three-hour extravaganza which includes Edinburgh Castle, which some believe to be the inspiration for Hogwarts. For the two longer tours meet in front of General Register House, by the statue of the Duke of Wellington on his horse. The free tours start between the statue of William Chambers and the National Museum steps. For information about times, dates and booking, visit the website.

Don't miss out on the chance to go on a Harry Potter walking tour whilst you're in Edinburgh

Quills and Magic Wands Tour for kids

Designed specifically for children and their families, the two-hour Quills and Magic Wands walking tour includes hands-on activities, visits to important Potter-related places and the chance to learn about Edinburghs wider literary. The walk starts at the Writers Museum where youll learn a little about Edinburghs writers such as Stevenson, Scott and Burns, try on some 19th-century outfits and have a go at writing some poetry. The Harry Potter section of the tour includes parts of Edinburgh that inspired the characters and locations and also some bits and pieces about JK Rowlings creative process. The tour typically ends with a hot chocolate in a cafe or library while finding out about the origins of Harry Potters characters and spells. If you book a private tour, each kid also gets an activity pack.

Wander through the magical city that inspired J.K. Rowling

New Europe Edinburgh Tours  Harry Potter Walking Tour

The two-hour Harry Potter Walking Tour will show you the original Hogwarts school, the cafes and hotels where JK Rowling wrote her famous books, Lord Voldemorts burial place and where the author found inspiration for Diagon Alley. Youll also learn about Edinburghs own dark history of witches and wizards and how they played a part in firing the authors imagination. Tours leave at 1630 from Starbucks outside Tron Kirk on Thursdays and Saturdays and can be booked online.
The lovable Vanderpump Rules duo Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval have weighed in on their co-star Lala Kent's unlikely feud with Jennifer Lawrence and aren't quite jumping to Kent's defense as she may have hoped.

Speaking during a visit to DailyMail.com in New York City on Monday, the pair told of their shock at learning J-Law was among their devoted fans.

The actress made the admission during a recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.

'She's so dreamy,' uttered Schwartz, 35, who delighted in the actresses' remark that she would chose him to be stranded on a deserted island with.

'I think it's amazing (that she watches the show),' quipped Sandoval, adding of the Red Sparrow starlet: 'She has great taste'.

As for whether J-Law's controversial characterisation of Kent as a disingenuous 'c**t', the pair insisted on defending their famous fan.

Fans: Vanderpump Rules stars Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval stopped by DailyMail.com on Monday to discuss Jennifer Lawrence being a fan of their show and her ongoing feud with their co-star Lala Kent

'I think she was being facetious. She was being facetious,' Schwartz said confidently.

Neither wholeheartedly agreed with Lawrence's opinion that Kent's softened demeanor was a ploy to make friends after a rocky first season of feuds and spats.

'It's genuine,' Schwartz said.

Sandoval, also 35, was less convinced.

'I think it's pretty genuine (but) I think there is a pressure maybe. She does have a little insecurity to her, she wants to be this different person and stand out on her own but she also wants to have friends.

'I mean no offense but if someone had said the things about me that Katie, Stassi and Kristen said about her, we would be cool but we wouldn't be that cool. Not like buddy buddy,' he said.

Kent has come under fire for her relationship with Hollywood producer Randall Emmett who she began dating before he had broken up with his wife.

The boys are torn over the feud between their co-star Lala Kent (left) and Jennifer Lawrence (right earlier this month when she called Kent a c****'

Lala fired back with a Twitter threat directed at Lawrence which she later deleted

Despite keeping a safe distance from the show, Emmett, 46, is happy to socialize with his girlfriend's colleagues and has won two friends in the two Toms.

'Randall is awesome. He's so much fun. He's just like a ball of energy,' Sandoval said.

'He's got a great outlook on life. He is super driven, obviously he's super successful. He is just a fun dude to hang out with.'

Fans will be disappointed to learn that for all the talking that is done about him, the producer is unlikely to be seen on screen.

'He doesn't want to be a part of that so probably not. I mean who knows, you can't say for sure,' Sandoval said.

'Awesome': The Toms are fans of Randall Emmett, Lala's boyfriend who they say will never make an appearance on the show but is 'happy to hang out'

The show veterans, on the other hand, have no plans to abandon the Bravo hit which made them famous even if their roles are changing.

In late May, the pair plan to open Tom Tom, the hotly anticipated cocktail bar and restaurant they own with their esteemed boss Lisa Vanderpump and her husband Ken Todd.

Viewers of the most recent series have delighted in watching them irritate Real Housewives star Lisa and fumble their way around construction sites in Puma slide-ons.

Behind the scenes, they say neither of them nor Queen VP herself is as handy as Todd, 60.

Asked who rolls up their sleeves the most out of the group, Sandoval said: 'Not Lisa and not us but Ken.

'Ken is amazing at the nuts and bolts.

'He knows all about the codes and the permits so he is amazing at that stuff and Lisa kind of adds the bells and whistles.

Hard at work: Tom Tom, the pair's bar and restaurant, will open in late May or early June and, they say, will be 'fabulous'

They have partnered with SUR bosses Lisa Vanderpump and her husband Ken Todd on the project. Ken does most of the heavy lifting, they said, and is 'amazing' at the 'nuts and bolts' of the hospitality business

'Our biggest contribution is going to be like the bar and also, as the place opens, we'll be there for the vibe. Sort of like the faces of it.'

Neither Tom rules out 'jumping' behind the bar when it's needed to lend a helping hand but they won't be working alongside any of their Bravo co-stars, hoping instead to recruit a new staff they can whip into shape without protest.

'I am not a big fan of poaching, I think thats kind of rude.

'Ken is amazing at the nuts and bolts. He knows all about the codes and the permits so he is amazing at that stuff and Lisa kind of adds the bells and whistles.

'I dont agree with that. I also dont know if I want anybody whos like a friend really working for me because Ill feel bad telling them to do this and do that or if they mess up, having to reprimand them.

'To me that sounds awful.

'Id rather just have people that I dont know that I can get to know and build a relationship with from the beginning,' Sandoval said.

Both are considering the project as their first foray into what they cheekily call 'the next chapter'.

After both pursuing modeling and acting careers without any major success (Schwartz concedes during the interview: 'The truth is I am just not that great an actor), they are both focused on their budding business prospects and thriving relationships.

For Schwartz and his wife/co-star Katie Maloney, 'bubba babies' are next on the agenda.

'We were talking about this earlier. I love kids and Im open to the idea. I dont know if were entirely ready.

Bubba babies on the way? Tom Schwartz and his wife Katie Maloney (pictured at their 2016) wedding hope to start a family soon but haven't yet sat down to have 'the talk' about when they should start trying, he said

'I mean, I know. Im not getting any younger. I feel like now is like the time.

'We havent really sat down and had that formal conversation. Are you supposed to?' he said.

'We were talking about this earlier. I love kids and Im open to the idea. I dont know if were entirely ready Tom Schwartz

Sandoval, on the other hand, is in no rush to tie the knot.

He and girlfriend Ariana Madix are in no hurry, he said, and may not even get married at all.

'Marriage is something I dont think we necessarily need in our lives right now.

'Plus planning a wedding is like his wedding was the best wedding Ive ever been to.

'We know who we are to each other. We have an amazing relationship. I mean I have never, still after 4 years, I am so obsessively in love with her and so happy. We cuddle every morning, every night. Shes my little dumpling,' he said.

At that, Sandoval's lookalike father Tony, who joined them for their New York City jaunt from St Louis, Missouri, chimed in.

'Tom and Ariana are kind of anti-establishment in a way. In the sense that traditional, theyre like its a piece of paper, we dont need it,' he said.

Married or not, Sandoval's affection for Madix is plain.

Happy as they are: Sandoval and his girlfriend Ariana Madix are in no rush to get married, he said, and are content as the 'anti-establishment' couple they have become

He is particularly enamored with her recent on-screen confessions about her body hang-ups and insecurities, something he said they had spoken about privately before she decided to share them with millions of viewers.

'I applaud her for putting herself out there and a lot of people have reached out to her on social media and just said oh my gosh, I have dealt with this for a long time and I try to talking to my husband and he doesnt understand that this is a thing.

'The support has been amazing,' he said.

Schwartz echoed his friend's praise.

Marriage is something I dont think we necessarily need in our lives right now. Tom Sandoval

'I mean we all have insecurities. I have mine. Im insecure about the future I think how am I going to make a living for the next 50 years if I am lucky enough to be alive for the next 50 years.

'Its just, thats a long time to make a living. Professionally I am a little insecure' he said.

Neither need worry. The hit Bravo show is in its sixth season and shows no signs of dissipating.

For as long as they are allowed to, the pair say they will appear on it.

'We'll be on the show until the wheels fall off!' Schwartz, who describes his role on the reality series as a 'great privilege', said.

The same can be said for their castmates, the majority of whom the Toms have only good, if not surprising, things to say about.

In their view, the next to tie the knot will be serial cheater Jax Taylor and his butter-wouldn't-melt, Kentuckian girlfriend Brittany Cartwright.

Shock wedding? Next to tie the knot will be Jax Taylor and his forgiving girlfriend Brittany Cartwright, the pair said

They give 'two thumbs up' to Stassi Schroeder's new boyfriend, the suitably named Beau Cook.

'Hes a great dude, Ive had the pleasure of hanging out with him a few times.

'Two thumbs up for Beau, I feel like it's a nice balance.

'How does he not have the self awareness to know that he just sounds like a jealous p****?

'He's totally embraced her dark side.'

They are not so convinced that things will go as well for James Kennedy and his girlfriend Raquel Leviss.

'Yeah, he is obsessed with Lala. There's definitely something to be sad about that.

'It's pretty obvious. It's almost blatant,' Sandoval said of the raucous Brit DJ.

His is a thought shared by viewers and others in the group who recoiled as Kennedy fawned over Kent during a recent trip.

It came after his cruel remarks towards Randall, who Lala ferociously protects as 'my man' on camera and everywhere else.

Watch this space: Everyone, it seems, has a soft spot for James Kennedy's sweet girlfriend Raquel Leviss who has had to endure his on-screen flirting and obsession with Lala Kent

Sandoval, who insists 'I love James!', is of the opinion that Kennedy's badmouthing is proof of his unrequited love.

'How does he not have the self awareness to know that he just sounds like a jealous p****.

'I love James, hes great , but him and Jax are similar in certain ways.

'(They're) very impulsive, shoot from the hip. Youll say something like "James why are you wearing that shirt" and hell be like "Oh obviously your daddy never loved you!"

'Hell go for like blood.'

Ariana's brother Jeremy, who has found himself at the heart of his first Vanderpump Rules drama in Monday night's episode when he was castigated as 'creepy' by Stassi and Kristen, however wins the seal of approval.

'He is so chill and easy going. Its like hes not even there.

'I actually enjoy having him around, hes like my little brother,' he said of living with his girlfriend's brother.

Vanderpump Rules airs on Mondays on Bravo at 10pm EST.
Cassandra Thorburn allegedly called the police during ex-husband Karl Stefanovic's commitment ceremony to Jasmine Yarbrough earlier this month.

New Idea reports that Cassandra's call was sparked by 'concern for their children', River and Ava, who were with Karl on a designated weekend when he decided to exchange vows with Jasmine.

Photos from the extravagant event show River and Ava did not attend the commitment ceremony itself but were present for the celebrations afterwards.

Report: Cassandra Thorburn (pictured) 'called the police after becoming concerned about her children' during Karl Stefanovic and Jasmine Yarbrough's commitment ceremony this month

According to Woman's Day, Karl's youngest children were confused and upset after finding out about the commitment ceremony just three hours beforehand.

Karl and Cassandra's eldest child Jackson did not attend and is believed to be estranged from the Today show host.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted NSW Police, Karl and Cassandra for comment.

Worried: Cassandra's call was sparked by 'concern for their children', River and Ava, who were with Karl on a designated weekend when he decided to exchange vows with Jasmine

Surprise event: Karl's youngest children were confused and upset after finding out about the commitment ceremony just three hours beforehand. Pictured: The $13 million Palm Beach home where Karl and Jasmine exchanged vows

Earlier this month, Karl and Jasmine exchanged vows at a $13 million Palm Beach mansion owned by former Crown Resorts chairman Rob Rankin.

The commitment ceremony was witnessed by just a handful of family and friends, including Karl's brother Peter Stefanovic and his wife Sylvia Jeffreys.

Jasmine's sister Jade and her parents Bob and Cheryl, as well as her 91-year-old grandmother were also in attendance.

Lavish event: Earlier this month, Karl and Jasmine exchanged vows at a $13 million Palm Beach mansion owned by former Crown Resorts chairman Rob Rankin

Jasmine wore a floor length floral gown while the pair exchanged non-legally binding vows under a white arch.

Karl announced his split from former wife Cassandra, an accomplished journalist and TV producer, in September 2016 after 21 years of marriage.

The Channel Nine personality met model-turned-shoe designer Jasmine in December 2016. They got engaged in January 2018.

'The children still have a father but I don't have a husband. He really is dead to me and no, we won't ever be friends again,' Cassandra told Woman's Day last October.

Whirlwind romance: The Channel Nine personality met model-turned-shoe designer Jasmine in December 2016. They got engaged in January 2018
The Married At First Sight boys' night caused controversy after some of the husbands made 'disrespectful' jokes about wife swapping.

But it seems that another lads' trip during filming - involving an overnight visit from a European stripper - did not make the final cut.

A source told NW magazine that Telv Williams and several other male MAFS stars spent a wild night at a 'rented Airbnb' in Sydney.

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Another boys' night? A source told NW on Monday that Telv Williams (pictured) and other male MAFS stars spent a wild night at a 'rented Airbnb' in Sydney and even hired a stripper

'The boys booked a European girl from Sydney's Dollhouse Strip Club, who arrived around 2am and didn't leave their pad until midday,' said an insider.

According to the Dollhouse Strip Club website, the 'exclusive' establishment promises 'the highest quality girls in Sydney'.

Back in November 2016, the Kings Cross strip club was raided by police.

Reality TV couple: Telv is paired with beauty specialist Sarah Roza on Married At First Sight

It is not the first time Telv has been involved in a controversy.

Earlier this month, Woman's Day published footage of Telv appearing to snort white powder off a stripper's bottom in an unrelated incident.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine for comment.

Scandal: Earlier this month, Woman's Day published footage of Telv appearing to snort white powder off a stripper's bottom in an unrelated incident

Telv is paired with beauty specialist Sarah Roza on Married At First Sight.

While it is understood they have split, the couple will decide to 'stay' or 'leave' for the last time this week.

Channel Nine continues Monday at 7:30pm on Channel Nine
Photos of Married At First Sight's Tracey Jewel and Sean Thomsen on holiday in Bali surfaced last week, seemingly confirming her split with 'husband' Dean Wells.

And in Monday's New Idea, it was alleged the former co-stars are officially an item.

'(They're) practically living together,' a source told the publication.

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'They're living together': Married At First Sight's Tracey Jewel and Sean Thomsen 'are officially an item', according to New Idea. Pictured: Tracey and Sean on holiday in Bali last month

'(Sean) spends a lot of time at her place with Tracey and her daughter Grace,' the insider added.

The couple 'looked like they were in the giddy, early stages of love' during a recent trip to Bali, it was claimed.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Tracey and Sean for comment.

It comes after Tracey, 34, brutally dumped her cheating 'husband' Dean, 39, on Sunday's episode of MAFS.

Rendezvous: It comes after Tracey and Sean were caught at a Bali hotel last month

Reality TV role: Sean Thomsen (pictured) was paired with Blair Rachael on Married At First Sight before they decided to call it quits

After Dean said he had found 'The One' in Tracey during the vow renewal ceremony, she hit back: 'You don't deserve me!'

Tracey continued: 'This experiment has reminded me that when I love a person, I must not forget to take care of myself too - that I trust too easily.

'This experiment has shaken me awake and helped me see what I'm worth. And unfortunately, Dean, you don't deserve me.'

Tracey said she couldn't overcome Dean's 'affair' with model Davina Rankin, 26.

Split: On Sunday night's episode, Tracey dumped Dean Wells and told him she deserves better

'I'm so sorry, Dean. But I have too many doubts to trust you,' she confessed.

'I want to believe you have truly changed and we have so much murky water under the bridge between us... I just can't continue this relationship with you.'

Married At First Sight continues Monday at 7:30pm on Channel Nine

Emotional: Dean was left shattered with tears in his eyes after having told Tracey that she's The One
Hilary Swank is among the guests of honor at cultural organization Liberatum's first three-day event in Mexico City.

The Logan Lucky star took part in a conversation about the Me Too movement and her love of acting on Saturday, telling the audience it was a pivitol moment for women, according to Quien.

'In Mexico and around the world, we now have a platform that they gave us,' the 43-year-old said, referring to the women who spoke up about sexual harassment in the workplace.

So sophisticated: Hilary Swank looked elegant in a black jumpsuit when she arrived for a Q&A at cultural organization Liberatum's first three-day event in Mexico City on Saturday

'All the women of the world are united. This is the most exciting moment since [American] women got the vote in 1921.'

And the beautiful brunette revealed that she had wanted to act since she was a child.

'When I was a little girl I thought, "OK, I want to be an actress, I want to do this," and I never said "no."

'I didn't want to go to Hollywood to win an Oscar,' she said - although she has two for best actress - 'I wanted to go to Hollywood and act.

Sharing her thoughts: The 43-year-old talked about Me Too movement and her love of acting

Chic outfit: The Logan Lucky star's black one-piece featured a single shoulder strap and a thin black belt emphasizing her tiny waist

'I wanted to tell the same stories that inspired me as a child.'

Hilary wore a dressy black jumpsuit with just one sleeve for the Q&A.

Later on she slipped her slender figure into a navy blue gown with a cut out that revealed her taut tummy for the Gala Dinner and Liberatum Cultural Honor Awards hosted by founder Pablo Ganguli at the National Art Museum.

All change: Hilary opted for a blue gown as she walked the red carpet for the Gala Dinner and Liberatum Cultural Honor Awards hosted by founder Pablo Ganguli at the National Art Museum

Hilary joined was at the table by Italian fashion designer Angela Missoni, 59, and author Deepak Chopra, 70.

Meanwhile the star, who took a break in 2016 to look after her father after his lung transplant, is back on the small screen.

She is co-starring in FX series Trust about the kidnap of oil family heir Paul Getty III in Rome by the Mafia in 1973.

Peek-a-boo: The gown featured a plunging neckline and cut-out showing her taut tummy

They demand a ransom for the 16-year-old but his uber wealthy grandfather, played by Donald Sutherland, refuses to pay it.

Hilary plays the teen's mother, Gail Getty, who is determined to get him home.

The series follows the same storyline that was adapted for the big screen in director Ridley Scott's All The Money In The World, released on December 25.
He's been gallivanting around town with a bevvy of beauties half his age following his split from 'TV wife' Gabrielle Bartlett.

And now Woman's Day have claimed in their Monday issue that Married At First Sight's Nasser Sultan is 'in a new relationship' with a blonde named Olivia.

'They have a spark,' an insider allegedly told the publication.

'They have a spark': MAFS reject Sultan, 50, is 'in a new relationship' with a blonde named Olivia [not pictured], after gallivanting around town with a slew of beauties half his age

'Nass and Olivia have been a couple for a few weeks now. They met a club opening a few months ago, and have recently started a relationship,' the source claimed to Woman's Day.

'They're very affectionate with one another - they have a spark that Nasser lacked with [TV wife] Gab,' they added.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Nasser for comment.

Pucker up! Nasser has been hitting the town alongside a bevvy of young women over the past week, and was caught locking lips with a brunette on Saturday night

The claims come shortly after Nasser was recently seen gallivanting around time with a slew of beauties that appeared half his age.

On Saturday night, the limelight-loving socialite raised eyebrows by kissing a much younger woman on the lips in a flirtatious Boomerang video shared to his Instagram Stories.

The pair were seen sitting behind a table laden with several drinks as they clasped at each other's hands before leaning in for a smooch.

Married at first bite! Hours later, Nasser shared another update from his wild night out, uploading a snap of himself cosying up to another younger woman on the dance floor

Hours later, Nasser shared another update from his wild night out, uploading a snap of himself cosying up to another younger woman on the dance floor.

Sporting a somewhat crimson complexion, the pint-sized reality star pretended to take a bike out of the cheek of his blonde companion, writing: 'Married at first bite!' in the caption.

He completed his post with the hash-tags: '#busted, #bite, #mafs, #numberonefriwnd, #itsanasserthing and #nasserisnasser.

Earlier on Saturday, Nasser posed with yet another younger woman, this time linking hands with his brunette pal while walking down the road.

Who now? Earlier on Saturday, Nasser posed with yet another younger woman, this time linking hands with his brunette pal while walking down the road

The woman was seen looking equally self-satisfied in the snap, wearing a denim skirt, white top, red hair scarf and chic sunnies to match.

Nasser departed Married At First Sight earlier this month after failing to sustain a romantic connection with his TV wife Gabrielle Bartlett.

Despite their differences, the couple parted on good terms and promised to remain friends in future.

Married At First Sight continues Monday on Nine.
He had said goodbye to Wolverine after 17 years of playing the role.

But Hugh Jackman instead paid tribute to his wife Deborra-lee Furness, 62, on Sunday as he accepted Best Actor at the 2018 Empire Awards.

The 49-year-old Australian actor called his wife on FaceTime after taking to the stage in London's Roundhouse Theatre, in a night which saw Star Wars: The Last Jedi come out on top with six gongs.

Out on top: Hugh Jackman, 46, paid tribute to his wife of 21 years Debora-lee Furness on Sunday as FaceTimed her on-stage at the 2018 Empire Awards after winning Best Actor

Hugh took to the stage to accept Best Actor from Anya Taylor-Joy, beating out John Boyega, Andy Serkis, Armie Hammer, and Gary Oldman.

After receiving the prize Hugh reminisced about the 'dream project' that was Logan, and how his 20 years playing the X-Men character lead him to the swan song performance.

He said: 'When we started making this movie, every single email I wrote had the heading ''Utopia''.

'We wanted to make something that was our dream project for this character. We could not have achieved that without this incredible team.'

Call the Mrs: During his acceptance speech Hugh called his wife on FaceTime in New York, after winning Best Actor for his performance in Logan

Look what I won! The Greatest Showman star said: 'Baby, you've sacrificed more than anything for this'

Honoured: In his speech Hugh also looked back on the near-20 years he spent playing the iconic Wolverine, which came to end with Logan in March last year

Hugh then grabbed his phone from someone in the audience, with his wife on the line from New York via. FaceTime.

Showing his prize to her he said: 'Baby, you've sacrificed more than anything for this.'

The Greatest Showman star also gave a mention to his co-star in the film Dafne Keen, who had received the Best Female Newcomer Award earlier in the evening, calling her a 'natural.'

He went onto say: 'In the last 20 years I have learned a lot about this character. There are 20 million people out there who still know a hell of a lot more about this character than me. This award and this movie is for those people.

Loved-up: The couple have been married for 21 years and have two children

Empire Awards 2018 WINNERS Best Film Call Me by Your Name Get Out Star Wars: The Last Jedi - WINNER Thor: Ragnarok Wonder Woman Best British Film Darkest Hour Dunkirk God's Own Country - WINNER Paddington 2 The Death of Stalin Best Director Patty Jenkins - Wonder Woman Rian Johnson - Star Wars: The Last Jedi - WINNER Jordan Peele - Get Out Taika Waititi - Thor: Ragnarok Edgar Wright - Baby Driver Best Screenplay Armando Iannucci, David Schneider, Ian Martin and Peter Fellows - The Death of Stalin James Ivory - Call Me by Your Name Francis Lee - God's Own Country Martin McDonagh - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Jordan Peele - Get Out - WINNER Best Actor John Boyega - Star Wars: The Last Jedi Armie Hammer - Call Me by Your Name Hugh Jackman - Logan - WINNER Gary Oldman - Darkest Hour Andy Serkis - War for the Planet of the Apes Best Actress Gal Gadot - Wonder Woman Tiffany Haddish - Girls Trip Frances McDormand - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Daisy Ridley - Star Wars: The Last Jedi - WINNER Emma Watson - Beauty and the Beast Best Male Newcomer Timothee Chalamet - Call Me by Your Name Ansel Elgort -Baby Driver Daniel Kaluuya - Get Out Josh O'Connor - God's Own Country - WINNER Fionn Whitehead - Dunkirk Best Female Newcomer Emily Beecham - Daphne Dafne Keen - Logan - WINNER Florence Pugh - Lady Macbeth Tessa Thompson - Thor: Ragnarok Kelly Marie Tran - Star Wars: The Last Jedi Best Comedy Girls Trip The Big Sick The Death of Stalin - WINNER The Disaster Artist Toni Erdmann Best Horror Get Out - WINNER It mother! Split The Autopsy of Jane Doe Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Blade Runner 2049 Logan Star Wars: The Last Jedi Thor: Ragnarok Wonder Woman - WINNER Best Thriller Baby Driver John Wick: Chapter 2 Kingsman: The Golden Circle - WINNER The Handmaiden Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Best Animated Film Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie Coco - WINNER My Life as a Courgette The Lego Batman Movie The Red Turtle Best Documentary An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power City of Ghosts I Am Not Your Negro - WINNER I Called Him Morgan Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond Best Production Design Baby Driver - WINNER Dunkirk Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Star Wars: The Last Jedi Thor: Ragnarok Best Soundtrack Baby Driver - WINNER Beauty and the Beast Call Me by Your Name Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Logan Lucky Best Visual Effects Ghost in the Shell Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Star Wars: The Last Jedi - WINNER Thor: Ragnarok War for the Planet of the Apes Best Costume Design Alexandra Byrne - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Michael Kaplan - Star Wars: The Last Jedi - WINNER The Death of Stalin Ellen Mirojnick - The Greatest Showman Mayes C. Rubeo - Thor: Ragnarok Best Makeup and Hair Styling Beauty and the Beast - WINNER Ghost in the Shell Murder on the Orient Express The Greatest Showman Thor: Ragnarok Best TV Series Big Little Lies Stranger Things The Crown - WINNER The Handmaid's Tale Twin Peaks Best Actor in a TV Series Jason Isaacs - Star Trek: Discovery - WINNER Kyle MacLachlan - Twin Peaks Alexander Skarsgard - Big Little Lies Matt Smith - The Crown Dan Stevens - Legion Best Actress in a TV Series Millie Bobby Brown - Stranger Things Claire Foy - The Crown Nicole Kidman - Big Little Lies - WINNER Elizabeth Moss - The Handmaid's Tale Reese Witherspoon - Big Little Lies Empire Legend of our Lifetime Award Steven Spielberg Empire Visionary Award Edgar Wright Empire Inspiration Amma Asante Empire Icon Mark Hamill Advertisement

Out on top: The actor scooped one of two prizes for Logan that evening with the other going to his co-star Dafne Keen for Best Female Newcomer

Rising star: Dafne was honoured for her acclaimed breakout performance as X-23

Star Wars: The Last Jedi came out on top in the big ceremony, scooping six awards including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress for Daisy Ridley.

Meanwhile Mark Hamill was honoured with the Empire Icon presented by his co-star from the iconic film series, expressing how grateful he was to have been recognised for his work as the legendary Luke Skywalker.

He said: 'I try to do my homework and make prepared remarks, but nothing prepares you for a moment like this.'

Big winner: Star Wars: The Last Jedi was the big winner at The Empire Awards, taking home six gongs including Best Film and Best Actress for Daisy Ridley

Space squad: Rian Johnson (left) won Best Director for the film, while producer Ram Bergman was also awarded for the film

Screen siren: Daisy scooped Best Actress for her performance as Rey in the sci-fi film

Honoured: Mark Hamill was presented with the Empire Icon award by his Star Wars co-star Daisy Ridley

Look at that! The legendary star was awarded for his performance as Luke Skywalker after over 40 years of playing the role

Pals: Mark embraced Daisy as he took to the stage to accept his award

Legend: In his acceptance speech the star said: 'I try to do my homework and make prepared remarks, but nothing prepares you for a moment like this'

Best British Film was awarded to God's Own Country, with star Josh O'Connor also receiving Best Male Newcomer.

The blockbusters came out on top throughout the evening, with Wonder Woman winning Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Kingsman: The Golden Circle winning Best Thriller and Best Horror going to Get Out.

Vanessa Kirby was also in attendance to pick up the Best TV Series award for The Crown, admitting in her acceptance speech: 'I nearly missed this because I was in the loo!'

Also coming out on top in the TV category was Best Actress Nicole Kidman for her performance in Big Little Lies, and Best Actor Jason Isaacs for her performance in Star Trek: Discovery.

Groundbreaking: Amma Asante received the Empire Inspiration Award

Girl power: Patty Jenkins also took to the stage to accept Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy for Wonder Woman

Focused: Jurassic Park director Steven looked thoughtful as he prepared to take to the stage

Amazing: Steven was honoured for 40 years of film-making, with a video including tributes from an array of actors who had starred in his films

The ceremony came to a close with Steven Spielberg receiving the Legend Of Our Lifetime Award, presented by actor Simon Pegg.

In his speech, Steven took the time to mention the Time's Up movement, which came about last year as a show of solidarity against sexual harassment in the Hollywood film industry.

He said: 'It's been a rich and diverse year for film and for gender and for race, and for speaking out.

'Thank you, Time's Up. We were very much on board from the very beginning. This is more important than any of us can ever really realise.'

Icon: Steven Spielberg was awarded the final prize of the night, taking to the stage to accept the Legend Of Our Lifetime Award from Simon Pegg

Important: In his speech Steven also took the time to mention the Time's Up Movement, saying: 'We were very much on board from the very beginning. This is more important than any of us can ever really realise'

Handsome: Luther star Idris Elba presented the EMPIRE Inspiration award and put on a dapper display

Star: The Hobbit actor Martin Freeman rocked a natty checked suit for the evening

Acclaimed; Noel Clarke looked stylish as he presented the award for Best Sci-Fi/ Fantasy

Winner: : Director Francis Lee, winner of the Best British Film award for 'God's Own Country, looked emotional as he accepted the award

Champ: Actor Josh O'Connor winner of the Best Male Newcomer award for God's Own Country, looked delighted as he held his trophy aloft
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It was reported on Sunday that Steve Jacobs had split from his wife Rosie after seven years of marriage.

And now, in a move that is fuelling further speculation about their breakup, the Channel Nine weatherman has put the couple's family home up for sale.

The Coogee home, located in Sydney's eastern suburbs, is listed for sale with a price guide of $4million to $4.4million, RealEstate.com.au reports.

Making it official? Today weatherman Steve Jacobs has put his $4.4million family home up for sale as he 'separates from wife Rosie after seven years of marriage'

Steve, 51, and Rosie, 39, had been living in Vanuatu alongside their two daughters - Isabella, six, and Francesca, four - since 2016.

In January 2017, Steve retired from his role as weekday weatherman on Today in order to spend more time with his wife and children.

He continued to present the weather on Weekend Today, commuting from Vanuatu to Sydney to appear on the Saturday and Sunday broadcasts.

Eye-watering price tag: The Coogee home, located in Sydney's eastern suburbs, is listed for sale with a price guide of $4million to $4.4million

Light and airy: The modern home features a marble kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances

The couple purchased the four-bedroom Coogee home in 2011 for $2.55million and had been renting it out since moving to Vanuatu.

Featuring a modern design, the home has ocean views, a main bedroom with an ensuite, and a studio room above the garage.

Ballard Property Group Double Bay has listed the property for auction on April 7.

Haven't been living in it: The couple purchased the four-bedroom Coogee home in 2011 for $2.55million and had been renting it out since moving to Vanuatu

Spacious: The property has four bedrooms, with the main boasting an ensuite bathroom

Located close to the beach: Featuring a modern design, the home has ocean views

On Sunday, Confidential reported that Steve and Rosie had parted ways as a couple last year after growing in 'different directions'.

'Steve and Rosie had such a public image of the perfect happy family but behind the scenes there were struggles that would put strain on even the best marriage,' a friend told the publication.

The friend also claimed that Steve and Rosie will remain in Vanuatu where their daughters attend school.

Rosie told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday she 'would not be commenting on the story at this stage'.

Speculation: While the couple are yet to publicly announce the split, putting the home up for sale appears to confirm the news
The former Bachelor star became engaged to her girlfriend-of-three-months Maegan Luxa in December last year.

But Alex Nation was spotted getting close with a male model in Melbourne last week.

According to Woman's Day, the 26-year-old was with Harrison Luna in a nightclub, with a source claiming 'they barely left each other's side'.

What will her fiancee think? The Bachelor's Alex Nation (left) was spotted getting close with MALE model Harrison Luna (right) in a Melbourne club - amid her engagement to Maegan Luxa

The onlooker claimed the pair happily got close in full view of patrons throughout the night, with Harrison placing his hands on Alex's svelte waist.

'At one point they were whispering to one another and he had his hands wrapped around her waist,' added the source.

The mother-of-one's fiancee Maegan, 31, did not appear to be present during the nightclub exchange.

Trouble in paradise? The former Bachelor winner became engaged to her girlfriend-of-three-months, Maegan Luxa (left), in December last year

Romance: Things have moved very quickly for the couple since Alex met Maegan in August. Pictured: Maegan, Alex and her seven-year-old son Elijah

Things have moved very quickly for the couple since Alex met Maegan in August playing for the same women's footy team, the Frankston Bombers.

Just two days before their engagement, Alex spoke openly about moving in together and the day Meagan met her seven-year-old son, Elijah.

Alex has previously described herself as pansexual to the Herald Sun, meaning someone who is attracted to a person irrelevant of their sex or gender identity.

She also admitted she has probably always been that way, but had 'never connected with a woman before.'

'Never connected with a woman before': Alex has previously described herself as pansexual, meaning someone who is attracted to a person irrelevant of their sex or gender identity

Addressing the recent pictures on social media, Alex slammed Woman's Day and denied she and Harrison were anything more than friends.

'Seems you can't say g'day to your friends anymore. Sorry, you're now in a relationship with me, in case you weren't aware,' she wrote, tagging Harrison.

Harrison appeared to find the reports amusing and responded, 'LOL' and 'Mum, I think I've made it'.

'Seems you can't say g'day to your friends anymore': Addressing the pictures on social media, Alex slammed Woman's Day and denied she and Harrison were anything more than friends

In the last month, Alex has been spotted mingling with her new famous friends, including RHOM star Pettifleur Berenger and Married At First Sight's Davina Rankin.

Alex rose to fame as a contestant on the Bachelor in 2016. She won Richie Strahan's heart, but they split after a few months.

She shares a son - Elijah, seven - with her ex-husband Joel Porter.
She's no stranger to making saucy displays on social media.

And Emily Ratajkowski was back at it again Sunday, as she shared a smoldering video of her ever-alluring chest on her Instagram story.

The newly married beauty, 26, teased her full front in a sexy silk dress with a dramatically deep neckline, as she appeared to be in a car en route to an event.

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Va-va-voom! Emily Ratajkowski teased her full front on her Instagram story Sunday, showing off her cleavage in a sexy silk dress

Emily wasn't shy about putting her curves front and center, as she playfully raked her hands through her hair while looking at the camera seductively.

A collection of delicate necklaces dangled between her breasts, giving followers another excuse to oogle at the model's curves.

The DNA model doubled down her accessories by sporting two separate pairs on earrings, one set of diamond huggies with a larger gold hoop.

Emily, who was just wed to partner Sebastian Bear-McClard last month, was in full glam mode, sculpting her high-cheekbones with bronze contour and a hint of rosy blush.

Sexy: The Blurred Lines music video vixen playfully raked her hands through her hair while looking at the camera seductively in the social media clip

She played up her hazel eyes with a small flick of winged eyeliner.

Just yesterday, Emily gave her followers a cheeky glimpse at her backside on Instagram.

The Blurred Lines video vixen found a nearly nude way to promote the six-style swimwear brand, Inamorata, she launched back on November 16.

In the Olivia Malone-shot image, the beauty held her ample assets while gazing at herself in the bathroom mirror wearing the $75 brown polka-dot 'Neptune' bottom from her line.

Eye-catching: A collection of delicate necklaces dangled between her breasts, giving followers another excuse to oogle at the model's curves

Bottom's up! Just yesterday, Emily gave her followers a cheeky glimpse at her backside on Instagram

'I don't think you ready for this jelly,' the London -born, Encinitas-raised stunner - who boasts 23.8M social media followers - wrote quoting Destiny's Child.

Ratajkowski and her new husband Sebastian Bear-McClard recently returned from their honeymoon at the remote, $8K/night Amangiri Resort in Utah.

The DKNY brand ambassador and the Good Time producer - who've shared the same 'friend group for years', according to Us Weekly - tied the knot February 23 at New York City Hall.

Before romancing the Film Independent John Cassavetes Award nominee, the UCLA drop-out dated balding Brown University alum Jeff Magid for three years.
House Rules runners-up Kate Whiting and James Harris have split after nine years together.

Model Kate, 29, announced their shock separation in an emotional Instagram snap with carpenter James, 32, and their three-year-old son Xavier.

She said the couple - who were renowned for their fiery conflicts on the show - remain 'great friends' and have agreed to co-parent Xavier who is their 'number one priority'.

It's over: House Rules runners-up Kate Whiting and James Harris have split after nine years together

'It is with great sadness we share that Harry and I are no longer together,' Kate penned on Instagram.

The couple reportedly split in November and plan to sell their house, which was given a make-over in the reality renovation TV series.

'Over the last few months we have been making this transition process as smooth as possible for our little man,' Kate continued.

'We are both committed to co-parenting Xave, with his well-being as our number one priority.'

Proud parents: Model Kate, 29, announced their shock separation in an emotional Instagram snap with James, 32, and their three-year-old son Xavier (pictured)

Sad: 'Over the last few months we have been making this transition process as smooth as possible for our little man,' Kate said

She added: 'A big thank you to everyone who supported us during our time on House Rules and over the past year, we are forever grateful for the opportunities it has created for the three of us.

'We remain great friends and look forward to what the next chapter brings.'

Kate later shared a snap of Xavier, and praised the toddler for 'adjusting' so well to their co-parenting method.

'Couldnt be prouder of this little man in the way hes adjusted to "Mummy time" and "Daddy time" over the past few months. We love you Xave,' she wrote.

Shame: The couple reportedly split in November and plan to sell their house, which was given a make-over in the reality renovation TV series

The Adelaide born exes seem to be getting on with their separate lives, with Kate recently signing with Finesse Models Australia.

Meanwhile, James is working on a housing development and recently completed a charity bike ride.

The pair made the grand final of House Rules last July  but missed out on the $200,000 top prize to Aaron and Daniella Winter.
She's the outspoken media personality whose abrupt departure from Studio 10 sent shock waves through the Australian media industry earlier this month.

And Jessica Rowe has slammed brothers Karl and Peter Stefanovic, over their leaked Uber phone call about Today co-host Georgie Gardner.

The 47-year-old appeared on Studio 10 on Monday, where she defended her 'dear friend' Georgie after it was revealed Karl criticised his Channel Nine co-host during the explosive phone chat.

Weighing in: Jessica Rowe has slammed brothers Karl and Peter Stefanovic, over their leaked Uber phone call about Today co-host Georgie Gardner

'I suppose because Georgie's one of my dearest friends, no the phone call shouldn't have been recorded,' she said.

'But I don't think these two [Karl and Peter] are victims. I think If you have nothing nice to say about someone, do it behind closed doors. Do not do it on speakerphone where people are listening.'

She added: 'Georgie is an incredible journalist, she is not neutral about anything, she's strong, she's committed, she's passionate. I'm sick of blokes saying negative things about women.'

Defending Georgie: Jessica said 'I don't think these two [Karl and Peter Stefanovic] are victims. I think If you have nothing nice to say about someone, do it behind closed doors. Do not do it on speakerphone where people are listening'

According to New Idea this week, Karl was heard 'angrily' complaining about Lisa Wilkinson's replacement, Georgie, during a 'b*tchy' conversation with Peter while he was in the back of an Uber car.

Last week, a source close to Karl's team told Daily Mail Australia: 'Karl is heading to court over the leaked Uber tape.'

'The Nine frontman will issue legal proceedings against the global rider-share scheme.'

High praise: 'Georgie is an incredible journalist, she is not neutral about anything, she's strong, she's committed, she's passionate. I'm sick of blokes saying negative things about women,' Jessica said. She is pictured with Georgie (L) at the 'Women and Freedom' Photographic Exhibition and Auction on July 29, 2004 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, in Sydney

A Nine spokeswoman reportedly confirmed to The Daily Telegraph that the Stefanovics will not have to offer a 'sincere formal 'apology to Georgie for what was said.

The siblings allegedly spoke about Nine News and Current Affairs head honcho Darren Wick, Today's Mark Calvert and 60 Minutes' Kirsty Thomson during their chat, which took place when Peter was in an Uber and speaking to his brother Karl on loudspeaker.

Jessica's appearance on Studio 10 comes nearly two weeks after her abrupt departure from the Channel Ten show on March 9.

Out: Jessica's appearance on Studio 10 comes nearly two weeks after her abrupt departure from the Channel Ten show on March 9

It was recently claimed that network executives were gearing up to axe her as part of drastic cost-cutting measures however a rep denied the report.

An Insider told The Sunday Telegraph that the embattled network, which went into voluntary administration last year, wanted to reduce costs by up to $500,000 a year.

'There was a plan in place to eliminate one presenter and the decision was made it would be Jessica Rowe,' an unnamed source said.

New addition: The report comes just months after former Today co-host Lisa Wilkinson joined the network with a rumoured $2 million pay packet

'The writing has been on the wall for a long time.'

Jessica first joined Studio 10 back in 2013.

In a previous statement to Daily Mail Australia, a Channel Ten spokesperson dismissed the report as 'total fiction.'

'The story is completely false. It is total fiction. Jessica Rowe resigned,' they said.

The report comes just months after former Today co-host Lisa Wilkinson joined the network with a rumoured $2 million pay packet.

See you in court! Channel Ten has slammed a 'spiteful' former Studio 10 producer who claimed the network 'wanted to fire Jessica for a year'

Accomplished: Jessica is an accomplished media personality and has graced TV screens for more than 20 years

Jessica is an accomplished media personality and has graced TV 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 briefly appeared alongside Karl as host of the Today show.

Jessica previously made clear that Channel Ten had been 'nothing but supportive' of her decision.
Her ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber regularly visits Australia to attend conferences at the Hillsong church.

And on Monday, Selena Gomez touched down in Sydney ahead of the Hillsong colour conference.

The Texas native was pictured carrying around a black Ukulele around Sydney airport as she walked arm-in-arm with another female.

Following in her exes footsteps? Selena Gomez arrives in Sydney for Hillsong conference favoured by her ex Justin Bieber... following the couple's break-up

The sighting comes one week after reports surfaced that the couple had ended their relationship.

The Grammy favourite had clearly dressed for comfort for her long-haul flight.

The Big Short actress cut a casual silhouette in a laid-back ensemble consisting of a pair of stark velour track pants, a white ribbed singlet top and a vintage-look large denim jacket.

The brunette stunner completed her outfit by adorning her fingers with silver rings and by donning a navy slouch baker boy cap.

Casual: The Big Short actress cut a casual silhouette in a laid-back ensemble consisting of a pair of stark velour track pants, a white ribbed singlet top and a vintage-look large denim jacket

The A-lister seemed like she was about to break out into song and dance as as she traipsed Sydney airport sporting a big grin and a small Ukulele.

Selena was seen leaning on her female friends' shoulders as the songstress casually wrapped her arms around the young brunette.

Selena touched down in Australia on Monday to attend the Hillsong colour conference at ICC Sydney from the 19th-21st March.

Hillsong Church services have been a favourite pastime of Selena and Justin, as they have been previously snapped enjoying the iconic global Pentecostal megachurch.

Lean on me: Selena was seen leaning on her female friends' shoulders, as the songstress casually wrapped her arms around the young brunette

The Baby singer has been an avid supporter of the megachurch for many years and has attended a number of Hillsong conferences in Sydney.

Hillsong bound: The Baby singer has been an avid supporter of the megachurch for many years and has attended a number of Hillsong conferences in Sydney

In July 2017 Justin arrived in Sydney to attend a Hillsong Conference among like-minded Christians.

The Canadian pop star, 23, was seen hyping up the religious crowd at the event, as he encouraged them to outstretch their arms to the sky.

Hillsong devotee: In July 2017 Justin arrived in Sydney to attend a Hillsong Conference among like-minded Christians

Last week it was reported Justin and Selena ended their relationship once again, at least temporarily.

Reports surfaced suggesting that the pair, who reunited in 2017 after nearly five years apart that was plagued with reconciliation rumors, are taking some time for themselves.

On March 11, 2018, Us Weekly reported that multiple sources confirmed the news of their split.

Over? The sighting comes one week after reports surfaced Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez had ended their relationship
Veteran actress Allison Janney won her first Academy Award earlier this month.

And the I, Tonya talent celebrated her statue with very special victory dance during a stop by the Ellen show, which airs Monday.

The West Wing beauty, 58, was literally swept off her feet by a team of hunky male dancers who donned boxers, bow-ties and little more to boogie with the star.

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Victory dance! Allison Janney celebrated her Oscar win with a team of hunky, partially-clothed dancers during a stop by Ellen, airing Monday

Allison was effortlessly stylish at Ellen's Burbank, California studio, where she wore a white shirt and shiny black leggings by Hudson Jeans with towering pink stilettos.

After the actress confessed she didn't get to celebrate her win after the 90th annual Academy Awards back on March 4 because of her jam-packed schedule, the clever talk show hostess figured out the perfect way to mark the moment.

The Finding Nemo star beckoned shirtless dancers from backstage, who offered Allison a flute of champagne and threw a shiny satin sash across her body.

The blushing thespian and scantily-clad gentleman got up to dance to the Ginuwine classic Pony before Allison instructed the guys to pick her up in their arms.

Tickled pink! The 6foot star was effortlessly stylish at Ellen's Burbank, California studio, where she wore a white shirt and shiny black leggings with towering pink stilettos

Perfect prediction! At the top of the episode Ellen welcomed the actress with an 'I told you so,' reminding Allison that she predicted her Oscar win long before awards season

At the top of the episode Ellen welcomed the actress with an 'I told you so,' reminding Allison that she predicted her Oscar win long before awards season.

But the wife of actress Portia De Rossi cut her praise short to ask the Mom actress: 'Do you regret not thanking me?'

Her jab was a reference to Janney's cheeky acceptance speech which she began by joking: 'I did it all myself.'

The starlet was instantly apologetic for her forgetfulness, confessing she regrets not thanking Ellen or'shock jock' Howard Stern for their longtime support.

Solo act: The Finding Nemo star poked a bit of fun at the West Wing actress for her cheeky Oscar speech (above,) which she opened by joking: 'I did it all myself'

Do-over! The Emmy-winner was given an opportunity to make things right, as Ellen invited her to 're-do' the speech in front of her studio audience

But the Emmy-winner was given an opportunity to make things right, as Ellen invited her to 're-do' the speech in front of her studio audience.

She stood up right then and there to express her gratitude, but was almost instantly drowned out by the sound of brass music.

Later Ellen and Allison were joined by Silicon Valley's Zach Woods for a round of Last Word, where Janney had to accept defeat at the hands of the hilariously-awkward actor.

You can check local NBC listings to see when Ellen airs Monday.
Emmy Rossum, 31, took a break from her Sunday crossword for an afternoon stroll through Los Angeles with her husband and screenwriter Sam Esmail, 40.

The actress was spotted wearing a pink blazer and a pair of wide-leg jeans as she sipped on an iced beverage from Starbucks.

The couple, who looked rather smitten, have been married since May 2017.

Take a walk! Emmy Rossum, 31, took a break from her Sunday crossword for an afternoon stroll through Los Angeles with her husband and screenwriter Sam Esmail, 40

Emmy and Sam met back in 2013 on the set of the romantic comedy Cometwritten and directed by Esmail.

They dated for two years before announcing their engagement in 2015.

Rossum said 'I do,' in a stunning custom-made Carolina Herrera gown at the east 55th street Conservative Synagogue in NYC on May 28.

Casually clad! The actress was spotted wearing a pink blazer and a pair of wide-leg jeans as she sipped on an iced beverage from Starbucks

I do! Emmy and Sam were married in May 2017

Sam is no longer the only director in the Esmail/Rossum household.

In 2017, Emmy made her directorial debut on Showtime's Shamelessof which she is also the lead actress.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she talked about what it felt like to be behind the camera.

'It was empowering and exciting,' she said. 'I quasi asked [to direct] for a while, and then I went to NYU and got a teacher and learned a little bit about cinematography, and then said legitimately that that was something I wanted to do.'

Power couple! The two met back in 2013 on the set of the romantic comedy Cometwritten and directed by Esmail

In honor of Female Filmmaker Friday, the Mr. Robot creator posted about his wife on Instagram.

'Perpetually in awe of the directing by my bad*** wife,' he captioned the photo.

Since her debut, Rossum has gone on to direct for TNT's series Animal Kingdom.
She was brought back last year to a mixed reception from fans.

But EastEnders bosses have reportedly axed Michelle Fowler actress Jenna Russell after failing to generate interesting story lines for her.

A source told The Sun that producer John Yorke - who took over from Sean O' Connor in November 2017 - decided to axe Michelle Fowler to spend more time on the returning Slater family.

She's out! EastEnders bosses have reportedly axed Michelle Fowler actress Jenna Russell just over a year after the character's return due to a lack of interesting storylines

The source said: 'Bringing back an an old character always adds much needed nostalgia which fans love.

'But Michelle simply wasn't going anywhere and was deemed a bit of spare part.

'Jenna is an established actress in her own right and wouldn't want to be on the periphery.'

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Jenna and EastEnders for comment.

Finished: A source told The Sun that the returning producer John Yorke decided to axe Jenna as she began to feel like 'a spare part'

Michelle Fowler made a dramatic re-arrival in Albert Square in late 2016, on the run from a secret relationship she had with a 17-year-old student in the USA that cost her her teaching job.

Fans were mixed on the return as Jenna took over the role after original actress Susan Tully declined to return.

Other story lines also included Michelle being the victim of a stalker, after breaking off a relationship with sinister Tom Bailey.

Michelle was one of the soap's original characters during its debut in 1985, appearing on the soap for ten years.

One of the character's biggest plots saw her fall pregnant to a mystery man in Albert Square, and in a whodunnit fashion the father was eventually revealed to be 'Dirty Den' Watts.

She's back! Fans were left reeling when Michelle made a shock return to the Street in Christmas 2016, recast as Jenna

Old face: Original Michelle Fowler actress Susan Tully declined to return, after playing the role for ten years from 1985 to 1995

Michelle's axing comes as fans eagerly anticipate the return of the Slater family this week, in what sources have teased as a story line with 'plenty of twists and turns.'

Mo Harris made a shock arrival on the Square last week with the shocking revelation that Kat Slater was dead.

Of course fans know that this is a ruse and the character will make an explosive return in scenes set to air this week.

As part of the dramatic new story line Stacey Slater's mum Jean will also arrival back in Walford, dropping a shock bombshell as the residents still believe that Kat is dead.
Married At First Sight fans were left shocked when Troy Delmege and Carly Bowyer were caught passionately kissing in a Melbourne park last month.

At the time, the two reality TV stars were both 'married' to other people on MAFS and appeared to be a very unlikely match.

But their relationship may be more serious than first thought, as they both revealed to TV Week on Monday they are ready to have children.

'I need to get cracking': Married At First Sight's Carly Bowyer told TV Week on Monday she is keen to have children as soon as possibly - and her boyfriend Troy Delmege feels the same way

The magazine quoted 32-year-old Carly as saying she 'really wants to have kids'.

'I want to have a few - so I need to get cracking on that one,' the brunette confessed.

And it seems Troy might be her perfect match, given he also seems to be in a hurry to procreate.

'Eight would be awesome': Goofy groom Troy wants a larger family, while Carly would prefer a trio of children

The 35-year-old told TV Week: 'I don't want to be too old and still pumping out kids. Time is dwindling.'

While clucky Carly thinks three children would be ideal, her boyfriend Troy is hoping for a bigger family.

'If I was 25, I would say eight would be awesome. But six little rascals running around would be so much fun,' he said.

Clucky Carly! The brunette, who ended her on-screen romance with Justin Fischer earlier in the season, is now believed to be in a relationship with Troy

It comes after NW also reported on Monday that Troy's on-screen wife Ashley Irvin feels 'betrayed' by his new romance with Carly.

A source told the magazine: 'Ash feels like she's been totally played by both Troy and Carly - even though she obviously wasn't falling in love with him, Troy told Ash he loved her. And this is just proof that it was bulls**t'.

While Troy and Ashley are still 'married' on the show, which was filmed months ago, it is widely rumoured they will split on Monday's episode.
Billy Crudup is the creator and star of the play Harry Clarke.

Naomi Watts, who is rumored to be romantically involved with Crudup, attended the production's opening night on Sunday at the Minetta Lane Theatre in NYC.

The 49-year-old actress was a vision in a Bottega Veneta peach silk dress for the one-man show.

Support system! Naomi Watts stepped out to watch her rumored boyfriend Billy Crudup perform his one man playHarry Clarke in NYC on Sunday

Love in the air! Naomi arrived at the Minetta Lane Theatre in a Bottega Veneta peach rose silk georgette lace dress and boots

Billy and Naomi were last spotted together in February as they left a Vogue party hand-in-hand.

The two reportedly became close while filming the Netflix series Gypsy, which centers on a married psychologist (Watts) who becomes obsessed with one of her client's ex-girlfriends.

A source confirmed to PEOPLE back in July that the pair were 'dating' in real life.

PDA is okay! Billy and Naomi were last spotted together in February as they left a Vogue party hand in hand

Finding love: The two reportedly got close while filming the Netflix series Gypsy

This was just 10 months after she split from her ex-partner Liev Schreiber, 50, whom she'd been with for 11 years.

They share two sons togetherAlexander, 10, and Samuel, age nine.

And while Naomi has been linked to Billy, Liev is currently dating Miss South Dakota, Taylor Niesen, 26.

Out with the old: This was just 10 months after she split from her ex-partner Liev Schreiber,50, whom she'd been with for 11 years

While at the play's opening, Watts ran into her friend and former co-star Simon Baker.

Both Simon and his wife Rebecca Rigg are close to Naomi.

Along with Nicole Kidman, she is a godmother to their three children Stella, 24, Claude, 18 and Harry, 15.

Reunited! While at the premiere, Watts ran into her friend and former co-star Simon Baker
His 'nice guy' reputation took a serious knock after photos of him snorting white powder off a stripper's bottom were published earlier this month.

And Telv Williams has been exposed once again after Facebook posts resurfaced on Monday that appear to show the 'lonely single dad' is looking for fame.

In May last year, Telv boasted on social media that he was asked to audition for The Bachelorette - but couldn't make the appointment because he was working.

Oh, dear! Married At First Sight's Telv Williams has been exposed once again after Facebook posts resurfaced on Monday that appear to show the 'lonely single dad' is looking for fame

Taking to Facebook on May 6th 2017, Telv wrote: 'Haha, well I got an audition but couldn't attend (because) I was at work.'

He attached a screenshot of a text message sent that afternoon by a person working for 'The Bachelorette casting team'.

The SMS read: 'Hey Telv, this is (redacted) from The Bachelorette casting team. If you could give me a quick call back on this number ASAP as we are holding auditions tomorrow in Perth and would love to meet you. Thanks.'

'Well, I got an audition!' In May last year, Telv boasted on social media that he was asked to audition for The Bachelorette - but couldn't make the appointment because he was working

Sophie Monk was pictured arriving in Sydney to start filming The Bachelorette on May 27th.

It would appear Telv was a last-minute audition for the 2017 series, as production began just three weeks after he received the text message.

Telv also fits the profile of a Bachelorette 'intruder', suggesting that this was the role producers had in mind for him.

Fame chaser: It would seem Telv was a last-minute audition for the 2017 series starring Sophie Monk (pictured), as production began just three weeks after he received the text message

Most of the 'intruders' on Sophie's season - including winner Stu Laundy - were men in their 30s and 40s and with children from previous relationships.

It comes after a leaked email Telv sent to a MAFS producer last month confirmed he had secretly split with onscreen Sarah Roza.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine and Network Ten for comment.
He's the Aussie export who paid tribute to his wife Deborra-lee Furness as he accepted Best Actor at the 2018 Empire Awards on Sunday.

And before his big win Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-lee Furness were spotted in New York City walking their dogs in matching outfits.

Over the weekend, the high-profile couple wore matching dark ensembles consisting of padded jackets, black pants, lace-up sneakers and aviator sunglasses.

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Couples who dress together, stay together! Hugh Jackman, 49 and his wife Deborra-lee Furness, 62, don matching outfits as they walk their dogs in New York City

The Aussie couple looked stylish as they walked their dogs, Dali and Allegra, in New York's fashionable West Village.

Hugh seemingly did some damage to his credit card in the swanky suburb as he carried a medium sized white shopping bag.

While The Greatest Showman actor tended to an important phone call on his smartphone, the Australian actress and producer happily grasped the pooches leads.

Stop, in the name of love: Following lunch at an outdoor cafe in the trendy neighbourhood, Hugh, 49, pulled his wife, Deborra-lee, 62, aside for a private moment

Following lunch at an outdoor cafe in the trendy neighbourhood, Hugh, 49, pulled his wife, Deborra-lee, 62, aside for a private moment.

At first it looked like the pair were about to pack on an almighty PDA in the middle of the sidewalk, but instead the Aussie exports went in for a warm embrace.

The affectionate couple put on a loving display for onlookers as they hugged tightly in the middle of the pathway, while the hounds kept themselves occupied by staring at the scenery.

Give them a moment, pups! The affectionate couple put on a loving display for onlookers as they hugged tightly in the middle of the pathway, while the hounds kept themselves occupied by staring at the scenery

Over the weekend, the Aussie hunk put on another lovey-dovey display for fans in London.

On Sunday the Wolverine star paid tribute to his wife Deborra-lee Furness as he accepted Best Actor at the 2018 Empire Awards.

The Australian actor called his wife on FaceTime after taking to the stage in London's Roundhouse Theatre, in a night which saw Star Wars: The Last Jedi come out on top with six gongs.

Out on top: Hugh Jackman, 46, paid tribute to his wife of 21 years Deborra-lee Furness on Sunday as FaceTimed her on-stage at the 2018 Empire Awards after winning Best Actor

Hugh took to the stage to accept Best Actor from Anya Taylor-Joy, beating out John Boyega, Andy Serkis, Armie Hammer, and Gary Oldman.

After receiving the prize Hugh reminisced about the 'dream project' that was Logan, and how his 20 years playing the X-Men character lead him to the swan song performance.

He said: 'When we started making this movie, every single email I wrote had the heading ''Utopia''.

'We wanted to make something that was our dream project for this character. We could not have achieved that without this incredible team.'

Honoured: In his speech, Hugh also looked back on the near-20 years he spent playing the iconic Wolverine, which came to end with Logan in March last year

Hugh then grabbed his phone from someone in the audience, with his wife on the line from New York via. FaceTime.

Showing his prize to her he said: 'Baby, you've sacrificed more than anything for this.'

Loved-up: The couple have been married for 21 years and have two children

The Greatest Showman star also gave a mention to his co-star in the film Dafne Keen, who had received the Best Female Newcomer Award earlier in the evening, calling her a 'natural.'

He went onto say: 'In the last 20 years I have learned a lot about this character. There are 20 million people out there who still know a hell of a lot more about this character than me. This award and this movie is for those people.
Scott Disick has been with his drastically younger girlfriend since last year.

And he brought Sofia Richie along when he stepped out in Los Angeles this Sunday with his two older children, Mason and Penelope.

Sofia, the 19-year-old daughter of musical icon and current American Idol host Lionel Richie, is 15 years younger than the Kardashian satellite she is dating.

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Party of four: Scott Disick brought Sofia Richie along when he stepped out in Los Angeles this Sunday with his two older children, Mason and Penelope

She clashed a pristine white hoodie against a pair of high-waisted olive green sweats, accessorizing with gleaming hoop earrings.

Sweeping her hair back into a ponytail, she ambled about on white sneakers and slung a multicolored print purse from her right shoulder.

Meanwhile, her hunky beau had pulled on a navy knit hoodie, shielding his eyes from the California rays with a black-rimmed pair of sunglasses.

Just a number?: Sofia, the 19-year-old daughter of musical icon and current American Idol host Lionel Richie, is 15 years younger than her boyfriend

Contrast: She clashed a pristine white hoodie against a pair of high-waisted olive green sweats, accessorizing with gleaming hoop earrings

Stylish: Sweeping her hair back into a ponytail, she ambled about on white sneakers and slung a multicolored print purse from her right shoulder

The scruffy soi-disant Lord pulled on a cozy-looking yellow and sky blue hoodie that advertised the skateboard brand PALACE.

His trousers matched his girlfriend's, and he garnished his ensemble with a watch, modeling a pair of black and white Nikes during his outing.

Scott has three children by his on-off paramour Kourtney Kardashian. Mason's 2009 birth was immortalized on an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

Meanwhile: Her hunky beau had pulled on a navy knit hoodie, shielding his eyes from the California rays with a black-rimmed pair of sunglasses

Only the best: The bearded Kardashian satellite pulled on a cozy-looking yellow and sky blue hoodie that advertised the skateboard brand PALACE

Rounding off the look: His trousers matched his girlfriend's, and he garnished his ensemble with a watch, modeling a pair of black and white Nikes during his outing

The co-parents welcomed their now five-year-old daughter Penelope into the world in 2012, and Kourtney gave birth to her youngest child, a son called Reign, in 2014.

Kourtney and Scott, who were introduced in 2006 by Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis in Mexico, last ended their romantic relationship in July of 2015.

Scott and Kourtney are now each dating someone more than a decade younger - Kourtney, 38, has a 24-year-old Algerian model toyboy called Younes Bendjima.

Cavalcade: Sofia is not the first of Scott's recently much younger flames; he dated Bella Thorne for a time last year back when she was herself 19

Backdrop: Scott has three children by his on-off paramour Kourtney Kardashian. Mason's 2009 birth was immortalized on an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians

Is Reign with Mom?: The co-parents welcomed their now five-year-old daughter Penelope into the world in 2012, and Kourtney gave birth to her youngest child, a son called Reign, in 2014

Kourtney's family, including her mother Kris Jenner and 22-year-old half-sister Kendall Jenner, have playfully needled Scott about his younger squeeze.

Last month, when Scott put a pap snap on Instagram of himself in the car with Sofia and one or more of his children, Kendall commented: 'awww Scott and his kids'.

On a recently aired episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kris, 62, brought up the age difference between Scott and his girlfriend.

Quits: Kourtney and Scott, who were introduced in 2006 by Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis in Mexico, last ended their romantic relationship in July of 2015

Parallel: Scott and Kourtney are now each dating someone more than a decade younger - Kourtney, 38, has a 24-year-old Algerian model toyboy called Younes Bendjima

Figures of fun: Kourtney's family, including her mother Kris Jenner and 22-year-old half-sister Kendall Jenner, have playfully needled Scott about his younger squeeze

'Okay,' reminisced Kris, 'so I was 17 and Robert was 12 years older.'

Kris' first ex-husband was the late Robert Kardashian, who was part of the legal team that secured O.J. Simpson's hotly controversial acquittal of double murder.

When Kris brought Robert up to Scott apropos Sofia, he slyly replied: 'You were underage. She's not.'

Family connections: In addition to being the daughter of Lionel Richie, Sofia is also the younger half-sister of reality star-turned-sitcom actress Nicole Richie

Throwback to past sightings: Last month, when Scott put a snap on Instagram of himself in the car with Sofia and one or more of his children, Kendall commented: 'awww Scott and his kids'

Big group: The Kardashian-Jenner family has been rapidly expanding, to the point Kendall is Kris' only child not to be either a parent or currently expecting

'Touche,' said Kris with a grin.

The Kardashian-Jenner family has been rapidly expanding, to the point Kendall is Kris' only child not to be either a parent or currently expecting.

Kourtney's sister Kim Kardashian, 37, and Kim's third husband Kanye West welcomed a daughter via surrogacy in January and have named her Chicago.

The couple affectionately dubbed 'Kimye' also have a four-year-old daughter called North and a two-year-old son called Saint.

Away he goes: Mason, who is his parents' firstborn child, could be seen bounding over a planter into the parking lot while Scott spoke to Penelope

Ready to leave: When Sofia, Scott and the children were seen on Sunday, Mason and Penelope had scampered ahead to the car while their father and his girlfriend lagged behind

The Kardashian sisters' younger brother Rob Kardashian, 31, and his ex-fiancee Blac Chyna have a one-year-old daughter named Dream.

Kim and Kourtney's little sister Khloe, 33, is pregnant by her Cleveland Cavalier beau Tristan Thompson, and has decamped to Ohio to move in with him.

On the first of last month, the Kardashian girls' 20-year-old half-sister Kylie Jenner welcomed a daughter called Stormi Webster by her 25-year-old rapper boyfriend Travis Scott, whose Christian name is Jacques Webster.

On the go: Sofia was seen framed by the two children as she walked slightly ahead of Scott, who has holding a bulging paper bag as he went on his way
On St. Patrick's Day she wished her ex Rob Kardashian a happy birthday.

And by Sunday, Blac Chyna was still clearly in a festive mood, grinning as she posed in lingerie for her over 14 million strong Instagram following.

The 29-year-old showed off a bit of her heavily tattooed midsection beneath a gleaming crimson top.

Chipper: By Sunday, though St. Patrick's Day was past, Blac Chyna was still clearly in a festive mood, beaming as she posed up on Instagram in lingerie

Lace fringe lined her plunging neckline, which fell low enough to give viewers a glimpse of her generously endowed cleavage.

The mother-of-one teamed the top with a set of matching bottoms that showed off her curvy legs to full advantage.

Chyna's wavy hairdo was a shade of pale pink rather reminiscent of the one recently sported by Rob's 37-year-old big sister Kim Kardashian.

Showing what she's got: The 29-year-old showed off a bit of her heavily tattooed midsection beneath a gleaming crimson top

In November of 2016, Chyna welcomed her and Rob's now one-year-old child, a daughter they named Dream Renee Kardashian.

The little girl's middle name is the same as that of her mother, who was born Angela Renee White in Washington, D.C.

Around the middle of last year, Chyna and Rob's relationship disintegrated in flames, and he posted nude photos of her to Instagram.

She looks swell: Lace fringe lined her plunging neckline, which fell low enough to give viewers a glimpse of her generously endowed cleavage

Lawyering up with Gloria Allred's daughter Lisa Bloom, who has co-starred in press conferences with such names as Kathy Griffin, Chyna sued.

Her legal misadventures included a lawsuit against Kim and the latter's mother Kris Jenner, which People reported was dismissed by a judge in January of this year.

Before the breakup, Rob and Chyna had starred on an eponymous reality show, and Chyna's suit claimed Kris and Kim had connived to prevent its continuation.
Caitlyn Jenner wrapped up her weekend with a fun-filled Sunday.

The athlete-turned-memoirist began her day with a NASCAR race, before heading back to her hometown of Malibu for a bite to eat with pal Sofia Hutchins.

During her day out and about, the ex spouse of Kris Jenner maintained a make-up free face, hoping not to disturb a spot of irritated skin on her nose.

Weekend warrior! Caitlyn Jenner went for a casual yet chic look during a whirlwind Sunday, where she enjoyed a NASCAR race early in the day before fetching lunch with BFF Sophia Hutchins in Malibu

Cait went for a casual yet chic look in a buff leather jacket, burgundy top and blue jeans for her day on the town.

Though she opted for a makeup-minimal look, the Olympic decathlete maintained perfectly polished tresses which were blow-dried smoothly.

The parent of starlets Kylie and Kendall Jenner added a bit of glitz to her look with hearty diamond studs framing her face and a subtle nameplate necklace across her throat.

Caitlyn and pal Sofia Hutchins grabbed some sips from Starbucks before heading to Trancas Country Market for food.

Heaven nose: During her day out and about, the ex spouse of Kris Jenner maintained a make-up free face, hoping not to disturb a spot of irritated skin on her nose

Good look: The Olympian teamed a buff leather jacket, with burgundy top and blue jeans for her day on the town

Gal pal: Caitlyn met up with pal Sofia Hutchins for some Starbucks before heading to Trancas Country Market to eat

The Pepperdine undergrad looked lovely in a brown tank dress and tawny open-front cardigan which she styled with low chunk heels, black-out shades and diamonds adorning each ear.

Though the pair seem to be attached at the hip, the pair are just friends.

Last year, there was a swirl of rumors that Sophia and Caitlyn were an item - but Caitlyn shot them down to Us Weekly in November.

Earlier in the day the Secrets Of My Life author traveled about an hour inland from LA for some high-octane thrills at the Autoclub Speedway in Fontana, California.

Life in the fast lane! The reality persona caught up with NASCAR's Kurt Busch at the racetrack, where the annual Autoclub 400 race was about to take place

Hot wheels! It looks like the auto-enthusiast got a chance to take a spin around the track as she shared video taken from inside one of the racecars on her Instagram story

The reality persona caught up with NASCAR's Kurt Busch at the racetrack, where the annual Autoclub 400 race was about to take place.

Caitlyn gave the Las Vegas-born driver a thumbs up as they posed for a selfie together, which the star captioned: 'Really excited to see @KurtBusch tear it up @NASCAR #AutoClub400! If youre not here you should definitely watch this guy!'

It looks like the auto-enthusiast got a chance to take a spin around the track as she shared video taken from inside one of the racecars on her Instagram story.

Caitlyn is an avid collector of classic cars, often seen riding her vintage vehicles around LA and Malibu.
The Bachelorette's Cameron Cranley is to undergo facial surgery after sustaining serious injuries during a violent attack.

The 28-year-old firefighter and former reality star suffered a fractured temple, eye socket and cheek after being king hit by a stranger on Friday night.

Cam revealed the news on Monday afternoon, taking to Instagram to share several shocking images from his hospital bed.

Random attack: The Bachelorette's Cameron Cranley is to undergo facial surgery after being king hit by a stranger on Friday night

'For those who don't know I was king hit by a stranger without warning on Friday night,' Cam wrote, accompanied by the hashtag 'coward's punch'.

The star shared an image of an MRI scan of his skull, which revealed a 'fractured temple, eye socket and cheek'.

He then disclosed that he will undergo 'face surgery' for his injuries.

Shocking: Cam uploaded a selfie showing the damage sustained to the left side of his face

A selfie subsequently showed the damage sustained to the left side of Cam's face.

The Perth-based heartthrob was seen with a severely bloodshot eye and deep purple bruising around his eye socket.

'This half needs a bit of work...' he captioned the image.

Reality star: Cam shot to fame after appearing on the second season of The Bachelorette back in 2016.

Serious injuries: An MRI scan revealed damage to his temple, eye socket and cheek

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Cam for more information on the attack.

The Perth-based heartthrob became a fan favourite when he appeared on the second season of The Bachelorette back in 2016.

He placed fifth in his pursuit of journalist Georgia Love, and has remained in the spotlight ever since.

Cam was widely rumoured to be this year's star of The Bachelor, but the role ultimately went to rugby player Nick 'Honey Badger' Cummins.
You don't need to be Rick Ross's doctor to see what a remarkable turnaround he's had.

The 42-year-old rapper - who was hospitalized earlier this month amid a major health scare involving his heart - was back onstage Sunday in Las Vegas at The Light, a nightclub inside of Mandalay Bay.

Ross, whose full name is William Leonard Roberts II, took the stage for a set at the nightclub inside of Mandalay Bay in front of a throng of adoring fans.

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Back at it: Rick Ross, 42, took the stage early on Sunday in Las Vegas at The Light, just weeks after he was hospitalized with heart issues

The Purple Lamborghini artist was clad in a long-sleeved white Gucci sweatshirt with black pants and white sneakers. He accessorized with multiple necklaces, a watch and sunglasses.

'ERRTHANG GUCCI!! 2NITE WE SHUTDOWN CLUB LIV #MIYAYO,' Ross wrote in an Instagram post showing his outing on stage. 'RO$ VEGAS!!! @thelightvegas was SO BOSSY Saturday night!'

The outing was far from a drop-in cameo, as Ross performed a set that consisted of multiple tracks, TMZ reported.

Despite his heroics, Ross didn't make the night about himself, as he led a chant in support of his peer Meek Mill, chanting, 'Free Meek Mill!'

Showman: The rap veteran took in a warm ovation from a throng of adoring fans in his comeback outing

A toast to good health: An eyewitness said the Diced Pineapples rapper was 'slobbing out the mouth' when he discovered him at his home on March 1

Meek Mill, 30, remains in custody in his native Philadelphia in connection with a probation violation stemming back a decade, a point of controversy among his fans and legal watchdogs.

Ross earlier this month spent four days in a Florida hospital after an eyewitness said that he was 'not breathing right' and 'slobbing out the mouth' in a 911 call placed in the wee hours on March 1.

'I have a friend of mine, at his house, he's breathing hard and throwing up. I need an ambulance here ASAP,' the reporting party said in the 911 call. 'I know he's had seizures before. He took his medicine earlier, but he's not breathing right.'

Crowd-pleaser: Ross performed a few songs during his set at the Sin City venue
They both guest-starred on the American Horror Story two-parter Halloween in 2011.

And it appears Kate Mara, 35, and Zachary Quinto, 40, have managed an enduring friendship - they were snapped out in New York City together on St. Patrick's Day.

Kate, who hails from an Irish Catholic family in upstate New York, wrapped herself in a stylish checked coat that complemented her white sweater.

Stepping out: It appears Kate Mara, 35, and Zachary Quinto, 40, have managed an enduring friendship, as they were snapped out in New York City together on St. Patrick's Day

Shielding her eyes from the sun in green-tinted butterfly sunglasses, she pulled a pine green knit beanie onto her head and wore her blonde hair down.

Kate, who married 32-year-old Billy Elliot star Jamie Bell last year, clashed a seemingly airtight pair of dark trousers with white and powder blue shoes.

Meanwhile, Zachary flung a thick-looking navy jacket over an off-white sweater, wearing a gleaming pair of shades and some faded jeans.

The Star Trek star - who is currently living with his years-long beau, the model Miles McMillan - sported white sneakers and a perfectly coiffed hairdo.

Bundling up: Kate, who hails from an Irish Catholic family in upstate New York, wrapped herself in a stylish checked coat that complemented her white sweater

Theme of the day: Shielding her eyes from the sun in green-tinted butterfly sunglasses, she pulled a pine green knit beanie onto her head and wore her blonde hair down

Zachary, who unlike Kate had apparently declined to wear green on St. Patrick's Day, is partly of Irish extraction by way of his mother.

Covering last year's October issue of Vogue, Kate's actress sister Rooney, 32, quipped that Kate 'has a better personality than I do. People like her more.'

The younger Mara recalled that 'Kate knew definitively that she wanted to be on Broadway and do music and acting by age 10,' whereas 'Maybe because I was a contrarian, I wanted to go to school and not be a child actor.'

Rooney's first movie was Urban Legends: Bloody Mary, which came out in 2005 when she was 20. She had a bit part - whereas Kate was Bloody Mary's lead.

Tres chic: Kate, who married 32-year-old Billy Elliot star Jamie Bell last year, clashed a seemingly airtight pair of dark trousers with white and powder blue shoes

Jamie, who co-starred with Kate in the massive flop 2015 film Fantastic Four, once recalled the start of their relationship to ES Magazine.

Gushed he: 'There was an instant connection, like wed known one another forever. It was obvious very quickly that we were going to get married.'

Kate was game about Fantastic Four's disastrous reception while chatting to the Times Of London in 2015 - which was also the year she began dating Jamie.

She laughingly told the paper: 'You dont always have to learn some incredible life lesson when making a s*** movie. Sometimes its just what happens.'

Eminently stylish: Meanwhile, Zachary flung a thick-looking navy jacket over an off-white sweater, wearing a gleaming pair of shades and some faded jeans

Defying the day: Zachary, who unlike Kate had apparently declined to wear green on St. Patrick's Day, is himself of Irish extraction via his mother, per the Irish Times

On his end, Zachary was glimpsed wearing a ring on his left hand's fourth finger in the middle of 2016, igniting chatter that he and Miles might be affianced.

Zachary clarified to E! at the time: 'I was just taking it for a test drive, nothing formal.'

He explained of the 'boring' bauble: 'It's a vintage ring that I bought as a gift for Miles and because we were not together on this long press tour I was like: "I am going to take that ring because I love it." But the only finger it fit on was my ring finger on my left hand so I didn't think much of it.'

As for the idea of actually marrying Miles, Zachary dished that 'We love each other and we talk about it, but we have no immediate plans.'
They make an unlikely pair of pals.

But actor Samuel L Jackson and TV personality Judge Judy looked thick as thieves during dinner together Friday night in LA.

The Pulp Fiction star, 69, shared a candid snapshot from his hang-out with the legal pro, 75, on Instagram, captioning their moment: 'Dinner with a Boss!! Always Dope connecting with Judge Judy!'

Opposites attract! Samuel L Jackson and TV personality Judge Judy looked thick as thieves in an Instagram post taken during dinner together Friday night in LA

In the snapshot, the Snakes On A Plane star leaned in to listen to the Emmy winner  real name Judith Sheindlin  as she shared some of her iconic no-BS wisdom.

It looked like there was plenty of food and drink to be had, with full drinks and empty plates seen surrounding the besties.

That same weekend the Shaft star was spotted with another TV judge at Saturday's Wearable Art Gala at the Waco Theater Center in LA.

There, Sammy L caught up with none other than Judge Greg Mathis, who is the star of his own syndicated court show, Judge Mathis.

Taking the law into his own hands! That same weekend the Shaft star was spotted with Judy's fellow TV judge, the honorable Greg Mathis, at Saturday's Wearable Art Gala at the Waco Theater Center in LA

Fancy friends! Jackson first discussed his friendship with Judge Judy on Watch What Happens Live last year, where he told Andy Cohen the star is 'awesome' and that the New York-native is 'straight up clocking dollars.' Above the buddies are seen in 2012 together

'Still carrying on in the Judicial mode,' he joked, 'Ballin out with my Podnuh @judgegregmathis!!!'

The DC native finished with a pair of funny tags, adding: '#straightjusticenochaser' and '#straightfromdastreets' to the post.

Jackson first discussed his friendship with Judge Judy during a visit to Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen last year, revealing the pair first met at a party hosted by his agent Toni Howard.

Cha-ching! Sam wasn't lying about the judge's bountiful bank account. In 2013 Sheindlin was reported to be TV's highest paid star, said to be earning $47million per year on her show

The star called his pal 'awesome,' while also expressing admiration for her hustle, telling Andy: 'She's straight up clocking dollars.'

Sam wasn't lying about the judge's bountiful bank account.

In 2013 Sheindlin was reported to be TV's highest paid star, said to be earning $47million per year for presiding over America's favorite small claims court drama.

In addition to taking home a sizable paycheck, Judy holds the record for being the longest serving judge in courtroom TV history.
She's the Australian-born actor who always appears cool, calm and collected on screen and on the red carpet.

But Margot Robbie, 27, has described herself as a 'dork' after revealing that she still wears a dental retainer.

Speaking to Kyle and Jackie O on Monday, Margot made the admission while discussing her latest film Peter Rabbit.

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Margot Robbie, 27, has described herself as a 'dork' after revealing that she still wears a dental retainer

Margot voices Flopsy in the animated feature - a character who has a speech impediment.

'Was it hard to pull off a character with a lisp?' Kyle Sandilands asked the star.

'I was saying earlier that when I wear my retainer at night it kind of gives me a bit of a lisp,' she said. 'I'm such a dork.'

Admission: Discussing her lisp-afflicted character Flopsy in the upcoming Peter rabbit on Kyle And Jackie O, Margot revealed: 'I was saying earlier that when i wear my retainer at night it kind of gives me a bit of a lisp. I'm such a dork.'

The Academy Award nominee's admission elicited a surprised response from the hosts with Jackie O pushing the point.

'Why do you wear a retainer? Is it because you grind your teeth or because of the straightening of the teeth?' Jackie inquired.

While embarrassed at the line of questioning, the affable Margot revealed that she had worn two retainers since she was 14 years old.

Grin and bear it: While embarrassed at the line of questioning about her teeth, the affable Margot revealed that she had worn two retainers since she was 14 years old.

Pearly whites: 'This is so embarrassing, I actually have two retainers, one for my bottom teeth which is for grinding my teeth and one for my top teeth which is just so my teeth don't move,' she explained.

'This is so embarrassing, I actually have two retainers, one for my bottom teeth which is for grinding my teeth and one for my top teeth which is just so my teeth don't move,' she explained.

Margot continued: 'the orthodontist, when I got my braces off when I was 14, said: 'you'll only need to wear it for two years but i am so paranoid that, ten years later, I'm still wearing them.

Jackie, who also admitted that she was guilty of grinding her teeth, had a chemical fix for Margot.

'I grind my teeth so bad, Margot,' she said 'I ended up getting Botox in the muscles there and it stops you from grinding your teeth.'
Her darling daughter Luna will have the gift of a baby brother in just a few months' time.

But, for now, Chrissy Teigen proved she's still very much her tot's best friend as they enjoyed a cute mother-daughter dinner date at Los Angeles' Casa Vega on Sunday afternoon.

Chrissy, 32, showed off her stylish maternity wardrobe in a chic, monochromatic ensemble as she hung out with her adorable one-year-old.

Quality time: Pregnant Chrissy Teigen enjoyed a cute mother-daughter dinner date with Luna at Los Angeles' Casa Vega on Sunday

Embracing her growing baby bump, the model rocked a form-fitting black dress, which she layered beneath an animal print, blazer-inspired jacket.

She finished her off-duty style with T-bar sandals and a fedora hat, while a pair of cool aviator shades partially concealed her famous face.

Letting her natural beauty shine through, Chrissy made the most of her pregnancy glow by keeping her radiant complexion free of make-up.

Maternity chic: Embracing her growing baby bump, the model rocked a form-fitting black dress, which she layered beneath a trendy checked white shirt

But, despite being one of the world's most beautiful women, the wife of John Legend was arguably overshadowed by her cherubic daughter.

Dressed in an adorable denim sun dress and a very trendy faux fur coat, little Luna looked bursting with energy as she led the way into the Mexican restaurant.

Ensuring Luna didn't run off too far, doting mother Chrissy eventually picked up her excitable tot.

Little Belle: Chrissy and Luna recently paid a visit to Disneyland Hong Kong during a family holiday to Asia

The mother-daughter duo have recently returned from a family holiday to Asia, first arriving in Shenzhen, China before hotfooting to Hong Kong and eventually Seoul, South Korea.

While in Hong Kong the family made a point of visiting Disneyland, where Luna of course donned a Belle from Beauty and the Beast dress.

In January, Chrissy and John confirmed they will welcome a baby boy, months after announcing they were expecting baby number two.
She's not afraid to display her eccentric fashion sense when gracing glitzy red carpets.

And Paris Jackson maintained her daring style as she looked every inch the bohemian doll during her low-key shopping trip to Ralph's in Malibu, California, on Sunday afternoon.

The daughter of the late Michael Jackson, 19, cut a chic figure in a distressed acid denim jacket as she held onto a fresh bouquet of roses.

Low-key: Paris Jackson looked every inch the bohemian doll during her shopping trip to Ralph's in Malibu, California, on Sunday afternoon

The IMG model teamed her bold outerwear with a form-fitting jeans and patent burgundy boots by Dr. Martens.

Paris accessorised with a pair of John Lennon-inspired frames and toted a brown suede bag, embellished with trendy tassels.

The rising star kept her composure as her tresses were swept by the wind during her casual stroll.

Bold: The daughter of the late Michael Jackson, 19, cut a chic figure in a distressed acid denim jacket as she held onto a fresh bouquet of roses

Paris' low-key appearance comes after she showcased her impressive musical talents on Instagram last week.

During a casual session, the Gringo actress performed a series of soulful songs while playing the West African Djembe in the Hollywood Hills.

The activist put on a casual display as she wore a multicolored hemp hoodie, paired with bootcut blue jeans.

It's in her genes! Paris showed that the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree as she showcased her impressive musical talents on Instagram last week

Her platinum tresses were styled into a tousled bun as she belted out the tunes.

Sat next to her cousin Austin Brown, 31, the tattooed beauty was captured playing a rendition of Hoagy Carmichael's Heart And Soul on piano

Paris is Michael's daughter by his second wife Debbie Rowe, who was married to him from 1996 to 1999, succeeding Lisa Marie Presley.

The blonde beauty has two siblings - elder brother Prince, 21, also Debbie's son, and younger half-brother Blanket, 16, who was born via a surrogate.
The rumour mill has been spinning ever since it was reported he would enjoy a stint on Strictly Come Dancing.

And Piers Morgan did little to diffuse any speculation as he twirled and tangoed with Strictly pro Anton Du Beke during a random dance lesson on Monday's Good Morning Britain, while he also took aim at the show's love curse.

The 52-year-old broadcaster, who's frenemy Lord Alan Sugar took to Twitter on Sunday to say he would donate money to charity if he appeared on the ballroom stalwart, joked that his rival just wanted to see him in a pair of form-fitting trousers.

Twinkle toes: Piers Morgan did little to diffuse any speculation as he twirled and tangoed with Strictly pro Anton du Beke during a random dance lesson on Monday's Good Morning Britain, while he also took aim at the show's love curse

Taking the joke up a notch, BBC favourite Anton stepped out to give Piers a quick dance lesson while clad in matching silver sequin blazers and co-hosts Susanna Reid looked on in shock.

Anton urged the host that he 'should be a natural at this' while Piers stood replicating the notorious Saturday Night Fever finger point pose.

Getting into the spirit of the morning, the pair then joined hands and began to dance around the studio while Anton attempted to give the presenter some tips.

'Cmon do you want to do it with me?' Anton began. 'Now do the backbend'.

Shocked: And while showcasing his best moves, Piers couldn't help but take aim at the show's notorious curse which has seen celebrities and the professional partners couple up outside of the show, leaving Susanna aghast

Jokes: The 52-year-old broadcaster, who's frenemy Lord Alan Sugar took to Twitter on Sunday to say he would donate money to charity if he appeared on the ballroom stalwart, joked that his rival just wanted to see him in a pair of form-fitting trousers

Suit up: Taking the joke up a notch, BBC favourite Anton stepped out to give Piers a quick dance lesson while clad in matching silver sequin blazers and co-hosts Susanna Reid looked on in shock

Dancing it out: Anton urged the host that he 'should be a natural at this' while Piers stood replicating the infamous Saturday Night Fever finger point pose

Lacking in the flexibility department for the moment, Piers yelped as Anton tried to dip him: 'Oh my God, you're breaking my back.'

And while showcasing his best moves, Piers couldn't help but take aim at the show's curse which has seen celebrities and the professional partners couple up outside of the show, most recently Gemma Aktinson and Gorka Marquez.

Piers commented: 'Don't we have to have a relationship like they all do on show. The curse has hit me already.'

Tips: Getting into the spirit of the morning, the pair then joined hands and began to dance around the studio while Anton attempted to give the presenter some tips. 'Cmon do you want to do it with me?' Anton began. 'Now do the backbend'

Dance it out: Lacking in the flexibility department for the moment, Piers yelped as Anton tried to dip him: 'Oh my God, you're breaking my back.'

Larking about: And while showcasing his best moves, Piers couldn't help but take aim at the show's curse which has seen celebrities and the professional partners couple up outside of the show, most recently Gemma Aktinson and Gorka Marquez

'Curse': Piers commented: 'Don't we have to have a relationship like they all do on show. The curse has hit me already'

Glittering: Anton appeared on set in a sparkling silver sequin jacket

Helping hand: Anton was on hand to show him some moves

The comments left his co-host and former Strictly contestant Susanna aghast as she put her hand towards her mouth in shock.

Piers' twinkle toes comes after Lord Sugar pledged 50,000 to charity if his 'nemesis' appeared on the next series of Strictly Come Dancing, after the host hinted he would consider it.

The Apprentice mogul, 70, challenged the presenter after Piers gave an interview to The Mirror saying he would get involved if he could face-off against rival presenter Dan Walker.

Chit chat: Anton sat down with the GMB team

Banter: Piers' (above) twinkle toes comes after Lord Sugar pledged 50,000 to charity if his 'nemesis' appeared on the next series of Strictly Come Dancing, after the host hinted he would consider it

Jibe: The Apprentice mogul, 70, challenged the host after Piers gave an interview to The Mirror saying he would get involved if he could face-off against rival presenter Dan Walker

He said: 'I would seriously consider it if it meant giving Walker a lesson in how to dance in front of nine million people.

A source added to the outlet: "Piers and Dan make Twitter digs at each other. It caught the attention of Strictly bosses, who want to tap into this rivalry. They think itd be a ratings hit.'

Galvanised by the star's words, Amstrad billionaire Lord Sugar tweeted:'I would pay 25K to charity to see this plonker in tight pants dancing and another 25K if he makes it past the first 5 weeks.

'@piersmorgan he is as agile as a pregnant donkey.'

Challenge: Galvanised by the star's words, Amstrad billionaire Lord Sugar tweeted:'I would pay 25K to charity to see this plonker in tight pants dancing and another 25K if he makes it past the first 5 weeks'

Banter: A whimsical Piers responded: 'Not the first time you've paid to see a man in tight pants dance for you, is it, Shuggsy...'

A whimsical Piers responded: 'Not the first time you've paid to see a man in tight pants dance for you, is it, Shuggsy...'

And it wasn't long before his GMB co-star, weatherman Alex Beresford got involved, tweeting Lord Sugar: 'With the greatest of respect he hasn't got the balls @Lord_Sugar. Week 2 tops, and that's only because you can't get voted out week 1.'

Lord Sugar responded in kind, saying: 'Yes Alex you are right. I hope the fellow at the BBC takes up the challenge then @piersmorgan is stuck for opening his big mouth.

'Force him to do it, embarrass him on @GMB @susannareid100 its up to 50K to charity.'

Dynamic: And it wasn't long before his GMB co-star, weatherman Alex Beresford got involved, tweeting Lord Sugar: 'With the greatest of respect he hasn't got the balls @Lord_Sugar. Week 2 tops, and that's only because you can't get voted out week 1'

Are you there Piers? The veteran journalist could follow in the footsteps of last year's contestants

Taking aim at Piers once more, Lord Sugar said he would donate the 50k to Great Ormond Street Hospital, saying: 'Come on Piersy you have opened that big mouth of yours now agree to do it.

'I am willing to pay up to 50K for charity to those poor kids at @GreatOrmondSt.'

This isn't the first time tempestuous pals have engaged in a challenge, in October, the pair took part in a weight loss contest.

And it was revealed that The Apprentice star had beaten Good Morning Britains anchor, leaving competitive Piers a little red in the face.

The duo had agreed that the person who lost the least weight would donate 5,000 to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

On Tuesday's weigh-in, it was revealed Lord Sugar had lost a whopping 19lbs, while Piers had lost 8lbs.

Despite Piers trying to claim his loss was due to an increase in muscle, resident doctor Dr Hilary revealed Lord Sugars percentage loss was also higher, 9.54% to Pierss 3.48%.

After chanting 'loser' repeatedly at Piers, Lord Sugar proved a worthy winner, opting to donate his 5,000 to Great Ormond Street as well - making it a 10,000 donation overall.

Weighing in: On Tuesday's weigh-in, it was revealed Lord Sugar had lost a whopping 19lbs, while Piers had lost 8lbs

Piers conceded defeat: 'Well played Lord Sugar, you win, I lose Im staggered, Ive lost any weight. Ive lost 8lbs. Im quite happy about that. Itll probably get me a dvd deal to lose weight'

He told the charitys representative: 'Im so pleased, bring me my cheque also you can have that one also.'

Piers conceded defeat: 'Well played Lord Sugar, you win, I lose Im staggered, Ive lost any weight. Ive lost 8lbs. Im quite happy about that. Itll probably get me a dvd deal to lose weight.'

He then admitted: 'Im going to go straight and have the biggest fry up youve ever seen.'

It was Dr Hilary who delivered the final blow to the pair however, adding: 'Can I give you some bad news? Youre both still overweight.'

He told the charitys representative: 'Im so pleased, bring me my cheque also you can have that one also'

Albeit for a good cause, their challenge wasn't without its fair share of insults, as Piers and Lord Sugar entertained viewers by bringing their playful spat onto the small screen in October.

Show host Piers had mocked Lord Sugar over his weight and asked the star if he had put on a few pounds, leaving his co-host Susanna stunned and quizzing whether it was 'appropriate' for Piers to comment on his guest's appearance.

Piers had joked to Lord Sugar: 'Are you chunking up a bit?' prompting the businessman to confess he had 'indulged' over the summer, as he replied:' I have put on 18lbs.'

Although, Lord Sugar didn't seem fazed by Piers' abruptness and hit back by branding the news reporter a 'beached whale'.

'Never you mind about me son,' he said, before teasing: 'Pot kettle, I saw you prancing around in the summer.'

Adding further insult, Lord Sugar then suggested that Piers' wife, Celia, wants him to lose weight, before then challenging his frenemy to an impromptu weigh off.

Piers and Lord Sugar bravely decided to take to the scales live on air to record their weight.

Lord Sugar had weighed 14st 3lbs, Piers was revealed to be 16st 6lbs, with him claiming his total was 'about right for my huge frame'. And of course, the weigh-in provided only more room for the pair to mock each other, with Piers branding Lord Sugar a 'blubber boy', only to be called a 'chubster' in return.
She's known for her keen eye for fashion and the fact that she is unafraid to play with different styles.

And Emma Roberts turned heads as she stood out in a bright outfit while enjoying a solo lunch date at Italian eatery Pace on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood on Sunday.

The actress, 27, looked effortlessly stylish in a bold fuchsia cable-knit jumper from Vineyard Vines, teamed with cropped distressed jeans by MOTHER.

A bright fuchsia: Emma Roberts turned heads as she stood out in a bright outfit while enjoying a solo lunch date at Italian eatery Pace on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood on Sunday

The Scream Queens star teamed her casual outfit with a pair of kooky yellow heeled boots with a colourful flower design.

The actress completed her ensemble with a small black handbag, and she pushed her short blonde locks back with a pair of gold-rimmed sunglasses from Krewe.

Emma - the niece of Hollywood megastar Julia Roberts - appeared to go make-up free for her solo outing, but even without make-up her natural beauty stood out.

The actress was without her fiance, actor Evan Peters, 31, who she has been dating on and off since 2012.

Flying solo: The actress, 27, looked effortlessly stylish in a bold fuchsia cable-knit jumper from Vineyard Vines, teamed with cropped distressed jeans by MOTHER

The star's sighting came just over a week after she signed on to appear as an 'unpopular 16-year-old' in Dan Mazer's haunted cave comedy Anyas Ghost, according to Deadline.

The screenplay is written by A Monster Calls' scriptwriter Patrick Ness, which he in turn adapted from the 2011 graphic novel by Russian writer and illustrator Vera Brosgol.

Missing from Emma's side on Sunday was her on-again-off-again fiance Evan, whom she split with twice after first meeting on the 2012 set of Adult World.

Not around: Missing from Roberts' side on Sunday was her on-again-off-again fiance Evan Peters, 31, whom she split with twice after first meeting on the 2012 set of Adult World

Back in 2013, the Scream Queens actress was arrested for alleged domestic abuse in Canada after officers responded to a report of a fight in a hotel room.

Emma was taken into custody after they allegedly found American Horror Story star Evan with a bloody nose and a bite mark, but he declined to press charges and she was released several hours later.

The couple said in a joint statement that it was 'an unfortunate incident and a misunderstanding.'
She's the buxom Brit who was recently revealed to be starring on hotly-anticipated Bachelor in Paradise.

And on Sunday, Simone Ormesher, 26, gave fans a glimpse of what they'll be seeing when the sexy new reality series airs later this month.

Taking to Instagram, the reality star shared a photograph of herself in a lace pink bra, flaunting her cleavage and a hint of her taut tummy.

Racy and lacy! Bachelor in Paradise star Simone Ormesher, 26, gave viewers a glimpse of what they'll be seeing when the sexy new reality show airs at the end of this month

Wearing her blonde hair styled back, the fun-loving blonde showed off her doll-like features which included a radiant complexion and striking eyes.

Holding a home teeth whitening kit, vivacious Simone referenced her recent trip back to snowy Manchester.

'Time to get back into my routine,' she started, 'I'm back home and making sure I'm keeping my teeth sparkling white.'

Are you ready boys? Surprise Bachelor In Paradise star Simone Ormesher leaves very little to the imagination as she goes braless in an open cardigan and wears her favourite knickers

The general consensus from her fans being 'gorgeous.'

It's been a big week of revealing snaps for the reality star, with her sharing a topless shot of herself kneeling on a bed.

The former topless waitress teamed her white Calvin Klein undergarments with a grey woollen cardigan.

Her white knickers appear to be a favourite for Simone, as she has posed in them several times for different pictures.

The blonde beauty accompanied her Instagram post with the caption: 'When you can't decide if your hot or cold'.

Her scant clothing suggests that Simone intended the caption to be humorous.

So nice she wore them twice! her white Calvin Klein undergarments with a grey woollen cardigan. Her white knickers appear to be a favourite for Simone, as she has posed in them several times for different pictures

Last week, Simone made an appearance on a trailer for Bachelor In Paradise, which premieres Sunday March 25th on Network Ten.

The bubbly Brit was unveiled as a surprise contestant in the trailer, which showed her kissing Jarrod Woodgate.

In the trailer, 26-year-old Simone wears a frangipani flower in her hair as she cuddles up to vineyard manager Jarrod in a beachside cabana.

The pair are seen gazing into each other's eyes before leaning in for a kiss.

A romance between Jarrod and Keira will certainly have fans talking as he is believed to be engaged to another contestant, Keira Maguire.

Surprise! Simone will get a second chance at love on Bachelor In Paradise, which premieres Sunday March 25th on Network Ten

Love triangle? A romance between Jarrod and Keira will certainly have fans talking as he is believed to be engaged to another contestant, Keira Maguire

Watch out Keira! The bubbly Brit was unveiled as a surprise contestant in a trailer released on Monday, which also showed her kissing Jarrod Woodgate

However, Keira and Simone aren't the only blondes to have caught Jarrod's eye.

In a previous trailer, the winemaker revealed he had taken a fancy to Ali Oetjen, who appeared on the first season of The Bachelor Australia.

'She's got the eyes, she's got the smile, just stupidly hot,' he said.

Somebody's popular! Keira (pictured) and Simone aren't the only blondes to have caught Jarrod's eye, as he also takes a shine to Bachelor season one star Ali Oetjen

It seems Jarrod has a 'type', with Simone, Keira and Ali all baring a resemblance to former Bachelorette Sophie Monk.

Jarrod was left heartbroken when he was rejected by the former Bardot star during last year's season of the dating show.

Simone previously appeared on Matty J's season of The Bachelor in 2017.
She is following in the footsteps of her parents Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis with a blossoming career in the film and fashion industries.

And Lily-Rose Depp showcased her naturally radiant beauty as she went make-up free following a lunch date at Pinches Tacos in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon.

The rising star, 18, proved she is as stunning when sporting a low-key look as she sipped on a juice drink from the restaurant.

Off-duty beauty: Lily-Rose Depp showcased her naturally radiant beauty as she went make-up free following a lunch date at Pinches Tacos in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon

Lily-Rose teamed a black button-down cardigan with a red top and a pair of high-waist jeans.

The Yoga Hosers starlet tied in her stylish attire with a pair of patent ballet flats.

Injecting a hint of glamour, the French-American star toted a quilted chain bag by Chanel.

The fresh-faced beauty swept her golden tresses into a low bun and accessorised with dainty hooped earrings.

Casual: The rising star, 18, proved she is as stunning when sporting a low-key look as she sipped on a juice drink from the restaurant

The actress made her film debut with a cameo role in Tusk in 2014 alongside her friend Harley Quinn Smith, her father Johnny Depp, and the film's director Kevin Smith.

It is no surprise Lily-Rose used her bilingual skills for her latest movie role in French film Les Fauves.

The film follows the story of a campsite where young people start to vanish without a trace.

Starry: Lily-Rose is following in the footsteps of her parents Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis with a blossoming career in the film and fashion industries (pictured February 2009)

The blonde teen takes on the starring role of Laura alongside French actors Laurent Lafitte and Camille Cottin.

Her parents Johnny and Vanessa first met while the Hollywood star was filming mystery thriller The Ninth Gate in France in 1998.

The couple, who also share son Jack, 15, were going strong for 14 years together before they went their separate ways for good in 2012.
On Sunday, March 18, Ant and Decs Ant McPartlin was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving following a crash in London.

The incident came just days after Ants Britains Got Talent colleague, Amanda Holden, praised the presenter, saying his tenacity, humour and strong backbone was getting him through the trying period.

Holden was referring to Ants decision to enter rehab for addiction to painkillers in 2017 as well as his decision to divorce his wife Lisa Armstrong, back in January.

Ant McPartlin is one half of the TV duo Ant & Dec, which fronts shows like I'm A Celebrity

Ants arrest has led to many fans to wonder whether the hugely popular Ant & Decs Saturday Night Takeaway, which Ant is also an executive producer, will go ahead next weekend, or whether it might be cancelled.

The shows success, along with Britains Got Talent and Im a Celebrity, saw ITV lock down Ant & Dec in a deal worth 30 million back in 2016.

Here is all you need to know about Ant McPartlin, including his net worth, divorce from Lisa Armstrong and relationship with Declan Donnelly.

Who is Ant McPartlin?

Anthony McPartlin was born on November 18, 1975 in Newcastle upon Tyne. His acting career began with the BBC childrens show, Why Dont You? and he joined the BBC series Byker Grove in season 2, where he first met his future collaborator, Declan Donnelly, who joined the show from the very beginning.

Despite going to work together for several decades, Ant and Dec didnt like each other at first. We didn't particularly like each other at first, I thought he was miserable, Dec told Jonathan Ross back in 2006.

Ant McPartlin has presented I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here alongside Dec since series 1

Ant added: Weve rowed a few times - were quite competitive. However he admitted that if we hadn't met I don't think we would have got as far.

After the pair left Byker Grove in 1993, they pursued a pop career, first under the name PJ & Duncan, and later as Ant & Dec. They released three studio albums and had ten top-10 hits, but stopped recording in 1997.

Ants presenting career started with childrens television in 1994 when he and Dec presented the Saturday morning show called Gimmy 5, as PJ & Duncan.

In 1995, Ant & Dec was born when CBBC broadcast The Ant & Dec Show. The series lasted for two years and won the pair two BAFTAs in 1996.

It wouldn't be The End Of The Show Show if we didn't share a little selfie with you! #SaturdayNightTakeaway pic.twitter.com/Dl4VS0Jyqk  Saturday Night Takeaway (@itvtakeaway) March 17, 2018

Ant & Dec broke into prime time TV in 1999, with the BBC Saturday-night game show, Friends Like These, which was followed by a new ITV contract that saw And & Dec present Pop Idol.

Around the same time, in 2002, Ant & Decs Saturday Night Takeaway started airing. The show is currently in its 15th series.

In August 2002, Ant & Dec started presenting Im A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, which will return in 2018 for its 18th series.

Ant McPartlin's divorce

In January 2018, Ant revealed that hes divorcing his wife, Lisa Armstrong, after 11 years of marriage.

'In response to the recent speculation in the media, Ant is very sad to announce that, after 11 years, he is ending his marriage to Lisa McPartlin, Ants spokesman confirmed to MailOnline at the time.

The couple have known each other for 23 years and got married in 2006.

In January 2018, Ant McPartlin revealed he was divorcing his wife of 11 years Lisa Armstrong

Ant McPartlin net worth

Ant McPartlins net worth is estimated to be 32 million ($45m), according to Celebrity Net Worth.

How did Ant McPartlin make his money?

Ant McPartlin makes up one half of Britains most famous presenting duo that have fronted high-profile shows such as Britains Got Talent, Im A Celebrity and Saturday Night Takeaway, all on ITV.

In 2016, it was announced that Ant, alongside Dec, signed a new three-year contract with ITV worth 30 million ($42m).

In 2015, it was revealed that Ant & Dec earned 7.1 million ($9.9m) together, with Ants Teecourt company making 3.3 million ($4.6m).

The previous year, the duo said they made 15 million ($21m) selling the rights to Saturday Night Takeaway in America.
At the beginning of March 2018, 20th Century Fox advertised its film, Love, Simon, with a billboard that said: 'Dear LA, which way to WeHo? Asking for a friend?

The billboard doesnt seem to give away a lot, if anything, about the film but many people in the industry, and those familiar with the plot of Love, Simon, picked up on its significance.

Love, Simon is a coming-out story, in which the titular Simon Spier plays a closeted gay teenager who falls in love with his virtual pen-pal at school and gets blackmailed over his sexuality.

In that context, the LA billboard and WeHo, an area of the city famous for its gay scene, becomes something more than a film promotion.

Love, Simon stars Nick Robinson as a closeted gay teen who falls in love with a classmate

The brilliance of the marketing for Love, Simon lies in its honesty and in not shying away from the fact that the film is a gay teen romantic comedy,' Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for ComScore, told the LA Times.

While many films that have gay themes or an LGBTQ subtext often hide those elements in order to obscure the true message of the film in order to make the film more commercial or mainstream, this film is rightly and innovatively celebrating and embracing its themes and point of view.

City-specific posters for the film have been put up in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York and Washington, DC and more. The NY version says: If I can come out here, I can come out anywhere, while the DC poster says Dear DC, You seem confused. Good thing Im not.

Love, Simon trailer

The first Love, Simon trailer was released by 20th Century Fox back in November 2017 and it was viewed nearly 4.5 million times.

The second trailer for the film, released in January 2018, was viewed more than 23 million times.

Love, Simon release date

Love, Simon was released in the US on Friday, March 16 and is scheduled to be released in the UK on April 6.

Love, Simon plot

Love, Simon follows the eponymous lead, Simon Spier as he tries to balance school, friends and a new anonymous pen-pal crush, all while not telling anyone hes gay.

When the conversation emails are discovered by a fellow student, Simon is threatened with being outed unless he sets up the blackmailer with a friend of his.

Transformers alumnus Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Garner play Simon's supportive parents

Love, Simon Cast

Simon is played by Nick Robinson, who first rose to prominence in the 2015 film, Jurassic World. Transformers alum Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Garner play his supportive parents.

X-Mens Alexandra Shipp and 13 Reasons Why star Katherine Langford play Simons best friends. Keyinyan Lonsdale plays fellow classmate Abraham 'Bram' Greenfeld while Logan Miller plays the blackmailer, Martin.
She boasted about losing her baby weight in 30 days, following the arrival of her baby Sunday.

And so Ferne McCann seemed like the perfect ambassador for the Body Confidence Live event, which took place in Glasgow over the weekend.

Special guest Ferne was at the Royal Concert Hall to give a speech to guests, as she brushed off fresh reports that her ex-boyfriend Arthur Collins is still up to no good behind bars.

Showing her shape: Ferne McCann displayed her taut middle as she attended Body Confidence Live (BOCO) to give a short speech in Glasgow on Friday

Ferne displayed her remarkable taut stomach in sophisticated high-waisted trousers and strappy heels.

She wore the get up with a long-sleeved knit that cropped off at her abs, to display her remarkable post-baby weight loss.

It was to be the subject of her panel discussion at the BOCO event on Friday, as she was invited on stage to talk about her experiences with body confidence.

Looking good: The blonde bombshell was dressed in sophisticated high-waisted trousers and strappy heels

Speaking out: Ferne was invited as special guest speaker at the body confidence event

Since welcoming her daughter in November 2017, Ferne has been looking in the best shape of her life.

She has praised her little girl as 'saving grace' during a time when her boyfriend Arthur - the baby's father - was involved in an acid attack at a London nightclub.

Collins was convicted of GBH and ABH against 14 people after he sprayed party-goers with acid following an argument at the Mangle E8 venue in east London.

Looking good: Ferne revealed her 30-day plan to successfully lose her baby weight earlier this year

Brushing it off: Just this weekend, Ferne's ex-boyfriend has landed himself in hot water again

This weekend, Arthur has found himself in trouble once again, after it was discovered that he had smuggled mobile phones, alcohol and designer clothes into his high security jail.

Pictures emerged of the convict wearing a 200 designer Stone Island tracksuit and holding a bottle of white rum on Sunday.

A source told The Sun newspaper that it came after he first met baby Sunday.

'He got a few lads round his cell to celebrate,' the source explained. 'They were drinking 63 per cent proof Wray and Nephew rum mixed with ginger beer and joking around. He was still holding out hope he can sort things with Ferne.'

'Saving grace': Ferne, 27, has credited her daughter with helping her through the tough time after her boyfriend carried out an acid attack in a London nightclub
Her followers were quick to scorn her for 'spoiling' her four-year-old with a life-size cake, mountain of presents and lavish birthday party at an upscale London eatery.

But Formula One heiress Tamara Ecclestone believes her critics are just 'envious, jealous and insecure'.

The 33-year-old clapped back at trolls on Instagram on Monday morning, after she was harangued by commenters on her posts about adorable Fifi's celebrations.

Spoilt? Tamara Ecclestone (left) encouraged her followers to stop being 'jealous' on Monday, after facing criticism for lavishing her daughter Sophia (centre, with husband Jay Rutland) on the little girl's fourth birthday

'Never do the envy, jealous and insecure,' she wrote. 'Be the hustler, the well-wisher, the go-getter.'

She posted the cryptic message on Monday afternoon alongside the simple caption, 'Never,' to reiterate her point.

Proud Tamara had filled her social media feed with updates about her daughter Sophia's very special fourth birthday on Saturday.

Cryptic message: Just one day after facing a barrage of criticism, Tamara wrote a quote seemingly aimed at her critics

Wow factor; Formula One heiress Tamara pulled out all the stops to treat her young daughter Sophia to a spectacular birthday bash to remember on Saturday, but faced criticism from her social media followers for the extravagant celebration

The 33-year-old threw a glittering party, with little Sophia seen starting the day clad in a pair of custom-made '4 Fifi' pyjamas and sat on a multi-coloured mountain of presents.

She was presented with her first cake of the day, a blue butter cream single tier cake, beautifully decorated with a rainbow and topped with a pink Care Bear.

Later, at a party held inside upscale Japanese eatery Benihana in Chelsea, Fifi was presented with a second, mega cake bigger than the tot herself.

'Birthday breakfast': The little girl was treated to a unicorn themed breakfast with a lavish party following

Piece of cake: The 33-year-old threw a glittering party, with little Sophia seen celebrating at the party in front of a giant three-tiered cake which was almost as tall as she is

Beating the kids party staple of jelly and ice cream, Sophia could be seen being cradled by her proud mother, in front of a jaw-dropping three tier cake, decorated once again with the little girls' favourite Care Bears theme.

Fifi, who wore a blush pink glittered party dress with tulle skirt for her big day was seen being swung by her mother and father Jay Rutland, 37, in front of a large 4 composed out of multi-coloured balloons.

Continuing the birthday tributes, Tamara added: 'Your confidence never ceases to amaze me just when I thought you couldnt get any more sassy you told the dj to drop the beat.

'You light up every room that your in with you energy and your huge personality. So proud of you Fifi beautiful girl.

Sweet treat: Beating the kids party staple of jelly and icecream, the stunning cake was decorated in blue buttercream and topped with a pink icing bear, rainbows and clouds

'Happy Birthday to the special little Girl who is just to good to be true. Fifi is four. Thank you for completing us we love you more than you will ever know.'

However not all of Tamara's followers were supportive of Sophia's lavish day, with some accusing Tamara of spoiling her child.

One follower wrote of the youngsters presents, 'I mean seriously, does she need all of them?!'

Confident: Tamara added: 'Your confidence never ceases to amaze me just when I thought you couldnt get any more sassy you told the dj to drop the beat. You light up every room that your in with you energy and your huge personality. So proud of you Fifi beautiful girl.

Cute: Tamara gave her girl a loving look as the group all sang Happy Birthday to Sophia

Another wrote: 'Ridiculous amount of presents! Just my opinion...Im not jealous or a hater! Hood she had a lovely birthday'. (sic)

Another added: 'This is called being spoilt..... and kids in Africa are dying from hunger!' while another wrote 'to many gift's spolit rich child'.

One fan blasted Tamara for sharing the luxury day on social media, writing: ' I hate social media present piles  making other parents feel inadequate if they arent going to same extreme for their child. I know it has no baring on if you are a good parent or not but I just dont see the need to share.

Opinion: However not all Tamara's followers were supportive of Sophia's lavish day, with some accusing Tamara of spoiling her child

Lavish lifestyle: Tamara regularly shares photos of her daughter's glamorous lifestyle

'A lovely picture of Sophia on the sofa or at the breakfast table would suffice. Anyway if I had the money chances are I may do the same but I just would not plaster it on social media x'

Although many fans stuck up for Tamara, with scores wishing the little girl a happy day and one writing: 'They are a happy family just trying to live their life (money doesn't come into it). If you genuinely can't be happy for them, then we all know your bitterness is actually jealousy. '

Devoted mother Tamara has a history of laying on extravagant birthday celebrations for her beloved daughter with Sophia's first birthday party featuring a balloon castle, a petting zoo and a zebra at a cost of around 70,000.

Zebras, sheep, puppies and ponies were just some of the animals that were seen arriving at the family home, which had been kitted out with pink balloons crafted into 'S' shapes in honour of the youngster.

Each animal had its very own station complete with a gazebo and pink name sign and a balloon artist was also seen making his way into the family home.

First class: At four years old Sophia is already a seasoned first class traveller

Famous family: Tamara shared this snap of the family preparing to board a private jet

Presents: Tamara is a devoted mother to her only child and regularly lavishes her with gifts
When pictures first emerged of Ben Affleck sporting a huge phoenix tattoo, he dismissed it as a fake inking for a film role.

But two years on, the actor was spotted still sporting the colorful bird as he hit the beach on Saturday - leading to ridicule from fans.

Branding the inking a 'midlife crisis tattoo', Twitter users laid into the star, reviving the Oscars meme of Jennifer Garner's surprised face.

'When you realize the back tattoo is real and Ben Affleck was lying when he said it was for a movie,' wrote @alloveranthony.

Brutal: The Jennifer Garner meme was revived as fans savage Ben Affleck's midlife crisis tattoo on social media over the weekend

Inked up: Ben Affleck, 45, was snapped on the beach in Honolulu, Hawaii Saturday sporting the enormous colorful tattoo of a phoenix - which he had previously said was fake

And he wasn't the only one to find the tattoo amusing.

Said user @RafiDAngelo: 'Next time you're feeling sad, remember that you're not Ben Affleck so you (probably) don't have a tattoo so big and so ugly and so universally ridiculed that you had to lie and say it was only temporary and just for a movie when it is so clearly not.'

And @dashiell wrote: ' Ben Affleck's back tattoo is, and I'm saying this without hyperbole, one of the funniest god***n things I've ever seen in my entire life. Holy moly. What a wonderful gift to all of us this is. Truly a great day to be alive because of this obscenely dumb tattoo.'

Branding the inking a 'midlife crisis tattoo', Twitter users laid into the star

What do you meme it's real? Affleck's tat lead to a series of funny tweets

Killing it: Fans mocked up their own alternative versions of the colorful inking

But while the inking was roundly ridiculed, others were simply happy to enjoy the photos of the 45-year-old's honed body.

'Batmans got a sweet dad bod,' wrote @hyacinthgrrl.

While it's now pretty clear that Affleck's ink is here to stay, the Argo star attempted to downplay it when he was asked about it two years ago.

At that time, he dubbed the elaborate inking as 'fake for a movie' while speaking withExtra.

'I actually do have a number of tattoos, but I try to have them in places where you dont have to do a lot of cover up,' he said. 'They get sort of addictive, tattoos, after awhile.'

Here to stay: While it's now pretty clear that Affleck's ink is here to stay, the Argo star attempted to downplay it when he was asked about it two years ago

Focused: Affleck looked to be in decent shape as he got acclimated in the tide

Frosty? Affleck looked to have a bit of the shivers as he waded in the island waters

But there had been clues that the tattoo might be the real deal.

Despite Ben's protests, his two most prominent exes - Jennifer Garner and Jennifer Lopez - made it clear they disapproved when they were asked about the inking.

Garner told Vanity Fair in 2016 that she took exception to the possible inference that Ben was 'a phoenix rising from the ashes' emerging from their June 2015 split.

'Am I the ashes in this scenario?' she said. 'I take umbrage I refuse to be the ashes.'

Flashback: While it's now pretty clear that Affleck's ink is here to stay, the Argo star attempted to downplay it when he was asked about it two years ago; he is seen in 2015 on the set of Live By Night in LA

Still there! Ben rides his motorbike in LA in January of this year

Lopez called her Gigli co-star's tattoo 'awful' as she appeared on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live in February 2016.

'Its awful! What are you doing?' she said. 'His tattoos always have too many colors, they shouldnt be so colorful. They should be cooler.'

Affleck's inking was revealed on the beach in Honolulu, Hawaii as he filmed new Netflix movie Triple Frontier with actors Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund and Oscar Isaac.

Brady's bunch: Perhaps a nod to Ben's Boston roots, a surfboard that had the New England Patriots logo, reading 'Makana Patriots,' was seen on the sand next to Hunnam

Hollywood hunks: Hunnam, 37, and actor Garrett Hedlund, 33, (L) took a moment of downtime amid the outing on the sand

Hunnam, who famously pulled out of the lead role in the mega-hit 50 Shades of Grey, looked chiseled in red trunks while sporting a goatee.

The 37-year-old actor toted a large jug of water out to the shore and was seen wrestling on the sand and waves with Hedlund, 33, who wore blue and white boardshorts with a black horizontal bar across the middle.

The two co-stars playfully wrestled in the waves, enjoying the sunny weather.

Wrestlemania: The actors engaged in a grappling contest in the water, with momentum shifting between the stars

Takedown: Hunnam looked to have the upper hand as he tackled his colleague on the sand

Pin to win: Hunnam exerted his energy into keeping Hedlund pinned to the sand
She has been enjoying quite the holiday with her mother Edith Sarfati.

But it was all about Lea Michele on her latest outing.

The 31-year-old actress looked stunning in a black one-piece while on the beach in Wailea, Hawaii on Sunday.

Fun in the sun: Lea Michele looked stunning in a black one-piece while on the beach in Wailea, Hawaii on Sunday

She flaunted her fabulous figure in the simple swimwear as she hit the beach with her beloved mom.

The back of the one-piece showed off her shoulders and upper-back as the hemline was low-cut to show off her bodacious backside.

The former star of Glee also showed off her natural beauty as she went completely make-up free for the fun beach outing.

Vibes: The 31-year-old actress seemed to be in good spirits as she grinned from ear-to-ear

Looking great: The back of the one-piece showed off her shoulders and upper-back as the hemline was low-cut to show off her bodacious backside

Hopping happy: Lea smiled as she dug her toes into the sand

Making waves: She was surprised by a wave while hanging out on shore

Bonding time: She was joined on the day of fun in the sun by mother Edith Sarfati

Lea's raven-colored locks were wet as they were combed back and tucked behind her ear as she hit the water.

The talented singer and actress kept her look hip as she sported a pair of large designer aviator shades featuring blue-hued mirrored lenses.

The stunner was not alone for the occasion as she was joined by her mother Edith.

Cool: The talented singer and actress kept her look hip as she sported a pair of large designer aviator shades featuring blue-hued mirrored lenses

Splashy: Lea's raven-colored locks were wet as they were combed back and tucked behind her ear as she hit the water

Stunner: The former star of Glee also showed off her natural beauty as she went completely make-up free for the fun beach outing

The star's mom looked youthful in a black Roxy rash-guard along with white bikini bottoms as she splashed around with her famous daughter.

No doubt she has been enjoying her vacation as she let her 5 million strong Instagram following in on the fun this Sunday posting another bikini snapshot to her page.

She posed outdoors in a full-length lacy white robe that was so sheer, her black and neon yellow bikini was completely visible through it.

Raising one hand to her elaborately done hair, Lea stood in front of a lush hedge that partially obscured a dazzling ocean view.

Heating up: No doubt she enjoyed some rest and relaxation

Feeling good: She twirled around her wet hair with her fingers

Moving on: She wrapped up in a white towel at the end of the day

In one post uploaded to her Instagram Story that day, she wore the same swimsuit but lost the robe, replaced it with a towel round her waist, and got in a bit of dancing.

She also included a photo of her bikini-clad mother emerging from a swimming pool, and she captioned: 'What the actual F. My mom is so hot'.

Lea spent St. Patrick's Day modeling another two-piece - this one with dull gold palm fronds on a maroon field - for her Insta Story.

Having a ball: The same day Lea let her 5 million strong Instagram following in on her holiday fun this Sunday, posting a snapshot to her page

Got the moves: In one post uploaded to her Insta Story that day, she wore the same swimsuit but lost the robe, replaced it with a towel round her waist, and got in a bit of dancing

'My mom is so hot': She also included a photo of her bikini-clad mother emerging from a swimming pool, and she wrote in the caption: 'What the actual F'

Refreshing herself: She has been vacationing by the sea with her mother Edith Sarfati, posting updates to her Instagram page, including on St. Patrick's Day

Showing what she's got: Lea spent St. Patrick's Day modeling another bikini - this one with dull gold palm fronds on a maroon field - for her Insta Story.

Lea, who starred in the smash Broadway musical Spring Awakening as a teen before gaining broader fame on the TV series Glee, captioned: 'Mother + daughter getaway.'

Edith had Lea by her realtor husband Mark Sarfati, and their TV star daughter - who was born in the Bronx - remains their only child.

Since the middle of last year, Lea has herself been in a relationship with Zandy Reich, who is president of the women's fashion brand AYR (All Year Round).

Showing what she's got: Lea spent St. Patrick's Day modeling another bikini - this one with dull gold palm fronds on a maroon field - for her Insta Story

'Mother + daughter getaway': Showing what she's got: Lea spent St. Patrick's Day modeling another bikini - this one with dull gold palm fronds on a maroon field - for her Insta Story

Lea's show Scream Queens was scuttled last year after its second season, after which she tried starring on ABC's sitcom The Mayor, which premiered this past October but was guillotined in the middle of its first season come January.

Brandon Michael Hall played Courtney, who finds himself becoming mayor of his town after running for office as a ploy to draw publicity to his nascent music career.

Lea played Courtney's chief of staff Valentina, amid a cast that includes Marcel Spears, Yvette Nicole Brown and Bernard David Jones.
It's been heavily speculated that his relationship with Fargo co-star Mary Elizabeth Winstead is over, just months after it began.

But Ewan McGregor brushed aside the drama surrounding his love life to enjoy some quality time with those who matter most on Sunday, as the 46-year-old star was pictured spending the afternoon with his daughter Anouk, seven, in Los Angeles.

The Hollywood actor was pictured taking his little one - who he shares with estranged wife Eve Mavrakis, 51 - to a friend's birthday party in Pacific Palisades and seemed to ensure she arrived in style as he dropped her off in his 1960s Rolls- Royce Silver Cloud II.

Family first: Ewan McGregor brushed aside the drama surrounding his love life to enjoy some quality time with his daughter Anouk, seven, in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon

The Star Wars favourite purchased the car last summer after falling in love with a summer model he drove on set of a movie he starred in with Johnny Depp.

Speaking about the vintage ride in an interview with Esquire last year, he enthused: 'I drive my girls in a 60s Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II.

'I spent the day after day sitting in this thing in Shepperton Studios and I loved it. So I bought one when I got home!'

Ewan was casually clad for his day out, rocking a simple grey sweater and light wash jeans, while his daughter was adorable in a floral bomber jacket and leggings.

Toting her friend's thoughtfully wrapped birthday present, Anouk looked beyond excited at the prospect of being able to spend the afternoon playing with her friends.

Riding in style: The Hollywood actor was pictured taking his little one to a friend's birthday party in his 1960s Rolls- Royce Silver Cloud II

Ewan looks to have devoted most of his weekends to his children as he was also snapped enjoying time with Anouk last Sunday.

The pair looked to be having a whale of a time as they took a trip to Gap Kids before heading to Blick Art Materials and ending their day with a food shop.

The relaxed outings follow claims Ewan has split from his actress girlfriend, Mary, 33, with reports saying the starlet initiated the break-up because she hated being deemed a 'home wrecker.'

Split reports: The relaxed outings follow claims Ewan has split from his actress girlfriend, Mary, 33, with reports saying the starlet initiated the break-up because she hated being deemed a 'home wrecker'

However, conflicting reports say that the couple are still very much together.

Ewan filed for divorce from his wife of 22 years, Eve, last month, allegedly splitting from the mother of his four children after falling hard for his Fargo co-star.

Their separation came to light in October, after news of the actor's blossoming romance with Mary emerged.

The couple are also parents to daughters Clara, 22, Esther, 16, and Jamyan, also 16.
She stunned on Elle's April cover.

But there are only so many pictures one magazine can publish. And Kim Kardashian is making sure the outtakes don't go to waste, sharing yet another one on her Instagram.

Posting the picture on Monday morning - showing herself reclining in a white swimsuit, Kim wrote: 'All of the BTS from my ElleUSA cover shoot are on my app! A big thank you to my friend Diana Jenkins for letting us use your amazing home & stocking us with the best Neuro drinks all day!!!'

Keeping up with Kim! Kardashian reclines in a white swimsuit in behind-the-scenes Elle shoot snaps

The 37-year-old reality star also made use of her personal subscription-based website to share more behind-the-scenes snaps from her photoshoot.

Kim absolutely scintillated in a cleavage-baring shimmering silver bralette as she had her hair worked on by celebrity hairstylist Andrew Fitzsimons.

She also showed off her curvaceous figure in clinging black trousers with translucent heels.

Sultry: Kim Kardashian took to her personal subscription-based website to share a few behind-the-scenes snaps from her photoshoot

Wow factor: In another snap the 38-year-old reality star rocked a sequined silver top cutout at the front to show off her torso and brown bikini bottoms

In another snap she rocked a sequined silver top cutout at the front to show off her torso and brown bikini bottoms.

Kim posted the snaps on her premium website with a short description which read: 'I wanted to share my behind-the-scenes pics from my Elle magazine cover shoot by Boo George.

'The location was so gorgeous! We shot at a house in Malibu that was right on the beach. I loved how all of the photos turned out. On set, Chris Appleton and Andrew Fitzsimons did my hair and Ariel Tejada did my glam.

Kandid Konfessions: Kim divulged all about the process of welcoming her third child Chicago via gestational carrier, as well as future plans for expanding her family

In the pages of the April 2018 issue Kim divulged all about the process of welcoming her third child via gestational carrier on January 15, as well as her future plans for expanding her family.

After confessing that she and husband Kanye West, 40, selected the sex of their third child, the reality star expressed that adding a fourth to their brood would prove tricky as she also needed to give her other half a healthy amount of attention.

Kim stunned on the cover for the fashion bible, as well as the rest of the photoshoot, which saw her put focus on her famous curves and jaw-dropping features.

'The healthiest embryo was a girl': The reality star relayed the difficulties in the gestational carrier process, which also included selecting the sex of the baby via an embryo

Accompanying the spread was a candid interview which saw her expand on her motherhood duties after welcoming her third child, a girl named Chicago, via gestational carrier at the beginning of the year.

While she whole-heartedly expressed her initial desire to carry her third child herself, Kim was warned off by doctors following her previous two difficult pregnancies.

Opting for a gestational carrier, who she 'immediately trusted' Kim relayed the difficulties in the process, which also included selecting the sex of the baby via an embryo.

'My time is spread thin': The reality star expressed that adding a fourth to their brood would prove tricky as she also needed to give her other half a healthy amount of attention

'Its a really tricky thing. "What sex do you put in?" I just said, "Which one is the healthiest? Pick the healthiest one," and that was a girl.'

After coming to the decision alongside Kanye, the star's only other request was for her third child to be born in LA 'where all my babies were delivered, and for her to use my doctor.'

Kim also touched upon her fantastic relationship with her gestational carrier who 'ate organically' and was therefore 'a good match for us'.

However, knowing full well the needs of pregnancy, Kim admitted 'I straight-up told her, "Look, I ate doughnuts every single day. If you want doughnuts and ice cream, go for it. Do whatever you feel. Im not going to be picky like that. "'

Trust: Kim also touched upon her fantastic relationship with her gestational carrier who 'ate organically' and was therefore 'a good match for us'

'My home and my heart feel full': With three happy and healthy children, Kim confessed her uncertainty over adding to her brood

With three happy and healthy children, Kim confessed her uncertainty over adding to her brood.

'My home and my heart feel really full right now, in the best way,' she happily confessed before revealing four children would be her absolute max.

'I dont think I could handle more than that. My time is spread really thin. And I think its important that in all couples, the mom gives the husband as much attention as the kids,' she admitted of Kanye.

Kim and Kanye started dating in 2012 shortly after the end of her 72-day marriage to Kris Humphries. They wed in 2014 in a lavish ceremony in Italy.

'He taught me to have an opinion. I taught him to be calm': Kim proved that her marriage to Kanye was still going strong and that they are the right balance for each other

Baby boom! Kim's half sister, Kylie Jenner, 20, welcomed baby girl Stormi last month, while sister Khloe Kardashian will have her first child soon

Dishing all: Kim's full interview on surrogacy and marriage with Elle is out now

And proving that her marriage to the rapper was going strong, following a slew of failed romances in the past, Kim revealed: 'Hes taught me to have more of an opinion. Ive taught him to be a bit more calm or cautious. Were a good balance.

While Kim has no sold plans to have another child, her immediate family have been busy on the baby-making front.

Her half sister, Kylie Jenner, 20, welcomed baby girl Stormi with beau Travis Scott last month following a secret pregnancy.

Kim also celebrated her sister Khloe Kardashian's baby shower on Saturday in Los Angeles.

Pretty in pink: Kim shared another flawless snap on Friday with some hair tips for her fans
The Crown came under fire last week after producers revealed Matt Smith was paid more than Claire Foy for the first two seasons of the Netflix drama.

And in light of the revelation, a petition has been launched for the actor to donate the pay difference to the Time's Up movement.

The 35-year-old Doctor Who star, who plays Prince Philip in the biopic, has been called 'to make up for this sexist pay gap' after earning more than Claire, 33, despite her starring as the lead role, Queen Elizabeth.

Outrage: A petition has been launched for Matt Smith to donate the pay gap difference from The Crown to the Time's Up movement, after producers revealed he was paid more than Claire Foy for the first two seasons

The Care2 petition reads: 'You know gender pay gaps are a problem when even the Queen isn't paid fairly.

'Women in all industries are facing a struggle for pay equality, women in the US typically earn 80 cents for every dollar paid to their male counterparts for full time work.

'While it may be easy for some to dismiss gender pay disparity for already high-paid actors like Claire Foy, I believe that publically addressing high-profile cases of sexism will also help create greater opportunities for all women  in all careers.

'Do the right thing': The 35-year-old Doctor Who star, who plays Prince Philip in the biopic, has been called 'to make up for this sexist pay gap'

'This is critical moment for Netflix and Crown co-star Matt Smith to show that they stand with women and do the right thing.'

MailOnline has contacted Matt's representatives for comment.

The petition comes after fans took to Twitter in outrage after The Crown producers Suzanne Mackie and Andy Harries made the shocking revelation when they were asked about the stars' pay during a panel discussion about the series at the INTV Conference in Jerusalem last Tuesday.

They admitted that he did make more due to his Doctor Who fame, according to Variety. (He starred in the popular BBC series from 2010 to 2014.)

They didn't explain why Foy, who has significantly more screen time in the biopic, continued to earn less than Smith in the second season, after she eclipsed his fame with her award-winning performance.

However the Producers did tell Variety this will change as creative director Suzanne Mackie said: 'Going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen.'

Claire gained critical acclaim for her portrayal of the monarch, earning a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actor's Guild Award for best actress following the first season as well as receiving nominations at the BAFTA and Primetime Emmy Awards.

Shining star: Foy was awarded Best Actress in a TV Series for her work on season one of the show at the 2017 Golden Globes in January of last year

Working relationship: Foy made $40,000 per episode, Variety revealed last year. It is not yet known how much Smith was paid, as they are pictured together at a premiere back in November

For the second season of the highly-popular program, the blonde beauty earned another SAG Award for outstanding actress and earned another nomination for the Golden Globes.

Matt also earned numerous award nominations for his portrayal, but has not yet won a major gong for his efforts.

Despite the accolades and acclaim for Claire, he kept his higher salary in season two.

Last year Variety revealed her salary, with the star earning $40K an episode. It is not yet known how much Matt was paid.

The producers insisted the pay discrepancy would be changed for future seasons - however, that will be of little consolation to the talented actress, who will no longer star in the show.

Moving on: The cast will change for season three of The Crown to allow for the fact the royals are getting older

Former National Economy Adviser to US Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama Gene Sperling even chimed in saying the show was high-quality television.

The Atlantic contributor wrote: 'Every fan knows Claire Foy was THE stand out performer that made it shine. Her portrayal as the young Queen Elizabeth is a very top tour-de-force acting performance. No one should have been paid more than her.'

The cast will change for season three of The Crown to allow for the fact the royals are getting older.

Olivia Colman will play the Queen, while the role of Philip has not yet been announced.

Netflix has renewed the series for a third and fourth season back in January.

It will be moving forward without Foy and Smith as it will move forward into the Camilla Parker Bowles years and will even introduce a young Princess Diana.
Steven Spielberg is looking for talent for his remake of iconic musical West Side Story.

And Naya Rivera came up with a novel way to catch the director's eye.

The Glee alum, 31, posted a short audition video on Instagram on Sunday that has already been seen by more than 2.5million of her followers.

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Social media star: Naya Rivera hopes to play Anita in Steven Spielberg's remake of classic 1961 musical West Side Story, so on Sunday she posted a short version of her audition on Instagram

'@unitedtalentagency file was too big to send via email for my audition,' she captioned the video. 'Thought Id try it this way.'

Naya hopes to land the role of Anita, played by Rita Moreno in the 1961 Robert Wise film of the street-gang musical.

She then belted out a couple of a capella verses from America about Puerto Rica.

The casting call for the upcoming adaptation, first reported by Broadway World, was announced in January.

Putting her heart into it: The 31-year-old Glee alum belted out two verses of America a capella

High energy: Rita Moreno, center, starred as Anita in the 1961 movie of the street-gang musical directed by Robert Wise

The notice was hunting for three Latino performers for the roles of Maria, Anita and Bernardo plus a Caucasian actor to play Tony.

'Must be able to sing,' the notice read. 'Dance experience a plus.'

Naya certainly has the creds to fit that bill.

What Spielberg's looking for: The casting call for the upcoming adaptation was announced in January. At 31, Naya may be a little too old for the part which suggests an ideal upper age of 25

Great training : Naya was one of the stars in Fox high school musical sitcom Glee, which ran from 2009 to 2015,

Showing her stuff: The beautiful brunette also starred in Step Up: High Water, a 10-episode YouTube Red series based on the Step Up film franchise that aired its first season last year

Born in Valencia, California, she is of Puerto Rican, African American and German descent

Naya, who rose to fame in the hit Fox musical Glee, most recently starred in Step Up: High Water, a 10-episode YouTube Red series based on the Step Up film franchise.

She is separated from her actor husband Ryan Dorsey, 34, after marrying in Cabo San Lucas in 2015. They share a son, Josey, two.
She was unceremoniously dumped on live TV by Bachelor Arie Luyendyk after he had given her his red rose and an engagement ring.

Now Becca Kufrin has a second chance at her own happy ending.

The 27-year-old publicist from Minnesota was pictured filming the upcoming season of The Bachelorette on Monday in Malibu, California where she was joined by 10 of her incredibly handsome suitors.

Getting down to business: Bachelorette Becca Kufrin has a second chance at a happy ending as she kicks off filming with eight hunks all ready to vie for her heart in Malibu. Ca., on Monday

It's going to be a difficult choice: The 27-year-old publicist from Minnesota looked ready for a wedding in a beautiful white gown as she strolled amongst the guys

All were immaculately dressed in black tuxedos, crisp white shirts and bow ties.

The lucky lady walked hand-in-hand with not one, but two of her suitors, as she strolled with Lincoln Adim, 26, on her left and Nick Spetsas, 27, on her right.

Lincoln became an early favorite of Bachelor Nation after he got the chance to meet Becca moments on this season's After The Rose Finale, where he called Arie 'a wanker.'

Spetas, who is a Palm Beach, Florida based lawyer, was revealed as a contestant on gossip blog Reality Steve last Tuesday.

Twice as nice! The lucky lady walked hand-in-hand with not one, but two of her suitors, as she strolled with Lincoln Adim, 26, on her left and Nick Spetsas, 27, on her right

It's raining men! Also among Becca's handsome suitors was NFL tight end Clay Harbour (left) and Denver, Colorado native David Ravitz (right)

Girl on film: Becca and her entourage were followed by a camera crew, ready to capture every moment

Also among Becca's suitors was NFL tight end Clay Harbour, who plays for the New Orleans Saints and was revealed as a castmember by People earlier this month.

Also pictured was David Ravitz, 25, a native of Denver, Colorado who Reality Steve ID'd earlier this month.

Becca and her entourage were met by previous Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, 32, and her fiance Bryan Abasolo, 37, who are now planning their nuptials.

'We havent set anything yet. We definitely want to get married this year, and thats the plan,' Bryan recently told Extra. '2018, its gonna happen.'

Last season's couple: They were met at the gates of the mansion by previous Bachelorette winner Rachel Lindsay, 32, and her fiance Bryan Abasolo, 37, who are still madly in love

Quite a show: The couple joined Becca looking at the coming season's crop of guys

Her fairy tale starts: 'The stunning @bkoof is ready for night one,' Bachelorette host Chris Harrison captioned this Instagram snap on Thursday in which he used Becca's hilarious handle

Meanwhile, Arie has been sharing a slew of Instagram snaps of his loved up break with Lauren Burnham in Europe.

The 36-year-old and his 25-year-old fiancee have been putting on lots of public displays of affection as they tour Iceland and Spain.

The Bachelorette will return to Bravo on May 28 when viewers will get to meet the rest of the guys vying for Becca's rose...and her hand in marriage.

Not the one: Arie Luyendyk broke Becca's heart by dumping her on live TV on The Bachelor: After The Final Rose special on March 6 and then proposing to runner up Lauren Burnham
Vivica A. Fox is setting the record straight about her relationship with 50 Cent in her upcoming book, 'Every Day I'm Hustling'.

The actress claims that she didn't intend to discuss him in the self-help book, but had to after hearing false stories he'd spread about her on more than one occasion.

According to a report from the NY Daily News, in the book  which is set to be released on April 3, 2018  Vivica writes: 'Most of the time, I would be the one initiating sex, because I really enjoyed making love with him.'

Vivica A. Fox is making headlines after a portion of her upcoming self-help book was released

She goes on to call their sexual encounters PG-13, maintaining that they were still 'cherished and special'.

Apparently unaware that their bedroom romps would be fodder for a book one day, 50 Cent responded on Instagram.

Though he didn't refute her claims, he made it clear he wasn't thrilled, writing: 'I'm waking up to this s**t, that was 14 [SIC] years ago. smh who does this? What the f**k!'

Vivica also alleged that during her relationship with 50 Cent, she learned he was preparing to propose to her while the two were in Monaco for the World Music Awards.

YAASSS getting some of that #SHARKNADO6 LOVE 4 #EVERYDAYIMHUSTLING from my leading man @IanZiering Were 3 weeks away from the April 3rd release! #EVERYDAYIMHUSTLING by #StMartinPress avail 4 pre-order NOW at https://t.co/fd7JC3kDcG and Barnes&https://t.co/EcMfqHDLj9 ENJOY  pic.twitter.com/4iaWITKICM  Vivica A. Fox (@MsVivicaFox) March 15, 2018

The rapper reportedly rented out a Monte Carlo theater where he intended to show a Kill Bill, Vol. 1 and then pop the question. He's said to have procured a 14-carat diamond ring to propose with.

According to Vivica's account, 50 Cent changed his mind about the engagement because he felt she had hogged the spotlight by signing on to be the show's host.

He has neither confirmed nor denied that particular claim.

This isn't the first public row Vivica and 50 Cent have had. In fact, it's one of a series of drag outs they've had since they called it quits.

In November 2015, Vivica appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen to promote her role on Empire. During the appearance, host Andy Cohen asked the actress what she thought about 50 Cent blaming a second season ratings slump on 'gay stuff' on the show.

'First of all, you know, the pot calling the kettle black is all I'm saying,' she said.

Asked if she was insinuating that 50 Cent was gay, Vivica clarified: 'Well, I mean. No, he's not. We had a good time, but he just seems like he's got something that's not quite clear.'

Andy pressed for more information saying: 'So you mean sometimes if people protest too much about something, the fire is happening right in front of them?'

'Absolutely,' Vivica responded. 'I'll just never forget there was a Vibe cover with him and Soulja Boy that made me kind of go, "Hmm."'

The cover was actually featured on XXL, however.

The rapper fired back during his own appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, revealing the reason Vivica said he was gay in the first place.

He explained: 'I said to myself, personally, I said, "Oh no! 'Cause I let her lick my a**, she thinks I'm gay!"'

Vivica responded once more in a since-deleted Instagram post, claiming 50 Cent was lying.

She wrote: 'Tell you what [50 Cent] since you keep on telling that lie!! I challenge you to let's both go on [Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen] and we can put this to rest!!

'That NEVER happened and you know it QUEEN! But keep on telling them how u like it tho!! Let me know when u ready cause I am!! Part 2: Crazy how you 4got that u paid me to be in ya Video and went on the radio saying you did wrong by me! Boy oh boy when that VAULT opens up its gonna be good! I've got a great memory.'

Vivica and 50 Cent are said to have reached a peaceful agreement in early 2017, but it seems that's expired.

The duo, who are 11 years apart in age, dated in the early 2000s.


The Today show's Georgie Gardner has been sent to cover the bushfires on the NSW south coast to avoid any more tense discussions with co-host Karl Stefanovic, reports The Daily Telegraph.

Georgie, 46, was noticeably absent from the breakfast show's panel on Tuesday as she was reporting from Tathra, with Deborah Knight filling in as co-anchor.

She had been spotted boarding a private jet out of Sydney on Monday, just hours after branding Karl, 43, 'pathetic' live on-air following the Ubergate scandal.

Tense: Today's Georgie Gardner has reportedly been sent to cover the bushfires on the NSW south coast to avoid any more tense discussions with co-host Karl Stefanovic after Ubergate

The publication alleged that Channel Nine remains in 'damage control' after Georgie appeared to vent her frustrations against Karl in a thinly-veiled rebuke on Monday.

However, on Tuesday, a Channel Nine representative denied The Telegraph's claim that Georgie was 'sent to cover the fires today to avoid more discussion on air.'

The spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'Georgie is doing her job and sharing the stories of these devastated communities.'

'Pathetic': The Daily Telegraph claimed that Channel Nine remains in 'damage control' after Georgie appeared to vent her frustrations against Karl in a thinly-veiled rebuke on Monday

Georgie had called Karl 'pathetic' during a light-hearted segment about dachshunds on Monday, but it was clear to viewers that she wasn't simply referring to Karl's 'fear' of the short-legged dogs.

Her comments were made shortly after New Idea hit newsstands with a front-page expose of Karl and Peter Stefanovic's 'b**chy' leaked phone conversation.

The brothers had discussed several of their Channel Nine colleagues, including Georgie, after an 'intoxicated' Peter called Karl on speakerphone during a recent Uber ride.

'She is doing her job': However, on Tuesday, a Nine spokesperson denied The Telegraph's report and insisted that Georgie was 'sharing the stories of these devastated communities'

Ubergate: An Uber driver had allegedly overheard Karl complaining that Georgie 'didn't have enough opinions' and that she needed to 'step up... if she wanted to stay on the show'

The Uber driver apparently 'overheard' the discussion and later sold details of what was said to New Idea in a reported $50,000 deal. (He denied secretly recording the conversation).

Karl had allegedly said that Georgie 'didn't have enough opinions' and that she needed to 'step up... if she wanted to stay on the show'.

The brothers also discussed entertainment editor Richard Wilkins, who was accused of being too secretive with his showbusiness contacts.
She flew to Marbella last month to undergo bum-reshaping surgery.

And Chloe Sims proudly flaunted the results of her newly-pert derriere as she joined her co-stars for TOWIE's 22nd series launch at Sheesh Restaurant in Chigwell on Tuesday.

The reality star, 35, oozed glamour on the red carpet as she rocked a figure-hugging bodycon dress, meanwhile Amber Turner, 24, and newcomer Clelia Theodorou, 22, suffered an awkward fashion faux-pas as they wore the same plunging jumpsuit to the event.

Peachy: Chloe Sims proudly flaunted the results of her newly pert derriere as she joined her co-stars for TOWIE 's 22nd series launch at Sheesh Restaurant in Chigwell on Tuesday

Chloe, who is said to be 'delighted' with the results of her surgery, showed off her hourglass figure and peach posterior in the skin-tight dress, which fell just below the knee.

The former glamour model ensured plenty of cleavage was on show in the sultry ensemble, and drew further attention to her surgically-enhanced assets by opting to forego a bra.

As she strutted down the red carpet, the brunette beauty donned a cream furry coat and added a boost to her leggy frame with grey open-toe boots.

Killer curves: Chloe, who is said to be 'delighted' with the results of her surgery, showed off her hourglass figure in the skin-tight dress, which fell just below the knee

Revealing: The former glamour model ensured plenty of cleavage was on show in the sultry ensemble, and drew attention to her surgically-enhanced assets by opting to forego a bra

Keeping warm: As she strutted down the red carpet, the brunette beauty donned a cream furry coat and added a boost to her leggy frame with grey open-toe boots

She styled her ombre locks in a corkscrew curls and amped up the glamour with a dramatic make-up look.

Meanwhile Amber, also took inspiration from the same colour palette as Chloe, as she slipped her curves into a plunging white jumpsuit.

The Essex native put on a busty display in the slinky ensemble, proudly flaunting the results of her recent boob job.

Clelia also rocked the eye-catching number, and paired the look with a white lacy bra.

Busty: Meanwhile, Amber also took inspiration from the same colour palette as Chloe, as she slipped her curves into a plunging jumpsuit

Awkward: The blonde beauty suffered a fashion faux-pas as she wore the same jumpsuit as newcomer Clelia Theodorou (right)

Lacy! Unlike Amber, Clelia paired the look with a white lacy bra and toted a black clutch bag

Meanwhile, former Miss Great Britain Shelby Tribble couldn't contain her excitement as she arrived at the launch event with her new squeeze Pete Wicks.

The striking brunette, 25, was dressed to impress in a hot pink suit, going braless in the plunging jacket and matching trousers.

Shelby's eye-catching attire featured cut-outs at the waist, highlighting her slender figure.

Glamorous attire: Shelby Tribble's eye-catching attire featured cut-outs at the waist, highlighting her slender figure

Glamorous: The striking brunette, 25, was dressed to impress in a hot pink suit, going braless in the plunging jacket and matching trousers

Double trouble: Shelby and fellow new girl Clelia Theodorou arrived in style

Striking: Lauren Pope posed up a storm on the red carpet in a black slinky dress and open-toe sandals

Pete was looking dapper, dressed to impress in a smart black suit as he chatted to his new girlfriend.

The press launch comes after Chloe headed to Marbella last month to have her bum-shaping procedure, carried out by Dr Aslani at Serene Cosmetic Surgery.

A source told MailOnline: 'She had it done last month and is delighted with the results.

Outfit change: Yasmin Oukhellou donned a daringly short hot pink dress and nude Louboutin heels after arriving in a cream mini dress

Stylish: Courtney Green looked sartorially savvy in a red Chanel-inspired jacket and black tailored trousers

Stunning: Georgia Kousoulou looked effortlessly glamorous in a black bandeau crop top and skin-tight trousers

Glam: Chloe Meadows (right) and Chloe Lewis (left) turned heads as they slipped their toned figures in slinky silk suits

Natural beauty: Chloe, 27, teased a glimpse of her washboard abs in the white silk suit and styled her hair in a messy up do

Having fun: Chloe larked around with several members of the cast as they waited for their turn to pose of the red carpet

'She chose the Serene Cosmetics clinic in Marbella because she's was happy and comfortable to be there for the recovery time.'

MailOnline has contacted Chloe's representatives for comment.

The blonde beauty has battled with insecurities about her derriere for years, undergoing a Brazilian butt lift back in 2012.

At the time, she told Now Magazine: 'Even before I was in The Only Way Is Essex I was surrounded by gorgeous girls with hourglass figures. Mine felt unsexy and boyish in comparison.

Lithe limbs: Yasmin put on a leggy display in a white gold chain mini-dress as she arrived hand-in-hand with beau James Lock

Smitten: The love-birds couldn't resist a smooch as they posed arm-in-arm ahead of the event

Cute: The brunette beauty joined the show in the 20th season and audiences have followed her high-profile romance with the handsome hunk

Power couple: Georgia Kousoulou put on a smouldering display as she posed with her boyfriend Tommy Mallet

Suave: Dan Edgar (left) and James Argent (right) were smartly dressed for the occasion

Beaming: Myles Barnett also looked suave as he flashed a smile on the red carpet before joining his girlfriend Courtney inside the venue

Newbies: Two new cast members also turned up to the star-studded event

'I tried everything possible to overcome my body insecurities. I wore certain clothes to make my bum look bigger and even wore knickers with chicken fillet-type padding.

'I always had my bum in mind when I was buying clothes. Id hate it most whenever I went on holiday and had to get into a bikini. It always looked awful, like a flat "granny" bum. With age and gravity it only got worse. By the time I turned 30 Id ended up with a droopy bottom.'

The surgery removes unwanted fat from one part of the body and reuses it to reshape the bum.

Tartan: Bobby Norris showed off his eclectic sense of style in a quirky tartan suit and patent purple shoes

TOWIE hunk: Jon Clark showed off his handsome looks in a grey suit jacket, which he paired with a waistcoat and navy trousers

Last week, Chloe kicked off filming for TOWIE series 22 in the company of her close confidant Pete Wicks on Monday, showcasing her killer curves in a figure-hugging white ensemble.

Last year, Chloe and Pete refuelled rumours they may be an item after sharing a cosy snap over the festive period.

The co-star, 29, looked inseparable as they cosied up for the Instagram shot - prompting fans to urge them to get together.

However Pete is said to be loved up with lingerie model Shelby Tribble.

Eye-popping assets: The Essex native put on a busty display in the slinky ensemble, proudly flaunting the results of her recent boob job

Red carpet official: The new couple in town put on a tactile display at the series launch event

Putting on a playful display: It was plain to see the chemistry between the pair

Beaming: Shelby couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she attended the event

Going public: Shelby Tribble cosied up to her new boyfriend at the party

Playing it coy: The brunette beauty is set to join the cast as Pete's new love interest and has slotted right in

Smitten: Pete was looking dapper, dressed to impress in a smart black suit as he chatted to his new girlfriend
She worked hard to try make her relationship with Married At First Sight's Dean Wells work.

But in the end Tracey Jewel surprised everyone when she dumped the controversial contestant during Sunday night episode's vow renewal.

Speaking to The Fix, Tracey admitted she was surprised to hear Dean say he loved her, confessing if she had known that beforehand she might have decided not to dump him.

'It blew me away how deep his feelings were in the end': MAFS' Tracey Jewel reveals she had been surprised to learn Dean Wells loved her during their vow renewal

'He was kind of dancing around the L word for a while. It kind of blew me away how deep his feelings were in the end,' Tracey said.

The Perth-based writer admitted she had been upset to learn the depth of his feelings, but felt it was too little, too late.

'It hurt because I was like, wow, if only I'd heard this earlier or maybe some of the things on the experiment didn't happen, things could be different and we could have a future,' Tracey said.

'He was kind of dancing around the L word for a while. It kind of blew me away how deep his feelings were in the end': Tracey said she was surprised to hear him say the magic words

In the end, Tracey said she had decided to be a 'realist' because she 'couldn't see any way forward'.

Describing it as the 'right decision', during Sunday night's episode Tracey surprised everyone by dumping Dean after he had tearfully professed his love for her.

'This experiment has reminded me that when I love a person, I must not forget to take care of myself, too - that I trust too easily,' Tracey said.

'This experiment has shaken me awake and helped me see what I'm worth. And unfortunately, Dean, you don't deserve me,' Tracey said, as Dean looked shocked and got teary.

Should have said it before: The Perth-based writer admitted she had been upset to learn the depth of his feelings, but felt it was too little, too late

It's over! In the end, Tracey said she had decided to be a 'realist' because she 'couldn't see any way forward'

Speaking to the Kyle and Jackie O Show on Monday, Tracey said she had been unable to comfort Dean after dumping him.

Instead, producers had whisked her away straight afterwards in a car, with Tracey describing the moment as 'brutal'.

'I wanted to see him and make sure he was okay. I wanted to say a proper goodbye,' she explained.
They hooked up after leaving the Love Island villa last summer.

And Chyna Ellis set the rumour mill going once again that she might be dating her ITVBe co-star Theo Campbell when the pair attended The Chortle Awards 2018, hosted at Pizza Express Holborn in London on Monday night.

The blonde beauty - who had an epic fallout with Jonny Mitchell following her brief stint on the show - was rocking a casual look in a white blouse and high-waisted trousers.

Date night: Chyna Ellis set the rumour mill going once again that she might be dating her ITVBe co-star Theo Campbell when the pair attended The Chortle Awards 2018, hosted at Pizza Express Holborn in London on Monday night

Chyna showed off her slender waist in her basic top and statement flares as she cuddled up to athlete Theo.

Her platinum locks were styled in loose waves while her pretty features were enhanced with fluttery lashes and a slick of frosted pink lipstick.

The hunk was rocking a casual look in a plain white T-shirt and denim jacket, lacing a protective arm around Chyna's waist.

The pair have kept a low profile of late, but were first linked last summer after her bitter split from Jonny.

Casual: The blonde beauty - who had an epic fallout with Jonny Mitchell following her brief stint on the show - was rocking a casual look in a white blouse and high-waisted trousers

Smart: Chyna showed off her slender waist in her basic top and statement flares as she cuddled up to athlete Theo

Still together? The pair have kept a low profile of late, but were first linked last summer after her bitter split from Jonny

Her knight in shining armour? While Jonny cruelly taunted Chyna on social media, Theo appears to have stuck around

Jonny struck up a romance with Chyna outside the programme, even whisking away on a romantic weekend in Budapest during a two-week whirlwind romance.

But it all ended shortly afterwards in front of viewers' eyes, when Jonny joked about keeping things 'open' with Chyna

He ended up leaving the party with former flame Tyla Carr and a scorned Chyna branded the love rat a 'pr***' on social media.

Putting in an appearance: Michelle Collins was also spotted at the awards show

Radiant: Michelle rocked a tweed blazer and a smoky eye for the glittering event

Glam: Comedian and I'm A Celeb star Shappi Khorsandi donned a racy semi sheer lace top and miniskirt

Blonde beauty: Comedian Helen Lederer made her piercing blue eyes pop with some kohl liner

He later made Chyna the target of a crude joke on his social media, when he shared a snap of London's Chinatown, captioned 'the second China I've been through this month, which led followers to call him 'disgusting', 'savage' and 'vile'.

Theo often took delight in calling out Tyla and Jonny for their 'fake' acts of emotion during his stint in the villa.

Jonny and Theo finally came to blows in an explosive war of words one night, when Theo set his sights on Tyla for an in-house date.

Ta-dah! Wayne Sleep was showing off his fancy footwork as he partied up a storm
Australia's business chiefs have rammed home the message to their Southeast Asian counterparts that they've got so much more than minerals to export.

A who's who of Australian business chiefs including banking bosses and the heads of Coca Cola Amatil, Crown and Telstra held talks at the weekend with corporate leaders from some of the biggest companies operating in the 10-member ASEAN bloc during a special summit in Sydney.

Their discussions included ways to increase the $100-billion-a-year trade between Australia and ASEAN members by coming up with new opportunities in education, food standards, and digital automation in manufacturing.

Blackmores chief executive Richard Henfrey, whose vitamin giant operates in seven of the 10 ASEAN member countries, says with the expanding middle classes across Southeast Asia, education, hospitality and tourism take on much greater importance in terms of trade with Australia.

"This week has shown Australia in that very strong light and shown what the relationship can be," he told AAP on Sunday.

"Sometimes it's an important message to get across both to Australian businesses and to overseas businesses that Australian exports are about more than minerals and agricultural products."

During the talks, the business leaders discussed ways to co-operate on setting standards that could ensure they all benefited from the impact digital technology is having on manufacturing.

Ways to introduce STEM subjects into vocational education programs so people studying a trade learn about the latest technology were also bandied around.

"If you are looking for areas where ASEAN and Australia have a real interest in co-operating I think something around digital and high-tech engineering skills is a really good one because we all risk falling behind the US and China in this, I think, and together there is probably more we can do to stay ahead," Mr Henfrey said.

Southern Cross University vice-chancellor Prof Adam Shoemaker said from the discussions he had he saw plenty of potential opportunities for his institution to work with ASEAN businesses on food standards in response to the growing demand for "safe" and trustworthy brands.

The university has an organics research centre based in northern NSW, an area Prof Shoemaker describes as Australia's "epicentre for organic farming".

"We think we can play a role as a university in the industry and trade relationship question," he said.

"It's not just a scientific or genetic or plant science question, it's a question about ethics and governance and legal labelling.

"Almost every faculty could play a role."

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the summit had "put the accelerator on Australia's economic engagement with ASEAN".

"I am convinced that the opportunities for Australia in our region are vast if we continue to engage proactively with the economies of the Indo Pacific," he said.
Tiger Woods will need a back-nine miracle if he is to reel in Arnold Palmer Invitational leader Henrik Stenson.

The 14-time major champion had the Bay Hill galleries buzzing during the first eight holes of his final round, picking up birdies at the fourth, sixth and eighth holes to surge up the leaderboard.

But a bogey at Bay Hill par-4 ninth left eight-time Palmer champion Woods at nine under and five shots back of pacesetter Stenson.

Stenson missed an opportunity to further his lead at the par-5 sixth but at 14 under he holds a two-shot cushion over final group playing partner Bryson DeChambeau and four-time major winner Rory McIlroy (through seven holes).

In-form Englishman Justin Rose is alone in fourth a shot back at 11 under (seven holes).

Meanwhile, Marc Leishman signed off his Palmer title defence in style with a 67 to finish at eight under the card and a chance at staying inside the top 10.

Jason Day, the 2016 winner at Bay Hill, has dropped a shot and sits at four under through 13 holes.

Fellow Australian Adam Scott was also solid on day four, posting a 71 in his last competitive round before the Masters as he earned a two under total.

Perth native Curtis Luck struggled to a 76 and a one over score.
If the Turnbull government takes one thing away from Australia's special summit with Southeast Asian leaders hopefully it's a lesson from some Indonesian politicians on public speaking.

The three-day ASEAN-Australia talkfest wrapped up in Sydney on Sunday devoid of any substantial outcomes.

It was billed as a mammoth diplomatic coup in the lead-up, to get nine out of 10 leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to show up for a series of meetings with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

The ASEAN club counts as members countries with less than shiny human rights records, including Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines.

This fact seemed to induce a high level of anxiety on the Australian side, resulting in a rather over the top, risk-averse media management policy.

The majority of sessions were held at arm's length from journalists cooped up in a media centre. Live broadcasts of speeches and discussions were limited.

The summit actually had a good story to tell, particularly when it comes to growing economic links.

A who's who of Australian chief executive officers participated in a business forum with Asian counterparts, but the media was mostly barred from listening to their insights.

Mr Turnbull and other ministers' speeches were generally dry, filled with buzz words, motherhood statements and platitudes.

So in this context, it was a breath of fresh air when Indonesian President Joko Widodo injected a bit of razzle-dazzle into a business lunch while speaking alongside Mr Turnbull.

Delivering a rare speech in English, his third language, Mr Widodo reflected on the crazy state of global politics amid a Donald Trump White House, Brexit and North Korean rockets.

"We politicians now have to compete against Netflix to get your attention. Since the arrival of Netflix, we politicians have no choice but to turn politics into reality TV because if we don't, all of you will watch House of Cards and Stranger Things instead of watching us," Mr Widodo said, while making an underlying point about the digital revolution under way in Southeast Asia.

He also mulled over how the selfie has changed the world, describing Yogyakarta's "Instagram park" where people stand in line for hours for the chance to take the perfect selfie.

Thomas Lembong, who heads up Mr Widodo's Investment Coordinating Board, also had some sage advice.

The Harvard-educated former trade minister offered up an antidote to rising trade protectionist sentiment across the world.

He noted surveys show while people are sceptical about free trade agreements, they generally support free trade.

He said people actually like their cheap goods from China, their fresh fruit from Australia and opportunities to travel that stem from air service agreements.

"My theory is people just don't like us (trade ministers) because the way we talk is so weird. We don't sound like real people," Mr Lembong told an audience of business leaders at the summit.

"One thing I'm going around the world preaching is 'We've got to start talking like real people, not like aliens from Mars who are very stiff, technocratic and arrogant."
What we know about the Tathra firestorm:

* Up to 70 homes and business destroyed; figure expected to rise.

* Firefighters saved 150 homes.

* Four people treated for smoke inhalation.

* One woman was taken to hospital with minor burns and singed hair.

* No-one missing at this stage.

* It's not yet safe for residents to return home.

* Hundreds people are holed up in an evacuation centre in nearby Bega.

* Power has been restored to parts of the town.

*Town has just five per cent of its usual mobile coverage after phone towers collapsed.

* Fire still burning between Tarraganda and Tathra.

* Crews still putting out spotfires in Tathra.

* Fire has burned through more than 1000 hectares so far; cause so far unknown.

* NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian will visit the area on Monday.
NSW south coast resident Steve Jory saw a small blaze burning near Tathra on his way to work but by the time he got home it was a raging firestorm ready to claim his house.

The furniture maker's property is one of 70 believed to have been razed by the fire that swept through the seaside town on Sunday afternoon with little warning.

"The kids had gone to the house to pick up whatever sort of mementos they could - they did a fantastic job - but by the time I got home I just had to tell the kids to leave and leave myself," he told AAP on Monday.

"We didn't have much time at all."

Mr Jory and his children, in their 20s, evacuated to the beach with dust masks to protect them from the smoke and sand being kicked up by the strong winds.

With phone lines down and power off, Mr Jory said the worst thing was being unable to contact his wife who was in Merimbula some 20 kilometres further south.

"We couldn't contact her for probably an hour or so, she was a mess," he said.

The family is now together in Bega waiting for the all-clear to return home and survey the damage.

They know their home is gone from pictures on the news and speaking to a neighbour who remained behind and saved his house by knocking down a wall with a sledgehammer to put out flames inside.

But lots of their friends, like them, weren't so lucky.

Mr Jory said he's being pragmatic and knows they'll be able to rebuild.

In the meantime, they've been flooded with offers of places to stay.

"Obviously some people will be struggling but I think everyone has sort of banded together and if we've had so many offers others will have too," he said.

"We did lose a lot of memorabilia and we probably won't' realise what we've lost exactly until quite a bit of time to come, but the main thing is we're all healthy," Mr Jory said.

The NSW Rural Fire Service is assessing damage and ongoing risks but hopes people will be able to return to their homes later on Monday.

Doctors and psychologists in Bega are making themselves available to help fire-affected families. The local showground is being flooded with donations too.
A man has been charged over the savage bashing of a tourist who was found unconscious on a footpath in Perth's CBD.

It is alleged the 26-year-old assaulted the man just before 3am (local time) on Sunday on Adelaide Terrace in East Perth.

Police say the victim, aged in his 30s, was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital with severe head and facial injuries after officers found him lying unconscious on the pavement.

He is currently in a serious but stable condition.

A Nolamara man was arrested in the city about half an hour later and has since been charged with one count of acting unlawfully with intent to harm.

He is due to appear in Perth's Magistrates Court later on Monday.
Melbourne will host the first gathering of Southeast Asian policymakers to promote gender equality across the region, the federal government has announced.

The high-level dialogue to take place from April 17 to 19 is the first government action stemming from a special meeting of Association of South East Asian Nations members held in Sydney over the weekend.

"The high-level dialogue will focus on the intersection of regional security challenges, human rights, and the women, peace and security agenda," Minister for Women Kelly O'Dwyer said in a statement on Monday.
The Greens are promising a purge, in case anyone is worried they've abandoned their left-wing roots.

But it won't be a purge of the leadership, even though the party is sifting through the wreckage of the failed Batman by-election campaign.

Internal leaks against six-time Batman candidate Alex Bhathal, who was a strong favourite with bookmakers, marred the Greens' campaign in the Victorian federal seat.

"Those people who are found to be responsible for leaking and undermining our candidate need to be expelled," Greens leader Richard Di Natale told ABC radio on Monday.

The loss has raised questions about the party's direction under Senator Di Natale's leadership.

The under-pressure senator is in some ways a victim of his own success, as his Greens have campaigned on pragmatic and populist policies.

Labor stole the Greens' banking royal commission policy, which the government eventually supported.

Labor also took the Greens' negative gearing reform plans, the anti-pokies platform in Tasmania, and the crackdown on multinational corporations' tax avoidance, which Bill Shorten now mentions in every press conference.

The Greens even pushed Labor to the brink on the Adani coal mine.

But forcing Labor to the left with populist policies has come at a cost for the Greens, with voters backing unionist Ged Kearney over Ms Bhathal in Batman.

The internal bullying complaints about Ms Bhathal hurt, but voters also backed a party likely able to legislate those policies in 2019.

The Greens recently suffered poor results in the Tasmanian and South Australian elections, while the Queensland Greens say they only succeeded because they rejected the federal campaign lines.

Where does that leave Senator Di Natale?

Being Labor's policy incubator isn't enough for a party that aspires to eight lower house seats by 2026 and 25 seats in another 10 years after that.

There is clearly internal division in NSW and Victoria, unusual for a party founded on the principle of "consensus".

Senator Di Natale won't face a leadership challenge, with Sarah Hanson-Young saying he has the full backing of the party room.

"Richard Di Natale's leadership is safe and we need him now, we need him to step up and make sure the party is pulled together tightly," she told Sky News.

But the next federal election will be a real test of Senator Di Natale and the Greens, who now have a rank-and-file so angry about not being listened to by the leadership they are willing to blow up the show.
As one of Australia's millions of migrants, it's not often I feel completely at home in the wide brown land. However my first visit to Uluru brought tears on seeing the rock in real life, and it seems Kakadu has also secured a place in my heart.

The Northern Territory, with its fierce, frontier-like living, is the place that most encapsulates Australia to me. And while my skin colour comes by way of India rather than any indigenous roots, it's the Aboriginals I meet there who make me feel the most at home.

Most visitors to Kakadu come to the Top End in the Dry, from June to September, but there are advantages in catching the tail end of the Wet.

For one thing, there are markedly less people up here. And for another, there's the chance of taking part in May's Taste of Kakadu festival, where tourists and Territorians alike can sample indigenous dishes cooked in traditional ways by the locals, who've been eating this way for thousands of years.

On our visit to the tiny town of Jabiru, the rich, gamey flavour of a whole buffalo shoulder, slow-cooked in a ground oven (gungerri) for hours with potato, sweet potato and pumpkin, feeds not only our small group of visitors but also many of the local rangers and guides who gather as word spreads of the feast.

The ranger who's doubling as our chef recounts how he woke before dawn to dig the shallow hole, lining it with stones and lighting a fire on top. He allowed the blaze to reduce to coals and laid the meat and vegetables on top, covering it with layers of paperbark (melaleuca bark) before the dirt from the hole was shovelled over the top.

Reminiscent of the Maori hangi, Fiji's lovo or the Cook Islands' umukai, this method isn't set-and-forget, with regular checking by the chefs to ensure the coals are still hot by sticking their fingers in the earth, and that the steam generated doesn't burst through the soil, deflating the natural pressure-cooker.

The mixture of roasting, barbecuing and steaming, delivers tender, smoky and gelatinous meat. Even our vegetarian ranger Sarah stuffs her face with the accompanying tender and delicious sweet potato and pumpkin.

The ground oven feast was preceded by a serve of damper, not made with wheat flour but the ground seeds of water lilies (mabala) and slathered with jam made from the local black currants.

These andjurrugumarlba berries are also being gathered to make a vibrant purple dye used in colouring fibres for basket-weaving, and indigenous forager Patsy shows us where the bushes are and how her fingers have been stained purple from the fruit.

Patsy also offers us a warning about Kakadu foraging, which is limited to indigenous residents, as there are at least two other similar-looking berries that are highly poisonous.

As part of the Taste of Kakadu, visitors will also be treated to many different ways of serving barramundi, crocodile and emu, and to desserts based around finger limes, Kakadu plums and native lemongrass.

Our final meal at Jabiru ends with a dessert composed of vanilla ice cream, topped with black currant sauce and sprinkled with green ants, which impart a zingy, lemony crunch to the dish. Sharing its picture on social media prompted many friends to query my sanity but I was quick to assure them the insects weren't actually crawling over the dish.

However, I neglected to mention the abdomen of the live green ant I'd sampled on the first day of our visit - called "the best tasting bum in the world" by indigenous chef Zach Green.

IF YOU GO

GETTING THERE: Virgin, Jetstar and Qantas all fly into Darwin from around Australia daily with fares from Sydney beginning at about $300 one-way. Day tours are available to Kakadu from there, but the three-hour drive is also easily made in a rental car available from Budget, Thrifty or Europcar at Darwin Airport. Make sure you pay for your Kakadu visitors pass, available online before you get there or at several locations within the park.

STAYING THERE: A range of accommodation is available in Kakadu, including the Mercure Crocodile Hotel with rooms from $150 and the Kakadu Lodge and Caravan Park at about $100, both in Jabiru. Rooms at the Cooinda Lodge, deep in the park south of Jabiru, are about $200 per night.

PLAYING THERE: The Taste of Kakadu festival runs from May 18-27 and details are available at: https://parksaustralia.gov.au/kakadu/taste/program/

With the water flowing after the Wet, a great way to take in the park is in a small plane piloted by The Scenic Flight Company, which offers flights from $130 for 30 minutes, that will give your cameras a great workout. For those who prefer to stay on land, a cruise along the waterways is a must. Yellow Water Cruises offers sunrise, sunset or daytime adventures from $72 per person.

The writer travelled to Kakadu as a guest of Tourism NT, Kakadu Tourism and Parks Australia.
More than 30 people have been charged after Queensland police cracked a major drug operation seizing 4.5 kilograms of cannabis, quantities of the drug ice, $83,000 in cash and weapons including rifles, knuckle dusters, flick knives and a taser.

Police made the discoveries after raiding 20 properties in the Gympie area, in the state's Wide Bay region, between Tuesday and Sunday last week with 31 people charged with 94 offences.

A 23-year-old man, who was found with six firearms, a taser, the drug ice, cannabis and $75,000 in cash is among those charged.

He will re-appear in Gympie Magistrates Court on June 25 charged with six counts of unlawful possession of a weapon, two counts each of possessing dangerous drugs and drug utensils and other offences.
A $100 million tax incentive scheme to encourage resources exploration aims to arrest the decline in Western Australia's mining sector.

Legislation cleared the Senate on Monday with Labor supporting the new scheme.

The Junior Mineral Exploration Tax Credit aims to make it easier to raise money by allowing tax losses made by junior explorers to be distributed as a tax credit to shareholders.

The Greens attempted to have thermal coal exempted from the scheme, but failed after opposition from the major parties.

"The legislation already exempts petroleum, it should exempt thermal coal as well," Greens senator Andrew Bartlett told parliament.

"The time for coal in Australia is over and we need to be recognising that."

Government frontbencher Zed Seselja said the scheme would create a more stable program for investor confidence to help exploration companies find "tomorrow's mines".

Exploration has dropped almost 70 per cent in the past five years.

The bill will now return to the House of Representatives to approve government-supported Labor amendments looking to improve the scheme's transparency.
Queensland's Liberal National Party opposition is calling for the premier to sack embattled minister Mark Bailey, ahead of the release of new ministerial guidelines on Monday.

The guideline review was sparked by Mr Bailey's use of a private email for official government business, which led to a corruption investigation and an ongoing scandal surrounding a union-backed candidate for the board of a government company.

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington says Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's refusal to sack Mr Bailey renders the guidelines irrelevant before they are introduced.
The Sydney Roosters NRL campaign has copped a blow with scans confirming winger Daniel Tupou has a torn pectoral muscle that could sideline him for up to three months.

Tupou suffered the injury while attempting to put pressure on a Kieran Foran kick in the first half of the Roosters' round-two win over Canterbury.

Former Parramatta winger Reece Robinson is likely to fill in for Tupou in what will mark his return from a stint with the NSW Waratahs in rugby union.
Tathra residents on the NSW south coast have described the panic and confusion as a fast-moving firestorm encroached on their picturesque seaside enclave, sending fire embers over the township.

By the time the emergency evacuation text message was sent on Sunday afternoon, the flames were already visible, said Bega deputy mayor Liz Seckold, who lives in Tathra.

"That was the very sad thing. Two mobile phone towers were out, we had no mobile phone coverage, and the electricity was out as well so we could not get any messages on our mobile phones," she told 2GB radio on Monday.

"At first we thought the smoke had come from the Victorian fires so we weren't overly anxious,"

"But out on our back verandah, we saw the flames come up and thought 'my God it is much closer'."

Another Tathra local David Porter said he fled his home before he received an evacuation text.

"It was just after lunch when I noticed the whole colour of the sunlight changing because of the sun shining through the smoke," he told the same radio station.

"The Tathra SMS came through after we had already left, and quite frankly the smoke was so thick you couldn't even see to walk or drive by the time we got the SMS," he said.

Ms Seckold is among hundreds of evacuees hunkering down at Bega Showgrounds, while firefighters continue to battle the out-of-control blaze that caused spot-fires throughout the town destroying more than 70 homes and businesses.

Many locals including Tas Fitzer fled to the beach to escape the flames on Sunday afternoon.

"As the smoke started to get closer and closer you could not see much and it was pretty terrifying," Mr Fitzer told ABC from Bega Showground.

"We had a cat and a dog and we didn't know if we had to jump into the water," he said.

By 4pm on Sunday, police arrived to direct the hundred or so locals on the beach to the Bega Showgrounds.

Tathra local Suzanne Simon says she was allowed to return to the town to retrieve equipment for her elderly mother who suffers from emphysema.

"My husband is still back at the house because he is a stay-and-defend-kind of man," Ms Simon told AAP on Monday.

She said a lot of Tathra residents were waiting at the checkpoint wanting to get back into the town, but said police only made an exception for her so she could get the charger for her 90-year-old mother's lung machine.

"There are still fires burning and the helicopters are still actively water bombing and it is quite smoky," she said.

Ms Simon says her house is still standing but she hasn't been able to contact some of her friends because service to most mobiles phones in the area has been shut down.

But she said Tathra people are resilient.

"The local community is really rallying around," she said.
It's a testament to Australia's volunteers and firefighters that no lives were lost in bushfires that continue to rage across two states, Labor's Penny Wong says.

Senators rose in parliament on Monday to offer sympathies to those affected by bushfires that continue to rage in NSW and Victoria, offering praise to firefighters and support to victims.

More than 70 buildings have been destroyed on the NSW coastal town of Tathra while 18 homes have been razed in multiple fires across south western Victoria.

There's no reports of serious injuries in either state, but Victorian farmers have been hit hard by stock losses.

Senator Wong said few weekends so graphically illustrated poet Dorothea Mackellar's description of Australia as a country of beauty, terror, fire and flood.

"It is good that there have been no deaths, only minor injuries, which given the scale of these disasters is extremely fortunate but also a tribute to the extraordinary bravery of our emergency services workers and volunteers," she said.

Cabinet minister Mathias Cormann said the government stood ready to provide assistance to communities who have lost homes, sheds and livestock, their livelihood.

"It is being reported that at least 88 homes have been destroyed, mainly in Tathra, but there remains the horrible prospect there will be more once we know the full scale of the disaster," Senator Cormann said.

"I express my heartfelt thanks to all the emergency service workers and volunteers who worked so tirelessly over the weekend and continue to do so."

Greens leader, Richard Di Natale reflected on the Victorian fires, close to his home and the impact of stock losses.

"A lot of farmers are now suffering, seriously suffering," he said.
Surrounded by fire-ravaged stumps, the air thick with smoke, Terang man Chris O'Connor can't help but recall the worst blaze his Victorian home town has ever seen - Ash Wednesday.

It's been more than 30 years, but locals will "without a doubt" be thinking about the deadly blaze as they pick up the pieces of the latest devastation, he said.

One woman who lost her property at the weekend also saw her childhood home destroyed in 1983, as the fire path followed a "remarkably similar" route.

"It's been pretty eerie that way," Mr O'Connor told AAP on Monday.

"Fortunately there were no lives lost, that's the silver lining."

Fires in the areas of Terang, Camperdown, and Cobden have claimed up to 18 homes and 42 dairy and machinery sheds, as well as hundreds of livestock.

It's cooler there now, Mr O'Connor says, and fire crews from far and wide have arrived to help.

He was camping 12 hours away as the fire began, and he rushed back when he heard of the threat amid hot temperatures and wind gusts of more than 100 km/h.

A fire came close to his home, but it was spared after winds turned.

The deputy president of the Terang and District Lions Club, Mr O'Connor is coordinating an effort to funnel emergency hay and supplies to the area's worst hit farmers.

"It's difficult to help people unless you know about it," Mr O'Connor said.

"Try not to be proud. Let others know, because the community is more than willing to help out in any way they can."

A quarter of the 40,000 hectares burnt are dairy farms, with one farmer losing 700 cows.

"It's like a whole factory burning down," Victorian Farmer's Federation president David Jochinke told AAP.

"Everything - (the farmer's) whole livelihood - would revolve around those cows."
Gareth Widdop says Ben Hunt's impact at table-topping St George Illawarra has him feeling like he's back in his Melbourne Storm days.

Widdop and Hunt have established themselves as one of the form halves pairings in the NRL over the opening two rounds, with a hand in six of the eight tries which see the Dragons with the second best attack in the competition.

Hunt's arrival has been crucial to freeing Widdop up.

Stuck playing alongside six different makeshift halfbacks since his arrival from Melbourne in 2014, Widdop now has the first genuine No.7 with him since he last ran out with Cooper Cronk.

"Yeah, it certainly is (feeling a bit similar). It's been a few years since I've had a similar halfback," Widdop said ahead of Sunday's clash with the Gold Coast in Toowoomba.

"And there are similarities there and with Matt Dufty at the back there as well.

"Any time you can keep your spine together for long periods and you're all on the same page generally you're team plays well."

Widdop, who finished third in last year's Dally M count, is equally excited about what Hunt can do for his own game.

Having come through the grades as a fullback at the Storm, Widdop has spent the majority of his Dragons' stint pigeon-holed on the left edge.

But with the pair regularly linking directly in the opening two games, Widdop has set up tries on both sides of the field with his passing and classy short-kicking game.

"I've found myself on the other side of the field probably more than I did the whole of last year," Widdop said.

"I think it's a good move. I'm enjoying that at the moment and knowing I've got a halfback there and that's going to be there for a while.

"When you've got a traditional halfback in the team who is going to guide you around with a good kicking game, it certainly does take a lot of pressure off myself.

"I get to roam around a bit more, roam the field and jump in when needed. I'm enjoying that at the moment and knowing I've got a halfback there and that's going to be there for a while."

Widdop, the Dragons' captain since 2016, knows all too well it's far too soon for the Red V to get ahead of themselves.

They were third as late as round 13 last year before missing the finals altogether, while they had a similar fall from first to eighth in the second half of 2016.

"Hopefully we've got players in the squad now who have learnt from last year and got a bit more experience not to do that again," he said.
Mental health services in the bush will be examined during a Senate inquiry which will look at high suicide rates in rural and regional Australia.

Labor and the Greens have referred the issue to the upper house's community affairs committee, with a motion passing the upper house on Monday.

The inquiry will look at why Australians living in remote and rural areas are accessing mental health services at a lower rate than in major cities and the higher rate of suicide in country areas.

It will also investigate attitudes towards mental health services, the challenges of services delivery in regional areas and how technology can improve services.

"Australians struggling with mental ill-health already have the odds stacked against them with insufficient mental health services," Greens senator Rachel Siewert said.

"This is only exacerbated in the bush, with regional and remote Australians, particularly our first peoples and our farmers, struggling with high rates of mental ill health and suicide."

The government didn't stand in the way of the inquiry, but frontbencher James McGrath noted the ongoing workload on committees and concerns about additional references.

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.

MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78.

Multicultural Mental Health Australia www.mmha.org.au.

Local Aboriginal Medical Service details available from www.bettertoknow.org.au/AMS
Distressed Tathra residents are being promised they will be allowed back to check on their homes in the fire-ravaged NSW coastal town as soon it's safe.

Nearly 70 homes and 30 caravans or cabins were destroyed when the blaze swept through the area east of Bega on Sunday.

Authorities have cut off access to the township with roads damaged, no power or water supplies and fears of asbestos in the air.

Many locals who were evacuated to Bega don't know whether their homes are still standing. They've tried to tell from news footage or by asking neighbours who left after them.

Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons acknowledges the situation is stressful but insists authorities are working to make the area safe as quickly as possible.

Power and other utilities, including sewage and water supplies, needed to be restored and communications brought back online.

They are also mindful of the amount of potential asbestos floating around from burnt buildings and other structures.

"We are not trying to be insensitive or disrespectful to those who are already suffering so much, but their safety is at the forefront - and the safety of other people involved," Mr Fitzsimmons said in Bega on Monday.

"As soon as we can make it safe, we will get more people in."

Compounding the problem is the main road between Bega and Tathra is part of the control line being used by firefighters to contain the blaze.

Deputy NSW Police Commissioner Catherine Burn, whose officers are stationed at roadblocks, understood people's frustrations at being denied access.

"But the police are there giving those directions for a reason," she told reporters.
A man who felt ill after flying from Bali to Melbourne via Sydney has been diagnosed with measles, opening the potential for scores of people to have the disease.

Victoria's health department has issued a warning for travellers after the man flew from Denpasar on flight QF44, arriving in Sydney on March 10 at 6.25am before getting on flight QF415 to Tullamarine, arriving at 10:35am.

"We are working with airline officials to identify and contact passengers who shared both the international flight into Sydney and the domestic flight into Melbourne," Public Health Physician Dr Finn Romanes said, adding there are also concerns for people who went to Lentil as Anything at the Abbotsford Convent the same day.
An Israeli court has accepted an appeal to keep former Melbourne school principal Malka Leifer - who is accused of child sex crimes - behind bars while the legal case continues, her alleged victim says.

Dassi Erlich, who has accused Leifer of abusing her, posted on her Facebook page that "Malka Leifer is to remain arrested and has not been granted bail" after the Supreme Court accepted the appeal.

It comes after an Israeli rabbi withdrew his support for Ms Leifer to be released on house arrest under his supervision earlier this month while she awaits an extradition outcome.

Leifer had been ordered to stay in police custody in a medical facility while the Supreme Court considered the prosecution's appeal to her release to home detention.

Victorian police want to bring the 54-year-old, who was arrested in Israel in February, back to Australia to face 74 charges of child sexual abuse.

Her extradition is the subject of a separate court case.
As the Turnbull government prepares for its May 8 budget, a new study has found its process is one of the most transparent in the world.

A survey compiled with the help of the Australian National University's Tax and Transfer Policy Institute ranked Australia 12th for transparency, well ahead of the OECD average but behind New Zealand, the US and the UK.

Institute fellow Miranda Stewart said Australia was a pioneer in budget reform and provides a good example of transparency.

"But Australia's budget contains much less information than in the past about distributional effects of budget policy on taxes and welfare," Prof Stewart said in a statement on Tuesday.

It also does not contain any analysis of the budget by gender, in contrast to the 1980s.

"The recent Canadian budget puts gender equality as a core part of the budget public analysis," she said.

The "Open Budget" survey promotes the presentation of budget information in a full, clear and accessible way while encouraging public participation.

Australia scored 74 out of 100 for transparency, well above the global average of 42, but received a lower score of 41 out of 100 for public participation.

The survey covered 115 countries.
Most Australians understandably probably aren't across the fine detail of dividend imputation.

But for those who are and would be affected by Labor's proposed changes, it may have curtailed any future spending plans.

Reaction to the plan may have an impact on the latest weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence index to be released on Tuesday - a pointer to future spending.

Labor plans to end cash handouts for non-taxpaying shareholders on their dividend credits, saving over $5 billion a year and impacting more than 200,000 people.

The confidence index fell 2.5 per cent last week in response to the latest national accounts which showed the economy grew at its slowest pace in over a year during the December quarter.

The slim 0.4 per cent rise in the final three months of 2017 dragged annual growth down to 2.4 per cent.

The soft outcome even surprised the Reserve Bank, although its governor Philip Lowe does not expect it affects his optimistic outlook "at all".

The central bank will release the minutes of its March 6 board meeting on Tuesday, where it again left the cash rate at a record low 1.5 per cent.
Crossbenchers are under pressure from the government to pass welfare reforms and corporate tax cuts through the Senate this week.

The controversial company tax cuts, which will reduce the rate to 25 per cent for all-sized businesses, are due to be debated in the upper house on Wednesday.

The Nick Xenophon Team says it will vote against the tax cuts because the coalition should take them to an election.

"We do not support the proposed tax cuts for big business, especially when the Budget is in deficit," Senator Rex Patrick told AAP on Monday.

But Australian Conservatives senator Cory Bernardi says he is backing the cuts, and so is Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm.

New independent senator Steve Martin is still negotiating on both the tax cuts and the welfare reforms, and has not revealed which way he will vote.

A spokesman for Social Services Minister Dan Tehan told AAP the negotiations were continuing on the welfare changes, which were debated on Monday night.

"The welfare reform bill is an important reform and the government is working with the crossbench to pass this legislation," he said.

The proposed changes include a major overhaul of compliance measures, including a demerit-point system for people who persistently dodge job-seeking obligations.

The coalition also wants to remove "intent to claim provisions", which protect people who are entitled to welfare but cannot lodge a claim due to personal circumstances.

Community organisations fear these changes, among others, could further punish vulnerable people as well as dependent family members of welfare recipients.

The legislation also seeks to tighten exemptions for drug and alcohol dependence, increase wait times for unemployment payments, and axe the wife pension and bereavement allowance.
Breathe. That is what we are told to do in moments of panic, stress, fear or anger.

For many people, being told to "breathe" only makes the situation worse.

But after a brief hike leading to a small beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean with views of the famed Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, it is easy to surrender to the guide's calming words.

Travis offers a unique one-and-a-half-hour Airbnb Experience involving a hike and meditation at Lands End within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco.

He is young, unassuming, positive and energetic.

"Most people are chasing happiness somewhere in the future," Travis says on his Airbnb profile.

"I used to be one of those people until I realised that happiness is only available in the present moment."

Travis regularly takes small groups on the coastal walk, stopping at points to show off views of the famed Golden Gate Bridge.

He also encourages people to walk in silence for periods to "open your senses" and focus on breathing.

Stopping at a quiet spot on a small beach, Travis reads from Mark Nepo's bestseller The Book of Awakening to help people meditate with their eyes closed for several minutes.

"I didn't want to come back," one person says with a sigh.

Another described a peaceful feeling and the relief at not having to think about anything else.

During the walk back to the hustle and bustle of the San Francisco city, Travis instructs us to think of one word to help ourselves return to that same peaceful state.

Words like "relax", "clear" and "calm" come to mind.

"That word for you is just a trigger," Travis says.

"If you're super stressed out on the subway or something, say that word, it's your mantra."

His Experience is just one of many offered by Airbnb, which currently provides 5000 Experiences in 60 places.

The company is planning to expand the program to 1000 destinations by the end of the year.

At an announcement in San Francisco recently, Airbnb Trips VP Joe Zadeh said Experience categories had been added, including intimate concerts in unique venues such as wine cellars and laundromats.

Mr Zadeh says the goal is to have 20,000 guests every month by the end of the year.

Also on offer is social dining planned by Airbnb hosts to help travellers make international friends, as well as adventures including multi-day trips to the Sahara Desert and the North Pole.

Mr Zadeh promises it is just the start, with plans to later expand to comedy, opera, theatre and poetry.

The social impact experiences, connecting travellers to local non-profits, will also he expanded and Airbnb will not take any fees for them.

Mr Zadeh says Airbnb's Experiences provides activities that travellers cannot find elsewhere.

"You don't have to book a home to take one ... you don't have to host a home to offer one. You just need a passion," he says.

IF YOU GO

GETTING THERE: San Francisco is a 13-hour flight from Sydney. United Airlines and Qantas fly direct from Sydney to San Francisco.

STAYING THERE: Airbnb offers a variety of accommodation types, including couches and entire houses.

PLAYING THERE: Airbnb is expanding its Experiences program to include many unique activities, such as a hike and meditation at Lands End in San Francisco. For more information, check the Airbnb website.

The writer travelled as a guest of Airbnb.
Trump has previously mooted the "ultimate" punishment for drug dealers, and is said to have spoken in glowing terms about the policies of deeply controversial Filipino leader Rodrigo Duterte which include extra-judicial killings of traffickers

US President Donald Trump will present on Monday his plan to combat an opioid abuse epidemic which will include seeking the death penalty for drug traffickers.

The Department of Justice "will seek the death penalty against drug traffickers, where appropriate under current law," a White House official indicated Sunday whilst outlining the plan's main points.

The official did not offer greater detail on how the death penalty could be invoked against drug dealers without amending statutes.

Trump is due to unveil his plan in a speech in Manchester, New Hampshire, a state hard hit by the crisis.

An estimated 2.4 million Americans are addicted to opiates, the narcotics that include prescription painkillers, as well as heroin.

Nationwide, emergency room visits for overdoses from drugs like heroin, fentanyl and prescription painkillers up 30 percent from 2016 to 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said earlier this month.

The report found that from July 2016 to September 2017, a total of 142,557 emergency room visits were due to suspected opioid overdoses.

Trump has previously mooted the "ultimate" punishment for drug dealers, and is said to have spoken in glowing terms about the policies of deeply controversial Filipino leader Rodrigo Duterte, who has ordered extra-judicial killings of traffickers.

"If you shoot one person, they give you life, they give you the death penalty. These people [who sell drugs] can kill 2,000, 3,000 people and nothing happens to them," he said.

Many opposition Democrats oppose the idea of executing drug dealers, and changing the law would require an act of Congress.

"We will not incarcerate or execute our way out of the opioid epidemic," said Democratic senator Ed Markey last week.

"Extreme proposals like using the death penalty only perpetuate a harmful stigma associated with opioid use disorders and divert attention from meaningful conversations and progress on expanding access to treatment, recovery, and other public health initiatives," he said.
Abe answers questions about the scandal

Japan's embattled prime minister hit back at critics on Monday over a favouritism and cover-up scandal that has seen his popularity plunge and loosened his iron grip on power.

In a hotly awaited statement in parliament, Shinzo Abe denied he had ordered bureaucrats to alter documents relating to a controversial land sale as he comes under mounting pressure over the affair.

"I have never ordered changes," he said.

The scandal surrounds the 2016 sale of state-owned land to a nationalist operator of schools who claims ties to Abe and his wife Akie.

The sale was clinched at a price well below market value amid allegations that the high-level connections helped grease the deal.

The affair emerged early last year, but resurfaced after the revelation that finance ministry documents related to the sale had been changed.

Versions of the original and doctored documents made public by opposition lawmakers appeared to show passing references to Abe were deleted, along with several references to his wife Akie and Finance Minister Taro Aso.

Aso has blamed the alterations on "some staff members" at the ministry.

But Jiro Yamaguchi, a politics professor at Hosei University in Tokyo, said the public was "not at all convinced" by this explanation.

"Why was the land sold at a discount price? Without any political pressure, this could never happen, and voters are angry about it," said Yamaguchi.

The prime minister repeated an apology, saying he "keenly felt" his responsibility over the scandal that has "shaken people's confidence in government administration."

- Abe 'wobbling' -

The affair is hitting Abe's ratings hard, with a new poll in the Asahi Shimbun showing public support nosediving by 13 percentage points from the previous month to 31 percent.

The figure is the lowest approval rating for Abe in the poll since his return to power at the end of 2012.

Another survey suggested that for the first time since before a general election in October, more people disapproved of the cabinet's performance than approved.

The scandal is harming Abe's hopes of winning re-election as head of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in September, which would make him Japan's longest-serving prime minister.

Political analyst Yamaguchi said that if support continues to tumble, LDP members might begin to feel Abe is a liability ahead of upper house elections next year.

Abe insisted that, even before the alterations, the documents showed that his hands were clean.

"If you look at the documents before the alterations, it is clear there is no evidence that I or my wife was involved in the sale of the national land or approval of the school."

But the opposition is demanding that Abe fall on his sword over the issue.

"This is a problem that is worthy of the resignation of the whole of the cabinet," opposition upper house member Shoji Namba demanded as he questioned Abe over the scandal.

Masayuki Kubota, chief strategist at Rakuten Securities, noted there were "growing voices" calling for Abe and Aso to be held responsible.

"Various polls have shown his cabinet approval rating plunging and the stable base of the Abe administration is wobbling," he said in a commentary.

The political uncertainty was beginning to take its toll on the Japanese stock market.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell 0.90 percent or 195.61 points to close at 21,480.90 Monday, while the broader Topix index was down 0.96 percent or 16.66 points at 1,719.97.

Toshikazu Horiuchi, a broker at IwaiCosmo Securities, said the affair was expected to continue hurting market sentiment for now, saying: "It's unlikely we will see the scandal disappearing tomorrow."
US Marines break the wall of an abandoned house after being targeted by small arms fire in Ramadi, 25 November 2006

Justin Carlisle was in the center vehicle of a five-Humvee convoy when the bomb went off.

Insurgents had jammed several 155mm artillery shells into a manhole on a street in Ramadi, central Iraq, then triggered a blast that ripped through the patrol's final Humvee, killing a Navy medic and three of Carlisle's Marine Corps comrades -- including his best friend.

"Within 18 hours, we were back out on our next mission," Carlisle said of the April 2, 2006 attack.

"We didn't have time to process it. You couldn't sit there and dwell on what was going on because you still had to get up and go and fight the next day."

Carlisle, from Ohio, is now among the millions of veterans dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, a signature wound of any war but especially prevalent after the brutal urban fighting in Iraq.

Justin Carlisle, at the Marine Corps Museum in Triangle, Virginia in August 2017, following a reunion with his Marine unit

George W. Bush launched that conflict 15 years ago this month, but in some ways its toll is only in its early phases.

During two deployments to Ramadi and Fallujah, Carlisle said his unit of about 800 men lost 25 Marines and sailors, with another 350 wounded in action.

Since coming home, at least a dozen more have killed themselves or died of drug overdoses.

"It's not until you get out and you are not with your tribe anymore that you start realizing you have some serious issues," the former Marine infantryman said.

- Curable condition? -

Estimates vary, but the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) believes about 13-20 percent of Iraq War vets suffer from PTSD.

Symptoms can range from insomnia and depression to debilitating panic attacks, flashbacks, irritability and self-harming behavior.

Like many of his buddies, it took Carlisle time to seek help for his condition, only going to see a doctor in 2012 -- four years after leaving the military.

President George W. Bush speaks with Marines who were injured in Ramadi outside the White House on December 09, 2008

He was given five different types of medication, and worries the VA dishes out pills too readily.

"I don't want to see them keep pushing medications to veterans. That should be, in my mind, the last line of defense," he said, noting that alternative approaches including meditation have helped him more.

Carlisle runs a non-profit organization -- 3/8 Veterans of Fallujah and Ramadi -- advocating for fellow veterans, and he's about to start another group to run retreats for combat veterans.

Paula Schnurr, executive director of the VA's National Center for PTSD, said that while treatment is often through anti-depressants, the preferred recourse comes through various types of psychotherapy.

In 2006, the VA started training clinicians in techniques such as cognitive-processing therapy, where a patient learns about and processes their trauma. The VA also uses other methods aimed at desensitizing a veteran.

Schnurr, who has been studying PTSD since 1984, said treatments have come a long way over the past decade and in many cases it is effectively curable.

"We have treatments for PTSD ... it doesn't have to be a chronic disorder," Schnurr said.

The National Center for PTSD runs a project called About Face encouraging veterans to seek treatment, and is increasingly using "tele-therapy" to offer web-based counseling to vets without easy access to a VA center.

- Time bomb -

Mark Russell, director of Antioch University's Institute of War Stress Injury, Recovery and Social Justice, said the VA's response to veterans' PTSD has been inadequate, arguing that war-related psychological conditions still go under-diagnosed.

"If you look at the whole spectrum -- depression, anxiety, medically unexplained physical conditions -- those folks aren't being addressed," Russell said, noting the number of veterans suffering some level of psychological trauma is really more than 50 percent.

"It's a time bomb," he said.

The nature of the Iraq War ensured high levels of PTSD, as it was not uncommon for soldiers to deploy four or five times.

Iraqi insurgents take position during clashes in Ramadi, on May 7, 2006

The cumulative stress of repeat missions, combined with urban fighting with an enemy hidden among civilians, has left deep mental scars.

"Ten years removed, I see all kinds of indicators and warning signs," Carlisle said.

"Guys were doing crazy stuff but it made sense because everybody is having the same feelings and having the same thoughts. It was normal to us."

The VA doesn't track the overall number of Iraq veterans, but according to Brown University's Watson Institute, 2.7 million troops served in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2001 and 2014.

Despite drawdowns in both countries, there are still about 9,000 US troops in Iraq and some 14,000 in Afghanistan.

If history is a guide, the psychological toll on America's young veterans will only worsen.

American helicopters carry reinforcement troops to the battlefield of An Khe, south Vietnam, 25 September 1965

Since the end of the Vietnam War, where more than 58,000 Americans were killed, several times that number of veterans have taken their own lives.

Larry Shook, a Washington state native who was a machine gunner on a helicopter gunship in Vietnam from 1967-1968, said American leaders still have not learned the lessons from that war.

"The taboo against killing is the most deeply embedded behavioral taboo in the human psyche ... Training for combat changes your personality," said Shook, who writes frequently about veteran issues.

"You can't take that young man, pat him on the back, say thank you for your service, here are a few ribbons, you did a good job and return him to civilian life and expect him to have a normal happy functional human life. His brain is not capable of that."
Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman acknowledged in an interview with CBS News that Saudi society was dominated by particularly harsh strain of conservative Islam

Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday.

Mutual rival Iran will be high on the agenda, but the 32-year-old strongman prince will also be looking to showcase his sweeping changes to Saudi society and an increasingly assertive foreign policy that includes the war in Yemen and an ongoing diplomatic feud with Qatar.

The following are quotations from an interview he gave to CBS News on Sunday.

- The role of women -

Prince Mohammed has implemented some reforms on women's rights, loosening clothing restrictions, pushing for greater participation in the workforce, and, significantly, lifting a ban on women driving.

But guardianship laws, which require women to seek the permission of male relatives for a host of activities, remain in place.

"We have extremists who forbid mixing between the two sexes and are unable to differentiate between a man and a woman alone together and their being together in a work place. Many of those ideas contradict the way of life during the time of the Prophet," he said.

"We are all human beings and there is no difference."

- Roots of Saudi extremism -

The prince acknowledged Saudi society was dominated by particularly harsh strain of conservative Islam, which he traces back to 1979, the year of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the seizure by extremists of the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

"We were victims, especially my generation that suffered from this a great deal," he said.

"This is not the real Saudi Arabia. I would ask your viewers to use their smart phones to find out. And they can google Saudi Arabia in the 70s and 60s, and they will see the real Saudi Arabia easily in the pictures.

"We were living a very normal life like the rest of the Gulf countries. Women were driving cars. There were movie theaters in Saudi Arabia. Women worked everywhere. We were just normal people developing like any other country in the world until the events of 1979."

- The purge -

He defended at length his anti-corruption purge which saw many of the kingdom's princes and tycoons detained for several weeks inside Riyadh's luxurious Ritz-Carlton hotel -- widely seen as an attempt to cement his grip on power.

"What we did in Saudi Arabia was extremely necessary" and legal, he said.

He said he was able to recover more than "$100 billion" of ill-gotten wealth from the detainees, but added: "The idea is not to get money, but to punish the corrupt and send a clear signal that whoever engages in corrupt deals will face the law."

- His personal wealth -

The prince has been accused of hypocrisy over his opulent lifestyle at a time his government is preaching greater austerity of its citizens and has imposed new taxes.

He was recently revealed as the owner of a French chateau described as the world's most expensive home, according to a report in the New York Times.

But he insisted his wealth was a private matter. "As far as my private expenses, I'm a rich person and not a poor person. I'm not Gandhi or Mandela.

He added: "But what I do as a person is to spend part of my personal income on charity. I spend at least 51 percent on people and 49 on myself."

- Ascent to the throne -

As heir to the throne after his father King Salman dies, the young prince could be set to rule the kingdom for the next half century or more.

Asked what could stop him, he replied: "Only death."
18-year-old Nyakol is malnourished after being forced to flee with her mother from violence in South Sudan's civil war

Nyakol was 15, healthy and strong when South Sudanese soldiers attacked her hometown of Leer, forcing her to flee with her mother into the surrounding swamps.

Not for the first time, government troops tore through the northern rebel stronghold, killing, kidnapping and raping, so Nyakol was lucky to escape, but she contracted cerebral malaria while in hiding.

Treatment for the disease came too late, leaving her brain-damaged and unable to walk, talk or eat without help.

In the nearly three years since, Nyakol's mother, Nyaduol, has carried her to safety numerous times as fighting has continued.

Their most recent uprooting was just last month when they managed to cross the shifting front lines, arriving exhausted and hungry in rebel-held Touch Riak, less than 16 kilometres (10 miles) from Leer.

The constant upheaval of conflict, illness and starvation has left Nyakol severely malnourished: her weight is that of a two-year-old, her skin hanging loose on protruding bones.

- A war on civilians -

Nyakol and her mother rely on food aid and foraging in swamps

South Sudan's civil war began in late 2013 and has overwhelmingly affected civilians who are treated as prey by soldiers from all sides.

Rape, torture, murder and starvation have come to define the conflict, while efforts to bring peace have failed.

Leer has been the epicentre of this man-made crisis. The town was once home to rebel leader Riek Machar and dominated by his Nuer tribe, and so was a target for government forces.

The violent tug-of-war between government and rebel forces has scattered most of the population to places like Touch Riak, the village where Nyakol and her mother are staying, squatters at a tarpaulin hospital.

Leer is, for now, under government control and so off-limits to Nyakol.

"Touch Riak is still in the hands of the opposition and during the rainy season it becomes an island. That's why we feel safe here," said Nyaduol as she tended to her invalid daughter, lying prone on the makeshift clinic's dirt floor.

Leer is also largely abandoned by international aid agencies, who have not returned since the major government offensive of 2015, unwilling to take the risk of operating in the area after their compounds were serially looted and their staff threatened.

- Access blocked -

Instead, local South Sudanese charities are on the ground, while the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) drops sacks of food from the air.

"The situation is tense and it's difficult to move," said Gatkan David Jal of the Universal Intervention and Development Organisation, one of just two NGOs in Leer.

Movement is expensive too: a series of roadblocks manned by voracious soldiers mean that Jal, like other aid workers, must use a helicopter to cover even short distances.

Last year, famine was declared in Leer, triggering a massive airlift of emergency food that mitigated the worst of the starvation.

But hunger remains.

"We need to take food to where hunger and hungry people are before they are cut off due to the rainy season. With the start of the rains, the situation will become extremely dire," said the WFP's Adnan Khan.

The impending rains will make travel overland all but impossible, washing away the few seasonal roads.

"Access then becomes our biggest challenge and it's only possible by air," said James Mat Gai, programme director of Nile Hope, which runs the hospital where Nyakol is being treated.

- Nowhere to run -

Renewed fighting is also a predictable threat to the refuge of Touch Riak.

Makuil Puok, a 25-year-old patient lies on the floor, hunched in pain and breathing heavily. His lowered trousers reveal a gunshot wound in his buttock, sustained as he tried to make the journey to safety.

"I tried to cross the front line to get to Touch Riak, but a soldier shot me," he said. Gai's staff have cleaned and dressed the wound, but they were unable to extract the bullet.

Puok said if the war catches up with him again he will escape by canoe.

But for Nyakol and her mother, the running is over. "My daughter almost died when we crossed into Touch Riak. She is very weak. I hope we'll be even safer here when we're cut off by water," she said.

But safety without food is just a slower death sentence, so Nyaduol is taking every opportunity to forage in the swamps or seek her share of what little aid arrives.

"Before the rains start, we need to make sure to have enough food to survive," she said.
Lee's rare public battle against Samsung made headlines in a society where patriarchal values remain deeply ingrained

The ground for the wave of #MeToo accusations sweeping socially conservative South Korea was laid by a defiant saleswoman who took on the corporate might of Samsung, won a harassment case against her boss and changed career to become a lawyer.

Lee Eun-eui now focuses on helping victims of sex abuse herself.

The #MeToo movement against the abuse of women at first met a muted response in the country, where victims fear losing their jobs and public humiliation if they complain.

But a growing number of South Korean women have come forward to accuse powerful figures in fields from politics and the arts to education and religion.

Lee was a pioneer. An elite salesperson at Samsung Electro-Mechanics, a components unit of the giant conglomerate, she complained to management in 2005 about a boss who had repeatedly touched and verbally harassed her for years.

The supervisor was quietly moved to another firm with no formal investigation, but Lee was labelled an agitator who "backstabbed" her superior.

"I was given no work for more than a year... my employee evaluation scores dived," she said.

She was transferred to another department where the manager told her he did not like her or want to work with her, "so other colleagues also refused to talk to me" -- plunging her into depression.

Lee's options, it seemed, were to resign, or "just stay and quietly suffer the career setbacks", she said.

But the 44-year-old's soft-spoken manner belies her determination. "I did nothing wrong," she said. "So I decided to fight."

- 'Lonely fight' -

She filed a complaint of sexual harassment and workplace bullying at the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, following up with a lawsuit.

Samsung dominates the world's 11th-largest economy, with the group's total revenue equivalent to about a fifth of the nation's GDP and its lobbying power second to none -- so much so that South Korea is sometimes dubbed the "Republic of Samsung".

Women's rights groups accuse South Korean courts of treating sex offenders too leniently

Samsung denied both charges, but the commission ruled in Lee's favour and in 2010 a court awarded her 37.5 million won ($34,000) in damages.

Lee's rare public battle against the behemoth -- and even rarer legal victory -- made headlines in a society where patriarchal values remain deeply ingrained despite economic and technological advances.

South Korea is regularly at the bottom of rankings related to the gender pay gap or female representation in senior roles among the OECD club of advanced economies.

It was also named the worst place for working women among 29 advanced nations in this year's "Glass Ceiling Index" by the Economist.

During the lawsuit, Lee received many messages of support from female Samsung staff thanking her for driving management to respond better to complaints.

"This feeling that my lonely fight was bearing fruit somewhere out there gave me so much strength," she said.

After winning her case she quit Samsung, studied law and set up her own firm in 2014. Now about 70 percent of the cases she handles involve sexual harassment at work or school.

Lee's clients have included an actress who had nude images included in a film without her consent, and a sex worker who accused a K-pop star of raping her in a toilet.

"Many of my clients come to me knowing my past," she said.

- 'Male-dominated mindset' -

Prosecutor Seo Ji-hyeon appeared on television in January to talk about sexual harassment by a superior and the professional setbacks she suffered after reporting it.

Her interview opened a floodgate of similar revelations by women who accused figures ranging from politicians to writers to film directors, and brought down prominent men, including a would-be presidential candidate.

South Korean demonstrators hold banners during a rally to mark International Women's Day as part of the country's #MeToo movement in Seoul on March 8, 2018

While inquiries to Lee's firm have increased, she said, South Korea's fundamentals have yet to change.

Victims who spoke out against powerful figures have been widely praised for bravery, but Lee said: "We need to pay attention to victims around us rather than those you only see on TV."

"Samsung's response to my sexual harassment complaint was really bad," she added, "but I am afraid that the situation at other companies in the South is even worse.

"Many firms view these women who complain about sexual harassment as just tiring and annoying," she explained, "someone with issues, who is oversensitive, or simply too loud".

Women's rights groups also accuse South Korean courts of treating sex offenders too leniently.

Under South Korean law rape is defined by whether there was "violence or intimidation" rather than an absence of consent -- terms criticised by a UN convention earlier this month.

But Lee suggests the law may be less at fault than the prosecutors and judges who apply it.

Court rulings often, she said, "reflect the male-dominated mindset of our society".
Taiwan presidential calligrapher Yang Shu-wan was selected after applying for the position in 2016 when President Tsai Ing-wen came to power

Deep in the high-ceilinged corridors of Taiwan's presidential office, calligraphers craft messages on behalf of the island's leaders as they seek to keep the traditional art alive.

Both the president and vice president appoint a personal scribe who creates everything from small notes to large scrolls, delivering congratulations and condolences to residents.

Yang Shu-wan is President Tsai Ing-wen's calligrapher, selected after applying for the position in 2016 when Tsai came to power.

Her workshop is hung with large swathes of red or white sheets, freshly decorated with traditional Chinese ink strokes and drying over metal racks.

"The style of characters should mirror the personality and I want to show the frank and unpretentious side of the president," Yang, 59, told AFP.

She explained that she had met the president a number of times and spoken with her shortly after the leader took office, when she praised how beautifully Yang wrote her name.

Susan Huang, official calligrapher of Vice President Chen Chien-jen, says the art helps cultivate patience and persistence in children

"I also think she is personable and I want to show that other side of her through the calligraphy, using a script that is spirited and vivacious," Yang said.

Yang's brush set varies from thick to fine tips, enabling her to make bold or delicate marks on paper spread across a large wooden table, working with unwavering concentration.

Members of the public apply for the messages to mark birthdays from 80 and above, wedding anniversaries from 50 years as well as deaths of loved ones aged 70 or older.

Temples and schools also ask for the calligraphy tributes from the president, which are all sent out free of charge, to commemorate anniversaries and achievements.

More than 11,000 such messages were issued by the presidential office last year.

- Inner calm -

Like most Taiwanese students, Yang practised calligraphy when she was at school but did not take it up seriously until 20 years ago, when she was a stay-at-home mother.

Through practising rigorously for hours a day she began to win competitions and teach the art.

Yang Shu-wan sees calligraphy as one of Taiwan's most important cultural assets and teaches the art to students as young as five

Yang says one of her most memorable messages on behalf of the president, who is an animal lover, was a tribute to a golden retriever named Cherry that toured schools to promote animal protection before dying of an illness.

She describes how her work gives her inner calm and balance, and helps accumulate good karma.

"I write condolences for a person who passed away at 112 years old and congratulate a couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary," she told AFP.

"I have come to realise that there is no constant in life and we should cherish every moment."

Yang sees calligraphy as one of the island's most important cultural assets and teaches the art to students as young as five.

Her views are echoed by Susan Huang, official calligrapher of Vice President Chen Chien-jen, who says the art helps cultivate patience and persistence in children.

The retired maths teacher, now 72, met Chen at the Catholic church they both attend.

She says her characters are "balanced and calm" to reflect what she describes as Chen's gentle nature and that she writes them as if they were for her own family, seeing herself as a bridge between the government and the people.

"It gives me a great sense of accomplishment," she told AFP.

"I hope when people receive the messages I write, they will feel pleased or comforted."
Five people have died so far in the 24-hour blaze at the Waterfront Manila Pavilion hotel and casino complex

Five people have perished in a raging inferno that tore through a hotel and casino complex in Manila, authorities said Monday, after firefighters battled more than 24 hours to douse the flames.

Rescuers said billowing smoke, sometimes so dense it obscured the 22-floor Waterfront Manila Pavilion, had hampered their efforts to contain the blaze which started Sunday morning.

The dead were all casino employees, and another of the workers was still in critical condition. About 20 people were injured.

Firefighters said heavy plumes of smoke hampered their rescue efforts

Some 300 guests and staff were evacuated safely, hotel and fire officials told a press conference.

"We are hoping no one was left behind in the rooms. Our firefighters have not yet gone up all parts of the building," Metro Manila Development Authority acting chief Jojo Garcia said.

Some firefighters were treated after inhaling the dense smoke, which shrouded the chaotic scene on Sunday.

"The smoke was so big, so you can just imagine, there was zero visibility and our firefighters had difficulty breathing. Even outside the building there was zero visibility and it was much harder to operate inside," Manila district fire marshal Jonas Silvano told radio DZBB.

Deadly blazes break out regularly in the Philippines where corruption in endemic and safety standards often ignored

Deadly blazes break out regularly in the Philippines, particularly in slum areas where there are virtually no safety standards.

The deadliest in recent years was in suburban Manila where 72 people died in 2015 at a factory which makes rubber sandals.

But more modern buildings have also gone up in huge, deadly blazes.

In December, 38 people died in a fire at a four-storey shopping mall in the southern city of Davao.
Aung San Suu Kyi receives an official welcome during her visit to Parliament House in Canberra

Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday pulled out of a public speech and question-and-answer session in Sydney because she was "not feeling well", the event's organisers said.

Suu Kyi has been under fire internationally for her public silence about a military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state that has seen nearly 700,000 of the Muslim Rohingya minority flee to Bangladesh.

Suu Kyi, who attended an special ASEAN-Australia summit on Friday-Sunday, was in Canberra for talks with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull Monday. She had been due to make a keynote speech at the Lowy Institute think-tank in Sydney Tuesday.

The speech and subsequent Q and A session would have been the only public comments the Nobel Prize winner would have made during her Australia trip.

"This afternoon the Lowy Institute was informed by the Myanmar embassy that the State Counsellor will no longer be able to participate in this event as she is not feeling well," a spokeswoman for the think-tank said in a statement.

"Accordingly, the event is now cancelled."

The Rohingya humanitarian crisis was one of the key topics at the special summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia, with other leaders quizzing her about the issue during a gathering Sunday, Turnbull said.

Malaysia's leader Najib Razak had warned Saturday that the issue could threaten regional security since those victimised could fall prey to extremist groups like the Islamic State.

The exodus has sparked rare tension within the regional body, and Muslim-majority Malaysia has called for an independent ASEAN-led investigation into allegations of army abuse.

Suu Kyi was the subject of public protests against human rights abuses during the summit, with demonstrators criticising her as well as Cambodian strongman Hun Sen and Vietnam's Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
Separatists in New Caledonia have campaigned for decades to be independent of France

Lawmakers on the tiny French overseas territory of New Caledonia voted on Monday to hold an independence referendum on November 4, the culmination of decades of campaigning by separatists to break from their old colonial master.

Better known for its stunning lagoons, pristine Pacific beaches and diverse wildlife, New Caledonia has seen years of bitter political feuding between independence advocates and those who are determined to remain part of France.

Unrest shook the islands in the mid-1980s with as many as seventy people thought to have been killed.

An agreement was signed between France and New Caledonia in 1998 that promised greater autonomy for the archipelago and its indigenous Melanesian Kanak population.

Under the terms of that deal an independence referendum needed to be held by the end of 2018.

On Monday, the island's legislature finally approved a referendum date -- Sunday, November 4 -- at a public meeting in the capital Noumea, according to an AFP journalist present, with 38 votes in favour and 14 opposed.

New Caledonia currently holds a unique position as an overseas possession that formulates its own tax, labour laws and trade policy but not defence or foreign policy.

But many of the archipelago's inhabitants, particularly within the indigenous Kanak community, want full independence.

The territory boasts a quarter of the world's known resources of nickel, a core component in the manufacture of stainless steel, rechargeable batteries and coins.

But wealth is not evenly spread and backers of independence want major economic reform.
An image grab from February 9, 2018 shows Egypt military spokesman Colonel Tamer al-Rifai announcing the launch of a major operation against an Islamic State group affiliate in the Nile Delta and Sinai Peninsula

Egypt's military said Monday that 36 jihadists, an officer and three soldiers were killed over five days during a sweeping operation against Islamic State group militants in the Sinai.

The army launched the campaign on February 9 after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is standing in elections this month for a second term, gave it a three-month deadline to crush IS in the Sinai.

Security forces "eliminated 30 armed takfiri elements during a shootout with raiding forces" in the northern and central Sinai Peninsula, the military said in a statement.

A police shootout also left six "takfiri elements" dead and destroyed "an extremely dangerous terrorist cell," it added.

Over the past five days, soldiers also arrested 345 people "including a number of extremely dangerous takfiri elements and fugitives," it said.

An officer and three soldiers were killed in the fighting, while three officers and five soldiers were injured, it said.

Sisi issued his ultimatum in November after suspected IS gunmen massacred more than 300 worshippers at a Sinai mosque associated with Sufi Muslim mystics.

Security forces have sought to quell attacks by an Egyptian jihadist group that later declared allegiance to IS since the military ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, following mass protests against him.

The group has killed hundreds of soldiers, policemen and civilians, mainly in its North Sinai stronghold but also elsewhere in Egypt.

The jihadists have also killed scores of Christians in church bombings and shootings.

IS claimed the 2015 bombing of a Russian airliner carrying tourists from the South Sinai resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, which killed all 224 people on board.
Turkish-backed Syrian fighters loot shops after seizing control of the northwestern Syrian city of Afrin from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) on March 18, 2018

Syria opposition leaders and Kurdish officials on Monday condemned reported looting by Turkish-led forces who seized the Kurdish-majority city of Afrin the previous day.

Turkish forces and their Syrian proxies made a lightning advance into the city after Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia appeared to have retreated.

AFP reporters in Afrin and a war monitor said Turkish-backed Syrian forces went on a rampage after taking the city, pillaging shops and homes.

A rebel leader early Monday condemned their behaviour.

"The looting and stealing of private and public property is a crime," said Mohamed Alloush, a key figure in the Jaish al-Islam rebel group.

"All those who took part in this decadence need to have their hands slapped hard," he said on Twitter, calling for them to face trial and for victims to receive compensation.

A fighter tows a looted vehicle after Turkish-led forces seized control of the northwestern Syrian city of Afrin from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) on March 18, 2018

The fighters broke into shops, restaurants and houses and left with foodstuff, electronic equipment, blankets and other goods, the AFP reporters said.

They placed the loot in cars and small trucks and drove them out of the city, they added.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor also reported looting, saying Turkey's Syrian allies "have begun pillaging private property, political and military sites and shops".

The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on sources across Syria for its information, has reported looting in several villages since pro-Ankara forces on January 20 launched an assault on the wider Kurdish enclave of Afrin.

Khaled Khoja, a former head of the National Coalition leading opposition body, said: "We were unsettled by the news of some looting from the homes of our people in Afrin."

He said the goal of the Turkish-led operation was "to liberate our Kurdish and Arab brothers from the authoritarianism of the YPG and serve them by establishing a civilian administration worthy of the Syrian revolution."

Turkish-backed Syrian fighters in the city of Afrin remove a rope from a statue of "Kawa", a blacksmith who is a central figure in a Kurdish legend about the new year celebration of Nowruz, after destroying it on March 18, 2018

There is no place for "highway robbers" among opposition fighters, he said.

Kurdish leader Abdel Basset Sida, who resigned from the National Coalition after the start of the Turkish assault, also condemned the damage wreaked on Afrin city.

"The destruction of the Kawa Haddad statue... and the looting of shops and homes is morally deplorable," he said, referring to a monument to Kurdish hero Kawa Haddad, torn from its mantle on Sunday.

The loss of Afrin comes as Kurds prepare to mark the spring festival of Nowruz on Wednesday.

The National Kurdish Council, part of a key opposition negotiating committee, condemned "actions insulting to the Kurds" including the destruction of the statue.
Hundreds of jihadists soon to be released from prison represent a new security threat for Europe

Already wrestling with a constantly-evolving terror threat, European intelligence agencies spy a new problem on the horizon: hundreds of jihadists due to be released from prison.

Battling to stop further attacks like those seen everywhere from London to Paris, Brussels to Barcelona, freshly-released prisoners will add to agencies' surveillance burden.

Although many may go on to lead peaceful lives after prison, some may not -- and officials admit they have so far given insufficient attention to working out the scale of the threat.

They are already working to keep track of jihadists returning from the battlefield in Iraq and Syria, and homegrown radicals who investigators fear could launch an attack at any moment.

In France alone, some 500 jihadists handed heavy jail sentences at the beginning of the 2000s are set to be released before 2020 after serving their time, an anti-terror official told AFP.

"They represent a potential threat, a worrying threat that we are taking very seriously," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Some 1,500 other French prisoners are suspected to have been radicalised behind bars, not least thanks to contact with these hardened extremists.

One of the most infamous examples of authorities losing track of a released jihadist is that of Cherif Kouachi, who along with his brother massacred staff at Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris in 2015.

Imprisoned from 2005-2006 awaiting trial for his role in a recruitment network that sent jihadists to Iraq, he was convicted in 2008 but walked free as he had already served his time.

Kouchai was placed under surveillance and his phone was tapped for several years, but he and his brother Said threw investigators off the scent by using their friends' phones.

Before they attacked Charlie Hebdo in 2015, killing 12 in a hail of Kalashnikov bullets, they had slipped off the radar simply by moving house.

- Prison, a 'school for jihad' -

Anti-terror officials agree that the same mistakes must not be made again.

The cover of an edition of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo marking the first anniversary of the terror attack on the magazine's offices in Paris in January 2015

"We have to have the same attitude towards those leaving prison as we do towards those coming back from Syria," said Yves Trotignon, a former anti-terror analyst at French foreign intelligence agency DGSE.

"For these 500 guys that are going to be coming out, we have no means of evaluating the operational danger they represent," said Trotignon.

"The only solution is to immediately start following their networks. Who is meeting who? Who is telephoning who? In this way you can start to map out their contacts."

He added: "We often say that prison is a school for crime, but it's also a school for jihad.

"It's the place where those on the fringes get radicalised, where they learn things from those detained earlier."

Britain has some 200 people in prison on terrorism offences as of December, according to interior ministry figures, a number that has been steadily rising in recent years.

And Belgium is wrestling with a similar problem.

Islamic expert Alain Grignard of Liege University said up to 200 people had been sentenced on terror charges before and after the 2016 Brussels attacks, and at some point they will walk free.

"Rarely do people come out of prison better than when they went in," he warned.

"Even more so for someone who is idealistic who, as well as a criminal past, has this dimension of a fight against injustice in which Muslims are the victims," he added.

"They can come out even more motivated than before."

- Continuity in intelligence work -

Dutch lawyer Andre Seebregts, who has defended several suspected jihadists recently released from jail, said none of his clients had been offered any formal rehabilitation.

Ankle bracelets can be used to track suspected jihadists after they are released from jail

Such convicts are often tracked with GPS ankle bracelets and given contact with a government-provided imam and parole officer.

But "the danger of re-radicalisation is still there," he told AFP.

Extremists may be carefully surveilled before their arrest but then go on to inhabit what one French penitentiary official called an "intelligence blind spot" once behind bars.

"After the attacks of 2015 and 2016, this is no longer acceptable," the official said.

French authorities last year gave the prison intelligence agency BCRP boosted powers, and they are increasingly using surveillance techniques previously reserved for police.

Across Europe, the goal is now to try to maintain as much continuity as possible when it comes to tracking jihadists in prison and afterwards.

But a senior French anti-terror official pointed out that permanent surveillance of all radicalised prisoners is out of the question.

"Tailing a suspect 24/7 takes 20 or 30 cops," he said. "You do the math."

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Ex-Politburo member Dinh La Thang faces up to 20 years in jail, and is accused along with five others in the trial expected to last 10 days

A former politburo member went on trial in Vietnam Monday in his second corruption case this year, as the communist state continues its public crackdown on powerful figures in politics and business accused of graft.

Dinh La Thang, who was also the former head of state-run oil giant PetroVietnam (PVN), is already serving a 13-year jail term for a previous conviction for corruption.

The new trial sees him accused of approving a $35 million investment of state funds in Ocean Bank in 2008 without the authorisation of PVN's board or the Prime Minister.

Prosecutors allege that "violated state regulations on economic management" causing heavy losses, according to Vietnam Law online, the Ministry of Justice's official mouthpiece.

He faces up to 20 years in jail, and is accused along with five others in the trial expected to last 10 days.

Thang is the most-high profile official to be charged in a corruption crackdown waged by a conservative leadership that assumed power since 2016.

Dozens of bankers, businessmen and politicians have already been convicted as part of the government's anti-graft campaign that observers say is unprecedented in its scope and scale.

Ocean Bank nearly folded after a massive fraud case involving dozens of bankers and businessmen who were tried last year.

Among them was businessman Trinh Xuan Thanh, the head of PVN's construction subsidiary, who was sentenced to life for embezzlement.

His case grabbed the global headlines when Thanh was allegedly abducted by Vietnamese security agents in a Berlin park last year.

Hanoi insists Thanh returned to Vietnam voluntarily, but Berlin slammed the alleged kidnapping as a "scandalous violation" of its sovereignty and expelled two diplomats.

The very public corruption crackdown has gripped a Communist country where the affairs of the powerful are normally kept secret.
French national Romain Franck (R), a worker at the French consulate, and Palestinians Moufak al-Ajluni (L) and Mohamed Katout (C) appear in court the southern Israeli city of Beersheba on March 19, 2018, to face charges of smuggling guns from Gaza

A French consulate worker was charged in an Israeli court Monday with arms smuggling following his arrest on accusations he used an official car to transport dozens of guns from the Gaza Strip to the occupied West Bank.

Israeli officials were quick to note that the worker from France's Jerusalem consulate acted on his own without his superiors' knowledge and that diplomatic relations between the two countries were not affected.

But the delicate case comes ahead of a planned visit next week to Israel and the Palestinian territories by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and French diplomats are sure to face questions over it.

The arrested French citizen and several Palestinian suspects are accused of belonging to a gun-running network that eventually sold the weapons to arms dealers, Israel's Shin Bet domestic security agency said in a statement.

It alleged that Romain Franck had taken advantage of reduced security checks for consular vehicles to transport the weapons out of the Palestinian enclave.

The Shin Bet said he was motivated by money, with the indictment alleging he was paid a total of around $5,500.

"The consulate employee smuggled the arms on a number of occasions in recent months while using the French consulate's consular car, which underwent a more lax security inspection at the border crossing, as is the case with this type of car," the statement said.

"The consulate employee transferred arms on five occasions, during which he transferred some 70 pistols and two automatic rifles."

A total of nine suspects have been arrested and six were charged in court in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba on Monday, including Franck.

Officials provided varying ages for Franck as either 23 or 24. He was arrested on February 15, but the case was previously kept under a gag order as the investigation continued.

- 'Very seriously' -

Franck spoke through an interpreter to confirm his identity during the brief court appearance, where his remand was extended until March 28. Two French diplomats were at the court to monitor the proceedings.

Those arrested also include a resident of east Jerusalem who worked as a security guard at the French consulate, the Shin Bet said.

The statement said the French consulate employee received the guns from a Palestinian in Gaza who worked at the French cultural centre in the strip.

He then smuggled them into the West Bank to another person who eventually sold them on to arms dealers, it said.

Gaza, run by Islamist group Hamas, has been under an Israeli blockade for over a decade but weapons have been smuggled in through tunnels from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

French national Romain Franck, a worker at the French consulate, appears in court in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba on March 19, 2018, to face charges of smuggling guns from Gaza

News of the arrest emerged on Sunday, but the details had still been unclear.

A spokesman for France's embassy in Israel said Sunday "we take this case very seriously and are in close contact with the Israeli authorities".

Franck "has benefited and continues to enjoy the consular protection" provided to French nationals, he said.

A French diplomatic source said Monday that Franck had been screened by security before he was hired and no issues were detected.

According to the source, Franck "did not deny the facts" after his arrest.

A Facebook page in his name did not show any overt signs of political engagement and features pictures of his travels in the region.

The Shin Bet called the incident "very severe."

"The immunity and privileges given to foreign representatives were cynically abused to smuggle dozens of weapons that could be used for terror attacks against Israeli civilians and security forces," it said.

"The investigation was conducted in cooperation with the Israeli foreign ministry while constantly updating the French authorities."

- Ties 'won't be affected' -

An Israeli official said on condition of anonymity that while authorities were taking the case "very seriously," diplomatic relations were not affected.

"Relations with France are excellent and won't be affected by this affair," the official said.

Vehicles in the Gaza Strip move towards the Israeli-controlled Erez crossing on November 1, 2017

"We thank the French authorities for their cooperation."

Those entering and exiting the Gaza Strip through the Erez crossing with Israel undergo strict security checks by Israeli authorities, but these measures are eased for diplomatic visitors.

The Palestinian enclave, home to some two million people, is sealed off from Israel by a wall and fencing.

Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008.

Israeli authorities carry out regular operations to seize weapons in the West Bank, which has been under Israeli occupation since 1967.

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Syrian fighters from the Kurdish Women's Protection Units (YPJ) and People's Protection Units (YPG) attend the March 3, 2018 funeral in Qamishli of members killed fighting the Islamic State group in Deir Ezzor

A British woman fighting alongside Kurdish forces in the Syrian region of Afrin was killed in the Turkish-led offensive on the area, a spokeswoman for the forces said Monday.

Anna Campbell was killed last week in the Afrin enclave, said Nisrin Abdallah, a spokeswoman for the Kurdish Women's Protection Units (YPJ).

"She died on March 15, 2018 in Turkish shelling" on front lines around Afrin city, Abdallah told AFP, adding that Campbell was 27 at the time of her death.

She is thought to be the first British woman killed fighting alongside the Kurdish militia in Syria.

"We learned of her death yesterday and communicated with her parents," Abdallah said, confirming that Campbell was from Lewes in East Sussex.

Ankara and allied Syrian rebels began their assault on the Afrin region on January 20, seizing most of the canton before capturing its urban centre on Sunday.

They swept into the city after the fighters from the YPJ and its male counterpart, the People's Protection Units (YPG), appeared to withdraw.

A picture released by the Women's Protection Units (YPJ) on March 19, 2018, shows British YPJ fighter Anna Campbell posing at an undisclosed location

Abdallah said Campbell joined the YPJ in May 2017.

"After the attack on Afrin, she insisted on being sent there," Abdallah said.

"We discussed with her a lot, but she gave us an ultimatum: either I quit the revolution or I go to Afrin," she added.

Hundreds of foreign fighters have joined the YPG and YPJ in Syria, with many saying they wanted to back a "revolution" for participatory democracy and women's rights.

Most have fought alongside the Kurdish militia in its battle against the Islamic State jihadist group.

- 'Shocking' Turkish attacks -

Later on Monday, the YPJ published footage of Campbell, apparently filmed after she had completed a training course with militia but before she was deployed to Afrin.

In it, the woman appears in military fatigues with a red handkerchief wrapped around her hair, which she seemed to have dyed black.

"I joined because I wanted to support the revolution," Campbell tells the camera, saying she had previously fought IS in Syria's eastern Deir Ezzor province.

"Now I'm very happy and proud to be able to go to Afrin and be able to do this. The attacks of the Turkish state against the revolution, against the Kurdish people, and the people of Kurdistan are very shocking and heavy," she says.

Her father, Dirk Campbell, told the BBC that Anna had dyed her hair black to blend in.

"With fair hair and blue eyes they knew she would stand out, but she dyed her hair black and persuaded them to let her go," he said.

When he heard his daughter was in an area being bombed by Turkey, Dirk emailed his MP Maria Caulfield, asking her to put pressure on Ankara to halt shelling.

Several Britons have died in fighting alongside the Kurdish forces, including British fighter Jac Holmes, from Bournemouth in southern England.

He was killed in IS's de facto capital Raqa in October, just days after Kurdish-led forces ousted the jihadists from the city.

At least two other foreign fighters have been killed in the Afrin assault, according to the YPG.

French national Olivier Francois Jean Le Clainche, 41, and Spanish national Samuel Prada Leon, 25, were killed fighting in the Afrin enclave in February.
Facebook has suspended the account of Cambridge Analytica and said it is "moving aggressively" to determine whether or not any misused user data was still being held

The EU said reports that a firm hired by the Trump election campaign harvested the Facebook data of millions of users is "horrifying" and Europe must do everything to protect its own citizens.

EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova said she would seek clarification from Facebook about the reports by the New York Times and The Observer when she visits the United States this week.

Cambridge Analytica, the data analysis firm hired by Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, stole information from 50 million Facebook users' profiles to help design software to predict and influence voters' choices, according to the news reports.

"Horrifying, if confirmed," Jourova, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, tweeted before travelling to the United States on Monday.

Her shock was over how the personal data of 50 million Facebook users "could be so easily mishandled and used for political purpose!," Jourova said.

"We don't want this in the EU and will take all possible legal measures including the stricter data protection rules and stronger enforcement granted by #GDPR," she said.

The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into force on May 25 in a bid to protect users' online privacy.

"I expect the companies to take more responsibility when handling our personal data," she said.

Jourova said during her US visit she will seek "further clarifications" from Facebook on the problem.

During her nearly four years as commissioner, Jourova has held frequent talks with Facebook and other US tech giants in a bid to bolster Europeans personal data protections and rid the internet of hate speech.

Facebook said at the weekend it has suspended the account of Cambridge Analytica and the accounts of its parent organisation, Strategic Communication Laboratories, as well as those of University of Cambridge psychologist Aleksandr Kogan and Christopher Wylie, a Canadian data analytics expert who worked with Kogan.

Cambridge Analytica was bankrolled to the tune of $15 million by US hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer, a major Republican donor.

The Observer, based in Britain, said it was headed at the time by Steve Bannon, a top Trump adviser until he was fired last summer.

Facebook later pushed back against the claim of a data breach, issuing a fresh statement on Saturday that suggested the misused data was limited to those who voluntarily took the test.

Cambridge Analytica said it was in touch with Facebook to resolve the issue.
LIMA,PERU.FEBRERO 28. Presidenta del Consejo de Ministros, Mercedes Araoz, encabeza la inauguracion del 7mo Gore-Ejecutivo. Foto: Andina/Luis Iparraguirre
Police officers talk to commuters after two men were injured Sunday in the fourth bombing in the Texas state capital Austin this month

A package exploded early Tuesday at a FedEx distribution facility in Texas, authorities said, following a series of other blasts in Austin in recent weeks that police had attributed to a serial bomber.

The parcel exploded at a facility in the town of Schertz, in the San Antonio area.

In a statement on social media, the Schertz Police Department said one person received medical attention at the scene.

"We can confirm that a single package exploded while in a FedEx Ground sortation facility early this morning," the shipping company said.

"One team member is being treated for minor injuries. We are working closely with law enforcement in their investigation."

The Washington Post, quoting the FBI, reported that the package had been bound for Austin, the state capital -- scene of previous deadly blasts.

The explosion came as hundreds of police officers and FBI agents searched for the perpetrator of Sunday's blast in Austin -- the fourth this month -- left two young men seriously injured and the city on edge.

Police said that blast was connected to three previous bombings in Austin. They said bomber used a tripwire in Sunday's attack.

"We're clearly dealing with what we expect to be a serial bomber at this point," Austin police chief Brian Manley told reporters.

But Manley said police have been unable to determine a motive for the bombings.

The four blasts in Austin killed two people in the city of nearly one million people and injured another four.

"Is this terrorism? Is it hate-related?" Manley asked. "As we said from the very beginning, we were not willing to classify this as terrorism, as hate, because we just don't know enough."

In the earlier bombings, two African American men were killed by packages left on their doorsteps, raising speculation of a racially motivated crime. A 75-year-old Hispanic woman was also injured in a blast.

But Manley said Sunday's bombing also seriously wounded two white men aged 22 and 23 as they walked in a quiet residential neighborhood.

He said it appeared random and was triggered by a tripwire.

Manley said the use of a tripwire also means police are dealing with someone who "shows a higher level of sophistication, a higher level of skill" than initially believed.

Manley appealed to the bomber to contact the authorities and to the public to report anything suspicious.

"I will reach out to the suspect or suspects and ask that you contact us, ask that you reach out to us, communicate with us so that we can put this to an end," Manley said.

"There are innocent people getting hurt in this community and it needs to come to a stop."

The authorities said they were increasing the reward offered for information leading to an arrest, bringing the total city and state bounty money to $115,000.

An exploding package killed 39-year-old Anthony House on March 2. A 17-year-old African American, Draylen Mason, was killed on March 12 and the Hispanic woman was critically injured the same day.

All of the cardboard packages were hand-delivered and the bombs were built with household items available at hardware stores.

Police seal off the neighborhood in Austin, Texas, where a bomb injured two young men

A task force of hundreds of law enforcement personnel are working the case, including criminal profilers and experts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).
Turkish-backed Syrian rebels remove a rope from the statue of Kurdish hero Kawa after destroying it in the city of Afrin in northern Syria on March 18, 2018

Turkey vowed Monday to expand its operation in northern Syria to other Kurdish-held areas after its troops and allied forces seized control of the city of Afrin in a major blow to the Kurds.

A day after Turkish-led forces entered the city virtually unopposed, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the fight would now be taken to other Kurdish areas of northern Syria.

"We will continue this process until we entirely eliminate this corridor, including in Manbij, Ayn al-Arab, Tal Abyad, Ras al-Ayn and Qamishli," said the Turkish leader, in a characteristically bullish mood.

Syria's civil war entered its eighth year this week with heavy fighting on two fronts -- around Afrin and in the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, where an air strike on a school killed 15 children.

In Afrin, the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) could do little when Syrian Arab fighters backed by NATO's second-largest army thrust into the city.

Thousands fled as the rebels, mostly fighters opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, celebrated their victory by destroying the statue of Kurdish hero Kawa.

They looted shops and homes, with an AFP reporter saying fighters manning checkpoints on Monday were still joking about their spoils.

Syria's civil war

The rebels' command on Monday announced it had arrested several people involved in the looting, and was setting up checkpoints around the city to locate any stolen goods.

Ankara also vowed to investigate.

- Damascus slams Afrin takeover -

According to the United Nations, some 98,000 people were displaced by fighting in Afrin. The International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday called for access to those displaced to provide lifesaving aid.

The exodus sparked concern from the US, with State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert saying on Monday most of the city's residents had fled.

"We are also concerned over reports of looting inside the city of Afrin. We have repeatedly expressed our serious concern to Turkish officials regarding the situation in Afrin," she said.

Turkey's takeover of Afrin also prompted outrage from Syria's foreign ministry on Monday, which slammed it as "illegitimate."

Turkish-backed Syrian rebels gather in the city of Afrin in northern Syria on March 18, 2018

"Syria condemns the Turkish occupation of Afrin and the crimes it is committing there, and demands the invading forces immediately withdraw from the Syrian territory they occupied," the ministry said.

Pro-government militiamen joined the fight to defend Afrin, but Turkish bombing raids killed dozens of them.

Ankara launched its operation on January 20, saying it was aiming to secure the country's north to allow the three million Syrian refugees on Turkish soil to return.

But it is also ferociously opposed to the YPG and wants to block the Kurdish militia from consolidating a statelet along Turkey's southern border.

For weeks, Erdogan shrugged off calls from world powers to de-escalate, and the capture of Afrin marks a major success for him.

"Afrin is one of the most strategic areas of northwest Syria. It is a piece of real estate that anchors Turkey's presence for many years to come," said Nicholas Heras at the Center for a New American Security.

- Air strike hits school -

Bitterness is running high among the Kurds, who feel betrayed by the international community for sacrifices they made when battling the Islamic State jihadist group in Syria.

"What is happening in Afrin is ethnic cleansing and the great powers are spectators," said Khaled Issa, a representative of Syrian Kurdish authorities in Paris.

More than 1,500 Kurdish fighters had been killed in the two-month assault, according to a war monitor, including several foreign fighters.

On Monday, the Women's Protection Units (YPJ), the YPG's all-female branch, announced that British member Anna Campbell was killed last week fighting in Afrin.

A handout picture released by the official Facebook page of the Syrian Presidency on March 18, 2018, shows Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (C) shaking hands with government troops in Eastern Ghouta during a rare visit to the former rebel enclave

The YPG has vowed to fight back to reclaim the city, but their chances look slim.

Syria's conflict erupted seven years ago this month with peaceful protests, but a crackdown by Assad paved the way for a complex war that has since killed more than 350,000.

After initially losing swathes of the country, Assad has regained the upper hand with the help of his main backer Russian President Vladimir Putin, who secured a fourth term in Sunday's election.

Syrian troops are now looking to capture Eastern Ghouta outside Damascus with a Russian-backed offensive on the rebel enclave, which they heavily bombed on Monday.

One air strike hit a school in the town of Arbin where civilians were taking shelter, killing 15 children and two women, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Britain-based monitor said the bombing raid was likely Russian. Moscow has denied targeting civilians in Ghouta but says it is backing Assad's troops.

The dead were among 39 civilians killed Monday across Ghouta, bringing the month-old onslaught's toll to over 1,450 civilians, according to the Observatory.

Some of the strikes hit Ghouta's largest town of Douma, which had seen a week-long lull in shelling after talks between rebels and Russia.
Many African countries have seen their fortunes rise and fall with the prices of exported commodities such as oil, cocoa and gold

Africa's leaders will gather in Rwanda Wednesday to launch what they say will be the world's largest free trade area but Nigeria has already pulled out, highlighting the challenge in getting the continent to sign up.

Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) with 55 African Union (AU) members having a cumulative GDP of $2.5 trillion is one of the bloc's flagship projects.

However Muhammadu Buhari, president of one of Africa's largest markets Nigeria, this week cancelled plans to attend the Kigali launch and called for more consultations after business leaders objected to joining the world's biggest free trade area in terms of countries.

"The signature of the CFTA is something that makes Africa look good on paper, but for implementation it's going to have a lot of hiccups," said Sola Afolabi, a Nigeria-based international trade consultant.

Some 27 heads of state are expected to attend the Kigali meeting, but it is unclear who will sign on to the CFTA right away.

- Trade between neighbours -

AU trade and industry commissioner Albert M. Muchanga said Africa's fledgling industries and growing middle class would benefit from the CFTA's removal of tariffs.

Currently, African countries only do about 16 percent of their business with each other.

"If we remove customs and duties by 2022, the level of intra-African trade will increase by 60 percent, which is very, very significant," Muchanga told AFP.

"Eventually, we are hoping that all the African Union states will be parties to the Continental Free Trade Area," he added.

Experts say countries with ports serving landlocked nations may not sign up, fearing a loss in revenue

With underdeveloped service and industrial sectors across the continent, African countries have for decades seen their fortunes rise and fall with the prices of exported commodities such as oil, cocoa and gold.

In recent years, nations like Ethiopia and Ghana have tried to wean themselves from this cycle by building factories and new infrastructure for local industries, spurring rapid growth.

Landry Signe, a development expert with Stanford University in the United States, said the agreement could help these industries, while giving African countries a unified platform to negotiate trade deals with wealthier nations.

"With the CFTA, the manufacturing sector would be much more diversified, as the market would not be a few million people, but potentially 1.2 billion people," he said.

South Africa, a vocal backer of the trade deal, has argued that African economies are too small to support economic diversification and industrialisation on their own.

Regional integration "is critical to reduce the vulnerability of African economies to global shocks, a vulnerability which results from their heavy reliance on commodities," South Africa's Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies wrote in an editorial last week.

However in Nigeria, the plans have not gone down well with unions and business leaders.

"We have no doubt this policy initiative will spell the death knell of the Nigerian economy," said the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

- Easing trade and travel -

The CFTA is a key part of the AU's long-term development plan Agenda 2063, which calls for easing trade and travel across the continent.

At its most recent summit in Ethiopia in January, AU member states agreed to a common air transport market that could drive down air fares, as well as plans for visa-free travel for Africans across the continent.

Which countries will adopt these agreements remains unclear, as do the prospects for the CFTA, which requires 22 ratifications at a national level after its signing to come into force.

Afolabi said countries with more developed industries would embrace the CFTA because it could open more markets, but nations whose ports served landlocked neighbours could opt out, fearing a loss of revenue.

He worked on setting up the Economic Community of West African States's (ECOWAS) common market, which he has subsequently criticised for failing to punish countries that violated its terms.

AU members recently agreed to a common air transport market that could push down fares

"The regional trade agreements are not working and those are supposed to be the legs for the continental" version, Afolabi said.

"If there is no reward for compliance and there is no punishment for non-compliance, then it is going to be a very nice agreement without any teeth or any legs," he said.
A Syrian man looks at the mangled remains of a car that was reportedly struck by mortar shrapnel from rebel bombardment in Jaramana, southeast of the Syrian capital Damascus.

In the eastern Damascus suburb of Jaramana, a group of somber young Syrians lights candles under a massive portrait of two smiling men: brothers killed in rebel shelling on the capital.

The district has been pounded by anti-government fighters entrenched in Eastern Ghouta, long the opposition's main enclave on the capital's outskirts but now facing a ferocious government assault.

Since it began a month ago, the offensive has killed more than 1,400 civilians in Ghouta, according to a war monitor.

Rebels have lobbed rockets, mortar rounds, and shells onto Damascus in retaliation, killing around 50 civilians.

Their lives upended by opposition fire, Damascus residents are hoping the regime's push into Ghouta will bring an end to this "nightmare".

Rawad Shehadeh, 28, jumps over the crater punched into the pavement by the same shelling that killed his friends Karim and Nayef Kabbani, whose portraits now hang outside a building in Jaramana.

"All the walls are now covered with pictures of martyrs. Each time a new one goes up, I'm afraid of looking at it, afraid of seeing a familiar face," Shehadeh tells AFP.

Jaramana has been particularly hard hit.

"I go to sleep worried and never knowing if I will wake up alive or if I will be dead," says Shehadeh, who works in a gym.

- 'Crazy war' -

Cranking up the music in her east Damascus apartment, Roa Maaruf tries desperately to drown out the sounds of clashes raging just a few hundred metres away in Ghouta.

The 30-year-old humanitarian worker says she has even stopped reading news in an effort to ignore the war, but admits her efforts are in vain.

"Booms of explosions all day and night, taxi drivers listening to news on the radio, people on the street talking about shelling, and ambulances rushing wounded to hospitals round-the-clock," she says.

"I try to escape the war and its effects, but we're living it. It follows me wherever I go."

Kanana, a 34-year-old mother, on the other hand, reads every word about the Ghouta assault, waiting impatiently for the capital to be secured.

A file picture taken on February 21, 2018 shows a Syrian man walking past a pool of blood in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana after shelling from rebel-held areas

"I hope that this crazy war will end before my (three-year-old) son Mayyar grows older," she says.

"I don't want him go through what I did. If he asks me why all this happened, I won't have any answers to give him," she says.

Kanana says she has become an expert on recognising the sounds of rockets slamming nearby from those of incoming artillery fire.

"Sometimes I imagine they're competing against each other, like in a race. I hope the army will win and end the indiscriminate shelling," she says.

- Counting the shells -

A handout picture released by the official Facebook page of the Syrian Presidency on March 18, 2018, shows Syrian President Bashar al-Assad posing for a picture with government troops in Eastern Ghouta

Syria's army has recaptured more than 80 percent of the former opposition bastion in Ghouta.

On Sunday, President Bashar al-Assad paid a rare visit to the battered enclave to congratulate his troops.

"The inhabitants of Damascus are more than grateful and they will maybe tell their children in the coming decades how you saved the capital," Assad told soldiers in a video released by his office.

Damascus has been spared much of the devastation of Syria's seven-year war, but rebel fire and car bomb attacks claimed by jihadists have rattled the population and scarred some neighbourhoods.

The Old City's Christian quarters of Bab Touma and Bab Sharqi were once lively by day and night, with trendy restaurants and cafes operating from old restored houses.

Now, the streets are empty. Eateries and bars have had to cancel events, with customers too afraid to venture out in fear of shelling.

Cafe owner Melhem Melhem counts off the number of shells that have crashed near his establishment in recent years: 25.

"Bab Sharqi has gone from being a lively nighttime spot to a place where we now go to bed early," he tells AFP.

His cafe is empty, with staff gathering just to watch the nightly news.

Looking through the window of his cafe, Melhem points to the east, where smoke billows into the air following air strikes.

"I'm going to be patient until the army's operation is over -- then everything will go back to the way it was," he says.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said that accessing the Kurdish-majority city of Afrin was already difficult before Ankara-led forces took the city

The head of the international Red Cross called Monday for access to civilians in the Kurdish-majority city of Afrin, warning Turkish aid workers lacked credibility after Ankara-led forces took the city.

In a major victory for Turkey's two-month operation against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria, Turkish-led forces pushed into Afrin Sunday apparently unopposed, taking up positions across the city.

Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, stressed the need to help those remaining in the city, warning that accessing Afrin had already been difficult before the latest developments.

"Now with the combat operation we have a big number of people displaced," he told journalists in Geneva after a two-week trip to the Middle East, including war-ravaged Syria.

"We will have to find the best way possible to reach this population over the next couple of days and weeks," he said, adding: "I hope this is possible."

While advocating for access, Maurer acknowledged that the national Turkish Red Crescent society, which would be best placed to go in, would have difficulty working with Kurdish civilians following the Turkish-led military operations.

"The credibility of a Turkish Red Crescent working in Afrin with the Kurdish population is close to zero," he said, stressing the need for the ICRC itself to go into the city.

Maurer said any humanitarian operation to Afrin would be difficult.

"This is a very fluid situation," he said, pointing out that "we don't know who stayed in Afrin."

"This will be a very complex and complicated situation for those who remain in Afrin and it will be difficult for those who are displaced and who at the present moment are not yet in a very stable situation where we can deliver humanitarian assistance," he said.

Around 250,000 civilians have left in recent days after pro-Ankara fighters took the surrounding region and all but encircled the city, fleeing southwards to territory still held by the YPG or controlled by the Syrian regime.

Maurer also spoke of the situation in Syria's other main flashpoint at the moment, the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.

He stressed the important role played by Russia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's main ally, in ensuring evacuations from the besieged enclave.

"There is no question that the Russians play a very important role in bringing the belligerents on both sides of the frontline together and to a create safe space and environment in which safe evacuations can take place," he said.

"This is appreciated."

Syria's conflict, which started seven years ago this month when Assad's forces cracked down on peaceful protests demanding regime change, has killed at least 350,000 people and displaced more than half of the pre-war population of 20 million.
Philippine Catholics take part in a "Walk for Life" protest at a park in Manila in February

The mainly Catholic Philippines, the only country apart from the Vatican to ban divorce, took a first big step towards legalising it on Monday when the lower house of congress passed a bill.

The measure, which would allow a divorced partner to marry another person of the opposite sex, passed on third reading by 134-57 with two abstentions, the House of Representatives secretariat said.

The bill will become law if the Senate (upper house) also passes it and President Rodrigo Duterte fails to use his veto.

"In divorce and dissolution of marriage proceedings, there is no more marriage to protect or union to destroy because the marriage has long perished," said opposition leader Edcel Lagman, one of its sponsors.

"The institution of absolute divorce and dissolution of marriage does not negate the steadfast commitment of the state to protect and preserve marriage as a social institution and as the foundation of the family."

Duterte spokesman Harry Roque revealed Monday that the president opposed divorce, but did not say whether he would veto the bill if it reached his desk.

"The president is against divorce. He said the children will suffer," Roque told reporters, while adding he recognised the prevailing sentiment in the House.

At present the only way to exit a failed union is to bring an embarrassing, expensive and labyrinthine civil case of annulment in which a judge declares a marriage invalid -- generally because the spouses have a "psychological incapacity".

Applicants must undergo a mental exam, testify in court and sometimes even claim they or their spouse entered the union while afflicted by a disorder such as narcissism.

The process can take anywhere from one to 10 years to wind through the creakingly slow and overburdened Philippine court system and cost at least $4,800.

Duterte, 72, separated from his estranged wife in this manner long before he was elected president.

The proposed divorce law would require a court ruling to dissolve "irremediably broken" marital unions.

It is expected to face a tougher passage in the Senate, with several senators allied to Duterte having publicly stated their opposition.

Since 1999 Philippine lawmakers have regularly filed a bill to legalise divorce, only to see it languish in committee limbo -- until now.
Israeli soldier Elor Azaria (C), who shot dead a wounded Palestinian assailant in March 2016, is embraced by his mother Oshra during a hearing at a military court in Tel Aviv, on July 30, 2017

An Israeli soldier convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead a prone Palestinian assailant in a case that divided the country had his sentence reduced by a third Monday by a military parole board.

Elor Azaria was initially sentenced to 18 months in prison for the 2016 killing of Abdul Fatah al-Sharif in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.

Israeli military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot later reduced the term by four months. Azaria is now due to be released on May 10, the military said.

It did not provide details on the parole board's ruling on Azaria, who was 19 at the time of the shooting in 2016.

Prisoners in Israel often have their sentences cut by a third for good behaviour. Azaria began serving his sentence on August 9.

The March 2016 shooting was caught on video by a human rights group and spread widely online.

It showed Sharif, 21, lying wounded on the ground, shot along with another Palestinian after stabbing and wounding a soldier, according to the army.

Some 11 minutes after the initial shooting, Azaria, a sergeant and military medic at the time of the incident, shot him in the head without any apparent provocation.

He said he feared Sharif was wearing an explosive belt and could blow himself up, a claim judges rejected.

The trial captivated Israel and highlighted deep divisions in public opinion between those who denounce the shooting and others who say it was justified.

Top military brass strongly denounced Azaria's actions, but right-wing politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, called for him to be pardoned.
Syrian children and adults are treated after a suspected chemical attack at a makeshift clinic in the Eastern Ghouta region last month

The EU on Monday sanctioned four senior Syrian officials over the use of chemical weapons against civilians, amid reports President Bashar al-Assad's forces have deployed chlorine gas in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

EU foreign ministers hit a brigadier-general and three scientists working for the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) with travel bans and asset freezes, taking to 261 the number of regime figures punished by the bloc over the seven-year conflict.

"The EU added these four persons for their role in the development and use of chemical weapons against the civilian population, in line with the EU's policy to fight the proliferation and use of chemical weapons," said a statement after ministers agreed the measures in Brussels.

"These persons include a high-ranking military official and three scientists working at the Scientific Studies and Research Centre."

Regime forces have been repeatedly accused of using chlorine in recent weeks during their fierce air and ground assault to retake Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, from anti-government rebels.

The EU has a broad package of sanctions in place over the Syrian conflict and Brussels has been pressing for a resumption of UN-led talks in Geneva aimed at bringing an end to the war.
US candidate to the head of International Organization for Migration (IOM) Ken Isaacs insists he has no anti-Muslim views

Donald Trump's nominee to lead the UN migration agency said Monday that he has convinced member states that he holds no anti-Muslim views, after a series of reports accused him of prejudice against Islam.

Ken Isaacs, who has a long record of humanitarian work with the Christian charity Samaritan's Purse and within George W. Bush's presidential administration, has been nominated by Washington to head the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Isaacs is in Geneva trying to rally support for his candidacy ahead of a June vote in which IOM's 169-member states will choose their next director-general, a post traditionally held by an American.

But his candidacy has been complicated by reports detailing incidents where Isaacs apparently tweeted or retweeted material offensive to Muslims.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, Isaacs said he has met with envoys from dozens of IOM member-states, including majority Muslim nations, and convinced them he was not a bigot.

"Yes, they feel satisfied," he said, adding that "after talking to me for a minute or two and hearing who I am, what I talk about, what my heart is," questions about prejudice vanish, he said.

"I have never shown discrimination against anybody for anything, period," he said. "If (people) need help, I have always helped them."

Questions about Isaacs' views on Islam emerged shortly after his February 1 nomination.

The Washington Post has reported tweets between 2015 and 2017 in which Isaacs claimed the Koran "instructs" Muslims to commit acts of violence and disputed whether Islam was a peaceful religion.

- 'Retweets are not endorsements' -

Last week, CNN reported on a set of retweets, including one in December in which Isaacs circulated a post from Robert Spencer, the director of Jihad Watch, which argued "peaceful Muslims" and "Jihadis" were indistinguishable.

CNN reported four other instances where Isaacs retweeted anti-Islam sentiments.

Isaacs' Twitter account has been made private.

He defended himself against the Post's charges in an email exchange with AFP last month and on Monday responded to the CNN report.

"First, I would point out the bio at the top that says retweets are not endorsements... I have retweeted many things to stimulate conversation," he said.

He added that accusing him of discriminating against Muslims stands in defiance of his four-decade career, highlighting his relief work in Darfur, Jordan, Iraq, Bangladesh and elsewhere helping Muslims in need.

Isaacs currently faces two rival nominees from Costa Rica and Portugal in the race to succeed veteran US diplomat William Lacy Swing as director-general of the IOM.

He insisted he was "probably the best qualified" candidate and the only one "with any muddy boot experience" on the ground.

The US is IOM's largest donor and Isaacs noted there were advantages to keeping an American in the top chair.

"Having an American in that role is a better way to maintain American engagement," he said.

- 'Not a climatologist' -

Isaacs has also come under fire for social media posts criticising the landmark Paris climate deal, which Trump has decided to withdraw from.

Isaacs has also come under fire for social media posts criticising the landmark Paris climate deal, which Trump withdrew from.

In the interview with AFP last month, Isaacs refused to confirm that he recognised the existence of man-made climate change.

On Monday, he said he did not "deny that the climate is changing", but declined to discuss the "motivations" behind those changes.

"I am not a climatologist, I am not going to jump into that discussion at all," he said.

IOM has identified managing the consequences of man-made climate change as a key priority.

"I have read and am familiar with the strategic objectives of IOM in regards to climate change and I agree with those objectives. Those are action objectives and I have absolutely zero problem with implementing those," he said."
Christine Nxumalo, sister of Virginia Nxumalo, one of the mentally ill patients who died

A judge on Monday ordered the South African government to pay $100,000 to each of the families of 144 psychiatric patients who died of neglect, as he detailed a "terrible tale of death and torture".

Many of the deaths occurred due to pneumonia, dehydration and diarrhoea after patients were hurriedly transferred from a private hospital to 27 poorly-prepared facilities as a cost-cutting measure.

More than 1,700 patients were moved out of Johannesburg's Life Healthcare Esidimeni hospital in a decision that Justice Dikgang Moseneke criticised as "irrational".

It led to a "carnage" of patients and a "total disrespect of dignity", Moseneke said in his damning ruling after weeks of arbitration hearings.

The hearings gathered evidence of horrific abuse as families told of how their loved ones were taken from the hospital, badly mistreated at unlicensed health facilities and then died.

Last month Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi broke down as he apologised for what he described as "one of the most painful and horrible events in the history of post-apartheid South Africa".

Patients were bundled into vans and tied with sheets and distributed "like cattle at an auction," said the minister.

Some provincial health officials who testified at the hearing apologised and accepted partial responsibility for the disaster.

Moseneke severely reprimanded those involved, saying that some had lied in evidence and "despite all warnings... they obstinately went ahead" with moving the patients.

"The death and torture of those who died stemmed from arrogant and irrational use of public power," he said.

A criminal probe has been launched and Moseneke said he had "furnished police with all evidence ... they must do their work."
LIMA,PERU-JULIO 28.Mensaje a la Nacion del Presidente Pedro Pablo Kuczynski en el Congreso de la Republica.Foto:ANDINA/ Prensa Presidencia
Civilians walk among the rubble after an air strike in Douma, Eastern Ghouta, on March 19, 2018

At least 20 civilians have died in a resumption of bombing on Douma, the largest town in shrinking rebel-controlled pockets of Syria's Eastern Ghouta, a monitor said Monday.

Thirteen were killed late Sunday in air strikes and artillery fire on the battered town, and another seven were killed Monday morning, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The fresh bloodshed came after a week-long lull in the bombardment of Douma after negotiations between rebels and regime-backer Russia allowed medical evacuations from the town.

After the bombing an AFP correspondent saw two rescue workers scouring mountains of rubble in the dark with tiny flashlights, searching for survivors.

A third lifted a wounded person, who was screaming in pain, onto his back.

As morning broke, the sounds of shelling could still be heard across the city. Entire buildings had been gutted by strikes, with a drying rack, glass, and plastic piping spilling out into the streets.

Several members of a single family remained stuck underneath a collapsed building all night, including a handicapped mother, her son, and her grandson, AFP's correspondent said.

Syria's government has pressed a ferocious month-long air and ground on Ghouta in a bid to clear the last rebel bastion on the capital's outskirts.

More than 1,400 civilians including 281 children have been killed, according to the Britain-based Observatory.

Troops have captured more than 80 percent of the enclave and split the remaining rebel territory into three pockets, with Douma in the northernmost zone.

Talks between regime ally Russia and the rebel group which holds Douma, Jaish al-Islam, had resulted in a brief respite for the town.

During the lull, hundreds of people including sick and wounded were evacuated from Douma to government-controlled territory.

Syrian troops and allied militia are also pressing their assault on other parts of the enclave, with government air strikes killing five civilians in another zone on Monday, according to the Observatory.

The deadly raids came as more than 4,000 civilians fled a southern pocket of Ghouta.

The Observatory says nearly 70,000 people have escaped Ghouta in recent days to government-held zones, using "corridors" opened by Syria's army.
Turkish-backed Syrian rebel fighters wave Turkish and Free Syrian Army flags on a road leading to Afrin

The pro-Ankara Syrian forces who helped the Turkish army oust Kurdish militia from the northern Syrian city of Afrin are an umbrella grouping of fighting brigades trained by Turkey into an increasingly effective fighting unit.

Ankara calls these Syrian forces the Free Syrian Army (FSA) but in reality they are made out of different components that crystallised during the course of Syria's seven-year civil war.

Some may have Islamist inclinations but have themselves also fought against the Islamic State (IS) extremist group and Al-Qaeda during the civil war.

While the Turkish army itself was involved in the two-month offensive that took Afrin from People's Protection Units (YPG) militia Sunday, it has been reliant on the Syrian armed rebel groups to do much of the fighting.

The groups fighting under Turkey in Afrin may refer to themselves as FSA but "they are divided into several different factions," said Aron Lund, a fellow with US-based think tank the Century Foundation.

"The Free Syrian Army name was always more of a label," he told AFP.

- 'Islamists rather than jihadis' -

Turkish forces and their rebel allies reported in control of the Kurdish-majority city of Afrin

The groups taking part in the Afrin offensive notably included the Sultan Murad Brigade, the Hamza Division and Faylaq al-Sham, close to the Islamist group Muslim Brotherhood.

Lund said while several FSA factions can be described as "Islamists", they do not share the ideology of Al-Qaeda or IS.

"It would seem wrong and propagandistic to label these groups jihadis in that sense," he added.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in January lashed out at criticisms of the FSA.

He said it "is not a terrorist organisation but a national structure which is comprised of people from all dispositions, faiths and ethnic origins, defending their own country."

Turkey first employed the FSA in this fashion in the Euphrates Shield operation from August 2016 to March 2017, during which the forces took control of a swathe of territory to the east of Afrin.

Towns captured from jihadists in that operation -- such as Jarabulus and Al-Bab -- are now seeing substantial Turkish influence in rebuilding and a moderate influx of returning refugees.

For pro-government Turkish military expert Abdullah Agar, the "stability" inside areas administered by the FSA since the end of the Euphrates Shield operation demonstrated the merits of supporting the FSA.

"Order has been reestablished. Tens of thousands of people have returned to their homeland... There is now a model region there," Agar told AFP, saying a similar pattern would now follow in Afrin.

Ankara is accused of throwing petrol on the fire by openly supporting groups involved in the Syrian civil war. But it has always insisted that its aim is to secure areas inside Syria to allow the return of the 3.5 million Syrian refugees living in Turkey.

- 'Huge effort to consolidate' -

Turkish-backed fighters from the Free Syrian Army waged an offensive against Kurdish People's Protection Units in Afrin

The FSA in its current form is a far cry from how it looked at the onset of the conflict.

It was created by a Syrian colonel who had taken refugee in Turkey as a force to take on President Bashar al-Assad and was essentially made up of civilians who joined the rebellion, joined by deserters from the army.

But despite support from the West, this structure gradually lost its way.

This left room for a variety of factions ranging from secular rebels to Islamist groups to take root before being given more cohesion by Ankara.

A retired Turkish general who worked with the FSA during the Euphrates Shield offensive stressed that there had been a "huge effort to consolidate those groups and improve their organisation and discipline", and their wages are paid by Ankara.

Images at the weekend showed some FSA pillaging shops and homes in the city. But the general insisted this only involved a "minority".

"In warfare situations you can see these kind of pictures but not all the fighters behave like that," said the retired general, who did not wished to be named.

The FSA's involvement in fighting also offers a Syrian guarantee to the Turkish intervention, he added. "Turkey has a strong military but it wants to show the world that this is also a Syrian fight against the YPG."
The Time's Up movement is pressing for a probe into why New York prosecutors did not bring a criminal case against disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein

Six months after bombshell sexual assault allegations blew up against Harvey Weinstein, pressure is growing for the onetime Hollywood mogul to be brought to justice, with the Manhattan prosecutor under fire for failing to bring a criminal case against him three years ago.

Acting on demand from the Time's Up movement led by top Hollywood actresses, New York authorities vowed late Monday to "review" why the Manhattan district attorney did not prosecute the disgraced movie mogul in 2015.

"We are committed to pursuing a full, fair, and independent review of this matter," the state attorney general tweeted after Time's Up urged Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is up for re-election, to act.

More than 100 women have publicly accused Weinstein since October, allegations that sparked a sexual harassment watershed and ended his career.

His wife left him and police opened criminal investigations in London, Los Angeles and New York. He has been hit by a litany of civil lawsuits that stand to see the 66-year-old financially ruined.

But besides reportedly undergoing treatment for sex addiction at an Arizona clinic, the former powerbroker remains at large after hiring Ben Brafman, one of America's most celebrated criminal defense lawyers.

Frustrated by the apparent failure to bring him to justice, the movement founded by the likes of Reese Witherspoon and Jessica Chastain demanded Cuomo investigate the failure to prosecute the case of Italian model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, one of the first women to come forward against Weinstein.

Had district attorney Cyrus Vance done so, other potential victims may have avoided being mistreated by the producer, they argued.

Time's Up called "particularly disturbing" reports that the mogul "could have... improperly influenced" Vance and that officials in the prosecutor's office "may have sought to intimidate Battilana."

"An independent investigation into the full decision-making process in this case, including a full review of the correspondence within the office and with any representatives for Mr Weinstein, must be undertaken immediately," the movement added.

But while state attorney general Eric Schneiderman vowed to open an inquiry, New York's police chief James O'Neill and Vance hit back jointly at a magazine report alleging improper influence.

O'Neill and Vance insisted they were "fully committed partners" and touted their "unparalleled track record of holding sexual predators from all backgrounds accountable in thousands of sex crimes."

- 'Fair question' -

"We are confident that any review will confirm that our office has pursued its investigation without fear or favor, based on the merits alone," Vance spokesman Danny Frost said in a statement.

"We will of course provide the attorney general with any necessary information, and expect that he will promptly determine that our office has been guided solely by the facts and the law."

Frost said nothing about the chances of bringing a case to court, only that prosecutors "must make sure they can prove to a jury that every element of a criminal statute was violated beyond a reasonable doubt."

Michael Weinstein, a New York lawyer and former federal prosecutor not related to the ex-producer, said Time's Up was asking a "fair question."

"The state always wants to get it right, but when you have a very good, savvy defense lawyer on the other side, you really try to do it properly," he told AFP.

Weinstein hired Brafman, one of America's top lawyers, in November, just days after New York police confirmed they were gathering evidence for a possible arrest warrant.

Brafman's past clients include former IMF boss Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who ultimately escaped criminal prosecution by Vance for alleged sexual assault in 2011.

"The prosecutor is not there to satisfy the demands of the public mob, they are there to be independent and evaluate the presentation of evidence," said Michael Weinstein.

There could be other reasons why the prosecutor has not moved, the lawyer explained -- federal prosecutors, for example, may be investigating the financial settlements used to pay off alleged victims and may have asked him to hold back.

Even bringing Weinstein to trial does not predicate a conviction. Strauss-Kahn got off in the United States. So did Michael Jackson, acquitted of child molestation, and Bill Cosby was last year given a reprieve by a hung jury on allegations of sexual assault.

His retrial next month could determine whether the 80-year-old disgraced comic faces prison over allegations that he drugged and molested a university basketball official.
Tunisian security forces on patrol near the town of Ben Guerdane and the Libyan border on March 10, 2016 a yar after brazen attacks by the Islamic State group

A Tunisian man "blew himself up" as he was being chased Monday by police in a border region near Libya and his companion was shot dead, the interior ministry said.

Spokesman Khalifa Chibani told AFP the National Guard had received information concerning "two male suspects" in the southern Ben Guerdane region.

They tracked them down in the Magroun area, a desert zone near a nature reserve, and tried to arrest them but "one of them blew himself up," he said.

Chibani said both suspects wore explosive vests, and had currency from chaos-wracked Libya, grenades and ammunition. "It is probable that they were planning to go to Libya," he told AFP.

He said they could be two jihadists sought by authorities over connections to the Jund al-Khilafa group, Arabic for "Soldiers of the Caliphate", which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group.

One of the suspects, he said, was armed with a Kalashnikov assault rifle and had opened fire on the police.

After an exchange of fire, security forces "shot dead the second terrorist", the interior ministry said, adding that the National Guard and the army were searching the area.

He said an investigation had been opened and would determine if the first suspect who blew himself up had activated his explosives vest or if it blew up in the exchange of fire with the security forces.

Since its 2011 revolution, Tunisia has faced a jihadist insurgency responsible for the deaths of dozens of soldiers, police, civilians and foreign tourists.

Tunisia has been under a state of emergency since November 2015, when a suicide bombing in Tunis claimed by the IS killed 12 presidential guards.

Monday's incident comes after a series of deadly operations in 2015 and two years after an IS offensive on the town of Ben Guerdane.

On March 7, 2016, jihadists launched brazen attacks on the town that killed 13 members of the security forces and seven civilians and also left 55 fighters dead.

Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed says a prayer after placing a bouquet of flowers at a memorial on March 7, 2018 to commemorate the anniversary of jihadist attacks that killed several security forces members and civilians in Ben Guerdane

Prime Minister Youssef Chahed this month marked the anniversary of the Ben Guerdane attacks and said he wanted to "consecrate March 7 as a national day of victory against terrorism" and Ben Guerdane as "the town of victory against terrorism".

Thousands of Tunisians have joined jihadist groups fighting in Iraq, Syria and neighbouring Libya.
Thousands of civilians fled Afrin during the Turkish offensive

A top Kurdish envoy on Monday accused the international community of being "spectators" as Turkish-led troops commit war crimes in Syria.

Khaled Issa, who represents the Kurdish rebel authority in France, accused foreign powers of abandoning the Kurds who have been allies on the ground in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group.

"There's a moral responsibility for the international community in the face of an unjustified and illegal aggression," Issa told AFP, referring to the Turkish-led offensive on the former Kurdish-held enclave of Afrin.

"What is happening in Afrin is ethnic cleansing and the great powers are spectators," added Issa, who represents the "Rojava self-ruled Democratic Administration" which runs areas under Kurdish control in northern Syria.

Forces known as the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which are backed by the United States, have served as ground troops in the fight against IS jihadists in Syria.

But Turkey sees the YPG as a Syrian offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a bloody insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday vowed to expand Turkey's Syria campaign to other Kurdish-held areas up to the Iraqi border, a day after ousting Kurdish militia from the enclave of Afrin.

"We are frustrated to see that the same fighters that were courageously combatting Daesh (Islamic State) have been left to the mercy of the Turkish army allied with jihadists, abandoned under the bombs of Ankara," Issa said.

Last week, France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian condemned Turkey's intervention in Syria in the strongest terms, saying Ankara's security concerns "absolutely do not justify" the scale of its offensive.

Former French president Francois Hollande, who left office last May, has also denounced the Turkish operation and called for greater solidarity to be shown towards the Kurds.

"If I supported the Kurds as part of the coalition (of US-led foreign powers active in Syria), it wasn't to leave them in the situation they find themselves in now," he told Le Monde in an interview last week.
United Nations (UN) peacekeepers soldiers outside a Chinese UN peacekeepers' camp in Mali

Canada will deploy an infantry unit and military trainers along with attack and transport helicopters to Mali for 12 months in support of an ongoing UN peacekeeping mission, the government announced Monday.

"The task force will include two Chinook helicopters to provide much-needed transport and logistics capability, as well as four armed Griffin helicopters for armed escort and protection," Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan told a press conference.

A date for Canada's first deployment in Africa since its troubled mission to Rwanda in 1994 and the exact number of troops that will be sent have yet to be decided, he added.

The pledge comes after Ottawa last November said it would send a Hercules aircraft to the UN regional support center in Entebbe, Uganda, which backs UN operations throughout Africa, as well as make available to the UN a rapid response force of 200 soldiers.

Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, meanwhile, said the unit heading to Mali would include women soldiers to meet a demand for gender perspectives in securing peace and security in hotspots.

"One of our priorities is to increase women's participation in peacekeeping," she said.

In recent months, jihadists have ramped up their activities in central Mali, targeting domestic and foreign forces in outbreaks of violence once confined to the country's north.

Four United Nations peacekeepers were killed and four wounded in late February when a mine exploded under their vehicle in central Mali.

The peacekeeping mission, known by the acronym MINUSMA, currently has 12,000 military personnel and 1,900 police.

They have been deployed in Mali since 2013 to counter the jihadist insurgency and general lawlessness.

The Canadians, according to Sajjan, will conduct reconnaissance, facilitate medical evacuations for the 57 UN partner nations already on the ground in Mali, and help plan missions in the country.
US President Donald Trump unveiled his new plan to combat the opioid crisis in a speech in New Hampshire

US President Donald Trump on Monday made a controversial call for drug traffickers to face the death penalty, as part of his plan to combat America's opioid epidemic -- a move that appears to be as much about politics as policy.

The Republican leader launched the proposal during a speech in Manchester, New Hampshire -- a state hard hit by the opioid crisis -- and the move was designed to burnish his tough-on-crime credentials.

"These are terrible people, and we have to get tough on those people," he told the crowd. "If we don't get tough on the drug dealers, we're wasting our time.

"That toughness includes the death penalty," he added.

An estimated 2.4 million Americans are addicted to opioids, a class of drugs including prescription painkillers, as well as heroin.

Trump pledged to fix the crisis when he took office a year ago, but so far, he has struggled to make headway on an epidemic that kills an estimated 115 Americans a day due to overdoses, according to the government-funded National Institutes of Health.

Drug-related murder is already a capital offense in the United States, but no one has ever been executed using those rules.

Officials indicated there would be no attempt to change the law to make the death penalty mandatory for trafficking alone, a move that would could well run afoul of Supreme Court rulings on proportional punishment.

In those rulings, the high court suggested that nothing other than murder can be considered a capital offense.

"It's possible that our country's not ready for that," Trump conceded.

"And I can understand it, maybe. Although personally, I can't understand that."

- Rally the base -

With Republicans at risk of losing control of Congress in legislative elections in November, Trump is keen to rally his base ahead of the polls behind a tough-sounding message.

A series of special elections has seen Republicans struggle to match the intensity of anti-Trump sentiment, with high turnout among Democrats delivering a series of shock victories.

Most polls show Trump's approval rating hovering around 40 percent, with supporters and opponents expressing intense feelings either way.

This announcement is likely to be no different in terms of how the public reacts.

Around 55 percent of Americans are in favor of the death penalty for murder, the lowest levels in decades.

US President Donald Trump (L) has praised Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's (R) deadly war on drugs

Trump has previously mooted the "ultimate" punishment for drug dealers and has praised Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, whose war on drugs has led to the extra-judicial killings of alleged traffickers.

Philippines police say they have killed 4,100 drug suspects as part of the campaign, while rights groups claim the real toll is around three times the number. The International Criminal Court is investigating.

Experts say that the apparent link between low drug use and capital punishment in places like Singapore can be misleading.

Iran, they point out, also has the death penalty for drug use but still has one of the highest rates of opiate addiction in the world.

Many Democrats oppose the idea of executing drug dealers, and changing the law would require an act of Congress.

"We will not incarcerate or execute our way out of the opioid epidemic," Democratic Senator Ed Markey said last week.

"Extreme proposals like using the death penalty only perpetuate a harmful stigma associated with opioid use disorders and divert attention from meaningful conversations and progress on expanding access to treatment, recovery, and other public health initiatives."

Trump also announced that measures would be taken to tackle over-prescription, illicit drug supplies and insufficient access to treatment.
The strike paralysed schools and led to violent incidents

Classes resumed Monday in Guinean schools after a month-long strike by teachers seeking the implementation of a 40-percent pay increase that was only partially fulfilled.

The strike, which began on February 12, had paralysed the education system and fractured relations between teachers, parents and the state, while President Alpha Conde faced criticism for allowing the industrial action to drag on.

"I am happy to see my friends and teachers again," said final-year student Idrissa Camara, 16, outside a school in the Conakry suburb of Kibe.

"I failed the school leaving exam last year. This year is my final chance. These strikes haven't helped at all," he said.

The powerful teachers' union agreed to lift the strike on Wednesday after gaining a guarantee of the pay hike agreed in 2017 which was only partially implemented in February.

The government and the union have also agreed to negotiations on May 2-25 for a base salary of eight million Guinean francs (717 euros, $880) and to a promise that strikers would not be punished.

The teachers' strike ran parallel to protests by the opposition Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), two of whose supporters were killed during protests, according to reports.

Many parents were apprehensive that their children would lag behind in their studies.

"I am happy and worried at the same time," said Dioulde Diallo. "I don't know how the teachers will catch up."

At least 12 people have died in the course of political and social protests in Guinea since the start of February.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is being asked on both sides of the Atlantic to explain the social media giant's response to the leak of data on 50 million users to a political consultant for Donald Trump

Facebook shares plunged Monday as the social media giant was pounded by criticism at home and abroad over revelations that a firm working for Donald Trump's presidential campaign harvested and misused data on 50 million members.

Calls for investigations came on both sides of the Atlantic after Facebook responded to explosive reports of misuse of its data by suspending the account of Cambridge Analytica, a British firm hired by Trump's 2016 campaign.

Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar and Republican John Kennedy called for Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg to appear before Congress, along with Google and Twitter's CEOs.

The lawmakers said the companies "have amassed unprecedented amounts of personal data" and that the lack of oversight "raises concerns about the integrity of American elections as well as privacy rights."

Facebook's chief of security Alex Stamos said his role has shifted to focusing on emerging risks and election security at the global social network.

Stamos revealed the change after The New York Times reported that he was leaving Facebook in the wake of internal clashes over how to deal with the platform being used to spread misinformation.

"Despite the rumors, I'm still fully engaged with my work at Facebook," Stamos said in a message posted on his verified Twitter account.

"It's true that my role did change. I'm currently spending more time exploring emerging security risks and working on election security."

Stamos advocated investigating and revealing manipulation of news at the social network by Russian entities, to the chagrin of other top executives, the Times reported, citing unnamed current and former employees.

- Profiles weaponized? -

Alexander Nix is chief executive of Cambridge Analytica, which has denied misusing Facebook data for its work on Trump's 2016 campaign

Senator Ron Wyden asked Facebook to provide more information on what he called a "troubling" misuse of private data that could have been used to sway voters.

Wyden said he wants to know how Cambridge Analytica used Facebook tools "to weaponize detailed psychological profiles against tens of millions of Americans."

In Europe, officials voiced similar outrage.

Vera Jourova, the European commissioner for justice, consumers and gender equality, called the revelations "horrifying, if confirmed," and vowed to address concerns in the United States this week.

According to a joint investigation by The New York Times and Britain's Observer, Cambridge Analytica was able to create psychological profiles on 50 million Facebook users through the use of a personality prediction app that was downloaded by 270,000 people, but also scooped up data from friends.

Cambridge Analytica denied misusing Facebook data for the Trump campaign.

Elizabeth Denham, Britain's Information Commissioner who regulates the sector in the country, announced her office would seek a court warrant on Tuesday to search Cambridge Analytica's computer servers.

She said the company had been "uncooperative" to requests for access to its records and missed a Monday deadline stipulated.

Meanwhile, Facebook said it has hired a digital forensics firm to examine how the data leak occurred and to ensure that any data collected had been destroyed.

Facebook shares skidded 6.8 percent by the close of the Nasdaq amid concerns about pressure for new regulations that could hurt its business model.

Shares slipped another percent or so to $170 in after-market trades.

- 'Self-regulation not working' -

European Commissioner Vera Jourova said the misuse of Facebook data by a political firm would be "horrifying" if confirmed and said she would address her concerns in Washington

Jennifer Grygiel, a Syracuse University professor who studies social media, said the disclosures will increase pressure to regulate Facebook and other social media firms, already under scrutiny for allowing disinformation from Russian-directed sources to propagate.

"Self-regulation is not working," Grygiel said.

Daniel Kreiss, a professor of media and communications at the University of North Carolina, said Facebook failed to live up to its responsibilities on election ads.

"The fact that Facebook seems to make no distinction between selling sneakers and selling a presidential platform is a deep problem," Kreiss said.

Brian Wieser at Pivotal Research maintained that the revelations highlight "systemic problems at Facebook," but that they won't immediately impact the social network's revenues.

David Carroll, a media professor at the Parsons School of Design, said Facebook and others will soon be forced to live with new privacy rules such as those set to take effect in the European Union.

"Facebook and Google will have to ask users a lot more permission to track them," Carroll said. "Most people are going to say no, so I think it's going to have a huge impact on these companies."

Carroll has filed a legal action in Britain calling on Cambridge Analytica to disclose what data was gathered and used on him.

An undercover investigation of Cambridge Analytica by Britain's Channel 4 said executives boasted they could entrap politicians in compromising situations with bribes and Ukrainian sex workers, and spread misinformation online.

The executives claimed to have worked in more 200 elections across the world, including Argentina, the Czech Republic, India, Kenya and Nigeria.

The British firm said it "strongly denies" the claims from Channel 4 as well as reports on misuse of Facebook data.

"Facebook data was not used by Cambridge Analytica as part of the services it provided to the Donald Trump presidential campaign," a statement read.
Among the things that stand out to many who visit the training area here are the frigid temperatures. Given this challenge, soldiers with the 82nd Brigade Engineer Battalion tested their mettle during a series of training events March 6-14.

Army Staff Sgt. Jason Shick, left, a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialist with the 82nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, teaches Danish soldiers from Vidar Company, Guard Hussars Regiment, how to use an M249 light machine gun during a multinational weapons training session in Tapa, Estonia, March 10, 2018. (Picture source: U.S. Army/Spc. Hubert D. Delany)

Making it through these challenges required each soldier to trust the training theyd completed up to this point in their deployment to Europe. It also required them to depend on and trust their NATO allies. This is one of the most tightly knit teams I've seen in my 26 years in the Army, said Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Vedros, the senior enlisted member of the 82nd BEB.

Within hours of an order to move to the Baltics, Vedros and his men packed their gear and moved more than a thousand miles from Grafenwohr, Germany, to a location previously unknown to most of them. These men have done a terrific job, said Vedros, while reminiscing of previous deployments and U.S. Army experiences. It was like watching an 82nd Airborne Division rapid deployment. Before anybody knew it, these soldiers were coming to Estonia loaded up and ready to go, and our NATO allies knew exactly what to do when we sent them."

Upon arrival in Estonia, U.S. troops worked with the Estonian, British, Canadian, and Danish armies to establish and solidify a mutually-beneficial training schedule. Among the first training events lined up for the Americans was cold-water immersion drills with the British Army's 1st Royal Welsh Battalion. This was followed by other training events with the Canadian Royal 22nd Regiment and the Danish Guard Hussars Regiment.

The goal for all the training is to build upon previously-established relations between the U.S. and NATO allies, said Army Lt. Col. Jesse Curry, the 82nd BEB commander.

Additionally, Curry wanted to ensure that his unit stands ready to act within a moments notice. His unit is in Europe to support Atlantic Resolve, a U.S. Army Europe effort to deter aggression in the region. Our brigade is here to show that we can move and project power across all of Europe, Curry said. When you can take an element from anywhere in Europe and push them like we have to the most forward point within NATO, it sends a tremendous message. That we can, and absolutely have the capability, to defend our NATO allies ... and to be lethal if necessary.

To close out their time in Estonia, the U.S. soldiers provided chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense training to the Estonian army's 1st Infantry Brigade.

Army Spc. Dewight Young, a CBRN specialist with the 82nd BEB, participated throughout the weeklong mission and said he believes that what his fellow soldiers completed in Estonia will have a lasting, positive impact. Ive never worked with so many people from so many different countries before, but I am glad we did, Young said. Its not just Americans, but English, Danish, Estonian and everyone else, working together to do something good in the world.
Smoke billows following an explosion in the Syrian city of Afrin after Syrian-Arab Turkish backed fighters took control of the city from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) on March 18, 2018

The city of Afrin has huge symbolic and strategic value for Syria's Kurdish minority but, faced with Turkey's immensely superior firepower, its fighters had little choice but to retreat.

Turkey-led forces raised the Turkish flag in the northwestern Kurdish-majority city on Sunday after a two-month assault to seize control of the surrounding enclave.

Their rapid takeover of the city is a huge blow to the Kurds, who have sought to set up a self-ruled region in Syria and are a key ally of the United States in the fight against the Islamic State group.

"There was no choice but a strategic withdrawal," Abdelsalam Ahmad, a leader in the Kurdish administration in northern Syria, told AFP.

Kurdish "fighters carrying light weapons" stood no chance faced with Turkey's "heavy weapons, warplanes" and latest technology, he said.

Turkey considers the YPG to be a "terrorist" extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.

It does not want a Kurdish autonomous region on its doorstep like the one in northern Iraq, and has repeatedly rejected the "federal region" proclaimed by Syria's Kurds.

But the YPG has been a key ally in the fight against IS in Syria, forming the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance backed by a US-led coalition.

- 'Dented image' -

The SDF redeployed hundreds of fighters to defend the Afrin region and a small number of pro-government fighters were sent to help, but the Kurds could not withstand Turkey's offensive backed by air strikes.

YPG spokesman Birusk Hasakeh said that, after Turkey-led forces reached the outskirts of Afrin, the YPG sought to protect civilians from heavy Turkish air strikes.

"We decided we had to get the civilians out," he said.

More than 280 civilians have been killed in the assault since January 20, a Britain-based war monitor says, though Turkey has denied the reports and says it does its utmost to avoid civilian casualties.

At least 1,500 Kurdish fighters have also lost their lives in the two-month offensive, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says, most in air strikes and artillery fire.

"It certainly dents their image to the world as these great war fighters," Syria expert Aaron Stein said of the YPG.

On the opposing side, around 400 pro-Ankara fighters have been killed, the Observatory says. The Turkish military says 46 Turkish soldiers have died.

For the Kurds, "it's a military and morale defeat, but these people are fighting for something bigger than Afrin," said Stein, resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center.

Long marginalised, Syria's Kurds have largely stayed out of the country's seven-year conflict as they focused on building an autonomous region in Kurdish-majority parts of north and northeast Syria.

- 'Population has left' -

Hasakeh said the YPG would now ramp up their fightback.

"Increasingly from now on, we'll be attacking... We'll target the enemy with all means," he said.

On Saturday, even before Afrin city fell, YPG attacks killed six pro-Ankara fighters in the border area of Rajo, the Observatory said.

As of Sunday, Turkey controlled an area along its border in northern Syria running across the top of the northwestern province of Idlib and part of neighbouring Aleppo.

A variety of rebels and jihadists opposed to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad are present in Idlib, the last province in Syria outside regime control.

"We consider Afrin, its areas and villages, from now on to be a military zone"," Hasakeh said.

More than 250,000 civilians have fled seeking to escape advancing Turkey-led forces and bombardment since last week, the Observatory has said.

According to Syria expert Fabrice Balanche, "almost all of Afrin's population has left".

"I don't think the Turkish army will allow it to return," he said.

Balanche said Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was seeking to establish a Turkish "protectorate" along the border.

Syria's war has killed more than 350,000 people and displaced millions -- including three million to Turkey.

"The aim is to prevent new Syrian refugees coming to Turkey, as the Syrian army will also press its offensive in Idlib, but also to make refugees return to the area," Balanche said.
Army National Guard Spc. Terence Burse carries bottled water for a resident in Flint, Michigan, in February 2016 amid a tainted water crisis

The US Supreme Court on Monday gave the go ahead to two class-action lawsuits filed by residents of Flint, Michigan in response to a lead-contaminated water crisis.

Residents of the decaying industrial city, where over 100,000 people were potentially exposed to high levels of lead in the drinking water, are pursuing civil rights claims against city and state officials.

The justices refused to review a July 2017 Ohio appeals court ruling that revived the lawsuits after they were dismissed by a lower court.

The high court also rejected arguments put forward against the suits by the city of Flint, Genesee County and environment officials in Michigan.

Flint's lead-tainted water crisis is one of the worst health scandals in recent years in the US -- sparked by the authorities' decision to change the source of the city's water supply in 2014 to cut costs.

The acidic and polluted water of the local river, chosen over the pure water of nearby Lake Michigan, corroded the water network's pipes, exposing residents to lead poisoning.

More than 8,000 children are believed to have consumed lead-contaminated water, and a study found that the proportion of infants and children with high lead levels doubled after the water source switch.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump may meet before the end of May -- but Pyongyang is keeping quiet about it

President Donald Trump's administration is pushing forward with plans for a historic nuclear summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, but some in Washington are concerned by Pyongyang's silence on the idea.

Trump couched his decision to attend talks before the end of May as accepting an invitation from Kim's regime, but the message was passed to the White House second-hand, by South Korean envoys.

Ten days later, Trump seems convinced that the apparent breakthrough came as a result of his "maximum pressure" campaign of diplomatic and economic isolation and warnings of potential military action.

But if Kim is genuinely prepared to discuss the US end goal of the "complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," he has been very discreet about it.

In private, American officials argue that Kim has much to gain in terms of credibility if the summit goes ahead, and some argue this provides a historic opportunity to end the stand-off.

But US experts see that silence as evidence that Kim is seeking to maintain room to maneuver as the summit agenda congeals, and are advising caution.

Abraham Denmark, director of the Asia Program at the Wilson Center, dubbed it "remarkable that North Korea has seen that they need to maximize their flexibility by staying radio silent."

Denmark's colleague at Wilson, former Pyongyang-based reporter Jean Lee, warns that Kim has not even announced to his own people that any summit it happening, suggesting it may be a way off.

"I think we are perhaps getting ahead of ourselves. We still have a long way to go before we see a summit," she said.

- Back-channel talks -

The North's autocratic regime is notoriously secretive, but before Trump's March 8 announcement of a summit in the months to come, Pyongyang had not been shy about its determination to hang on to its nuclear arsenal.

Still, on Friday, the White House reconfirmed Trump's intention to meet Kim -- even though the State Department said it had yet to receive a North Korean invitation.

North Korean officials have travelled to both Sweden and Finland, touted as possible venues for the eventual face-to-face, but the State Department says no serving American officials met them -- given the two sides do not have diplomatic ties.

US-North Korea summit

There have been reports of back-channel contacts between the governments of the kind Rex Tillerson was pursuing before Trump abruptly sacked him as secretary of state last week.

But these appear to concern the fate of three Americans jailed in North Korea.

"We are working to see US citizens who are detained in North Korea come home as soon as possible," a spokeswoman said.

Last week, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert insisted that Washington was not worried that Kim has not said directly that he is ready to discuss the North's nuclear disarmament with the US.

"That is the agreement that Kim Jong Un provided to the Republic of Korea," she told reporters.

"That information was presented to us, and so we are going forward in full faith and understanding that a meeting will go forward."

- North-South hotline -

South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is one of a string of high-level diplomats involved in a flurry of meetings in Washington and beyond as officials scurry to make the talks a reality.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (L) met with US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan at the State Department on Friday

Her government -- a close ally of the United States but one that has much to lose if the brinksmanship by Kim and Trump leads to war -- sees the talks offer as a ray of hope and plays down worries.

"I think it was an extremely courageous decision on the part of President Trump," Kang told CBS News.

"We believe the North Korean leader is now taking stock ... So, yes we give them the benefit of the doubt and the time that he would need to come out with some public messaging."

No matter what happens, South Korean President Moon Jae-in's outreach to the North -- which laid the groundwork for the reported invitation -- has borne fruit and he now has a direct hotline with Kim.

"This is very significant," said Lee, of the Wilson Center.

"It has been 10 years since a South Korean leader and a North Korean leader have had a direct line of communication."

- 'Spit-shined and polished' -

Former CIA analyst Jung Pak, now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, shares the skepticism felt by many in Washington -- and suggests South Korean optimism may have colored their report.

"Policymakers are furiously trying to plan next steps based on a possibly incomplete or false rendering of what happened in Pyongyang," she argued.

She said Moon's team may have "spit-shined and polished" whatever "nuggets they extracted from Kim" in order to interest Washington in joining his diplomatic engagement.

And now, Pak argues, after Trump's surprise decision, Pyongyang may be scrambling to "craft a strategy to exploit the opportunity that fell into their laps."
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who's office announced on Twitter that the government had resumed paying salaries of Kurdish civil servants and peshmerga forces, is seen here speaking in Mosul on March 14, 2018

Iraq's federal government said Monday it has resumed paying the salaries of Kurdish civil servants and peshmerga security forces which had been frozen for months over an independence referendum.

The announcement was the latest sign of an easing of tensions between the two sides and comes a week after Baghdad lifted an air blockade of the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq.

Federal authorities had imposed the blockade and stopped paying the salaries to Kurdistan after it organised in September an independence referendum rejected as illegal by the central government.

"The finance ministry of the central authorities has transferred the salaries of all the civil servants in Kurdistan, including the peshmerga," the office of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Twitter.

Iraqi government spokesman Saad al-Hadithi said in all "around 317.5 billion Iraqi dinars" (around $262 million) had been transferred on Monday to cover salaries for one month.

A similar amount would be sent to Kurdistan every month as long as authorities there respected conditions laid out by Baghdad, he added.

Officials in the Kurdish capital Arbil had refused to pay the civil servants, arguing that it was up to Baghdad to cover their salaries.

But the federal authorities said Arbil must first hand over to Baghdad revenues it earns from oil sales, and also demanded an audit to determine the number of civil servants in Kurdistan.

Earlier this month, Iraq's parliament adopted an $88.5 billion budget for 2018, with Kurdish lawmakers boycotting the vote to protest against a cut in the amount allocated to their autonomous region.

Kurdistan's part of the national budget was reduced from 17 percent to 12.6 percent.

The peshmerga took control of the northern province of Kirkuk, home to key oil fields, in June 2014 after federal forces withdrew in the face of an offensive by the Islamic State group.

Iraqi Kurds overwhelmingly backed independence in the non-binding referendum held on September 25.

In response, Baghdad demanded the vote be annulled and imposed air and trade restrictions on the Kurdish region.

Late last year, federal forces recaptured the oil fields, severing a key financial lifeline for the Kurds.

On Tuesday last week, Abadi said the airports of Arbil and second city Sulaimaniyah would again "open to international flights" after a nearly six-month air blockade.

The ban forced all Kurdistan-bound international flights to be rerouted to Baghdad, which also imposed entry visas on foreigners wishing to visit the Kurdish region.
Civilians fleeing the city of Afrin in northern Syria on March 19, 2018

The United States warned its NATO ally Turkey on Monday it is "deeply concerned" after a Turkish-led assault on the Syrian city of Afrin triggered an exodus of Kurdish civilians.

Turkish forces and Turkish-backed Syrian Arab fighters have over the past 48 hours surged into the city in northwest Turkey, once defended by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia.

"It appears the majority of the population of the city, which is predominantly Kurdish, evacuated under threat of attack from Turkish military forces and Turkish-backed opposition forces," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

"We are also concerned over reports of looting inside the city of Afrin. We have repeatedly expressed our serious concern to Turkish officials regarding the situation in Afrin," she said.

In eastern Syria, the YPG forms the backbone of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the militia which ousted the Islamic State group from its main stronghold of Raqa.

But, while American special forces continue to support the SDF east of the Euphrates river, they have not come to their aid in Afrin, a pocket of autonomous Kurdish-led rule west of the river.

There, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has unleashed his army and Syrian former rebel fighters to take Afrin from a group he sees as aligned with the outlawed Kurdish PKK group fighting within Turkey.

The fight has embarrassed America, which wants to maintain ties with both its traditional NATO ally and a regional force that has proved its mettle against IS.

Nauert said the offensive had worsened the "humanitarian situation in the area, with United Nations agencies reporting a displaced population in or from Afrin district in the hundreds of thousands."

Colonel Rob Manning, a Pentagon spokesman, said the Defense Department was concerned about reports Afrin residents no longer have access to clean water.

"We encourage all parties to allow the free flow of these resources and humanitarian aid... throughout Syria," he said.

- IS 'reconstituting' -

Young men walking on March 19 amid destruction in the Syrian Kurdish city of Afrin, a day after Turkish-led forces entered the city

Nauert stressed that Washington is not taking sides west of the Euphrates, despite Erdogan having declared that his forces will now take the battle to more Kurdish-held districts.

"We remain committed to our NATO ally Turkey, to include their legitimate security concerns. We also remain committed to the Defeat ISIS campaign and our Syrian Democratic Forces partners in eastern Syria," she said.

Nauert also warned that the fighting has distracted from the battle against IS, which she said had begun "reconstituting in some areas."

"This is a serious and growing concern," she added.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy disputed Nauert's comments.

"The claim that the operation against terrorists in Afrin would harm the fight against Daesh lacks any basis," Aksoy said, adding that "necessary precautions" have been taken to ensure civilians are not harmed and access to humanitarian aid has been secured.

The situation in Afrin has seen some Kurdish members of the SDF abandon the battle against IS in the Middle Euphrates River Valley and head west to join the fight against Turkey and Turkish aligned forces.

The Pentagon cautioned that this flow has created an opening for IS jihadists.

"It is imperative that we not relent on ISIS or permit these terrorists to recover from their battlefield losses," Pentagon spokesman Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway told AFP.

"There is no doubt that, as it has done in the past, ISIS is taking full advantage of any opportunity to regain its momentum by attempting to retake previously liberated territory and fleeing to more permissive areas."
Zuma was forced to resign as president last month after a nine-year rule tainted by fraud scandals

A private jet used by a business family at the heart of corruption allegations against former South African president Jacob Zuma was grounded Monday by a court order, according to court documents.

The whereabouts of the Bombadier Global 6000 jet is unknown, but the High Court in Johannesburg ordered that it must be landed and kept at the Lanseria airport outside the city.

The court gave the Guptas 15 days to hand over the luxury jet.

"Within 15 calendar days of the date of this order, the (Gupta company) shall deliver the Bombadier" into the custody of the Export Development Canada (EDC) at Lanseria International Airport, ruled High Court judge Kathree Setiloane.

She also "interdicted and restrained" the Gupta family from possessing or using the aircraft which they had been leasing from Stoneriver which had bought the aircraft with funding from the EDC.

The EDC, Canada's state-run trade credit agency, had together with Stoneriver, petitioned the court after the controversial family's businesses defaulted on paying its lease fees for the $41-million (33-million) plane.

If the family fails to comply with the order to return the aircraft, the court ordered that the South African aviation authorities cancel the plane's registration certifiate.

EDC also had feared that the plane could be used to commit criminal offences given that its public tracking device had been switched off.

The judge said the fact that the Guptas did not want the whereabouts of the plane to be known "makes for the pungent possibility that this was done so that the aircraft can be used for unlawful purposes".

The Indian-born Gupta family has been accused of corrupt dealings with Zuma, allegedly benefiting from favourable government contracts and mining deals.

The brothers are facing police investigations, while Zuma resigned last month under pressure from ANC ruling party lawmakers after a nine-year reign tainted by fraud scandals.
The World Bank announced that if world governments do not intervene, the warming climate will result in a spike in refugee populations, displacing millions like these woman who were displaced by Ethiopia's drought in June 2017

The wave of refugees fleeing crop failures, droughts and rising sea levels will grow drastically over the next three decades if world governments do not intervene, the World Bank warned Monday.

By 2050, 143 million "climate migrants" will face an "existential threat" and be displaced, the World Bank said in a new report. That includes 86 million in Sub-Saharan Africa, 40 million in South Asia and 17 million in Latin America.

These regions are home to more than half the developing world's population, and 2.8 percent of inhabitants are among those at risk, according to the report, which the bank said was the first to address the question of migration spurred by climate change.

Climate change has inexorably become an "engine of migration," forcing individuals, families and even whole communities to seek more viable homes, World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva said.

"Every day, climate change becomes a more urgent economic, social and existential threat to countries and their people," she said in a statement.

But, she said, "The number of climate migrants could be reduced by tens of millions as a result of global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and with far-sighted development planning."

- A warmer future -

The report said Ethiopia's population could almost double by 2050 and migration will rise due to diminishing harvests.

In Bangladesh, climate migrants could be the single-largest group among all internally displaced persons.

And in Mexico, people increasingly will gravitate towards urban areas away from more vulnerable regions.

At a recent conference of the International Organization for Migration, France's Ecology Minister Nicolas Hulot said climate issues already were displacing twice as many people as conflicts, and might already be the main cause of migration.

Gilbert Houngbo, president of the UN's International Fund for Agricultural Development, said fast-growing rural populations in Sub-Saharan Africa that cannot grow enough food to feed themselves were particularly vulnerable.

The region's inhabitants currently number more than one billion but will rise to 2.7 billion people by 2060, according to World Bank figures.

Nevertheless the World Bank said climate-linked migration need not descend into humanitarian crisis.

Researchers believe the number could be reduced by 80 percent if countries reduce emissions, account for migration in development planning and make investments in studying the process of internal climate migration.

"Without the right planning and support, people migrating from rural areas into cities could be facing new and even more dangerous risks," Kanta Kumari Rigaud, a chief author of the report, said in a statement.

"While internal climate migration is becoming a reality, it won't be a crisis if we plan for it now."
Newly named German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier walks in front of the White House after speaking to the press in Washington, DC, on March 19, 2018

A compromise could be reached as soon as this week between the European Union and United States over the tariffs President Donald Trump imposed on steel and aluminum, a German official said Monday.

Talks with US officials could make it "possible to find a solution that can still avoid a decline into a heavy trade conflict," German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told reporters outside the White House.

The comments offered hope of a detente after weeks of increasing multinational trade frictions.

US trading partners, industry groups, Republican lawmakers and markets have all been on tenterhooks amid fears of a global trade war since Trump this month suddenly announced steep duties of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum, citing the need to protect US national security interests.

Altmaier offered no details about any possible solution but said US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross shared his optimism.

"We had a very constructive preliminary exchange on all relevant matters in our economic relationships with an eye toward relaxing trade tensions," the officials said in a joint statement.

"We anticipate further discussions over the next few days."

The announcement comes ahead of this week's planned visit to Washington by EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem, who likewise is due to meet Ross and other American officials Tuesday and Wednesday.

After initially vowing to allow no exemptions, Washington has since said Canada and Mexico, major suppliers of the metals to US companies, will be exempt at least temporarily.

- 'The EU should be excluded' -

European officials have already threatened to retaliate against Trump's tariffs, and produced a list of US exports that could be targeted, including Levi's blue jeans, Harley-Davidson motorcycles and peanut butter.

But a compromise would lessen fears of tit-for-tat trade measures that could dampen economic momentum and exacerbate inflationary pressures.

"I am in close contact with the EU commissioner in charge," Altmaier said, referring to Malmstroem. "Germany is supporting these talks."

He also said he was due to meet with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels on Monday, Malmstroem said she was willing to work constructively with Washington to reach a joint solution but reiterated that European exporters should not be subject to the new tariffs.

"The EU should be excluded as a whole," she said.

Elsewhere, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire sent a similar message in a less conciliatory tone.

Speaking on the margins of the G20 finance ministers meeting in Buenos Aires, Le Maire said he told US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin "very frankly" that Europe should be excluded from the tariffs.

"To tell you the bottom line, no one would understand if the EU... is not globally exempt from this," Le Maire said.

He also told Mnuchin the tariffs would harm "your own allies, in this case your own European allies, impact on the jobs of your allies, on the businesses of your allies."

Europe exported $6.5 billion worth of steel and $1.4 billion in aluminum last year to the United States.

The Commerce Department also began accepting applications from US importers for exemptions on particular steel and aluminum products.

The department said this would help make the tariffs more targeted and reduce the likelihood of higher costs for manufacturers and retailers.

Industry representatives have continued lobbying the White House, hoping to pressure Trump into reversing course on the tariffs.

In a letter obtained Sunday by The Wall Street Journal, trade groups said the tariffs would cause "a chain reaction of negative consequences."
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas (C) attends a meeting with the Revolutionary Council of the ruling Fatah party in the West Bank city of Ramallah on March 01, 2018

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas directly accused Hamas on Monday of carrying out a bomb attack against prime minister Rami Hamdallah in Gaza last week, threatening fresh sanctions against them.

Abbas had previously said the Islamist group was responsible as it controls security in the Palestinian enclave, but Monday evening said they were "behind the attack."

Hamdallah was uninjured in the March 13 attack, which saw a roadside bomb explode as his convoy entered Gaza in what Palestinian officials have called an assassination attempt.

Six of his security guards were lightly hurt.

Speaking to Palestinian leaders in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Abbas said if the attack had succeeded it would have "opened the way for a bloody civil war."

He said the incident would "not be allowed to pass" and announced he would take unspecified "national, legal and financial measures."

Hamas did not immediately respond to the comments.

The Islamists and Abbas's secular party Fatah have been at odds since 2007 when Hamas seized control of Gaza in a near civil war.

Abbas controls the internationally-recognised Palestinian government, based in the occupied West Bank which Hamdallah leads.

Abbas has previously taken a series of measures, including reducing electricity payments for Gaza's two million residents, in what analysts said was an attempt to punish Hamas.

Hamas and Fatah agreed a reconciliation agreement in October but it has collapsed.
Pilot models of the self-driving car developed by Uber, which is cooperating with police following a deadly accident involving one of the vehicles

Ride-sharing giant Uber said Monday it is suspending its self-driving car program after one of the vehicles struck and killed a pedestrian in the US state of Arizona.

The Uber vehicle was in autonomous mode, with an operator behind the wheel, when it hit a woman walking in the street in the city of Tempe late Sunday, according to the San Francisco-based company.

The victim was hospitalized and later died from her injuries.

"Our hearts go out to the victim's family," an Uber spokesperson told AFP. "We are fully cooperating with local authorities in their investigation of this incident."

Uber has suspend use of self-driving cars it was testing or using in Tempe, Pittsburgh, Toronto, and San Francisco, according to the company.

Uber was only using autonomous vehicles as part of its regular passenger service in Pittsburgh and Tempe.

A vehicle operator in the driver's seat was the only person in the Uber car when the fatal accident occurred, according to the company. The car was in police hands on Monday.

Sunday's accident was the first fatal self-driving car crash involving a pedestrian.

The first deadly self-driving car accident was reported in mid-2016, and involved a Tesla.

- Slow car tech? -

The Tesla Model S, cruising on "Autopilot," failed to detect a crossing tractor-trailer against a bright sky, killing the driver -- who it later emerged had kept his hands off the wheel for extended periods of time despite automated warnings not to do so.

It was a nightmare scenario for an industry promoting a way to improve road safety and reduce traffic fatalities that come mostly from human error.

As with the fatal Tesla crash, the deadly Uber accident is likely to stoke concerns that the industry is moving too fast to deploy self-driving vehicles.

Google-owned Waymo for years has been testing self-driving cars, racing against smartphone-summoned ride star Uber.

Waymo early this month began using its self-driving trucks to haul cargo bound for the internet giant's data centers in Georgia.

Rival Uber made a similar announcement, saying it is using self-driving semi trucks as part of an on-demand trucking service in Arizona.

In September, US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao released new guidelines that permit more testing of self-driving cars and address regulation between the federal government and states.

Autonomous-vehicle technology has been touted as having potential to save fuel, ease congestion, and make transportation safer.

Chao argued that self-driving technology could also improve mobility for the elderly, disabled and other restricted populations.

But the non-profit Consumer Watchdog has 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.
On 18 March Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan visited in Washington St. Mary and Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Churches, was present at the Divine Liturgies held there, met with a group of representatives of the diocesan councils and the local Armenian community.

March 19, 2018, 09:53 Artsakh President visits St. Mary and Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Churches in Washington

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 19, ARTSAKHPRESS:Issues related to the development of our republic, the Artsakh-Diaspora ties and some other spheres were raised in a warm and informal atmosphere.

President Sahakyan stressed the significant role of the Washington Armenian Community in the Diaspora, extending gratitude for the constant support rendered to Artsakh.
Turkish-backed Syrian rebels remove a rope from the statue of Kawa the blacksmith who was a central figure in a Kurdish legend about the new year celebration of Noruz, after destroying it in the city of Afrin in northern Syria on March 18, 2018

Inside Syria's Afrin on Monday, the statue of a famous Kurdish hero hung battered and partly defaced from its mantle a day after Turkey-led forces overran the city.

Kurds have reacted with outrage after pro-Ankara fighters reportedly destroyed the statue of Kawa the blacksmith on Sunday, calling it an insult to their people.

But who is the mythical figure and what does he represent?

- Kawa who? -

A symbol of resistance, Kawa is a Kurdish hero famous for having led a revolt against a murderous king.

Several peoples including Syria's Kurds have told his story over the centuries, adding their own details. Here is one version.

Once upon a time, a blacksmith called Kawa lived in a city ruled by an evil king. The despot was ill and a doctor told him the only cure was to eat, once a day, the fresh brains of two children.

The monarch carried out daily murder across the city until one day Kawa devised a plan. Working tirelessly at his furnace, he cast enough swords for an uprising.

In the mountains outside the city, the blacksmith gathered all its youth and armed them with the weapons. After Kawa's signal -- by lighting a fire -- they attacked the evil king's palace and burnt it down.

- 'Freedom' -

Beyond the tales of his rebellion, Kawa's name also appears in Kurdish songs.

In Kurdish tradition, Kawa represents hard "work, rationality... freedom, emancipation from slavery, uprising against oppression", said Faris Othman, a researcher in Kurdish history based in Qamishli.

Fighters tearing down Kawa's statue in Afrin is an "assault on all it symbolises", the writer said.

It signals "a return to authoritarianism, ignorance and oppression".

- Eve of a festival -

Images of the destroyed statue of Kawa have been shared widely on social media as Syria's Kurds prepare to celebrate their new year on March 21.

The festival of Nowruz is directly linked to Kawa, whose revolt against the tyrant is a symbol of new beginnings -- like the annual celebration at the start of spring.

During the festival, Kurds wear ornate traditional clothes and light fires, as did the blacksmith.

- Brutalised statues -

Kawa is one of several statues to have been demolished since Syria's war started seven years ago, most infamously by jihadists.

In 2013, fighters beheaded a statue of Abbassid-era poet and philosopher Abu al-Alaa al-Maari.

It was not clear who the vandals were, but people in the northwestern town of Maaret al-Numan blamed Al-Qaeda's then Syrian affiliate, Al-Nusra Front.

In 2015, Al-Nusra fighters reportedly also destroyed a sculpture of Syrian national icon Ibrahim Hanano in the city of Idlib.

In Syria and neighbouring Iraq, Islamic State group jihadists have repeatedly attacked representations of the human body, calling them "idols".
A man said to be a Mali national was negotiating with police officers after taking a woman hostage in his country's consulate in Barcelona

Police on Monday freed the wife of Mali's honorary consul in Barcelona after a man from the African country seeking to be allowed out of Spain held her for five hours, police said.

A spokeswoman from the Mossos d'Esquadra, the regional police force in Catalonia where the seaside city is located, told AFP they received an alert mid-afternoon "that a woman was being held against her will inside Mali's consulate in Barcelona."

The regional force and national police officers went to the building and started negotiating with the Malian man, whose identity was not revealed.

"He wanted police to give him the necessary papers to be able to leave Spain," a national police spokesman said, adding the man had committed minor offences which meant he was not allowed out. He did not know what these offences were.

The spokesman said the woman being held was the honorary consul's wife.

After negotiating with the man, whom the police spokesman described as "calm" and unarmed, officers moved in, freeing the consul's wife and detaining him.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting concerning issues in the Middle East on February 20, 2018 in New York City

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas labelled the US ambassador to Israel David Friedman a "son of a dog" on Monday during a scathing attack on Donald Trump's policies.

"The US ambassador in Tel Aviv is a settler and a son of a dog," Abbas said in comments to Palestinian leaders in Ramallah.

Relations between Abbas's government and President Trump's US administration have broken down since the White House recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December.

The Palestinians also see the disputed city as the capital of their future state.

Friedman, who was Trump's personal lawyer before being appointed last year, is a longstanding supporter of settlement building in the occupied West Bank, considered illegal under international law.

On Monday, Friedman referred to an attack in the West Bank as "in the north", raising questions over whether he views it as part of Israeli territory, and accused Abbas's Palestinian Authority (PA) of failing to condemn it.

"Such brutality and no condemnation from the PA!" he tweeted, referring to a Friday car ramming that killed two soldiers and a Sunday stabbing in Jerusalem that left an Israeli dead, both carried out by Palestinians.

Israel has militarily occupied the West Bank since 1967 but Abbas's government has limited autonomy in parts of it.
Syrian Kurdish leader Saleh Muslim (C) is escorted by Czech police for his trial at the municipal court on February 27, 2018 in Prague

The Czech Republic on Monday said it would not extradite to Turkey a prominent Syrian Kurdish leader who was briefly detained in Prague last month, as Saleh Muslim has already left the country.

"The prosecutor's office has closed the preliminary extradition procedure because this person is not in the Czech Republic," office spokeswoman Stepanka Zenklova told reporters.

Muslim's lawyer Miroslav Krutina confirmed that his client was no longer in the country, telling the CTK news agency the court had only required Muslim to stay in the European Union.

His current location is unknown. Now that the Czech Republic has closed their case, the lawyer said he believes Muslim is "in principle" no longer obliged to remain in the EU.

Muslim, the former co-chair of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), was detained on February 24 at an upmarket Prague hotel before a court released him three days later.

Muslim is wanted by Ankara over a February 2016 attack in Ankara that killed 29 people and the Turkish authorities blamed on Kurdish militants.

He has been charged and faces 30 life sentences if found guilty but he has dismissed the accusations against him.

Turkey says the PYD and its People's Protection Units (YPG) militia are linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has been waging an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984.

The PKK is blacklisted as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said earlier this month that Turkey would continue to pursue Muslim.

"Let him go wherever, we will follow and not give up," Cavusoglu had told reporters.
Turkish-backed Syrian Arab fighters loot shops after seizing control of the northwestern Syrian city of Afrin from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) on March 18, 2018

Turkey on Monday said it would investigate reports of looting by Ankara-backed forces who seized the Syrian city of Afrin a day earlier.

Turkish troops and Syrian rebels captured the city held by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia on Sunday after a lightning advance on the centre, part of the cross-border operation in the Afrin region that began on January 20.

But AFP reporters in Afrin and a war monitor said the Turkish-led Syrian fighters went on a rampage after taking the city, pillaging shops and homes.

Ankara took such reports "seriously" and was "looking into those incidents very closely and necessary measures obviously will be taken", Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said. He did not give further details on what the measures could be.

"Apparently they have happened, some groups probably did not follow the orders that were given by their commanders," Kalin told CNN International in an interview.

Kalin insisted that Turkey's "main aim in the Afrin operation is and has been from the very beginning to bring safety and security to those people living in Afrin".

AFP reporters said fighters broke into shops, restaurants and houses and left with foodstuff, electronic equipment, blankets and other goods.

In its operation dubbed "Olive Branch", Ankara has targeted the YPG militia which it considers a "terrorist" offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The PKK has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984 and is blacklisted as a terror organisation by Ankara, the United States and the European Union.

But the YPG has been working closely with the US which has provided arms to the militia in the fight against the Islamic State extremist group in Syria.
Palestinian Ahed Tamimi (C), 16-year-old prominent campaigner against Israel's occupation, appears at a military court at the Israeli-run Ofer prison in the West Bank village of Betunia on December 28, 2017

An Israeli military court has blocked a bid to make the high-profile trial of Palestinian teen Ahed Tamimi public, meaning it will continue behind closed doors, her lawyer said Monday.

"The Military Appeals Tribunal dismissed the defence's appeal against a closed trial," Gaby Lasky wrote on Twitter.

"A public trial was the only defence and it's obvious that in its absence, Ahed Tamimi will not be entitled to a fair trial."

Tamimi was arrested four months ago after the 17-year-old appeared in a viral video, along with her mother and cousin, slapping and shoving two Israeli soldier outside their family home in the village of Nabi Saleh in the occupied West Bank.

The soldiers had taken up positions next to the house amid near daily protests in the village against US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Tamimi has been charged with 12 counts including assault and could face a lengthy jail term if convicted.

Her trial -- which has found wide resonance with Palestinians -- opened on February 13 and is scheduled to continue on March 21 in front of Israel's Ofer military court near Ramallah in the West Bank.

Mariam Barghouti, a Palestinian activist close to the Tamimi family and Ahed's mother, Nariman, confirmed to AFP that the request for a public trail had been rejected.

Questioned by AFP, a military spokesman was not able to confirm the decision.

The United Nation's human rights body and the EU have expressed concern over Ahed's case, and Amnesty International has called for her immediate release.

About 350 Palestinian children are being held in detention by Israel, according to Amnesty.
President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila, seen here holding a press conference for the first time in five years on January 26, 2018 in Kinshasa, refused to leave office when his term expired in December 2016

A government crackdown on demonstrations against President Joseph Kabila in Democratic Republic of Congo has led to the killing of 47 people in just over a year, a UN report seen by AFP said Monday.

"Between 1 January 2017 and 31 January 2018, at least 47 people, including women and children, were killed by security services and defence forces in the context of demonstrations," the report states.

It added that there were indications Congolese security services had attempted to cover up the deaths by removing the bodies of victims and obstructing the work of national and international observers.

The report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and UN mission chief in DR Congo Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein as well as UN special representative for DRC Leila Zerrougui documents "killings and other serious human rights violations due to the use of excessive force by security services and defence forces" against protesters.

The UN condemned the "systematic suppression of demonstrations, including through the use of disproportionate force (which) is a serious breach of international human rights law and the laws of the DRC."

The world body called for "a meaningful, transparent and independent judicial investigation into these violations and other allegations", noting that security forces were seemingly able to act "with almost full impunity".

Zerrougui and Zeid urged the Kinshasa government to permit peaceful assembly and expression, warning repression would likely spark more unrest and "could pose a threat to the electoral process."

Public protests have mounted over months after Kabila refused to leave office when his term expired in December 2016.

Three demonstrations since the new year have left at least 17 dead.

The influential Catholic Church brokered an accord under which Kabila could remain in power if elections were jeld last year but the deal fell through.

The Church wants Kabila to stand aside in a presidential vote now slated for December 23.

"For credible elections to be held at the end of this year, the government has an obligation to ensure that peoples civil and political rights are respected and their exercise is facilitated," the report concluded.

Opposition lawmaker Gerard Mulumba, arrested in November, was meanwhile handed an 18-month jail term Monday for "insulting" Kabila, his defence counsel Leon Ngombwa said, vowing to appeal.
A Syrian boy puts out a fire amid destroyed buildings following government air strikes in the Eastern Ghouta rebel-held enclave of Douma, on the outskirts of the capital Damascus on March 19, 2018

An air strike on a school in Syria's Eastern Ghouta late Monday killed 15 children and two women who were using its basement as a bomb shelter, a monitor said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the bombing raid hit Arbin, a key town in the dwindling rebel-held enclave of Ghouta that has been under attack by government troops for over a month.

"Three missiles from a single air strike hit the school, where the underground level was being used as a shelter," said Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Britain-based monitor.

"Rescue workers are still searching for survivors," he told AFP.

The Observatory, which identifies air strikes based on flight patterns, munitions used, and aircraft, said Monday night's raids were suspected to have been carried out by Russia.

Moscow has said it is helping Syria's government "finish off" fighters in Ghouta but has denied carrying out air strikes against civilians.

Since February 18, Syrian troops and allied militia have been waging a ferocious ground and air assault to oust rebels from Ghouta, just east of Damascus.

They have captured more than 80 percent of the former opposition and have splintered the remaining territory into three sections, each held by a separate rebel group.

The pocket where Arbin lies is held by the Faylaq al-Rahman Islamist faction.

Syrian troops have made sweeping advances against them in recent days, opening a "corridor" for terrified civilians to flee into government-controlled territory.

Other residents have opted to flee deeper into the shrinking rebel-held areas.

The White Helmets rescue force, which works to extract people out from the rubble after air strikes, said Monday its teams in Arbin were responding to a strike on a "basement" there.
Air Force scientists hope to have a laser that can defeat drones and missiles ready to put on an F-15 by summer 2019

The US Air Force will this summer begin testing a laser that will be mounted on an F-15 warplane, an official said Monday.

The Pentagon last year awarded a $26 million contract to Lockheed Martin for a laser program called SHiELD (Self-protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator.)

The idea is to put a laser system on aircraft with an output of about 50 kilowatts to test their ability to zap drones or cruise missiles.

"We have got tests starting this summer and the flight tests next summer," Jeff Stanley, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for science, technology and engineering, told reporters.

"There are still some technical challenges that we have to overcome, mainly size, weight, power."

Military laser beams are invisible to the naked eye.

By focusing a beam on a target, the technology rapidly heats it up inside, causing it to crash or explode.
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) - A man argued with his former wife at a Southern California mall before shooting her to death and turning the gun on himself, authorities said, leading shoppers to run into stores and out the exits Saturday.

The 33-year-old Los Angeles-area gunman was wounded and taken to a hospital, officials said. He was in critical condition, the Ventura County Star newspaper reported .

The man went to a store at The Oaks mall in the city of Thousand Oaks, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Los Angeles, and had an argument with the 30-year-old victim before shooting her, Ventura County sheriff's Sgt. Eric Buschow said.

Law enforcement officers work in The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks, Calif., about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Los Angeles on Saturday, March 17, 2018. Authorities said a gunman shot and killed one person and then turned the gun on himself at the shopping center on Saturday. (Gretchen Wenner/The Ventura County Star via AP)

The divorced couple have children, who have been found safe, said Buschow, adding that initial indications show the shooting was a murder and attempted suicide.

The gunshots at the shopping center with open-air and indoor shopping space led to some chaos and a lockdown.

Jeffrey Simpson, 17, was shopping with his mother at a department store when an announcement came over the intercom about a threat outside the mall.

"I went to Nordstrom to get pants, and the next thing I know, the doors are being sealed," Simpson told The Associated Press.

He said he and his mom were "a little shaken" but OK. They were in the store for more than an hour but shoppers were free to move around and employees were helping people stay comfortable and calm, Simpson said.

Matt Lemieux told the newspaper that he was working on his computer inside a coffee store when he suddenly saw "a whole group of people" running by.

"It was creepy," he said.

Law enforcement officers work in The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks, Calif., about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Los Angeles on Saturday, March 17, 2018. Authorities said a gunman shot and killed one person and then turned the gun on himself at the shopping center on Saturday. (Gretchen Wenner/The Ventura County Star via AP)

A law enforcement officer walks through The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks, Calif., about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Los Angeles on Saturday, March 17, 2018. Authorities said a gunman shot and killed one person and then turned the gun on himself at the shopping center on Saturday. (Gretchen Wenner/The Ventura County Star via AP)
The Brussels Airlines, Belgiums national carrier, received a permission from Armenias General Department of Civil Aviation to operate Brussels-Yerevan-Brussels regular flights from June 2, the General Department said.

March 19, 2018, 11:42 Brussels Airlines re-launches regular flights to Yerevan

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 19, ARTSAKHPRESS:During the period from June 2 to July 2, from August 29 to October 27 the flights will be operated once a week on Saturdays, but from July 3 to August 28 the flights will be carried out twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Sergey Avetisyan, Head of Armenias General Department of Civil Aviation held a meeting with Brussels Airlines Vice President Herman Carpentier on February 28. During the meeting the sides discussed re-launching the Brussels-Yerevan-Brussels flight by the Belgian national carrier.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was feted in Australia with a military honor guard and 19-gun salute Monday as part of a state visit that has provoked protests over her response to her country's violent campaign against Rohingya Muslims.

Suu Kyi arrived in Sydney over the weekend for a summit of Southeast Asian leaders and her state visit officially began Monday, when she was welcomed to Parliament House in Canberra. Her visit comes as she faces international criticism over what has become Asia's worst refugee crisis in decades.

More than 700,000 Rohingya have fled from Buddhist-majority Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh since August, when the military responded to insurgent attacks on police with a clearance operation that the United Nations has described as ethnic cleansing. The campaign has included the burning of Rohingya villages, systematic rape, shootings and other rights violations.

Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi, left, is welcomed to Parliament House by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during her state visit in Canberra Monday, March 19,2018. The Nobel Peace laureate who has been widely condemned over her country's treatment of its Rohingya Muslim minority arrived in Sydney at the weekend for a summit of Southeast Asian leaders. (Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP)

There was no press conference with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull or any public comment from Suu Kyi during her brief visit to the capital on Monday. She had meetings with the prime minister and opposition leader.

Turnbull said Sunday that Suu Kyi had used the weekend summit to seek humanitarian help from her fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Australia to deal with the crisis.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak told the summit that the refugee crisis was no longer solely a domestic issue for Myanmar, as fleeing Rohingya could be prime targets for terrorist radicalization.

Myanmar staunchly denies that its security forces have targeted Rohingya civilians and Suu Kyi has bristled at the international criticism.

But Myanmar's denials have appeared increasingly tenuous as horrific accounts from refugees have accumulated and satellite imagery and other evidence of destroyed Rohingya villages have been assembled.

The Associated Press last month documented through video and witness accounts at least five mass graves of Rohingya civilians. Witnesses said the military used acid to erase the identity of victims. The government denied it, maintaining that only "terrorists" were killed and then "carefully buried."

Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate, was a longtime political prisoner of Myanmar's former junta and frequently called for international intervention in her country during her almost 15 years under house arrest. She was released in 2010 and last visited Canberra in 2013 on an Australian tour, before she was allowed to stand for an election that her party eventually won in a landslide.

Then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott described her as an "icon of democracy" as he stood by her side at a joint press conference. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Suu Kyi had inspired her to enter politics.

Suu Kyi's global image has since taken a battering. She has seen several international honors she was given in the past revoked. Several fellow Peace Prize winners have publicly condemned her.

Though Suu Kyi has been the de facto head of Myanmar's civilian government since her party took power, she is limited in her control of the country by a constitution written by the outgoing junta. The military has effective veto power over all legislation and controls key ministries including those overseeing security and defense.

The military is in charge of operations involving the Rohingya and ending them is not up to Suu Kyi.

Yet even when Suu Kyi has spoken on the issue, she has drawn criticism. In a September speech, her first public comments on the crisis, she asked for patience from the international community and suggested the refugees were partly responsible.

Suu Kyi faces a potential domestic backlash if she speaks on behalf of the Rohingya, who have been the target of anti-Muslim rhetoric. Many people agree with the official government stance that there is no such ethnicity as Rohingya and that those in the country have illegally migrated from Bangladesh.

Myanmar's backers globally have also had to tread carefully, not wanting to undermine Suu Kyi's weak civilian government at a time when the country is just emerging from decades of authoritarian rule.

Unlike the United Nations, United States and Britain, Australia has not accused Myanmar of "ethnic cleansing" or "crimes against humanity."

But Australia did support a U.N. resolution in December condemning the "very likely commission of crimes against humanity" by Myanmar security forces against Rohingya.

Human rights groups have criticized Australia for maintaining its limited military engagement with Myanmar. Australia provides English-language lessons and training courses to Myanmar officers to "promote professionalism and adherence to international laws," according to the defense department.

But Australia maintains a long-standing arms embargo with Myanmar.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump's plan to combat opioid drug addiction nationwide calls for stiffer penalties for drug traffickers, including the death penalty where appropriate under current law, a top administration official said Sunday. It's a fate for drug dealers that Trump, who aims to be seen as tough on crime, has been highlighting publicly in recent weeks.

Trump also wants Congress to pass legislation reducing the amount of drugs needed to trigger mandatory minimum sentences for traffickers who knowingly distribute certain illicit opioids, said Andrew Bremberg, Trump's domestic policy director, who briefed reporters Sunday on the plan Trump is scheduled to unveil Monday in New Hampshire, a state hard-hit by the crisis.

The president will be joined by first lady Melania Trump, who has shown an interest in the issue, particularly as it pertains to her focus on child welfare.

FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump speaks during an event at the White House in Washington, as first lady Melania Trump listens. Trump's plan to combat opioid drug addiction calls for stiffer penalties for drug traffickers, including the death penalty where it's appropriate under current law. The president is scheduled to unveil his plan Monday, March 19, 2018, in New Hampshire, a state hard-hit by the crisis. He'll be accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, who has shown an interest in the issue, particularly as it pertains to children. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Death for drug traffickers and mandatory minimum penalties for distributing certain opioids are just two elements under the part of Trump's plan that deals with law enforcement and interdiction to break the international and domestic flow of drugs into and across the U.S.

Other parts of the plan include broadening education and awareness, and expanding access to proven treatment and recovery efforts.

Trump has mused openly in recent weeks about subjecting drug dealers to the "ultimate penalty."

The president told the audience at a Pennsylvania campaign rally this month that countries like Singapore have fewer issues with drug addiction because they harshly punish their dealers. He argued that a person in the U.S. can get the death penalty or life in prison for shooting one person, but that a drug dealer who potentially kills thousands can spend little or no time in jail.

"The only way to solve the drug problem is through toughness," Trump said in Moon Township.

He made similar comments at a recent White House summit on opioids. "Some countries have a very, very tough penalty - the ultimate penalty. And, by the way, they have much less of a drug problem than we do," Trump said. "So we're going to have to be very strong on penalties."

The Justice Department said the federal death penalty is available for several limited drug-related offenses, including violations of the "drug kingpin" provisions of federal law.

Doug Berman, a law professor at Ohio State University, said it was not clear that death sentences for drug dealers, even for those whose product causes multiple deaths, would be constitutional. Berman said the issue would be litigated extensively and would have to be definitively decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Opioids, including prescription opioids, heroin and synthetic drugs such as fentanyl, killed more than 42,000 people in the U.S. in 2016, more than any year on record, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Trump has declared that fighting the epidemic is a priority for the administration but critics say the effort has fallen short.

Last October, Trump declared the crisis a national public health emergency, short of the national state of emergency sought by a presidential commission he put together to study the issue.

"We call it the crisis next door because everyone knows someone," said Kellyanne Conway, a Trump senior adviser. "This is no longer somebody else's community, somebody else's kid, somebody else's co-worker."

Other elements of the plan Trump will discuss Monday call for a nationwide public awareness campaign, which Trump announced last October, and increased research and development through public-private partnerships between the federal National Institutes of Health and pharmaceutical companies.

Bremberg said the administration also has a plan to cut the number of filled opioid prescriptions by one-third within three years.

The stop in New Hampshire will be Trump's first visit as president. He won the state's 2016 Republican presidential primary but narrowly lost in the general election to Hillary Clinton. It follows a visit to the state last week by retiring Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., a persistent Trump critic. Flake told New Hampshire Republicans that someone needs to stop Trump - and it could be him if no one else steps up.

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Associated Press writer Mark Sherman contributed to this report.

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Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap
The wreckage of a steamer that sank in Lake Erie over a century ago and eluded shipwreck hunters for decades has finally been found off the Ohio shore, according to the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

The steam barge, called the Margaret Olwill, was loaded with limestone and bound for Cleveland when it went down in a storm in 1899, killing eight people including the captain, his wife and their nine-year-old son.

Shipwreck hunter Rob Ruetschle, who first looked for the barge nearly 30 years ago, discovered its remains last summer. He and others later confirmed the identity of the wreckage, the museum said.

The wreckage of a steamer that sank in Lake Erie over a century ago and eluded shipwreck hunters for decades has finally been found off the Ohio shore, pictured here

Lake Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes and littered with shipwrecks from an era when people and cargo often traveled by water.

But its violent storms that can whip up in a hurry have taken down hundreds of schooners, freighters and steamships over the years.

How many wreckage sites are below the surface is not known - estimates vary from several hundred to several thousand.

The ship was bound for Cleveland (pictured here) when it went down in a storm in 1899

The crew flies over the Perry's Victory and International Peace Monument in Put-in-Bay on Lake Erie during a flight exercise

A small group of shipwreck hunters known as the Cleveland Underwater Explorers researches the locations of many suspected wrecks and typically finds a few every year.

'We keep knocking those off and the list is getting shorter,' said David VanZandt, the group's director. 'Sometimes we stumble across ones when we're looking for others.'

The Olwill steam barge has been one of its targets for a long time.

Ruetschle, who now lives in Santa Monica, California, but returns to Ohio in the summers to search for shipwrecks, decided a few years ago to take another run at finding the steamship.

The Lady K tow boat kicks up a wake full of green algae a few hundred feet from the city of Toledo's Water Intake on Lake Erie, for testing in August 2014

Pictured here is the Cleveland skyline, where the ship was bound for in 1899

He poured over old wreck reports, newspaper accounts and court records looking for clues. His search in 2016 came up empty, so he moved on to another area last summer.

That was when he came across the Olwill near Lorain, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Cleveland.

'It's sort of like climbing Mount Everest for the first time,' Ruetschle said about how he felt. 'Once you find it, it's just fantastic.'

Shipwreck hunter Rob Ruetschle, who first looked for the barge nearly 30 years ago, discovered its remains last summer

Ruetschle and other members of the Cleveland Underwater Explorers completed a couple of dives at the site, concluding it was indeed the Olwill based on what they saw, the wreck's location and the historical accounts of the sinking.

Four survivors who were found holding onto the wreckage, according to newspaper reports, said the ship was attempting to turn back during the storm when it was caught between waves and rolled over.

'Every time we find a shipwreck, it adds a little more to the bank of knowledge we have about Great Lakes history,' said Christopher Gillcrist, executive director of the Great Lakes museum in Toledo. 'There are so many stories out there.'

Shipwreck hunter Rob Ruetschle and others later confirmed the identity of the wreckage
BEIJING (AP) - A U.S.-trained economist was appointed Monday to succeed the longtime governor of China's central bank, Zhou Xiaochuan, at a time when the ruling Communist Party is trying to reduce financial risks and surging debt.

The appointment of Yi Gang, a veteran deputy central banker, to head the People's Bank of China was in a slate of promotions approved by China's ceremonial legislature of finance and economic officials as President Xi Jinping tightens control over government.

Also Monday, the National People's Congress endorsed the elevation of Liu He, Xi's economic adviser, to a post as vice premier, where he is expected to oversee economic reform.

FILE - In this Oct. 19, 2017, file photo, Yi Gang, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, attends a discussion group meeting held on the sidelines of China's 19th Party Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The ceremonial Chinese legislature on Monday, March 19, 2018, approved the appointment of Yi Gang, a veteran deputy central banker, to lead the People's Bank of China. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

The ruling Communist Party is under pressure to control surging debt, defuse mounting trade tensions with Washington and Europe and make the cooling, state-dominated economy more productive. It has promised to open more industries to private and foreign competition but business groups and reform advocates complain Beijing is moving too slowly.

The NPC endorsed the appointment of Zhong Shan to a second term as commerce minister. Liu Kun was named finance minister.

Yi, 60, is well known to foreign investors and foreign regulators as head of China's foreign exchange regulator. He has overseen efforts to make the mechanism that sets the exchange rate for China's tightly controlled yuan more market-oriented.

Yi received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois and taught at Indiana University. He also has a degree in business administration from Hamline University in Minnesota.

"Highly regarded in the international circles and seen as a pragmatic reformist, Yi Gang's appointment is set to ensure policy continuity and a smooth transition," said Mizuho Bank in a report.

Zhou, who is retiring after a record 15 years in the post, is the most prominent Chinese figure in global finance. At 70, he is well beyond official retirement age but stayed on following the 2012 handover of power to a new generation of leaders under President Xi Jinping in what was seen as an effort to reassure companies and financial markets of stability.

Beijing is trying to rein in surging debt that prompted international ratings agencies to cut its credit rating last year. The Communist Party has declared controlling financial risk a priority this year.

Zhou warned in October that rising debt could have a "severe impact" on the economy but said last week regulators believed they had debt under control.

The central bank governor's formal powers are limited despite the post's high profile. Unlike central banks of other major economies, the People's Bank doesn't make monetary policy. Instead, its mission is to carry out policy made by an official body the identity of whose members is secret.

The People's Bank is widely seen as an advocate of conventional, market-oriented economics.
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - A court in Hanoi began a criminal trial Monday of a former Politburo member accused of mismanagement at state oil giant PetroVietnam that cost millions of dollars.

PetroVietnam and the banking sector have been at the center of the country's recent crackdown against corruption with scores of executives being put on trial.

Dinh La Thang, formerly the chairman of the state oil giant, already was the first former Politburo to be jailed in decades in another case earlier this year. He was sentenced to 13 years in jail in January for mismanagement involving the construction of a thermo power plant, costing the state millions.

Dinh La Thang, former chairman of state energy giant PetroVietnam, speaks during a trial in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday, March 19, 2018. Thang was accused of alleged mismanagement while he headed PetroVietnam. Thang was sentenced to 13 years at another trial in January financial wrong doing and was the first former Politburo to be jailed in decades. (Vietnam News Agency/Doan Tan via AP)

In the current case, Thang is accused of deliberately violating economic management regulations by investing $35 million to buy 20 percent of shares in Ocean Bank without approval from the board of directors, the official Vietnam News Agency reported. The investment was lost when the bank was later acquired by the State Bank at no cost, it added.

"Defendant Dinh La Thang as head of PetroVietnam bears the highest responsibility in managing and safeguarding the investment of PetroVietnam," the agency quoted the indictment as saying.

The trial of Thang and six other former senior PetroVietnam executives is expected to last 10 days. Thang would face a jail term of up to 20 years if he is convicted.

Thang was once a rising political star but was dismissed from the all-powerful Politburo in May and was subsequently fired as Communist Party secretary of the southern commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City. He was arrested on Dec. 8.

The ruling Communist Party has recently stepped up its crackdown against corruption to an unprecedented level under the watch of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong who was re-elected to another five-year term at the party's congress in January 2016.
BEIRUT (AP) - The Latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local):

1 a.m.

Eight Security Council nations say it's "imperative" that the U.N. body "immediately pursue decisive action" to achieve a cease-fire in Syria if U.N. member states, especially Russia and its ally Syria, don't implement a resolution demanding a cessation of hostilities.

This frame grab from video released Sunday, March, 18, 2018 by the official Facebook page of the Syrian Presidency, shows Syrian President Bashar Assad driving himself to the newly captured areas of eastern Ghouta, near the capital Damascus, Syria. Assad's trip, captured in a remarkable set of videos filmed inside the car and published by his office on Sunday, show the president calm and assured as his forces appear close to clinching one of their most significant victories in the country's seven-year long civil war. (Syrian Presidency Facebook Page via AP)

A letter sent to all 15 council members on Monday expresses "profound concern" about the lack of implementation of the Feb. 24 resolution demanding a cease-fire throughout Syria without delay to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate the critically ill and wounded.

It singles out Russia and Syria as key to implementation.

The letter was signed by France, Kuwait, Peru, Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Netherlands.

It says that implementing the resolution "could immediately save hundreds, if not thousands, of children, women and men who have suffered acutely during the past eight years of the brutal conflict in Syria."

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12:10 a.m.

The U.N. human rights chief says the Syrian government's five-year siege of the Damascus suburbs of eastern Ghouta has involved "pervasive war crimes," use of chemical weapons and starvation as a weapon of war.

High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein told an informal meeting of the U.N. Security Council late Monday that never before have military offensives against terrorism been used more often "to justify the unconscionable use of force against civilians than in the last few months in Syria."

Russia earlier blocked his planned address to a formal meeting of the council.

Zeid said "unlawful methods of warfare have been used by all parties" in Syria. But he singled out the Syrian government's claim that it makes every effort to protect civilians and dismissed it.

In his words, "When you are capable of torturing and indiscriminately killing your own people, you have long forfeited your own credibility."

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11 p.m.

Western nations on the U.N. Security Council and their supporters have quickly organized an informal briefing by the U.N. human rights chief on Syria after a Russian-led protest blocked him from addressing a formal council meeting.

France's U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre told reporters after a procedural vote that Russia called for prevented High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein from addressing an open meeting in the council that he would deliver the same address at the informal meeting late Monday afternoon.

Delattre criticized Russia for refusing any discussion of human rights in the Security Council when rights violations in Syria "are at their very peak."

Russian deputy ambassador Gennady Kuzmin had argued that human rights have nothing to do with the council's mandate of ensuring international peace and security.

But Sweden's U.N. Ambassador Olof Skoog insisted that "human rights and peace and security are intimately linked."

And Britain's deputy U.N. ambassador Jonathan Allen said Russia "doesn't want the truth of ... the appalling human rights abuses taking place." But he said: "We mustn't let them silence us.

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10:10 p.m.

The U.N. human rights chief has been blocked from speaking to the Security Council about the situation in Syria after Russia, backed by China and others, protested that the U.N. body charged with ensuring international peace and security should not be discussing human rights.

At the start of Monday afternoon's council meeting that was to be addressed by High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, Russia demanded a procedural vote on whether the meeting should be held.

Under council rules, nine "yes" votes are required.

After the issue was put to a vote, the result was 8 countries in favor, 4 against and 3 abstentions. So the meeting was canceled.

It was a very rare defeat on a procedural issue at an open council meeting.

But it reflected deep divisions at the Security Council over seven years of Syrian conflict that has involved President Bashar Assad's key ally Russia and Western nations including the U.S. and other supporters of the Syrian opposition.

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10 p.m.

Turkey's president has vowed to expand military operations across northern Syria and even into neighboring Iraq after his forces drove Kurdish fighters from the northern Syrian town of Afrin.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that the two-month-long Afrin campaign was the "most important phase" of the military operation launched on Jan. 20, which is aimed at driving Syrian Kurdish forces out of areas along the border.

Turkey views the Syrian Kurdish militiamen as terrorists because of their links to Kurdish insurgents fighting inside Turkey.

Erdogan said Turkish troops and allied Syrian forces would now press eastward, toward the town of Manbij and areas east of the Euphrates River, including Ayn al-Arab, the Arabic name for the Kurdish town of Kobani. Those areas are controlled by U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces, and U.S. troops are stationed there.

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8:30 p.m.

The U.N.'s humanitarian coordinator in Syria is appealing for help to provide aid to tens of thousands of civilians affected by the fighting outside the Syrian capital and in the northern town of Afrin.

Ali al-Za'tari says the civilians are in "desperate need," and are "tired, hungry, traumatized and afraid."

Government forces are close to capturing the eastern Ghouta region outside Damascus, where they have waged a fierce monthlong air and ground campaign. Turkish troops and allied Syrian forces seized Afrin from Kurdish fighters on Sunday after a two-month offensive. The fighting in both places has killed hundreds of civilians and displaced tens of thousands.

Al-Za'tari says the U.N., the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and other partners are "fully mobilized to deliver aid on the spot," but require permissions and security guarantees.

The Syrian government has regularly blocked the delivery of aid to opposition-held areas.

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8 p.m.

Syria has condemned Turkey's capture of the northern Syrian town of Afrin from Kurdish forces.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry, in messages sent to the U.N. Security Council and secretary general on Monday, called on Turkey to withdraw its forces immediately from Syrian territories.

Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition forces seized Afrin from a Kurdish militia on Sunday after a nearly two-month military campaign.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said the move was "illegal" and called it an invasion.

Turkey views the Kurdish forces as terrorists because of their links to Kurdish insurgents inside Turkey. Ankara denies it is invading or occupying Syrian land, saying it is only removing militants from areas along the border.

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6:30 p.m.

Syrian President Bashar Assad's office has released videos showing the president driving himself to visit his forces at the battle for eastern Ghouta, just outside the capital, Damascus.

The videos, released late Sunday and early Monday, show the president calm and assured. Other drivers on the road give no indication of knowing who is behind the wheel of the Honda sedan.

Assad's forces in eastern Ghouta appear close to clinching one of their most significant victories against rebels in seven years of civil war.

As he drove, he narrated his route to the camera and gave his thoughts on the battle. He said the images of civilians crossing over by the thousands to government authorities in eastern Ghouta showed that his government was still popular with his people and still possessed the "legitimacy" to rule.

Eastern Ghouta has been under a crippling siege and heavy bombardment for weeks, with civilians packing into underground shelters. Some 1,500 civilians have been killed in the last month.

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6:15 p.m.

The U.S. State Department says it is "deeply concerned" over the humanitarian situation following Turkey's capture of the town of Afrin in northern Syria from Kurdish forces.

Spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement Monday that the offensive forced the majority of the predominantly Kurdish population of Afrin to evacuate from the town.

She said the U.S. calls on all parties to the conflict to allow humanitarian groups to access the displaced and develop a program for their safe and voluntary return.

Nauert said the fighting in Afrin has distracted from the fight against Islamic State militants, allowing the extremists to begin to reconstitute in some areas.

She said the U.S. is committed to its NATO ally Turkey and its security concerns, and is also committed to the fight against IS with its partners, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Nauert said U.S. officials have expressed their concern to Turkish officials about the situation in Afrin.

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4:15 p.m.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that after victory in Syria's Afrin region, his country will expand its military operations into other Kurdish-held areas in Syria as well as to Iraq's Sinjar region.

Speaking at a ceremony for judicial appointments in Ankara, Erdogan said troops would target the Syrian city of Manbij, as well as Ayn al-Arab, also known as Kobani, and other towns along the border to the east of the Euphrates River. Those areas are controlled by U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces and U.S. troops are stationed there.

Erdogan said Turkish troops could also cross into Iraq to drive out Kurdish militants from the region of Sinjar, if the Iraqi government is reluctant to oust militants from the area. Turkey says the region is becoming a headquarters for outlawed Kurdish rebels who have been fighting an insurgency in Turkey's southeast since 1984.

Erdogan said "one night, we could suddenly enter Sinjar."

He insisted Turkey had no intention of "invading" Syria, saying it was merely clearing the border area of terrorists.

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2:05 p.m.

Syria's Kurdish militia says a British woman who had joined their ranks to fight in the northern town of Afrin has been killed in a Turkish airstrike.

Nisrin Abdullah, spokeswoman of the Kurdish female militia known as YPJ, said on Monday that Anna Campbell was killed last Thursday.

She is the first foreign national to die in the battle for Afrin. She is also the first British female fighter and the eighth Briton to die fighting alongside the Kurdish militia in Syria. The Press Association says Campbell was 26 years old from Lewes, East Sussex.

Macer Gifford, a Briton who travelled with Campbell, said they arrived last May to eastern Syria, where they joined the U.S-backed Kurdish militia to fight against Islamic State militants. Gifford returned home after the fall of the city of Raqqa last summer.

Gifford told The Associated Press via Twitter that Campbell, an animal rights activist, "was a lovely girl. Very opinionated and determined."

He also says: "She loved the YPJ and the last I saw of her was her leaving to join them."

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1:50 p.m.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag says Turkey does not aim to invade the Syrian town of Afrin and will hand it over to "its real owners."

Bozdag made the comments on Monday, a day after Turkish troops and Ankara-allied Syrian opposition forces captured Afrin.

The town was taken nearly two month after Turkey launched its offensive to clear Afrin and surrounding districts of a Syrian Kurdish militia that Ankara considers to be a "terrorist" group, allied with Turkey's outlawed Kurdish rebels.

Bozdag says" ''We are not invaders. The aim of our offensive is to clear the region of terror."

He says the Syrian Kurdish forces retreated from Afrin because "they were afraid ... you see this very clearly when you look at ammunition and weapons that they left behind."

He says the Kurdish fighters had left booby traps and other explosives inside Afrin.

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1:35 p.m.

The European Union has slapped sanctions on a senior Syrian military officer and three scientists accused of links to the development and use of chemical weapons against civilians.

EU headquarters said on Monday that the four work at the Scientific Studies and Research Center, a Syrian government agency the EU says produces chemical weapons and missiles to deliver them.

The center has been under EU sanctions since Dec. 2011.

The move brings to 261 the number of people targeted by an EU travel ban and asset freeze over the crackdown on Syrian civilians and support for the government of President Bashar Assad or associating with certain government officials.

A further 67 entities - often companies, agencies and organizations - have had their assets frozen.

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12:40 p.m.

A senior Syrian Kurdish official says Turkey's offensive on the Syrian town of Afrin is an "occupation" that endangers the rest of northern Syria.

Aldar Khalil, a leading Kurdish official, on Monday condemned Turkey for the assault and for raising the Turkey's flag in a Syrian town.

He says Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking to spread his influence in Syria as a way of restoring the Ottoman empire's former influence.

He says: "The whole of northern Syria is in danger."

Turkish troops and Syrian opposition fighters allied with Ankara captured Afrin on Sunday, nearly two months after Turkey began its offensive on the enclave.

Erdogan, who first launched military operations in Syria in 2016, has repeatedly said Turkey will not allow a "terror corridor" along its border and has vowed to push eastward in Syria after Afrin, to prevent the Kurdish militia from linking up territories it controls in eastern and western Syria.

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9:50 a.m.

The European Union's top diplomat is criticizing Turkey over its military offensive in a northern Syrian town and is calling on Ankara to ensure that fighting eases in the conflict-torn country.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini says: "I am worried about this."

Mogherini told reporters in Brussels on Monday that international efforts in Syria are supposed to be "aiming at de-escalating the military activities and not escalating them."

She urged Turkey, Russia and Iran to guarantee that conflict "de-escalation zones" are established as promised, to "guarantee that that is what happens on the ground."

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Sunday the capture of the town of Afrin, previously controlled by the Kurdish militia known as the People's Defense Units, or YPG.

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9:40 a.m.

Turkey's state-run news agency says a booby trap bomb reportedly left by Syrian Kurdish fighters in the northern Syrian town of Afrin has killed 11 people - seven civilians and four Turkish-backed fighters.

Anadolu Agency says the explosion occurred late on Sunday in a four-story building that Turkish-backed Syrian opposition forces were clearing for explosives.

Turkish troops and Syrian opposition fighters allied with Ankara marched into Afrin on Sunday, nearly two months after Turkey began its offensive on the enclave to drive out a Syrian Kurdish militia. Ankara considers the militia an extension of its own insurgency.

Kurdish officials and a war monitor say some pockets of resistance remain in the town of Afrin but the Kurdish militia, known as YPG, has largely withdrawn.

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9:20 a.m.

A Syria war monitoring group says Turkish-allied militiamen are looting the northern Syrian town of Afrin after the Turkish military and allied Syrian fighters seized control of it.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday the looting began on Sunday, after the Turkish and allied Syrian forces marched into the town center and raised their flags there - nearly two months after the offensive on the Kurdish enclave started.

The troops faced little resistance from the Kurdish militia, which withdrew, vowing a "new phase" of guerrilla tactics against Turkish troops and their allied fighters.

The Observatory, which monitors Syria's war through a network of activists on the ground, described extensive looting of shops, homes and cars in Afrin.

It's unclear what Turkey plans after the capture of Afrin.

A Turkish soldier writes "Turkey" on a wall, near to tanks in position, in the city center of Afrin, northwestern Syria, Sunday, March 18, 2018. Turkey's president said Sunday the Turkish military and allied Syrian forces have taken "total" control of the town center of Afrin, a major development in the nearly two-months offensive against a Syrian Kurdish militia that controls the area. (Hasan Krmzita/DHA-Depo Photos via AP)

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at a ceremony for judicial appointments in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, March 19, 2018. Erdogan says following victory in Syria's Afrin region, his country will expand its military operations into other Kurdish-held areas in Syria as well as in Iraq's Sinjar region.(Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Pool Photo via AP)

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at a ceremony for judicial appointments in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, March 19, 2018. Erdogan says following victory in Syria's Afrin region, his country will expand its military operations into other Kurdish-held areas in Syria as well as in Iraq's Sinjar region.(Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Pool Photo via AP)

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at a ceremony for judicial appointments in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, March 19, 2018. Erdogan says following victory in Syria's Afrin region, his country will expand its military operations into other Kurdish-held areas in Syria as well as in Iraq's Sinjar region.(Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Pool Photo via AP)
LONDON (AP) - Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the first cardinal in history to recuse himself from a papal election over a personal scandal, has died, his archdiocese in Scotland said Monday. He was 80 and had suffered from a heart ailment.

O'Brien, once Britain's highest-ranking Catholic leader, resigned in disgrace as the archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh in 2013 and recused himself from the conclave that elected Francis as pope after unidentified priests alleged in British newspaper reports that he acted inappropriately toward them.

The men said they had complained to church authorities about O'Brien's conduct but that the church had failed to respond. None of the men are believed to have been minors at the time of the purported misconduct.

FILE - In this Thursday Sept. 16, 2010 photo Cardinal Keith O'Brien speaks to the media in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Roman Catholic Church in Scotland reported on Monday, March 19, 2018 that O'Brien, who became the first cardinal in history to recuse himself from a papal election over a personal scandal, has died. He was 80. O'Brien had resigned as archbishop in 2013 after allegations about sexual conduct relating to relationships in the 1980s. (AP Photo/Scott Campbell, File)

After initially denying the allegations and impeding the investigation, O'Brien eventually admitted that his sexual conduct had "fallen below the standards expected" of a priest, archbishop and cardinal. He apologized and promised to play no further role in the public life of the Scottish church.

"To those I have offended, I apologize and ask forgiveness. To the Catholic Church and people of Scotland, I also apologize," he said.

In 2015, Francis accepted O'Brien's resignation after he relinquished the rights and privileges of being a cardinal. He was allowed to retain the title, however. The decision was reached after O'Brien met with Francis, and after the Vatican sent its top sex crimes investigator to Scotland to look into the allegations against him.

A year earlier, Scottish church officials had reported that O'Brien had objected to a national church audit into how church officials had handled sex abuse cases in the Scottish church from 1952-2012. Without O'Brien's participation, the analysis never got off the ground.

O'Brien's official Vatican biography made no mention of the sex scandal, the Vatican investigation or the findings that he had impeded the 2012 sex abuse audit. After providing information about his education, ordination and honors, the brief biography said only that he didn't participate in the 2013 conclave, left Scotland for period of prayer, and resigned being a cardinal in 2015, without saying why.

Experts said his decision not to attend the 2013 papal conclave was unprecedented; never before had a cardinal stayed away from a conclave because of personal scandal, according to Vatican historian Ambrogio Piazzoni.

"In life, Cardinal O'Brien may have divided opinion - in death, however, I think all can be united in praying for the repose of his soul, for comfort for his grieving family and that support and solace be given to those whom he offended, hurt and let down. May he rest in peace," said Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St Andrews & Edinburgh.

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Winfield reported from Rome.
HELSINKI (AP) - Danish police say they are searching at least two people suspected of attacking the Turkish embassy in Copenhagen with firebombs.

Henrik Moll, head of Copenhagen police, told reporters Monday that no one was injured in the early morning attack that caused minor damage to the exterior of the embassy building.

He said patrolling police officers partly witnessed the incident and saw two people fleeing from the scene. A criminal investigation has been launched into the matter.

Emergency services outside the Turkish Embassy after an attack, on Oesterbro, north of Copenhagen, Denmark, early Monday, March 19, 2018. Danish police says it is searching at least two people suspected of attacking the Turkish embassy in Copenhagen with fire bombs early Monday. Henrik Moll, head of Copenhagen police, told reporters Monday that no one was injured in the attack that caused minor damage to the exterior of the embassy building. (Mathias Ogendal/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Danish media reported the bombs were apparently Molotov cocktails.

A member of the emergency services outside the Turkish Embassy after an attack, on Oesterbro, north of Copenhagen, Denmark, early Monday, March 19, 2018. Danish police says it is searching at least two people suspected of attacking the Turkish embassy in Copenhagen with fire bombs early Monday. Henrik Moll, head of Copenhagen police, told reporters Monday that no one was injured in the attack that caused minor damage to the exterior of the embassy building. (Mathias Ogendal/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi's governor has signed the nation's tightest abortion restrictions into law.

Republican Gov. Phil Bryant signed House Bill 1510 on Monday afternoon. It becomes law immediately and bans most abortions after 15 weeks' gestation. Bryant has frequently said he wants Mississippi to be the "safest place in America for an unborn child."

The law's only exceptions are if a fetus has health problems making it "incompatible with life" outside of the womb at full term, or if a pregnant woman's life or a "major bodily function" is threatened by pregnancy. Pregnancies resulting from rape and incest aren't exempted.

Abortion rights advocates are calling the law unconstitutional because it limits abortion before fetuses can live outside the womb. The owner of Mississippi's only abortion clinic opposes the law and has pledged to sue.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korean prosecutors have requested an arrest warrant for ex-President Lee Myung-bak over allegations of bribery, embezzlement and other charges, officials said Monday.

Lee, a conservative who governed from 2008 to 2013, is the latest South Korean leader to be entangled in scandals or other problems after leaving office. Lee's conservative successor, Park Geun-hye, was removed from office and jailed last year in a separate corruption scandal. Prosecutors last month demanded a 30-year prison term for Park, the country's first female president.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said it has asked a court to approve Lee's arrest.

In this Thursday, March 15, 2018, photo, former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, left, gets into a car to leave the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seoul, South Korea. South Korean prosecutors said Monday, March 19, 2018 they have requested an arrest warrant for Lee over corruption allegations. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korean media say Seoul Central District Court will likely decide whether to issue an arrest warrant by Wednesday night at the earliest.

Prosecutors accuse Lee of taking a total of 11 billion won ($10 million) in bribes from his own intelligence agency, business groups and a former lawmaker. Prosecutors also allege Lee used an auto parts manufacturer as a channel to establish illicit slush funds totaling 30 billion won ($28 million).

Lee has called the allegations political revenge by the current government of liberal President Moon Jae-in. Lee referred to the 2009 suicide of liberal ex-President Roh Moo-hyun, who jumped to his death during a corruption investigation involving his family when Lee was president. Moon, who was Roh's chief of staff, previously called the investigation of Roh by the Lee government politically motivated.

Almost all South Korean presidents, their family members and key associates have been either arrested or embroiled in corruption scandals and other troubles before they ended their terms or after they left office. Park's father, Park Chung-hee, a former army general who ruled with an iron fist in the 1970-80s, was assassinated by his spy chief during a drinking party.

Lee, a former Hyundai executive who led the company's meteoric rise and built a reputation as a man who can get things done, took office with a promise to boost the economy and take a harder line toward North Korea. But his five-year term was dominated by rising animosity with North Korea, massive public protests against imports of U.S. beef and an economy hit by the global financial meltdown.
Turkish-backed forces have taken full control of the centre of the Syrian-Kurdish city of Afrin.

March 19, 2018, 12:24 Turkish-led forces oust Kurdish fighters from heart of Afrin

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 19, ARTSAKHPRESS:Fighters waved flags and tore down the statue of a legendary Kurdish figure after claiming the city centre on Sunday.

The two-month Turkish-led operation aimed to rid the border region of a Kurdish militia that Turkey considers a terrorist group.

Activists say 280 civilians have died, although this is denied by Ankara.

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that "units of the Free Syrian Army... took control of the centre of Afrin this morning".
China's Xi strikes nationalistic tone in parliament address

BEIJING (AP) - Chinese President Xi Jinping struck a strongly nationalistic tone in his closing address Tuesday to the annual session of the ceremonial parliament at which term limits on his rule were abolished.

Speaking before the nearly 3,000 members of the National People's Congress, Xi declared that the Chinese people were now "closer now than at any time in history to realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

"In the face of national righteousness and the tide of history, all attempts or tricks aimed at dividing the motherland are doomed to failure," Xi said to loud applause. "All will receive the condemnation of the people and the punishment of history."

The Chinese people, he said, are united in their belief that "every inch of our great motherland absolutely cannot and absolutely will not be separated from China."

The session had approved a range of new appointments, including that of key Xi ally Wang Qishan as vice president. New ministers were also appointed and a law passed establishing a powerful new anti-corruption body to oversee the civil service.

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Fear mounts in Austin as serial bomber uses tripwire

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The hunt for the serial bomber who has been leaving deadly explosives in packages on Austin doorsteps took a new, more sinister turn Monday when investigators said the fourth and latest blast was triggered along a street by a nearly invisible tripwire.

Police and federal agents said that suggests a "higher level of sophistication" than they have seen before, and means the carnage is now random, rather than targeted at someone in particular. Underscoring that point, a relative says the most-recent explosion left what appeared to be nails stuck in his grandson's knees.

"The game went up a little bit - well, it went up a lot yesterday with the tripwire," Christopher Combs, FBI agent in charge of the bureau's San Antonio division, said in an interview.

Two people have now been killed and four wounded in bombings over a span of less than three weeks.

The latest happened Sunday night in southwest Austin's quiet Travis Country neighborhood, wounding two men in their 20s who were walking in the dark. They suffered what police said were significant injuries and remained hospitalized in stable condition.

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Scandal-hit Weinstein Co. files for bankruptcy protection

NEW YORK CITY (AP) - The Weinstein Co. filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday with a buyout offer in hand from a private equity firm, the latest twist in its efforts to survive the sexual misconduct scandal that brought down co-founder Harvey Weinstein, shook Hollywood and triggered a movement that spread out to convulse other industries.

The company also announced it was releasing any victims of or witnesses to Weinstein's alleged misconduct from non-disclosure agreements preventing them from speaking out. That step had long been sought by New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who filed a lawsuit against the company last month on behalf of its employees.

The Weinstein Co. said it has entered into a "stalking horse" agreement with an affiliate of Dallas-based Lantern Capital Partners as part of its bankruptcy protection filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. That means Lantern has agreed to buy the company, subject to approval from the court.

The company made the filing about two weeks after negotiations to sell the company to a group of investors fell apart. Lantern, which had been one of those investors, has now offered to buy most of the assets of the company and keep on its employees, the Weinstein Co. said.

Other bidders also could emerge, particularly those interested in the company's lucrative 277-film library, which includes award-winning films from big-name directors like Quentin Tarantino and horror releases from its Dimension label. Free of liabilities, the company's assets could increase in value in a bankruptcy.

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10 Things to Know for Tuesday

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Tuesday:

1. POLICE MAKE DIRECT APPEAL TO BOMBER

In the search for answers to a series of explosions in Austin, Texas, authorities have come ahead with a simple plea to whoever's behind the blasts: Talk to us.

2. SELF-DRIVING UBER STRIKES, KILLS PEDESTRIAN

The fatality in a Phoenix suburb is the first involving a fully autonomous test vehicle, prompting the ride-hailing company to suspend all road-testing of such autos in the U.S. and Canada.

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Police assemble patchwork of clues in hunt for Austin bomber

NEW YORK (AP) - In the search for answers to a series of explosions in Texas, authorities have come ahead with a simple plea to whoever's behind the blasts: Talk to us.

The Austin police chief's direct appeal, complete with promises to listen to the bomber and try to understand the reasons, reflects the stubborn progress of the investigation in which there's no known motivation and the ties between the victims are opaque at best. It may also represent a ploy to coax a response that could give clues or help police prepare for what might come next.

"It puts law enforcement and police in a down power dynamic and instills power on the person," said Randall Rogan, a Wake Forest University professor who is an expert on forensic linguistic analysis and worked with the FBI on the Unabomber case. "It gives (perpetrators) a sense of satisfaction, of pride, of accomplishment, that they are in charge."

An explosion on Sunday night was the fourth in Austin this month, and represented a stepped-up level of sophistication in the attack. Unlike the previous bombings, which involved packages left on doorsteps, the latest one was placed near a hiking trail and had a thin translucent tripwire like fishing line. Two people have died in the explosions and four others have been injured.

Hundreds of officers from multiple law enforcement agencies are on the case.

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Republicans tell Trump: Lay off Mueller _ but they don't act

WASHINGTON (AP) - More Republicans are telling President Donald Trump in ever blunter terms to lay off his escalating criticism of special counsel Robert Mueller and the Russia probe. But party leaders are taking no action to protect Mueller, embracing a familiar strategy with the president - simply waiting out the storm.

Trump blistered Mueller and his investigation all weekend on Twitter and started in again Monday, questioning the probe's legitimacy with language no recent president has used for a federal inquiry. "A total WITCH HUNT with massive conflicts of interest!" Trump tweeted.

Mueller is leading a criminal probe into whether Trump's 2016 presidential campaign had ties to Russia and whether there has been obstruction of justice since then.

Trump was told to cut it out on Sunday by such notable Republicans as Trey Gowdy, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, and Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Then on Monday he was told that firing Mueller would be "the stupidest thing the president could do" by Orrin Hatch, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

But Hatch, on CNN, also said he didn't see any need for legislation to protect Mueller. And that sentiment was widely echoed by GOP leaders.

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Self-driving vehicle strikes and kills pedestrian in Arizona

A self-driving Uber SUV struck and killed a pedestrian in suburban Phoenix in the first death involving a fully autonomous test vehicle - a crash that could have far-reaching consequences for the new technology.

The fatality Sunday night in Tempe was the event many in the auto and technology industries were dreading but knew was inevitable.

Uber immediately suspended all road-testing of such autos in the Phoenix area, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Toronto. The testing has been going on for months as automakers and technology companies like the ride-hailing service compete to be the first with cars that operate on their own.

The Volvo was in self-driving mode with a human backup driver at the wheel when it hit 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg as she was walking a bicycle outside the lines of a crosswalk, police said. She died at a hospital.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi expressed condolences on his Twitter account and said the company is working with local law enforcement on the investigation.

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Quick court fight as Mississippi sets 15-week abortion ban

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi moved quickly toward a legal confrontation over the nation's most restrictive abortion law Monday.

Within six hours, the governor signed a bill banning most abortions after 15 weeks of gestation, the state's lone abortion clinic sued, and a federal judge set a Tuesday morning hearing to consider blocking the restrictions.

Abortion opponents sought the confrontation, hoping federal courts will ultimately prohibit abortions before a fetus is viable. Current federal law blocks such restrictions by states.

Some legal experts have said a change in the law is unlikely unless the makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court changes in a way that favors abortion opponents.

Republican Gov. Phil Bryant signed House Bill 1510 in a closed ceremony attended by legislative supporters and abortion opponents.

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How Facebook likes could profile voters for manipulation

NEW YORK (AP) - Facebook "likes" can tell a lot about a person. Maybe even enough to fuel a voter-manipulation effort like the one a Trump-affiliated data-mining firm stands accused of - and which Facebook may have enabled.

The social network is under fire after The New York Times and The Guardian newspaper reported that former Trump campaign consultant Cambridge Analytica used data, including user likes, inappropriately obtained from roughly 50 million Facebook users to try to influence elections.

Monday was a wild roller coaster ride for Facebook, whose shares plunged 7 percent in its worst one-day decline since 2014. Officials in the EU and the U.S. sought answers, while Britain's information commissioner said she will seek a warrant to access Cambridge Analytica's servers because the British firm had been "uncooperative" in her investigation. The first casualty of that investigation was an audit of Cambridge that Facebook had announced earlier in the day; the company said it "stood down" that effort at the request of British officials.

Adding to the turmoil, the New York Times reported that Facebook security chief Alex Stamos will step down by August following clashes over how aggressively Facebook should address its role in spreading disinformation. In a tweet , Stamos said he's still fully engaged at Facebook but that his role has changed.

It would have been quieter had Facebook likes not turned out to be so revealing. Researchers in a 2013 study found that likes on hobbies, interests and other attributes can predict personal attributes such as sexual orientation and political affiliation. Computers analyze such data to look for patterns that might not be obvious, such as a link between a preference for curly fries and higher intelligence.

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Trump calls for death penalty to 'get tough' on drug pushers

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) - Embracing the tough penalties favored by global strongmen, President Donald Trump on Monday brandished the death penalty as a fitting punishment for drug traffickers fueling the opioid epidemic.

The scourge has torn through the rural and working-class communities that in large numbers voted for Trump. And the president, though he has come under criticism for being slow to unveil his plan, has seized on harsh sentences as key to stopping the plague.

"Toughness is the thing that they most fear," Trump said.

The president made his announcement in New Hampshire, a state hit hard by opioids and an early marker for the re-election campaign he has already announced. Trump called for broadening education and awareness about drug addiction while expanding access to proven treatment and recovery efforts. But the backbone of his plan is to toughen punishments for those caught trafficking highly addictive drugs.

"This isn't about nice anymore," Trump said. "This is about winning a very, very tough problem and if we don't get very tough on these dealers it's not going to happen folks. ... I want to win this battle."
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Jim Carrey is being criticized on social media for a portrait he painted that is believed to be White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

The actor and comedian on Saturday tweeted the painting with the caption: "This is the portrait of a so-called Christian whose only purpose in life is to lie for the wicked. Monstrous!"

Some Twitter users accused Carrey of shaming because of the unflattering portrait. Others were critical of his use of Christian.

FILE - In this Sept. 5, 2017, file photo, actor Jim Carrey poses for photographers at the premiere of the film 'Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond' at the 74th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy. Carrey is being criticized on social media for a portrait he painted and tweeted Saturday, March 17, 2018, that is believed to be White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP, File)

A spokeswoman for Carrey confirms it is his painting. But she would not confirm it is Sanders.

The White House has not returned a message seeking comment.
LIMINGTON, Maine (AP) - Officials have ordered a Maine town's fire department to "stand down" because the group's rescue gear is outdated and doesn't meet national standards.

The Portland Press Herald reports the Limington Board of Selectmen released a statement Sunday explaining that the Limington fire department's gear is more than 10 years old, and it doesn't meet the National Fire Protection Association's standard. The standard is required for safety concerns and applies to jackets, pants, helmets and boots.

Officials say they recently discovered the gear exceeded the "mandatory retirement age."

Nearby fire departments will help Limington if a fire occurs. Town officials say the fire department will continue to respond to medical emergencies.

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Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com
NEW YORK (AP) - Hillary Clinton says she meant no disrespect when she said some women voters are more swayed by men.

Clinton took to Facebook on Saturday to explain comments she made during an interview in India last week when she said: Democrats "do not do well with white men, and we don't do well with married, white women. And part of that is an identification with the Republican Party, and a sort of ongoing pressure to vote the way that your husband, your boss, your son, whoever, believes you should."

The Democrat wrote that as much as she hates the possibility, "it's not that crazy when you think about our ongoing struggle to reach gender balance- even within the same household."

FILE - In this March 12, 2018 photo, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, waves to media as she visits the Jahaz Mahal monument in Mandu, Madhya Pradesh state, India. on March 17, 2018 Clinton wrote on Facebook that she meant no disrespect when she said women voters are more swayed by men during an interview in India. (AP Photo, File)

Clinton says she did not realize how hard it would hit many who heard it.

Clinton repeated that she lost the support of white women overall "to a candidate who relies on scare tactics and false attacks, masking the fact that he is otherwise no friend to most Americans."
ROME (AP) - The head of a Spanish aid group said Monday that he fears several staff members could be charged with human trafficking after they refused to hand over rescued migrants to the Libyan coast guard and took them to Italy instead.

Proactiva Open Arms founder Oscar Camps told reporters in Barcelona, Spain, where the group is based, that Italy impounded his organization's rescue boat Sunday and he is worried the ship, Open Arms, might not be returned.

The case comes amid strong reluctance in Italy to take in any more of the migrants who human traffickers launch toward Europe in unseaworthy boats. International efforts to curtail the flow have focused on Mediterranean Sea crossings from Libya and other parts of North Africa.

The Spanish NGO's Proactiva Open Arms vessel is seen at harbor at the port of Pozzallo, in the southern Italian island of Sicily, Monday, March 19, 2018. The NGO's migrant rescue ship has been put under sequester by prosecutors' orders, Sunday, March 18 in Pozzallo, where the vessel brought 216 migrants it had rescued last week in the Mediterranean north of Libya. (AP Photo/Alessio Tricani)

Italian authorities say they are investigating the aid group for suspected criminal association and aiding illegal immigration.

Proactiva said the investigation stems from a tense high-seas standoff Thursday, when the Open Arms crew refused to relinquish the 218 people they had just picked up in international waters 70 nautical miles from the Libyan coast.

Camps said as Libyan coast guard members approached, some migrants panicked, began screaming and jumped into the sea. The Libyan coast guard was "very aggressive" toward the Open Arms crew, he said, adding that his organization had "a legal duty" to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean.

Mission chief Anabel Montes, speaking by videoconference from the impounded Open Arms vessel, said armed Libyan coast guard members made death threats to the aid workers.

"We had never reached such an extreme situation like this one in which they were threatening us, saying that they were going to kill us," Montes said.

She and the Open Arms' captain are under investigation by Italian prosecutors. A third person, who hasn't been identified, is also being investigated.

Italian authorities have not publicly explained why the Open Arms was impounded and its crew members were being investigated for on suspicion of aiding illegal immigration.

In an order to seize the rescue boat, Catania prosecutors alleged the crew ignored the Italian coast guard's suggestion to request permission to dock in Malta, Italian news agency ANSA reported. The prosecutors said Proactiva and its aid workers seemed to have "the only purpose of reaching Italy," ANSA said, quoting the order.

Law enforcement officials familiar with the case and speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it suggested that the probe was more complicated than that.

One possible legal issue was whether the humanitarian group was obliged to follow the Libyan coast guard vessel's order if Libya had jurisdiction over rescues in that stretch of the sea.

The aid group spent three hours negotiating with the Libyans, Camps said. In the meantime, a vessel sent by Maltese authorities evacuated a critically ill 3-month-old baby and its mother.

Camps said the crew also contacted the Spanish and Italian navies, but received no assistance.

The Italian coast guard said it gave the Spanish boat permission to dock in Pozzallo on Friday, given the poor condition of the migrants and the worsening weather at sea.

Of the vessel's 19 crew members, three are remaining in Italy to testify and the rest are heading back to Spain, Camps said.

Trying to stem the migration to its shores, Italy has supplied Libya with patrol boats and training. The European Union has backed the arrangement, but critics have said it enriches the unreliable Libyan coast guard and sends vulnerable migrants back into slave-like conditions in Libya.

Italy says it is working with U.N. authorities to ensure humane conditions in Libya for migrants. Many have reported being held as virtual prisoners, inadequate food, sexual assaults, beatings and other forms of torture while awaiting the chance to be smuggled out by boat.

In Brussels, EU Commission spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud told reporters: "We welcome the fact that the boat was able to be unloaded on Friday and that the migrants aboard received the treatment that they needed."

"We are entirely aware that an Italian code of conduct exists aimed exactly at avoiding this kind of situation, and we call on all parties in the future to respect not just international law but also this Italian code of conduct," she said.

Italy last year demanded that NGOs which operate rescue vessels sign on a code of conduct, but some humanitarian organizations declined to do so. Among their objections was a provision that would allow armed police on board rescue vessels.

A few others, including Proactiva Open Arms, did sign on and continued to operate migrant rescue missions at sea.

Some aid groups decided to suspend Mediterranean rescue missions because of what they described as an increase in hostility from the Italian-backed Libyan coast guard, including incidents in which the Libyans fired upon rescue boats.

The Italian government is coming under increasing public pressure at home to solve the migrant crisis, especially since EU partners have refused to take any significant number of migrants off Italy's hands.

In Italy's parliamentary election this month, the biggest voter-getters were political forces that railed against the government's handling of the migrant crisis, including the populist 5-Star Movement, which campaigned by saying Italy should not remain "the refugee camp of Europe."

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Hatton reported from Lisbon. Lorne Cook contributed from Brussels.

The founder of the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms, Oscar Camps, center, attends a videoconference with Anabel Montes of the Spanish NGO Proactiva mission chief in Italy on board the Spanish NGO Proactiva ship "Astral" at Barcelona's harbor in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, March 19, 2018. The NGO's migrant rescue ship Open Arms has been impounded by Italian authorities, Sunday, March 18 and Oscar Camps fears human trafficking charges may be brought against his staff after they refused to hand over a group of rescued migrants to the Libyan coast guard during a tense high-seas standoff. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

In this July 13, 2017 photo, migrants stand on the deck of the Spanish NGO's Proactiva Open Arms vessel at harbor at Porto Empedocle in the southern Italian island of Sicily. The Italian news agency ANSA says the NGO's migrant rescue ship has been put under sequester by prosecutors' orders, Sunday, March 18, 2018, in Pozzallo port, Sicily, where, a day earlier, the vessel brought 216 migrants it had rescued last week in the Mediterranean north of Libya. (Montana/ANSA via AP)

The Spanish NGO's Proactiva Open Arms vessel is seen at harbor at the port of Pozzallo, in the southern Italian island of Sicily, Monday, March 19, 2018. The NGO's migrant rescue ship has been put under sequester by prosecutors' orders, Sunday, March 18 in Pozzallo, where the vessel brought 216 migrants it had rescued last week in the Mediterranean north of Libya. (AP Photo/Alessio Tricani)

The Spanish NGO's Proactiva Open Arms vessel is seen at harbor at the port of Pozzallo, in the southern Italian island of Sicily, Monday, March 19, 2018. Media reported that the NGO's migrant rescue ship has been put under sequester by prosecutors' orders, Sunday, March 18 in Pozzallo, where the vessel brought 216 migrants it had rescued last week in the Mediterranean north of Libya. (AP Photo/Alessio Tricani)
GENEVA (AP) - President Donald Trump's nominee to head the U.N. migration agency acknowledges a controversy over his social media posts on topics like climate change and Muslims, but insists that "retweets are not endorsements" and says he wants to be judged on his actions as a humanitarian.

Ken Isaacs spoke with reporters Monday as the 169 member states of the International Organization for Migration prepare to elect a successor to longtime diplomat William Lacy Swing as director-general in June.

An intergovernmental body that became a U.N.-related agency two years ago, IOM has had only one director-general who wasn't American since its creation in 1951. Portugal's Antonio Vitorino, a Socialist politician, and IOM deputy director-general Laura Thompson of Costa Rica are also in the running against Isaacs.

In this photo released by the US mission to the UN in Geneva, Ken Isaacs, right, speaks at the U.S Mission to the UN in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, March 19, 2018 U.S. The person on the left is Thomas Pierce, Counselor for Public Affairs, U.S. Mission Geneva. President Donald Trump's nominee to head the U.N. migration agency, Ken Isaacs, acknowledges a controversy over his social media posts on topics like climate change and Muslims but insists that "retweets are not endorsements" and says he wants to be judged on his actions as a humanitarian. (US. Mission Geneva via AP)

Isaacs, a vice president at the Christian humanitarian organization Samaritan's Purse that is run by evangelist Franklin Graham, pointed to his track record in the field and as a manager, saying that IOM's work is "in my wheelhouse."

"I care about people. I'm passionate about this," Isaacs said.

"I've worked in Darfur. I have worked in Jordan. I have worked in Iraq. I have worked in Syria. I have worked in Turkey. I have worked in Bangladesh," he said. "If you look at the candidates, I'm the only candidate with any 'muddy-boot experience.'"

Isaacs said he sees the role of IOM director as twofold: Helping migrants and helping states manage migration issues. He said he recognizes "the sovereign rights of states to form their own domestic immigration policy" yet understands why people sometimes must leave their homes or homelands.

"I understand why people migrate - I understand what that looks like, what that smells like, what that feels like," Isaacs said. "I understand what it means to bring 15 or 20 bodies out of a camp in the morning where people migrated to run away from war and bury them."

But he said he is more than just a relief worker in the field.

"Leadership, vision, management, accountability, transparency - these are all hallmarks of Samaritan's Purse and this is who I am," he said in the interview at the U.S. mission in Geneva. "Judge me on what I've done."

The Washington Post reported that Isaacs' comments in the media had suggested that Islam was an intrinsically violent religion and that he denied climate change.

The Post noted an exchange on Twitter in June after a terror attack in London in which Isaacs wrote "'this' is exactly what the Muslim faith instructs the faithful to do." The newspaper said it received a statement from Isaacs expressing regret for comments that "caused hurt and undermined my professional record."

CNN last week also noted a number of re-tweets from Isaacs of comments that criticized Muslims.

In the interview Monday, he said: "I have re-tweeted many things to stimulate conversation. But at the same time ... have never shown discrimination against anybody, for anything."

As for climate change, the United Nations and many countries have cited scientific studies that underpin their battle against global warming caused by human activity. Isaacs said he backed IOM's strategic efforts, but declined to say if he supported the science pointing to man-made climate change.

"Whether I do or whether I don't does not take away from the fact that climate disasters happen," said Isaacs, adding that he knows "the strategic objectives of IOM in regards to climate change, and I agree with those."

Jennifer Arangio, a senior director for the U.S. National Security Council who sat beside Isaacs, called the U.N. agency a well-intentioned, meaningful and important organization and said the Trump administration wants Washington to remain the world leader in humanitarian assistance - though she didn't elaborate.

She said that the U.S. likes that the IOM's director-general is American, "and we want to hold that place because of our position on humanitarian assistance."
BERLIN (AP) - Germany's government is rejecting the idea that former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder should face sanctions over his links to Russian business and to President Vladimir Putin.

Schroeder was close to Putin as chancellor and became involved with a Russian-German gas pipeline project shortly after leaving office in 2005. Last year he was named chairman of Russian state oil giant Rosneft, drawing criticism from Chancellor Angela Merkel.

A Wall Street Journal article Saturday questioned why Schroeder hasn't been targeted by sanctions. On Monday, Germany's Bild daily quoted Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin as saying: "Schroeder is the most important lobbyist for Putin worldwide. So it should be examined how the EU can act here."

FILE In this April 14, 2009 file photo then Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, right, and former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder seen during their meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia. Germany's government is rejecting the idea that former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder should face sanctions over his links to Russian business and President Vladimir Putin. On Monday, March 19, 2018, Germany's Bild daily quoted Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin as saying: "Schroeder is the most important lobbyist for Putin worldwide. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky,file)

Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said Monday: "The German government and chancellor see no reason to consider such things."
LAS VEGAS (AP) - A key executive behind Amazon Go, the online leader's much heralded cashier-less grocery store, says she was surprised at how many customers were hesitant to just walk out the store.

"What we didn't necessarily expect was how many people would stop at the end on their first trip or two and ask, 'Is it really OK if I just leave?'" said Gianna Puerini, vice president of Amazon Go, which opened in January in Seattle.

That was one of the insights she and another executive shared at Shoptalk, a retail industry event that kicked off its four-day run Sunday. Puerini also noted that the best-selling item has been chicken sandwiches. Other popular items include meal kits and fresh fruit. Puerini said the store is geared toward people who are hungry or in a rush. She says that she's pleased at how many customers come back frequently.

FILE - In this Monday, Jan. 22, 2018, file photo, a shopper walks past others in a line waiting to get inside an Amazon Go store in Seattle. A key executive behind Amazon Go, the online leader's much heralded cashier-less grocery store, says she was surprised how many customers were hesitant to just walk out the store. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

With the Amazon Go app, the retailer can get real-time customer feedback, which helps guide the store in what to stock. In fact, after hearing from vegans complaining about how cheese is mixed into the salads, Amazon Go is now offering the cheese on the side, according to Dilip Kumar, vice president of technology of Amazon Go and Amazon Books who shared the stage with Puerini.

With Amazon Go, shoppers enter by scanning their phones. The store technology itself keeps track of what they pick up and charges them after they leave. It uses computer vision, machine learning algorithms and sensors to analyze what people are grabbing.

Kumar says one of the biggest challenges is having its computers discern products that look similar like a sugar-free Red Bull drink and the regular version.

As for rolling out Amazon Go technology at Whole Foods Market, which Amazon purchased last year, Puerini says there are no plans to launch what she calls "just walk out" technology at the chain.

"The work we do with them (Whole Foods) is focused on making natural and organic food available to more people," she said.

But as far as expanding Amazon Go stores, Puerini just said, "Stay tuned."

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Follow Anne D'Innocenzio: http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - Volkswagen plans to build a new five-passenger SUV in Chattanooga.

According to a person briefed on details, the company will invest $340 million to bring the vehicle to market. The person revealed this information on condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting an official announcement Monday in Chattanooga, where Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Hinrich J. Woebcken, president and chief executive of Volkswagen Group of America Inc. are expected to attend.

The German carmaker describes the vehicle as a variant of the seven-passenger Atlas, designed and engineered for the American market. The Chattanooga plant also manufactures the Passat and the Atlas.
LONDON (AP) - British police say no sign of forced entry has been found at the home where a London-based Russian businessman died from a neck compression.

Metropolitan Police Commander Clarke Jarrett said Monday the forensic investigation into the death of businessman Nikolai Glushkov is continuing in the New Malden neighborhood where he lived.

Glushkov, 68, was found dead at his southwest London home on March 12. He was an associate of Boris Berezovsky, a wealthy Kremlin critic who died under disputed circumstances in 2013.

FILE - In this Wednesday, March 14, 2018 file photo, police work at the scene outside a house in New Malden, south west London, which has been sealed-off after Russian businessman Nikolai Glushkov was found dead. British police say on Friday, March 16, 2018 they are treating the death of London-based Russian businessman Nikolai Glushkov as a homicide, after a post-mortem revealed he died from compression to the neck. Glushkov was an associate of Boris Berezovsky, a Russian oligarch and Kremlin critic who died under disputed circumstances in 2013. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, file)

The murder investigation is being headed by counterterrorism detectives because of the "associations Mr. Glushkov is believed to have had," police said.

Glushkov had worked for various Berezovsky enterprises including the car factory AvtoVAZ and flagship Russian airline Aeroflot.

He was arrested in 1999 and put on trial for embezzling $7 million from Aeroflot. In 2004, he was sentenced to three years and three months in prison, but released because of time served.

Last year, Glushkov appeared on a list published by the Russian Embassy in London of Russian citizens wanted for serious crimes whom the U.K. had refused to extradite. It said Russia had sought his extradition in 2015 "for committing a number of severe financial offences on the territory of Russia," but the British government refused.

Police have said they do not see a link between the Glushkov case and the recent poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury.

British police have contacted other Russian exiles in the last few days to discuss their safety in light of the recent attacks.
Gummi Fridriksson - a prominent supporter of the development of a modern literary culture in PNG

KEITH JACKSON

NOOSA - A year after the publication of My Walk to Equality, Papua New Guineas first-ever collection of essays, stories and poetry written entirely by women, the Paga Hill Development Company has awarded a writers fellowship to the books editor, Rashmii Bell.

The inaugural award was made to mark International Womens Day by the companys chief executive, Gudmundur (Gummi) Fridriksson, a prominent supporter of PNG literature.

The six-month fellowship will enable Ms Bell to attend literary events in Australia and continue to engage with authors, readers and festival committees to promote PNG women writers, PNG literature and explore opportunities to stage a literary event in PNG later this year.

The MWTE team is grateful for Paga Hill Development Companys ongoing recognition and support for our voluntary literary project, Ms Bell said.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Capitol Hill Democrats have rejected a White House bid to extend protections for so-called Dreamer immigrants in exchange for $25 billion in funding for President Donald Trump's long-sought border wall as Washington talks on a $1.3 trillion catchall spending bill hit a critical stage on Monday.

Disputes remain over immigration enforcement and a smaller infusion of wall funding, as well as a major rail project that pits Trump against his most powerful Democratic adversary, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Monday's developments were described by congressional aides in both parties who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks remain secretive.

FILE - In this Dec. 22, 2017, file photo, the U.S. Capitol in the early morning in Washington. Top-level Capitol Hill talks on a massive $1.3 trillion catchall spending bill are reaching a critical stage as negotiators confront immigration issues, abortion-related controversies, and a battle over a massive rail project that pits President Donald Trump against his most powerful Democratic adversary. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

All sides pressed toward an agreement by Monday night, though aides said it appeared more likely that the measure would be unveiled Tuesday for a House vote Thursday. House and Senate action is needed by midnight Friday to avert another government shutdown.

The bipartisan measure is loaded with political and policy victories for both parties. Republicans and Trump are winning a long-sought budget increase for the Pentagon, while Democrats obtain funding for infrastructure, the opioid crisis and a wide swath of domestic programs.

The bill would implement last month's budget agreement, providing 10 percent increases for the Pentagon and domestic agencies. Coupled with last year's tax cuts, it heralds the return of trillion-dollar budget deficits as soon as the budget year starting in October.

While most of the funding issues in the enormous measure have been sorted out, fights involving a number of policy "riders" - so named because they catch a ride on a difficult-to-stop spending bill - continued into the weekend.

As is typical, many or most of the policy riders were melting away.

For instance, an effort to add a plan to revive federal subsidies to stabilize the individual health insurance market and help the poor cover out-of-pocket costs under President Barack Obama's health law appeared to be failing. A complicated dispute involving abortion was at fault.

President Donald Trump told two Republican senators on Saturday that he supports adding proposals to a huge spending bill that would provide billions in federal subsidies to insurers to help curb health care premium increases.

Sens. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Susan Collins of Maine spoke to Trump for an hour on Saturday in a call initiated by the two lawmakers, the sources said.

Alexander and Collins are among Republicans backing proposals to revive payments to insurers that Trump halted last fall that reimburse the carriers for reducing out-of-pocket costs for many low-earning customers. Those reductions are required by the Obama health law, and insurers have made up for the lost federal payments by boosting premiums.

They would also create a $30 billion, three-year reinsurance program that states could use to help insurers afford to cover their most seriously ill, expensive consumers.

Both proposals are in trouble because Democrats oppose GOP provisions that would forbid the federal payments from being used to help pay for insurance policies that provide abortion.

And Republicans appeared likely to fail in a bid to fix a glitch in the recent tax bill that subsidizes grain sales to cooperatives at the expense of for-profit grain companies, several aides said.

Efforts to use the measure as a vehicle to extend protections for young immigrants under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival, or DACA, program appeared likely to fail, aides said. Trump killed the Obama-era program in September, but a court decision has essentially left it in place, for now. The White House had revived the idea in recent days - offering on Sunday a 30-month extension of DACA protections in exchange for $25 billion for Trump's border wall - but Democrats demanded protections for a broader pool of immigrants than had signed up for DACA, a request denied by GOP negotiators.

Trump tweeted Monday night: "The Democrats do not want to help DACA. Would be so easy to make a deal!"

Chances for a behind-the-scenes effort to strengthen Capitol Hill procedures for dealing with workplace harassment complaints also appeared to be fading, aides in both parties said, casting responsibility on Senate Republicans for favoring a more narrowly drawn approach than legislation that passed the House last month.

Trump, meanwhile, has privately threatened to veto the whole package if a $900 million payment is made on the Hudson River Gateway Project, a priority for Schumer. Trump's opposition is alarming Northeastern Republicans such as Peter King, a House member from New York who lobbied Trump on the project at a St. Patrick's luncheon in the Capitol on Thursday.

The Gateway Project would add an $11 billion rail tunnel under the Hudson River to complement deteriorating, century-old tunnels that are at risk of closing in a few years. It enjoys bipartisan support among key Appropriations panel negotiators on the omnibus measure who want to get the expensive project on track while their coffers are flush with money.

Most House Republicans voted to kill the funding last year, however, preferring to see the money spread to a greater number of districts.

Schumer has kept a low profile, avoiding stoking a battle with the unpredictable Trump. One potential resolution is to include money for Gateway but not specifically earmark it for the project.

There's also a continuing battle over Trump's long-promised U.S.-Mexico border wall. While Trump traveled to California last week to inspect prototypes for the wall, what's pending now is $1.6 billion for earlier designs involving sections in Texas that double as levees and 14 miles (23 kilometers) of replacement fencing in San Diego.

It appears Democrats may be willing to accept wall funding, but they are battling hard against Trump's demands for big increases for immigration agents and detention beds they fear would enable wide-scale roundups of immigrants illegally living in the U.S.

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Associated Press writer Alan Fram contributed to this report.
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens is expected to ask a judge to move up his criminal trial to start in two weeks, more than a month earlier than scheduled.

Attorneys for the Republican governor at a St. Louis Circuit Court hearing Monday also said they anticipate asking for a bench trial.

Greitens was indicted in February on felony fourth-degree invasion of privacy for allegedly taking an unauthorized partially-nude photo of a woman with whom he was having an affair in 2015, before he was elected. Greitens has admitted to the affair but denied criminal wrongdoing, accusing Democratic Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner of a politically-motivated investigation.

A jury trial is currently slated to start May 14. Defense attorneys said they anticipate asking that the case be moved up to April 3.

"This needs to be heard," Edward L. Dowd Jr., one of Greitens' attorneys, said after the hearing. "The governor is innocent and is entitled to have his case heard and get it over with."

Dowd cited the high amount of publicity the case has received in the request for a bench trial. The circuit attorney's office opposes both moves, spokeswoman Susan Ryan said.

"We believe the citizens of St. Louis, where the crime occurred, should have the opportunity to hear the evidence and make a decision on this case," Ryan said.

The circuit attorney's office had opposed even the May 14 date as too early, saying at previous court hearings that more time was needed to prepare. Prosecutors initially requested a trial date in November.

Defense attorneys said they will file a second motion to dismiss the case, accusing prosecutors of misleading the grand jury over instructions of law. Attorney John Garvey did not elaborate. The first such motion failed.

Chief Trial Assistant Robert Dierker called the claim "patently without merit."

Greitens' lawyers also filed a motion Sunday asking the court to disqualify Harvard professor Ronald Sullivan Jr. from the prosecution team. Sullivan was brought in earlier this month as a special assistant prosecutor.

The motion claims that the hiring of Sullivan violates a state law that forbids private attorneys from assisting elected prosecutors. It also notes that Sullivan represents parties other than the state of Missouri as a defense attorney in violation of state statutes.

Ryan said the circuit attorney's office has frequently hired special prosecutors over the years. She said Sullivan is a defense attorney for a client in a federal case in Connecticut, but state law allows him to work as a prosecutor as long as he isn't simultaneously acting as a defense attorney in Missouri.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The start of Bill Cosby's sexual assault retrial is being pushed back a few days to give both sides more time to wrangle over pretrial issues.

Judge Steven O'Neill issued an order Monday moving the start of jury selection to April 2. It had been scheduled for March 29.

O'Neill says he'll instead hold final pretrial hearings March 29 and 30.

FILE- In this June 17, 2017, file photo, Bill Cosby exits the Montgomery County Courthouse after a mistrial was declared in Norristown, Pa. On Thursday, March 15, 2018, a judge agreed to let five additional Cosby accusers testify at his April 2 sexual assault retrial, giving prosecutors a chance to portray the man once known as "America's Dad" as a serial predator who made a habit of drugging and molesting women. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Cosby has pleaded not guilty to charges he drugged and molested Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004.

O'Neill hasn't ruled on whether jurors can hear about Cosby's settlement with Constand or if his lawyers can mention another accuser by name in their opening statement. Cosby's lawyers are objecting to O'Neill's ruling allowing up to five other accusers to testify.

Cosby's first trial last year ended in a hung jury.

The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Constand has done.

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For more on the Cosby trial, go to https://apnews.com/tag/CosbyonTrial
NEW YORK (AP) - Broadway fans are buzzing over the release of a new song by two popular Tony winners in support of the upcoming March for Our Lives.

"Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt, the original star of "Dear Evan Hansen," have recorded a duet called "Found/Tonight,' mixing lyrics from "You Will Be Found" from "Dear Evan Hansen" and "The Story of Tonight" from "Hamilton."

The song was released at midnight on Monday and is No. 1 on the iTunes singles chart.

This combination of photos shows Lin-Manuel Miranda, left, at the Oscars in Los Angeles on March 4, 2018 and Ben Platt at the Grammy Awards in New York on Jan. 28, 2018. "Hamilton" creator Miranda and Platt, the original star of "Dear Evan Hansen," recorded a duet called "Found/Tonight,' mixing lyrics from "You Will Be Found" from "Dear Evan Hansen" and "The Story of Tonight" from "Hamilton." The song was released at midnight on Monday, March 19, 2018. (AP Photos/File)

The multicity March for Our Lives on March 24 was planned after the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Miranda has been releasing "Hamilton"-related content each month in a series called Hamildrop.

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Online:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aQykuIaJVI&feature=youtu.be
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United Nations says it has received official notification of the Philippines' decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, a decision that followed the tribunal's announcement of a preliminary probe of drug suspect killings under the president.

U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said the treaty section of the Office of Legal Affairs received a document Saturday signed by Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano informing Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of the Philippines' decision to pull out of the ICC.

Haq said the document "constitutes a notification" under the Rome Statute that established the court, and "the withdrawal shall therefore take effect for the Philippines one year after the date of receipt, i.e., on March 17, 2019."

President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday called the court "rude" and urged other countries to withdraw.
VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Francis is cautioning bishops to avoid politicking, business and high society.

Francis elevated to bishops' rank three priests during a ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica on Monday evening.

He said bishops should "abandon the temptation to become princes," and that they are tasked "more with serving than dominating." He told them to be available to priests in their jurisdiction "the same day, or at most, the next day" after being sought.

Bishops Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag, Alfred Xuereb, and Jose Avelino Bettencourt lie on the floor as Pope Francis leads a Mass during their ordination ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Monday, March 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Francis told the three they were chosen "not for business, not for high society, not for politics." In his five years as pope, Francis has insisted clerics must serve the rank-and-file and avoid seeking glory.

The new bishops are: Monsignors Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag from Pelplin diocese, Poland; Alfred Xuereb, Gozo diocese, Malta; and Jose Avelino Bettencourt, Ottawa archdiocese in Canada.

Pope Francis ordains bishop Jose Avelino Bettencourt, as he celebrates a mass during which he conferred the ordination to 3 bishops in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Monday, March 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Bishops touch the head of the three newly ordained bishops, from left, Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag, Alfred Xuereb, and Jose Avelino Bettencourt, as Pope Francis celebrates a mass during which he conferred the ordination to the 3 bishops in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Monday, March 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis celebrates a mass during which he conferred the ordination to 3 bishops in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Monday, March 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis ordains bishop Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag as he celebrates a mass during which he conferred the ordination to 3 bishops in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Monday, March 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
WARSAW, Poland (AP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday she would be pleased if Poland's talks with the European Union yielded a solution to the standoff over the country's rule of law record.

During a brief visit to Warsaw, Merkel said she was following the negotiations to avert unprecedented EU sanctions over changes to Poland's judiciary pushed by its conservative government.

"I would be pleased to hear the European Commission say that the talks were fruitful," Merkel said following talks with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel during wallkom ceremony before talks with Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on European Union future and security and on bilateral ties at his office in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, March 19, 2018. Merkel was sworn in for her fourth term last week. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Morawiecki said there was "light in the tunnel" but that an agreement to resolve the dispute over Poland's judicial system "requires understanding on both sides."

The EU triggered a censure procedure in December that could lead to potential sanctions over Poland's judicial overhaul. The European Commission said at the time it was putting Poland on notice that it was at risk of contravening EU law.

However, the leaders of Poland and Germany said Monday that Europe needs unity to be strong. They stressed agreement on issues such as economic cooperation and providing more support to countries that have received the most migrants since a new wave of mass immigration got underway in 2014-2015.

"In the face of the global situation, we understand that our voice will be strong if we have a strong alliance, if we act jointly," Merkel said.

Morawiecki and Merkel also discussed Europe's response to the poisoning in Britain this month of a Russian ex-spy and his adult daughter.

Merkel said she expects European Union leaders to reach "strong conclusions" about the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, during a summit this week in Brussels.

Significant information points to Russia's responsibility for the nerve agent attack and it's now up to Moscow to prove it wasn't involved, the German chancellor said.

Morawiecki said the entire EU needs to give a firm response so "the Russian aggressor will know that it cannot permit itself to attack a NATO member state, an EU member state."

Russia has rejected allegations that it was behind the poisonings.

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, right, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a news conference following talks on European Union future and security and on bilateral ties at Morawiecki's office in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, March 19, 2018. Merkel was sworn in for her fourth term last week.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki shake hands before talks on European Union future and security and on bilateral ties, at his office in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, March 19, 2018. Merkel was sworn in on her fourth term last week. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, and Polish President Andrzej Duda walk for talks on European Union future and security and on bilateral ties, at the Belvedere Palace in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, March 19, 2018. Merkel was sworn in on her fourth term last week. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stop for a photo before talks on European Union future and security and on bilateral ties, at his office in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, March 19, 2018. Merkel was sworn in on her fourth term last week. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki,left, greets German Chancellor Angela Merkel before talks on European Union future and security and on bilateral ties at his office in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, March 19, 2018. Merkel was sworn in for her fourth term last week. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki walk for talks on European Union future and security and on bilateral ties, at his office in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, March 19, 2018. Merkel was sworn in on her fourth term last week. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stop for a photo before talks on European Union future and security and on bilateral ties, at his office in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, March 19, 2018. Merkel was sworn in on her fourth term last week. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki,right, greets German Chancellor Angela Merkel before talks on European Union future and security and on bilateral ties at his office in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, March 19, 2018. Merkel was sworn in for her fourth term last week. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki,right, greets German Chancellor Angela Merkel before talks on European Union future and security and on bilateral ties at his office in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, March 19, 2018. Merkel was sworn in for her fourth term last week. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki,right, greets German Chancellor Angela Merkel before talks on European Union future and security and on bilateral ties at his office in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, March 19, 2018. Merkel was sworn in for her fourth term last week. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki,left, greets German Chancellor Angela Merkel before talks on European Union future and security and on bilateral ties at his office in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, March 19, 2018. Merkel was sworn in for her fourth term last week. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki,right, greets German Chancellor Angela Merkel before talks on European Union future and security and on bilateral ties at his office in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, March 19, 2018. Merkel was sworn in for her fourth term last week. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Outgoing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is meeting with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, the man President Donald Trump has chosen to replace him.

A State Department official says that Tillerson and Pompeo were sitting down at the department's headquarters in Foggy Bottom. The official wasn't authorized to comment by name and demanded anonymity.

It's the first known meeting between the two men since Trump fired Tillerson on Twitter and announced he was nominating Pompeo to replace him.

Pompeo also plans to meet Monday with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker of Tennessee. Corker's committee will eventually vote on whether to confirm Pompeo before his nomination goes to the full Senate.

Tillerson has already handed over all authorities to his deputy but remains secretary in name only until March 31.
PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) - Montenegro's ruling party has nominated its leader, who took the tiny Balkan country into NATO in defiance of Russia, to be its candidate in next month's presidential election.

The Democratic Party of Socialists' leadership announced the decision to put forward Milo Djukanovic after a meeting Monday.

Djukanovic has previously served as Montenegro's prime minister and president in several mandates since the early 1990s.

In this Tuesday, March 14, 2017 file photo, Montenegro's former Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Podgorica, Montenegro. Montenegro's ruling party says its leader Milo Djukanovic, who took the Balkan country to independence and into NATO in defiance of Russia, will run for the presidency in next month's election. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)

Djukanovic was premier during a tense October 2016 parliamentary election when authorities said they thwarted an attempted pro-Russian coup to prevent the Adriatic country from joining NATO.

The 56-year-old Djukanovic, who took a back seat in politics after his party won the parliamentary vote, had long been rumored to make another comeback in the April 15 presidential election.

Montenegro joined NATO last June despite strong Kremlin opposition.
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - The Palestinian president on Monday called the U.S. ambassador to Israel a "son of a dog" in an angry rant against the Trump administration, signaling new trouble ahead for an expected U.S. peace proposal.

President Mahmoud Abbas also took aim at the rival Hamas militant group, accusing it of being behind an attempted assassination last week of his prime minister and security chief, and threatening to retaliate.

In an address to Palestinian officials, Abbas pre-emptively rejected the White House peace proposal, which is still being developed.

U.S. officials have not said when it will be unveiled, but Abbas has already ruled it out, accusing the Trump administration of being unfairly biased in favor of Israel.

In his speech, Abbas criticized the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the American plan to move its embassy to the city and the cutoff of hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees.

He also condemned Ambassador David Friedman's close ties with the West Bank settler movement, describing him as a "son of a dog."

"Then they said, 'Wait for our plan.' What shall we wait for? We will not," he said. "Many said, 'Why don't you go to Washington?' They want us to go to Washington to sign. We will not accept that, and we will not let it pass."

Friedman responded to the remarks at a conference on anti-Semitism in Jerusalem.

Abbas' "response was to refer to me as a son of a dog. Anti-Semitism or political discourse? Not for me to judge. I leave that all up to you," Friedman said.

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, "President Abbas's comments were outrageous and unhelpful. We urge the Palestinian Authority to focus its efforts on improving the lives of the Palestinian people and advancing the cause of peace."

Jason D. Greenblatt, a Trump assistant and special representative for international negotiations also responded sharply:

"The time has come for President Abbas to choose between hateful rhetoric and concrete and practical efforts to improve the quality of life of his people and lead them to peace and prosperity," he said.

"We are committed to the Palestinian people and to the changes that must be implemented for peaceful coexistence. We are finalizing our plan for peace and we will advance it when circumstances are right."

Hamas seized control of Gaza from Abbas' forces in 2007, and attempts at reconciliation have repeatedly failed. The U.S. has been pushing for progress in reconciliation in the run-up to its peace proposal.

Abbas, however, said he was furious over the bomb that targeted the convoy carrying his prime minister and security chief last week, which did not seriously injure anyone. Abbas said he would take new punitive measures against Hamas.

"As president of the Palestinian people I've decided to take all national, legal and financial measures," said Abbas, without elaborating. He said his government will either take full responsibility for Gaza or abandon it to Hamas, a step that would in effect end the dream of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza.

Abbas has already taken steps to put pressure on Hamas, including reducing electricity shipments to Gaza and cutting the salaries of former civil servants. Those steps, along with an Israeli-Egyptian blockade, have worsened Gaza's long-running humanitarian crisis.

Earlier this month, the U.S. hosted a "brainstorming" conference on how to improve conditions in Gaza. "After 10 years, they realized that the Gaza humanitarian situation is tough," Abbas said derisively.
Funeral arrangements have been finalized for U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter, a longtime Rochester-area congresswoman who died Friday in Washington. She was 88.

Calling hours will be held from 2 to 7 p.m. Wednesday and 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Miller Funeral and Cremation Services, 3325 Winton Road South, Rochester.

The funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, 26 Gibbs St., Rochester. The service is open to the public.

On the day of the funeral, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered flags on state government buildings to fly at half-staff in honor of Slaughter.

"The New York family continues to mourn the passing of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter," Cuomo said in a statement. "She was a champion for our state who fought tirelessly for the Rochester area, and her remarkable legacy will carry on for generations to come. I ask all New Yorkers to join me in honoring the memory of a trailblazer who set an example for others to follow."

Instead of flowers, the Slaughter family requests the public to make donations to the Louise & Bob Slaughter Foundation. The newly established foundation will support causes important to the couple. Donations can be sent to The Louise & Bob Slaughter Foundation, 14 Manor Hill Dr., Fairport, NY 14450.
NYON, Switzerland (AP) - Europa League final host Lyon is at risk of a one-season ban from UEFA competitions after more fan disorder.

UEFA charged Lyon on Monday for incidents including "racist behavior" and "crowd disturbances" at a Europa League home game against CSKA Moscow last week.

The case will be judged on May 31 by UEFA's disciplinary panel which will weigh incidents that happened within the perimeter of the stadium on Thursday.

Lyon's Myziane Maolida reacts after he missed a goal during the Europa League, round of 16 second leg soccer match between Lyon and CSKA Moscow in Decines, near Lyon, central France, Thursday March 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Several police officers were injured after clashes with Lyon fans before the last-16, second-leg game which the French club lost 3-2. Lyon was eliminated from the competition at the stage and lost the chance to reach the May 16 final at home.

Lyon is set to be barred from European club competitions for one season when UEFA makes its verdict.

Last April, UEFA put the club on two-year probation after fan disorder delayed a Europa League quarterfinal against Besiktas.

UEFA fined Lyon 100,000 euros ($124,000) after that game and a further 49,000 euros ($61,000) when fans disrupted the home leg of last season's semifinal against Ajax.

Lyon is fourth in the French league, and is competing with third-place Marseille to advance to play in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League or the group stage of the Europa League.
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) - The Cyprus Cooperative Bank says it's looking for investors to buy up the lender either in whole or in part.

The bank said Monday it has appointed Citigroup Global Markets to look for investors as part of its strategic plan.

The deadline for expressions of interest is March 29.

The bank is 77-percent state-owned and is the leader in the amount of deposits held by Cypriots.

But it's weighed down by bad loans - more than 58 percent of the total.

That was a consequence of a 2013 banking crisis that forced Cyprus to accept a rescue deal that included a seizure of unsecured deposits in the country's two largest lenders.

Finance Minister Harris Georgiades said the move would help rebuild confidence and credibility in the bank.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A man who frequently checked a teenager out of school without her parents' knowledge and fled to Mexico with her will soon be in the custody of Pennsylvania authorities.

Federal agents and Mexican authorities found 45-year-old Kevin Esterly and 16-year-old Amy Yu in Playa del Carmen on Saturday and flew them to Miami. An extradition hearing was held Monday for Esterly, and he will be returned to Pennsylvania in the next two weeks, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's office said.

The girl arrived Sunday in Philadelphia and was taken home to Allentown, 60 miles (97 kilometers) away. Esterly faces a felony charge of interference with the custody of a child when he arrives back in Pennsylvania.

The two had been missing since March 5, when Allentown police said they bought one-way tickets from Philadelphia to Dallas and then headed to Cancun. Mexican authorities issued an Amber Alert in the case on Thursday.

Police have said they believe the teen went willingly with the married father of four, who had signed her out of school 10 times in the last few months. The girl had altered her student records to list Esterly as her stepfather, said Gary Hammer, of the Colonial Regional Police Department.

Amy's family previously said the two met at church years ago, and the girl is friends with one of Esterly's daughters.

Attorney John Waldron, who represents Esterly's wife, Stacey, told The (Allentown) Morning Call on Sunday that her husband had been calling her from prison, but she refused to accept his calls and plans to file for divorce.
WASHINGTON (AP) - A wide-ranging White House plan to combat America's opioid crisis contains a striking element: It calls on the Justice Department to seek the death penalty for some drug traffickers. Opponents call that a return to failed drug-war tactics, and some legal experts question its constitutionality and effectiveness.

A look at President Donald Trump's proposal:

WHAT IS THE PLAN?

President Donald Trump speaks about his plan to combat opioid drug addiction at Manchester Community College, Monday, March 19, 2018, in Manchester, N.H., even as more Republicans are telling Trump in ever blunter terms to lay off his escalating criticism of special counsel Robert Mueller and his Russia probe. But party leaders are taking no action to protect Mueller from possibly being fired, embracing a familiar strategy with the president _ simply waiting out the storm. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

The push for greater use of the death penalty is just part of a sweeping plan that includes stiffer penalties for drug peddlers as well as expanding access to treatment and recovery efforts. It's in keeping with the Trump administration's tough-on-crime approach to the opioid abuse epidemic that claimed a record 42,000 people in the U.S. in 2016. Trump, who mused openly that countries like Singapore have fewer issues with addiction because they harshly punish drug dealers, said he wants the Justice Department to seek the "ultimate penalty" when possible.

___

CAN HE DO THAT?

Maybe. Trump isn't proposing a new law, but is encouraging the Justice Department to enforce existing laws more vigorously.

The U.S. drug kingpin law allows federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in cases when someone is intentionally killed during a drug deal or in furtherance of a drug enterprise.

There are other federal laws that could potentially allow death penalty prosecutions of "kingpins" when large amounts of money and drugs are involved, even if there has not been a killing. But no administration, Democratic or Republican, has ever pursued and secured a death sentence under those laws.

It's not clear that death sentences for drug dealers, even for those whose product causes multiple deaths, would be constitutional, said Doug Berman, a law professor at Ohio State University. He predicted the issue would be litigated extensively and ultimately settled by the U.S. Supreme Court.

"The death penalty is uncertain as a constitutionally permissible punishment without that connection to an intentional killing," Berman said.

Trump's attorney general, Jeff Sessions, vowed to seek the death penalty under federal law "whenever appropriate" against drug dealers who "show no respect of human dignity and put their own greed ahead of the safety and even the lives of others."

___

HAVE ANY DRUG TRAFFICKERS EVER BEEN SENTENCED TO DEATH?

The Death Penalty Information Center lists 14 federal death row prisoners awaiting execution for drug-related crimes. They include Azibo Aquart, who was sentenced to death in 2012 for planning and participating in the deaths of a rival and two people living with her. There is also Orlando Hall, who was sentenced in 2007 for a drug-related kidnapping that ended in death. Dustin Honken was sentenced to die in 2004 for the killings of two children in a drug-related conspiracy in which three other people were also killed.

___

WILL MORE FEDERAL DEATH SENTENCES EASE THE DRUG EPIDEMIC?

Trump believes so, but others are skeptical.

Cornell Law School Professor John H. Blume said enforcement of the kingpin law tends to net poor minorities considered low- to mid-level drug dealers rather than kingpins whose products are fueling the drug crisis. Opponents said the approach resembles the drug war of the 1970s and '80s, when there was bipartisan agreement in Washington that the best way to fight crime was with long, mandatory prison sentences. That approach is now questioned by some conservatives as well as liberals.

"I don't think there's any reason to believe that attempting to revive this policy and use it more effectively will be any more successful," Blume said, adding that death sentences are hard to win. Too few drug traffickers will be sentenced to death and executed to have a real deterrent effect, he said. "I don't think people out there who sell drugs are worried about, am I going to get the death penalty?"

President Donald Trump listens as Jeanne and Jim Moser of East Kingston, N.H. speak about their son, Adam, who died of an opioid drug overdose in 2015, during a speech about his plan to combat opioid drug addiction at Manchester Community College, Monday, March 19, 2018, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Attorney General Jeff Sessions and first lady Melania Trump listen as President Donald Trump speaks at Manchester Community College in Manchester, N.H., Monday, March 19, 2018, to unveil more of his plan to combat the nation's opioid crisis. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) - Tunisia's Interior Ministry says a suspected extremist blew himself up in the Ben Guerdane area near the border with Libya following a standoff with police.

The man's identity hasn't been disclosed. The ministry said in a statement issued Monday that a second suspect was shot during an exchange of fire.

Authorities said the two were members of Jund al-Khilafa, an armed group which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.

Tunisia's security forces battled armed groups that attacked security and military sites in Ben Guerdane two years ago with the alleged goal of creating an emirate. Some of the groups crossed over from Libya.

Tunisian security forces killed more than 50 alleged attackers. More than a dozen officers and seven civilians also died.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Jurors heard opening statements Monday in the trial of a man charged with first-degree murder in the 2015 shooting death of a New Orleans police officer.

Boys has pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity in the death of Officer Daryle Holloway.

New Orleans news outlets report that defense attorney Billy Sothern told jurors Boys is mentally ill and has a history of mental illness.

Sothern said the defense would not dispute many facts the state will present throughout Boys' trial. He told the jury it will be up to them to determine not what happened, but why it happened.

In her opening, Assistant District Attorney Inga Petrovich said the evidence will make clear that the only just verdict is guilty as charged.

Holloway was shot to death while transporting Boys to jail in a police SUV. Police have said they believe Boys smuggled a gun into the vehicle.

Boys was declared competent to stand trial in November after state District Judge Karen Herman heard from two medical experts and said that Boys was trying to stall proceedings.

He had been scheduled for trial in October but brought an abrupt end to jury selection by smuggling feces into the courtroom and rubbing the excrement on his head and face.

The trial is expected to last a week. Jurors are expected to see video from Holloway's body camera, which captured his last moments.
NEW YORK (AP) - In the search for answers to a series of explosions in Texas, authorities have come ahead with a simple plea to whoever's behind the blasts: Talk to us.

The Austin police chief's direct appeal, complete with promises to listen to the bomber and try to understand the reasons, reflects the stubborn progress of the investigation in which there's no known motivation and the ties between the victims are opaque at best. It may also represent a ploy to coax a response that could give clues or help police prepare for what might come next.

"It puts law enforcement and police in a down power dynamic and instills power on the person," said Randall Rogan, a Wake Forest University professor who is an expert on forensic linguistic analysis and worked with the FBI on the Unabomber case. "It gives (perpetrators) a sense of satisfaction, of pride, of accomplishment, that they are in charge."

Federal investigators work near the site of Sunday's explosion, Monday, March 19, 2018, in Austin, Texas. Multiple people were injured in the explosion Sunday night, and police warned nearby residents to remain indoors overnight as investigators looked for possible links to other package bombings elsewhere in the city this month. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

An explosion on Sunday night was the fourth in Austin this month, and represented a stepped-up level of sophistication in the attack. Unlike the previous bombings, which involved packages left on doorsteps, the latest one was placed near a hiking trail and had a thin translucent tripwire like fishing line. Two people have died in the explosions and four others have been injured.

Hundreds of officers from multiple law enforcement agencies are on the case.

Rogan said as time passes, it's likely the person or people behind the explosions will seek more than just the thrill of the crimes themselves and will desire more recognition, something that could drive them to make contact with police or release some sort of communique or manifesto. He said the new complexity of the fourth bombing might suggest it was a test for something even bigger.

"This is an increase and expansion of sophistication and most likely a trial run for something to come in the future," Rogan said.

Robert Taylor, a former police detective who is now a criminologist at the University of Texas at Dallas, said eventually there will be a break in the case, but how long it will take remains to be seen.

"Something will come up somewhere. It will be a fingerprint on an envelope or DNA from saliva or a unique kind of detonator, or someone will just blab in a bar," he said.

For now, though, the police chief's plea suggests they haven't reached that point.

"It's a sign there's probably not a lot of physical evidence in these kind of crimes that lead and point to a specific person," Taylor said.

Every tiny piece of the bombs' remnants, though, holds the potential to unlock the mystery.

Mary Ellen O'Toole, a retired FBI agent and profiler who worked on numerous bombing cases, including the Unabomber, and now heads the forensic science program at George Mason University, said because bombs require so many components, they increase the chance that whoever built it could leave a trace of themselves behind.

"They're looking to see if they can determine a signature for the bomber," she said of investigators.

Scouring the areas where the bombs went off could uncover something - a hair, a skin fragment, a part of a fingerprint - that might lead to the perpetrator. Police will analyze every part of the devices they can recover to see what clues come from wires, tape, the skill and neatness in which they were constructed, and any other detail that might help decode who the bomber is.

"Even the way they bend or roll the wire," said Michael Bussell, a former Army ordnance disposal technician who now teaches classes on the subject for the online American Military University.

The Unabomber case, which launched with its first blast in 1978, provides both reasons to be hopeful and concerned about the Texas explosions.

While the FBI was able to build a correct profile of the bomber as having been raised in Chicago with ties to Salt Lake City and San Francisco, the big break in the case didn't come for 17 years, when he sent a 35,000-word manifesto. Even then, Ted Kaczynski was identified as the Unabomber only after his brother came forward to help authorities.

O'Toole said it's impossible to build a nuanced profile of the killer without all the evidence, but that bombers share some characteristics. They are willing to forsake some control in their mayhem since they are leaving a device that might not reach its intended target. They enjoy the risk of it - not just the danger of building a bomb, but also of transporting it to neighborhoods where people live and they could easily be caught. And because the bombings have continued, they likely feel no remorse and are prepared to do it again.

"If this bomber is being motivated, in part, by the sense of power and control that he has holding the city of Austin in a state of fear, and depending how addictive that feeling is," she said, "that can be a strong contributor to his doing it again and not waiting a long period of time."

___

Sedensky can be reached at msedensky@ap.org or https://twitter.com/sedensky

An Austin police officer talks with a woman at a barrier near the site of Sunday's explosion, Monday, March 19, 2018, in Austin, Texas. Multiple people were injured in the explosion Sunday night, and police warned nearby residents to remain indoors overnight as investigators looked for possible links to other package bombings elsewhere in the city this month. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski, front left, Interim Austin police chief Brian Manley, front center, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, front right, arrive for a news conference near the site of Sunday's explosion, Monday, March 19, 2018, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Officials work and stage near the site of Sunday's explosion, Monday, March 19, 2018, in Austin, Texas. Police warned nearby residents to remain indoors overnight as investigators looked for possible links to other deadly package bombings elsewhere in the city this month. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
MI5 should provide more precise detail when seeking surveillance warrants in Northern Ireland, a former watchdog said.

The secret service applies to the Northern Ireland Secretary for permission to carry out some of its work and the paperwork was of a high standard, the ex-Intelligence Services Commissioner said.

Warrants are needed for intrusive surveillance of property, either in person or using a monitoring device like a CCTV camera, and have been used to bring charges against suspected dissident republicans.

A report has investigated the use of warrants by MI5 in Northern Ireland. Paul Faith/PA.

Retired Appeal Court judge and commissioner Sir Mark Waller said: My inspection of the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) noted a high standard of paperwork, which I was pleased to note demonstrated the appropriate necessity, proportionality and privacy considerations.

I did note, however, that submissions from MI5 to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland assumed a certain level of knowledge about the target.

I would like to see set out in more precise detail the relationship between the subject of the warrant and the relevant terrorist group, as well as the operations stated aims.

While I have every confidence that the Secretary of State is well versed in the threat picture, I believe this measure would improve independent oversight and will smooth the process of judicial pre-authorisation under the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA).

Sir Mark was writing in a recently published annual report before his office was dissolved and replaced with an Investigatory Powers Commissioner (IPC).

He recommended subjecting warrants to certain terms in future.

I am aware, however, of certain legal arguments against this and so expect that this matter will be discussed further with my successor and subsequently the new IPC.

MI5 has scored a number of notable successes against suspected dissident republicans using surveillance.

A total of seven men were charged with terrorist offences after 70 hours of discussions were taped at a house in Newry, Co Down.

An NIO statement said: The NIO, like other relevant departments, closely considers the Commissioners recommendations and comments.

On September 1 last year the office of the Intelligence Services Commissioner was abolished and the powers taken over by the Investigatory Powers Commissioners Office.

IPCO has taken over the inspection and oversight functions and was established under the Investigatory Powers Act.

The law is intended to ensure the powers the security and intelligence agencies and law enforcement use to investigate crimes are used responsibly and proportionately.

A Government spokesman said: All relevant government departments and the UK intelligence community will consider the comments and recommendations in the report.
All 133 members of Royal Air Force 617 Squadron, the Dambusters, will be reunited in a poignant exhibition marking the 75th anniversary of the raids.

The Dambusters conducted a night of raids with Sir Barnes Walliss revolutionary bouncing bombs, releasing them 60ft above ground, on German dams in May 1943.

Of the 133 airmen who left on the missions, 53 did not return, giving a survival rate of just over 60%.

George Johnny Johnson, 96, the only surviving British member of the squadron, was awarded an MBE in the Queens Birthday Honours last year following campaigns to get him knighted.

He will now feature in an exhibition by Dan Llywelyn Hall, who in 2013 became the 133rd artist to paint the Queen, to reunite all 133 of the Dambusters ahead of the missions 75th anniversary.

Squadron Leader George `Johnny Johnson after he was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II at an Investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace, London (Steve Parsons/PA)

Mr Llywelyn Hall had a sitting with the veteran in Bristol in February and has since been painting individual portraits of the members of the squadron, inspired by archive pictures and research.

The Dambusters have an almost folkloric reputation to my generation and conjure the truest sense of comradeship for me, he said.

After sitting with Johnny I had the sense of him feeling part of a much bigger team as he proudly made many references to his fellow crew.

Curiosity made me explore the other Dambusters and soon enough I had this vision of seeing all the faces together reunited with Johnny.

I think itll be a very poignant moment to mark the anniversary, when, on the 16th May Johnny would have seen all those men in a briefing room for the last time, before embarking on the most daring air raid in history.

Dan Llywellen Halls portrait of flight engineer Robert Paterson (Dan Llywellen Hall/PA)

Mr Johnson and Canadian former front gunner Fred Sutherland are the only two living survivors who took part in the bombing raids on the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams in Germany.

Some 19 Lancaster bombers flew from RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire for the daring mission on May 16/17 1943 to shatter dams in Germanys industrial heartland and cut off vital supply lines in the Ruhr Valley.

A total of 133 Allied aircrew left for the raid aboard 19 Lancaster bombers, led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson, but 53 men were killed and three were captured.

Gordon Yeo, a front gunner in the first wave of bombers to attack the Mohne Dam, was brought up in Barry, south Wales, where Mr Llywelyn Hall comes from.

Dan Llywelyn Halls portrait of navigator Vivian Nicholson (Dan Llywelyn Hall/PA)

The exhibition, entitled Dambusters Reunited, will be unveiled by relatives of the Dambusters in Lincoln in May.

Mr Johnson will also unveil his portrait, entitled The Last British Dambuster, in the city.

All 133 portraits will then go on display in London.

When I was looking through the photographs of the 133 men I had the sense of anticipation in their eyes and all that they might be faced with, Mr Hall said.

Ive felt like Ive come to know the personalities through exploring those subtle features. In a small way, painting them has felt like reinvigorating their memory and the remarkable human stories of each individual for posterity.

Members of the public are able to pre-order catalogues and prints of the exhibition to benefit three charities, Group 617, The International Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln, and the The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.

Details can be found at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/dambusters-reunited/.
Englands Laura Davies recorded her best finish since 2007 as she held on to tie for second at the Founders Cup.

The 54-year-old, who is in her 32nd year of the LPGA Tour, carded a final round of three-under 69 to give her a total of 14 under par for the tournament.

It left her five shots behind winner Inbee Park, but tied for the number two spot alongside Americas Marina Alex and Thailands Ariya Jutanugarn.

Laura Davies finished joint second at the Founders Cup (Kenny Smith/PA)

Davies, who had not posted a top-10 finish since 2014, started round four well in the mix, having recorded a spectacular nine-under 63 in the previous round.

Don't count Laura Davies out!



Watch highlights from her T2 finish @LPGAfounders: pic.twitter.com/S3LDFsp3ps  LPGA (@LPGA) March 19, 2018

A bogey on the opening hole saw hopes of a strong finish take a knock, but she quickly cancelled it out with an eagle on hole two.

Back-to-back birdies on the ninth and tenth kept her within the chasing pack.

Speaking to the LPGA Tour website, Davies described the result as amazing  especially following a disappointing opening round in which she finished on one over par.

This is incredible, really, she said. I was four-over after six (holes) and now Ive finished tied second.

I know Ive been playing really well and I havent had the results to reflect that. Im just delighted the way the week has turned out.

Incredible 3rd round by Dame Laura Davies (@LFCLJD) @LPGAfounders



1 Eagle 

7 Birdies 

10 Pars 

63 (-9) 

Moves to -11 & into T2 position  pic.twitter.com/14qCxQmD8x  Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) March 17, 2018

Had she won the tournament  which would have been her first LPGA win since 2001  Davies would have become the oldest champion in the organisations history.

But she has no plans to let the chance of claiming that record go just yet, joking: Now people might stop asking me when Im going to retire  thats the best thing about it.

I can just tell them I finished second last week.

I can just go and play and see if I can get a few more top 10 finishes this year, because the more I get up there, I might have a chance of winning again.

Today was close and maybe one day I can go closer.

She added: At 54 I still feel like I can hit the ball as well as most of the really good players out here.

South Koreas Park, meanwhile, claimed her 19th LPGA Tour victory in Arizona.

The 29-year-old carded a final round of five-under 67, reeling off birdies on the first, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th.
Gillibrand unveiled the legislation last year after a slew of sexual misconduct cases made headlines. This included allegations of sexual harassment against some members of Congress and reports that taxpayer dollars were used to pay settlements.

The list of the bill's cosponsors include several notable names. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, was one of the original cosponsors of the bill. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, also signed on in support of the measure.

That's one reason why Gillibrand said she's "appalled" that congressional leadership would remove the provisions from the larger spending bill.

"Nothing about this should be controversial at this point; the Congressional Harassment Reform Act has broad bipartisan support in the Senate and these provisions already passed the House unanimously," she said. "I demand that Senate leadership bring my legislation to the floor for a vote immediately."

It's a common practice in Congress to include individual bills in larger measures. When Congress passed legislation to create the Harriet Tubman national parks in Maryland and New York, it was part of a larger annual defense bill that was signed by then-President Barack Obama.

The omnibus bill is a top priority for Congress this week. A government shutdown is possible if an agreement isn't finalized by Friday, March 23.

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Anna Campbell is the eighth Briton to have been killed in Syria while working with Kurdish forces.

The 26-year-old, from Lewes, East Sussex, died in Afrin on March 15 while fighting with the Kurdish Womens Protection Units, the YPJ.

It is feared she was killed by Turkish air strikes.

Ms Campbell is the first British woman to have been killed in Syria while working with the YPG or YPJ.

These are the seven men have died in the country while fighting alongside the groups:

Oliver Hall was killed while clearing mines in Syria (YPG/PA)

 Oliver Hall, from the Portsmouth area, joined the Kurdistan Peoples Protection Units (YPG) to fight against the Islamic State terror group.

The 24-year-old was said to have been killed on November 25 last year while clearing mines in Raqqa.

Jac Holmes died fighting Islamic State (Family handout/PA)

 Jac Holmes

The sniper, from Bournemouth, had been fighting with YPG since January 2015.

His mother, Angie Blannin, said the 24-year-old was killed while clearing mines in the newly-liberated city of Raqqa in October last year.

 Mehmet Aksoy

The 32-year-old, who grew up in England, is believed to have joined the YPG to work as a press officer.

He was killed in October last year during an IS attack while he was on duty in the Syrian city Raqqa, according to the Kurdish military force.

Aladdin Sinayic, a friend of the film-maker, told the BBC in the wake of his death that Mehmet never fought, the plan was never to fight, and wanted to tell the stories of the fighters instead.

Luke Rutter travelled to Syria to join the fight against IS (YPG/PA)

 Luke Rutter

The 22-year-old, from Birkenhead, was killed in Raqqa on July 5 2017 and had also joined the YPG.

A video of a final message from Mr Rutter, also known as Soro Zinar, was posted on the forces Facebook page, in which he apologised for lying to loved ones about going to fight.

He said: I lied to people I care about to come here. I said that I was going somewhere else. I didnt. I apologise massively for that.

Apart from that I dont regret my decision and I hope that you respect it.

Ryan Lock, 20, was killed fighting against Islamic State (PA)

 Ryan Lock

The 20-year-old former chef, from Chichester, West Sussex, shot himself to avoid falling hostage to IS on December 21 2016.

With no previous military experience, he was fighting with the YPG in Raqqa and had told his family he was going backpacking to Turkey when he left the UK.

An inquest into his death, held in Portsmouth, Hampshire, heard that, after being surrounded by IS fighters, he turned the gun on himself to avoid capture and a frightening and painful death.

Dean Evans, 22, was killed fighting Islamic State militants in Syria (PA)

 Dean Evans

The 22-year-old dairy farmer, from Reading, Berkshire, died in the Syrian city of Manbij in July 2016.

Following his death, which happened during an offensive to take back the north-western city, his stepfather, John Evans, described him to the BBC as a martyr, who was courageous, not stupid.

Having always wanted to be a soldier he was rejected by the British Army because he had asthma, his stepfather told the broadcaster. Mr Evans arrived in Syria in March 2015.

 Konstandinos Erik Scurfield

The 25-year-old former Royal Marine, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, died fighting alongside Kurdish forces in the northern village of Tel Khuzela, Syria.

He was fatally wounded by shrapnel from a rocket propelled grenade on March 2 2015 after flying out to the war zone in secret, his mother said.

Nicknamed Kosta, he was said to have been horrified by the atrocities being carried out by the extremist group and became the first volunteer Briton to die in the conflict.
Ant McPartlin has been released under investigation following his arrest on suspicion of drink driving on Sunday.

The TV presenter, 42, was involved in a collision with two other cars while he was driving his Mini in Richmond, West London and was arrested at around 4pm after failing a roadside breathalyser test.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said that he was taken to a south London police station for questioning and has since been released under investigation.

Inquiries continue, the spokeswoman added.

Police previously confirmed that a number of individuals were treated at the scene for minor injuries, and a child passenger from one of the cars was taken to hospital to be checked as a precaution.

Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly at the National Television Awards in January (Matt Crossick/PA)

This is the latest in a string of personal setbacks for the star, who works as Ant and Dec with Declan Donnelly.

McPartlin entered rehab last year after struggling with an addiction to painkillers following a knee operation in 2015.

He returned to screens in November for Im A Celebrity  Get Me Out Of Here! and jokingly mentioned his rehab stint along with his TV partner.

In January, McPartlin confirmed that he and his wife Lisa were separating after 11 years of marriage.

At the National Television Awards a few days after the split, McPartlin referred to his tough year while picking up the presenting prize with Donnelly.

Following McPartlins arrest, fans have questioned whether his weekly programme, Ant and Decs Saturday Night Takeaway, will air as normal this weekend.

ITV has yet to comment on the programme, which is scheduled to air live on Saturday at 7pm.
The European Unions top diplomat has criticised Turkey over its military offensive in a northern Syrian town.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini called on Ankara to ensure that fighting eases in the conflict-torn country, saying: I am worried about this.

Ms Mogherini told reporters in Brussels that international efforts in Syria are supposed to be aiming at de-escalating the military activities and not escalating them.

Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army soldiers walk in the centre of Afrin (Hasan Kirmizitas/DHA-Depo Photos via AP)

She urged Turkey, Russia and Iran to guarantee that conflict de-escalation zones are established as promised, to guarantee that that is what happens on the ground.

Turkeys president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced on Sunday the capture of the town of Afrin, previously controlled by the Kurdish militia known as the Peoples Defence Units, or YPG.

The call came as Turkeys state-run news agency said a booby-trap bomb reportedly left by Syrian Kurdish fighters in the town of Afrin had killed 11 people  seven civilians and four Turkish-backed fighters.

Anadolu Agency said the explosion occurred late on Sunday in a four-storey building that Turkish-backed Syrian opposition forces were clearing for explosives.

Meanwhile, a Syria war monitoring group claimed Turkish-allied militiamen have been looting Afrin after the Turkish military and allied Syrian fighters seized control of it.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the looting began on Sunday, after the Turkish and allied Syrian forces marched into the town centre and raised their flags there  nearly two months after the offensive on the Kurdish enclave started.

The troops faced little resistance from the Kurdish militia, which withdrew, vowing a new phase of guerrilla tactics against Turkish troops and their allied fighters.

The Observatory, which monitors Syrias war through a network of activists on the ground, described extensive looting of shops, homes and cars in Afrin.
An employee of Frances consulate in Jerusalem is under arrest for allegedly smuggling dozens of weapons from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank, Israeli officials said.

Domestic security agency the Shin Bet said the man, identified as French national Romain Franck, 23, was part of a broader Palestinian smuggling ring and used his consular vehicle, which is subjected to more lenient security checks, as cover to transport the weapons through Israels tightly secured border with the Gaza Strip.

The Shin Bet said Franck took part in the ring for financial gain and that his employer was unaware of his actions. The consulate in Jerusalem declined to comment, and also declined to confirm whether Franck was an employee.

The man is said to have been employed at the French Consulate in Jerusalem (Adam Davy/PA)

This is a very serious incident in which the privileges and immunity granted to foreign missions in Israel were cynically exploited to smuggle dozens of weapons that could be used in terror attacks, the statement said.

The Shin Bet said Franck transferred 70 handguns and two assault rifles on five occasions over recent months. It said he received the arms from a Gaza man employed at the French cultural centre in Gaza and brought them to someone in the West Bank, where they were then sold to arms dealers. The Shin Bet said Franck, who was arrested in February, confessed to the charges. A gag order on the case has now been lifted.

Nine people, including Franck, were arrested, the Shin Bet said, adding that he and five others would be indicted later on Monday. Among the suspects is a Palestinian security guard at the French consulate in Jerusalem.

The Shin Bet said French authorities were kept aware of developments on the case during the investigation.

Israel has previously accused international officials, among them Palestinian UN workers or those for non-governmental organisations, of participating in hostile activities, including collaborating with Gazas militant Hamas rulers. But the charge against a French citizen employed by a diplomatic mission is rare.
Boris Johnson has accused Russia of trying to conceal the needle of truth in a haystack of lies over the Salisbury spy poisoning.

Arriving for a meeting with EU counterparts in Brussels, the Foreign Secretary said Moscows denials over the incident were increasingly absurd as he accused the Kremlin of changing its story regarding the Novichok nerve agent Britain says was used in the attack.

The gathering of the EU Foreign Affairs Council declared its unqualified solidarity for the UK over the incident.

Mr Johnson said: Today the technical experts from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons are arriving in the UK to take the samples from Salisbury, and meantime the Russian denials grow increasingly absurd.

At one time they say that they never made Novichok, and at another time they say they did make Novichok, but all the stocks have been destroyed  but some of them have mysteriously escaped to Sweden, or the Czech Republic, or Slovakia, or the United States, or even  the United Kingdom.

I think what people can see is that this is a classic Russian strategy of trying to conceal the needle of truth in a haystack of lies and obfuscation.

Welcome EUs unqualified solidarity and support today in Brussels on Skripal case - first use of a military-grade nerve agent in Europe for 70+ years. EU partners clear Russia must provide immediate, full, complete disclosure of its Novichok programme https://t.co/RsGZA7CaAi  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) March 19, 2018

In a joint statement, the Foreign Affairs Council said: The European Union takes extremely seriously the UK Governments assessment that it is highly likely that the Russian Federation is responsible.

The European Union is shocked at the offensive use of any military-grade nerve agent, of a type developed by Russia, for the first time on European soil in over 70 years.

The use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances is completely unacceptable and constitutes a security threat to us all.

The Union calls on Russia to address urgently the questions raised by the UK and the international community and to provide immediate, full and complete disclosure of its Novichok programme to the OPCW.

The European Union expresses its unqualified solidarity with the UK and its support, including for the UKs efforts to bring those responsible for this crime to justice.

The move came as Russias Tass news agency reported the Kremlin is insisting the UK either backs up its unfounded allegations regarding Moscows involvement in the Salisbury attack, or apologises.

Tass quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying: Sooner or later they will have to be responsible for these allegations: they will either have to provide some evidence or apologise.

This followed Vladimir Putins dismissal of claims of Russia being behind the Salisbury spy poisoning as nonsense as he was re-elected president.

Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia would have died instantly if they had been attacked with a nerve agent, the leader said as he celebrated the start of another six-year term.

Police officers at The Maltings, Salisbury, where the investigation into the suspected nerve agent attack on Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia continues (Ben Birchall/PA)

Mr Putin, who secured a fourth term amid widespread claims of electoral fraud, said he learned about the tragedy from the media.

The first thing that comes to my mind is that should it really be a warfare agent, people would have died instantly, he said.

It is an obvious fact. Russia does not possess such agents. We have destroyed all our chemical arsenals under control of international observers.

He added: We are ready for co-operation and said that immediately. We are ready to take part in all necessary probes but the will of the other side is needed for that. So far, we see none.

Moscow mocked the UK, claiming the Governments response had fuelled an increase in support for Mr Putin in the election.

The national security council will meet in the coming days to discuss Moscows tit-for-tat response to the UKs expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats.

Mr Johnson is also holding talks with Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg on Monday.

In absence of evidence, we definitely need Poirot in Salisbury! pic.twitter.com/EHTlEQmcPp  Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) March 18, 2018

Mr Skripal, a former double agent, and his daughter may have been exposed to a deadly nerve agent through his cars ventilation system, US media has reported.

The pair are still fighting for their lives after being exposed to Novichok two weeks ago in the Wiltshire city.

Downing Street said the OPCW team would meet the UKs Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down before taking samples of the poison for testing in laboratories overseas.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said the testing process could be expected to take no less than two weeks.

The spokesman told reporters: The OPCW inspectors are here. They will be meeting with officials from the Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory and police to discuss the process of collecting samples.

These will then be dispatched to highly reputable international laboratories which are selected by the OPCW for testing.
Jenna Russell will depart EastEnders as her character Michelle Fowler is being written out, just over a year after she joined the soap.

Russell first appeared in the BBC One programme in December 2016, taking over the role of Michelle from Susan Tully, who originally played the Walford regular from 1985 until 1995.

An EastEnders spokeswoman said: Jenna is a terrific actress who has loved her time on the show playing Michelle and it was a mutual decision to write the character out.

Jenna Russell as Michelle Fowler (Kieron McCarron/BBC)

We wish Jenna all the best for the future.

Hitting back at speculation she was axed from the soap, Russell tweeted: Just for clarity, I wasnt axed just fancied doing something else. Nothing else. Have a great day x #actorslife.

Viewers have been divided over Russells stint as Michelle since her Albert Square debut, with many complaining about the recasting of such a high-profile figure from the shows history.

Russell, who won an Olivier Award in 2007 for her turn in the London revival of Sunday In The Park With George, said that she was initially concerned about taking over the role of Michelle.

Just for clarity, I wasnt axed just fancied doing something else. Nothing else. Have a great day x #actorslife  Jenna Russell   (@jennarusselluk) March 19, 2018

After making her debut, she admitted that it was scary to be stepping into Tullys shoes.

I know the audience loved her and even though she hasnt been on our screens for over 20 years, she is still an iconic character in the fans psyche, she said.

That scared me but sometimes its good to be scared. I thought take a deep breath and I decided to jump up and go with it.

I just have to do my own version of her and hope the audience go with it.

Russell later said that she felt viewers were struggling to warm to the character again, because Michelle had been embroiled in a storyline involving an affair with her teenage former student Preston Cooper.

Another scene, which aired in April last year, saw Michelle involved in a car crash.

At the time, viewers took to Twitter to share their upset that dementia sufferer Sylvie Carter (Linda Marlowe) was killed off in a separate incident, rather than Russells character.
Top US, South Korean and Japanese officials have discussed how to achieve the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula during weekend talks ahead of upcoming inter-Korean and US-North Korean summits, Seoul said.

South Korean officials who visited Pyongyang recently said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has agreed to hold talks with South Korean president Moon Jae-in in late April. Seoul said Mr Kim also proposed meeting President Donald Trump.

Mr Trump then agreed to meet Mr Kim by the end of May, but North Korea has yet to confirm talks with the US.

Officials have discussed how to achieve a complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula ahead of upcoming inter-Korean and US-North Korean summit talks (AP)

The developments have raised hopes for a potential breakthrough in the North Korean nuclear crisis. However, many experts say tensions would flare again if the summits fail to make any progress and leave the nuclear issue with few diplomatic options.

US national security adviser HR McMaster met his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Chung Eui-yong and Shotaro Yachi, in San Francisco for talks over the weekend on denuclearisation and the summits, South Koreas presidential office said.

They agreed to maintain close trilateral co-operation in the next several weeks and shared a view that it is important not to repeat past mistakes, the statement said. This likely refers to criticism that North Korea previously used disarmament negotiations as a way to ease outside pressure and secure aid while all along secretly pressing its weapons development.

Appearing on CBSs Face The Nation, South Korean foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha said Mr Kim had given his word that he was committed to denuclearisation.

She said: Hes given his word. But the significance of his word is  quite weighty in the sense that this is the first time that the words came directly from the North Korean supreme leader himself, and that has never been done before.

Mr Kims willingness to negotiate over his nuclear programme is a step forward, but many experts remain sceptical about how sincere he is about giving up a nuclear capability that his country has built for decades, despite toughening international sanctions.

Mr Chung, who headed a high-level delegation to Pyongyang and met Mr Kim during his March 5-6 trip, said North Korea told his delegation it will not need to keep its nuclear weapons if military threats against it are removed and it receives a credible security guarantee.

The North has long maintained such a stance, saying it will not abandon its nuclear weapons unless the United States pulls out its troops from South Korea and Japan and stops regular military drills with South Korea that it views as an invasion rehearsal.

A senior North Korean diplomat, meanwhile, flew to Finland on Sunday for talks with former US officials as well as American and South Korean civilian academics. The meeting, set for Tuesday and Wednesday, is a possible opportunity to examine the Norths sincerity about its denuclearisation pledges.

North Korean officials and former US officials and experts have often held such talks, known as Track-2.
Detectives investigating the murder of a Russian businessman have found no evidence of forced entry into his home.

Former Aeroflot deputy director Nikolai Glushkov was found apparently strangled at his terraced house in New Malden on March 12.

Initially his death was treated as unexplained but four days later, following a post-mortem examination, Scotland Yard launched a murder investigation.

Nikolai Glushkov (Metropolitan Police/PA)

Mr Glushkov, who was close friends with Vladimir Putin critic Boris Berezovsky, was wanted over fraud allegations in his native Russia.

He was also outspoken after Mr Berezovsky died in 2013, refusing to accept that his friend had taken his own life.

Counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation into Mr Glushkovs death but have stressed that there is no evidence to link it with the attempted murder of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury.

On Monday officers were carrying out house-to-house inquiries near his Clarence Avenue home and appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Met Counter Terrorism Command detectives investigating the murder of Russian businessman Nikolay Glushkov in New Malden on Mon 12 Mar want to hear from anybody who saw anything suspicious in the area - call 0800 789 321. https://t.co/pRK1JhDaG7 pic.twitter.com/nyfPTfFMRK  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) March 19, 2018

Metropolitan Police Commander Clarke Jarrett said: I would urge anybody who may have information to get in touch if they have not already done so. We will have officers in Mr Glushkovs local neighbourhood today so please come and speak to us if you think you may have seen or heard anything suspicious last Sunday or Monday.

The investigation is progressing; we have taken a number of statements and have over 400 exhibits which are being processed. We have found no sign of forced entry thus far, but the forensic examination at Mr Glushkovs home continues and we expect to be there for some time.

I must stress that there is nothing we have found in our investigation so far to suggest any link to the attempted murders in Salisbury and I would like to reassure the public in New Malden that there are no wider public health concerns in relation to this investigation.

Anyone with information can call police in confidence on 0800 789 321.
The chief executive of Bargain Booze owner Conviviality is to step down from the board following a week of profit warnings, the disclosure of a 30 million tax bill and after raising the prospect of an emergency fundraising.

Diana Hunter is stepping down with immediate effect, Conviviality said on Monday, with non-executive chairman David Adams stepping into the breach until further notice.

The firm added that Ms Hunter would remain with the group for a period of time in order to provide transition support.

The boss of Bargain Booze owner Conviviality is stepping down (Ben Birchall/PA)

Ms Hunter, a former Waitrose director, has been chief executive since 2013 and led the group through its stock market flotation in the same year.

She has also overseen a number of acquisitions, including Wine Rack, Matthew Clark and Bibendum.

However, the firm has had a nightmare March, including two profit warnings and the disclosure of a 30 million bill owed to HM Revenue and Customs, which has led to its shares being suspended.

As a result Conviviality is mulling going to investors for more cash as the tax bills discovery has created a short-term funding requirement and resulted in operational difficulties that could negatively impact profits.

The troubled group has said it is engaging with its advisers and broker regarding the possibility of an equity fundraising to recapitalise the business.

Conviviality last week mandated PwC to undertake a review of the business and its funding requirements, and it has engaged with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) regarding the 30 million payment, which is due on March 29.

The latest profit warning, last Tuesday, saw Conviviality say it expected adjusted earnings to come in 20% below market expectations, at between 55.3 million and 56.4 million.

Conviviality said it had found a material error in the forecasts for its Conviviality Direct business, as well as suffering from softer margins in January and February, which it expected would continue throughout the rest of the financial year.
A golden eagle found dead in the Western Isles is likely to have been fatally injured by another eagle, according to police.

The birds remains were found by members of the public on Barra on Monday March 12.

A post-mortem examination has revealed that there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death, Police Scotland said.

The death of a golden eagle in Barra was not suspicious (Andrew Milligan / PA)

Officers said the findings are still very useful and they are encouraging people to continue to contact them if they discover the remains of a bird of prey.

Wildlife crime officer Constable Daniel Sutherland said: It has been established that this bird succumbed to injuries which are consistent with being inflicted by another eagle.

I would like to thank members of the public who reported this incident for their vigilance and bringing this to our attention.

Due to the death being reported promptly, the eagle was recovered for testing and it was quickly established how the bird had died.

The importance, not only for the police, but for our veterinary colleagues in building up a picture of the natural causes of death of birds is very useful.

I would encourage anyone who finds the remains of a bird of prey and has concerns about it to contact us so the circumstances can be assessed.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is facing challenges from his left and right, but the latest Siena College poll shows his foes trail by a wide margin.

In a primary race for the Democratic nomination, Cuomo leads fellow Democrat Cynthia Nixon by 47 points, 66 to 19 percent. Nixon, an activist and actress best known for playing Miranda Hobbes on the hit show "Sex and the City," announced her candidacy Monday.

As Siena College pollster Steve Greenberg acknowledged, Cuomo has one advantage over Nixon: name recognition.

"With an overall 20-19 percent favorability rating  26-16 percent among Democrats  Cynthia Nixon is far from a household name in New York, though she is better known than either (Republican candidates Marc Molinaro or John DeFrancisco)," Greenberg said.

Cuomo's lead among his potential GOP opponents is smaller, but still in double digits. He has a 28-point lead, 57 to 29 percent, over Molinaro and a 29-point lead, 57 to 28 percent, over DeFrancisco.
Slovakias prosecutor general has asked Italian authorities to create a joint investigative team with their Slovakian counterparts in the hunt for the killer of a journalist and his fiance.

Jaromir Ciznar said he expects such an investigation into the fatal shooting of Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova would be faster, more thorough and more effective.

Mr Kuciak was reporting on alleged Italian mafia ties to associates of then-prime minister Robert Fico, and corruption scandals linked to his leftist Smer Social Democracy party, when he was shot dead in February. The death sparked political turmoil in Slovakia.

The killings sparked the resignation of the government (AP)

Officials previously said the FBI, Scotland Yard, Europol and police forces from Italy and the Czech Republic are helping with the investigation.

Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters rallied across Slovakia on Friday to demand an early election after Mr Ficos government resigned last week.
Theresa May has hit back at Vladimir Putins dismissal of the British Governments claim that Russia was responsible for the Salisbury spy poisoning.

The Prime Minister said Russia had the capability, motive and intent to carry out such an attack, adding that there can be no other conclusion.

Mrs Mays comments followed strong words from Boris Johnson, who accused Russia of trying to conceal the needle of truth in a haystack of lies over the case  after Mr Putin dismissed the idea of Russian responsibility as nonsense.

Discussing the Salisbury incident this morning European colleagues and Ukrainian FM @PavloKlimkin. Very strong support from our allies, friends, and partners for UK response pic.twitter.com/7C8quvXkIz  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) March 19, 2018

Arriving for a meeting with EU counterparts in Brussels, the Foreign Secretary said Moscows denials over the incident were increasingly absurd as he accused the Kremlin of changing its story regarding the Novichok nerve agent Britain says was used in the attack.

The gathering of the EU Foreign Affairs Council declared its unqualified solidarity for the UK over the incident.

Police and army personnel suit up on Larkhill Road in Durrington, Salisbury (Ben Birchall/PA)

Experts from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) are arriving in the UK on Monday to take samples of the nerve agent used in the case.

Mr Johnson said: At one time they (Russia) say that they never made Novichok, and at another time they say they did make Novichok, but all the stocks have been destroyed  but some of them have mysteriously escaped to Sweden, or the Czech Republic, or Slovakia, or the United States, or even  the United Kingdom.

I think what people can see is that this is a classic Russian strategy of trying to conceal the needle of truth in a haystack of lies and obfuscation.

"I have been very heartened already by the strength of the support that the UK is getting"



Foreign Secretary @BorisJohnson is discussing the incident in Salisbury with European partners. pic.twitter.com/8OYbkHdVAL  Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) March 19, 2018

Mrs May, speaking during a visit to Birmingham, said: Im clear that what we have seen shows that there is no other conclusion but that the Russian state is culpable for what happened on the streets

of Salisbury.

Following reports around the possible exhumation of bodies of other Russians who died in suspicious circumstances, she added that it is a matter for the police as to whether they feel that there

are any previous cases that need to be investigated further.

In a joint statement, the Foreign Affairs Council said the European Union takes extremely seriously the UK Governments assessment that it is highly likely that the Russian Federation is responsible.

The statement added: The Union calls on Russia to address urgently the questions raised by the UK and the international community and to provide immediate, full and complete disclosure of its Novichok programme to the OPCW.

The move came as Russias Tass news agency reported the Kremlin is insisting the UK either backs up its unfounded allegations regarding Moscows involvement in the Salisbury attack, or apologises.

Tass quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying: Sooner or later they will have to be responsible for these allegations: they will either have to provide some evidence or apologise.

Mr Putin dismissed claims of Russia being behind the poisoning as nonsense as he was re-elected president.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia would have died instantly if they had been attacked with a nerve agent, the leader said as he celebrated the start of another six-year term.

Mr Putin, who secured a fourth term amid widespread claims of electoral fraud, said he learned about the tragedy from the media.

The first thing that comes to my mind is that should it really be a warfare agent, people would have died instantly, he said.

It is an obvious fact. Russia does not possess such agents. We have destroyed all our chemical arsenals under control of international observers.

He added: We are ready for co-operation and said that immediately. We are ready to take part in all necessary probes but the will of the other side is needed for that. So far, we see none.

Fire crews sheet off an area on Larkhill Road in Durrington, Salisbury (Ben Birchall/PA)

Moscow mocked the UK, claiming the Governments response had fuelled an increase in support for Mr Putin in the election.

The national security council will meet in the coming days to discuss Moscows tit-for-tat response to the UKs expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats.

Mr Johnson is also holding talks with Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg on Monday.

Mr Skripal, a former double agent, and his daughter may have been exposed to a deadly nerve agent through his cars ventilation system, US media has reported.

The pair are still fighting for their lives after being exposed to Novichok two weeks ago in the Wiltshire city.
A jury has begun its deliberations in the trial of a pensioner accused of violently raping an 18-year-old woman weeks before he raped and killed a 14-year-old girl more than 45 years ago.

Peter Pickering, 80, dubbed the Beast of Wombwell, has been locked up in psychiatric hospitals since 1972, when he admitted the manslaughter of schoolgirl Shirley Boldy, in the Barnsley area of South Yorkshire.

Leeds Crown Court has heard how Shirley was 14 when she was abducted, raped and killed by Pickering.

The case is being heard at Leeds Crown Court (Anna Gowthorpe/PA)

A woman now in her 60s has told a jury how she was violently

raped by Pickering just a few weeks before this killing.

Giving evidence last week, she described how she was picked up by the defendant, who later took her to a secluded spot where Pickering

cut off her underwear with a knife, raped her, burned her breasts

with cigarettes and told her she was going to be killed.

The woman told the jury: I remain of the fervent belief that

whether he has a mental illness or not the man is a monster and

wherever he is now thats the right place for him to be.

Summing up the case for the prosecution, Michelle Colborne QC, reminded the jury that the woman has never told a soul about what happened to her until the police rang her in 2016.

She said she had not even told her husband.

Miss Colborne said: What possible gain could there be for her? Why

would she put herself through this?

Sasha Wass, defending, told the jury that she did not doubt that what

happened to her in that van must have been terrifying and that

she must have thought she was going to be killed.

Ms Wass said the question was her clients mental state at the time of

the incident and whether he believed the woman had consented as it

was happening.

She said Pickering was mentally too unwell to grasp the situation and may well have believed that she was consenting.

Ms Wass referred to the complainant as a remarkable woman and agreed her client had gone berserk in the van.

Pickering, who appeared in court via video link from Swindon Crown Court, in Wiltshire, denies rape and false imprisonment.

He declined to give evidence in his defence during the trial.

The jury has been told that he was subjected to a hospital order without limit of time in 1972 for the manslaughter of Shirley Boldy by reason of diminished responsibility.

He has never been released and is currently being held at Thornford Park Hospital, in Berkshire.

On Monday, he sat listening to the barristers speeches and the judge,

wearing a blue raincoat and leaning on a walking stick.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is to visit China next month in an effort to boost trade and cultural links.

Nicola Sturgeon will visit Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong between April 9 and 13 against the backdrop of a 40% rise in exports from Scotland to China last year.

She will meet with senior Chinese government representatives and businesses as well as attend education showcases and other cultural engagements.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon meeting Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong last December (Jeff Mitchell/PA)

Ms Sturgeon, who met with Vice Premier Liu Yandong in Edinburgh last year, has not visited China since 2015.

She said she would seek to explore new ways of working with China but would also continue to talk about the importance of equality of opportunity and respect for human rights.

Ms Sturgeon said: I am delighted to be visiting China to promote the long-standing friendship between our two countries.

Since my last visit three years ago, the economic and cultural links between Scotland and China have gone from strength to strength, underlined by the recent strong export figures and the new direct Edinburgh-Beijing flight route announced last week.

As the worlds second largest economy, there are huge opportunities for Scottish companies to work with China.

I will be travelling with the message that Scotland is a fantastic place to invest, to do business, to study and to visit on holiday.
Cardinal Keith OBrien, formerly the Catholic Churchs most senior cleric in Britain, has died at the age of 80.

He had recently been injured in a fall and died in a Newcastle hospital.

Cardinal OBrien resigned as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh in 2013 after admitting sexual misconduct.

Cardinal Keith OBrien died in the early hours of Monday morning (David Cheskin/PA)

In life, Cardinal OBrien may have divided opinion  in death, however, I think all can be united in praying for the repose of his soul, for comfort for his grieving family and that support and solace be given to those whom he hurt and let down. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/QkZN8YEQZH  Archbishop Leo Cushley (@leocushley) March 19, 2018

Confirmation of his death was announced by his successor, Archbishop Leo Cushley.

He said: At 1am on 19 March 2018, his eminence Keith Patrick Cardinal OBrien, Archbishop Emeritus of St Andrews & Edinburgh, died at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Newcastle-upon-Tyne surrounded by family and friends and fortified by the rites of Holy Church. RIP.

In life, Cardinal OBrien may have divided opinion  in death, however, I think all can be united in praying for the repose of his soul, for comfort for his grieving family and that support and solace be given to those whom he offended, hurt and let down. May he rest in peace.

His successor gave him the last rites on Friday.

Archbishop Philip Tartaglia said: We have received the sad news of the death of Cardinal Keith OBrien, Emeritus Archbishop of St Andrews & Edinburgh.

On behalf of the Bishops Conference of Scotland I wish to express my sincere sympathy on the death of the late Cardinal to his family and close friends. I ask for prayers for the repose of his soul. May he rest in peace.

Bishop Joseph Toal said: I will pray for the eternal repose of the soul of Cardinal Keith Patrick OBrien, who died early this morning  may he rest in Gods peace.

I extend my sympathy and prayerful support to his family, friends and all who mourn his passing. With constant hope in the Lords goodness and mercy.

The cardinal had resigned in February 2013 after three priests and a former priest alleged improper conduct during the 1980s.
The Turkish president has vowed to expand military operations across northern Syria and even into neighbouring Iraq after his forces drove Syrian Kurdish fighters from the northern city of Afrin.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the two-month Afrin campaign was the most important phase of the military operation launched on January 20, which is aimed at driving Syrian Kurdish forces out of areas along the Turkish border.

Turkey views the Syrian Kurdish militiamen as terrorists because of their links to Kurdish insurgents fighting inside Turkey.

Mr Erdogan said Turkish troops and allied Syrian forces would now press eastward, toward the town of Manbij and areas east of the Euphrates River, including Ras al-Ayn and Ayn al-Arab, the Arabic name for the Kurdish town of Kobani. Those areas are controlled by US-backed Syrian Kurdish forces, and US troops are stationed there.

A Turkish soldier writes "Turkey" on a wall, near to tanks in position, in the city centre of Afrin (AP)

The president added: Well continue this process until we completely abolish this corridor.

Mr Erdogan has repeatedly said it will not allow a terror corridor along its border.

He said Turkish troops could also cross into Iraq to drive out Kurdish militants from the region of Sinjar, if the Iraqi government does not act against militants in the area. Turkey claims the region is becoming a headquarters for outlawed Kurdish rebels who have been fighting an insurgency in Turkeys south-east since 1984.

One night, we could suddenly enter Sinjar, Mr Erdogan said, speaking at a ceremony for judicial appointments in Ankara.

He said his forces might also go as far as Qamishli, a Syrian town where the Syrian government controls the airport and a security zone.

Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army soldiers celebrate around a statue of Kawa, a mythological figure in Kurdish culture, after they destroyed it in Afrin (AP)

The Syrian Kurdish Peoples Defence Units, or YPG, withdrew from Afrin on Sunday after a Turkish thrust into the town centre. They have vowed to continue the fight.

Turkeys state-run news agency said 11 people  seven civilians and four Turkish-backed Syrian fighters  were killed in an explosion in a building in the town centre as it was being cleared of booby traps. Anadolu News agency said the bomb was reportedly left by Syrian Kurdish fighters.

The European Unions top diplomat has criticised Turkey, calling on Ankara to work to halt the fighting in Syria.

Federica Mogherini told reporters in Brussels that international efforts in Syria should be aimed at de-escalating the military activities and not escalating them.

Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army soldiers march in Afrin (AP)

She urged Turkey, Russia and Iran  who have brokered de-escalation zones around Syria  to ensure the agreements are implemented.

Mr Erdogan insists Turkey has no intention of occupying Syria, saying it is merely clearing the border area of terrorists.

Syrian Kurdish officials said that more than 800 YPG fighters were killed in the 58 days of fighting for Afrin, and estimated that 500 civilians were killed. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the death toll at more than 280 civilians and 1,500 Kurdish fighters.

Turkey says 46 of its soldiers were killed in the offensive, and that it took all possible measures to avoid civilian casualties.
US president Donald Trumps plan to combat opioid drug addiction calls for harsher punishments for drug traffickers, including the death penalty, a White House official said.

This is a fate for drug dealers Mr Trump has been highlighting publicly in recent weeks.

The US leader also wants congress to pass legislation reducing the amount of drugs needed to trigger mandatory minimum sentences for traffickers who knowingly distribute certain illicit opioids, according to Andrew Bremberg, Mr Trumps domestic policy director.

Mr Trump is traveling to Manchester, New Hampshire, to announce his plan to combat opioid drug addiction. (AP)

Mr Trump is scheduled to unveil his plan in New Hampshire, a state hard-hit by the crisis and a place he once referred to as drug infested.

The president will be joined by first lady Melania Trump, who has shown an interest in the issue as it pertains to children.

Mr Trump drew criticism last year after leaked transcripts of his telephone conversation with Mexicos president published in the Washington Post showed he had described New Hampshire as a drug-infested den.

Death for drug traffickers and mandatory minimum penalties for distributing certain opioids are just two elements under the part of Mr Trumps plan that deals with law enforcement and interdiction to break the international and domestic flow of drugs into and across the US.

Other parts of the plan include broadening education and awareness, and expanding access to proven treatment and recovery efforts.

Mr Trump has mused openly in recent weeks about subjecting drug dealers to the ultimate penalty.

The president told the audience at a Pennsylvania campaign rally this month that countries like Singapore have fewer issues with drug addiction because they harshly punish their dealers. He argued that a person in the US can get the death penalty or life in prison for shooting one person, but a drug dealer who potentially kills thousands can spend little or no time in jail.

The only way to solve the drug problem is through toughness, Mr Trump said in Moon Township.

He made similar comments at a recent White House summit on opioids. Some countries have a very, very tough penalty  the ultimate penalty. And, by the way, they have much less of a drug problem than we do.

So were going to have to be very strong on penalties.

White House officials referred questions about the death penalty and drug traffickers to the justice department, which said the federal death penalty is available for several limited drug-related offences, including violations of the drug kingpin provisions in federal law.

Doug Berman, a law professor at Ohio State University, said it was not clear that death sentences for drug dealers, even for those whose product causes multiple deaths, would be constitutional. Mr Berman said the issue would be litigated extensively and would have to be definitively decided by the US supreme court.
A drug-user has been found guilty of raping and murdering a pensioner who was smothered during a night-time break-in at her home.

Craig Keogh removed wedding and engagement rings and a crucifix from the body of 72-year-old Jane Hings after taking around four minutes to suffocate her using a pillow following an utterly terrifying sexual assault.

Jurors at Birmingham Crown Court deliberated for around four hours on Monday before unanimously convicting Keogh, 26, of murder, burglary and two counts of rape.

Jane Hings was smothered during a night-time break-in at her home (Leicestershire Police/PA)

Keogh, of no fixed address, had claimed that his victim was alive when he left her bungalow in Fleckney, near Leicester, in the early hours of September 24 last year.

Police inquiries established that a handbag, a purse and cash had also been taken by Keogh, who was said by witnesses to have been bubbly in the days following the killing.

Keogh refused to give evidence at his trial, having claimed in police interviews that he had consensual sex with Mrs Hings, who was described by friends as frail after suffering rib fractures in a fall.

Jurors heard that Keogh appeared to be off his face on cocaine in the hours before the murder, and was seen to kick a wing mirror off a car.

He also threatened to assault two pub workers, telling them: Im from Fleckney. Ive seen someone get shanked. Ive got a piece.

In her closing speech to the jury, prosecutor Mary Prior QC said Keogh had deliberately silenced his victim, who he knew after previously offering to walk her dog.

The court heard Keogh, who left his cap at the scene, got a tongue piercing fixed, went for a carvery meal and visited a supermarket in the hours after the murder.

During her closing remarks, Mrs Prior said of Keogh: How could you be bubbly and happy in such circumstances? That money  that he took during the course of that burglary  was used on showing off, meals out, drinks for friends  flashing the cash.

We say its very, very clear that he snuck in there and took her things. He took the privacy of her body, and then he took her life quite deliberately.

Keogh will be sentenced on Tuesday.
A man has appeared in court charged with attempted murder after a car was driven into revellers outside a Gravesend nightclub.

Mohammed Abdul appeared before Medway Magistrates Court on Monday.

He is accused of driving a Suzuki Vitara deliberately into Blakes nightclub, Queen Street, on Saturday in an incident which left 13 people injured.

The 21-year-old did not enter a plea at the short hearing and spoke only to confirm his details when he appeared by videolink.

Police outside Blakes nightclub in Gravesend (Gareth Fuller/PA)

It is alleged the vehicle was driven down the alleyway beside Blakes nightclub at speed and then stopped for about 15 seconds before ploughing through a marquee and onto a dance floor.

The court was told people in the crowd were left with injuries including broken and dislocated knees, and dislocated pelvises.

Abdul had allegedly been kicked out of the nightclub before the incident.

Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector David Chewter, from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: We have reason to believe the person responsible for the vehicle colliding with the nightclub had been asked to leave the venue earlier on in the evening.

Id like to take this opportunity to thank the security staff at the nightclub as well as those members of the public who helped in the initial moments after the collision.

Many people were injured as a result of the incident but none of their injuries are described as life-threatening or life-changing.

However, we believe there may be more casualties out there who are yet to come forward and talk to us  we would like to hear from them as we continue to build a clear picture of what happened that night.

Dr Sola Adeyemi, chairman of the bench, remanded Abdul, of Gilbert House, McMillan Street, London, in custody.

He will next appear before Maidstone Crown Court on April 16.
Four University of Manchester students ran an international drug dealing operation from the dark web of the internet, a court has heard.

The defendants used the now-closed Silk Road website to import, export and supply large quantities of controlled drugs ecstasy, 2CB, LSD and ketamine between May 2011 and October 2013.

The operations prime mover, Basil Assaf, 26, and his fellow conspirators James Roden, 25, and Elliott Hyams, 26, were arrested on the same date the FBI seized the Silk Road servers and it was announced the US Government had seized the online marketplace.

The case involving students and drugs has been heard at Manchester Crown Court (Dave Thompson/PA)

Silk Road launched in February 2011 hidden on the dark web and advertised banned drugs and other illegal commodities for sale with users creating their own accounts.

William Baker, prosecuting, said when investigators raided Assaf and Rodens Manchester city centre flat in October 2013 they discovered what can only be described as a drug dealing factory.

The fourth conspirator, Jaikishen Patel, 26, was arrested in May 2014.

Mr Baker said the four men shared a common interest in consuming drugs while at university and progressed to selling them to other students in the city.

He said: In May 2011 they went online selling drugs on the Silk Road website on the dark web. They posted the drugs in the mail to people throughout the country and the world.

More than 6,300 transactions in exporting and supplying drugs took place including 16.7kg of ecstasy in its crystal form  equivalent to 240,000 tablets with a street value of just under 750,000.

Sales on the Silk Road website were valued at 1.14 million US dollars (812,000), Manchester Crown Court heard.

But the total sales figure, said Mr Baker, was greater because they also supplied drugs in person for cash and when possible avoided paying Silk Roads commission fees by receiving vouchers, using online payment systems and receiving Bitcoin transfers to Bitcoin addresses which have not been traced.

The prosecutor said the defendants enjoyed a lifestyle far above that of typical students including taking holidays to Jamaica and the Bahamas.

Assaf also boasted of his fondness for Veuve Clicquot Rose champagne and that he had enough money to pay for his education and buy a flat in Manchester city centre, the court heard.

Among items seized in the October 2013 raids was Rodens Iphone which contained a photograph of a flask which bore the image of Walter White  lead character in the Breaking Bad TV series who transforms from chemistry teacher to crystal meth supplier.

Also discovered was an envelope containing drugs which had a return name of Walter White  which Mr Baker said appeared to a sort of running joke between the defendants.

The prosecutor said Assaf was in control of the monies by paying his co-defendants and retaining monies hidden in Bitcoin accounts that have not been traced.

He also controlled two Silk Road accounts named Ivory and Cheezy Dave, with the former nominated as Silk Road drug dealer of the year in 2011.

The Crown say Assaf, originally from Amersham, Buckinghamshire, has hidden his proceeds of drug trafficking in Bitcoin.

Assaf, Hyams  also formerly from Amersham  Roden, and Patel all pleaded guilty at earlier hearings to various counts of conspiracy to importing, exporting and supplying controlled drugs.

A fifth defendant, Joshua Morgan, 28, has admitted assisted an offender in his paid role of packaging the drugs.

All five defendants appeared on Monday for sentencing which is scheduled to last up to three days.
The longtime chairman of the Nassau County Republican Committee and former state GOP chair is President Donald Trump's choice to serve as U.S. ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago.

The White House announced Monday that Joseph Mondello will be nominated for the post, which requires U.S. Senate confirmation. He will assume the position if confirmed.

Mondello, 80, has been chairman of the Nassau County Republican Committee since 1983. He served as chair of the New York Republican State Committee from 2006 to 2009.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Mondello endorsed Trump one month before the New York primary. Trump won the primary and nearly all of the state's 95 delegates at the GOP convention.

Aside from his political roles, Mondello is an attorney and has served as of counsel at Berkman, Henoch, Peterson, Peddy & Fenchel on Long Island.

A graduate of Hofstra University and the New England School of Law, Mondello was an airman in the New York Air National Guard and a corporal in the U.S. Army.
Two men whose organised and prolific cockfighting operation was exposed after they posted videos on Facebook have been spared jail.

Bill Ripley, 45, and Moses Brinkley, 61, were handed suspended prison sentences and banned from keeping game birds for two years at Bexleyheath Magistrates Court on Monday, having pleaded guilty to a total of 10 animal cruelty charges at an earlier hearing.

They were arrested after the RSPCA and police raided a travellers site in Bean, in Kent, in March last year and found 242 birds, including a hen with a neck injury.

One of the caravans searched was decorated with hundreds of photos and paintings depicting cockfighting and officers also found animal fighting paraphernalia such as spurs and muffs alongside books about the blood sport, the RSPCA said.

The probe was launched after material was spotted on a Facebook account in the name of Shamo Bill, an alias of Ripley.

Videos downloaded from the social networking site show cockfights at different venues, including a makeshift pit next to a caravan, as well as training techniques with cockerels being encouraged to attack dummy birds.



A 15-minute video played in court shows fights in which birds can be seen sparring, flapping at each other and pecking at their opponent.

Ripley and Brinkley, both of Claywood Lane, in Bean, Kent, each pleaded guilty to three charges of being present at an animal fight, one offence of keeping a premises for use in an animal fight and one offence of keeping animals for use in fighting.

Videograb showing a cockfighting match (RSPCA/PA)

The charges include five fights between July 2016 and March last year, during which two birds were killed, the court heard.

Chair of the bench, Alan Dee, sentenced Ripley to 14 weeks imprisonment suspended for a year, and handed Brinkley a 10-week jail term, also suspended for a year.

The pair were also banned from keeping game birds for two years, and each ordered to pay 856 in court costs and other charges.

Speaking outside court, RSPCA inspector Carroll Lamport, who led the investigation, said: For that level of organised fighting I would have expected a prison sentence.

He told the Press Association: Im somewhat disappointed because I think cockfighting is a very, very cruel activity and the level of what these guys were doing is at the very top.

This is organised and prolific cockfighting, causing immense suffering to the cockerels involved.

I think the disqualification was very light and I would have hoped they would have been banned for life.

These guys were doing organised and regular cockfights and promoting what they were doing, with people coming from all over the country and abroad.

It is a barbaric sport that was made illegal for all the right reasons.

He added: On a cruelty ranking, this is right at the top level where animals are forced to fight.

A cockerel found during the raid in Bean, Kent (RSPCA/PA)

The wounds they get are horrendous and the suffering is caused over a long period of time.

This is an abhorrent act. Most people would be horrified to see the results of cockfighting and to think it goes on in this country is appalling.

Prosecutor Andrew Wiles told magistrates cockfighting was outlawed in Britain in 1835, but remains prevalent in the UK and throughout the world.

These defendants deliberately fought birds, the result of which is to cause them suffering, he said.

The Facebook material, which is extensive, suggests Mr Ripley, has been breeding, keeping, selling and fighting cockerels for a considerable time. It shows an interest dating back to 1990, said Mr Wiles.

There were in fact a total of 45,000 images downloaded.

Richard Hawgood, defending both men, said his clients interest in game cocks lay primarily in the lawful breeding, keeping and showing of birds.

No birds were seized at all, that is quite remarkable and quite unusual, he said.

The birds were in tip-top, prime condition.

He said Ripley was encouraged to take an interest in game birds to help with his depression after a family tragedy, and gained admiration and respect he would otherwise not have got in his marginal life.

The respect he got has unfortunately, so far as these offences are concerned, gone to his head.

The court heard Brinkley told the probation service it is the culture of the travelling community and he and his friend did it for fun.

Mr Hawgood said: Im not going to seek to justify the offences on a sort of cultural or subcultural basis.

If any activity is illegal, it is illegal, it is against the law.
French tyre maker Michelin has struck a deal to acquire British manufacturer Fenner in a 1.2 billion deal.

The groups announced the deal after market close on Monday, with Michelin to shell out 610p per Fenner share, a 31% premium to the FTSE 250 firms closing price on March 16.

Fenner, based in Hessle in East Yorkshire, manufactures conveyor belts and reinforced polymer products for mining and industrial markets.

Michelin is to buy British firm Fenner (Paul Faith/PA)

It raked in 655 million in revenue last year and Michelin said the deal could unlock 30 million in annual cost savings through processing efficiencies and leveraging R&D skills.

Michelin boss Jean-Dominique Senard said: Mastering high-technology materials is key to creating value in the coming years.

The acquisition will enable Michelin to accelerate its growth in this area, and to strengthen its position as a key player in the recovering mining markets with a comprehensive offering.

Fenners directors said they believe the offer to be fair and reasonable and unanimously recommend shareholders accept the deal.

The companys chairman Vanda Murray said: Fenner has successfully established itself as a world leader in reinforced polymer technology and the board remains confident that Fenners existing strategy would deliver significant value for Fenner shareholders as an independent company.

However, we also believe that the terms of the acquisition acknowledge the quality of Fenners businesses and the strength of its future prospects, and as such the board intends to recommend unanimously the acquisition to Fenner shareholders.

Fenner chief executive Mark Abrahams described Michelin as an excellent cultural fit.
Zimbabwes new leader has publicly named more than 1,800 companies and individuals accused of illegally stashing hundreds of millions of dollars overseas and not bringing the money home under an amnesty deal.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa vowed to fight corruption after the dramatic resignation in November of long-time leader Robert Mugabe, whose government was accused of widespread mismanagement of the once-prosperous country.

Mr Mnangagwa announced the amnesty deal in December and it expired on Friday.

Emmerson Mnangagwa (AP/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

He now says 591 million of the 1.2 billion US dollars suspected to be illegally stashed overseas has been returned.

The president said those on the list should take heed of the importance of good corporate governance and the legal obligations of citizenry or face prosecution.

His list shows China as the main destination for funds externalised to foreign banks in cash or under spurious transactions.

Four Zimbabwean state-owned diamond mining firms are among those accused of moving the most money abroad in illicit financial flows.

The four, which mined in fields that once courted controversy over alleged army killings of illegal artisanal miners and looting, are accused of failing to repatriate more than 111 million US dollars in export proceeds.

Mr Mugabe previously claimed the firms spirited out 15 billion US dollars from the diamond fields, where the Chinese were major players until Zimbabwes government cancelled all licences to make way for a state monopoly in 2016.

Also on Monday, a government notice said officials had repealed sections of an indigenisation law that limited foreign ownership of businesses to 49%, though diamonds and platinum are still reserved for majority ownership by the state. The move had been promised by the new president.
The first British woman to die fighting with Kurdish forces in Syria will be remembered as fearless and noble, her sister said.

Anna Campbell died in Afrin on Thursday while fighting with the Kurdish Womens Protection Units (YPJ), according to the group and her father Dirk.

She is the eighth Briton so far to have died in Syria while working with Kurdish militia and was killed by Turkish air strikes, the YPJ claim.

Anna Campbell was killed in a Turkish airstrike (YPJ/PA)

The 26-year-olds younger sister Rose paid tribute from the family home in Lewes on Monday.

Rose Campbell, 24, told Press Association: She was very clear-headed, grounded, confident, fearless, noble and honest. She looked after us.

She was very creative. She always had her head in a book.

The family moved to the East Sussex town in 2001 and Anna attended an independent primary school which her late mother Adrienne helped to set up. She thrived in languages, art and literature but realised her true passion for politics while studying at university in Sheffield.

She decided to fly out to Syria via Lebanon about a year ago where she joined the YPJ, an all-female brigade of the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), which has around 50,000 Kurdish men and women fighting against IS in northern Syria.

Anna Campbell was described as an `inspiration by her family (PA)

Musician Mr Campbell, 67, said the family only found out on Sunday she had died when they were contacted by one of her friends.

Speaking to Press Association, he said: I will always remember at school she was furious with the other children who were tormenting a bumblebee in the playground. She protected it even though they were laughing at her.

She was not to be diverted, she was led by her conscience.

Dirk and Rose Campbell, father and sister of Anna Campbell speak at a vigil in her home town of Lewes, East Sussex (Gareth Fuller/PA)

He said she even dyed her hair black because she was so determined to be involved in the cause to avoid sticking out like a sore thumb with blonde hair.

He said: I last spoke to her two months ago. She was happy, very buoyant. It was difficult to hear from her often and she didnt like to tell us what was really going on but I suspected she was not being entirely honest.

I wasnt under any illusions. I just hoped she would stay out of danger. But it turned out that was the last thing on her mind.

I knew then that I had to let her go. I knew I couldnt change her mind. I was very proud of her and am very proud and always will be.

Ive learned she had a fantastic reputation out there. Her life was rich.

She said: Helin was very active. She gave a lot of effort. She was a really good friend of the Kurdish people. She was a really nice person. Everybody loved her. The day before she went to Afrin she said Im not looking to die but if its necessary to die in this struggle them Im ready. Im proud to die. If we dont die then we will be together again.

Everybody misses her. We promise we will never forget her. She was an international revolutionary. She was a daughter of the Kurdish people.

Anna Campbell (right) died defending Afrin (YPJ/PA)

Mark Campbell, co-chairman of the Kurdistan Solidarity Campaign who is no relation to the family, said: Anna is a woman who seemed to have more humanity in her little finger than the whole of the international community. She is an inspiration and a hero.

Conflict between Turkey and Kurdish groups has been inflamed since January.

Over the weekend, Turkeys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the countrys military had captured the town centre of Afrin, which was previously controlled by the YPG.

Nearly two months after launching an offensive on the Kurdish territory, he announced the Turkish flag and that of Syrian opposition fighters had been raised in the town.
The Palestinian president has called the US ambassador to Israel a son of a dog in an angry rant against the Trump administration.

In a speech on Monday, President Mahmoud Abbas pre-emptively rejected an expected White House peace proposal.

He criticised the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital, the American plan to move its embassy to the city and the cutting off of hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

He also condemned ambassador David Friedmans close ties with the West Bank settler movement, describing him as a son of a dog.

Some say wait for their plan, Mr Abbas said. What shall we wait for? No, we will not wait, and we will not allow that.

He added: Many said, Why dont you go to Washington?. They want us to go to Washington to sign. We will not accept that, and we will not let it pass.

Mr Friedman responded to the remarks at a conference on anti-Semitism in Jerusalem.

He said Mr Abbass response was to refer to me as a son of a dog. Anti-Semitism or political discourse? Not for me to judge. I leave that all up to you.

Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah (Adel Hana/AP)

In an address to members of his Fatah party, Mr Abbas also took aim at the rival Hamas militant group, accusing it of being behind an attempted assassination last week of his prime minister and security chief, and threatening to retaliate.

Hamas seized control of Gaza from Fatah in 2007, and attempts at reconciliation have repeatedly failed. The US has been pushing for progress in reconciliation in the run-up to its peace proposal.

Mr Abbas said he was furious over the bomb that targeted the convoy carrying his prime minister, Rami Hamdallah, and security chief last week, which did not seriously injure anyone.

He said he would take new punitive measures against Hamas.

As president of the Palestinian people Ive decided to take all national, legal and financial measures, he said without elaborating.

He said his government will either take full responsibility for Gaza or abandon it to Hamas, a step that would in effect end the dream of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza.

Mr Abbas has already taken steps to put pressure on Hamas, including reducing electricity supplies to Gaza and cutting the salaries of former civil servants.

Those steps, along with an Israeli-Egyptian blockade, have worsened Gazas long-running humanitarian crisis.

Earlier this month, the US hosted a brainstorming conference on how to improve conditions in Gaza.

After 10 years, they realised that the Gaza humanitarian situation is tough, Mr Abbas said derisively.
Allegations about the mass harvesting of Facebook users information are very concerning, Downing Street has said amid further allegations against data firm Cambridge Analytica (CA).

Prime Minister Theresa Mays official spokesman called on the social media giant and CA to co-operate fully with an investigation by Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham.

Meanwhile, further details about the firms activities included claims the company offered to entrap politicians and used ex-spies to dig for dirt on potential targets.

Facebook and Cambridge Analytica claims are `concerning says Downing Street (Yui Mok/PA)

An undercover investigation by Channel 4 recorded CAs chief executive Alexander Nix suggesting ways he could help a potential client.

A reporter posing as a fixer for a wealthy client hoping to get candidates elected in Sri Lanka met with Mr Nix and other senior figures from CA.

Asked about what deep digging could be done, Mr Nix told the reporter: Oh, we do a lot more than that.

I mean deep digging is interesting but you know equally effective can be just to go and speak to the incumbents and to offer them a deal thats too good to be true, and make sure that thats video recorded, you know, these sorts of tactics are very effective instantly having video evidence of corruption, putting it on the internet, these sorts of things.

Mr Nix said they could send some girls around to the candidates house, adding that Ukrainian girls are very beautiful, I find that works very well, Channel 4 reported.

"Send some girls around to the candidates house



EXCLUSIVE: This is how Cambridge Analytica bosses reacted when our reporter brought up the subject of digging dirt on political opponents. #CambridgeAnalyticaUncovered pic.twitter.com/5HTOw9XPgn  Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) March 19, 2018

CA told the broadcaster: We entirely refute any allegation that Cambridge Analytica or any of its affiliates use entrapment, bribes or so-called honeytraps for any purpose whatsoever.

The firm added: Cambridge Analytica does not use untrue material for any purpose.

CA was suspended from Facebook last week after it emerged that data on millions of users had not been destroyed as agreed.

Whistleblower Chris Wylie, a former research director at the UK-based company, told Channel 4 News a so-called data grab had been carried out on more than 50 million profiles in 2014.

Reports in The Observer suggested that the information was used to target political advertising in the 2016 US presidential election  something denied by CA.

Damian Collins, chairman of the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, has called on Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to appear before MPs to explain his companys actions.

Asked about the reports, Mrs Mays spokesman said: The allegations are clearly very concerning.

It is essential that people can have confidence that their personal data will be protected and used in an appropriate way.

It is absolutely right that the Information Commissioner is investigating this matter.

We expect Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and all the organisations involved to co-operate fully.

In a response to its suspension from Facebook, CA said it fully complied with Facebooks terms of service.

We strongly deny the claims recently made by the New York Times, the Guardian and Channel 4 News. Read our latest press release: https://t.co/G8cnv5G8oc  Cambridge Analytica (@CamAnalytica) March 19, 2018

In a statement it said that: In 2014 we received Facebook data and derivatives of Facebook data from another company, GSR, that we engaged in good faith to legally supply data for research.

After it subsequently became known that GSR had broken its contract with Cambridge Analytica because it had not adhered to data protection regulation, Cambridge Analytica deleted all the Facebook data and derivatives, in cooperation with Facebook.

This Facebook data was not used by Cambridge Analytica as part of the services it provided to the Donald Trump presidential campaign; personality targeted advertising was not carried out for this client either.

Information Commissioner Ms Denham said she was applying for a warrant to investigate CAs activities.

She said: This is a complex and far-reaching investigation for my office and any criminal or civil enforcement actions arising from it will be pursued vigorously.
Donald Trump has called for stiffer penalties for drug traffickers, including embracing a tactic employed by some of the global strongmen he admires: the death penalty.

Toughness is the thing that they most fear, the president said as he unveiled a long-awaited plan to combat the national scourge of opioid drug addiction.

He had travelled to New Hampshire, a state ravaged by opioids, which is also an early marker for the re-election campaign he has already announced.

He called for broadening awareness about drug addiction while expanding access to proven treatment and recovery efforts, but the backbone of his plan is to toughen the punishment for those caught trafficking highly addictive drugs.

This isnt about nice any more, Mr Trump said. This is about winning a very, very tough problem and if we dont get very tough on these dealers its not going to happen folks. I want to win this battle.

The president said that if a person in the US can get the death penalty or life in prison for shooting one person, a similar punishment should be given to a drug dealer who potentially kills thousands.

Mr Trump has long spoken approvingly about countries like Singapore that have fewer issues with drug addiction because they harshly punish their dealers.

During a trip to Asia last autumn, he did not publicly rebuke Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, who authorised extrajudicial killings of his nations drug dealers.

Donald Trump is believed to be an admirer of Rodrigo Duterte (Bullit Marquez/AP)

Outside a local fire station that Mr Trump visited before the speech, someone compared the leaders with a sign that said Donald J Duterte.

Drug traffickers kill so many thousands of our citizens every year, Mr Trump said.

Thats why my Department of Justice will be seeking so many tougher penalties than weve ever had and well be focusing on the penalties that I talked about previously for big pushers, the ones that are killing so many people, and that penalty is going to be the death penalty.

Other countries dont play games. But the ultimate penalty has to be the death penalty.

The Justice Department said the federal death penalty is available for limited drug-related offences, including violations of the drug kingpin provisions in federal law.

It is not clear if the death penalty, even for traffickers whose product causes multiple deaths, would be constitutional.

Doug Berman, a law professor at Ohio State University, predicted the issue would be litigated all the way to the US Supreme Court.

Opioids, including prescription opioids, heroin and synthetic drugs such as fentanyl, killed more than 42,000 people in the US in 2016, more than any other year on record, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mr Trump has said fighting the problem is a priority for his administration, but critics say the effort has fallen short.

Last October, he said the crisis was a national public health emergency, short of the national state of emergency sought by a presidential commission he put together to study the issue.

He called for a nationwide public awareness campaign, which he announced in October, to scare children away from dabbling in drugs, and said the administration will work to cut the number of opioid prescriptions by one-third within three years.

The president also discussed how his policies, including a US-Mexico border wall and punishing sanctuary cities that refuse to comply with federal immigration authorities, would help reduce the flow of drugs and help end the addiction epidemic.
The Home Office has reversed a decision to deport two Durham University academics after a public outcry.

Dr Ernesto Schwartz-Marin and Dr Arely Cruz-Santiago had been issued a 14-day notice to leave the UK following an apparent breach in their Tier 2 visa for humanitarian work in Mexico.

The couple had lived in the UK for more than 10 years with their 11-year-old daughter Camilla.

Home Office

A Home Office spokesman said: Following a review of the initial decision, Mr Schwartz-Marin has been informed that the applications of him and his wife for indefinite leave to remain have been approved.

An online petition signed by more than 70,000 people to reverse the unfair decision garnered large-scale public attention.

The online petition read: Their case is very distressing on a personal level, but it also sets a dangerous precedent for other non-UK academics working in universities and doing humanitarian fieldwork abroad.

The couple carried out humanitarian work in Mexico in 2014-15 building a DNA database to help locate victims who had gone missing because of drug cartel violence.

This led the Home Office to issue Mr Schwartz-Marin and his family with a deportation notice.

Jolyon Maugham QC launched a legal challenge against the decision.

More than 22,500 has been raised for the legal costs at www.crowdjustice.com/case/if-you-build-your-life-with-us/

The barrister tweeted that the U-turn was a huge win for all who support this campaign.
Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon has said it is unacceptable that the channel has a gender pay gap of 28.6%.

Ms Mahon said she was determined to make improvements after a report revealed the pay gap among staff, and is aiming to have a split of 50 men, 50 women in the 100 top jobs at the broadcaster by 2023.

Ms Mahon told presenter Cathy Newman on Channel 4 News: A gender pay gap of 28.6% is something that I find unacceptable.

I am not happy about it and as you saw from the report we put out today, it is something that I am determined to improve.

Channel 4s gender pay gap is more than 10% above the national average of 17.4%, despite its workforce being comprised of 59% women.

Media company ITN, which makes daily news programmes for ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, has a pay gap of 19.6% and the equivalent statistic published by the BBC for its gender pay gap was revealed to be 10.7%.

Ms Mahon said it was not a gap that the channel feels fits with our organisation.

We are a place thats inclusive, diversity is absolutely top of our agenda, she said.

We want to be about equal opportunities for men and women. So we dont want a gap of this level.

She said the gap was down to two things.

Firstly that the lower half of the organisation is about 66% female, and secondly that in the top 100 most highly paid positions, only 34 were held by women.

She said she was setting a target of 50:50 within that top 100.

She said: By setting such a clear target I have to bring on or progress a whole load of women.

Asked when she hoped to achieve that, Ms Mahon said: By 2023 for sure and if I can get there sooner I will.

She said always hiring the best candidates for roles meant she would expect to hire both women and men.

The key thing is that Im committed to that balance within the organisation, she said.

Broadcasters including ITV and Channel 5 have yet to publish details of their pay gaps.

The gender pay gap has been in the headlines since the salaries of top BBC talent were revealed.

Radio 2s Chris Evans topped the list on more than 2 million, while the highest paid woman was Claudia Winkleman on between 450,000 and 499,999.

Chris Evans (Nick Ansell/PA)

A review, carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers, said there was a lack of clarity and openness about the basis for pay decisions at the BBC.

It found no evidence of gender bias in pay decision making, although BBC Women, a group that includes presenters such as Jane Garvey, Mishal Husain and Victoria Derbyshire, have rejected the on-air review.

The BBCs former China editor Carrie Gracie resigned from her role in protest at inequalities.
Steven Spielberg has spoken about about how important it was to make his latest film about gaming accessible to girls as well as boys  because he favours his daughters over his sons.

The veteran filmmakers latest blockbuster is an adaptation of Ernest Clines book Ready Player One, in which a group of young people embark on a journey to win ownership of the virtual universe the Oasis, an internet-based simulation that allows people to live out their fantasies in virtual reality.

Arriving at the films European premiere in Londons Leicester Square, Spielberg discussed how important it was that the film felt inclusive in the wake of the sexism controversy in the gaming industry, known as Gamergate.

He told the Press Association: It was very, very important this felt like a film for girls because in this movie we have five characters, two of whom are girls and both of whom are actually more heroic in many, many parts than the boys.

I have four daughters and three sons and so the daughters outnumber the sons so I tend to favour the girls over the boys.

The cast and crew of Ready Player One (from left to right) Ben Mendelsohn, Hannah John-Kamen, Win Morisaki, Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Steven Spielberg, Lena Waithe, Philip Zhao and Simon Pegg (Ian West/PA)

The film is packed with pop culture references, including Back To The Future, Superman, King Kong and The Breakfast Club, as well as those from Spielbergs own films from the past three decades.

He said: I chose what not to include of my 80s movies, because if I included all my 80s movies my ego would be insufferable so I just cherry picked from the 80s the few films that I thought would help tell the story.

The most important thing is the story we are telling. All the references to 80s culture, style, music, film, television, all of that helps tell the story, but its not what the film is about.

He said: I think he has an extraordinary intuitive ability as a film director, hes an amazing storyteller and he knows how to speak in the language of cinema.

He speaks fluent cinema and he also knows how to speak to his actors.

He knows how to communicate his ideas, he has a cinematic mind and it just comes very naturally to him, its very instinctive, he doesnt try too hard.

He lives and eats and sleeps and breathes film and that is why hes Stephen Spielberg.

Olivia Cooke at the European premiere of Ready Player One (Ian West/PA)

Olivia Cooke, who stars as Art3mis, added: He just brings out the inner child, especially with these films as big as these and as adventurous as these.

He really does bring out the inner adventurer and he just wants to play and he wants you to play as well.

Ready Player One is released in UK cinemas on March 28.
 Marlene P. Falsey, 65, 37 Arlington Ave., Auburn, was charged March 18 with driving while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of at least .08 of 1 percent.

State

 Shayasia J. Knighton, 26, Syracuse, was charged March 12 with third-degree bail jumping.

 John R. Marshall, 50, Aurora, was charged March 13 with third-degree menacing and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

 Marie L. Gulisano, 23, Syracuse, was charged March 13 with petit larceny.

 Christopher M. Turo, 35, Etna, was charged March 15 with third-degree assault.

 David M. Gregory, 32, Savannah, was charged March 17 with criminal mischief.

 Buffy E. Aldrich, 38, Cayuga, was charged March 17 with driving while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of at least .08 of 1 percent.

 Gordon J. Pitre, 38, Jordan, was charged March 17 with driving while intoxicated and aggravated driving while intoxicated.

 Richard A. Giannone, 63, Auburn, was charged March 17 with driving while intoxicated and aggravated driving while intoxicated.
Game-changing women in theatre and the performing arts have been celebrated at the second annual Tonic Awards.

Recipients at the ceremony, hosted by Dame Jenni Murray and attended by stars including Gemma Arterton, Maxine Peake and Emma de Souza, who was honoured for her commitment to bringing new audiences into Londons West End through Kids Week.

The event offers families the opportunity to experience theatre together at an affordable price.

Dame Jenni Murray hosted the awards (Joel Ryan/PA)

The Clean Break theatre company was recognised for 40 years of work on the theme of women and the criminal justice system, while Waking The Feminists were honoured for a brave and creative campaign to effect positive change in regard to representation of women in Irish theatre.

#WakingtheFeminists... for a brilliant campaign for greater representation of women's voices in Irish theatre and beyond! Ursula Rani Sarma takes to the stage to present the award. #TonicAwards @WTFeminists pic.twitter.com/BUWzu4Ptdw  Tonic (@TonicTheatre) March 19, 2018

Director Katie Mitchell was given an award for her artistic work, proactive support of younger female theatre artists, and dedication to foregrounding feminism on stage.

Other winners were The Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester, Steffi Holtz and Gina Abolins, Kully Thiarai, Lyn Gardner and Caryl Churchill.

Caryl Churchill, for an extraordinary career. She dares to defy form and led the way for a new generation of female playwrights, breaking down walls in the theatre industry. Though Caryl is unable to join us, Moira Buffini pays tribute to her #TonicAwards pic.twitter.com/SpPDL1QNtQ  Tonic (@TonicTheatre) March 19, 2018

Tonic Theatre director Lucy Kerbel said: Im delighted that weve been joined by colleagues from across the theatre industry to celebrate the work of inspirational women who are changing our industry.

Its a great opportunity to bring people together, creating new partnerships and sharing ideas. This last year has shown that a shared voice can make profound change, and the atmosphere of community here tonight reflects that.

An award to Kully Thiarai for her achievements and ethos as an artistic director, and her dedication to creating work for her community. Charlotte Bennett takes to the stage to present her award! #TonicAwards pic.twitter.com/Gif1AuHo8T  Tonic (@TonicTheatre) March 19, 2018



Sita McIntosh, chair of Tonics board of trustees, said: Tonight has been about celebrating the success stories, and this brilliant group of women have achieved extraordinary things, leading the way for a new generation.

The Tonic Awards is an inspiring and unique event, and were thrilled with the support its had from across the industry. It shows a desire to platform the success stories and come together to drive for further change and greater representation of women across the theatre industry.
While congratulating Russian President Vladimir Putin on his election victory, President Maithripala Sirisena today said Sri Lanka was confident that Russia will achieve new level of progress under the leadership of President Putin.

Congratulations to President of Russia Mr. Vladimir Putin on his solid victory of the Presidential Election. We are confident in the Russian people's ability to achieve new level of progress in country's development under his leadership in the new term,
Puttalam District parliamentarian Sanath Nishantha and his brother Jagath Samantha Perera were remanded today until May 25 by the Chilaw High Court for violating bail conditions.

The High Court granted the two suspects bail on June 26 last year under the condition that they were to sign in at the Chillaw police station every Sunday.

However, both suspects have violated bail conditions since 2017.

The siblings were arrested for allegedly assaulting the Arachchikattuwa Divisional Secretary when he was inspecting a storage facility in 2007. (Jude Samantha and Augustine Fernando)
Flush with successes in by-elections in the politically significant Hindi-Hindutwa heartland in North India, namely, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the Congress under its new President Rahul Gandhi, has unveiled an ambitious plan to oust the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from power in the next parliamentary elections in May 2019.



The timing of the re-launch of the Congress is appropriate as BJP-led Governments in the Centre and the States are beginning to feel the heat of anti-incumbency.



But India oldest party has a long way to go and time is short. As on date, BJP-led alliances are in power in most of the States of North India, including the populous ones which send large numbers of members to parliament.



And the Congress has to be built anew with a new kind of leadership, a new structure, and a new set of ideas to be a clear alternative to the BJP which has developed some unique characteristics under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.



The BJP of today is more self-confident, well organized and well-funded than ever before. Its single focus is to capture power by any means, and yet it is able to project itself as a party with a well-defined ideology aimed at securing the support of the majority Hindus. Above all, it is led by an exceptionally charismatic leader, Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India. Further, Brand Modi, which is what the BJP is now, has been gaining acceptance in the North-East, well beyond its traditional Hindi-Hindu-North Indian habitat.



Therefore, any alternative to the BJP has to be both in the realm of ideology and the party structure. It is the contours of this alternative that Rahul Gandhi spelt out in his concluding remarks at the 84 th, plenary session of the Congress in New Delhi on last Saturday.



Contrasting Congress From BJP



A self-confident and yet humble Rahul said that the Congress will substitute the BJPs policies with totally new ones. While BJPs policies are based on hate and anger, Congress policies will be based on love and brotherhood. The BJPs policy of Hindutwa (political and cultural primacy of the majority Hindus) will be replaced by a policy giving equal place to every faith, caste, individual.



Congress, he said, it would strive for communal and caste tolerance and coexistence and eschew the BJPs policy of sharpening religious divisions and promoting communal hatred to win elections and keep itself in power. The lynching of Muslims for eating beef or selling cows for slaughter had become commonplace in the North Indian States ruled by the BJP.



There are attempts by the BJPs ideological wing, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), to infiltrate all institutions, especially educational and research institutions to change the mental makeup of Indians to wean them away from their historical legacy of tolerance.



The Congress, on the contrary, would respect all faiths and ideologies and not criminalize disparate thinking, Rahul said. Explaining his visits to Hindu temples in Gujarat during the last State Assembly elections, which critics said were a fake show of devotion to Hinduism to wean away Hindu votes from the BJP, Rahul said that he had been going to Hindu temples in the past too. But he had also visited mosques and churches, as he believes that God is everywhere. India belongs to all, irrespective of religion or caste, he added.



Unlike the BJP under Modi, the Congress will fulfill its promises, Rahul said. Modi had promised the earth, one of his promises being that the billions of dollars of black money stacked away abroad would be unearthed and brought back to India, and INR 15 lakh would be put into every Indians bank account. But nothing of this kind has happened. On the contrary, Modis draconian Goods and Services Tax, with the highest rates in the world, coupled with his demonetization of 85% of the currency hit trade, investment and employment.



The Congress President pointed out that instead of fulfilling his promises to the people, Modi is rubbing shoulders with corrupt corny capitalists like Nirav Modi. Rahul promised that the Congress will honor its commitments to the people. And if mistakes are made, it will apologize publicly, unlike Modi and the BJP, which are too arrogant to do so. It is human to err and if an error had been committed, a public apology is called for, Rahul said.

While unemployment and farmers distress have become Indias most pressing problems, Modi tries to divert attention from them by launching fancy programs unrelated to the needs of the people, such as performing yoga in public places, Rahul charged.



New Economic Plank



In contrast to the BJP, which has not brought about investment despite its Make in India slogan, a Congress Government will generate employment by encouraging small and medium industries to come up at the district level, Rahul said. These industries will use locally available talent and resources and bank credit for them will be ensured. He promised loan waiver for farmers burdened by debt, which has led to 2500 suicides to date. Food parks will be set up in every district where farmers can being their perishable produce, get guaranteed prices and have their produce processed to enhance their shelf life.



Over to youth



Rahul said that the Congress will be led by the youth. The wall dividing the leaders from the workers will be broken down. But this will be done without alienating the senior leaders from whom there is a lot the young can learn, he added.



Symbolizing the new party structure, Rahul did away with the practice of having all the top leaders sit on the dais, while the workers squat below. The dais was empty but for a podium for the speaker. Rahul said that he hoped that soon, the empty stage will be filled by talented youth from every part of India. He promised that from now on, work done for the party and not spending power will be the criterion for giving party nominations in elections.



Urging party cadres to get into electoral battles with courage and not be intimidated by an aggressive BJP, Rahul said that the Congress party is known for showing courage in the face of adversity. Thousands upon thousands led by Mahatma Gandhi, had gone to jail during the independence movement while V.D.Savarkar, an icon of the BJP, was pleading with the British to release him from jail, he recalled.



In the context of the killing of liberal and secular journalists like Gauri Lankesh, Rahul said that the Congress will give the media the fullest freedom and that whenever the media is harassed, the Congress will rush to its aid.



Meeting Chinas Challenge



Rahul avoided foreign affairs, but mentioned the challenge from China in the economic sphere as it affects local industries and local employment. He pointed that China is increasing its economic hold on the countries in the South Asian region and that Indian markets are awash with China-made goods. Rich Indian businessmen are minting money by importing Chinese goods while Indian manufacturers are starved of bank loans and burdened with GST, he charged.

But a Congress government will not shun China or fight with it, he said. We will compete with China in a friendly way, he assured.



The Congress President said that the world today has before it two alternative models to emulate - the American and the Chinese. But there is scope for a third model, the Indian model which is at once growth oriented and democratic, he said. The Congress will develop this model for the world to follow.



It remains to be seen if Rahul will be able to implement his ambitious schemes to defeat the BJP. Time is short. The Big Match is only 14 months away.
The political parties have, by and large, agreed to revert to the old Proportional Representation system for conducting the elections to the provincial councils, a Minister said yesterday.

The government has already enacted legislation to conduct the elections to the provincial councils under a mix of the First Past the Post and Proportional Representation systems.

City Planning and Water Supply Minister Rauff Hakeem told Daily Mirror yesterday that the complications arose from the same electoral model adopted for the elections to the local authorities concluded on February 10, 2018.

In respect of the local authorities, the First Past the Post system returned 60 percent of members and the Proportional Representation 40 percent. However, the formula, proposed for the elections to the provincial councils, will provide for the election of 50 percent of members each from the two systems.

There were complications from the formula meant for the local authorities. If we use the same for the provincial councils with slight changes in percentages, it will again create complications after the polls, he said.

He said the political parties made representations to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in this regard recently.

There is growing consensus among the parties that we should return to the old system in view of elections pending, he said.

The Prime Minister, at this meeting, agreed to have further talks with the political parties. (Kelum Bandara)
Transforming your one-time buyers into lifetime customers

Peter Drucker was an Austrian author of numerous economics and economics-related literature and a Professor of Management. He once said, The purpose of a business is to create customers.



Implied in his words and his work is the importance of keeping those same customers and of growing the depth of their relationship with you. After all, as research by Frederick Reichhold and Earl Sasser of the Harvard Business School shows, most customers are only profitable in the second time that they do business with you.



They are correct. Initially, new customers cost you money  money spent on advertising and marketing and money spent learning what they want and teaching them how your products/services would suit them.



Customer relationship management (CRM) can be the single strongest weapon you have as a manager to ensure that the customers become and remain loyal. It is the single strongest weapon you have, even before your people.



What is CRM?



Sounds like heresy? Let us explain what we mean. Great employees are and always will be the backbone of any business. But employee performance can be enhanced or hampered by the strategy you set and by the tools that you give employees to get the job done.



Done right, CRM is both a strategy and a tool. In your hands and in the hands of your team members, CRM comes to life, keeping you and your team on course and able to anticipate the changing landscape of the marketplace. With CRM, loyal customers arent a happy accident created when an exceptional customer service representative grasps and responds to a customer need.



Instead, you have at your fingertips the ultimate advantage  customer intelligence  data turned into information and information turned into a customer-satisfying action.



Implementing CRM is a non-negotiable in todays business environment. Whether your customers are internal or external, consumers or businesses, whether they connect with you electronically or face to face, from across the globe or across town, CRM is your ticket to success.



CRM defined



Let us see what really CRM is. CRM is a comprehensive approach for creating, maintaining and expanding customer relationships. Lets take a closer look at what this definition implies.



First, consider the word comprehensive. CRM does not belong just to sales and marketing. It is not the sole responsibility of the customer service group. Nor is it the brainchild of the information technology team. While any one of these areas may be the internal champion for CRM in your organisation, CRM must be a way of doing business that touches all areas. When CRM is delegated to one area of an organisation, such as IT, customer relationships will suffer.



Likewise, when an area is left out of CRM planning, the organisation puts at risk the very customer relationships it seeks to maintain.



The second key word in our definition is approach. An approach is a way of treating or dealing with something. CRM is a way of thinking about and dealing with customer relationships. We might also use the word strategy here because, done well, CRM involves a clear plan.



In fact, we believe that your CRM strategy can actually serve as a benchmark for every other strategy in your organisation. Any organisational strategy that doesnt serve to create, maintain or expand relationships with your target customers doesnt serve the organisation.



You can also consider this from a department or area level. Just as the larger organisation has strategies for shareholder management, logistics, marketing and the like, your department or area has its own set of strategies for employee retention, productivity, scheduling and the like. Each of these strategies must support managing customer relationships.



Now, lets look at the words, creating, maintaining and expanding.



CRM is about the entire customer cycle. This is what well discuss later as the customer service/ sales profile. When you implement your CRM strategy, you will capture and analyse data about your targeted customers and their targeted buying habits. From this wealth of information, you can understand and predict customer behaviour.



Marketing efforts, armed with this customer intelligence, are more successful at both finding brand-new customers and cultivating a deeper share of wallet from current customers. Customer contacts, informed by detailed information about customer preferences, are more satisfying.



Internal customers



You may be a manager whose area doesnt deal with external customers. This part of the definition still applies. First, you and your team support and add value to the individuals in your organisation who do come into direct contact with customers. Again and again, the research has proven that external customer satisfaction is directly proportional to employee satisfaction.



That means that the quality of support given to internal customers predicts the quality of support that is given to external customers.



Second, consider your internal customers as advocates for your department or area. For you and your team, CRM is about growing advocates and finding new ways to add value.



Benefits



Finally, what do we mean by customer relationships in todays economy, where we do business with individuals and organisations whom we may never meet, may never want to meet, much less know in a person-to-person sense? CRM is about creating the feel of high touch in a high-tech environment.



Consider the success of Amazon.com. If you are a customer of Amazon, you would not have ever spoken a single word to a human being during one of your service interactions. Yet, you have a sense of relationship with Amazon. Why? Because the CRM tools that support Amazons customer relationship strategy allow Amazon to:

Add value to customer transactions by identifying related items with their customers who bought this book also bought feature, in much the same way that a retail clerk might suggest related items to complete a sale.

Reinforce a sense of relationship by recognizing repeat shoppers and targeting them with thank you ranging from thermal coffee cups to stamps to ease the transition to new postal rates.



In short, customers want to do business with organisations that understand what they want and need. Wherever you are in your organisation, CRM is about managing relationships more effectively so you can drive down costs while at the same time increasing the viability of your product and service offerings.



Client tracking tool



CRM enables small business owners to tackle operational challenges, including sales decline, high client attrition, and misalignment between corporate revenue targets and salespeoples commission policies.



There are several ways a client tracking tool can positively affect your bottom line.

Client Management - You can use a CRM tool to get more visibility into your client base, ponder the tactics needed for long-term profitability and formulate better plans that impel your staff to break new operational ground

Profitability tracking - This tool can also ease up the work of your accountant. They no longer need to worry about tracking every cent of revenue and focusing on shipping costs, product discounts and client returns. The software helps give a business a speedy bookkeeping system and more accurate financial reporting

Sales strategy - As a business owner, the last thing you want is to lose income by targeting the wrong customer segment. Client administration programmes can provide you valuable intelligence about long-term sales trends, helping you adjust the existing corporate sales strategy and results tactics.



(Lionel Wijesiri is a retired company director with over 30 years experience in senior business management. Presently he is a freelance journalist and could be contacted on lawije@gmail.com)
A stock of foreign cigarettes worth more than Rs.210 million illegally imported from Malaysia was publicly destroyed by the Sri Lanka Customs at the crushing unit of the Ceylon Tobacco Company today. Pix by Nisal Baduge
(The Washington Post/AP), March 17 -The Czech Republic, Slovakia and Sweden all rejected a suggestion by a Russian spokeswoman that the nerve agent which poisoned a former Russian double agent and his daughter might have originated in their countries.



A Russian lawmaker earlier blamed Britain for the escalating tensions between London and Moscow over the nerve agent poisoning of a former Russian double agent and his daughter.



On Saturday Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, told Russia-24 television that the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Britain or Sweden were likely sources of the nerve agent.



Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom tweeted that she forcefully rejects (the) unacceptable and unfounded allegation adding that Russia should answer UK questions instead.



Czech Foreign Minister Martin Stropnicky called it an absurd accusation.



Britain blames Russia for the nerve-agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter, who were found unconscious March 4 in the English city of Salisbury and remain in critical condition.



Hours after Russia on Saturday announced that 23 British diplomats would be expelled, Konstantin Kosachev told The Associated Press this is not our choice, definitely. We have not raised any tensions in our relations, it was the decision by the British side without evidence.



Kosachev is the head of the foreign affairs committee in the upper house of the Russian parliament.
REUTERS: Sri Lankas tea output in February rose 14 percent from a year earlier due to favourable weather and a lower base last year, the state-run Tea Board said yesterday.



The production in the first two months of the year rose 14.1 percent from the same period last year.

Good agro-climatic conditions are the reason for the increased production, Sri Lanka Tea Board Director General S.A. Siriwardena told Reuters. The island nations tea output rose 5 percent to 307.1 million kg last year, recovering from a seven-year low of 292.6 million kg hit in the previous year.

The industry officials expect the production to reach 320 million kg in 2018 if the weather holds but a ban of cost-effective weedkillers, disruption to regular agricultural practices and the high cost of fertilisers could impact the production outlook.



Tea production in 2017 was impacted by severe drought followed by flooding, the poor application of fertilisers, a government ban on pesticides and restricted labour.



Tea is Sri Lankas top agricultural export commodity and one of the main foreign currency earners for the US $ 81 billion economy.
As in the case of the political and economic problems faced by the government, it is grappling with the issue of maintaining communal harmony in the country. It was clearly manifested during the recent anti-Muslim riots that even the state of emergency and the curfews did not function properly. The Government and the law enforcement authorities were accused of being passive onlookers while the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) Executive Director Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon has already lodged a complaint with the National Police Commission (NPC) about the inaction on the part of the law enforcement authorities during the riots.



The government during the ethnically-motivated attacks in the Kandy District early this month clamped a temporary ban on social media such as Facebook and WhatsApp with a view to curb or stem the further spread of hate speech and disinformation. It was also said the government was mulling whether to obtain Facebook Inc. assistance to filter hate mongering posts by Facebook users in the future. Needless to say social media has become a fools paradise filled with hate, malice, lies, idiocy and all other vile thoughts and it was not clear as to how much the government was successful in curbing the spread of these ideas at least during the ban, in the light of current advancement in the technological field.



The immediate reason for the attacks on the Muslim shops and religious places in Ampara town, according to reports was a lump of flour in food served to a Sinhalese man at an eatery managed by a Muslim. The mayhem in Digana, Teldeniya, Katugastota and many parts of the Kandy district meanwhile was triggered by an incident where a Sinhalese lorry driver was assaulted by four Muslims, resulting in the death of the former. However, the attempts to justify the attacks, amid being widely condemned with the allegation of import of Arab culture and disproportionate population growth, indicates that all ingredients for an ethnic war had been smouldering within society, long before the lump of flour came onto the plate or the lorry driver was attacked.



Hate is not and cannot be in the minds of only one community, as it automatically invites reciprocity. It is being instilled in our minds by our community from our birth, as ours is a society that perceives diversity as something to hate. But most of the time in our life, humanity keeps that hate suppressed. However, since 2012 when the Halal controversy was brought to the fore by groups with vested interests, the newly introduced social media took over the task of spreading hate and disinformation in a big way. When the lump of flour was found in the Ampara eatery, social media had already created a situation where many people tended or wanted to believe that it was nothing but wanda pethi.



In a way, the government is attempting to close the stable door after the horse has bolted. On the other hand, as we mentioned above, curbing social media is a difficult task in a technologically developed or savvy era. It is not only social media platforms, but also thousands of ordinary websites and blogs that are being used to spread hate in various languages. On top of all these, there is no definition to the term hate and a comment may be patriotic or nationalistic to one while being hateful to another. Hence, it is not clear how the government is going to filter hate from these media websites that appear in various languages.



Against this backdrop, religious leaders have a major role to play in curbing hate because more often than not, hate is spread in the name of religion and law alone cannot find solutions to this kind of problem. How can hate have a place in Buddhism that preaches Maithri or in Islam that preaches compassion or in Christianity and Hinduism that preach love? How can one protect his or her religion violating the very basic tenet of that religion? It is the duty of the religious leaders to sow these thoughts in the minds of their followers.
It is full steam ahead in Albany as work to complete an on-time state budget is underway. While meeting the April 1 deadline is important, it is even more vital that the final product is fiscally responsible AND meets the needs of families, businesses, and community groups.

At the start of the legislative session I pointed to the need to make New York more affordable for families and businesses while creating opportunities for future growth. The senates budget plan, which I helped craft, reinforces those goals.

On the affordability front, the senates budget holds the line on spending by adhering to a self-imposed two-percent spending cap for the eighth year in a row. Ultimately, capping state spending has saved taxpayers nearly $41 billion on a cumulative basis since the 2010-2011 budget. The spending cap needs to be made permanent to make certain lopsided tax increases are always outlawed.

The senate budget rejects $1 billion in onerous tax-and-fee increases proposed by the governor, including new taxes on internet purchases and new DMV fees, and keeps New York States promise to businesses by rejecting the proposal to defer business tax credits.
With the participation of a large number of Sri Lankans living overseas, a protest organised by the Global Sri Lankans Forum (GSLF) was held outside the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland on Sunday against the UN Human Rights Council's maltreatment of Sri Lanka.

GSLF representatives from Italy, Britain, Denmark, Germany, France, Monaco, Sweden and Switzerland took part in the demonstration while retired Rear-Admiral Sarath Weerasekara, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa and Anuradha Yahampath, who were in Geneva also attended the protest.

Dr. Godahewa addressing the protesters said the Sri Lankan Government had committed a grave offense by co-sponsoring the 2015 US resolution without studying its contents.

"Because the Sri Lankan government has co-sponsored the resolution, even Russia and China who have veto power will hesitate to support us if a proposal was made to the UN Defence Council to impose sanctions on Sri Lanka. The GSLF has taken up the responsibility to show the world that the majority of Sri Lankans reject the UN resolution on Sri Lanka, though it was endorsed by the government," he said.

GSLF President Wasantha Keerthirathna said the GSLF, which was launched in Italy three years ago, had expanded its network to many other countries today. He invited Sri Lankans living abroad to join them to overcome challenges faced by the nation in the international arena. (Lahiru Pothmulla)
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A news item in the Daily Mirror of March 15, 2018, titled Private Co. grabs Muturajawela land for housing scheme, has caused alarm to environmentalists who feel that the rich biodiversity of this wetland would result in irreparable and extensive damage to the fauna and flora especially the migrant bird life.



The Muturajawela area is identified to contain peat, which is a low form of coal that could be used to generate electricity.



I shall in this short report try to trace the historical background of the evaluation of peat and its impact on the environment and the other issues that have been recorded from 1947.



Historical background

It is reported that a special committee was appointed by the then Agriculture and Lands Minister in 1971 to study the peat deposit and in this report, it is mentioned that an attempt was made by a Soviet firm in 1947 to exploit the peat deposit. In 1961, these investigators suggested the possible use of the Muturajawela peat bog for industrial and agriculture purposes. The extent at that time was over 460 hectares or 1136 acres.



The Finland Foreign Affairs Ministry awarded a contract to Ekono to conduct a detailed study on the feasibility of the potential use of peat. The Geological Survey Department (GSMB) supervised the field surveys and the assessment of reserves in consultation with the University of Ceylon Peradeniya, in collaboration with Resources Development Consultants (RDC) and the Ceylon Electricity Board was Ekonos counterpart.



Location of peatland: It is situated north of Colombo extending from Hendala in the south to the Negombo lagoon in Seeduwa in the north. On the east and west, it is bounded by the Old Dutch canal and Hamilton canal, respectively.



Extent: 2900 hectares (7,165 acres) is open wetland, a suitable ecosystem for peat-forming vegetation. However, only a portion of this area is identified as geological peat land where an accumulation of peat is more than one meter hick.



Quality of peat: The pet layers contain hays and reeds and classified as sedge group and the age of the peat is 7300 +_ 95 years BP and the accumulation rate has been 0.6 mm/year.



The whole of the peat land has been drained for rice cultivation.



The sulphur content is very high compared to coal and other fuels.



The mean bitumen content of the ash-free peat is 1.26 percent, which is considered too small to warrant any further planning.



Socio-economic impact of peat production

This study was conducted by Resource Development Corporation (RDC) and it was revealed that the usable peat area is not more than 250 hectares (618 acres) and the area is located away from roads where houses are mainly located.



Environmental study

The above study carried out by Ekono in 1985 has revealed that the area contains water holes and marshy land and the water is impure and brackish. During the periods of less water in the Kelani River, sea water flows into the area through the Hamilton canal.



The plants that grow in the area, except for the land reclaimed, are grasses and bushes resistant to brackish water.



Buffalos and cattle could thrive in the area but at the time of the survey, only a very small number of these domesticated animals were found.



The Ekono survey also revealed that there was not much bird life and the fish living in the water holes are local verities such as Loola Karaviya, Anda and Magura and the breeding of new verities of fish has not been successful. People living in the area are bitten by mosquitoes and the burning of dried mud gets over this health hazard.



The water in the swamp is impure and if peat production is carried out, the water will be further polluted. The people strongly resisted this project unless a proper drainage system is designed to prevent the pollution of canal water.



It has been suggested that the link between the canal and swamp be prevented by closing about eight to 10 anicuts along the Hamilton canal. However, such action will result in excessive water in the swamp, causing floods and stagnation of water.



The drainage system also needs to be developed to prevent seepage of sea water, which will create more problems.



Conclusions and recommendations of Ekono study

According to the field studies carried out in 1985, the total quantity of peat available in Muturajawela is 258000 tonnes. This study was mainly directed to find out pest for use in a power plant.



The reserves will support 2-3 MW electricity generation for about 20 years only and this is about one-tenth of the rated output of the Kelanitissa power plant at that time.



It was concluded that a peat-fired power plant would not be economically viable. Further, the use of the peat deposits in Muturajawela will replace only about 120,000 tonnes of imported oil.



Conclusions and recommendations

It is concluded that the Muturajawela area is covered mainly by marsh and swampy lands with a peat bog at the centre, which is not economical to exploit for steam- generated power.



Since the area covers 7130 acres, it is reported that only 406 acres have been allocated to construct a housing scheme. This area is only 5.7 percent of the total area.



It was also revealed from the Ekono study that the area was under the Agriculture and Lands Ministry in 1971 and in 1985, the area came under the GCEC to control and develop the Muturajawela area. During this period, assessable marsh land was about Rs.300 per perch and the farm land and housing area was about Rs.2,000 to 4,000 per perch.



According to the press report of March 15, 2018, the Agrarian Services Department has been paid Rs.32,551,000 for 65,102 perches at Rs.500 a perch compared to Rs.300 in 1985. It is also noted that now the Muturajawela area, which was under the Agriculture and Lands Ministry and later the GCEC, is under the Agrarian Services Department. It appears that if the area is sold, the marsh value has not been appreciated much but if it is cultivated or used for housing areas, the value received is very low.

I am not aware whether the area sold by the Agrarian Services Department is in a protected natural reserve and whether it is marsh land or not.



It is recommended that a full environmental impact assessment study should be undertaken under the supervision of the Environment Authority to see whether endemic species of fauna and flora exist in the area and what action should be taken to drain the area from salt water and floods, if the housing scheme is finally approved. It is also reported that the area is common ground for migratory birds.



(Reference: Feasibility Study of the Potential Uses of Peat in Sri Lanka  Foreign Affairs Ministry  Finnish International Development Agency  1985)

(Dulip J. Jayawardena, a retired Economic Affairs Officer United Nations ESCAP, can be contacted at fasttrack@eol.lk)
The Office on Missing Persons (OMP) is one of the main transitional justice mechanisms, the others being a truth commission, an office on reparations and a judicial mechanism to investigate allegations of violations and abuses of human rights. The OMP intends to promote justice and bring closure to those whose loved ones have gone missing. With the recent appointment of the Chairman and the members to the OMP, hopes are now anew that the truth will surface. In an interview with the Daily mirror its newly appointed Chairman, Saliya Pieris PC, who is a former member of the Human Rights Commission, stressed that the OMP is not a punitive mechanism, but a mechanism to find the whereabouts of loved ones who have gone missing and provide relief.

Excerpts:

QThe OMP has been established and its members were appointed. But has the OMP actually begun work?



The initial work of the OMP has begun. But as you are aware the OMP is entirely a new institution. So with the appointment of the commissioners the first step is to set up the mechanism which includes among other things appointing the secretary, staff, and obtaining premises. We are in the very early stages of setting them in motion. For the moment, we have appointed the secretary who will have to get the government machinery moving. In that sense the preliminary work has begun. We have had certain discussions with certain stakeholders. The commissioners have met. So work has begun.

We also have a retired legal advisor to the Sri Lankan Army, General Mohanti Pieris. We have Jayatheepa Punniyamoorthy who is a victim, whose husband disappeared



QAt the moment does the OMP have the required expertise and resources to do the work it is mandated to do?



We have just started. We have to acquire the resources, obtain the staff and the experts. In doing so we have to consult the stakeholders, especially the families of the missing and other important stakeholders. That is the present process.



QWhen will the OMP actually be set up?



That we cannot say. That depends on how quickly the machinery moves. We intend to shift to our temporary premises by the first week of April. It will be in Nawala. So that is the first step. Then we will start the recruitment of basic staff. Then there are Government processes. For instance, there should be a scheme of recruitment to recruit permanent staff because this is a state institution. So there should be a transparent recruitment process. We have to obtain the necessary approvals from Government institutions like the National Salaries and Cadres Commission, and the Management Services Department. We are hopeful that other Government agents will cooperate with us to expedite the process.



QThe Act also mentions setting up of regional offices. Has any decision been taken so far regarding this?



We have not taken a final decision regarding that. But we will certainly have regional offices both in the North, East and the South.

OMP is a mechanism to find loved ones who have gone missing and provide relief

OMP intends to shift to its temporary premises in Nawala by the first week of April

Its primary mission is to keep in mind the needs of the victims

The mandate of this office is not restricted to what happened in the North and East

This office is not there to facilitate the prosecution of people



QWho can make a complaint to the OMP?



We have not really decided on that protocol. But any person who is aggrieved or who has credible knowledge of such a disappearance can make a complaint. But we will inform of the procedures in due course.



QHow should they approach the OMP and make a complaint?



We have not come to that stage. We have not yet formulated the process



QHow do you view your responsibilities as the Chairman of the OMP?



The Chairman of the OMP is also the Chief Executive Officer of the institution. I view my responsibilities not only from that angle. I think it is quite a huge responsibility because you have to address the needs of the victims. As we have said in a recent media statement, our primary mission is to keep in mind the needs of the victims. The burden is heavy because you have to establish a new institution and recruit new staff. The ultimate goal is to find out what has happened to the missing. Our mandate is not restricted to what happened in the North and East. Our mandate goes back in time to any period where people have been missing. In other words 1987 to 1989 and 1971, would also be within our mandate.

For the moment, we have appointed the secretary who will have to get the government machinery moving. In that sense the preliminary work has begun. We have had certain discussions with certain stakeholders



QIf its an issue regarding an abduction which happened for example in 1960 would it come under the purview of the OMP?



There were no particular cases of disappearances in 1960. The OMP Act defines as to who is a missing person. It is those who have gone missing during the times of conflict or the incident must relate to the phrase enforced disappearances. The OMP Act, No. 14 of 2016 has defined who a missing person is. Basically it is when a person whose fate or whereabouts are unknown or unaccounted for or is missing in the course of the conflict in the North and East or its aftermath. Missing persons also include members of the armed forces or police who are missing in action, people who have been missing in connection to political unrest or civil disturbances like during the period of 1987-89, or 1971, and also those who come within the meaning of enforced disappearance. So its not just abduction in that sense, but where there is enforced disappearance that would come within our mandate.



QWhat do you think of the team that you will work with?



Our membership comprises different segments. For instance, we have activists, professionals and people who have been in the public service. So they have contributed to human rights and the society in different ways. We also have a retired legal advisor to the Sri Lankan Army, General Mohanti Pieris. We have Jayatheepa Punniyamoorthy who is a victim, whose husband disappeared. The OMP represents a cross section of society. But as far as possible we will act collectively.



QSo far how has been the support of the Government?



I have nothing to complain about. We have just started. We are supported by the Ministry of National Integration & Reconciliation and we are also supported by the Secretariat for Co-ordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms (SCRM), the Presidential Secretariat and the Prime Ministers Office. So far we have nothing to complain about, but certainly as it gets implemented we will need to obtain approvals quickly, of course within the Government procedures. So far people have been positive in their approach to the OMP.

We expect to be allowed to act independently and impartially. We do also expect that there would not be unwarranted interference in whatever way by any party



QIs the OMP an independent body?



Yes. Its members are appointed by his Excellency the President on the recommendations of the Constitutional Council and there is a process for the removal of a member. Our view and the structural view of the OMP is similar to that of an independent commission.



QAre you hopeful that the OMP would be able to conduct investigations without State interference?



We expect to be allowed to act independently and impartially. We do also expect that there would not be unwarranted interference in whatever way by any party. Looking at the purpose of our law and the objectives we expect to operate independently, without fear or favour.



QThere is this notion that the OMP is operationalized to please the international community. Do you think that the OMP being operationalized is a genuine effort on the part of the Government to achieve transitional justice?



We will re-intend to make it a genuine effort. We are of the view that the requirement for an OMP is not to please either Geneva or the international community. We think its a genuine requirement which has arisen due to problems within our country. If you look at the history of our country, there have been periods of civil unrest which have resulted in disappearances and people going missing. Then there was the war in the North and East where there were disappearances, people went missing and those belonging to the forces, the police and the civil defense force also went missing in action. Their relatives want to know and they have a right to know what has happened to their loved ones. We believe that the establishment of the OMP must arise from that need. It is about the need of the country and the needs of its own people. It is our view that it is only if that is done that that there would be genuine reconciliation in Sri Lanka. The need for the OMP is for reconciliation in Sri Lanka and not to satisfy anyone else.

Our mandate is not restricted to what happened in the North and East. Our mandate goes back in time to any period where people have been missing. In other words 1987 to 1989 and 1971, would also be within our mandate



QFrom the perspective of families of those who have gone missing they have lodged complaints with several Commissions of Inquiries and other places. What assurance can you give that the OMP will unearth the truth regarding what happened to their loved ones?

The assurance we can give them is that on the part of the OMP we will endeavour to do what has been entrusted to us by Parliament. We will do that with responsibility. In doing that we will take into account the views of the families of the victims and all other stakeholders. We would like it to be a participatory process. But at the same time one cannot expect results short-term. It would have to be systematic, the office must be set up, the mechanism will have to be set up, the units must be set up and its going to take a fair period of time. The assurance wed like to give people is that on our part we will be genuine in our efforts.



QOMPs opponents have said that the RTI Act and the Evidence Ordinance dont apply to the OMP. Is this so?



There is a reason for that. The Evidence Ordinance is inapplicable not only to the OMP. The Evidence Ordinance is inapplicable to many other institutions. For instance, the labour tribunal. The reason is it is not a court of law. The OMP is not a punitive institution. It is not established to punish. It doesnt give rise to any criminal or civil liability. It is there to find out the truth. We want to stress that the OMP is not a court of law. We are not going to sit in judgement and punish people. That is not our role. In that sense the Evidence Ordinance is not applicable.



Now as to why the RTI Act is not applicable, it is explained in the Act that during the course of an inquiry, where confidential information is obtained, the RTI is excluded. The reason is that when confidential information is provided with regard to a person that information cannot be divulged. There are provisions even under the RTI Act where information of a confidential nature can be safeguarded. So that is why the OMP Act also in certain instances has excluded the provisions of the RTI Act.

The OMP is not a punitive institution. It is not established to punish. It doesnt give rise to any criminal or civil liability. It is there to find out the truth



QIf the OMP is not a punitive institution and if the OMP finds that someone has committed a crime what steps would the OMP take to punish them?



That is covered under Section 12(i) of the OMP Act. What it says is that where it appears to the OMP that an offense has been committed and warrants an investigation the OMP may after consulting the relatives and considering the best interests of the victims, relatives and society, report the same to relevant law enforcement or the prosecution authority. So it is not an automatic process. But with regard to an issue, say if the OMP is of the view, considering all the circumstances and including the interests of the victims and the society, that it must be referred to a law enforcement authority, that could be done.



QIn that sense is it possible that the OMP will facilitate the prosecution of army soldiers?



No. I want to stress that the OMP is not there to facilitate the prosecution of people. The purpose of the OMP is to provide relief and to help people find their loved ones. Its not a punitive mechanism. There is no process where the OMP facilitates prosecutions.



QThe Enforced Disappearances Bill was passed in Parliament recently. How would this Act assist the mandate of the OMP?



Our definition of enforced disappearances is in line with the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. I think the Enforced Disappearances Act is something that is necessary because part of our mandate is to make proposals to prevent future recurrence of enforced disappearances. In that sense the Act is an important step. As an institution we will be studying the provisions in the Act and we will be making our observations to the State as to what our views are regarding the Act. Certainly the Act is welcome as a first step towards recognizing that enforced disappearances cannot recur in this country.

The OMP Act, No. 14 of 2016 has defined who a missing person is. Basically it is when a person whose fate or whereabouts are unknown or unaccounted for or is missing in the course of the conflict in the North and East or its aftermath

Pic by Kushan Pathiraja
The Port City project has to be looked at from the development aspect not merely to serve the needs of the present, but for urban life several generations away. While the NGOs who have been protesting against this massive development project have been saying somewhat the same story, which is that we need to save our environment for the future generations, they somehow seem to be missing that this project is being carried out with all the checks and balances that are necessary from the environmental and social aspect..



When we talk of the future and the people who would live in Sri Lanka, we have to take into consideration the projections made by UN-Habitat that by 2030, 60% of the worlds population will live in urban areas. Having said that, one cannot build a city without sustainability in mind as it is a mandatory factor from a marketing point of view. So we would not be following sustainability practices just merely because its the right thing to do but also because it is a part of the business plan of this new city.



And for this reason, the Port City has a detailed development permit with 72 conditions issued after the EIA was approved, which is being followed meticulously, so that our progress is mapped for scrutiny. In addition to this, there are 26 Government agencies who are monitoring and reporting the different aspects of the Port City development project.



It is clear that certain NGOs continue to spread disinformation about Port City. This time they have regrouped under a new banner to bring out the same rhetoric whereas all relevant points of contention have been explained in various press responses and the 2 EIA studies.. We believe there is a hidden agenda to the spread of this misinformation.

It is clear that certain NGOs continue to spread disinformation about Port City. This time they have regrouped under a new banner



For example, the theory that Colombo city buildings would sink spread by the NGOs, was a result of a hypothesis presented by one particular private company at the IESL a couple of months ago. This got blown out of proportion in the media. Carmel Corea is basing her arguments taking this report as truth when there is no scientific basis to back the hypothesis. This is irresponsible behavior and fear mongering.



As per the numerous statements made by Port City in the past, sand dredging is carried out in a completely sustainable manner at distances of over 7.5km from the shoreline, and at depths of 15m or more. It is a scientifically proven fact any qualified coastal engineer will confirm that any dredging beyond the coastal zone of around 2km from the shoreline and more than 8m in depth has no impact on coastal erosion. Port City was imposed limits of more than double this minimum standard. Also, all offshore sand mining sites used for dredging will comply with environmental regulations. Therefore, the Government allocation for coastal erosion has nothing to do with Port City



Also, the dredging has no impact on livelihoods as the depth of dredging is limited to 3m from the surface of the seabed, and a thickness of sediment of at least 0.5m is maintained. This practice prevents impacts on fish breeding. As for granite we have to clearly state that the Port City project obtains its granite from 11 quarries (which have their own EIA approval) in the Colombo and Gampaha districts amounting to only 7% of the quarry reserves of these districts. We have to categorically state that no coral reefs have been destroyed due to the Port City project and this was addressed in the SEIA. Also, the Coast Conservation Department has confirmed that there is no coastal erosion due to the project.



We need to categorically state that the Supplementary Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) report is a very comprehensive document which has taken all aspects deemed necessary for an EIA into consideration. There was a stringent inspection and evaluation process and was put up for public scrutiny and received 215 written responses. As a result of this process, Site 1 for sand mining which was located between 2- 4 kms from the shoreline was taken off the dredging map. As for sand mining costs, it falls into the overall budget of the development project where 3 dredgers have been brought in and sand is being obtained from approved sites. Annual demand for construction sand in Sri Lanka is estimated at 12 million cubic metres. However, due to high salinity of sea sand, despite its price being much less than river sand, only 3% of construction in Sri Lanka is carried out using sea sand. i.e. only 0.36 million cubic meters of sea sand is used.



The SEIA does not violate any law. The National Environment Act clearly has provision for Supplementary EIAs. In any case, the SEIA states that this document can be considered as a stand-alone document independent of the EIA as all aspects covered in EIA are more comprehensively covered in SEIA. For example there is a detailed cost benefit analysis carried out in the SEIA.



At this point in time, the effect of particulate matter PM10 and PM2.5 are purely academic where Port City is concerned because the current readings are within safety limits. However, we would like to point out that both the SEIA (Dec, 2015) and EIA (Oct, 2017) discuss the particulate matters under the relevant chapters on air quality. In particular, EIA (Oct, 2017), provides records on PM10 and PM2.5, which still comply with safety standards. Also the Government has recently announce of all vehicles being powered by batteries in the future, which will have a positive impact on air quality
Funds to anchor new lending and additional capital buffers



Seylan Bank PLC will raise Rs.10 billion in corporate debentures as the bank is shoring up capital to fund its loan growth and to meet the elevated capital ratios under the new BASEL III rules.



The debenture will have two tranches. The initial issue will see the bank issuing 60 million notes at Rs.100 each. The bank will upsize the issue by another 40 million notes of the same debenture in the event of an over subscription of the initial tranche. The notes will carry fixed coupons and have maturities of 5, 7 and 10 years. Fitch Ratings assigned a BBB + rating to the subordinated debenture, one notch below A- rating assigned on the bank, to reflect the notes subordinated status and higher loss severity risks relative to senior unsecured instruments.

Unlike other sub-debt, these debentures would convert into equity upon the occurrence of a trigger event as determined by the Monetary Board of the Central Bank.

The subscription for the debenture issue will start on March 21. The bank devised the plans for the debenture as early as July or August, last year.

Sri Lankas banks are seen racing to issue BASEL III complaint Tier II debt during 2018 as the banks face a steeper increase in minimum capital ratios from January 2019.



Most banks will need to raise capital to meet higher BASEL III requirements that take full effect in January 2019 and to support balance sheet expansion, Fitch Ratings said at the beginning of the year.



As of December 31, 2017, Seylan Bank had a capital adequacy ratio of 11.16 percent under Common Equity Tier I, including the capital conservation buffer, while the Tier I and Tier II ratios stood at 11.16 percent and 13.25 percent respectively. This is against the minimum requirement of 5.75 percent, 7.25 percent and 11.25 percent for each.



However, by January 1, 2019, these minimum requirements need to go up to 7.00 percent, 8.50 percent and 12.50 percent respectively for banks with less than Rs.500 billion in assets.



According to Fitch, there were around Rs.119 billion in qualifying legacy BASEL II Tier II instrumentsthat are subject to a 20 percent discount per year outstanding at end 3Q17. Besides Seylan Bank, Sampath Bank will raise Rs.7.5 billion in BASEL III, Tier II compliant five year notes with fixed coupons in March.



The bank in December raised Rs.6.0 billion in similar instrument and further Rs.7.6 billion in a rights issue.



Sampath Bank will raise a further Rs.12.5 billion capital in a rights issue opening in March end.



In 2017, Seylan Bank reported earnings of Rs.13.68 a share or Rs.4.82 billion, up 20 percent from a year earlier supported by 19 percent growth in new loans.
The first social media blackout to be implemented in Sri Lanka since the inception of Social media platforms in 2005 just ended last week. The sudden and swift social media blackout was a response to halt and mitigate the spread of racial tensions among Sinhala and Muslim communities based on isolated incidents in Digana and Teldeniya.

The social media blackout created a major socio, political and economic backlash targeting the government, representatives of various political parties including the two governing parties, civil society activists, professionals to foreign diplomats highlighted circumventions of democratic rights of Sri Lankans by denying them access to the services of social media platforms.

The Sri Lankan government confronted a full blown reality that academics/researchers such as this author has been trying hard to highlight throughout the last decade of the importance of grasping Cyber Political drifts that the world is encountering from domestic to global political processes. Stratsight in many occasions have engaged with various aspects of cyber politics over the last year.

Political processes, political strategies and decision making in the 21st Century have to be contingent upon the revolutions of technological disruptions. The master disruptor has been the Internet and its spatial element cyber space. No country, no statesman or woman is immune from cyber repercussions. A major reason Hillary Clinton lost the Presidential election was her handling of the Benghazi crisis 2012, in which violent protests in Libya led to the death of the US Ambassador in Libya. The key driver of the protest was an unrated, independent movie made by a US movie maker which went viral on YouTube, following claims it offended and the American government underestimated the global impact of this video.



Cyber Politics

Cyber Politics has emerged as a discipline of study and research over the last ten years exploring how internet and cyberspace have created multiple forms of power relationships that impact macro level statecraft to micro level political organizations. Yet this sub discipline remained largely on the peripheries of politics and International relations. Since the Arab Uprisings of 2011, increasing internet controls in countries like China, cyber-attacks , and finally the circumstances of allegation of Russian involvement mainly through cyber operations in the US presidential elections of 2016 has brought to discussion to the mainstream in Cyber political research and discussions.

Irrespective of what hard power spectrum a country belongs to, the cyber vulnerabilities have had major effect on Democratic societies. The very fundamental of democratic societies is freedom of information, speech, ideas and political freedoms, thus using cyber space and aligned technologies all these fundamental features of a democratic system has become vulnerable to cyber attacks and large scale disinformation campaigns.

The next social media revolt may not be stopped by merely pulling the plug

Cyber Politics has emerged as a discipline of study and research over the last decade

Sri Lankas response to contain the distasteful and destructive hate speech was a total shut down

China began its Internet filtering and controlling efforts at the turn of the Millennia



Weaponized Narratives

In the aftermath of US presidential elections a new study area has emerged in cyber political studies, the key concept is Weaponized Narratives. Multiple definitions have emerged to complement the concept, rather than going through the definitions, the key elements of weaponized narratives are the deliberate targeting of a society, to undermine its values, beliefs, create confusion and complexity and critically leading to alter political decisions at crucial moments such as in times of a democratically contested elections

In the previous Stratsight column, in generating a cyber strategy for Sri Lanka, the importance of people were highlighted. The weaponized narratives targets people and their judgements, thus it is a more powerful weapon than any form of kinetic attack. There is less coercion but alteration of convictions. Whilst propaganda campaigns of the past in global and domestic politics may have been a precursor to this, cyber space has enabled weaponized narratives to be packaged and delivered parallel to geo-political conflicts and to gain political advantage across national and international spectrum.

Harvard Universitys main International Relations think tank the Belfer Centre initiated a project led by Eric Rosenbach the former election campaign boss of Republican Candidate Mitt Romney who ran against Obama in 2012 to lead a new research plus policy initiative called Defending Digital Democracy last year. The core principal behind this new initiative is to prevent third countries or non-state actors of hacking and changing outcomes of political processes in the United States as well as other democratic countries highlighting the importance of understanding and responding to cyber political developments globally.



Sri Lankas choices

Sri Lankas response to contain the distasteful and destructive hate speech was a total shut down, while the move is debatable, but its long term effect will taper off with more and more users finding ways and means to circumvent the embargo. While VPNs remain a primary way of scaling up any state imposed firewall thus leading the State to invest more into advanced and sophisticated surveillance and fire walls.

China is the best case study in perfecting a firewall that is hard to breach and is becoming extremely sophisticated with a multimillion dollar investment in modernizing its technological architecture. China began its Internet filtering and controlling efforts at the turn of the Millennia. The project was codenamed Golden Shield, the more popular term that is used to identify Chinas internet controls is Great Firewall of China. What it has achieved technologically is to move away from simple generalized content control when information enters China to a more potent surveillance capability targeting individual users.

Sri Lanka may not have the necessary technological backbone, the political will or deep pockets to go for such large scale surveillance which actually defeats the legitimacy of a democratic society. Yet there may be a lesson that can be learnt from China on why its internet censorship is to a certain extent accepted by its public. China has not taken a narrow approach of merely controlling the internet by simply curtailing it or expanding pervasive surveillance it has also managed to achieve a large scale social engineering operation where Chinese citizens have adopted a culture of self-censorship in

online activities.

Recent reports from China point to a promotion of new level of self-censorship in online activity as the state is exploring of the creation of a Citizen Score as an incentive encouraging good behaviour. While Sri Lanka may not be in the mid to long term successful in popularizing self-censorship protocols but the State can look at creating awareness and supporting social media advocates, web journalists disseminate ideas of ethical use of social media. Rather than a state imposed code of conduct which always denote negativity a more publicly open dialogue promoting social media norms if given correct leadership and participation may lead to a more responsible social media behaviour among our citizenry.

What Sri Lankan policy makers have to be aware of is that the current increase of weaponization of social media and disinformation campaigns of social media reflects the times we live in. There is a massive recession in power and acceptance of the liberal world order. The value systems that were built of truth and justice are eroding or under attack. Philosophically we are entering a time of the Post-Truth, and the social media has become the production house of lies. Researchers claim that lies tend to get shared or consumed more in social media platforms and people are more attracted to lies of false information as there is novelty in it as the truth remain unexciting and stale.

Translating such social and political developments when making national policies, addressing issues of social cohesion and national security, its the right time for Sri Lanka to engage in a dialogue on how cyber politics and cyber cultures will change the traditional way of doing things, the sooner we have the conversation safer our social fabric will be. The next social media revolt may not be stopped by merely pulling the plug.



The writer is the Director, Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS)
Its 2018 and the roles we each play have evolved significantly.Girls in particular, are no longer limited to identifying themselves with simply one personality. However, with the limitless personas todays girls have become accustomed to playing, if there is one thing that keeps letting them down, it is their hair. To tie it all up in order, Sunsilk, together with hair and beauty expert Ramani Fernando, have come together to give you the years sixteen ultimate hair trends at Sunsilk Hair story2018.

Its true that Sri Lankan girls do not often experiment with their own hair. Most girls will either pull their hair back in a ponytail or bun or simply just let it down, regardless of the occasion. Sunsilk is here to show them that their hair is something exciting and versatile, and can add much value to any person or occasion. Sunsilk Hair story 2018 will give Sri Lankan girls a glimpse of how they can unleash the potential of their own hair, and be their versatile best, said Munazza Rafeek, Brand Manager for Sunsilk Sri Lanka.

The ultimate hair trends are meant to help experiment, empower and emancipate all while complementing the multiple roles that women today take on in their lives. From the successful career woman, to the fitness fanatic, to the university student or popular socialite, Sunsilk Hair story 2018 and Ramani Fernando have a trend in store for everyone willing to experiment.

Girls have many ways that help define their style. Be it the clothes they wear, shoes they slip on or the makeup that helps illuminate their face, every aspect helps bring in more personality and depth to the style they are keen on creating. With the Sunsilk Hair Stories, we intend to add one more layer to this personality by creating looks that will make their look complete, said Ramani Fernando.

Sunsilk has always been at the forefront of making a difference and initiating change in the hair and beauty of Sri Lankan girls. Through the initiative of curating Hair Stories for 2018, Sunsilk has been able to recraft and revive Sri Lankan girls helping them capture the different personalities they lead. More details on this initiative can be found by visiting the Sunsilk Sri Lanka Facebook page.
The near hysterical response to the local election results, by parliamentarians and the media alike, demonstrated an unfortunate lack of understanding of the Constitution of our country. This was evident especially regarding the powers of the President. The office of President today is not that which was established by President Jayewardene in 1978. Nor are the powers of that office the same or even similar. The 19th Amendment [19A] stripped the Presidency of nearly all the executive powers which President Jayewardene invested himself with. The President today is, in many respects, a constitutional Head of State who is required to act on the advice of the Prime Minister, similar to the Presidency under the 1972 Constitution.



Appointment of Prime Minister

This is the most important function of a Head of State, be it a Queen or President. In the United Kingdom, its exercise is regulated by convention. In Sri Lanka, Article 43 of the Constitution requires the President to appoint as Prime Minister the Member of Parliament who in his opinion is most likely to command the confidence of Parliament. No petition with signatures, or even a vote of confidence in Parliament, is required. The 1972 Constitution contained an identical provision.



Removal of Prime Minister

The 1978 Constitution originally stated that the Prime Minister may be removed from office by a writing under the hand of the President. The 19A deleted that provision. Instead, it provided that the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers cease to hold office by operation of law only if Parliament (i) rejects the Statement of Government Policy; (ii) rejects the Appropriation Bill; or (iii) passes a vote of no-confidence in the Government. (A motion of no-confidence in the Government is moved by the Leader of the Opposition and is different from a motion of no-confidence in the Prime Minister which, in parliamentary practice, is a private members bill of low priority). It would appear therefore that, once appointed, the Prime Minister may not be removed from his office by the President. An issue may arise due to the applicability of the Interpretation Ordinance to the 1978 Constitution. Section 14 of that Ordinance states that, in any law, for the purpose of conferring the power to dismiss, it is sufficient to confer the power to appoint. Whether Parliament overlooked the Interpretation Ordinance in the tumultuous circumstances in which the 19A was debated and passed, is not clear. It may also be argued that the Constitution overrides section 14. In any event, if the President were to dismiss the Prime Minister, he may do so only if he is of the opinion that the Prime Minister most likely does not command the confidence of Parliament, and that some other Member of Parliament does. In such event, that other person should immediately be appointed

Prime Minister.



Establishing ministries

The President determines the number of Ministers of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministries and the assignment of subjects and functions to such Ministers (Article 43). In performing this task, he is required to act in consultation with the Prime Minister, where he considers such consultation to be necessary. In regard to the number of Ministers, the President is constrained by the constitutional provision (Article 46) that Ministers of the Cabinet of Ministers shall not exceed thirty; and Ministers who are not members of the Cabinet of Ministers and Deputy Ministers shall not, in the aggregate, exceed forty. Parliament may increase these numbers in a situation where the recognized political party which obtains the highest number of seats in Parliament forms a National Government.

A coalition government is not a National Government. The expression National Government was defined by the 19A to mean a Government formed by the recognized political party which obtains the highest number of seats in Parliament together with the other recognized political parties. Therefore, a National Government exists only when all the other recognized political parties represented in Parliament are included in it, and not merely some. An interesting question that arises is whether all the recognized political parties represented in Parliament are indeed included in the current so-called National Government. If not, did the President act in violation of the Constitution when he created more than thirty Ministries?

Determining the Ministries and the assignment of subjects and functions to Ministries is the other responsibility of the President. This is a task that, in the past, was usually performed by senior public officials, depending on the number of Ministries that were to be created. There is little room for flexibility in performing this task since the subjects to be assigned to Ministries often remain the same; for example, Defence, Foreign Affairs, Justice, Finance, Education, Health, Agriculture, Industries, Trade, etc.

"The President today is, in many respects, a constitutional Head of State who is required to act on the advice of the Prime Minister, similar to the Presidency under the 1972 Constitution"



Appointment of ministers, deputy ministers

The 19th Amendment made a very significant change in the power of appointing Ministers and Deputy Ministers. Previously, the 1978 Constitution empowered the President to exercise that power in consultation with the Prime Minister where he considers such consultation to be necessary. The 19A now requires him to act on the advice of the Prime Minister. By empowering the Prime Minister to determine the composition of the Cabinet of Ministers, and to advice the President accordingly, an important executive power of the latter was removed. It restored the position that existed under the 1972 Constitution when the President was a constitutional Head of State who acted on the advice of the Prime Minister.



Removal of ministers, deputy ministers

The 1978 Constitution originally provided that a Minister or a Deputy Minister may be removed from office by a writing under the hand of the President. The 19A deleted that provision. In its place was substituted a provision which states that a Minister or Deputy Minister may be removed from office under the hand of the President on the advice of the Prime Minister. Therefore, the process of removing a Minister or Deputy Minister now has to be initiated by the Prime Minister, and in making a removal order the President is required to act on the Prime Ministers advice. Thereby, the position under the 1972 Constitution has been restored.



The power to reshuffle

Article 43(3) states that the President may, at any time, change the assignment of subjects and functions and the composition of the Cabinet. He exercises this power on his own, not on the advice of the Prime Minister, or even in consultation with the Prime Minister. Whether Parliament, in the stormy late-night session in April 2015 when amendments were flung at each other from both sides of the floor, retained this 1978 provision deliberately or inadvertently, is not known. How the President can change the composition of the Cabinet on his own when he can neither remove a Minister nor appoint a new Minister except on receiving the advice of the Prime Minister, is incomprehensible. The same applies to the assignment of subjects and functions which, in Article 43(1), requires to be done in consultation with the Prime Minister. In fact, if the President were to decline to assign a particular subject to a serving Minister (as was recently reported in the media), the solution would appear to be for that Minister to resign from the Cabinet and be re-appointed, on the Prime Ministers advice, as the Minister in charge of that contentious subject.



Dissolution of parliament

The 1978 Constitution originally empowered the President to exercise his executive power to dissolve Parliament at any time after the first year following a general election. The 19A removed that power. The President may now dissolve Parliament only in the last six months of its five-year term. If he wishes to do so earlier, he needs to obtain the consent of Parliament expressed through a resolution passed by not less than two-thirds of the whole number of its members voting in favour.

"A coalition Govt is not a National Govt. The expression National Govt was defined by the 19A to mean a Govt formed by the recognized political party which obtains the highest number of seats in Parliament"



Appointment of Chief Justice, Superior Court Judges

The 1978 Constitution originally provided that the Chief Justice, the President of the Court of Appeal and every other Judge of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand. The 19A removed that executive power. The President may now make any such appointment only if he has previously obtained the approval of the Constitutional Council of which the Prime Minister is a member.



Appointment of senior Govt. officials

The 1978 Constitution originally vested the President with the executive power of appointment of the Attorney General, The Auditor General, the Ombudsman, the Secretary-General of Parliament and the Commissioner of Elections. The 19A removed that executive power. The President may now not make any such appointment without obtaining the prior approval of the Constitutional Council. In fact, the appointment of the Commissioner-General of Elections is now made, not by the President, but by the Elections Commission with the approval of the Constitutional Council. Curiously, the power of appointment of Secretaries to Ministries, which was vested in the President by the 1978 Constitution, remains intact. However, once appointed, a Secretary is subject to the direction and control, not of the President, but of his or her Minister.



Appointment of independent Commissions

The 1978 Constitution originally vested in the President the power of appointing several independent commissions including the Public Service Commission, the Judicial Service Commission, the Bribery Commission, the National Police Commission and the Human Rights Commission. The 19A removed that executive power. The President may make appointments to these and other independent commissions only on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council. Even in the matter of establishing the Constitutional Council, where the President is entitled to appoint five members, he is required, in so doing, to accept the nominations of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

Immunity of President

Under the 1978 Constitution, as originally enacted, no proceedings could be instituted against the President in any court or tribunal in respect of anything done or omitted to be done by him either in his official or private capacity. The 19A now permits any person to challenge the Presidents official acts or omissions in the Supreme Court by invoking its fundamental rights jurisdiction.



Presidents residuary executive powers

The President, of course, has residuary executive powers which every Head of State possesses. He is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Head of the Executive, as President William Gopallawa was under the 1972 Constitution. He may declare war and peace, but since Heads of State do not personally lead their armies into battle in the modern world, his decision to declare war will require the acquiescence of not only the Prime Minister but also several other state agencies. He may appoint and accredit an ambassador, but only if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has secured the agreement of the receiving state. The recent fiasco involving the Defence Attache in London, when the President reportedly overruled the Foreign Ministers instructions that the officer concerned should return home immediately, demonstrated a lack of knowledge of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Under that Convention, whenever the receiving state notifies that a member of the diplomatic mission in unacceptable, that member has to return home. The President has the power to pardon any convicted offender, or substitute a less severe form of punishment, but that power has traditionally been exercised on the advice of the Minister of Justice. Finally, the President of Sri Lanka is constitutionally vested with a unique power, without precedent in the constitution of any other country; that is, to appoint Presidents Counsel. In exercising that power, he is not required to obtain anyone elses advice.



Presidents remaining executive powers

The 19th Amendment, whether deliberately or inadvertently, left intact certain powers which the 13th Amendment had vested in the President. These relate to provincial administration. The President appoints a Governor for each province. Where there is a failure of its administrative machinery, the President may, upon being so informed by the Governor, assume to himself the powers of the Governor for a period of 14 days; the powers of the Provincial Council passes to Parliament which may, in turn, confer such powers on the President who may, in turn, delegate such powers to any other authority.

The 19A, probably inadvertently, left intact the provision in the Constitution which deemed the Public Security Ordinance of 1947 to be a law enacted by Parliament. Consequently, it is the President who, under that Ordinance, decides whether to declare a state of public emergency, and it is the President who makes emergency regulations. However, a proclamation declaring the existence of a state of public emergency lapses in 14 days unless Parliament by resolution approves it. Therefore, unless the President had acted with the concurrence of the Prime Minister, his proclamation will necessarily be short-lived.



Conclusion

While politicians belonging to all the parties vociferously argue that the executive presidency should either be retained or abolished, they appear to have overlooked the fact that the executive presidency established by the 1978 Constitution no longer exists. The 19A has effectively abolished it. The President, of his own volition, cannot choose the Ministers. He cannot remove any Minister from office except on the advice of the Prime Minister. He cannot dissolve Parliament at a time of his choosing. Acting alone, he cannot appoint Judges, Senior Officials or the independent Commissions. The Presidency has been stripped of all these fundamental executive powers. In respect of all these matters, he is essentially a constitutional Head of State.

Therefore, the question arises as to whether an expensive, divisive, nation-wide election is required to elect the next President, merely because he still possesses a few, relatively unimportant powers in respect of provincial administration and the appointment of Presidents Counsel. Following the example of countries such as India, should not Parliament, or an Electoral College, elect the next President? Following the example of several other Commonwealth countries, is it not time for Sri Lanka to have a distinguished, non-political, unifying figure, acceptable to all communities, as its Head of State?
Recent ban significantly affected peoples day-to-day communications and business operations

Govt. cannot be blamed for ban given bitter experiences such as Arab spring

Information Technology Expert Dr. (Eng.) Lalith Liyanage speaks to Daily mirror about the importance of having a controlling mechanism on the social media sites. Dr. Liyanage is the Chief Executive Officer of Lanka Logistics and Technologies Ltd. which comes under the purview of the Ministry of Defence. He shared the following:

Q As an IT expert, how do you see the importance of social media on public life?



I am a chartered electrical engineer and a member of the Institute of Engineers Sri Lanka. I am also a Fellow member and the Vice Chairman of the Institute of Engineering and Technology which is a global network. I did my doctorate in Computing in England. I have a quite bit of experience in this domain for over 22 years.

In todays context, social media communications have taken over all other forms of communications. We had landline telephones, pagers, radio sets, mobile phones, broadcasting technologies etc. Today, social media is so powerful that it has taken over a significant portion of human communications. We use social media sites, mainly Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Viber, Imo etc for our daily communications in a very cost effective and efficient manner. If you take the communications cost five or ten years ago, we used IDD calls to contact our relatives or friends overseas. It was costly.



In Sri Lankan context, mobile communication costs were quite high. Yet, today, with these data connections and Voice Over IP protocols, cost has become significantly low. That is why people, mainly use data communications. You can very easily send videos and data files using these sites. The recent ban has affected significantly peoples day-to-day communications as well as business transactions. If you take entrepreneurs- small time or big time, tourism agents, travel and trade agents, most of the businesses used to have happened through the social media networks.



For example, we use to communicate with our foreign suppliers or business partners on WhatsApp and Viber which is faster and easier than emails with this ban, we all had to go back to emails as our primary mode of communications. Deny and regulate bear two different meanings in terms of social media (SM). What we experienced in Sri Lanka was the Denying of Service (DoS) in which access to the different social media sites was blocked and such approach hinders the usability of social media in various modern applications. Hence, regulations are necessary for the smooth functioning of Social Media under countrys law and order.



The ban on social media happened for the first time in Sri Lanka since its introduction. It was a kind of a shock initially. Then, people started communicating on other media - mobile and emails, analysing, criticizing, and accusing the government. However, it was a timely decision from the governments point of view with the limited capacity to control spreading of hatred racial messages which are mostly fake, bogus and exaggerated.



Even though, taking the advantages of technical lapses, some methods have been used especially by youths for surfing the FB and other SM sites such as downloading so called VPNs. Hence, the ban can be considered as partially implemented. From the side of Law Enforcement Agencies, it has been reported that technical agencies and service providers do not have adequate resources to monitor posts in local languages.



Spreading of virulent and fabricated news, photos and videos posts were drastically reduced after the ban of social sites. Many people who got involved in this have been traced, arrested and a fear of posting, sharing such news and multimedia content was spread over the country.



The move cut access to about six million users, including many hundreds of businesses, self-employed and entrepreneurs, who depend on the platforms for their business. The ban has badly affected the tourism industry, small businesses and others. The continuance of the ban would have economic and social implications. Further, Sri Lanka has been highlighted in world forums as a country with less media freedom and freedom of speech.



The ban has been lifted now. People are back on their normal communications on social media sites. I heard there were even court cases filed against Facebook ban. The ban of social media sites has significantly impacted peoples day-to-day life. Ideally, it should not have been banned, instead, a controlling mechanism should have been applied focusing the areas of concern.

However, it was a timely decision from the governments point of view with the limited capacity to control spreading of hatred racial messages which are mostly fake, bogus and exaggerated



Q Why do you say this so?



We can remember the Arab Spring during 2010-2014 period. We can remember how people gathered in masses in order to create problems against the ruling governments. Most of these governments were toppled by the anti-government groups mainly using Facebook campaigns which allowed them to gather at specific times and places instantly without allowing preparatory time for government forces. We know the recent experience in Sri Lanka in the run up to the Presidential Election in January, 2015. There was a huge impact made by the Facebook in order to change the regime. I am not talking about good or bad about that change. It was a significant communication tool at that time - to voice individuals convincing ideologies and messages across to their supporters. In the run up to the parliamentary elections in 2015, it was again used significantly.



With such experience, the government had no other choices than totally banning them temporarily. Had there been effective controlling mechanisms of social media communications, the things could have been different.



Q How do you ensure effective controlling mechanisms without interfering with the peoples private communications?



Regulating social media is not an easy task. It requires the use of technology and introduction of new regulations. These are the two essentials we need to have for the regulation of social media. Both social media and blog posts are today unleashing a trend that has not been seen before. In social media and blog posts there is a growing trend in the use of abusive language. It is true that the right to express our views is a basic human right, but it does not define to what extent a person can exercise this right without hurting the freedom of others. This is the main challenge. You can use abusive language against even the national leaders such as the President and the Prime Minister on social media. This will never happen in print and electronic media.



In print and other electronic media this is well controlled as there is always an owner for any published item/article. But, unfortunately, in the Internet based media and other Social Media communications that ownership is not properly regulated. If each piece of published item clearly shows the ownership (i.e. the publisher) that itself will act as a deterrent in preventing the abusive use of social media and blog posts.



We need a legal framework to regulate this. Technology is available in the world in order to monitor, control and regulate. We call it Lawful Interception (LI). Many governments are enforcing it, adapting lawful interception. That is the effective use of technology.



Q How do you explain it a bit more?



There are technical methodologies. We have something called Deep Packet Inspection (DPI). There are methodologies such IP Blocking, Keyword Filtering and Packet Filtering. These are technologically possible which many governments are using in order to ensure national security and public safety of a country. For this, you need the assistance of the Internet Service Providers controlled by the regulatory authorities like Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL).



Legally, you need to have a framework. In Sri Lanka, there are a few Acts in force  the Computer Crimes Act No.24 of 2007 and Sri Lanka Telecommunication Act No.5 of 1991 and the Obscene Publication Act No. 30 of 2001. These were the parliamentary Acts somewhat covering these regulatory aspects. Further, there were a couple of Acts like the Penal Code Amendment Act No. 16 of 2006. There, duty of person providing service by computer to prevent sexual abuse of a child. This was amended in 2006. There were two sections in the same amendment saying the computer facilities used to carry an act constituting an offence related to the sexual abuse of a child. It is mainly talking about the sexual abuse or pornography.



What we are talking about today is social media and using abusive language. Even the Computer Crimes Act, it relates to crimes and hacking offences, and also pornography and harassment perpetrated via ICT tools. These acts do not provide necessary enforcements for enactment of regulatory mechanism for law enforcement authorities to act upon national security or public safety related issues.



If you take the Digana incident, the Sinhalese, Muslims or the Tamils would get together and misuse social media by propagating false racial information such that extreme racial groups in other parts of the country could be misled and react aggressively. They get together to create problems. When they do it in Sinhala or Tamil languages, it is very difficult for the internet companies such as Facebook to do some restrictions. For that, we need the assistance of our own internet service providers and technically advanced systems which could do analytics in all three languages. For them to act on lawful interceptions, we need to have a regulatory mechanism. The law should cover whatever the actions the government would take to mitigate, to prevent the impact.



My company, Lanka Logistics and Technology Ltd where I serve as the Chief Executive Officer -- is a 100% Treasury-owned company coming under the purview of Ministry of Defence, and we have initiated a Draft Bill for this purpose.



We call it National Security and Public Protection Act on Electronic Communications. This was drafted back in 2014. With the regime change, we could not pursue it forward. Fortunately, with this incident, Law and Order new Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara contacted us. We had a meeting and mentioned about it. It is high time that this Bill is enacted as an Act. The Minister promised to arrange a meeting with the Attorney Generals Department to discuss this and fine-tune a little bit for discussion in Parliament for enactment. In order to draft this Bill, we had the contribution from Ministry of Defence, the CID representing Ministry of Law and Order, Ministry of Digital Infrastructure, Computer Emergency Response Team of Sri Lanka (CERTLK), and the Legal Draftsmans Department. This Bill is 90% ready. The Law and Order Minister will take it forward with the Attorney Generals Department and us with the help of other relevant institutions.



The Bill covers all what we want to cover in electronic communications such as Application and objects, Establishment of an Electronic Communications Regulatory Authority, Procedure for interception, Procedure for censorship, Imposition of added obligations on the service providers to assist in interception and censorship, and offences and penalties. We hope the Law and Order Minister will take this forward. We have proposed to establish an independent authority to carry out these activities as indicated by Minister Harin Fernando last week. You will have technology and people who use social media. There has to be an authority representing key relevant ministries  Law and Order, Defence, Digital Infrastructure - to enact the regulations provided by this act.



Therefore, regulating the social media is possible by introducing new regulations (ownership for every published item, administrator for every blog post, etc,) and installing technology based systems to enforce the regulations. This is not a violation of privacy or human rights. It is necessary to prevent the recurrence of incidents that happened recently.



Having said that, please note that this is not a one-time activity. As the technology advances, especially the rapid advances in Internet based technologies, it is essential to upgrade whatever the technical systems that were put in place.



Q What are the countries that have resorted to interception and censorship?



It is no secret that most of the countries are engaged in monitoring Social Media and other forms of digital communications as revealed by Wikileaks and Edward Snowden.



In most countries Social Media is controlled but this is carried out in a transparent manner so that the users do not feel it. However in extreme cases, countries have banned commonly used Social Media and implemented their own systems which can be controlled. Examples are China, Iran, North Korea, Myanmar, Cuba, Saudi Arabia and Syria. These countries are doing filtering of searches, blocking sites, erasing inconvenient contents and monitoring social media round the clock. They even reroute search terms which they decide as inappropriate. The traffic is forced to go through a central network. The enforcement authority is vested with that power. These are kinds of radical countries. If we are to enforce these kinds of things, it will not match for a country like Sri Lanka where freedom of expressions, human rights etc are important. We have to have a little bit mild regulatory mechanisms ensuring transparency for peoples communications. At the same time, we must have lawful interception where it is needed. Then, we can avoid cases like Digana and extreme cases as happened in the Arabic countries.



Today we talk in terms of Terabyte or Petabyte size data volumes. We also talk about Big Data Analytics. The traffic volumes have reached that level and it may seem to be impossible to monitor that amount of digital communications. One prohibitive factor, for countries like Sri Lanka, in implementing such monitoring systems is the COST. However, it is the cost of ensuring peace and freedom through broader terms National Security and Public Safety.



Further, those countries have introduced new legislation to prevent the misuse of Social Media. Even in developed countries social media is monitored by installing monitoring systems either at Gateway level or at ISP level. In some countries it is not only monitored but also archived so that if an incident happens all related communications such as voice and Internet based emails, social media etc, can be replayed and analysed.



They are the United States, some European countries, some of the Asian countries like India. They have enforced lawful interception with adequate technical capabilities and legal provisions.



The US also had two Acts passed in their Parliament - Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the Communication Decency Act. They have strong laws pertaining to social networking sites.

We have to have a little bit mild regulatory mechanisms ensuring transparency for peoples communications. At the same time, we must have lawful interception where it is needed. Then, we can avoid cases like Digana and extreme cases as happened in the Arabic countries



Q In social media, people sometimes do not post any hate-filled remarks. They only add a picture. As for the Digana incident, it may have been a picture of a damaged temple or a mosque which roused the anger. How do you control such activities through lawful interception?



In Cyber Security Technology, there are analytics mechanisms. They will analyse not only the contents but also photos and videos. As you know A picture can say thousand words. Experts who analyse have tools to monitor the contents. You may not have a single word written but they are intelligent enough to analyse these pictures and see the underlying meaning. These types of photos can create a lot of problems. They can see the trends of these pictures. It could also be a picture taken somewhere else or some time back to mislead the audience so analysts can identify all these factors. What we need is to convert all these contents into actionable intelligence and make appropriate decisions



We should not forget that Social Media is a valuable source of information as it will provide the State with the current thinking of the public, indications of events that could happen, etc, if this information is properly analysed. Technology for this sort of activities is available but it requires highly skilled analysts to correctly interpret the information to convert it to intelligence.



Q When bringing out such legislations, how do you reconcile freedom of expression and national security aspects?



We have considered all these things. There were two or three lawyers involved including a former Legal Draftsman in drafting the Bill. There were technical experts as well as CID personnel. We have gone into all these aspects. We studied similar acts from countries like USA, UK, Singapore, Australia, India and Nigeria. We also perused the Budapest Convention for Cyber Crime in which Sri Lanka is a signatory. We have nicely covered, freedom of expression, human rights etc., without compromising National Security and Public Safety.



In the countries such as China, Iran and Syria, they have included strong clauses in their legal framework. Their priority is national security. Others are secondary.

Your privacy is secondary than national security or safety, isnt it?



Q Doesnt it give scope for the political parties in power to suppress the dissent for their ends?



In some of the countries, these regulations provide legal coverage to prevent the misuse of systems by the state. The states cannot misuse this power. For example, during an election, the ruling government cannot ban social media for their advantage. Social media is a valuable source of information and should not be banned. The best is to implement a system to monitor the abusive use of it.



There are few technological challenges in implementing a foolproof system as such systems are seen as a threat to human rights or privacy.



It is necessary to formulate a system which will bind the user to real identity as a first step towards ensuring accountability. There would be a lot of criticism for introducing such a mechanism. But, again, it is necessary that we take the right steps to ensure our own freedom.



Secondly, there should be justifiable regulations to restrict the abusive use of Social Media as well as blog posts. The same regulations should provide legal coverage to prevent the misuse of systems by the State. Many countries do this by obtaining the authority through a procedure from the Courts of Law.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- According to local media, Dongfeng Venucia Vehicle Company (Dongfeng Venucia) and the Chinese AI and intelligent speech developer iFlytek Co., Ltd (iFlytek) will officially sign a strategic agreement on March 20 to carry out the cooperation in IoV (Internet of vehicles) area. Both parties will make use of their advantages to develop cooperation in some business realms like intelligent human-machine interaction, in-vehicle intelligentization, AI technology, big data analysis, intelligent IoV platform, intelligent customer service as well as sales innovation. Besides, the two companies may jointly build intelligent-connected models in the future.

As early as 2015, Dongfeng Venucia had launched its intelligent in-vehicle system called Venucia smart vehicle manager. In 2017, the automaker joined hands with Amap.com to have a deep cooperation in LBS (location based service), mapping platform, travelling service, Internet finance and other areas.

So far, the IoV system developed by Dongfeng Venucia is able to achieve the whole-journey navigation that covers the process spanning from before getting in the car to after getting off the car. Besides, it can plan the best routes for drivers according to the real-time updating traffic conditions. The automaker's intelligent human-machine interaction system can recognize 16 dialects and enable drivers to do operations like controlling air conditioners, navigation system and blue teeth via voice commands. All new models launched by the Dongfeng Venucia are expected to carry the all-new IoV system in the future.

Apart from the upcoming cooperation with Dongfeng Venucia, iFlytek has already formed partnerships with some internationally famous automakers like Volkswagen, Nissan and Toyota Motor.
The United States has terminated the anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations on imports of rubber bands from Sri Lanka on March 15, Sri Lankas Industry and Commerce Ministry said in a statement, yesterday.



The decision in this regard was taken at a vote held at the United States International Trade Commission (USITC).



USITC Chairman Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, Vice Chairman David S. Johanson and Commissioners Irving A. Williamson and Meredith M. Broadbent made a finding of negligibility with respect to Sri Lanka but voted affirmative for investigations with respect to China and Thailand.



On February 21, 2018, the US announced the initiation of a new antidumping duty and countervailing duty (CVD) investigation to determine whether the rubber bands from China, Sri Lanka and Thailand were being dumped in the United States or if the producers in China, Sri Lanka and Thailand are receiving

unfair subsidies.



The investigation was initiated after a US manufacturer of rubber bands filled an anti-dumping and countervailing duty petition at the US Department of Commerce (USDOC) and USITC alleging that the producers and exporters of rubber bands in Sri Lanka, Thailand and China are selling their products in the US market at less than normal value (dumping) and also, they have benefited from the subsidies provided by the respective governments.



The petitioner further alleged that these imports cause material injury or threaten material injury to the domestic rubber industry of the US and requested the USDOC for an investigation aiming at imposition of anti-dumping/countervailing duty on imports as per the anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws of the US.



The Commerce Department of Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Attorney Generals Department and the affected Sri Lankan exporters made a number of submissions to the USDOC and USITC in the preliminary investigation stage rebutting the petitioners claims.

The main argument from the Sri Lankan side was that Sri Lankas value and volume of export of rubber bands to the US fall below the minimum threshold to initiate an anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigation as specified in the World Trade Organisation agreements.



Accordingly, the USITC in the preliminary based investigation has determined that the imports of the said products were negligible in value terms. As a result, the USDOC will now terminate the anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigation on Sri Lanka that had been initiated by the USITC.
Earth Hour, WWFs landmark movement, is set to once again unite millions of people around the world to show their commitment to the planet. As our one shared home faces the dual challenge of climate change and plummeting biodiversity, the worlds largest grassroots movement for the environment aims to mobilize individuals, businesses and governments to be a part of the conversation and solutions needed to build a healthy, sustainable future  and planet  for all.

Having started as a symbolic lights out event in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour is now celebrated in more than 180 countries and territories as a global moment of solidarity for the planet. Online, #EarthHour and related terms last year generated over 3.5 billion impressions in the run up to Earth Hour, trending in at least 30 countries worldwide on the night. The movement has been a game-changer for popularizing climate and environmental action across the globe. As global biodiversity declines at an unprecedented rate, Earth Hour will focus its efforts on galvanizing mainstream support for action on biodiversity and nature.

Biodiversity and nature underpin our lives, our economies, our health, our well-being, our happiness. It is the foundation of our living planet. Today, as we push the planet and its natural systems to the edge, Earth Hour is our chance to use our power, as individuals and as a collective, to demand and take action to protect this web of life in return for all it gives us. For the benefit of all life on Earth and of our own future said Marco Lambertini, Director General, WWF International.

In the past decade, Earth Hour has inspired millions to support and participate in critical climate and conservation projects led by WWF and many others, helping drive climate policy, awareness and action. Among its highlights, the movement has helped in the creation of a 3.4 million hectare marine-protected area in Argentina, a 2,700-hectare Earth Hour forest in Uganda and helped pass new legislation for the protection of seas and forests in Russia.

In 2018, WWF and Earth Hour teams around the world will be using the movement to highlight the environmental issues most relevant in their country or region. In Colombia, people will call for the country to commit to zero deforestation by 2020. French Polynesia is expected to move to protect 5 million square kilometers of its seas to preserve ocean ecosystems. In Guatemala, citizens will raise their voice on the importance of freshwater conservation and in India, people will pledge to shift toward sustainable lifestyles. In Nepal, WWF will mobilize public support for a clean, renewable energy future for all.

We know that Sri Lanka together with the Western Ghats of India, is endowed with a rich biodiversity and considered, one of the biodiversity hotspots in the world. Said Abdul Qadir Uvais, Country Representative and Manager of Earth Hour. However High population density and expansion of the human environment are increasingly threatening Sri Lankas biodiversity, which may lead to extinction of species. Further added Uvais. As a country which has ratified the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1994, Biodiversity conservation is a responsibility of all Sri Lankans said Uvais. He further added that People are just one part of Earths vast web of life and most of the resources we use come from the environment. Thats why we have to do our part to protect the Environment around us!

When asked about what actions individuals can do to be part of this global Earth Hour campaign, the local Earth Hour Country Manager and Coordinator, Abdul Qadir Uvais had this to say;

Earth Hour Sri Lanka is asking the government, businesses, organizations & individuals to:

 Switch off non-essential lights (corporate signage) on Saturday 24th March 2018 from 8.30 pm- 9.30 pm

 Join the movement by signing up and taking part atwww.earthhour.org

 Go beyond the symbolic gesture of switching off non-essential lights for Earth Hour and drive climate action throughout the year, leading an environmentally conscious lifestyle.

Starting today, supporters can visit connect2earth.org to share what biodiversity and nature means to them in the places they live in and find out more about it. Created in partnership with the secretariat of the United Nations Convention of Biological Diversity, the platform aims to build mass awareness on the values of biodiversity and nature by kick-starting global conversations on issues such as climate action, healthy oceans and sustainable business. The project is supported by Germanys Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety with funding from the International Climate Initiative.

"Earth Hour is a testament to the power of a simple idea to inspire people to take action to protect the Earth. As we take an hour to reflect on the vital role that biodiversity and nature play in our lives, let this be the spark that galvanizes action for transformation to a more sustainable future, said Cristiana Pasca Palmer, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The CBD Secretariat is delighted to be working with WWF, and with people all over the world to build a movement where people and communities make a personal connection with Earth. The reflections, conversations and actions we start today will help protect biodiversity at the local, national and global levels, and lead us on a journey of living in harmony with nature.
The 19th Party Congress set out the principles that will define the approach to what Deng Xiaoping described as the third phase of Chinas modern economic development. This is the phase when China seeks to achieve income levels on par with the OECD average. The National Peoples Congress last week gave President Xi Jinping an unprecedented and extended mandate to deliver by removing the term limits on Chinas presidency.



The next phase in Chinas economic development involves a complicated transition in the Chinese economy and society. Success would see China become the largest economy in the world.



These ambitions are important to the welfare of the people of China. But they are also critically important to the welfare of the global community. China is already central to global economic welfare and opportunity. It accounts for a large proportion of global economic growth. It is the worlds largest trading nation.



It is the worlds second-biggest economy. It is the worlds biggest supplier of manufactured goods. It is the worlds biggest consumer of energy and a large range of industrial raw materials. Chinas economic activity impacts on every aspect of global economic life.



China can therefore be confident that the rest of the world wants China to succeed in its ambition for economic development, both because of what it will do for the welfare of the Chinese people and the opportunities it will deliver to people all around the world.



We are also all interested in how China manages the next phase of its development. Can China achieve its goal of becoming an advanced, socialist, democratic state by the middle of the century, 100 years after the founding of the Peoples Republic in 1949? Many believe it can be done. There is no technical impediment to success. The question is how the transition will be managed, both economically and politically.



The first two phases of reform that Deng defined were easy compared to the challenge of the third. In the first and second phases of development China doubled national incomes each decade. During this period, economic reforms were designed to ensure rapid catch-up from a poor to a moderately well-off lower middle income country.



The next phase  transition to advanced-economy status  will be much harder. Xi will need to oversee a shift from factor-driven to productivity-driven growth to avoid the middle-income trap that has confounded most countries reaching Chinas level of income. Domestically there will be new winners and losers, putting social and political stability at risk. Xi will also need to manage spillovers on the global commons.



Success depends on getting the sequencing right, managing complex economic and social change domestically and developing strategies and policies that allow far deeper integration and interaction with the international community. These changes are already underway. But they are only in their early stages.



The 19th Party Congress acknowledged the new imperatives and set out important and appropriate principles for international engagement. But the pathway forward is less certain.



Consider, for example, the pressing challenge of financial reform and stabilisation, which is critical for lifting economic potential through the release of capital to productivity-enhancing enterprise. Financial reform is connected at the hip with the reform of underperforming SOEs  a base of powerful vested interests within the state. Dealing with the massive debt problems in the SOE sector will require step-by-step financial reform.



Financial reform is a necessary prelude to integrating the Chinese capital market into the global capital market, not only to lift productive potential but also to manage the macroeconomic interaction between the Chinese economy and the international economy through flexing the Chinese currency. A system of macroeconomic management that relies on capital market and other controls is less and less viable.



Chinas failure to deliver on this agenda for reform will increase fragilities in the global trading and financial system. It will intensify the effects of macroeconomic shocks in China and aggravate their impact globally. Incomplete financial system reform in China could be a trigger to bigger global system instability.



Beyond Chinas borders, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is similarly fraught politically and economically. China has opened to international engagement on managing this huge new dimension of its economic relations with neighbouring economies and economies around the world. Thats an entirely welcome initiative.



The challenge will be to get the terms of engagement between China and its partners right so that the BRIs potential to lift global connectivity and development does not end in diplomatic and political tears. In earlier times Japan found that this was no easy task, even on a much more modest scale than that China is now attempting.



All of the initiatives necessary for China to achieve advanced economy status will be fraught with technical problems and risks. And many are not purely technical in character: they have important political implications.



In our lead essay this week, Ryan Manuel worries that the changes Xi has made to the Constitution and the way in which his control of the Communist Party is being brought to bear on control of the Chinese state may have adverse consequences for economic innovation and reform. The concentration of power under Xi may in the end make navigating these huge changes more difficult not less.



Consolidating Xis power under the Party might make more people follow what he has to say, Manuel argues. But it will also mean that more people will expect him to solve Chinas many problems when he simply wont be able to. As those expectations grow, says Manuel, Xi might well have driven away the officials and others [inside China and outside China] who have precisely the knowledge and the entrepreneurship that he needs to solve problems that face China now.



More centralised political control will certainly help manage some of the challenges better, including the pernicious problem of spiralling local government debt. But there will be many inside China as well as outside who worry about how Xis political enthronement could chafe against the dynamism of the markets that have underpinned the Chinese economic miracle thus far and are essential to achieving the goals of Chinas third phase of development.



(Courtesy East Asia Forum)

(The EAF Editorial Board is located in the Crawford School of Public Policy, College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University)
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- 2018 is a key year for Geely to transform its development mode from a rapid one into a high-quality one, and this year Geely will transform from a traditional automaker into an internet-based and new energy company, according to An Conghui, president and CEO of Geely Auto Group.

On Mar. 15, Geely held the first Geely Auto Ecological Partners Conference in Sanya, Hainan Province. At the conference, it launched GKUI intelligent ecological system and unveiled the 2018 Geely Boyue, which is Geely's first model to carry this system.

An Conghui said that it is the products that matter most rather than only a definition for a goal. He also revealed that Geely will launch a great number of NEV models this year. Apart from the Emgrand EV450 which will hit the market on Mar. 29, Geely will also launch a range of new models to complete the product lineup and market deployment of Geely's NEV models, such as the all-new K model, the new Emgrand PHEV, the Emgrand GL PHEV, the Emgrand GS EV and the Lynk & Co 01 PHEV.

At the end of 2016, Geely Auto Group launched Geely Auto 20200 Strategy, aiming to realize an annual sales target of 2,000,000 units, entering the list of top ten global automakers and becoming the most competitive and respectable Chinese vehicle brand by 2020. An Conghui stated that Geely will cooperate with partners to boost the exploration of new technologies, new types of business and new modes in the electrification, internet connection, intelligence and sharing. With the rapid growth during 2017 as well as in the first two months of 2018, Geely seems likely to complete its target ahead of schedule.
The Son Has Not









































The Son Has Not Returned. A Surgeon In His Native Malaysia Back Cover





When Malaysian-born and Canadian-trained surgeon Bakri Musa returned to Malaysia in the mid 1970s, it was to be a permanent move. The term brain drain had yet to be coined.





Policymakers may expound on the dynamics of the brain drain but in the end what makes an individual leave his country is unique unto himself. To modify Tolstoys line, those who stay put are all alike; those who emigrate do so for their own special reasons.





The writer was blessed to have been spared dramatic escapes from tyrant rulers, close encounters with natural calamities, or surviving meaningless wars. Instead, the push factors chronicled here are the rigid bureaucracies, obstinate civil servants, and widespread incompetence. Those at least are remediable. More problematic is the pernicious culture of endemic corruption, religious fanaticism, and entrenched feudalism masked by a veneer of pseudo modernity.





During the 13-year period when the writer was away to be a surgeon, both he and Malaysia had changed, but in opposite directions. Parting ways early spared him many dashed hopes and bitter disappointments. As such the memories recalled here are for the most part fond, sweet, and pleasurable.





Bakri Musas first memoir, Cast From The Herd: Memories of a Matriarchal Malaysia, recalls his growing up in the worlds largest matrilineal society, the Minangkabau.





The title for this second memoir is a line from Sitor Situmorangs poem, Si Anak Hilang (The Lost Son).

==





Bakri Musas commentaries on Malaysian affairs have appeared in Asiaweek, The New York Times, International Herald Tribune, and The Far Eastern Economic Review, as well as on NPRs Marketplace and The Voice of America. He has also given presentations at Stanfords Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center and the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, Washington DC. For the past 35 years he has been in private surgical practice in Silicon Valley, California.
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Posted Monday, March 19, 2018 7:30 am

Richard Lee Schowengerdt, 81, of Knob Noster, passed away Friday, March 16, 2018, at St. Lukes East in Lee's Summit.

He was born on Jan. 6, 1937, in Higginsville, at the Confederate Soldiers Home, the son of Lawrence E. and Leota A. (Bockelman) Schowengerdt.

Richard was a Vietnam veteran, serving honorably in the United States Army from January 1955-March 1975, retiring after 20 years of honorable service. During his time of service he served two tours in Vietnam. As an artilleryman Richard was part of the 10th Infantry division in Fort Riley, Kan., 2nd Infantry Division in Fort Benning, Ga., and 2nd Armored Division in Fort Hood, Texas, and Fort Greeley in Alaska. During his deployments he was stationed in Munich and Neurnburg, Germany, Korea and Vietnam. He retired out of Fort Riley, Kan.

He was decorated with the Bronze Star Medal, Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, and Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze stars, National Defense Service Medal as well as numerous marksmanship badges, and he received recognition as a sharpshooter during his service.

He was a proud veteran and spent time after his service serving others and was a lifetime member of American Legion Post 131 in Warrensburg and American Legion Post 4195 in Knob Noster. He was also a lifetime member of the American Legion, and the Disabled American Veterans.

Richard held several jobs during his life, all of which he worked very hard at. As a teenager he worked for the Marr Trucking Rock Quarry, Paul Wilson Filling Station, and the Warrensburg Drive-In Theater. After retiring from the Army he worked at Callahan Body Shop, Panther Drive-In as a night cook, custodian for the Knob Noster Middle School, an over-the-road truck driver, and then, for 20 years, for the Knob Noster School District as a bus driver.

He married Josephine Marie Pfeiffer in Kitzingen, Germany, on Dec. 27, 1957. They were blessed with one daughter, Lore Lynn Martz. Josephine preceded him in death in 2004 after 46 years of marriage.

After her passing he met his companion, Mary McKinney, and they spent much of their time traveling. Visiting several countries around the globe, they created many memories together. They also traveled throughout the United States, visiting all of the contiguous 48 states except for two. Richard was accepted into the American Motorcycle Hall of Fame

Richard is survived by his companion and best friend, Mary McKinney, of the home; his daughter, Lore Martz; and numerous cousins and a nephew, Joe Schowengerdt.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; and a brother, Ivan Schowengerdt.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, March 23, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, with Father Joe Bathke and Deacon Joe Lemay officiating. Interment will follow in Higginsville at the Higginsville City Cemetery, with full military honors. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m.Thursday, March 22, at Sweeney-Phillips and Holdren Funeral Home in Warrensburg.

Memorial contributions are suggested The Missouri Veterans Home of Warrensburg and can be left in care of the funeral home.

(Paid Obituary)
Posted Monday, March 19, 2018 7:00 am

Robert Glenn Bob Sites, 86, of Leeton, passed away on Friday, March 16, 2018, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Warrensburg.

Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, at Sweeney-Phillips and Holdren Funeral Home. At 7 p.m., a prayer service will be led by Deacon Joe LeMay. A graveside committal with full military honors will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 21, at Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Higginsville, with Father Joe Bathke officiating.

Contributions to the Veterans Home of Warrensburg maybe left in care of the funeral home.
Launching a scathing attack on the BJP-led NDA government, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday called for opposition unity and a "Modi-mukt Bharat" by 2019.



Addressing party workers at a rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai, Thackeray said, "The country is fed up with the false promises made by (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and his government."

All opposition parties should come together to get rid of the BJP-led NDA government to ensure a "Modi-mukt Bharat", he said, while reminding the audience of the BJP's "Congress-mukt Bharat" slogan.

"India got its first independence in 1947, second in 1977 (after the post-Emergency election) and 2019 can bring a third independence if India becomes Modi-mukt," the MNS chief said.

If the Modi government was ousted and an inquiry was ordered into demonetisation, it (the note ban) might turn out to be the biggest scam in the country since 1947, he said.

Quoting an ISRO report, Thackeray said, "A large-scale desertification of Maharashtra is going on due to the depletion of groundwater. After Rajasthan, our state has reported the second highest rate of desertification in the country."

Saying this, he went on to question Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's claim of digging of 56,000 wells in the state.

The MNS chief said he was in favour of building a Ram temple in Ayodhya, but it should not be used as an election issue.

"The Babri Masjid demolition case is in the Supreme Court and it will be deliberately discussed in the coming days to instigate communal riots," he claimed.

"The Ram Mandir should be built, but it should not be used as an election plank to divide the society and win votes," he said.

Taking a dig at Modi's foreign tours, Thackeray said the prime minister was apparently visiting those countries to get "flour for pakoda" as the visits had not fetched any investments.

The MNS chief also said films like "Toilet Ek Prem Katha" and "Padman" were a covert propaganda for government schemes.

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, who starred in both the films, was trying to follow the footsteps of Manoj Kumar, an actor who was popularly known as "Bharat Kumar", he added.

"But Akshay Kumar is not even an Indian citizen. He holds a Canadian passport and Wikipedia describes him as an Indian-born Canadian actor," Thackeray said.

Taking potshots at Fadnavis, who recently featured in a video song about river conservation, the MNS chief said, "There are so many problems in the state, but apparently the CM is busy singing songs."

Thackeray also questioned the government's decision to accord a state funeral to Bollywood actor Sridevi last month.

"Sridevi was a great actor, but what did she do for the country that her body was wrapped in the tricolour?" he asked.

The media might have covered her funeral extensively at the government's behest to divert the people's attention from the Nirav Modi-Punjab National Bank scam, he said.

The government was trying to control the media, judiciary and agencies like the CBI, Thackeray said, alleging that the media was under tremendous pressure from the BJP-led government.

Incidentally, Thackeray had met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar yesterday, ahead of today's rally.

He, however, described the meeting at Pawar's residence in south Mumbai as a courtesy call.
Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi's remarks at the Congress's plenary session, the BJP on Sunday said that the party which questioned the "fundamental existence" of Lord Ram today wants to be identified with the Pandavas.



Giving a point-by-point rebuttal of Gandhi's speech, senior BJP leader and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman termed his address as the "rhetoric of a loser" and "devoid of substance."

Recalling the two warring sides of the epic Mahabharat, Gandhi today said the BJP, like the Kauravas, fought for power, while his party, on the lines of the Pandavas, battled for truth.

"The party which questioned the fundamental existence of Shri Ram today wants to identify itself with Pandavas," Sitharaman said.

"I have never heard of a Congress' priest and a BJP' priest, but Rahul Gandhi has narrated a whole story on that, just a way to mock Hindus and Hinduism," she said.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi had narrated a story about his meeting and conversation with priests during his visit to a temple.

Taking on Gandhi over his attempt to link Modi with fugitives Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi, she termed it as "a fake narrative".

"Mr Gandhi who himself is out on bail in the National Herald case shares a surname with the Father of the Nation, is that a reflection on the Mahatma," Sitharaman said.

Hitting back at Gandhi over his attack on Amit Shah, Sitharaman said that it was astonishing that the Congress president chooses to make allegations against the BJP chief even though he has been cleared by a court.

"Gandhi himself is out on bail in the Herald case, whereas our party President Amit Shah Ji, has been cleared by the court," she said.

On Gandhi's remarks on the independence of the judiciary and the media during the Modi government's tenure, Sitharaman wondered when the Congress became the protector of the judiciary.

"Do I need to remind how Indira Gandhi treated the judiciary when one verdict went against her. Rajiv Gandhi in 1988, almost brought a bill to curtail the freedom of the press. Indira Gandhi blacked out the media during the Emergency. And the grandson is talking about the freedom of the press," she said.

Reacting to senior Congress leader P Chidambaram's jibe at the RBI that it should learn to count money from Hundi collectors in Tirupati, Sitharaman said, "The RBI should hire the Congress for counting black money, as they are familiar with counting it."

On Gandhi's charges against Narendra Modi and the BJP-led government at the Centre, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Congress president should apologise for his party's misdeeds first and then attack the prime minister.

"While accusing the Modi government he forgets that the Congress did the worst of the genocide of Sikhs. They brought media censorship and are known for all kinds of corruption and scams. He should first apologise for all these," he said.
Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Sunday asked the NDA leaders to desist from making off-the-cuff remarks and be "more tactful" during elections, in the wake of the party's poor showing in the recent bypolls in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.



He expressed concern over some leaders of the ruling NDA at the Centre occasionally making remarks that created an impression of the alliance being against certain sections of the society.

Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) is an important ally of the BJP in the NDA.

While campaigning for BJP during the Araria bypoll on March 9, Bihar party unit president Nityanand Rai had allegedly said that if the RJD candidate won the election, Araria would become a safe haven for the ISIS.

An FIR was lodged against Rai for violating election code.

Similarly, Union minister Giriraj Singh's utterance a day after the party's loss in the bypoll that Araria would become a "hub of terrorism" also drew sharp criticism.

Paswan said social arithmetic is known to be a solid poll plank in states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar than talking about development, adding that was the reason behind the BJP's "shocking" defeat in the bypoll in its traditional stronghold of Gorakhpur.

The bypoll results in Bihar were not at all surprising. One Lok Sabha and two assembly constituencies had fallen vacant upon the death of the incumbents whose close family members retained the seats for the respective parties. The respective tallies of the RJD and the BJP remained unaltered, Paswan told reporters here.

But, it is in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh where we received a shock. The party lost both the seats despite running popular governments at the Centre and in the state", he said.

It was in this backdrop that LJP parliamentary board chief Chirag Paswan spoke about the need for a course correction. There was no anti-incumbency against the BJP in UP, yet it lost because arch rivals BSP and SP joined hands," Paswan said.

The food minister was referring to a recent tweet by Chirag Paswan, his son and the MP from Jamui Lok Sabha seat in Bihar.

We ought to look carefully at how Congress remained in power in the country for so long, enjoying the support of Dalits, Brahmins and Muslims without actually doing anything for them," Paswan said.

The BJP-led NDA governments, headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee or Narendra Modi, have made tireless efforts to improve the condition of these communities, he added.

That the NDA works for the progress of all is a fact. This fact needs to be coupled with a bit of tact. Leaders ought to be more tactful and avoid blunders like speaking against reservations during assembly elections," he said.

He was referring to a comment by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on reservation in jobs during the Bihar assembly polls in 2015, which is widely believed to have queered the pitch for the BJP-led alliance.

About TDP in Andhra Pradesh walking out of the NDA and moving a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government, Paswan remarked, The party (TDP) has acted keeping its prospects in the next assembly polls in the state, due next year, in mind. Their demand for special status is, however, not possible for any government to fulfil.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is our ally, has been raising the demand for granting special status to the state for so long. Bihar would have been thrown into turmoil upon the grant of special status to Andhra Pradesh. Moreover, the new system of special packages has done away with the need for grant of special status as it involves a lot of ifs and buts in providing central assistance to needy states, he said.

About former Bihar chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha founder Jitan Ram Manjhi also quitting the NDA and joining the RJD-Congress combine, the Union minister said, The NDA is like an ocean to which a few drops do not matter".

"Moreover, Manjhi is a Mahadalit and his exit from the NDA coincided with former state Congress president Ashok Chowdhury who belongs to the same social group joining the coalition along with three other MLCs of his party," he pointed out.

Paswan also dismissed claims by RJD leaders that Rashtriya Lok Samata Party chief and Union minister Upendra Kushwaha was feeling uneasy in the NDA and may quit the alliance soon.

"He (Kushwaha) has himself categorically denied the same. He is firmly with the NDA. The RJD-Congress combine is going overboard," the LJP leader added.
F-16 jets give India a unique opportunity to be at the centre of the world's largest fighter aircraft ecosystem and it is the only programme with proven performance to meet its operational needs and 'Make in India' priorities, according to an American defence company.



As India continues to shop around to add new fighter jets into its air force, Lockheed, which is the world's largest defence company which has offered to relocate its entire production line to India has said that it intends to create far more an F-16 "assembly line" in India.

"We plan to introduce two new words into the lexicon of international fighter aircraft manufacturing: "India" and "exclusive." F-16 production in India will be exclusive, something that has never before been presented by any other fighter aircraft manufacturer, past or present," Vivek Lall, vice president, Strategy and Business Development, Lockheed Martin told PTI in an interview.

"The F-16 gives Indian industry a unique opportunity to be at the centre of the world's largest fighter aircraft ecosystem," Lall said.

"The F-16 provides unprecedented manufacturing, sustainment, upgrade and export opportunities to Indian industry well into the future. Only Lockheed Martin and its Indian partners can deliver the capabilities and industrial benefits to truly propel India's military and defence industrial base into the future, Lall said.

He has played a key role in some of the big-ticket American military sales to India, including the General Atomics-built Guardian Predator Drones announced by the US last year. Known as a renowned global aerospace leader, Lall recently joined Lockheed after spending a few years in General Atomics.

"The F-16 is the only aircraft programme in this competition with the proven performance and industrial scale to meet India's operational needs and Make in India priorities," he said, claiming that no competing aircraft comes close to matching the F-16's operational effectiveness and industrial success.

"The success of the F-163,000 F-16s flying today with 25 leading air forces a testament to the cost-effective, combat-proven capabilities the F-16 delivers. That combination of cost and capabilities is why F-16 production opportunities today total more than 400 aircraft, including India," he said.

Lockheed is offering F-16 Block 70, which is the most advanced version of the aircraft.

"The F-16 continues to aerodynamically outperform its competitors and advanced technologies are continually integrated into the F-16. Block 70 mission systems are completely new and leverage technologies from the F-35," Lall said.

The F-16 remains the backbone of the US Air Force, the world's most capable air force, he said.

Structural and avionics upgrades to the US F-16 fleet will extend service life to 2045, while the F-16 becomes even more capable as technology enhancements from the F-22 and F-35 are continuously integrated across all three platforms, he added.

Responding to a question, Lall said the offer from Lockheed is a cost advantage for India.

The single-engine F-16 has a 30-40 percent lower operation and maintenance cost per flying hour than twin-engine aircraft in its class, according to figures published by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, he said.

"Whether you're talking about battlefields or budgets, the F-16 is the clear choice for India," he said.

Lall, however, refused to reply questions on F-35.

"Any discussions regarding potential new F-35 customers begin at the government-to-government level. It is not our place to speak on behalf of the US government or the government of India," he said.

Notably the US Pacific Command Commander Admiral Harry Harris during his two recent Congressional testimonies have supported selling F-35 to India.

"At the moment, India is considering a number of US systems for purchase, all of which USPACOM fully supports: the F-16 for India's large single-engine, multi-role fighter acquisition programme, Harris told the Congressional committees last week.

He also said the purchase includes, F/A-18E for India's multi-engine, carrier-based fighter purchase; a reorder of 12-15 P-8Is; a potential purchase of SeaGuardian UAS; MH-60R multi-role sea-based helicopter; and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
North Korea is in talks with the US and Sweden to release three Americans held in the North, reports said, as diplomatic activities gathered pace ahead of Pyongyang's planned summits with Washington and Seoul.



The release of the three Korean-Americans -- all held in the North after being separately charged with unspecified "hostile acts" against the regime -- is under discussion through multiple channels almost two weeks after President Donald Trump agreed to meet the North's Kim Jong Un, reports said.

While Pyongyang has yet to confirm it even made the summit offer -- relayed by Seoul envoys who had met Kim in Pyongyang -- the stunning announcement has triggered a race to set a credible agenda for what would be historic talks between the two leaders.

Seoul-based MBC TV station reported Sunday that Pyongyang and Washington had "practically reached" a final agreement on the release of Kim Hak-song, Kim Sang-Duk, and Kim Dong-Chul.

"They are hammering out details over the timing of the release," it quoted an unnamed South Korean diplomatic source as saying.

The negotiation was held through the North's mission to the United Nations and the US State Department -- an unofficial avenue of communication dubbed the "New York channel," the source said.

CNN said the prisoners' release was also discussed at three-day talks in Stockholm between the North's Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho and Swedish counterpart Margot Wallstrom that ended Saturday.

Sweden represents Washington's interests in talks with the North. It raised the issue of American detainees to "move things in the right direction," CNN quoted one source as saying.

"Any movement on the issue of these detainees would be a huge deal for the US," said the source.

Kim Dong-Chul, a South Korea-born American pastor, has been detained by the North since 2015 when he was arrested for spying. He was sentenced to 10 years of hard labor in 2016.

Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang-Duk -- or Tony Kim -- were both working at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, founded by evangelical Christians from overseas when they were detained last year on suspicion of "hostile acts."

Reports on the detainees' possible release come amid a flurry of diplomatic activities involving Pyongyang, Seoul, Washington and its allies.

During a visit to Pyongyang by Seoul's envoys earlier this month, Kim reportedly offered to meet Trump, with the US president subsequently agreeing to talks by May although no specific time or venue has been set.

Kim also agreed to hold a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in next month -- the third ever between the two Koreas -- according to the envoys.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-Wha said in an interview aired Sunday that Kim was "taking stock" after Trump's surprise decision to accept the invitation but that a channel of communication had been established.

The Stockholm talks overlapped with another meeting among the top national security advisors of the US, South Korea, and Japan.

US National Security Advisor HR McMaster, the South's Chung Eui-Yong, and Japan's Shotaro Yachi met in San Francisco over the weekend and vowed "close policy coordination" for the weeks ahead, Seoul's presidential office said.

They agreed that peace on the flashpoint Korean peninsula hinges on the success of the two planned summits, vowing "not to repeat the failure of the past," it said in an apparent reference to previous botched nuclear disarmament negotiations with the North.

Also on Sunday, a senior North Korean diplomat arrived in Finland for talks on peninsula issues with former officials and academics from the US and South Korea.

The sudden rapprochement comes months after the North staged its most powerful nuclear test and test-fired missiles capable of reaching the US mainland.

Kim and Trump traded colorful threats of war and personal insults, which heightened global concerns of another conflict on the peninsula once brought to ruins by the 1950-53 Korean War.
Ahead of elections, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday sent out a stern warning to party workers that he will not tolerate infighting even as he laid down a roadmap to revive the organisation.



Addressing the AICC Plenary, Rahul unveiled his plans to put the ordinary party worker at the centre-stage of the organisation, talked about breaking the wall between them and the leadership of the party and giving them preference when it came to contesting elections.



"This wall has different manifestations. One is parachuting candidates. The worker toils for 10-15 years and gives his blood and sweat for the party, but he is told, 'No, you are a worker. You have no money. So you will not get the ticket'," Rahul said to a thunderous applause from the thousands of workers gathered for the Plenary.



Rahul also said that he planned to present a new vision to the world - an Indian vision that would be a blend of compassion, non-violence and love.



"There are two visions before the world today - an American vision and a Chinese vision. I want to see an Indian vision at the Centre," he said delivering his concluding address at the two-day Plenary.



With a number of state units of the party embroiled in factionalism, the Congress president asked party workers to keep aside differences and ensure the victory of the party in the upcoming elections.



"If you want to fight, do it after elections, please. For the next five-six months, there will be strict discipline. There will be some shocks," he said as the Congress prepares for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections.



Rahul said he had experimented with putting the party workers at the centre stage in the recently concluded Gujarat Assembly elections where party workers were given the tickets.



"The result was there for you to see. Modiji was flying in a seaplane. The day the worker is empowered, forget the seaplane, Modiji will be seen in a submarine," he said.



Rahul said if the Congress came to power, his focus would be to create jobs and improve educational facilities in the country.



He said the Congress would create employment opportunities through entrepreneurship in every district by identifying its strengths.



Rahul said the Congress, after coming to power, will build food parks to ensure that farm produce does not go waste.



The Congress president also spoke about revamping the higher education system by creating a network of educational institutions across the country.
The Lok Sabha proceedings were disrupted for the 11th day today as the TDP, YSR Congress, TRS and AIADMK continued their noisy protests over various issues, including the banking scam and special status for Andhra Pradesh.



As soon as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan took up the Question Hour, members from these parties trooped into the Well holding placards.

While members from the TDP, YSR Congress, TRS and AIADMK were in the Well raising slogans and holding placards, MPs from the TMC and Congress were seen standing at their seats.

As the protests continued, the House was adjourned till noon.

Since March 5, when Parliament had reassembled for the budget session after recess, the Lok Sabha has seen disruptions on a daily basis.

Amid noisy protests, the House had passed the Finance Bill and the appropriation bills last week without any discussion.
The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Centre's response on a plea seeking a CBI probe into the Ballabhgarh mob lynching case in which 17-year-old Junaid Khan was stabbed to death on a train in June last year.



A bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and M M Shantanagoudar also stayed the trial in the case till further orders.

Junaid's father has challenged the Punjab and Haryana High Court's November 27 last year order, refusing a CBI probe into the matter, and sought that the accused be booked for offences of hate crimes.

Junaid's father Jalaluddin, through his counsel, had filed the petition on October 26 last year in the high court, seeking a probe by an independent agency like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Junaid lynching case.

He had also demanded a stay on the trial in a Faridabad court in connection with the killing of Junaid.

Junaid, who had boarded a Mathura-bound train from Delhi, was stabbed to death when he, along with his brothers and cousins, was returning home to Khandawali village after shopping for Eid in Delhi in June.

His body was dumped near Asaoti village in Faridabad district.
Rambhapuri Mutt seer Prasanna Renuka Veerasomeshwar Shivacharya Swami on Monday warned of waging a religious war if the Congress government recommended granting of minority religion status to Lingayats.



Speaking to reporters he said: "We've clarified our stand that Veerashaiva and Lingayat are one and the same. Members of the expert panel, headed by retired high court judge H N Nagamohan Das, have identified with Lingayat faith. About 95 % of the people have rejected the proposal to accord the status of independent religion to Lingayat faith."

"There is a greater responsibility on the shoulder of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The Congress party will surely suffer in the forthcoming Assembly elections if it accepts the recommendations of the expert panel. Siddaramaiah shouldn't yield to the pressure of a handful of pontiffs," he said.

"Our fight is not against any individual, but against those who are opposed to the religion," he said.
China appointed a former missile unit commander as its new defence minister on Monday, whose first guest of honour could be his Indian counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman.



Lieutenant General Wei Fenghe, 63, a close confidant of President Xi Jinping, was the last commander of China's missile unit, the Second Artillery Corps before it was split into two - the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force and the Strategic Support Force - making them a potent force.

He was appointed as the defence minister by the rubber-stamp Parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC).

Nirmala recently announced that she would visit China next month, the first visit by a top Indian official since last year's 73-day long standoff at Dokalam in Sikkim section.

The visit was announced amid diplomatic efforts by both the countries to reset the relations on a positive mode with high-level visits, including the expected visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit to be held in June at the Chinese city of Qingdao.

In China, the military functions under the Central Military Commission (CMC) headed by Xi.

On Sunday, the NPC appointed Xu Qiliang and Zhang Youxia, the two Generals close to Xi, as vice chairmen of the CMC.

Gen Wei had backed Xi's unprecedented overhaul of the country's 2.3-million-strong military which has now been downsized to two million after laying off 3 lakh troops.

After taking over power in 2013, Xi completely overhauled the command structure of the PLA, the world's largest army.

This year, China has increased its military budget to $175 billion, three times larger than that of India, an increase of 8.1% compared to last year.

Xi also carried out a massive anti-graft campaign in the military in which over 50 top generals and officials besides 3,000 personnel from other ranks reported to have been punished.

"Wei was the first PLA department head to not only promise to support President Xi Jinping's unprecedented military overhaul from the very beginning but also to proactively meet Xi, who is also the CMC chairman," Hong Kong-based South China 'Morning Post' reported recently.

Wei joined the Second Artillery Corps in 1970 when he was just 16.

He was sent to learn rocket engineering at a missile school under the Commission for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence.

He went on to train as a strategic missile commander at the Second Artillery Corps' college in Wuhan in Central China.

Wei was among the first of a number of senior military officers to pledge their loyalty to Xi even before the president announced his ambitious reform programme, an official told the 'Post'.

"Wei actually provided Xi with the plan to reorganise the Second Artillery Corps in an innovative way, even though it wasn't in his personal interests," the official added.
The Delhi High Court on Monday directed Young Indian Pvt Ltd, in which Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi are major stakeholders, to deposit Rs 10 crore in the Rs 249.15 crore income tax proceedings against it.



A bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and A K Chawla directed the company - earlier summoned along with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as an accused by a trial court in the National Herald misappropriation of assets case - to deposit half the amount with the Income Tax department before March 31 and the remaining by April 15.

The high court said subject to deposit of the amount, the tax authorities shall not enforce the demand of Rs 249.15 crore made on the company for the assessment year 2011-12.

The high court also sought the I-T department's response on the company's plea challenging the demand and the proceedings emanating from it and listed the matter for further hearing on April 24.

The company had on March 14 moved the high court seeking a stay on the income tax proceedings against it.

YI, which was incorporated in November 2010 with a capital of Rs 50 lakh, had acquired almost all the shareholding of Associated Journal Ltd (AJL), the owner of the National Herald newspaper.

The IT department's move followed its probe on a complaint claiming that the Gandhis had misappropriated AJL's assets while transferring their shares to the newly formed Young Indian.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned Russian President Vladimir Putin to congratulate him on his victory in the presidential elections which concluded on Sunday.



Modi also congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping on his re-election for a second five-year term, saying he looks forward to work with him to further develop India-China relations.



Conveying his compliments to Putin, prime minister expressed hope that under Putin's leadership the 'Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership' between India and the Russian Federation would continue to grow from strength to strength, a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement said.



Modi also stated that he looks forward to welcome President Putin for the Annual Summit in India, later this year.



Putin thanked Modi for the phone call. He conveyed his commitment to further strengthen India-Russia relations in all spheres, and also his good wishes for the continued progress of India and her people, the MEA statement said.



Putin's victory means that his political dominance in Russia will be undisturbed until 2024, making him the longest ruler since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.



In an outcome that was never in doubt, the Central Election Commission, with nearly 100% of the votes counted, announced that 71-year-old Putin, who has run Russia as president or prime minister since 1999, had won 76.68% of the votes.



Xi's election, especially following a constitutional amendment a week earlier which lifts presidential-term limits, means he can stay on indefinitely.



Xi, 64, was unanimously elected by the 2,970 deputies of Chinese parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC) last week.



This comes against the backdrop of India and China currently making diplomatic efforts to improve the relations following the 73-days long standoff at Doklam in Bhutan close to the Sikkim section.



Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale recently visited Beijing and held talks with top level Chinese officials.



External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is expected to visit China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers' meet on April 24.



She is likely to have a separate dialogue with her Chinese counterpart, which may contribute to confidence-building measures by this year-end to improve the bilateral relations.



Sushma's visit will be followed, immediately, by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's trip to China, also in April.



Modi and Xi are expected to meet on the side-lines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit to be held at the Chinese city of Qingdao in June this year.
A special CBI court in Ranchi convicted RJD president Lalu Prasad in the fourth fodder scam case on Monday.



The court, however, acquitted former chief minister Dr Jagannath Mishra and two retired IAS officers - Mahesh Prasad and Beck Julius.

This fodder scam case (RC 38A/96) is related to Dumka treasury (then in undivided Bihar, now in Jharkhand), where the accused have been charged with fraudulent withdrawal of around Rs 3.5 crore in 1995-96.]

Former MP Jagdish Sharma, R K Rana and Dhruv Bhagat were also convicted besides retired IAS officer Phool Chand Singh.

The quantum of punishment is likely to be pronounced on March 23 after hearing the arguments of some of the new accused on March 21 and 22.

Bihar Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh has also been made one of the new accused in this case as he was the deputy commissioner of Dumka when the fraudulent withdrawal of money took place from the treasury in the 90s.

Lalu, who is already languishing in Birsa Munda jail after being convicted in the Deogarh and Chaibasa treasury case, appeared before CBI judge Shiv Pal Singh for a brief period as he has been hospitalised in Ranchi for the last three days.

On Saturday, he was shifted from Ranchi jail to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS), after he complained of multiple health problems, including rectal piles, low hemoglobin and irregular heartbeat.

The 69-year-old former chief minister had undergone valve replacement in Mumbai a couple of years ago.

Reacting to the judgement, RJD vice president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh blamed Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar for Lalu's conviction.

"A former chief minister is convicted while another ex-chief minister is set free in the same case. Amazing! We are aware of the 'design' of Modi and Nitish to finish off Lalu by misusing investigating agencies,"said the senior RJD leader.

Lalu now faces two more cases out of the total six fodder scam cases. While the fifth one is related to Doranda (Ranchi), the sixth case is going on in Bihar, which is related to fraudulent withdrawal from Bhagalpur treasury in the mid-90s.
The Supreme Court on Monday admitted an appeal against the acquittal of dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar in the 2008 twin murder case of their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj.



The plea was filed by Khumkala Banjade, the wife of Hemraj.

A bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi issued a notice to the dentist couple, who were acquitted by the Allahabad High Court in the twin murder case in October last year.

Khumkala had filed an appeal in December last year against the Talwars acquittal in the case.

Later, the CBI also filed an appeal against the acquittal of Talwars in the case.

On October 12 last year, the high court acquitted the couple saying they could not be held guilty on the basis of the evidence on record.

A CBI court at Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh had sentenced the Talwars to life imprisonment on November 26, 2013, in connection with the case.

Before the high court order, Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were serving life sentences in Ghaziabad's Dasna jail.

Fourteen-year-old Aarushi was found dead inside her room in the Talwars' Noida residence with her throat slit in May 2008.

The needle of suspicion had initially moved towards 45- year-old Hemraj, who had gone missing but his body was recovered from the terrace of the house two days later.

As the Uttar Pradesh Police drew flak over a shoddy probe into the case which was making national headlines, then chief minister Mayawati had recommended a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
A group of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers vandalised Gujarati signboards at Vasai along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway.



This comes a day after party chief Raj Thackeray targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah.

At least half a dozen hotels in Vasai were targeted by men carrying MNS flags.

The Waliv police station has registered a case and an investigation is on.

Vasai is located nearly 100 km from the Gujarat border.

"Vasai is in Maharashtra and not Gujarat and we will not tolerate name boards in Gujarati anymore," said MNS Thane unit President Avinash Jadhav.

At a Gudi Padwa rally in Shivaji Park, Dadar, on Sunday evening, the MNS chief had urged political parties to come together and called for a "Modi mukt Bharat".

He launched a massive broadside against Modi, Shah and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

"How can there be signboards in Vasai when it is in Maharashtra and not Gujarat...what is happening is part of a systematic design...look at the geography," he charged.

Raj said that a few days ago, Union minister Nitin Gadkari had said that a Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway is coming up at a cost of Rs 22,000 crore.

"The prime minister's dream project of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train is underway and will cost Rs 1.10 lakh crore.

"Do people in Maharashtra need that," he asked.
The Centre on Monday opposed before the Supreme Court a plea to issue directions to grant health and education facilities to the Rohangiya children lodged in camps here, saying there has not been a single case of denial of these services.



Reiterating that the issues should be at best left to the executives, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted before a three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice Dipak Misra that the court should also look into the genesis of the PILs before it, asking if those were meant for disintegration and destablishing the country.



The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, however, asked the Centre to file a comprehensive report about the situation prevailing in the camps at Delhi, Haryana and other place.



The court also favoured the Centre's submission that no interim order should be passed on pleas.



Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves sought direction to provide basic health and education facilities to the children over there. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for two Rohingya refugees Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, said it was in the interest of humanity that the order should be issued.



Senior Advocate Ashwani Kumar, also representing some of the petitioners, said the issue was of Article 21 of the Constitution and adherence to international conventions. The core issue is if India will stand up to 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', he asked.



Mehta, however, countered them saying any order passed may have repercussions on India's diplomatic relations with Myanmar and Bangladesh.



The way PILs are being filed nowadays, this court should take a view as to who wants to change the demography of the country, who wants destabilisation and who wants to disturb the internal security of the country, Mehta said.



The bench posted the matter for further hearing on April 9.
Thousands of years ago, a special child was born in the Sahara. At the time, this was not a desert; it was a green belt of savannahs, woodlands, lakes, and rivers. Bands of hunter-gatherers thrived there, catching fish and spearing hippos. A genetic mutation had altered the child's haemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells that ferries oxygen through the body. It was not harmful; there are two copies of every gene, and the child's other haemoglobin gene was normal. The child survived, had a family and passed down the mutation to future generations.



As the greenery turned to desert, the descendants of the hunter-gatherers became cattle-herders and farmers and moved to other parts of Africa. The mutation endured over generations, and for good reason. People who carried one mutated gene were protected against one of the biggest threats to humans in the region: malaria.

There was just one problem with this genetic advantage: from time to time, two descendants of that child would meet and start a family. Some of their children inherited two copies of the mutant haemoglobin gene instead of one. These children could no longer produce normal haemoglobin. As a result, their red cells became defective and clogged their blood vessels. The condition, now known as sickle cell anaemia, leads to extreme pain, difficulty with breathing, kidney failure, and even strokes.

Sprawling saga

In early human societies, most children with sickle cell anaemia likely died by age 5. Yet, the protection afforded by a single copy of the sickle cell mutation against malaria kept fuelling its spread. Today, over 250 generations later, the sickle cell mutation has been inherited by millions of people. While the majority of carriers live in Africa, many others live in southern Europe, the Near East, and India. Those carriers have about 3,00,000 children each year with sickle cell anaemia.

How humans got the sickle cell mutation is a sprawling saga that emerges from new research carried out at the Centre for Research on Genomics and Global Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, USA, by Daniel Shriner, a staff scientist, and Charles N Rotimi, the centre's director. Their study was published recently in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

Daniel and Charles analysed the genomes of nearly 3,000 people to reconstruct the genetic history of the disease. They conclude that the mutation arose roughly 7,300 years ago in West Africa. Later, migrants spread the mutation across much of Africa and then to other parts of the world. Wherever people suffered from malaria, the protective gene thrived - but brought sickle cell anaemia with it.

Today, sickle cell anaemia remains a heavy burden on public health. In many poor countries, most children with the disease still die young. Charles said that an improved understanding of the history of sickle cell anaemia could lead to better medical care. It might allow researchers to predict who will suffer severe symptoms and who will only experience mild ones.

Doctors in the United States first noticed sickle cell anaemia in the early 1900s. The disease got its name from the way it changed the shape of red blood cells from healthy disks to abnormal curves. Most cases turned up in African-Americans, doctors found. But 8% of African-Americans had at least some sickle-shaped blood cells, even though the vast majority had no symptoms at all. "Sickle cell is a rare example of human evolution where we have a good idea of what happened and why," said Bridget Penman, a malaria expert at the University of Warwick in England.

Early genetic studies suggested that five different kinds of DNA, known as haplotypes, surround the mutation. These are named for the places where they were most common: Arabian/Indian, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic and Senegal. These haplotypes became important for diagnosing sickle cell anaemia because some appeared to cause more severe disease than others.

But the haplotypes also gave scientists a chance to explore the history of the mutation. "It has been an open question as to whether the actual sickle cell mutation itself emerged several times or just once," Bridget said. Some researchers saw the five haplotypes as evidence that the mutation arose on five separate occasions in five different places. Other researchers thought it unlikely that genetic lightning could strike so many times.

Tracing the journey

"We said, 'How do we jump into this 40-year debate?'" Charles said. He and Daniel examined the genomes of 2,932 people from around the world. They found that 156 of the subjects carried a copy of the sickle cell mutation. The researchers scanned the DNA surrounding the mutation in those people. While most of it was identical from person to person, in some spots it differed.

Combining their findings, the researchers concluded that all 156 people inherited the same mutation from a single person who lived roughly 7,300 years ago. "This alone is a big contribution to our understanding," Bridget said. The new study also offers hints as to how the mutation spread to millions of descendants. The oldest version of the sickle cell mutation is found in people from western and central Africa. They may have inherited it from an ancestor in the green Sahara. The mutation might have spread to other parts of Africa with the expansion of a people called the Bantu. Arising about 5,000 years ago around what is now Cameroon and Nigeria, they converted woodlands to farm fields on a massive scale.

As they cleared land for agriculture, they may have promoted the spread of malaria by mosquitoes. The insects thrived by laying eggs in standing water around the farms and feeding on the growing population of farmers. The intensification of malaria in human populations may also have accelerated the spread of the protective sickle cell mutation.

Over the next few thousand years, the Bantu carried the mutation across much of eastern, central and southern Africa, Daniel and Charles conclude. In places where malaria was prevalent, the mutation offered protection. But malaria is rarer in southern Africa, and there the sickle cell mutation became rarer, too. Later, the study suggests, Africans carried the mutation to other parts of the world. Waves of migrants made their way to the Near East. As people from different ancestries interbred, the mutation made its way further afield, into Europe and India.

Frederick B Piel, an epidemiologist at Imperial College London, said he looked forward to bigger genome-based studies on the sickle cell mutation. It remains to be seen if these patterns can be found in thousands of carriers, instead of just 156, he said. Bridget said that scientists also should study the different genetic variations identified in the new research. These may help explain why the sickle cell mutation leads to deadly symptoms in some people and only mild ones in others - something that scientists still cannot explain. "This knowledge might inspire treatments in itself," she said.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday filed an appeal in the Delhi High Court challenging a special court order acquitting former telecom minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and others in the money laundering case arising out of the 2G scam.



The move comes within three months after a special court acquitted 19 people in the case. The agency had filed an FIR on the basis of a CBI case. The court had acquitted 17 people in the CBI case and the agency will also be filing an appeal soon.



The ED had claimed that Swan Telecom (P) Ltd (STPL) promoters had transferred Rs 200 crore to DMK-run Kalaignar TV, which investigators claimed was done in connection with the allocation of 2G spectrum to the former. The DMK's Raja was telecom minister when this allocation took place.



Besides Raja and Kanimozhi, DMK chief M Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal, Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka of STPL, Asif Balwa and Rajiv Aggarwal of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd, film producer Karim Morani, P Amirtham and Sharad Kumar, Director of DMK-run Kalaignar TV were named in the FIR among others. All were acquitted on December 21.



According to the ED charge sheet, Kalaignar TV was paid Rs 200 crore by the promoters of Swan Telecom in the "garb of legitimate financial transactions" but it was actually "illegal gratification for and on behalf of Raja and his associates" for allotting 2G spectrum and licence.



The ED claimed Swan Telecom used their group entity Dynamix Realty to give money to Kalaignar TV through Kusegaon Realty and Cineyug in the garb of legitimate financial transactions. Later Kalaignar TV returned the money.



It claimed that Dayalu, Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar were "actually involved in parking the illegal gratification" received from Balwa and Goenka in Kalaignar TV.



Raja was also "actually involved" in the process of refund of the proceeds of crime of Rs 223.55 crore in order to "wriggle out" of the charges of crime and thus Raja has committed the offence of money-laundering, a statement issued by the ED in September 2014 had claimed.



The ED was of the view that the accused gave it a colour of regular business transactions with the intent to conceal its true nature and to project the tainted amount as clean money.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday witnessed a debate on the Cauvery issue with the DMK asking the ruling AIADMK to support a no-confidence motion in Parliament to pressure the Centre, while the government said it would wait till March 29.



"There is still time, we need to be patient and see," Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said.

In its final verdict on February 16, the Supreme Court had granted six weeks time to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its 465-page judgement, which modified the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal award.

Following the judgment, the state government has been demanding that the Centre immediately constitute the Cauvery Water Management Board (CWMB) and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC).

Panneerselvam said the next course of action on the issue would be decided by involving all the parties.

"Together all of us will take a good decision," he said.

Replying to the Leader of Opposition M K Stalin who wanted the AIADMK to support the no-confidence motion to bring pressure on the Centre like TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, Panneerselvam asked the DMK leader not to link the two issues.

The deputy chief minister pointed out that his party MPs have been resolutely raising the Cauvery issue in Parliament for the past about a week.

Earlier, Stalin said the apex court's six week deadline would end on March 29.

"Like the chief minister of our neighbouring state (Chandrababu Naidu), who is going ahead with determination to protect the state's (Andhra Pradesh) rights, the no-trust motion in Parliament should be supported with the same determination," he said.

He sought to know if there had been any response from the Centre to a resolution adopted by the Tamil Nadu Assembly recently urging it to constitute the CWMB and the CWRC within six weeks.

Even if the AIADMK supported the motion, the central government would not fall and there was no scope for that, Stalin said, adding, it was only to pressure the Centre.

Panneerselvam said the opposition leader was trying to create an illusion that the ruling party was not working with determination on the matter and such efforts would not succeed.
With the decision to accord separate religion status to Lingayats despite stiff opposition from various quarters, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah appears to have taken a calculated risk ahead of the elections.

The move is aimed not only at pleasing Lingayats, who were considered traditional BJP supporters, but to ensure split in the community, which is said to be the largest in terms of population. But the million dollar question is: Will Siddaramaiah, who has been entrusted with the responsibility of bringing the party back to power, succeed in his game plan?

A section of leaders within the ruling party are skeptical about achieving these goals. They fear that the move may backfire as people can see through the political motive behind it. The Opposition parties, especially the BJP, have been accusing Siddaramaiah of dividing the community as Lingayats and Veerashaivas.

Siddaramaiah has gone ahead with the controversial decision despite resistance by some Cabinet colleagues. Horticulture Minister S S Mallikarjun and Minister for Municipal Administration Eshwar Khandre have publicly disagreed with the recommendation of the government-appointed expert committee report on the issue. Many senior leaders are also against it. The confusion within the party on the issue may turn out to be a spoilsport, some Congress leaders said.

Moreover, the manner in which the government has recommended the separate religion/minority tag is not likely to benefit the community people much as far as reservation in education and employment is concerned. All Lingayats are currently getting 5% reservation under category 3B and quantum of reservation will remain the same even after securing the minority religion tag. Unless the reservation categories are re-organised, the quantum of reservation cannot be increased. And the government has no such proposal, the leaders said.

"Lingayat ministers who spearheaded the separate religion movement had tried to gather public support by dangling the reservation carrot. But, in reality, it is only the educational institutions owned by Lingayats that are going to benefit. The Congress will be at a loss to explain if Opposition parties raise this issue," the leaders said.

However, leaders who are in favour of the decision argue that the Congress will stand to benefit despite drawbacks. The Congress ministers, especially M B Patil and Vinay Kulkarni, have managed to gather the support of a large section of the community in favour of a separate religion during the last few months. These people are upset with B S Yeddyurappa of the BJP for not supporting their cause, they say.
The excessive deployment of paramilitary forces in states for law and order duties will adversely affect its core areas of anti-insurgency and border guarding operations, a Parliamentary panel warned the government on Monday.

The Committee on Estimates led by veteran BJP MP Murli Manohar Joshi told the government that the tendency of states to look towards the Centre even for day-to-day law and order issues need to be reversed.

In its report 'Central Armed Police Forces and Internal Security Challenges - Evaluation and Response Mechanism', the committee said it was concerned to note the heavy dependence of states on paramilitary personnel.

The number of deployment of paramilitary battalions has increased from 91 in 2012-13 to 119 in 2016-17.

It noted the central forces are sometimes detained even after the task is over and are deployed continuously in some of the states for holding elections. The panel said it indicated that a gradual trend of substituting state police with paramilitary forces.

"What is disturbing more is the situation whereby over deployment is likely to affect the anti-insurgency and border guarding operations, besides curtailing the training needs of these forces. Not only that, continuous deployment leaves little time for recuperation/rest thereby creating stress among the paramilitary personnel," the report tabled in Parliament said.

The panel suggested that the states must develop their own systems and upgrade as well as augment their own police forces by providing adequate training and equipping them with state of the art weapons, and enable them to fight militancy and insurgency besides handling law and order.

It was critical of the state governments for not doing enough to contain internal disturbances and that they are heavily dependent on the Centre by frequently asking for the paramilitary forces.

The panel noted that paramilitary personnel were working under constant pressure and difficult conditions. "Non-availability of state-of-the-art equipment and facilities like winter clothes to paramilitary personnel not only put them at the disadvantageous position against the insurgents and terrorists but also compromise the security of the country," the panel said.
Letting the fizz out of Yogi Adityanath's anniversary celebrations, one of his senior Cabinet ministers have said there is nothing to celebrate, as the state government has not been treating the Dalits right, and unless it mends its ways, the BJP may lose the general elections.



This embarrassment comes right after the humiliating defeat in the by-polls.

Senior UP minister and president of the Suheldev Bharat Samaj Party (SBSP) said, "The ruling party is (still) intoxicated by its huge win in the 2017 assembly polls... it lost Gorakhpur and Phulpur by-polls because it neglected Dalits, the backward and the poor... it will lose more elections if it does not mend its ways."

Rajbhar's party has four MLAs in the state Assembly. He was speaking at a rally in Basti, about 200 km from here.

The minister said the government had only talked about temples during its one-year stint. "There is no concern for the poor... corruption continues as it was in the previous regimes," he said.

Rajbhar also said the BJP had "lost" the confidence of the people. "I tried to reason with the chief minister but he did not pay any attention," he said.

The minister did not take part in the celebrations and dropped hints that his party may part ways with the BJP-led government.

The immediate expression of the SBSP chief's resentment may be seen at the forthcoming biennial polls from UP.

The BJP has put up nine candidates in the hope that a few Opposition party legislators may indulge in cross-voting. If the SBSP walks out, it will cost the BJP four votes in the Upper House polls.

Rajbhar has been speaking out against his own government for the past few months despite warnings from the BJP. It remains to be seen if Adityanath will take some action against him this time.
The BJP on Monday slammed the Karnataka government for its decision to recommend separate religion status for Lingayats, accusing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of "playing with fire for vote back politics".



Party general secretary in-charge of Karnataka P Muralidhar Rao accused the state's ruling Congress of practising a "divide and rule" policy.

"Congress carrying 'Divide and Rule' legacy of Britishers in India. Siddaramaiah ji is playing with fire for vote bank politics. Why has Congress done this before elections? Why haven't they done it 4 years back?" he said in a tweet.

In a significant move, the Congress government in poll-bound Karnataka today decided to recommend to the Centre granting religious minority tag to the numerically strong and politically influential Lingayat and Veerashaiva Lingayat communities.

BJP chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa hails from the community and the government's decision is being seen by the saffron party as an attempt by the Congress to divide Lingayat voters, who strongly backed him have in the past polls.
Self-styled godman Nithyananda on Monday withdrew from the Supreme Court his plea challenging a Madras High Court order that restrained him from acting as pontiff and barred his entry into Madurai Adheenam Mutt.

Established about 2,000 years ago, it is regarded as the oldest Saivite mutt, near Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai.

Advocate Sanjay M Nuli, representing Nithyananda, sought permission from a bench of Justices N V Ramana and S Abdul Nazeer, to withdraw the special leave petition against the interim order passed on October 11, 2017, by the Madurai bench.

He submitted that the final judgement has already been passed in the matter and the petitioner would prefer to file the writ appeal before the high court.

"In view of the request made, the special leave petitions are dismissed as withdrawn," the bench ordered.

Nithyananda challenged the interim order contending that it has affected his fundamental right to worship and religion guaranteed under the Constitution. He claimed M Jagathalapradapan, who filed the writ petition against his nomination, is one of those who wants to tarnish his image.

Though he carried out as junior pontiff of the Adheenam Mutt, the high court entertained a writ petition and passed interim orders, disregarding the fact that similar plea was rejected in 2012, his plea stated.

Forty-year-old, Nithyananda, who established an ashram in Bengaluru, and various other places across the world, including in Toronto and Los Angles, claimed he belonged to Thondaimandala Saiva Velalar community, which is one of the communities from which pontiffs were appointed to the Mutt.

On April 27, 2012, Sri-La-Sri Arunagirinatha Sri Gnansambanda Desika Parmacharya Swamigal, 292 Madathipathi, has declared that the appointment of the petitioner as 293 junior pontiff was permanent and irrevocable, he said.
Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday called upon political parties to unite for what he described "Modi-mukt Bharat".



"The country is fed up of the false promises and 'jumlas' of Modi and his government," Thackeray said, addressing a mammoth rally at the historic Shivaji Park at Dadar here coinciding with the Gudi Padwa celebrations.

"India got its first Independence (from the Britishers) in 1947, second in 1977 (after the post-Emergency election) and 2019 can bring a third independence if India becomes Modi-mukt....Opposition parties need to work for Modi-mukt Bharat," the nephew of the late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray said.

The statement of Thackeray comes a day after he had a one-on-one meeting with NCP supremo and former Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar at the latter's Mumbai residence.

During his nearly 75-minute-long address, Thackeray also targetted Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport & Highways.



"Gadkari had said that a Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway is coming up at a cost of Rs 22,000 crore. The Prime Minister's dream project of Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train is underway at a cost Rs 1.10 lakh crore. Do people in Maharashtra need that," he asked.

He said that the plans for International Financial Centre had already been shifted from Mumbai to Ahmedabad and the Air India headquarters from Mumbai to New Delhi.

On Ram temple in Ayodhya, he said he was in favour but questioned the hurry.

"The Babri Masjid issue is in the Supreme Court.....I am warning that there are some quarters who are trying to instigate communal riots....let there be polls, do it after that," he said.

Thackeray also termed demonetisation the biggest scam since Independence. "If note ban is to be probed, it would emerge as the biggest scam in post-Independent India," he said.

He said that there is also a move to muzzle the media. "If you read Adolph Hitler, you will come to know of the process and techniques adopted (by Modi and Shah)," he said.
The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Centre and Haryana government on a plea by 17-year-old Junaid Khan's father for a CBI probe into the killing of his son in train allegedly as part of a hate crime in June 2017.

A bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and Mohan M Shantanagoudar also ordered for stay of the proceedings at the Faridabad court after Jalalludin, the victim's father, contended the investigation carried out by the Haryana police was "manipulated" to give it the shape of a conflict or a clash rather than a "sinister one-sided hate attack on helpless victims".

Junaid, who had boarded a Mathura-bound train from Delhi on June 22, 2017, was reportedly stabbed to death when the train was nearing Ballabgarh in Haryana. He was returning home to Khandawali village along with his brothers and cousins after shopping in Delhi for Eid.

Senior advocate R S Cheema, representing the petitioner, said the investigation was carried out in a "seemingly casual" and "shoddy" manner to protect the accused by invoking bailable offences against them.

Junaid's father challenged the Punjab and Haryana High Court's order of November 27, 2017, that had said there appeared to be no "deliberate attempt" to derail the investigation in the matter and the case had no "national or international ramifications".
After relative agitation-hibernation post Gujarat Assembly elections and installation of BJP government in the state, Patel quota stir leader Hardik Patel now plans to re-start his on-ground activity by way of one more yatra.



Hardik now plans to hold Gujarat Janjagruti Yatra (People's awareness March) across 26 of 33 districts in the state to create awareness on agrarian crisis amidst farmers, unemployment among youth, along with his key demand seeking quotas for Patels on the lines of OBC reservations.

The yatra, slated to begin from Junagadh before June, would traverse through rural Gujarat and inform people about the poor policies and flawed governance of BJP in the state, Hardik said in a statement. "The aim of this march is to spread awareness among masses and to make them aware about their constitutional rights." he said.

Beginning with yatra, Hardik hopes to launch series of programmes till forthcoming Parliamentary polls of 2019. Hardik, who turns 25 just before the Lok Sabha polls next year, is tipped to follow other two young leaders a OBC leader Alpesh Thakor and dalit leader Jignesh Mevani a who jumped into electoral fray last year. While both these young leaders have made it to Gujarat Legislative Assembly as legislators, Hardik is said to be eyeing a national role for himself.

Dalit-Muslim Manch

Meanwhile, Jignesh Mevani, who won from Vadgaam constituency in North Gujarat as an independent candidate with support from Congress, has announced a confederation of various Scheduled Castes and Muslim organisations a Dalit-Muslim Ekta Manch - to "uproot the facist forces ruling the country for last four years".

Mevani eventually hopes to expand his confederation nationally as a Dalit, Adivasi, Muslim Dal. "I want to be the voice of every Dalit, Muslim, tribal and anybody who is a victim of a fascist administration and I urge the people to extract all possible service from me during my five-year term as a legislator," he stated.

He stated that the people in the state "Are yearning for a revolution, and this Manch will bring this revolution. We want that this revolution doesn't stay limited to the city but moves across the entire state and then the nation."

Non-reserved

In a related incident, Congress party chief whip in Gujarat Assembly, Amit Chavda, on Monday made a demand to provide 20% quotas for the non-reserved category communities in government jobs and educational institutions. He said this during a discussion in the House on budgetary allocation for social welfare. Congress had made this its political plank in the last Assembly polls.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday backed LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan statement that "Sabka saath, sabka vikas" should not only become a mere slogan but it should be implemented on the ground as well.

Paswan, a key National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally, had on Sunday expressed his displeasure over the way the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had been treating its alliance partners.

"After the bypoll result, the top BJP leadership should ponder over what went wrong in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Why a large section of people, particularly Dalits and minorities, have turned against the BJP? The ruling party should learn a lesson or two from the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), which always gave its alliance partners due weight and respect," said Paswan, who has six MPs from Bihar.

However, the Union food and consumer affairs minister clarified that he was not raising a bogey of revolt. "I am with the NDA. And will remain with the NDA," reiterated Paswan.

On Monday, Nitish, after talking to Paswan, said, "given his (LJP chief) seniority, the BJP should give due weight to what the Union minister had been saying."

At the same time, Nitish disapproved the BJP's attempt to give communal colour in Araria, Bhagalpur and Darbhanga.

"The DGP has already clarified that the killing in Darbhanga was not due to the naming of a chowk after Modi. It was a land dispute case," Nitish said adding that he was against "divisive politics' as much as he was against 'corruption'.

Nitish also appeared to have softened his stance towards the RJD chief when asked about a report in a national daily which last week reported said that the CBI legal wing found no evidence against Lalu in land-for-hotel scam (when Lalu was a railway minister in UPA-I).

"This is what I said that time. I wanted more clarification from them (RJD chief) on the issue but they did not...."

The Bihar chief minister, however, did not react on the CBI court verdict in the fodder scam on Monday. "It's a judicial process. And one need not react on such issues every time," said the JD (U) strongman.

He also welcomed UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's dinner party for the Opposition. "What's wrong with her dinner party? Every Opposition leader makes an effort to unite like-minded people," averred Nitish, who severed ties with the Congress and the RJD in July last year before joining the NDA.
The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided not to award any highway project contracts until it has sufficient land in hand.



The decision was taken keeping in mind the bad experience of 2011 when large number of projects were shelved due to non-availability of land.

In 2017-18, so far, the Highway Ministry has awarded about 8,800 km stretches against the target of 25,000 km and has completed construction of approximately 8,200 km against the target of 15,000 km.

The government's current policy is not to issue any work order unless 80% of land is in its possession. In 2011, large number of highway projects were cancelled following delay in land acquisition as well as environment clearances.

"The government has decided to be very cautious in awarding projects and ensure availability of sufficient land before inviting tender," said an official. Even after final notification, acquiring land in some states takes six months, and in a few others more than a year as farmers were reluctant to give up their land even after receiving compensation, the official added.
The Supreme Court on Monday deplored the denial of social and economic justice to millions of construction workers in the unorganised sector while nearly Rs 28,000 crore collected for their benefit was unutilised by the state governments.



"There is a total lack of concern and apathy on the part of the powers that be in doing anything substantial for the benefit of construction workers. This is, indeed, an extremely sorry state of affairs that puts a Shakespearean tragedy to shame," a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said.

The court said successive governments have failed to make use of the money meant for the ensuring health, safety and service conditions of unnamed and unsung construction workers, who play a great role in nation building.

In its 57-page judgement, the bench noted that a sum of Rs 37,400 crore was collected for the benefit of construction workers over 22 years. Only Rs 9,500 crore was utilised for their benefit.

The funds were collected after Parliament passed the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act and the Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Cess Act, both in 1996. The purpose of the laws was to stop the exploitation of construction labour and ensure that their children get education, healthcare and live with dignity.

"What is being done with the remaining around Rs 28,000 crore? Why is it that construction workers across the country are denied the benefit of this enormous amount," the bench asked.

The court found it "disturbing" that the directions issued for utilisation of the funds were disregarded by the state governments. It issued a slew of directions, including conducting social audit of the funds in line with the CAG guidelines prepared for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005.

The court noted, out of an estimated 4.5 crore building and construction workers, only 2.8 crore were registered under the 1996 laws.

Women, infants suffer

Even if the government wanted to disburse the funds now, it cannot do so as "some of these construction workers from the 1990s, and even later, may have unfortunately passed away or might be untraceable or old enough to deserve a pension", it said.

"What makes the situation even worse is that many of the construction workers are believed to be women and at least some of them have small children to look after," the court said.
Three Mumbai-based businessmen have been arrested by police for defrauding the Axis Bank to the tune of Rs 290 crore.



The businessmen - Bhawarlal Bhandari, Premal Goragandhi and Kamlesh Kanungo who are directors of Parekh Alluminex Ltd (PAL) - have been arrested by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police.



"It is a Rs 290 crore fraud involving a bank. We have arrested three persons so far roles of whosoever is concerned are being probed," a senior EOW official told DH on Monday.



The accused allegedly produced fake invoices and manipulated bills through fake companies through letters of credit.



The three accused have been remanded to police custody till March 21.



"We have booked the accused for cheating, forgery, breach of trust and criminal conspiracy and detailed inquiries are on," the official said, adding that the action was taken based on the complaint made by the bank.



There are chances that some bank officials would also have to face the probe.

" Our exposure is part of a lending arrangement involving around 22 banks and the bank had filed an FIR with the EOW, post declaring the exposure concerned as fraud. We are fully cooperating with the investigating authorities," official spokesperson of Axis Bank said in a statement.



The Axis Bank is part of a group of over 20 creditors with exposure to PAL.



Between 2011 and 2013, the accused availed a number of short term loans and credit facilities from Axis Bank, totalling Rs 290 crore.



PAL is already facing investigation by the CBI following a complaint by banks such as State Bank of India (SBI) and Indian Overseas Bank (IoB).



It is also facing insolvency proceedings at the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).



In 2017, the BSE had restrained PAL from accessing the securities market and further prohibited it from buying, selling or otherwise dealing in securities in any manner whatsoever, either directly or indirectly.



According to a report, Axis Bank in its complaint had mentioned five other PAL directors: Amitabh Parekh (who died in 2013), Rajendra Gothi, Devanshu Desai, Kiran Parikh and Vikram Mordani.



The fraud could run into several crores of rupees.



This is yet another bank fraud that has come to light in the wake of the Rs 11,400-crore PNB-Nirav Modi scam that involved multiple auditing and regulatory lapses.


New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to maintain status quo on a plea by a group of KPSC- selected candidates, facing risk of losing their job.



The Karnataka High Court had on March 9 set aside the directions to issue appointment letters to 362 people for the post of gazetted probationer group 'A' and 'B' for the 2011 batch. A bench of Justices Adarsh K Goel and U U Lalit, however, said the apex court would hear next Tuesday, March 27, a special leave petition filed by 25 such candidates who were issued appointment letters and joined duties.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, along with other counsel Ranjit Kumar, A M Singhvi and B V Acharya, appearing for the selected candidates, challenged the High Court directions. "We were selected and notified. The government sought to cancel the selection en masse. We challenged it before the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal and succeeded. But the HC, acting on a PIL, cancelled it. There is a long line of the apex court judgements which stated that normally attempt has to be made to separate grain from the chaff," they said. Though the government has said that there were only 46 candidates who were tainted out of 362 selected ones, the high court went ahead to rescind the whole process. Out of 316 untainted candidates, 25 were issued appointment letters and they joined the duty, the counsel said.

The counsel sought direction to the state government not to relieve those candidates, who had reported at various posts, saying they have been granted protection under Article 311 of the Constitution by which no member of civil service can be removed or dismissed without an enquiry or having been heard.

"No status quo, let the government take any action. We will hear the matter on next Tuesday," the bench said, directing them to serve the copy of the petition to the state government counsel.

The petitioners, led by Avinash C and others contended they had played no role in manipulation or interference into the selection process.

The state government, on August 14, 2014, withdrew its 2011 notification after the CID had submitted a report in 2013, pointing to large-scale irregularities in the selection process. After the KAT quashed the withdrawal of notification on October 19, 2016, the state government preferred not to file appeal and issued appointment letters this year.
More than sixth months after funds were allocated for setting up a breast milk bank in Vani Vilas Hospital, the first-of-its-kind facility in a state-run institution is yet to take shape.



Rs 36 lakh was released under the National Health Mission to the hospital in September 2017, said Dr Rajani, deputy director, nutrition, department of health and family welfare, Karnataka. The hospital has identified an ideal space within its campus for setting up the facility and the process is still going on, she added.

Dr Geetha Shivamurthy, the medical superintendent of Vani Vilas Hospital, said the hospital had invited tenders. "We have given 15 days' to the bidders. They have time till March 28. We will have to go for negotiations and then only can the facility be set up," she said.

Dr Geetha said there were guidelines and procedures that needed to be followed for setting up the breast milk bank. None of the staff required for the milk bank - a doctor, nurses and paramedical staff - has been decided.

Dr Rajani said Vani Vilas Hospital required a breast milk bank as it was a tertiary care centre catering to children from across the state.

"The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the hospital has around 85 to 90 babies every day and most of the babies are born before term or are sick. These babies are in dire need of breast milk," said a doctor from Vani Vilas Hospital who did not wish to be named.

Currently, these babies get an intravenous fluid (used to prevent dehydration) and milk powder instead of breast milk in cases where their mothers are not able to produce milk.
The High Court of Karnataka on Monday directed retired Director General of Police (Prisons) H N Sathyanarayana Rao to amend his petition to include seeking direction to quash the first information report registered against him by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), and granted a day's time for the same.



Justice Raghavendra Chauhan was hearing a petition filed by Rao, questioning the state government's order directing the ACB to register a case against him in connection with an alleged bribery case. The matter was adjourned to March 20.

The government, in its order dated February 26, had directed the ACB to register a case of criminal misconduct by a public servant under Sections 13(1) (C) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, on the complaint that Rao had allegedly accepted a bribe of Rs 2 crore for providing special facilities in violation of the law to AIADMK leader V K Sasikala, who is serving a four-year imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case in the central prison in Parappana Agrahara.

The Vinay Kumar committee was formed to probe the irregularities in the central prison. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was said to have directed Rao to provide a bed and pillow to Sasikala.

However, Siddaramaiah denied the allegations.
A 28-year-old school teacher was abducted from near her apartment in Sarjapur by three men on Sunday night.

The victim was later assaulted and abandoned near Kasavanahalli in an unconscious state in the early hours of Monday.

The victim's mother told the police that she left home on Sunday evening and returned on Monday.

Eye-witnesses informed the police that three men came in a car and dragged the victim inside. The victim screamed and kicked the doors to escape but the suspects sped away.

A couple who witnessed the incident alerted the police control room and gave the registration number of the car.

Some eye-witnesses tried to chase the car but failed to track it down.

A senior police officer said the victim has suffered multiple injuries and is admitted to St John's hospital.

Dr Sanjeev, medical superintendent, St Johns Medical College, said that a woman was reported to the Emergency Ward on Monday afternoon.

"She is stable, but she is undergoing a rapid assessment with investigations," said Dr Sanjeev.

"Some tests need to be run on her to inspect if there is internal bleeding. She walked in alone to the hospital and is traumatised," he said.

DCP (Whitefield) Abdul Ahad said, "We received information on Sunday night that a woman was abducted from Kasavanahalli Road under Bellandur police station limits around 10 pm on Sunday. Based on the information, the police registered a kidnap case and formed four teams to nab the kidnappers and rescue the woman."

The police are waiting for the victim to recover to record her statement.
About 300 medical and dental postgraduate aspirants and the members of Karnataka Medical Students and Youth Doctors Association gathered at the Freedom Park on Monday to show their support to the government's decision on Karnataka domicile for PG courses in government colleges.



Earlier, a student who had completed MBBS or BDS in a college in Karnataka was eligible for PG medical and dental seats in government colleges and subsidised government seats in private colleges. Now, the student should have studied for 10 years in the state or the should have completed class 11 and 12 and either parent should have studied in Karnataka for 10 years.

The gathering on Monday supported the government's move. They protested against students from other states taking the matter to the Supreme Court. The Medical Council of India also opposed the government's notification during the hearing.

"Many people have misunderstood and are under the impression that students from other states cannot study in Karnataka at all. But they are still eligible for other categories like the private seats, management, and other seats. Why should our state government subsidise seats for them when they will not stay on and practise here," said Dr Bharath Kumar, president of the association.

S G Siddaramaiah, chairperson of the Kannada Development Authority and members of the state chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA) also took part in the gathering.

Dr Kumar said that with the new rule at least 600 MD and MS seats and 300 MDS seats would be allotted to candidates from the state.

Dr Muthuraj N, assistant professor in a medical college, said "To get the seat reserved for students from Kannada medium, you need to study in that medium for 10 years. Similar rules apply for Hyderabad-Karnataka region. Then why should this be any different."

He also clarified that this was not a Kannada language issue as students who are originally from other states but have been living here for more than 10 years would also be eligible for the government seats.




Belagavi Bishop Reverend Peter Machado has been designated the seventh Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Bengaluru, following the resignation of Archbishop Bernard Moras.



Reverend Peter Machado, son of Aveline and the late Anthony Machado, hails from Honnavar in Uttara Kannada district and was ordained a priest in 1978 for the Diocese of Karwar.

Reverend Machado holds a doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Urbaniana University, Rome. He was appointed Bishop of Belagavi by the then Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI on February 2, 2006, and Ordained a Bishop at Belagavi on March 30, the same year.

Speaking to DH, Reverend Machado said he was ready to address several issues faced by the Catholic church. "I have been given two months' time. Most probably, I will take charge by May," he said.

Stating that he was humbled by the appointment, Reverend Machado said he was not sure why he was selected to be the archbishop and was surprised to hear the news.

Outgoing Archbishop Bernard Moras said the appointment of the new head to the archdiocese was part of a routine affair. "As per the church norms, the archbishops are to resign after attaining the age of 75 years. The holy father (Pope) finds a suitable day to accept the resignation and appoint a suitable successor. I sent my resignation when I turned 75 last year and the successor has been appointed now," he said.

He added that as per the present norms of the church, the archbishop is to take charge within two months after he is appointed. He is also at the liberty to extend it, which will be informed.
The Karnataka State Temperance Board (KSTB) has urged the government to stop popularising Bengaluru as a 'pub and wine city.'



Speaking to media persons on Monday, the KSTB chairman, HC Rudrappa asked the government to promote Gandhian ideals by establishing more de-addiction centres instead of promoting the city as pub and wine city.

The board intends to submit a report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah which calls for the strengthening of de-addiction centres at the taluk level besides opening such centres at village panchayat level, he said.

"We have also asked the government to include chapters on ill-effects of alcohol in high school and college books to create an impact at the right age," he said.

He pointed out that not many-including police and senior government officials- were even aware of the existence of KSTB.
By Lauren Victoria Burke

15 March 2018

(NNPA Newswire)  Late last year, The Washington Post wrote that African Americans were the only group that showed no economic improvement since 2000.

They based their conclusions on Census data. This year, there was even more sobering news in a report by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).

The new study issued found no progress for African Americans on homeownership, unemployment and incarceration in 50 years.

Much of what was included in the EPI study was stunning data on African American economic progress. Fifty years after the famous and controversial Kerner Commission Report that identified white racism as the driver of pervasive discrimination in employment and education for African Americans, EPI concluded that not much has changed.

The EPI study stated the obvious and pointed to glaring statistics.

Regarding the justice system, the share of incarcerated African Americans has close to tripled between 1968 and 2016, as Blacks are 6.4 times more likely than Whites to be jailed or imprisoned. Homeownership rates have remained unchanged for African Americans, over the last 50 years. Black homeownership is about 40 percent, which is 30 percent behind the rate for Whites.

Regarding income, perhaps the most important economic metric, the average income for an African American household was $39,490 in 2017, a decrease from $41,363 in 2000.

A press release about the report said that, Black workers still make only 82.5 cents on every dollar earned by white workers, African Americans are 2.5 times more likely to be in poverty than Whites, and the median White family has almost ten times as much wealth as the median Black family.

In 2017, the Black unemployment rate was 7.5 percent, up from 6.7 percent in 1968, and still roughly twice the White unemployment rate. In 2015, the Black homeownership rate was just over 40 percent, virtually unchanged since 1968 and trailing a full 30 points behind the White homeownership rate, which saw modest gains over the same period. [more]

Its all about the Money: Stats on African American progress are sobering

By Janelle Jones, John Schmitt, and Valerie Wilson

26 February 2018

(EPI)  The year 1968 was a watershed in American history and black Americas ongoing fight for equality. In April of that year, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis and riots broke out in cities around the country. Rising against this tragedy, the Civil Rights Act of 1968 outlawing housing discrimination was signed into law. Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists in a black power salute as they received their medals at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Arthur Ashe became the first African American to win the U.S. Open singles title, and Shirley Chisholm became the first African American woman elected to the House of Representatives.The same year, the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, better known as the Kerner Commission, delivered a report to President Johnson examining the causes of civil unrest in African American communities. The report named white racismleading to pervasive discrimination in employment, education and housingas the culprit, and the reports authors called for a commitment to the realization of common opportunities for all within a single [racially undivided] society.1 The Kerner Commission report pulled together a comprehensive array of data to assess the specific economic and social inequities confronting African Americans in 1968.Where do we stand as a society today? In this brief report, we compare the state of black workers and their families in 1968 with the circumstances of their descendants today, 50 years after the Kerner report was released. We find both good news and bad news. While African Americans are in many ways better off in absolute terms than they were in 1968, they are still disadvantaged in important ways relative to whites. In several important respects, African Americans have actually lost ground relative to whites, and, in a few cases, even relative to African Americans in 1968.Following are some of the key findings: African Americans today are much better educated than they were in 1968 but still lag behind whites in overall educational attainment. More than 90 percent of younger African Americans (ages 25 to 29) have graduated from high school, compared with just over half in 1968which means theyve nearly closed the gap with white high school graduation rates. They are also more than twice as likely to have a college degree as in 1968 but are still half as likely as young whites to have a college degree.

The substantial progress in educational attainment of African Americans has been accompanied by significant absolute improvements in wages, incomes, wealth, and health since 1968. But black workers still make only 82.5 cents on every dollar earned by white workers, African Americans are 2.5 times as likely to be in poverty as whites, and the median white family has almost 10 times as much wealth as the median black family.

With respect to homeownership, unemployment, and incarceration, America has failed to deliver any progress for African Americans over the last five decades. In these areas, their situation has either failed to improve relative to whites or has worsened. In 2017 the black unemployment rate was 7.5 percent, up from 6.7 percent in 1968, and is still roughly twice the white unemployment rate. In 2015, the black homeownership rate was just over 40 percent, virtually unchanged since 1968, and trailing a full 30 points behind the white homeownership rate, which saw modest gains over the same period. And the share of African Americans in prison or jail almost tripled between 1968 and 2016 and is currently more than six times the white incarceration rate. [more]

50 years after the Kerner Commission

By Richard Rothstein

1 March 2018

(EPI)  In 1967, young black men rioted in over 150 cities, often spurred by overly aggressive policing, not unlike the provocations of recent disturbances. The worst in 1967 were in Newark, after police beat a taxi driver for having a revoked permit, and Detroit, after 82 party-goers were arrested at a peaceful celebration for returning Vietnam War veterans, held at an unlicensed social club.President Lyndon Johnson appointed a commission to investigate. Chaired by Illinois Governor Otto Kerner (New York Citys mayor John Lindsay was vice-chair), it issued its report 50 years ago today. Publicly available, it was a best-seller, indicting racial discrimination in housing, employment, health care, policing, education, and social services, and attributing the riots to pent-up frustration in low-income black neighborhoods. Residents lack of ambition or effort did not cause these conditions: rather, [w]hite institutions created [the ghetto], white institutions maintain it, and white society condones it [and is] essentially responsible for the explosive mixture which has been accumulating in our cities since the end of World War II.The report warned that continued racial segregation and discrimination would engender two societies, one black, one whiteseparate and unequal. So little has changed since 1968 that the report remains worth reading as a near-contemporary description of racial inequality.Of course, not everything about race relations is unchanged. Perhaps most dramatic has been growth of the black middle class, integrated into mainstream corporate leadership, politics, universities, and professions. Were still far from equalityaffirmative action remains a necessitybut such progress was unimaginable in 1968. Today, 23 percent of young adult African Americans have bachelors degrees, still considerably below whites 42 percent but more than double the black rate 50 years ago.In the mid-1960s, I assisted in a study of Chicagos power elite. We identified some 4,000 policymaking positions in the non-financial corporate sector. Not one was held by an African American. The only black executives were at banks and insurance companies serving black neighborhoods. Today, any large corporation would face condemnation, perhaps litigation, if no African American had achieved executive responsibility.In other respects, things are pretty much as dismal now as thenthe commission condemned stop and frisk policies and equipping police with military weapons that have no place in densely populated urban communities. Some conditions are now worse: the two societies warning has been fulfilled, not only in our economic and social live, but in the racial polarization of politics exposed in the last election. It threatens the foundations of our democracy.The commission said the nation faced three alternatives. First, continue present policies, resulting in more riots (or rebellionsthe commission debated what to call them), economic decline, and the splintering of our common national identity. This is the course we have mostly followed. Second, improve black neighborhoods, what the commission called attempts to gild the ghetto, something weve half-heartedly tried with little success for the last 50 yearsfor example, with enterprise zones, empowerment zones, extra funding for pupils from low-income families, and charter schools. These, the commission predicted, would never get sufficient political or financial support and would confirm that separate can never be equal; they would fail to reverse our two societies trajectory. Or third, while doing what we can to improve conditions in disadvantaged neighborhoods, we could embrace programs to integrate black families into white communities. Wed have to remove discriminatory and financial barriers that prevented African Americans from moving out of overcrowded, low-income places that lacked access to good jobs, schools with high-performing students, adequate health services, even supermarkets with fresh food. It was this alternative the Kerner Report strongly favored.Surprisingly, the report was unanimous, even gaining support from commissioner Charles Thornton, CEO of Litton Industries, then one of the nations most powerful corporations. Johnson had appointed this Texas conservative to ensure modest recommendations, but even commissioners initially inclined to blame riots on outside agitators were radicalized by visiting black neighborhoods.The reports integration proposals need updating, but not much. One was a law banning discrimination in housing sales and rentals. Two months after the reports release, horror over Martin Luther King, Jr.s assassination gave President Johnson political support to pass the Fair Housing Act. But enforcement provisions waited another 20 years, and remain weak. The report suggested rent supplements for low-income families and tax credits for low-income housing developers. These were adoptedsupplements are commonly termed Section 8 vouchers and the government now issues developer tax credits. Yet these programs now reinforce segregation because most recipients can use vouchers only in low-income neighborhoods and developers mostly use credits to build in such areas. Both programs could instead prioritize rentals and construction in integrated communities. For this to happen, wed need to prohibit suburban zoning ordinances that bar construction of townhouses, low-rise apartments, even single family homes on modest lot sizes.The commission called for constructing low-rise public housing on scattered sites throughout metropolitan areas. Yet shortly thereafter, after the Supreme Court prohibited placement of public housing exclusively in black neighborhoods, federal and local governments responded by ending public housing construction altogetherThe commission also recommended subsidies for black homebuyers, something weve never seriously considered. They are needed because in the mid-twentieth century, the Federal Housing Administration and Veterans Administration unconstitutionally prohibited African Americans from purchasing affordable suburban homes, contributing to todays overcrowding and segregation in urban black neighborhoods. Suburban property appreciation now makes those homes unaffordable to working-class families of either race. Well never desegregate if this historic wrong remains unremedied.Is it too late to adopt the Kerner Commissions third alternative? Racial polarizationthe almost inevitable result of persistent residential segregationmay make it so. But perhaps re-reading the report can awaken a passion to reform what the commission didnt hesitate to term an apartheid nation.EPI is cosponsoring an event marking the 50th anniversary of the Kerner Commission.A version of this piece ran in the New York Daily News.

Many of the policy recommendations from the Kerner Commission remain relevant 50 years later

By Valerie Wilson

26 February 2018

(EPI)  Anniversaries of major events are nearly irresistible opportunities to reflect on the past, often with the hope that there has been some progress. So it is this year, 50 years after the Kerner Commission Report on Civil Disorders found systemic inequality and racial discrimination to be at the root of riots across America.In a new report, Janelle Jones, John Schmitt and I present statistics showing what life was like for African Americans in this country 50 years ago compared to now. That document is a straightforward, unfiltered presentation of the facts, covering a wide range of economic, social, and health outcomes. In the spirit of reflection, I want to use this blog post to focus on racial economic inequality in the labor market, which directly affects approximately 20 million African Americans who get up every day and either go to work or go to find work.The bottom line is simple. Despite decades of policies, programs, protests and outstanding achievements by African American men and women in many aspects of American life, race far too often remains a deciding factor in the economic status of African Americans relative to whites.Great strides have been made toward raising educational attainment among African Americans and closing the education gap relative to whites, especially with regard to completing high school. In 1968, just over half (54.4 percent) of African American adults age 25-29 were high school graduates, compared to nearly three-quarters (75.0 percent) of whites. In 2016, 92.3 percent of African American adults age 25-29 were high school graduates with 22.8 percent having gone on to complete a bachelors degree or higher (up from 9.1 percent in 1968). Among whites, 95.6 percent are high school graduates and 42.1 percent have a bachelors degree or higher (up from 16.2 percent in 1968).The important thing to understand about education is that it is undeniably important for economic mobilityat higher levels of education, African Americans have lower unemployment rates, and higher earnings than they would otherwise. Believe me, I do all I can to encourage and prepare my childrenand any others who will listento get a college education. But education has not been enough to eliminate racial economic inequality. This is reflected in the persistent gaps in unemployment rates, median hourly wages, median household income, and poverty rates.Since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began reporting the black unemployment rate in 1972, it has almost always been about twice the white unemployment ratein good economic times and in bad, as well as at every level of education.Comparing unemployment rates by education we find that in 2017, having a bachelors degree substantially reduced the unemployment rate for African Americans, from 9.5 percent for those who only had a high school degree to 4.1 percent for college graduates and 3.0 percent for those with advanced degrees. However, African Americans with advanced degrees still had an unemployment rate higher than whites with a only a bachelors degree (2.3 percent) and African Americans with a bachelors degree had an unemployment rate that was closer to the unemployment rate of whites with only a high school diploma (4.6 percent). [more]

50 years after the riots: Continued economic inequality for African Americans
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OLYMPIA (AP)  A study looking at high-speed rail connecting Vancouver, B.C. to Seattle and Portland is getting funding from the government of British Columbia.

Premier John Horgan was joined by Gov. Jay Inslee during Friday's announcement that B.C. will contribute $300,000 toward the study that will build upon an economic analysis released by Washington state last month.





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PORTLAND (AP)  A state agency has proposed more than $148,000 in penalties for an Oregon company after an employee claimed she was fired for missing work for jury duty.

The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries found that Navex Global had violated state laws that require employers to excuse workers for jury service, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.





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'Bikini Airline' to land in India with flights from Delhi to Veitnam

Fancy being wecomed aboard by bikini-clad airhostess?

It could soon be a reality, as Vietnam's low-cost airline VietJet Air, dubbed "bikini Airlines", will soon launch its operations in India.

As the name suggests, air hostesses of VietJet Air dress up in bikinis and swim suits unlike other airlines.

Run by a Vietnam's first woman billionaire, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, the airline plans to launch operations in India around July - August this year, with four flights per week from New Delhi to Ho Chi Minh City.

The timing of the launch coincides with the 45th anniversary of India-Vietnam diplomatic relationship and the 10th anniversary of a strategic partnership between the two countries.

VietJet announced its plan to connect India at the Vietnam-India Business Forum.

VietJet Air is also one of the most controversial airlines and has \drawn flak for for its sexy marketing stunts.

The budget carrier has organised fashion shown abroad its flights featuring swimsuit-clad models and beauty pageant contestants  something the founder of now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, Vijay Mallya, once known a the "king of good times" would have heartily endorsed, if he were not a fugitive in the UK.
From calling climate change a 'hoax' to trashing scientists arguments on impact of global warming



Donald Trump has blatantly given economy the precedence over environment. He has shown sheer disregard to environment protection roadmap created by his predecessor under the pretext of making America Great Again. This infographics chronicles the Presidents journey that is

fraught with anti-environment policy decisions ever since he took office.
Next Game: at Delaware 3/25/2018 | 2 p.m.

 The Drexel softball team closed out play at the Hampton Inn BWI UMBC Dawg Pound Invitational with a 4-1 loss to Sacred heart and a 10-8 triumph over UMBC on Sunday afternoon. Megan Trivelpiece went 3-for-4 and hit her first collegiate home run in the victory against UMBC.The first game of the day remained scoreless until the fourth inning when Elena Woulfe doubled to plateand put Drexel ahead 1-0. Sacred Heart, however, answered immediately with two runs in the bottom of the frame to take back the lead. With two outs, Desrosiers hit a home run for the equalizer before Kruger put the Pioneers up by one with an RBI double.The Dragons attempted to claw back getting runners on base in the fifth, but they could not capitalize as the next two batters struck out. The Pioneers then continued to pad their lead in the following inning with two runs from both a single and a double to secure a 4-1 victory over the Dragons.Devon Grippe suffered the loss and dropped 1-3 after giving up four runs and eight hits.In game two, Drexel got off to a strong start and built up an early 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the second. Hannah Walker set the momentum immediately in the first inning with a solo shot over the fence and Sarah Tannenbaum doubled to drive in two runs to put the Dragons in control. The Drexel defense shut down any attempts UMBC made to come back over the course of the remaining five innings.Most notably, after the team's exchanged runs in the middle innings, Linda Rush and Trivelpiece each smacked home runs out of left field in the sixth and seventh innings to give the Dragons a 10-8 victory.improved her record to 2-2 while yielding five runs and striking out two in five innings of work.Drexel will return to action the following weekend as it travels to Delaware for a doubleheader. First pitch is set to be thrown on Saturday, March 24 at 12 p.m.
The Click Frenzy debacle revealed that online is the place to be. According to ACMA, Australias digital economy grew exponentially in 2011/2012 with online shopping, social networking and a near doubling of smartphone ownership driving this boom. There are now 11.36 million Facebook users in Australia, while 49 per cent of us now own a smartphone.

What does this mean for business? It means that the online world provides a new dimension to managing your business, and your brand.

A brand is more than just a word, an image, a logo or a slogan  its how a business differentiates itself from all other businesses, especially its competitors. Its the personality of the business, which can be perceived differently by multiple audiences such as the general public, customers, staff, media and shareholders.

So how do you manage your brand online? Its about making sure you present your brand clearly through all of your online channels such as your website, blog, email communications, forum, Twitter and other social media platforms. Heres some food for thought:

First impressions count

What first impression do you want your brand to portray to clients and prospects?  Times up! It takes less than 50 milliseconds to form one, according to a study by Carleton University in Ottawa. First impressions give way to a halo effect, so if for example, your website looks good, that assessment is transferred to its functionality. You only have milliseconds to persuade customers that its trustworthy, efficient, and can do what is expected. If you clutter your website with too many visual elements, a mixed tone of voice or no call to action, you risk losing their attention.

Unite and conquer

People and technology are converging over multiple online channels. Therefore, its important to streamline and manage your brand consistently online. A good place to start is to review and assess certain aspects of each online medium such as reach, popularity, interactions, level of engagement, effectiveness of messaging, and whether there are any conflicts or confusion. This will help decide where your brand needs to be seen regularly, what messages work and who your influencers are.

Let someone else say it

We all know about the power of influence, and it can travel fast so creating a circle of influence online can have a positive impact on your brand. For example, social media is a very ego-driven channel where both individuals and brands are measured in fans and followers. Success is often attributed to retweets, likes, shares, reach, clicks and various other influence metrics. Build and nurture your brand ambassadors and let them spread the good word for your brand.

Its a two-way street

The great thing about the online space is the way it lets customers provide feedback in real time, and being online means you can interact with those customers instantly. This can be valuable and also detrimental to your brand if you dont proactively manage this interaction. Converse with them in a timely manner and always be professional and courteous (no matter what was said). Whether its Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or on a blog or forum, ensure you partake in discussions, offer a professional opinion on the topic and avoid being too salesy  only recommend your product or service when you feel it can solve a problem or encourage the discussion to move forward. Be sure to acknowledge positive comments, and attempt to respond to complaints and issues quickly.

Listen, pay attention

Its important to keep track of conversations, interactions and positive and negative sentiment online so you can join those discussions, answer queries, dispel myths, etc. There are several tools that can help monitor perceptions and activity around your brand online. Hootsuite, Lexer, TweetReach are just some examples.

The key to successfully managing your brand online is to embrace this channel of communication as it can help your business boost revenue, gain exposure and visibility, and it can increase brand loyalty and brand recognition in a competitive online landscape.
With more conveyancing companies offering e-Conveyancing its important to know what is Electronic conveyancing or e-Conveyancing. e-Conveyancing is having the settlement process streamlined online and actioning key points online instead of multiple parties and paperwork spread over different sites/times.

So, with e-conveyancing you can have buyers, sellers, lawyers, conveyancers, title offices and banks all access your settlement online, the saving is immense in both time and money. Plus, any mistakes are picked up immediately and have the ability to be adjusted in real-time and not have paperwork go back and forth. The most basic explanation is  all the legal and monetary processes of a house sale to be completed online.

What is PEXA

Property Exchange Australia (PEXA) came about from an idea from the Council of Australian Governments (COA) to create an e-Conveyancing platform that lawyers, conveyancers, and banks within Australia could utilize. The goal is to provide ease of access for buyers/sellers and efficient process for conveyancers and all the involved parties. It streamlines all the processes and now all the parties involved; banks, lawyers, conveyancers; can now all work online together. For instance, your conveyancer can now prepare and lodge land title paperwork online instead of in person at the Land Registry Office.

Real estate moving into the digital era

If you have ever dealt with buying or selling a house in the past, then you understand the mountains of paperwork involved. And the annoyance of that paperwork going back and forth, extending the sale process and making the whole thing a timely matter. Finally, the industry is moving into the digital world. Five states are now using e-conveyancing, NSW, Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia. Each states land title registries are integrated into the PEXA system. This brings one of the biggest benefits of e-conveyancing, lodgement and registration was typically one of the slowest manual processes in settlement. Now it is much speedier as on online lodgement.

Additionally, the manual way of registering your title meant a time delay in which a third party could lodge a conflicting notice with the Land Registry that could either hold up or even block your land title registration. Buyers always had the option of purchasing a lodgement gap cover in a manual transaction, but with e-Conveyance the gap cover comes free.

Sell and buy property simultaneously

PEXA completed the first simultaneous settlement of two properties in January 2017. One sold and one bought by the same client  Regan Baines from Melbourne. This marked a major achievement as it proved PEXAs e-Conveyancing platform could synchronise the sale of a property with the purchase of another. For the buyer this means the proceeds from their sale can go directly towards the purchase of their new property. No more selling and anxiously waiting to find and purchase another property. You can look for a new home at the same time as selling your existing one.

Benefits of e-Conveyancing for both buyers and sellers

Fast settlement money

Property comes with massive price tags. Selling a home could be the biggest financial transaction in your life. Waiting for the money to turn up in your bank account can be a worrying time. Also, from the time of signing the contract from the money appearing in your account can be a long time. Its not usual for people to deal with cheques these days  but thats what a manual settlement brings, waiting for cheques and then waiting up to five days even for the money to clear into your account after you cash the cheque. But e-conveyancing means no bank cheques and money clears into your account on the day of settlement.

Property comes with massive price tags. Selling a home could be the biggest financial transaction in your life. Waiting for the money to turn up in your bank account can be a worrying time. Also, from the time of signing the contract from the money appearing in your account can be a long time. Its not usual for people to deal with cheques these days  but thats what a manual settlement brings, waiting for cheques and then waiting up to five days even for the money to clear into your account after you cash the cheque. But e-conveyancing means no bank cheques and money clears into your account on the day of settlement. Less errors

Manual settlement brings mountains of paperwork and with so many parties involved, mistakes and delays do arise. With PEXA the system has built in checks and alerts when an error occurs. So, both buyers and sellers can have peace of mind that e-Conveyancing is much less risky than manual conveyancing.

Manual settlement brings mountains of paperwork and with so many parties involved, mistakes and delays do arise. With PEXA the system has built in checks and alerts when an error occurs. So, both buyers and sellers can have peace of mind that e-Conveyancing is much less risky than manual conveyancing. SettleMe App

A great feature for buyers and sellers is the app called SettleMe by PEXA. It enables tracking of settlement through a custom dashboard. Included on the dashboard is checklists of settlement tasks and these are updated automatically by PEXA as the process moves through each stage. The app will send alerts of key dates and events in your settlement and tracks the whole process from start to finish.

A great feature for buyers and sellers is the app called SettleMe by PEXA. It enables tracking of settlement through a custom dashboard. Included on the dashboard is checklists of settlement tasks and these are updated automatically by PEXA as the process moves through each stage. The app will send alerts of key dates and events in your settlement and tracks the whole process from start to finish. Virtual settlement office

For those working in the industry like conveyancers, lawyers, land registry offices and banks, the benefits are immense and immediate. Travel is almost eliminated from the settlement process. No more getting to settlement meetings or land office lodgement appointments. All professional parties can meet online and complete tasks. More than 4,000 conveyancers, lawyers and banks have joined the PEXA network. Make sure if you want to offer the best services to clients, you have joined the PEXA network. And if you are a buyer or seller looking for a conveyancer make sure they offer e-Conveyancing to get all the benefits.

For those working in the industry like conveyancers, lawyers, land registry offices and banks, the benefits are immense and immediate. Travel is almost eliminated from the settlement process. No more getting to settlement meetings or land office lodgement appointments. All professional parties can meet online and complete tasks. More than 4,000 conveyancers, lawyers and banks have joined the PEXA network. Make sure if you want to offer the best services to clients, you have joined the PEXA network. And if you are a buyer or seller looking for a conveyancer make sure they offer e-Conveyancing to get all the benefits. Less costs

Online conveyancing processes means reduced costs for those in the industry. For example, conveyancers do not need to hire settlement agents and venues as its all online. In addition, they do not need to purchase bank cheque books and pay courier fees. All of these fees were passed onto the client, now with these costs eliminated, you will save between $150 to $250.

Online conveyancing processes means reduced costs for those in the industry. For example, conveyancers do not need to hire settlement agents and venues as its all online. In addition, they do not need to purchase bank cheque books and pay courier fees. All of these fees were passed onto the client, now with these costs eliminated, you will save between $150 to $250. Ease of use

No more having to sign pages and pages of documents in person. Digital signatures that can be done with a click if a button bring a much more client friendly process. You do not have to take time off work or go after hours to offices or have conveyancers come to your home for paperwork signing.

No more having to sign pages and pages of documents in person. Digital signatures that can be done with a click if a button bring a much more client friendly process. You do not have to take time off work or go after hours to offices or have conveyancers come to your home for paperwork signing. Safer electronic transfers

Now sellers get electronic receipts for all money transfers. Money is transferred immediately and as your settlement is online and accessible to all parties, any errors made are notified straight away so the person responsible can make a correction. This means no delays and money not passing through multiple parties to get to the seller.

Now sellers get electronic receipts for all money transfers. Money is transferred immediately and as your settlement is online and accessible to all parties, any errors made are notified straight away so the person responsible can make a correction. This means no delays and money not passing through multiple parties to get to the seller. Real-time alerts

Waiting for a sale to be completed is a stressful time and it is the not knowing that contributes to this. With e-conveyancing this stress is alleviated as you can be alerted by the Settle Me app each time the settlement meets a key deadline. Or you can receive texts or emails in real time as the sale proceeds. No hanging out by the phone for a call from your conveyancer on the progress.

Waiting for a sale to be completed is a stressful time and it is the not knowing that contributes to this. With e-conveyancing this stress is alleviated as you can be alerted by the Settle Me app each time the settlement meets a key deadline. Or you can receive texts or emails in real time as the sale proceeds. No hanging out by the phone for a call from your conveyancer on the progress. Quicker transactions

Manual paper settlements take several weeks and have many parties and steps involved. Completing settlement through online conveyancing is much quicker and vendors can sell their home much faster.

Why e-Conveyancing?

Moving property settlements into the digital and technological age finally brings an evolution in the real estate industry and favours all vendors. No matter if you are buying, selling or even an industry professional, everyone benefits from a simpler and speedier process with less room for errors. The cost savings in time and process of digital transactions means less overheads for conveyancers and greater savings for clients. Overall e-Conveyancing is a huge leap forward and is the way of the future for property transactions.
A new visa scheme will be piloted for 12 months from 1 July, this year, in a bid to attract highly-skilled global talent to Australia and boost the nations capacity for innovation, Minister for Jobs and Innovation, Michaelia Cash, has announced.

[Related: If employers cant import critical talent on visas, theyll consider overseas hires, says CEO]

In a joint statement with Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Alan Tudge, Minister Cash said the Global Talent Scheme will consist of two streams  one for established businesses with an annual turnover of more than $4 million, the other for technology-based and STEM-related startups.

Established businesses will be able to sponsor highly-skilled and experienced foreign workers for positions with earnings above $180,000 if they satisfy certain conditions. In addition to having a must have a track record of hiring and training Australians, the sponsoring business must demonstrate that their recruitment policy gives first preference to Australian workers and that there will be skills transfer to Australian workers as a result of the person being granted a visa.

Meanwhile, technology, science and engineering startups that have been endorsed by a yet-to-be-decided startup authority will be able to sponsor experienced foreign workers with specialised technology skills if they can demonstrate that they prioritise the employment of Australians.

Under the scheme, established businesses will be able to sponsor up to 20 foreign workers per year, while startups will be able to sponsor up to five workers per year, with each paid at least $53,900 annually . In both instances, a four-year Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa will be issued, with permanent residence applications available after three years. To be eligible for sponsorship in either stream, workers must have at least three years of work experience directly relevant to the position and have the capacity to pass on their skills to Australians. Further, workers must have no familial relationship with any directors or shareholders.

According to the Australian Financial Review, although the TSS visa covers 461 occupations, down from 651 under the now-abolished 457 Subclass Visa, the Global Talent Scheme doesnt cover a set list of occupations, with the aim being to enable employers to import skills the government doesnt know they need.

Minister Tudge said the Global Talent Scheme is recognition from the Government that it needs to provide pathways for Australian businesses to access global talent in circumstances where workers with the skills and experience they need are not available in the country. Meanwhile, Minister Cash said the scheme will help employers create more local jobs. She explained, Industry figures say globally mobile, highly-skilled and experienced staff can act as job multipliers in Australian businesses, helping them to hire more local staff and fill critical areas of need.

Australias peak national startup group, StartupAUS, has welcomed the Global Talent Scheme, with CEO Alex McCauley describing it as a proactive approach by the Federal Government to helping high-growth tech companies and startups access international talent.

Being able to access the right kind of talent quickly is the core challenge for fast-growing technology companies and startups in Australia, he said. A little while ago the Government flagged it wanted to do more to help trusted businesses access visas quickly and easily. Typically, in Australia that would mean big, established businesses. Thanks to input from StartupAUS and others, theres now a startup stream which will help genuine startups access these new favourable arrangements too. Thats a real win for the sector and for companies looking to hire top quality global talent to help them grow. Its encouraging to see the Government has really listened on this.

These changes should help young Australian tech businesses compete more effectively on the global stage. That will allow them to grow quickly and hire more Australians across the business. Its a good bet that everyone hired on one of these visas will be a net job creator for Australians.

McCauley added that including equity in salary considerations for foreign workers sponsored on a TSS visa by startups was a step forward.

Weve been making the case for a long time that startups need to be treated a bit differently in situations like this, he said. When youre looking at how much startups are prepared to pay people, you have to take equity into account. Just about every startup in the world uses equity as a lever to help attract top talent, so you cant ignore it. The Government has listened to us on that one, which is a very positive sign.

Mr McCauley also noted that it would be important for government and industry to work closely together to identify startups which qualify for the scheme.

As part of the vetting process for this and future pilot schemes, startups will need to be identified by an expert group, which is working closely with the startup community. The important thing is that there remains close industry collaboration and consultation.

In conversation with Dynamic Business, McCauley explained that while Australia must focus on producing home-grown talent for new and emerging roles, so that there are enough candidates to meet the needs of local tech startups, the nations young companies must have access to a global talent pool in order to be globally competitive. He added, Startups are having to compete for talent that is in high-demand around the world, so if the right setting arent in place to enable them to compete well, theyre not going to be successful. They need to have the ability to hire people in new and emerging roles, where sufficient numbers dont yet exist here in Australia.

The Government will consult on the details of the Global Talent Scheme ahead of the pilot commencing in July. In addition, it will be provided with ongoing advice for the pilot by an industry advisory group.
On Monday afternoon, David Davis of the UK and Michel Barnier of the EU revealed that their governments had agreed on the shape of their relationship during the first two years after Brexit. Heres what it will look like:

A 21-month transition period: The UK will officially leave the European Union on March 29, 2019. Mondays announcement adds a 21-month transition period, which will end on December 31, 2020. During this phase, the UK will enjoy all the benefits, the advantages of the single market and the customs union, Barnier said at todays joint press conference in Brussels. The UK hoped for a full two years, but Davis deemed the agreed time limit close enough. Businesses had hoped for a period of stability to adjust to a post-Brexit business environment, and the government wanted more time to negotiate a final agreement with the EU. Adam Marshall of the British Chambers of Commerce called the agreement a milestone that many businesses across the UK have been waiting for.

The UK will accept EU decisions with no input: In that 21-month period, the UK will be a rule taker, not a rule maker. The UK agrees to be bound by the obligations stemming from international agreements the EU signs, but it will have no role in making those decisions.

Following EU regulations costs the British economy an estimated 120 billion ($ U.S.) a year, according to Economists for Free Trade. In contrast, if Britain seizes the freedom to move away from EU regulations, said the groups chairman, Patrick Minford, GDP would grow by two percent.

New trade deals: In the transition phase, the UK may negotiate and sign new free trade deals  but may not implement them. Davis said, The United Kingdom will be able to step out, sign and ratify new trade deals with old friends  and new allies  around the globe for the first time in more than 40 years. These will come into force when the implementation period is over, providing new opportunities for businesses across the United Kingdom and seizing one of Brexits greatest opportunities. International Trade Minister Liam Fox had vowed to have around 40 new trade agreements in place by the date of Brexit.

Migration: All EU migrants who arrive in the UK during the transition period will have the right to settle there permanently. Theresa May had said during her visit to China that she would not accept such an arrangement; however, the Home Office signaled it would capitulate to the EU last month.

The Irish border: Ireland presents a unique problem. Northern Ireland is part of the UK, while the Republic of Ireland will remain a member of the EU. Brussels has said Northern Ireland must maintain all EU regulations or risk creating a hard border between the recently reconciled nations.

On Monday, Barnier stated that the transition agreement includes a backstop provision  known as Option C  which sees Northern Ireland maintaining full alignment with EU regulations, in perpetuity.

Prime Minister Theresa May had previously rejected this proposal, saying it would undermine the UK common market and threaten the constitutional integrity of the UK by creating a customs and regulatory border down the Irish Sea  and no UK prime minster could ever agree to it. Others members of her governing coalition agreed. We did not leave the European Union to oversee the breakup of the United Kingdom, said Nigel Dodds, who leads the DUPs delegation in Westminster. As recently as February 28, DUP leader Arlene Foster tweeted:

EU draft text is constitutionally unacceptable & would be economically catastrophic for Northern Ireland. I welcome the Prime Ministers commitment that HMG will not allow any new border in the Irish Sea. Northern Ireland must have unfettered access to GB market. AF  Arlene Foster (@DUPleader) February 28, 2018

Opponents have argued that technology could obviate the need for customs checks at the islands 200 crossing points.

Davis said today that he hopes the EU and UK will achieve a partnership that is so close as to not require specific measures in relation to Northern Ireland. But, he admitted, There is as yet no agreement on the right operational approach.

Option C remains in the negotiation text but is apparently rejected by Westminster.

Fisheries: The EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) allows fishermen from EU countries to catch a predetermined quota of fish in British territorial waters. A total of 88 percent of adult North Sea herring, Europes most popular fish, resides in UK waters  and recovering sovereignty over its own seas would be a boon to the British fishing industry.

The agreement extends the CFP until the end of 2020. However, after Brexit the EU has to consult UK before negotiations on fisheries, and the United Kingdoms share of the total catch cannot be changed.

The Scottish Fishermens Federation declared flatly, Our government has let us down. MP Ruth Davidson, the leader of the resurgent Conservative Party in Scotland, wrote on Facebook, I will not support a deal as we leave the EU which, over the long-term, fails to deliver that full control over fish stocks and vessel access.

Financial settlement: Barnier announced the two sides had complete agreement on the UKs financial settlement. London will pay Brussels a 37.1 billion ($52 million U.S.) divorce bill via installments until 2064, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) announced last December.

Nothing is final: This agreement applies only to the transition period, ending on New Years Day 2021. It has nothing little to say about the relationship the two governments will have post-Brexit. It excludes such issues as: UK access to the customs union, regulatory alignment, jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice inside the UK, and any access Londons powerful financial services industry will have to the EU. Barnier said that negotiations over their final relationship can begin now but cannot be finalized until after Brexit, when UK is an external or third country.

Furthermore, the two parties do not agree on all of the transition agreement. Mutually accepted portions of the agreement, highlighted in green, come to approximately 75 percent of the agreement text. However, as noted above, significant challenges remain.

We are not at the end of the road, and there is a lot of work still to be done, Barnier said. Nothing is final until everything is final.

Christians should care about Brexit negotiations, which could allow more robust global trade, enable developing nations to produce value-added products and industries to further reduce poverty, and allow the generally free-market UK to abide by the principle of subsidiarity currently denied by its membership in the ever-expanding EU superstate.

The full agreement is online here.

(Photo: Michel Barnier. Photo credit: Toms Norde, Valst Kanceleja. CC BY-SA 2.0.)
MOBILE, Ala. - The Alabama School of the Arts at University of Mobile will present "Le Nozze di Figaro," The Marriage of Figaro, at Saraland Performing Arts Center April 13 and 15.

The comic opera with English supertitles will be presented April 13 at 7 p.m. and April 15 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at itickets.com or at the door. General admission is $25 and $10 for students with valid I.D.

"The Marriage of Figaro," set in the late 18th century, is the story of two young servants longing to tie the knot while striving to elude the clutches of the count who is conspiring to loosen it. Under the direction of University of Mobile Director of Opera Dr. Patrick Jacobs, with producer and set designer Rebeca Lake, chair of the theatre department, and the baton of Dr. Scott Wright of Mobile Opera, 40 undergraduate and graduate performers will transport the audience to a time when classes govern but love triumphs.

The show will be brought to life by a creative and unique set design, with lights designed by Mateo Morris, an award-winning international guest lighting designer. Performers will wear delightful 18th century costumes transporting audiences back to a beautiful era, according to Lake.

"Audiences should come expecting a show that is a treat for the ears as well as the eyes," Lake said.

For information about the Alabama School of the Arts and the Roger Breland Center for Performing Arts, go to umobile.edu or contact Shadoe Valentine at 251.442.2383.

About University of Mobile:

University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's and master's degree programs in over 40 areas of study. Founded in 1961, University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres. For more information about University of Mobile, visit the website at www.umobile.edu or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
20 million in credit lines for SMEs to meet EU standards

Nenad Vukoje and his wife started to produce yoghurt in Bileca in Bosnia and Herzegovina 18 years ago. They invested in a military cauldron and a yoghurt cup filler, rented some small premises of 30 square metres and produced around 150 litres each day.

We did not have any employees, it was just our family, said Mr Vukoje. It was through hard work and our ambition to succeed that we managed to increase our capacity every year. We purchased more equipment step by step until 2002 when we decided to build a new facility.

The family continued to build its business and successfully expand production. Last year Padjeni invested more than BAM 1.6 million (equivalent to about 800,000) and, for example, started to establish lacto-freeze stations for collecting raw milk.

Padjeni is one of almost 60 companies that have already benefited from an EBRD programme with the European Union (EU) to make small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Bosnia and Herzegovina more competitive locally and regionally as well as on the European and global markets.

The EBRD provides a total of 20 million in credit lines to participating banks for on-lending to businesses such as Padjeni. These funds help the companies to make investments to comply with EU directives in the fields of environmental protection, occupational health and safety, and product quality and safety.

The EU supports this project with 4 million in funding to provide advice on equipment and technologies as well as incentive payments to businesses on successful completion of their upgrades.

A boost to the local economy

Padjenis success is benefiting the whole local economy: it has grown to more than 100 employees and works closely with up to 1,000 farming cooperatives, providing important job opportunities in the local agriculture sector.

All our technical equipment is new and high-tech  we must invest in new technologies and products to survive in the market, Mr Vukoje said. The processing cycle is completely closed and constantly monitored using the HACCP management system and internal controls. Apart from our own lab, all our products are controlled in authorised external ones.

Milk and dairy are among the most delicate agricultural products and require intense control, he explained. Two agricultural engineers work closely with Padjenis dairy suppliers in the field to ensure the raw milk they supply is to the required quality.

Furthermore, four technicians monitor the production so that each product is safe and meets high standards.

Padjenis current dairy facility processes around 40,000 litres of milk for 30 end products, including some made of sour milk (yogurts, spreads), soft cheeses, mature cheeses, as well as traditional products (sack clotted cream or torotan cheese).

Seizing trade opportunities with the EU

Our plan is to continue to expand our business, primarily on the local market, but also in neighbouring countries, the EU and elsewhere, Mr Vukoje explained. It is important for us to adjust our production to the target markets, listen to new demands and adapt quickly to them.

In 2017 Padjeni planned to increase the processing and sales of its products by over 20 per cent and exceeded this goal by more than 9 per cent.

This is a great success for us. We will build on this and soon start various new activities to reach out to new markets, he added.

For now, the dairy products are sold in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, but the company also obtained a permit to export them to the EU as of 2016.

A programme like this one by the EBRD and EU is very important for our future development, he said. It provides a boost to new investments and new technologies, which are crucial elements to support both our business and our countrys economy.

We provide SMEs with much-needed access to finance to make the necessary investments to become more competitive, which in turn creates new employment and economic opportunities, said Ian Brown, Head of the EBRDs office in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This is one of many ways in which the EBRD supports the countrys economy, which includes both support for businesses as well as investments into strategic transport links.

Andrea Vera, Head of Operations Section for Economic Development, Trade, Infrastructure and Natural Resources at the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlights the need for Bosnia and Herzegovina to improve its business climate and create opportunities for economic recovery.

This programme represents a continued EU effort to help Bosnia and Herzegovina in tackling the obstacles that hamper development of SMEs, which are the backbone of the economy.

The EU has provided up to 60 million to support the SME sector in the country over the past 15 years. With our technical assistance and grant funding, SMEs have received tangible support to grow in competitive sectors such as tourism, agro-processing, and the wood and metal industries, he said.

Social impact

Padjeni is proud to support its local community, around 250 households in 15 settlements. The companys support includes, for example, a water-supply project worth more than BAM 1.5 million (equivalent to about 770,000), which is currently being finished in cooperation with the local authorities.

This project will ensure that more than 50 kilometres of the local water network and several pumping stations will function without difficulty, Mr Vukoje explained.

I am very happy about this because our community has believed in it since the very beginning.
PRESS RELEASE

The European Central Bank and the South African Reserve Bank sign a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation

The European Central Bank (ECB) and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) on Monday in Buenos Aires signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of central banking. The Memorandum of Understanding provides a framework for a regular exchange of information, policy dialogue and technical cooperation between the two institutions. Technical cooperation may inter alia take the form of joint seminars and workshops in areas of mutual interest in the field of central banking.

For media queries, please contact Peter Ehrlich, tel.: +49 69 1344 8320.
MOSS POINT, Miss. -- Moss Point police have arrested a man on Sunday after he attempted to elude police.

Police received a call stating a suspicious subject was seen in a vacant lot off Hwy. 63 used as a holding location for tractor trailers and commercial storage containers.

When police arrived, they found 32-year-old Lemonte James Harris. After police attempted to contact Harris, they were led on a brief pursuit which ended with Harris losing control of his vehicle and crashed into a fence.

He was subsequently taken into custody. After he was subdued, he was found to be in possession of various items which were found to be stolen from multiple 18-wheeler trailers and commercial storage containers stored at that location.

Harris is charged with three counts of burglary of an automobile and one count of commercial burglary. He is currently being held at the Jackson County Adult Detention Center on a $20,000 bond.

Those who have any additional information about the crime are asked to contact Detective Vince Nye or the Moss Point Police Department at 228-475-1711.

You may also contact Crime Stoppers at 800-787-5898 or visit the Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers website at mscoastcrimestoppers.com.
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...
By Angus McNeice

chinadaily.com.cn

Updated: 2018-03-16

Sir John Elvidge (left), chairman of Edinburgh Airport, Chinese Consul-General in Edinburgh Pan Xinchun (center) and Scottish Economy Secretary Keith Brown announce the new China-Scotland route from Edinburgh Airport. [Edinburgh Airport/Provided to China Daily]

Beijing to be part of three-city link up

Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines is set to launch the first direct flights between Chinese mainland and both Ireland and Scotland with new routes connecting Beijing with Dublin and Edinburgh.

Commencing June 12, Hainan will fly from Beijing to both cities, four times a week. The news comes following an announcement on Wednesday that Cathay Pacific will begin flights between Hong Kong and Dublin from June 2.

Hainan will link the Scottish and Irish capitals through a three-city flight model. Hainan will fly from Beijing to Dublin and then on to Edinburgh on Thursdays and Sundays, and from Beijing to Edinburgh and then on to Dublin on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

The Edinburgh route will be Hainan's third direct link between the UK and China. The Chinese carrier started flying a non-stop route between Beijing and Manchester in Northern England in June last year, and will begin flights from Changsha in Hunan province to London Heathrow next week.

Edinburgh began campaigning for a direct link with China in 2015 with the creation of the Edinburgh-China Air-Link project, which was set up by Marketing Edinburgh, Edinburgh Airport, and The City of Edinburgh Council.

"This is a fantastic day for Edinburgh Airport and for Scotland as we connect Scotland and China for the first time," said Edinburgh Airport chief executive Gordon Dewar. "Edinburgh is second only to London as the most popular UK destination for Chinese tourists, and we have worked incredibly hard with partners across the city and country to get to this point."

International carriers operate around 60 flights a week between the UK and China. In December, the UK and China agreed to raise the limit on the number of direct weekly flights between the two nations from 100 to 150.

Direct links with China can positively impact a local economy. Since the Manchester-Beijing route began, exports from Northern England to China have almost tripled, to 200 million pounds ($270 million) a month, and the amount spent by Chinese tourists in Manchester has doubled to 138 million pounds a year, according to a report by the Manchester China Forum and Manchester Airport.

Scottish Economy Secretary Keith Brown said the flights will strengthen trade with China.

"China is a major importer of Scottish goods and services  food and drink in particular  and this flight will give Scottish businesses a direct link into this important market," he said.

The majority of Britain's salmon and whisky exports originate in Scotland. The UK exported 69.9 million pounds of salmon to China last year, up 28 percent. And China imported 61.8 million pounds worth of British whisky, up 47 percent on the previous year.

The route to Dublin was announced from the Irish embassy in Beijing on Thursday, attended by Irish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney.

"This first ever direct route to mainland China and the first Irish destination in Hainan Airlines' international network is a major achievement, which will prove transformational to the bilateral relationship between China and Ireland," Coveney said.

Around 5,000 Chinese students study in Ireland, and around 120,000 people travelled between mainland China and Ireland last year.

The announcement of the new routes comes as the owner of Hainan Airlines, Chinese conglomerate HNA Group, looks to offload assets amid liquidity concerns.

HNA is seeking buyers for its stake in the NH Hotel Group, a Spain-based company that operates 400 hotels in more than 30 countries.

HNA has a 29.5 percent share in the hotel chain, valued at $770 million. Analysts say that the move was prompted by new financial policies outlined by Chinese authorities.




To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the Internet. eHam.net provides recognition and enjoyment to the people who use, contribute, and build the site. This project involves a management team of volunteers who each take a topic of interest and manage it with passion. The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a team of community programmers who contribute their skills to the effort. The site will be something of which everyone involved can be proud to say they were a part. We welcome your comments. The eHam.net Team, Revision 07/2020.
MOSS POINT, Miss. -- Moss Point police have a man in custody for felony fleeing, felony child endangerment and possession of a controlled substance.

The incident happened on Saturday around Main and Joseph Street. Police noticed a vehicle traveling south bound on Main Street during the early morning hours.

When the officer attempted to pull over the vehicle, the driver, 24-year-old Travis Pierce sped off, striking a power pole leading officers on a brief pursuit which ended shortly.

After the vehicle was stopped, officers found there were five passengers inside, one of whom was an 18-month-old toddler. Further search of the vehicle yielded multiple substances believed to be illegal narcotics.

Pierce was taken into custody and charged with possession of a controlled substance, felony child endangerment along with felony fleeing. He is currently being held in the Jackson County Adult Detention Center on a $25,000 bond.

Those who have any additional information about the crime is asked to contact Detective Vince Nye or the Moss Point Police Department at 228-475-1711.

You may also contact Crime Stoppers at 800-787-5898 or visit the Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers website at mscoastcrimestoppers.com.
Independent reverses its attitude about Afrin

Independent, one of the most largest circulation newspapers in England, headlined Turkish Armed Forces victory in Afrin. The newspaper weas saying that Turkish military will not able to enter Afrin'

On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to clear YPG/PKK-Daesh terrorists from Afrin, northwestern Syria and to establish security along Turkey's borders as well as to protect Syrians from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists.

After Turkeys operation started, YPG- supporter media outlets in Europe had started to make a black propaganda against Turkish Armed Forces. English Independent journalist Patrick Cockburn, promotes YPG's ringleaders Turkish state has been trying to enter north Syria for days, but it will not be able to idea two months ago, now congratulates Turkish Armys victory.

Patrick Cockburn had wrote that Kurdsve been fighting against Daesh and Assad regime soldiers for six years. Theyve gained experience in a considerable extent. Turkish Army is trying to enter Afrin but it will not able to.





In his ongoing papers, Cockburn continued his praises on YGP by saying that Turkish forces will be defeated in Afrin. After Turkish Forces entered Afrin and won victory against YPG terror organization, Cockburn wrote another paper up entitled I knew Afrin's fall was inevitable as if he didnt wrote all other papers.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? trailer is out, and Melissa McCarthy charms as Lee Israel in the adaptation of the writer-turned-forger's memoir.

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

The film tells the story of Israel, who, finding herself broke and increasingly desperate, stumbles onto a scheme that involves her forging and selling letters allegedly from deceased writers like Noel Coward and Dorothy Parker. She even began stealing real letters from archives and libraries to replace them with her own versions.

Eventually, Israel pleaded guilty in 1993 and spent six months in house arrest.

The first Can You Ever Forgive Me? trailer offered a peek at the biopic with McCarthy as the late author who gets an opportunity to rake in some cash outside her chosen profession.

"Quite by accident, I find myself in a rather criminal position," she whispers conspiratorially to friend Jack, played by Richard E. Grant.

Eventually, her scheme unravels to a dramatic conclusion.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? is the sophomore directorial effort by Marielle Heller, who also helmed The Diary of a Teenage Girl. The cast includes Hollywood veterans McCarthy, Grant, Jane Curtin, Jennifer Westfeldt, Anna Deavere Smith, and Dolly Wells.

Telling Israel's Story

Can You Ever Forgive Me? is a unique story, a stranger-than-fiction tale that is truly made for theaters.

However, the film is also an attempt to capture a fair snapshot of the author's character. After all, often lost in the infamy of her criminal exploits are her impressive works as a writer who penned biographies of the likes of Tallulah Bankhead, Dorothy Kilgallen, and Estee Lauder.

Of course, director Heller points out that Israel's illegal activities is also key in understanding an important side to her character.

"This happens to be the only period of time in her life that she wrote about herself," Heller points out to EW. "The deeper I got into the research, the more I couldn't deny that she was incredibly artistic. There was artistry to what she was doing ... Her forgeries were so exquisite that they slipped through every possible test. It really was a skill beyond just a criminal activity. She was an incredible writer [doing] things nobody else has ever been able to do."

As Israel herself said in the memoir that was the inspiration for the McCarthy-led film, she is proud of her forgeries.

"I still consider the letters to be my best work," she wrote, according to New York Times.

Israel died of myeloma complications in 2015. She was 75.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? is slated for release on Oct. 19.
After the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., school safety upgrades people can see and touch have gotten a lot of attention. Things like video surveillance, door-locking systems, and other physical improvements to schools are often the focus of parents and the general public when they share concerns about the security of their schools.

Its important to remember that measures taken to prevent school violence before it happens , while they dont get a ton of news coverage, can be the most important element of safety and crisis-prevention plans. But theres something else to keep in mind: The physical upgrades to schools added in the name of safety often arent cheap.

Last October, the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) released a series of cost estimates for schools that want to reach four different levels of security and safety . The Security Industry Association and the National Systems Contractors Association, both industry groups that prepared the estimates for PASS, listed a series of improvements schools could make to get from Tier 1the basic levelto Tier 4, the top level of security for schools according to PASS.

Lets start at the top. Here are a few of the measures PASS says a school needs in order to have Tier 4" security:



Bullet-resistant glass;

Gated parking with card-based access;

Mobile applications for video surveillance;

Visitors who are pre-enrolled in a schools system;

Emergency notifications that are integrated with weather and fire alerts.

That assumes a school already has upgrades required to reach the first three tiers, including prerequisites to reach Tier 1 like perimeter signage, self-adhesive visitor badges, and security policies and procedures, up through setting up video surveillance in all common areas and equipping staff with two-way radios.

So when you add up all the prerequisities to become a Tier 4 school whats the cost? It depends on the type of school, but here are the two specific estimates from PASS:

K-8: $312,241

High School: $539,388

The estimates for these and other costs were based on security upgrades made at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., the site of a 1999 school shooting. Both the Security Industry Association and the National Systems Contractors Association acknowledge that these costs might vary depending on local markets. (And again, keep in mind, these figures are coming from trade groups.)

The costs go down from there, although the money required for high schools doesnt go down neatly in tandem with the cash needed for K-8 safety upgrades. Creating a K-8 school with a Tier 3 security level, for example, would cost $200,000, while a Tier 2 high school would check in at $244,000. To achieve Tier 1 security, the respective figures are $94,000 and $170,000.

The Tier 1 safety measures should be the minimum standard for all school buildings, but more action is required, said Mark Williams, a member of the PASS steering committee, in a statement last October that accompanied the release of the cost estimates.

The PASS analysis didnt break out the costs by individual security measure. But in an example of school security upgrade costs geographically relevant to Parkland, in 2016, the Miami-Dade district announced in 2016 it would spend $10 million over five years to install cameras, begin visitor screening, and take a look at security staffing at all schools.

In 2015, the Safe and Sound Schools organization reported that the cost of installing a protective film to make windows bullet-resistant was between $15 and $25 per square foot . (Safe and Sound, which works to create safer schools and provides crisis and recovery training, is led by parents whose children were killed by a gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., in 2012.)

Why do different grade levels matter in this discussion? In endorsing the PASS cost estimates , Secure Schools Alliance Executive Director Robert Boyd said that while 94 percent of incidents of mass violence at elementary schools are caused by outside intruders, just one-third of such incidents are caused by intruders in middle and high schools.

Appropriate Measures

Its important to remember that in addition to many security meaures simply being out of districts price range in many instances, not all of the PASS security measures listed here may work at many schools, depending on their layout and location.

The STOP School Violence Act under consideration in the Senate would authorize $100 million in grants that could be used to pay for physical security infrastructure at schools. (The STOP Act approved by the House last week doesnt allow for this in the grants.) But its a competitive-grant program. That means schools that might be in the most need of grants to help with security upgrades may also lack the time and resources just to prepare a strong grant application for the money, assuming the STOP Act becomes law. The Act also requires districts to put up 25 percent in matching funds, although that requirement can be waived in the Senate bill.

School administrators will also have to balance the interest in and public demand for security improvements with the training and crisis-intervention programs that would also be eligible for STOP Act funding, said Sasha Pudelski, an assistant director at AASA, the School Superintendents Association.

No superintendent just wants to focus on one or the other, Pudelski said.

Read about different tiers of school safety from PASS below:

Photo: Students are evacuated by police from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, after a shooter opened fire on the campus. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
British model Elizabeth Hurley has good news as her niece, Miles Hurley, is already recovering from multiple stab wounds despite being in great pain.

The 52-year-old actress posted a photo of her holding a dove on Instagram and captioned it with words of gratitude for Miles' supporters. Miles, 21, is slowly recovering from the stab wounds he sustained in London last week.

Hurley also commended her sister, Mile's mother, for her effort in making sure that her son and his friend receive proper medical attention. She also made a plea to make public places safer and expressed interest in having an advocacy inspired by the recent events.

"My sister is an amazing mother and is looking after him and his friend - who was also stabbed. We need to make our streets safer and I want to be part of the movement to achieve that. I hope you will join me," Hurley wrote on Instagram.

Miles also thanked the people who have been sending him well-wishes. He said that he is struggling to walk but is stable nonetheless. He even joked on his followers to continue scrolling down his Instagram account to see photos of his actual stab wounds.

Near-Death Experience

On March 8, Miles was attacked at Nine Elms, South West London and suffered multiple stab wounds. London police reported that Miles had a minor collision with another car.

Both parties got into a heated argument, and Miles drove off and parked nearby. The other group followed them on course, got off the car, and brutally stabbed Miles and his friend before fleeing the area.

Two days after the incident, Hurley shared the details on Instagram together with the photo of her nephew.

"He was repeatedly stabbed and lost more than four pints of blood. A policeman was patrolling close by and administered first aid until the ambulance arrived. The deepest wound just missed severing his spine. By some miracle no vital organs were damaged," she revealed.

"We are praying that these animals are caught before they maim, or even kill, someone else. These are sad days," Elizabeth said.

Aunt Got His Back

Elizabeth and Miles have a close relationship together especially now that the latter has established success in his modeling career. Miles has worked for brands like Roberto Cavalli, Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana, and Salvatore Ferragamo among many others.

In an interview in 2013, Miles confirmed his close relationship with his aunt. He added that The Royals actress has always been supportive in his endeavors.

"The best advice she has given me is just to enjoy myself, work hard and be nice to everybody," Miles said.
Bill Hader comes back to Saturday Night Live as Stefon on St. Patrick's Day with a bang! No one's arguing with it as fans become restless of his hilarious return.

Fan-favorite correspondent Stefon came back to SNL and of course, who wouldn't miss the ever-entertaining and in-the-know expert for late night places. Hader obviously brought his A-game, as many lauded his character's arrival.

During his lauded stint, Hader's Stefon gave his fans some inkling into the best places to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. His signature hands over his mouth as well as his sticking his tongue out were nowhere near absent during the stint.

"If you're Irish, or just white and violent, I have the St. Paddy's place for you. New York's hottest Irish club is 'Off to Church, Mother!'" in-character Hader said, garnering laughter from the segment's hosts and the audience.

Of course, the night was filled with rich humorous antics from Stefon himself. But not long before his attorney, read: John Mulaney who also used to write for SNL and was one of the duo to thank for Hader's character, appeared to solidify the comedic act.

Relationship

For those awaiting any update on Stefon's relationship with Seth Meyers, who was a former anchor, he gave the audience a bit of information about them. It can be remembered that Hader's character had a thing with the latter that even extended into a "marriage."

"Seth and I are versatile. Some nights I do it, and he's under the desk," Stefon said when he was reminded that Meyers does the "closer look at political correctness."

Happy With Stefon's Comeback

Meanwhile, fans' reactions aired through social media say that they have missed Hader's Stefon big time. One user even explained his comeback was a reason to fight sleep off.

One said Hader's Stefon "had him cry-laughing," while another said she shrieked when SNL introduced the iconic character once again.

Furthermore, fans could not contain Hader's losing himself while playing Stefon. He was probably reading the gags for the first time that he himself couldn't seem to contain his laughter.

One Twitter user noted that this might be the reason "why he's never gotten through one read ever without breaking. Tonight was no different and it was effing hilarious." Clearly it wasn't just the audience that had been entertained on that night, Hader also had a fair share of laughter, which he obviously tried to hide in between reading lines.

Mulaney probably had a hand in this. This is because it was previously revealed that he would change or alter the antics the last minute to throw Hader off-character.
Ever since she began dating Scott Disick, Sofia Richie has undergone a major transformation and it's causing everyone to think she's trying to look like Disick's ex, Kourtney Kardashian.

A source told Hollywood Life that Richie's new look has even started to bother Kardashian and creep her out.

"Kourtney is definitely more than a little creeped out by how Sofia appears to be stealing her look," the source stated.

The source further explained that Kardashian thinks Disick is behind Richie's new look and is probably manipulating her to the very least.

As Richie's Instagram followers know she was originally sporting blonde locks prior to dating Disick and even kept them for a while throughout their relationship. However, in December 2017, the 19-year-old model took to Instagram to debut her new brunette tresses.

Sofia And Scott

As previously reported, Disick and Richie were romantically linked when they were spotted together at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2017, but neither of the two confirmed nor denied their relationship.

Months later, in December 2017, the duo made their first public appearance while in Miami at Art Basel and ever since the couple has not been shy about their love for each other.

On Thursday, March 15 the pair was spotted out after the model attended her dad, Lionel Richie's imprinting ceremony in Hollywood, California.

Disick and Richie were caught leaving Barneys New York in Beverly Hills.

For the errand, Richie wore her hair in a bun with a black button up top and cut-off jean shorts with black sunglasses and black booties, while the father of three wore a beige sweatshirt with jeans and white sneakers.

Though the two have been together for some time now, Richie was reportedly mistaken for Kourtney Kardashian as she allegedly "stole" one of the reality star's ensembles.

Then on Saturday, March 17 paparazzi spotted the lovebirds as they stepped out together in Malibu, California to enjoy a sweet treat.

For the outing, Disick wore a light blue hoodie with black sneakers and a dark blue beanie, while Richie opted for a gray turtleneck sweater, jeans, and black stiletto boots.

Kourtney Moves On

Although Disick and Richie have been together for almost a year now, Kardashian has also moved on to a new relationship. The 38-year-old has been with her 24-year-old beau, Younes Bendjima ever since they met at Paris Fashion Week in 2016.

Their relationship has gotten so serious that Bendjima has even met Kardashian's three kids that she shares with Disick -- Mason, Penelope, and Reign.
Its no secret the royal family is extra protective when it comes to the women who marry into it. New reports revealed if Meghan Markle will have to sign a prenuptial agreement when she marries Prince Harry.

Prince Harry Doesn't Want A Prenup

Markle wont have to sign a prenup in her marriage to the royal. Prince Harry is said to be the one who is against it.

There was never any question in Harrys mind that he would sign a prenup, said one insider. Hes determined that his marriage will be a lasting one, so theres no need for him to sign anything.

Interestingly enough, while prenuptial agreements cannot be enforced legally in the United Kingdom, the documents are considered if any divorce proceedings actually take place. It was also noted that Prince Harrys worth includes $13 million from the inheritance of his late mother, Princess Diana, and $27 million in assets. Markle is also worth $5 million thanks to her career as an actress on popular shows like USAs Suits.

Prince Harry Following In Prince William's Footsteps

Prince Harry isnt the first in the family to turn down a prenuptial agreement. His brother, Prince William, also chose not to sign a prenup before he married Kate Middleton.

While Prince Harry refused to sign the agreement, Queen Elizabeth and Markle are said to have pushed for Prince Harry to do so in the past. Markle reportedly wanted a prenup agreement between her and her future husband so they could keep their finances secure.

She thinks its very important they retain financial independence, said one insider.

A Royal Romance Timeline

Prince Harry and Markle started dating after they were set up by a friend, who was later revealed to be Violet von Westenholz, on a blind date in July 2016. The prince said he was beautifully surprised when he saw Markle.The two went on a vacation to Botswana together shortly after, which marked a turning point in their relationship.

Rumors of their romance sparked in the public October 2016. Kensington Palace confirmed Markle and Prince Henry were together the following month. Prince Harry didnt waste time in defending his then-girlfriend against negative attention, including ones he described as outright racism and sexism of social media trolls.

Its clear he didnt let the hate stop him from moving forward with Markle. The two were spotted together for multiple events and happenings. Their next big step was November 2017 when Markle walked away from her role on Suits and moved into Kensington Palace. They announced their engagement later that month.

Be sure to keep up with Enstars for the latest.
Fiftieth anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey and ten years since the death of Arthur C. Clarke By Mark Wegierski

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) arose out of the collaboration of Stanley Kubrick, clearly one of the most accomplished directors of the American cinema, and Arthur C. Clarke, one of the most renowned science fiction writers of our time (who passed away on March 19, 2008, at 90 years of age). Arthur Charles Clarke was born in Minehead, western England, on December 16, 1917, the son of a farmer. Among Clarkes main influences were H. G. Wells and Olaf Stapledon (the author of long cosmic histories stretching to the very far-future). The year 1968  which has been considered by many as one of the most crucial years of modern history -- was also an extremely rich year for science fiction movies, including, for example, the original Planet of the Apes. 2001: A Space Odyssey remains to this day one of greatest science fiction movies ever made. Its concepts, special effects, cinematography, and nearly everything connected to it, were incredibly pioneering, groundbreaking and unprecedented. It was one of the first truly intelligent American science fiction films  after decades of mostly b-grade schlock in that genre. It was indeed a highly intellectual movie, which required the intelligent engagement of the viewer. The beginning of the movie, set in deep prehistory, among the ape-men who are on verge of human consciousness, may bring forth varied reactions. At the beginning, the life of the ape-men is portrayed as difficult, but with an element of love. At one moment, we see a sort of Nativity scene, with father, mother, and child. Love therefore exists before the arrival of the monolith  which may be variously interpreted. The monolith does indeed bring increased intelligence to the ape-men  but also hatred. It may be noted that the ape-men who begin to use tools (that is, pick up large bones of animals in their hands), maliciously block the way of another group of thirsty ape-men who wish to drink from the stream, and that the first murder or possibly even genocide is carried out by the ape-men of increased intelligence. The famous music of Richard Strauss Also Sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spake Zarathustra) (inspired by Nietzsches groundbreaking philosophical work) may confirm the idea (somewhat related to that of Nietzsches) of the link between reason, evil, and technology  all of which represent the Nietzschean will to power. Representing the leap of millions of years, the large bone thrown into the air is transformed into a spaceship, taking us immediately to 2001! Some of the ideas possibly suggested by the prologue would seem rather problematic for a professedly traditionalist outlook. First of all, it suggests the inevitability of corrosive technological progress. Secondly, it moves the period of so-called organic life in love  the presumed aim of neo-traditionalist vision -- to such an early, virtually prehuman time. Should one really accept the idea that homo sapiens is a creature of prey  and nothing more? Is the seeming indictment of technological progress actually meant to be a scathing criticism of Western civilization, along the lines voiced at that time by persons like Susan Sontag? The actual world of 2001 is shown in incredible detail. There still exist Cold War tensions between America and Russia, which have now also been transferred to the Moon, where there are already large bases. The ability to portray and represent in great detail, how life in space or on the moonbase might look like, is a very strong aspect of the film. One example of this attention to detail is a white male astronaut glancing at an issue of Playboy of that year (which actually drew the hackles of feminist critics). Interestingly enough, the presence of white males in the films portrayal of the world of 2001 appears to be considerably more prominent and accentuated than has become the case in our own 2001 and subsequent years. One notable feature of the movie is the almost ballet-like portrayal of spaceships in flight, accompanied by stirring Western classical music. The third part of the movie shows the trip of the spaceship and its three-man crew in the direction of Jupiter. It is very realistically portrayed  so far from the more-or-less fantasy depictions of space travel in Star Trek and (especially) Star Wars. There begin problems with the Artificial Intelligence computer, which (or who) is guiding the ship The fourth part of the movie is a phantasmagoria of surrealism, which allows for very varied interpretations. Some interpret it as essentially the union of human beings with God, which ends with God coming to earth, in the form of the Star Child. However, it does not seem like a vision that would conform to most interpretations of the major human religions. In 1953, Arthur C. Clarke had published a novel, Childhoods End, which enunciated a rather cold, bleak vision of humanitys children becoming part of a cosmic supermind, while the despairing adults essentially commit suicide (any further children born would also have become members of the supermind). Clarke maintains a studied ambivalence whether this development could simply be considered as humankinds evolutionary destiny, or something rather more monstrous. Certainly, it is possible to see a considerable ambivalence about the monolith in the movie. It is interesting that Clarke was a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association, and a life-long skeptic about religion. While a brilliant speculative thinker, Clarkes understanding of the role of religion in history was a bit thin. For his funeral, he had given the instruction: Absolutely no religious rites of any kind, relating to any religious faith, should be associated with my funeral. One of his most famous statements was: The greatest tragedy in mankinds entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion. It may be that this statement shows to what extent Clarke was centered on a scientific outlook, with comparatively little understanding of the way human history has actually unfolded. It seems that  while actions of considerable evil can be ascribed to religion -- at almost every point in human history, the better forms of human behavior (insofar as they occurred at all) were to a large extent also grounded in some kind of religious basis. Nevertheless, the statement shows that Clarke believed there are some behaviors that are more truly ethical than others, hence he is absolutely in favor of a certain ethic that is not just pure selfishness and pleasure-seeking at the expense of others. Thus it could be argued by a defender of Christianity, that Clarke, after all, partakes in an ethical outlook that became possible only after Christianity had taken hold in Europe for a number of centuries, and had to some extent humanized persons away from merely unceasingly seeking power and pleasure for themselves. In one of his most famous short stories, The Star (1955) Clarke raises the disturbing quandary for a religious believer that an entire alien civilization may have been wiped out by a supernova which produced the Star of Bethlehem that heralded Christs birth. At the same time, the story brilliantly foresees the anguish that arises around the issue of abortion for Christians living in technologically-advanced societies that have done away with any kind of prohibitions on what becomes considered by most a routine medical procedure. Arthur C. Clarke was able to engage vast speculative faculties in regard to various technological possibilities. His scientific article in 1945 presaged communications satellites in geo-synchronous orbits decades before it became practically possible. He was also at the cutting edge of speculations in regard to the possible eventual transfer of human consciousness into electronic and machine form, suggesting that this was probably the only way that human beings could achieve millennial lifespans. He believed that such a transfer into electronic and machine form was probably the main direction of continuing human evolution. Its made clear in the book associated with the film that the Monoliths are exactly such beings, i.e., the conclusion to a long process of evolution by an ancient alien race. One might also note here that the movie was partially based on several of Clarkes earlier short stories, including The Sentinel (1948) and that Clarke was rather unhappy that the movie came out before the book, thus effectively making the book a novelization of the film, something which Clarke to some extent blamed on chicanery on the part of Kubrick. The book also makes explicit that the computers breakdown arises out of the demands of secrecy imposed by the mission to Jupiter. This could be considered a criticism of the so-called national security state and its prerogatives and priorities. About the best known statement by Arthur C. Clarke is that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." There are indeed many interpretations one could put on this phrase, ranging from something like the fact of the putative enslavement of most human beings to technologies of which they have no understanding; to something like a suggestion that humankind's powers can be almost infinitely extended through technology. In 1989, two decades after the Apollo 11 landings, Clarke wrote: 2001 was written in an age which now lies beyond one of the great divides in human history Now history and fiction have become inexorably intertwined. Clarkes simple tombstone in Sri Lanka (formerly called Ceylon) (a country where he had lived for decades, partly for reasons of convalescence from his bout of polio in 1959) reads: Here lies Arthur C. Clarke  he never grew up and did not stop growing. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home
The unhinged left: Nitpicking Trumps military parade By Rachel Alexander

After observing Frances annual military parade celebrating Bastille Day, President Trump decided the U.S. should have a similar annual parade. It will take place on Veterans Day, which originated to celebrate the end of World War I. Although France is not an authoritarian country, and as a whole is more aligned with U.S. Democrats than U.S. Republicans, Democrats immediately launched into criticism. Turn on any lefty talk show and eventually the chitter chatter turns to smug remarks about hosting an historic parade. New York Magazine warned that the parade would be in the style of various despotic regimes. News outlets focused obsessively on the fact that tanks in the French parades damaged the roads costing taxpayers money to repair. New York Magazine shuddered at the sight of the vehicles rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue in 2018 with a certain wannabe tyrant at the helm of the country. CNN published an article listing several authoritarian regimes that hold military parades. It ignored the many non-authoritarian countries that hold parades celebrating the military. Portugal held one in 2014. Australia held one in 2013. Finland has held seven in recent years. There are plenty more countries like these, all ignored by the mainstream media. Not to worry, the Trump administration announced the parade would not include tanks. New York Magazine sarcastically observed that tanks werent being withheld due to conjuring up visions of some autocratic post-Soviet republic, implying that the parade was doing just that. Tanks were featured in the last U.S. military parade, which took place in 1991, celebrating victory in the first Gulf War, Desert Storm. The left is also criticizing the cost, which has been estimated between $3 million and $50 million. An article from NPR ominously warned in its title, Trump's Military Parade Could Cost As Much As $50 Million. One left-wing site didnt even cite the range, but declared it will cost around $30 million. Presidents regularly put on annual events and celebrations which dont receive criticism for the cost, so why should our military be singled out? In response, Democrats in Congress introduced the "PARADE" Act  Preventing the Allocation of Resources for Absurd Defense Expenditures  bill to prevent tax dollars from paying for it. Incredibly, the left is placing blame for 40,000 homeless veterans on Trumps decision to hold the parade, as if transferring the money there instead would solve the problem. The reality is, that problem is far deeper than throwing money at it, otherwise it would have been solved by now. Trump hasnt even spent the money on the parade yet somehow hes already responsible for these homeless vets. There are legitimate philosophical disagreements the left has with the Trump administration. But to become so obsessed and upset merely over a military parade, deliberately putting out fake news to discredit Trump, is unhinged behavior. It makes the left and the complicit left-leaning media look unbalanced, unable to discern the difference between a real issue and a small matter. Whats peculiar about the lefts all-out attacks on anything Trump does, is that theyre holding him up to a higher standard than God. Being perfect isnt enough. No matter what Trump does, hes criticized. If he turns right, hes criticized. If he turns left hes criticized. Trump makes a left turn and supports DACA? Doesnt go far enough, hes racist unless he supports the full DREAM Act. Trump supports banning bump stocks? Doesnt go far enough; he doesnt care about the victims of gun crimes unless he calls for far more gun control laws. The elitists on the left sitting in their ivory towers pontificating about how despotic and financially irresponsible a military parade is dont care about honoring our veterans. They know theyll never get their votes, since they overwhelmingly vote Republican. This is part of a clever ploy to pile on Trump and distract from real issues like the FISA memo and Hillary Clinton giving away control over U.S. energy to the Russians. "This parade will focus on the contributions of our Veterans throughout the history of the U.S. military, starting from the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 to today, with an emphasis on the cost of freedom," the memo for the Joint Chiefs of Staff states. Mostly thanks to the left, much of the nation didnt welcome home Vietnam veterans after the war. Maybe its overdue to honor them with a parade. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative. She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, and other publications. Home
Today is yesterdays tomorrow By Dr. Robert Owens

Science fiction has predicted many of todays realities from cell phones to tablets. Many things that are today part of History like walking on the moon, organ transplants, and space stations were once flights of fancy. Futurists build current events on a foundation of History to provide a launching pad for visions of what is to come. One of the most widely recognized Futurists is Alvin Toffler whose seminal works include Future Shock and The Third Wave. He is also the one who told us, Change is not merely necessary to life - it is life. Have you ever heard of Ray Kurzweil? If you havent you are about to. The Wall Street Journal has described Kurzweil as the restless genius. Forbes calls him the ultimate thinking machine. He has been ranked by Inc. Magazine as #8 among entrepreneurs in the United States. He has also been called the rightful heir to Thomas Edison, while according to PBS he is one of 16 revolutionaries who made America. His inventions are breathtaking and they impact our lives on a daily basis. These inventions include the first CCD flat-bed scanner, the first omni-font optical character recognition, the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind, the first text-to-speech synthesizer, the first music synthesizer capable of recreating the grand piano and other orchestral instruments, and the first commercially marketed large-vocabulary speech recognition. Here is my question for today Is Ray Kurzweil a futurist? Today, many websites attribute Mr. Kurzweil with accurate predictions about where the world will be tomorrow. In his latest book, The Singularity is Near he describes the singularity as, a reference to the theoretical limitlessness of exponential expansion) that will see the merging of our biology with the staggering achievements of "GNR" (genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics) to create a species of unrecognizably high intelligence, durability, comprehension, memory and so on. This is a bold prediction; however, bold predictions do not a Futurist make. There is a fundamental difference between someone who is a professional writer and observer of humanity such as Toffler and someone who is a technological genius with almost unlimited resources who is actively working to make his predictions reality. Toffler reads studies and interviews on his way to predictions of where society and technologies will go next. Kurzweil traded in his massive private business built upon his inventions to become Googles Director of Engineering whose sole job is to make the companys computers smarter than humans. He is working every day to improve artificial intelligence and then wed that to cutting edge robotics and human interface to produce the very singularity he is predicting. Reaching back to the science fiction genre which I referenced earlier we are looking at the rise of the machines, the coming of the Cylons, Skynet, and the matrix. These of course are all fiction; however, the reality we face brings this question to my mind, Once we design and build machines that are smarter than we are and they design and build machines that are smarter than they are what do they need us for? The projected development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) foresees a time when machines not only rival but surpass human capabilities. Once this happens will we know when these super intelligent machines cross the threshold from hyper abilities to self-awareness? These scenarios are troubling, even terrifying yet most people would dismiss them as the science fiction they mirror. There is another aspect of this technological revolution that is not quite as far-fetched and not quite as unbelievable: automation. We have lived with automation all of our lives. People have been displaced by innovation since the Sumerian water wheel took the place of people with buckets bringing water from rivers into their fields. I can remember people telling me in the 1970s, Im a keypunch operator, Ill always have a job. Today machinists, tool and dye makers, auto workers, and many people have been replaced by machines. Tomorrow white collar workers will face the same fate as so many of their blue collar brethren. Why do we need accountants when machines can fill in the same programs they use today to figure taxes and current accounts? Who needs teachers when lectures can be delivered by speech technology, questions answered by Watson type question answers, and tests grade themselves? Look to Futurists like Toffler who are predicting where we are headed and look to inventors like Kurzweil who are telegraphing where they are headed and a collage of futures points to the tomorrow today will become. It is my contention that we as a people, as a society, and as a civilization need to address this soon approaching brave new world. When I speak to people about these coming changes the almost universal reaction is, Not in my lifetime. I believe this is a combination of wishful thinking, hiding our heads in the sand, and having no idea what is going on around us. This is a social dislocation approaching at speeds unforeseen. I dont believe these changes are decades away. I believe within a decade they will be upon us. Large percentages of blue and white-collar workers will be displaced. Machines will take the place of humans in many areas and humans will not be able to compete with them. If we allow this to come upon us with no preparation we will be swamped by the rising tide of change and drowned in the tsunami of innovation. Change is accelerating as the interconnectedness of communication accelerates the cross-polarization of ideas. After tens of thousands of years the use of the wheel had not spread all the way around the world. Today something is invented in America this morning, improved in India this afternoon, and spawning new ideas tomorrow in China. We cannot contain the explosion of technology because someone somewhere will always seek to move beyond the known to the unknown. No matter what glories we have beheld yesterday tomorrow is coming whether today is ready or not. Long ago Toffler told us, Future shock is the shattering stress and disorientation that we induce in individuals by subjecting them to too much change in too short a time. He also predicted and predated Kurzweils Singularity when he said, The next major explosion is going to be when genetics and computers come together. I'm talking about an organic computer - about biological substances that can function like a semiconductor. How long will it before our cars drive themselves, 3-D printers create human organs, and the government has the ability to monitor everyone at once? How long will it be before you cannot tell the difference between speaking to a computer on the phone and speaking to a human? Failure to plan is planning to fail. If we as a society do not stop living in yesterday and face up to the challenges of today we will sacrifice our future. And always remember, it's tough to make predictions, especially about the future. Dr. Robert Owens teaches History, Political Science, and Religion. He is the Historian of the Future @ http://drrobertowens.com  2018 Contact Dr. Owens drrobertowens@hotmail.com Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook or Twitter @ Drrobertowens / Edited by Dr. Rosalie Owens Home
Despite significant international efforts, the Central African region of the Sahel remains to be on a trajectory towards more violence and instability. As a commentary entitled The Sahel: Malis Crumbling Peace Process and the Spreading Jihadist Threat published by International Crisis Group (ICG), a leading think-tank, argues, jihadists, armed groups and entrenched criminal networks keep on expanding and threatening the stability of the already fragile states.

Across the whole Central African region, citizens are increasingly disenchanted with their governments. Therefore, the international players active in the region need to review their strategies to address the underlying problem: the Sahels governments long-term neglect of their states. Importantly, the international community should act to prevent the collapse of the peace process of Malis ongoing conflict.

Malis long-running crisis is at heart of the regions instability. It is spilling over into Burkina Faso and spreading to Niger and Senegal. Despite the Bamako peace agreement of June 2015, its implementation is lagging behind and the deals collapse is very likely. Malian authorities are not confident about the peace agreement that was signed under international pressure. The deal does not do much to tackle the violent war economy in which prominent businessmen depend on small private armies to protect trafficking routes.

To address the crisis, the EU should support better coordination between the military and civilian parts of the conflict. Re-establishing markets and securing cross-border trade routes should be a priority of the EUs Lake Chad Inclusive Economic and Social Recovery Program (RESILAC). The EU should also engage civil societies and raise awareness about womens role including in post-conflict reconstruction and peace-building. They should develop and support programs to support womens recruitment in local police forces and deploy them in the camps for internally displaced people.

On top of these efforts, the EU should urge for a shift in international development strategies with the focus on helping the states provide services to the population including justice and security as well as on economic infrastructure. The EU and its member states should pay more attention to public services and ensure that the EUs capacity-building mission cooperates with authorities at both central and regional level.
Female non-EU immigrant workers make up about 6% of the 25-54 year olds in the EU15 member states. The lack of their integration in the labor market is both a lost opportunity and a macroeconomic problem. In Germany and Belgium, for example, the difference between the employment rates of immigrant and non-immigrant women is more than 35 percentage points. Achieving the same employment amongst the immigrant women as amongst the native-born women would increase the total employment by almost 2%. Even a slight increase in the female immigrant employment would have a major impact on overall employment.

A big part of the employment gap can be explained by some intrinsic differences in employment characteristics between immigrant and non-immigrant women. On average, immigrant women are younger and have less education. However, even if these factors are taken into account, this still cant fully explain why female immigrant employment is significantly lower. While the probability of employment goes up with the length of stay in the host country, even after 20 years of residence, their chances of landing a job are still much smaller than those of non-immigrant women and also when compared with the employment gap between the latter group and men.

On top of the differences in age and education, one commonly cited factor is culture. It is important to remember that female labor market participation is traditionally low in many countries of origin of non-EU immigrants. The issue is particularly prominent among the Muslim population who tends to retain close connections to their native culture even over generations. Research by the European Social Survey shows that if non-EU immigrants from a given country are more likely to think that women should cut down on paid work for the sake of family, women coming from this country are less likely to be employed. This cultural aspect is also important because the skepticism around migrant labor market participation is one of the main reasons behind the hostility towards migrants amongst the host population.

Changing cultural norms and preferences of immigrants is a challenging task. Yet, studying how immigrants economic attitudes and labor market participation change over time suggests that there is scope for more direct policies to promote the economic participation of female immigrants. Therefore, there is room for more direct on-the-ground policies to promote economic participation of female immigrants: while immigrants attitudes change very slowly, the employment rate of female immigrants does converge.

This possibly hints that beyond education, skills and persistent culture, structural factors and labor market conditions in the host country  equal access to work, education and social institutions  are key for non-EU women immigrants, especially in the first years since their arrival in the host country. It is therefore unfortunate that it is only one single project put forward by the European Commission in this area that specifically targets women. Identifying and easing structural constraints that women immigrants face in the labor market is an important and doable step towards increasing their economic participation.

On International Womens Day: More Focus Needed on Integrating Migrant Women  Commentary by Mikkel Barslund and Nadzeya Laurentsyeva  Centre for European Policy Studies / CEPS.

(The Commentary can be downloaded here)
Judi Steele, President and CEO of The Public Education Foundation in Nevada will take over the guest blog this week. Before joining The Public Education Foundation, Judi was a fifth-grade teacher in New York, then served as director for special education programs and services and manager of the Office of Development and Education Improvement in Clark County.

A desolate horizon, desert shrubbery, and sweltering heat were among the first things I remember from the moment I arrived in Las Vegas in 1970. There may have been a smattering of neon, but nothing that resembles the soaring skyline of todays Las Vegas Strip.

The scene was, for all intents and purposes, a blank canvas patiently awaiting the visionaries who would go on to transform its image. Despite the barren landscape, there was an energy in the air. Something was about to happensomething that would change Las Vegas forever.

A collective of entrepreneurs, many of whom would go on to be each others competitors, were about to turn the desert town into an international tourist destination that now welcomes over 40 million visitors annually. This blog is not their story. But it is about their spirit. It is about the power of harnessing the creativity and business acumen of the private sector to innovate promising solutions for public educations most persistent challenges.

Having worked for the Clark County School District for well over 25 years, I have learned firsthand that the system did not welcome or celebrate creativity, innovation, or disruptive thinking. A culture of compliance led to turf wars that ultimately prevented the collective capacity of its human talent to collaborate on initiatives with the potential to improve student outcomes.

I was often met with the same answers when I sought to bring forward solutions: We need everyone to agree, There is not enough time, and more often, There is just not enough money.

Of course, individual people in the system cared. But this was larger than any one person. It was a bureaucracy that, because of the rapid growth and diversification of the southern Nevada population, had to focus on sustaining rather than innovating and iterating.

Having served in the district for many years, I learned that leaders would allow an idea to fizzle out because of inertiaan idea at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an outside force. I often was that outside force, seeking to move ideas that others viewed as disruptive.

I decided to take a leave of absence and launch a consulting business. Thats when I learned the other side of inertia in the private sectoran idea in motion could accelerate with passion and perseverance.

What if, I thought, we could leverage the resources, including the intellectual capital, of the private sector to eliminate bureaucratic excuses? What if, in the business of education, we engaged the visionaries who transformed a barren desert into an internationally recognized tourist destination? I joined a coalition of civic and community leaders: land developer Ernest A. Becker Jr., political leader Dr. Lois Tarkanian, national parent advocate Ann Lynch, community leader Karen S. Galatz, and former Nevada Governor Grant Sawyer. Together, we established The Public Education Foundation.

The Foundation would exist as a space for ideas to gain velocity. If there was an innovative idea that had the potential to help students achieve greater levels of success, we would work to identify an investor to provide the venture capital required to make the idea a reality.

The Foundation would exist as a think tank where disruptors and visionaries could brainstorm, innovate, and experiment. Our campus would be a hub for honest, critical, courageous conversations. We would develop concepts, incubate projects, and repeat. We would broker relationships between the public and private sectors to enhance the communitys capacity to deliver results for students.

Years later, the next step in our journey would be learning how to support transformative leaders in the system who had an entrepreneurial spark that needed just a touch of inspiration to turn energy into meaningful action. The Leadership Institute of Nevadas Executive Leadership Academy would be born. And it would build the capacity of talent within the system and amplify it to transform the system from the inside out.

Judi Steele
Good day people. I'm a Nigerian who just got a job with the UN. Got my employment letter via email a few days ago while the hard copy is to be delivered later by courier along with my travel documents.



Orientation and training starts in a few months at their Secretariat in New York. I've never travelled outside Nigeria. Please what are the likely challenges I should expect in terms of travel arrangements and settling down?



Your contributions will be well appreciated. Thanks.
If your current employer has US offices, the first place to look would be to your current employer to see if there might be the possibility of transfer.



Next place could be to inquire of the client you worked on during your recent trip.



Then, it's a matter of searching the various job hunting boards (Monster, Stepstone, whatever else there is these days). However, be prepared to be able to explain what qualifications or experience you can offer that is not readily available in the US job market (things like languages, industry knowledge, etc.). It's not easy for a US employer to justify a visa to hire a foreigner, so be prepared for a long search, It's not impossible, but finding a job offer that includes a work visa is a long, hard task. Research the companies that interest you - who they hire, what their needs are and whatever connections you can make with them and/or their businesses.

Cheers,

Bev
Hi,



My husband is currently on an E3 visa (my children and I are on E3-D) which expires September 2018.



My husband has been offered a new job which we are accepting (new employer) and therefore needs to apply for a new E3 visa.



He is thinking that he will apply for the new visa and get the stamping done in Tijuana, Mexico.



I have the following questions:



1. Do the E3-D visa holders need to be with him to get our visa's changed at the same time? Or will our visa's become voided immediately once he changes his?



2. I also have an EAD to allow me to work. This also expires in September 2018. Do I have to reapply for this as soon as the visa gets changed? Or can I continue to work through till it's expiry date?



Apologies but the search function wasn't working properly so I couldn't find any relevant information.



Thanks.


Germany is the top country in Europe for international students, scoring 80.7 out of a possible 100 in the latest rankings from a study portal providing information on English taught courses.In Second place is the UK, followed by France, the Netherlands and then Russia at number five. The rest of the top 10 is Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Italy and Poland, which has entered the top 10 for the first time.The overall ranking compiled annually by Study.EU consists of three separate measures. Education accounts for 45%, the cost of living and tuition fees 30% and the quality of life and career prospects 25%.Germany has kept the top spot from last year and the study report says that is due to an unbeatable combination of world class universities and a tuition free public university system, which makes it the first choice for many students.The UK has also retained its second place spot overall from 2017 and comes top for education and life and career opportunities but ranks 30th for cost as living expenses and tuition fees are high - especially in London. The report warns that Brexit may have adverse effects on the UKs ranking in future years.France has moved up one place and it has similar attractions as Germany with foreign students seeking highly reputable universities but affordable fees and living costs.Last year Poland was already among the most affordable countries for a university education and Polish universities have consistently increased the availability of English-taught study options.The report says that the number of foreign students in Poland has soared from just 12,000 to over 65,000 in the past 10 years and it comes in at number 20 with a total score of 60.1, just a fraction below Italys 60.2 and Belgiums 60.4.When it comes to the quality of eduction the UK is some way above other nations with a total score of 86.7, followed by Germany with 74, the Netherlands at 61.3, France 53.4 and Russia 49.6. There is a considerable drop to the rest of the top 10 with Switzerland on 47.2, Ireland 46.8, Sweden 46.6, Italy 43.1 and Spain 38.1.But the UK is an expensive country for study and does not rate in the top 10 for costs. Other than Poland, Germany is the only country of the overall top 10 to score high as it has a virtually tuition-free public university system and moderate cost of living. France, another country with many free study options that was ranked 10th in 2017, just missed the top 10 this year by a handful of euros.The average cost in the UK is 23,000 a year and even although this is lower than it was in 2017, it is still the most expensive country for international students. The cheapest is Poland, followed by Serbia, then Hungary, Romania, Turkey, Greece, Portugal, Germany, Lithuania and then Latvia.But the UK does offer the best option when it comes to life and career opportunities, coming top in this section with a score of 88, followed by Ireland at 87.6, then Iceland at 87.4. Next is Norway, then the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany and Austria.
2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning --

4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS.

We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover.

We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come.
A federal appeals court has revived a challenge to South Carolinas law against disturbing schools, ruling that students who have been arrested under the law should have the chance to prove that it is unconstitutionally vague and violates their rights of free speech and due process of law.

The suit was filed by four current or former students and one juvenile justice organization with the backing of the American Civil Liberties Union. One plaintiff is Niya Kenny, who drew nationwide attention when she was arrested in 2015 after she videotaped a school resource officer who had violently removed another student from her classroom chair and slammed her to the floor.

The officer returned to the classroom at Spring Valley High School in Richland School District No. 2 and arrested Kenny under the Disturbing Schools Law, which makes it illegal for anyone to to interfere with or to disturb in any way or in any place the students or teachers of any school or college in this state.

Although charges were dropped against Kenny and the other student (who isnt involved in the civil suit), Kenny did not feel she could return to the high school, and she dropped out and received a G.E.D. instead.

Other plaintiffs include 17-year-old and 15-year-old female students who are still in high school and were charged for school altercations under the Disturbing Schools Law or the states disorderly conduct statute, which is also being challenged in the suit. Another plaintiff is Girls Rock Charleston Inc., a nonprofit group that serves at-risk youth and students who have been involved in the justice system.

A federal district judge in Charleston, S.C., dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked standing because the suits allegations of a fear or risk of future arrest do not show imminent harm, an intention to engage in conduct proscribed by the challenged laws, or a credible threat of prosecution.

In its March 15 decision in Kenny v. Wilson , a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, in Richmond, Va., unanimously reversed the district judge, at least as to the students who are still in school.

Those plaintiffs do not rely on conjecture or speculation, but rather, on the fact that they attend school where they were previously arrested and criminally charged under the two South Carolina statutes, and they dont know which of their actions at school will be interpreted to violate the statutes in the future, said the opinion by Judge Albert Diaz.

Diaz said the students still in high school face a credible threat of future arrest or prosecution under the Disturbing Schools Law and Disorderly Conduct Law because they regularly attend schools where they allege there may be future encounters with school resource officers or other law enforcement; they have been prosecuted under the laws in the past; and the defendants have not disavowed enforcement if plaintiffs engage in similar conduct in the future.

The court said there is a presumption of a credible threat because the two statutes restrict students expressive activity, including anything perceived as disturbing, obnoxious, disorderly, or boisterous'; and they tend to chill students engagement in the classroom as well as their ability to speak out against police and participate in conversations about policing.

Diaz said the South Carolina disorderly conduct law may be unconstitutionally vague as applied to students because it contains vague phrases such as conducting [oneself] in a disorderly or boisterous manner.

Elementary and secondary students, the judge said, are in many ways disorderly or boisterous by nature.

The case now returns to the federal district court for further proceedings.
The Securities and Exchange Commission made its biggest-ever whistleblower award Monday. It gave one person more than $33 million, and in the same case split nearly $50 million between two others.

The previous high for an SEC award to a single whistleblower was $30 million in 2014.

A statement emailed Monday to the FCPA Blog by Labaton Sucharow, a whistleblower law firm, said their clients (all three whistleblowers) tipped the SEC to long-running misconduct at Merrill Lynch.

The statement said Merrill Lynch over many years executed complex options trades that lacked economic substance and artificially reduced the required deposit of customer cash in the reserve account.

In June 2016, Merrill Lynch admitted wrongdoing and paid $415 million to settle charges that it misused customer cash to generate profits. The firm also failed to safeguard customer securities from the claims of its creditors.

Labaton Sucharow referred to the 2016 Merrill Lynch settlement in its statement Monday.

The two whistleblowers sharing the $50 million submitted their tips and claims to the SEC jointly. Based on their information, the SEC opened an investigation.

The SEC said Monday the two would have been awarded more money but they unreasonably delayed making their complaints.

The third whistleblower acted alone. He or she submitted new information that caused the SEC to open another investigation into Merrill Lynch.

A copy of the SECs redacted award order is here (pdf).

(By law, the SEC is required to protect the confidentiality of whistleblowers and doesnt disclose information that might reveal their identity.)

Jane Norberg, chief of the SECs Office of the Whistleblower, said Monday: We hope that these awards encourage others with specific, high-quality information regarding securities laws violations to step forward and report it to the SEC.

The SEC has now awarded more than $262 million to 53 whistleblowers since its first award in 2012.

Awards are paid out of penalties the SEC collects from securities law violators.

Whistleblowers can be eligible for an award when they voluntarily provide the SEC with original, timely, and credible information that leads to a successful enforcement action.

Awards can range from 10 percent to 30 percent of the money collected when sanctions are more than $1 million.

Jordan Thomas, head of Labaton Sucharows SEC whistleblower practice, said Monday, Mark my word, this is only the beginning of a revolution in ethical action for Corporate America. Bad actors are on notice.

Thomas joined Labaton Sucharow from the SECs enforcement division, where he served as assistant chief litigation counsel.

____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.
Image courtesy of Innogy Solutions Inc.The World Bank Monday announced the debarment of a consulting company and its president for using secret inside information to win a bid, and failing to disclose a conflict of interest on another bid.

Innogy Solutions Inc. and its president, Lloly Yana de Jesus, were debarred for five and a half years.

They used collusive and fraudulent practices during the selection process for contracts under a World Bank-funded project in the Philippines, the bank said.

During the debarment, the Manila-based firm and de Jesus are ineligible to participate in World Bank-financed projects.

The case was settled through a Negotiated Resolution Agreement.

Innogy and de Jesus acknowledged responsibility for the underlying sanctionable practices.

The project was the Integrated Persistent Organic Pollutants Management Project. It was supposed to help the Philippines government reduce the risk of human and environmental exposure to persistent organic pollutants  certain pesticides and industrial chemicals and their byproducts.

The bank said de Jesus obtained confidential information about the consulting services contract during the selection process. The confidential information wasnt available to other bidders.

Innogy and another consulting firm it partnered with used the confidential information to win the contract.

Under World Bank consultant guidelines, these actions constitute collusive practices, the World Bank said.

The bank also said Innogy and de Jesus concealed information about her conflict of interest during another contract selection process. That was a fraudulent practice under World Bank rules.

The five-and-a-half-year debarments qualify for cross-debarment by the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the African Development Bank.

A list of all World Bank debarred entities and individuals is here.

____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.
Alicia Vikander looked forward to her "pizza days" when she was in training for Tomb Raider'.

Alicia Vikander

The 29-year-old actress plays Lara Croft in the classic action movie's 2018 reboot, and her determination to get in shape for the role meant she looked forward to Sunday's where she could indulge in a cheat meal.

Speaking to Glamour Magazine, she said: "[We were training] five to six days a week, and Sundays were pizza days. I think the first thing I said when I woke up on Sunday's was 'its pizza day!'"

But the Academy Award-winning beauty loved how the 'Tomb Raider' training made her feel and she has been trying to incorporate more muscle building into her post-filming work out routines.

She said: "There were so many different skills I had to learn and I also gained around 10lbs to 12lbs of muscle. I worked with my trainer for four months leading up to it, then every day before I started to film I was in the gym. I'd done a lot more yoga and Pilates and cardio [before the role] and now I've started to do a lot more muscle training. It was something I really enjoyed. I felt very much in my body and I loved having another strength."

Now she is a movie star in-demand, Alicia has to wear make-up all the time for her roles which means when she's not on set she doesn't apply many products because she suffers from "extremely dry" skin.

'The Danish Girl' star explained: "Now I have a wonderful professional team to put on my makeup for camera and things, I rarely use makeup in my everyday life, but I love skincare. If anything, my skin goes extremely dry. I could put hand cream on my face and it still goes in. On flights I always put on masks and I have night cream as my day cream."

Alicia also makes sure to prioritise sleep even with her busy work schedule, and admits she gets "a bit grumpy" when she misses out on her rest.

She confessed: "[Sleep] changes the way you look and the way you feel. My mother used to tell me when I was a kid that I had to go to bed at 7.30pm and when I'd ask why she'd say, 'Well you do get a bit grumpy when you don't have routines'. Then I realised when I was a bit older, that's actually true."
Challenging the conventional wisdom about collective bargaining, a new study finds that requiring school districts to bargain with teachers unions did not actually improve teacher pay.

Thirty-three states passed mandatory collective bargaining laws since the 1960s. Those states do typically have higher teacher salaries and higher per-pupil education spending, but they already did so well before the emergence of collective bargaining rights or modern teacher unions, the study found.

In states with collective bargaining laws, school districts are obligated to bargain with teachers unions on wages, hours, and working conditions. The approved contract is binding. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten has said collective bargaining raises wages for union workers. ... [T]hrough collective bargaining, workers get the voice they need, a collective voice.

But those types of arguments lack strong empirical evidence to support them, said Agustina Paglayan, the studys author and a postdoctoral fellow and incoming assistant professor of political science and public policy at University of California, San Diego. Her study was funded by Stanford University and has been accepted for publication in the American Journal of Political Science.

Paglayan compiled an original longitudinal dataset (covering 1919 to the present) with the resources devoted to education in all 50 states before and after any of them introduced collective bargaining rights for teachers. States that historically spent more on education were more likely to require collective bargaining with teachersand after those laws went into effect, there was no dramatic change in teacher salary or education spending.

This is because stronger collective bargaining rights usually weakened teachers unions power to strike, Paglayan said.

The whole move toward collective bargaining rights had to do with, how do we solve the problem of public-sector strikes? she said in an interview. Strikes were a major problem in the 1960s.

Indeed, 19 of the 33 mandatory bargaining laws introduced new penalties for strikingfines for unions, wage losses for employees, union decertification, and loss of an automatic dues deduction.

See also: Teacher Strikes: 4 Common Questions

These laws helped sustain the status quo of fiscal outcomes in education, Paglayan wrote.

More Strikes Ahead?

The study has implications for understanding how the U.S. Supreme Courts upcoming decision on Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Council 31 could affect teachers unions, Paglayan said.

That case, which should be decided by June , has to do with agency or fair-share fees that public-sector unions in 22 states charge to workers who choose not to join the union. The unions argument is that in those states, all employees are represented in collective bargaining and they should have to pay something for that. The plaintiff argues that collective bargaining is inherently political, and that those fees are a violation of his First Amendment rights.

Paglayan said if the Supreme Court rules against the unionswhich is largely expected to happen, given the high courts conservative bentcollective bargaining rights could be limited.

In the 1950s and 1960s, when unions wanted something out of the government, what they did was strike, she said. Its quite likely that unions would go back to those tactics if their rights are [curtailed].

She pointed to West Virginia as an exampleunions there do not have formal collective bargaining rights, and teachers just completed a nine-day statewide strike . Strikes are illegal there, but that law was not enforced during the nearly-two-week work stoppage.

See also: Will Teachers Strikes Happen More Often in a Post-Janus World?

Not all researchers agree that strikes will happen more frequently post-Janus. Jake Rosenfeld, an associate professor of sociology at Washington University in St. Louis, has called that argument pretty far-fetched, saying that strikes are rare, even in states without formal collective bargaining rights.

An Education Week analysis of the teacher strikes in the last eight years found that strikes happened most frequently in Pennsylvania (where 33 strikes occured between 2010 and 2018), Illinois (18), and California (7). Those three states do have collective bargaining rights.

However, Pennsylvania teachers have had both bargaining rights and the right to strike since 1970, Paglayan said, which would account for the high number of strikes.

And while Illinois and California historically prohibited strikes and established monetary penalties against both striking teachers and the unions themselves, that has since changed, Paglayan said. Teacher strikes are now legal in both of those states.

Image: Getty
Dev Hynes has teased he's set to release a new album under the Blood Orange moniker.

Dev Hynes

The 32-year-old producer's last record was 2016's 'Freetown Sound', which featured guest appearances from the likes of Blondie's Debbie Harry, Nelly Furtado and Carly Rae Jepsen.

However, it looks like the follow-up is on the way as Dev shared a blurry video of him covered in a purple piece of material whilst a cinematic piece of music played, on his Instagram on Sunday (18.03.18).

Alongside the clip, Dev wrote: "Be right back. Thanks for your patience. #BloodOrange2018 (sic)"

The 'Better Numb' hitmaker's last update came in October last year, when Dev said the new record was "78 per cent" done.

Dev said that his next outing as Blood Orange will be "dark" as it focuses on his difficult childhood growing up in Essex, England, as one of few African immigrants at the time.

He said: "If 'Freetown' was delving into my parents from my eyes, being younger and now, this one is definitely me looking at my younger self, growing up in that setting. So yeah, it's a little dark."

Dev also previously posted footage of traffic passing on the photo-sharing app last year, in what appeared to be a taster of his new music.

He captioned the post "Album...4(?) (sic)"

As well as releasing his own music, Dev has produced tracks for the likes of Charli XCX, Solange Knowles, Kylie Minogue and Haim.
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19 March 2017

Imperial Minerals Plc

("Imperial", the "Group" or the "Company")

Unaudited interim report for the six months to 31 December 2017

Dear Shareholder,

I am pleased present the unaudited financial results for Imperial Minerals Plc for the half-year ended 31 December 2017.

During the period Imperial has continued its highly selective search for a natural resources project which a) fits our target investment criteria b) is fundable moving forward and c) is corporately possible given our very small capital structure and severely limited funds.

I'm pleased to say that deal flow remains strong - an uptick in commodity prices coupled with a return of risk capital (in certain jurisdictions) to the micro capital resources sector bodes well for the future.

Our targeting process continues to specifically review commodities that attract market and industry support - most particularly gold, battery inputs such as lithium and cobalt and metals that are in cyclical supply shortfall such as zinc.

Imperial continues to be run leanly with quoted costs negotiated as low as possible. However, to stay listed and continue to operate in 2018, Imperial will need to seek additional capital to continue its existence.

Financial Review

Its cash reserves will be used in the short term to cover travel costs, professional consultancy fees, initial due diligence and other costs incidental to the identification and development of acquisition opportunities.

During the six month period ended 31 December 2017, the Company made a pre-tax loss of 39,349 (2016: loss of 92,026). Cash at bank at the end of December 2017 was 37,370 (30 June 2017: 72,673).

Total expenses during the period were 39,352 (2016: 92,029) which consisted of corporate and administration expenses.

Financial Position

The Group's Statement of Financial Position as at 31 December 2017 and comparatives at 31 December 2016 and 30 June 2017 are summarised below:

31 Dec 2017 31 Dec 2016 30 June 2017    Current assets 43,274 79,699 74,025 Non current assets - 13,500 - Total assets 43,274 93,199 74,025 Current liabilities 12,956 6,471 4,358 Total liabilities 12,956 6,471 4,358 Net assets 30,318 86,728 69,667

James Hamilton

Chairman

Imperial Minerals Plc

16 March 2018

The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

For further information please contact:

Imperial Minerals plc

Russell Hardwick

Tel: + 61 417 714 292

Peterhouse Corporate Finance Limited

Guy Miller and Mark Anwyl

Tel: 020 7469 0930

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

For the six months ended 31 December 2017

6 months to 31 Dec 2017 Unaudited 6 months to 31 Dec 2016 Unaudited Year ended 30 June 2017 Audited Note    Continuing operations Revenue - - - Impairment of receivable and loss on disposal of available for sale investment - (74,288) (361,777) Administrative expenses (39,352) (17,741) (36,479) Loss before taxation (39,352) (92,029) (398,256) Finance income - interest receivable 3 3 5 Income tax 2 - - - Loss for the year attributable to the equity shareholders of the parent (39,349) (92,026) (398,251) Other comprehensive income Items that may be subsequently reclassified to profit or loss Prior year reversal of unrealised changes in value of available for sale financial asset - 70,844 - Unrealised changes in value of available for sale financial assets - (28,500) - Reclassification of cumulative loss on available for sale assets on disposal - - 329,908 Other comprehensive income for the year, net of tax - 42,344 329,908 Total comprehensive income for the period/year attributable to the equity shareholders of the parent (39,349) (49,682) (68,343) Loss per share Basic and diluted loss per share attributable to the equity shareholders of the parent (pence)

3 (0.128p) (0.316p) (1.329p)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

As at 31 December 2017

As at

31 Dec 2017

Unaudited As at

31 Dec 2016

Unaudited As at 30 June 2017

Audited    ASSETS Non-current assets Financial assets - Available for sale - 13,500 - Total non-current assets - 13,500 - Current assets Trade and other receivables 5,904 13,741 1,352 Cash and cash equivalents 37,370 65,958 72,673 Total current assets 43,274 79,699 74,025 TOTAL ASSETS 43,274 93,199 74,025 LIABILITIES Current Liabilities Trade and other payables 12,956 6,471 4,358 Total current liabilities 12,956 6,471 4,358 TOTAL LIABILITIES 12,956 6,471 4,358 NET ASSETS 30,318 86,728 69,667 EQUITY ATTRIBUTABLE TO OWNERS OF THE COMPANY Share capital 201,700 201,700 201,700 Share premium 855,588 855,658 855,658 Other reserve 1,670 - 1,600 Available for sale reserve - (287,564) - Retained losses (1,028,640) (683,066) (989,291) TOTAL EQUITY 30,318 86,728 69,667

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY

For the six months ended 31 December 2017

Share capital Share premium Shares to be issued under options Retained losses Available for sale reserve Total Equity       At 1 July 2016 199,950 822,408 24,241 (615,281) (329,908) 101,410 Loss for the period - - - (92,026) - (92,026) Other comprehensive income for the period - - - - 42,344 42,344 Total comprehensive income for the period - - - (92,026) 42,344 (49,682) Issue of ordinary shares 1,750 33,250 - - - 35,000 Expiry of share options - (24,241) 24,241 - - Balance at 31 Dec 2016 201,700 855,658 - (683,066) (287,564) 86,728 At 1 July 2017 201,700 855,658 1,600 (989,291) - 69,667 Loss for the period - - - (39,349) - (39,349) Other comprehensive income for the period - - - - - - Total comprehensive income for the period - - - (39,349) - (39,349) Issue of share options - (70) 70 - - - Expiry of share options - - - - - - Balance at 31 Dec 2017 201,700 855,588 1,670 (1,028,640) - 30,318

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

For the six months ended 31 December 2017

Note 6 months to 31 Dec 2017

Unaudited 6 months to 31 Dec 2016

Unaudited Year ended 30 June 2017

Audited    Cash flows from operating activities 4 (35,306) (11,908) (34,194) Net cash used in operating activities (35,306) (11,908) (34,194) Cash flows from investing activities Interest received 3 3 5 Proceeds from disposal of available for sale financial assets - - 28,999 Cash flows generated from investing activities 3 3 29,004 Cash flows from financing activities Proceeds from issue of shares - 35,000 35,000 Cash Flows generated from financing activities - 35,000 35,000 Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (35,303) 23,095 29,810 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period 72,673 42,863 42,863 Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period 37,370 65,958 72,673

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the six months ended 31 December 2017

NOTE 1: BASIS OF PREPARATION

The condensed consolidated interim financial information of the Group for the six months ended 31 December 2017 which comprise the Company and its subsidiary (together referred to as the "Group) were approved by the Board on 16 March 2018. The interim financial information has not been reviewed or audited. The interim financial information has been prepared in accordance with the recognition and measurement criteria of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS and IFRIC interpretations) issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB") as adopted for use in the EU. The financial information for the six months to 31 December 2017 does not constitute statutory accounts of the Group. This financial information has been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies that are expected to be applied in the Report and Accounts of Imperial Minerals PLC for the year ending 30 June 2018. The statutory accounts for the year ended 30 June 2017 have been filed with the Registrar of Companies. The auditor's report on those accounts was unqualified, included reference to a material uncertainty relating to going concern and did not contain a statement under section 498(2)-(3) of the Companies Act 2006.

Going Concern

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis notwithstanding that the Group incurred a net loss of 39,419 during the half year ended 31 December 2017. The Directors have concluded that the current circumstances represents a material uncertainty that casts significant doubt upon the Group's and Company's ability to continue as a going concern and that, therefore, the Group and Company may be unable to realise its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business.

The Group and Company will be required to raise additional funds before being able to meet their contracted operating expenditure during the going concern period and further invest in existing projects and acquisition targets. The Directors are confident that sufficient additional funds will become available in order to meet contracted operating expenditure. The amount of funding for investment in projects and targets is unforeseen at the point of approval of these financial statements, however, the Group and Company will be required to raise additional funds either via an issue of equity or through the issuance of debt.

Nevertheless, after making enquiries and considering the uncertainties described above, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Group and Company will have access to adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. For these reasons, they continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the Financial Statements.

Imperial Minerals plc, the legal parent, is domiciled and incorporated in the United Kingdom. The functional currency of Imperial Minerals plc is  sterling.

The Financial Statements are presented in sterling (), rounded to the nearest pound and have been prepared on the going concern basis.

NOTE 2: TAXATION

No taxation has been provided due to losses in the period. No deferred tax asset has been recognised for past or current losses as the recoverability of any such assets is not probable in the foreseeable future.

NOTE 3: LOSS PER SHARE

The calculation of the basic loss per share of 0.128 pence is based on the loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of 39,349 and on the weighted average number of ordinary shares of 30,745,000 in issue during the period.

In accordance with IAS 33, no diluted earnings per share is presented as the effect on the exercise of share options or warrants would be to decrease the loss per share.

NOTE 4: NOTES TO THE CASH FLOW STATEMENT

6 months to 31 Dec 2017

Unaudited 6 months to 31 Dec 2016

Unaudited Year ended 30 June 2017

Audited    Reconciliation of loss from operations to cash flows from operating activities Loss from operations (39,349) (92,026) (398,251) Interest receivable 3 3 5 Net loss from disposal of available for sale financial assets - 74,288 361,777 Share options expense - - 1,600 (Increase)/Decrease in trade and other receivables (4,553) 9,275 6,241 Increase / (Decrease) in trade and other payables 8,593 (3,448) (5,566) Cash flow from operating activities (35,306) (11,908) (34,194)

NOTE 5:POST BALANCE SHEET EVENTS

There has not been any matter or circumstance occurring subsequent to the end of the half year, that has significantly affected or may significantly affect the operations of the Group, the results of those operations or the state of affairs of the Group in future financial years.

NOTE 6: FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This report contains certain forward looking statements, which include assumptions with respect to future plans, results and expenditures. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of such information may prove to be incorrect. All such forward looking statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. Please refer to the Company's Annual Report available from the Company's web site for a list of risk factors. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits the Company will derive therefrom. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this report are made as at the date of this report

NOTE 7: INTERIM REPORT

Copies of this interim report for the six months ended 31 December 2017 will be available from the offices of Imperial Minerals Plc, 2 Stone Buildings Lincolns Inn London WC2A 3TH, and on the company's website www.imperialminerals.com
AUSTIN, Texas, March 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --On March 1 and 2, 2018, the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute (TCAI) at St. David's Medical Center hosted its fourth international symposium on complex arrhythmias, EPLive 2018. Nearly 200 leaders in the field of electrophysiology (EP) from Europe, Asia and Latin America, as well as experts from across the United States, attended the two-day educational conference in Austin, Texas. Attendees included practicing clinical cardiac electrophysiologists, electrophysiologist fellows and general cardiologists who have an interest in treating complex arrhythmias-a condition in which the heart beats with an irregular or abnormal rhythm.

EPLive 2018 used live and recorded cases with expert commentary as the primary teaching tool. Cases were broadcast from some of the world's premier treatment centers, such as TCAI, Mayo Clinic, Stanford University Medical Center, Mount Sinai Hospital, UCLA Health System, the University of Pennsylvania Health System, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, University of Colorado Hospital, Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute, Lancaster General Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.

The conference featured demonstrations by Dr. Andrea Natale, F.H.R.S., F.A.C.C., F.E.S.C., cardiac electrophysiologist and executive medical director of TCAI and EPLive course director, as well as a number of TCAI physicians including course co-director Dr. Amin Al-Ahmad, Dr. Rodney Horton, Dr. Patrick Hranitzky, Dr. Robert Canby, Dr. Joseph Gallinghouse, Dr. Shane Bailey, Dr. Javier Sanchez, Dr. David Burkhardt, Dr. Jason Zagrodzky and Dr. Luigi DiBiase.

"EPLive is designed to bring the world's top cardiac electrophysiology physicians and researchers together to share the latest advances in interventional cardiac electrophysiology, as well as the tools and technology required to safely and effectively treat patients with heart rhythm disorders," Dr. Natale said. "Ultimately, this allows us to significantly improve outcomes for patients worldwide."

EPLive 2018 provided attending physicians with a better understanding of techniques used to treat atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, as well as implant complex devices and extract malfunctioning devices. Cases included procedures such as atrial fibrillation (A Fib) ablation, ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation, epicardial and endocardial VT ablation, left atrial appendage closures, lead extraction and venoplasty.

EPLive 2018 also featured new technology, such as theConfirm Rx' Insertable Cardiac Monitor (ICM),the world's first and onlysmartphone-compatible monitordesigned to helpdoctors identify even the most difficult-to-detect cardiac arrhythmias, and theCardioInsight' vest,a noninvasive, 3-D mapping system worn by patients to collect chest ECG signals. Doctors then combine the signals with CT scan data to identifyabnormal heart rhythms.

Physicians received a maximum of 18 American Medical Association (AMA) Physician's Recognition Award (PRA) Category 1 Credit'hours at the conference.

For more information, visit EPLiveSymposium.com.

Media Contacts:

Erin Ochoa and Tina Shively

Elizabeth Christian Public Relations

+1.512.472.9599

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV-iU4U_1dI
Leading ESG Research and Ratings Provider Completes Transaction to Bring Aboard Solaron's Experienced Analyst Team and Emerging Market Expertise

AMSTERDAM andTORONTO andNEW YORK, March 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --Sustainalytics, a leading provider of ESG and corporate governance research, ratings and analysis, announced today that it has completed a transaction to purchase certain assets from Solaron Sustainability Services, a well-respected provider of ESG ratings and research to investors globally. Founded in 2007, Solaron is known particularly for its emerging markets expertise and for the investment insights that come from the firm's deep dive research. Twenty-six of Solaron's professionals will join Sustainalytics immediately.

"Sustainalytics has always been deeply committed to providing the insights investors need to make informed decisions," said Sustainalytics' CEO, Michael Jantzi. "Integrating Solaron's talented team of analysts, with their emerging market expertise and deep dive approach to assessing companies' ESG performance, will allow Sustainalytics to provide its clients with truly differentiated ESG-related research services."

Solaron, originally founded by Vipul and Sonali Arora, established itself as a market leader in delivering specialized ESG research to institutional investors. Over ten years, the firm's emphasis on emerging markets grew as did its global footprint and research team. Today, Solaron's team of analysts provides on-the-ground expertise and local language analysis across more than ten markets, including India, Brazil and several other countries in Latin America and the EMEA regions. Investors have placed particularly high value on Solaron's ability to understand and articulate investment risk associated with emerging market companies' ESG-specific controversies.

Sustainalytics will also leverage Solaron's innovative ratings platform to enhance several of the development initiatives already underway. Additionally, Sustainalytics will leverage the integration of Solaron resources to address the growing demand for custom research that focuses on specific clients' interests.

"Our team could not be more excited about joining forces with such a well-respected global market leader as Sustainalytics," said Solaron's co-founder, Vipul Arora, who will take on a senior role with Sustainalytics. "Our team's expertise in delivering deep dive ESG insights, especially in less established markets where language can be an issue, will extend Sustainalytics' ability to provide high value, actionable insights to investors globally."

Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

About Sustainalytics

Sustainalytics is a leading independent ESG and corporate governance research, ratings and analytics firm supporting investors around the world with the development and implementation of responsible investment strategies. For over 25 years, the firm has been at the forefront of developing high-quality, innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of global investors. Today, Sustainalytics works with hundreds of the world's leading asset managers and pension funds who incorporate ESG and corporate governance information and assessments into their investment processes. With 13 offices globally, Sustainalytics has more than 350 staff members, including over 170 analysts with varied multidisciplinary expertise across more than 40 sectors. Through the IRRI Survey, investors selected Sustainalytics as the best independent responsible investment research firm for three consecutive years, 2012 through 2014, and in 2015 and 2016, Sustainalytics was named among the top three firms for both ESG and corporate governance research. For more information, visit www.sustainalytics.com.

Media Contacts:

Cheryl Gustitus

cheryl.gustitus@sustainalytics.com

+1 212.500.6469

Sarah Cohn

sarah.cohn@sustainalytics.com

P) +1 646.963.6944

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RANCHO CORDOVA, California, March 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AMPAC Fine Chemicals (AFC) today announced that Lee Gauthier has joined AFC's executive team as Vice President of Operations responsible for manufacturing across all AFC's sites. Gauthier will replace Joseph Campbell, who has announced his intention to retire after the completion of an orderly transition.

"Joe has played a key role in the growth of AFC and its predecessor companies over the past 37 years, transforming the business from its roots in the aerospace industry into one of the premier fine chemical contract manufacturing organizations, supplying life-saving active pharmaceutical ingredients throughout the world. On behalf of the whole company, I thank Joe for his outstanding contributions," said Dr. Aslam Malik, AFC President and CEO.

"We are pleased to announce that Lee Gauthier will join AFC as Vice President of Operations," Dr. Malik continued. "Lee is a seasoned executive with extensive chemical manufacturing experience and a proven track record of successful Lean Manufacturing implementation across multiple commercial operations. As AFC's business continues to grow, Lee's leadership, strategic focus, and expertise will be instrumental to our continued success." Mr. Gauthier will be based at AFC's corporate headquarters in Rancho Cordova, CA.

Most recently, Mr. Gauthier was Vice President-Global Operations at W.R. Grace & Company, a leading chemical manufacturer based in Columbia, MD. While at Grace, he oversaw Engineering, Quality, Continuous Improvement and chemical manufacturing and was responsible for up to 23 operating facilities around the world that included production of Advanced Intermediates and Fine Chemicals. Prior to joining Grace, he held various senior operating positions at Ferro Corporation.

Mr. Gauthier holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering and an MBA both from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

ABOUT AMPAC FINE CHEMICALS LLC

AFC is a U.S.-based company with demonstrated capabilities in process development, scale-up, and cGMP-compliant commercial production of active pharmaceutical ingredients and registered intermediates for pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers. Its specially engineered facilities and experienced staff allow AFC to safely produce highly energetic compounds at commercial scale. In addition, AFC's other technology platforms include production of highly potent compounds, continuous processes and industrial-scale chromatographic separation using simulated moving bed chromatography and Analytical Services to the Pharmaceutical Industry. AFC's operations are located in Rancho Cordova & El Dorado Hills CA, in La Porte, Texas and in Petersburg, VA. Additional information about us can be obtained by visiting our web site at www.ampacfinechemicals.com.

Website:ampacfinechemicals.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/655388/AMPAC_Fine_Chemicals_Lee_Gauthier.jpg
ALBANY, New York, March 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

According to World Health Organization, number of people affected with diabetes has exceeded 400 Mn, in case of adults, in 2014. Additionally, global prevalence of diabetes doubled, rising at over 8% in adult population. The Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) has reported that nearly 80% of the diabetic population was affected from diabetic retinopathy in 2013, with a notable portion of this percentile estimated to acquire the proliferative condition. These numbers are further poised to witness a rise in the years to come, driven by unhealthy consumption patterns and comfort-driven lifestyles of consumers worldwide. This will further have a robust impact on demand for treatment drugs apropos to proliferative diabetic retinopathy in the foreseeable future.

The report estimates the market to record a splendid rise over the forecast period 2017 to 2026. Nearly US$ 1,000 Mn worth of drugs for treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy are anticipated to be sold worldwide by 2026-end. Considered as a serious sight threatening ailment on account of long-term exposure to diabetes, diabetic retinopathy results into progressive retinal damage and affects retinal circulatory system. Extremity of the disease, which may lead to proliferative condition, determines the selection of effective therapeutic measure, thereby entailing requirement for intraocular injections, laser surgery, vitrectomy, or anti-VEGF drug prescriptions.

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North America to Stay at Forefront of Global Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy Market

In terms of revenues, North America is likely to remain at the forefront of the global proliferative diabetic retinopathy, driven by supportive reimbursement policies offered by the government coupled with greater prevalence of diabetes in the region. Additionally, robust penetration of management drugs such as anti-VEGF drugs viz. Lucentis, Avastin, and Eylea, has further supported revenue generation from treatment of this disease in North America. Europe and Asia-Pacific excluding Japan are also likely to endure as significant revenue contributors to the global proliferative diabetic retinopathy market.

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Anti-VEGF drugs are likely to remain preferred among various drug class utilized for treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy across the globe. Revenues from sales of anti-VEGF drugs are poised to reach approximately US$ 700 Mn by 2026-end. Although corticosteroids' sales are expected to record an impressive expansion in the market, revenues from this drug class will continue to be sluggish.

Key Research Findings from TMR's Report

Albeit injectables will account for relatively larger market revenue share based on mode of administration, revenues from oral mode of administration of drugs for treating proliferative diabetic retinopathy will increase at the highest CAGR through 2026

Retail pharmacies will persist as fast-expanding distribution channel for proliferative diabetic retinopathy treatment drugs

Companies in the global proliferative diabetic retinopathy market are employing strategic initiatives that include product development, geographical expansion, acquisitions, and mergers. These strategies are likely to aid the market players in advancing their businesses and increasing their market footprint. For example, ThromboGenics initiated partnership with Novartis (Alcon) for assisting in commercialization and marketing activities of JETREA beyond the U.S.

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On similar lines, Alimera initiated sales of ILLUVEN in the U.K. and Germany, in a bid to foray the European market. The initiative was primarily aimed at tapping new markets and boosting revenue generation of the company. A new report of Transparency Market Research has profiles key players making notable contribution to expansion of the global market for proliferative diabetic retinopathy, which include Pfizer, Inc., Genentech, Inc. (Roche Holdings), Merck KGaA, Allergan Plc, Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Cipla, Ltd., Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., Intas Pharmaceuticals Limited, and Novartis AG.

Popular Research Reports by TMR:

Diabetic Neuropathy Market:

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/diabetic-neuropathy-market.html

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/diabetic-neuropathy-market.html Diabetic Foot Ulcers and Pressure Ulcers Market:

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/diabetic-foot-ulcers-pressure-ulcers-market.html

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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.

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Participates in world's leading trade fair to display smart solution products

Bajaj Electricals Limited, India's leading player in consumer durables, fans, lighting and engineering projects, participates in world's leading trade fair Light Building 2018 at Frankfurt, Germany from March 18th-23rd, 2018. Bajaj Electricals is featuring its smart solutions at Stall D10 in outdoor arena-Agora.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180319005049/en/

Mr. Anant Bajaj, Joint Managing Director, Bajaj Electricals Ltd. (Photo: Business Wire)

Based on the key theme of 'Smart Indoors and Connected Outdoors', the stall demonstrates the connection between indoors and outdoors through cloud computing. With almost eight decades of experience and expertise in lighting solutions and luminaires, Bajaj Electricals has a host of products exhibited at the trade fair ranging from smart indoor lights for home, commercial and industrial spaces to smart outdoor lights, sensor-based light, smart poles and various integrated building management systems.

Bajaj Electricals has been a household name in India and has played a key role in government's initiatives of rural electrification mission. Apart from that, it has been instrumental in illuminating the key landscapes in India adding to its architectural aesthetics. It is also a pioneer in providing turnkey lighting solutions for developing smart cities in India. The stall has a perfect amalgamation of style, digitalisation and comfort and serves as a one-stop solution for multiple automated integrated solutions.

Speaking about the event, Mr. Anant Bajaj, JMD, Bajaj Electricals, said, "We are extremely proud to be exhibiting at the world's largest trade fair for light and building services technology. The fair not only gives us an opportunity to showcase our diverse range of technologically advanced products and offerings to the world, but also we get to discover and adapt to rapidly-evolving technologies. With an ultimate objective to stay ahead of market and to give good experience and value to our customers, we intend to participate in all the possible events which aid in rediscovering ourselves."

Bajaj Electricals has established an integrated R&D Centre 'AB SQUARE' with an aim to drive innovation; and incorporate best of engineering and technology practices to create cutting edge technology across its business verticals. Recently 'AB SQUARE' was certified with Platinum status for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) which is the highest Green Building Standard for its design, operation and maintenance.

About Bajaj Electricals Limited

Bajaj Electricals Limited (BEL), a globally renowned and trusted company, with a turnaround of US 672 mn (FY16-17), is a part of "Bajaj Group". Bajaj Electricals business is spread across-Consumer Products (Appliances, Fans, Lighting), Exports, Luminaires and EPC (Illumination, Transmission Towers and Power Distribution). Bajaj Electricals has 19 branch offices spread in different parts of the country besides being supported by a chain of distributors, authorised dealers, retail outlets, exclusive showrooms called 'Bajaj World' and approximately 462 customer care centers. BEL also has a presence in the hi-end range of appliances with brands like Platini and Morphy Richards in India.

Recent Awards Accolades

"POOGI Award", TOCICO International Conference 2017, Berlin, Germany

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum Certificate, The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to Bajaj Electricals R&D Centre 'AB SQUARE' Navi Mumbai, India

The SEAD Global Efficiency Medal for Outdoor Lighting 2017, Paris, France

Details of Press Conference at Light Building:

Venue: Apropos

Hall 3C; West Side

Date: 19th March, 2018

Timing: 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm

To know more about Bajaj Electricals Limited, please visit website

http://www.bajajelectricals.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180319005049/en/

Contacts:

Adfactors PR

Sanchi Yadav Shirali Patel

Sanchi.yadav@adfactorspr.com | +91 9833640764

Shirali.patel@adfactorspr.com | +91 9638800137
Oklahoma Finds Another Way to Execute People

While Oklahoma used to execute people at a relatively high rate compared with the rest of the country, the state took a three-year break after a series of mishaps occurred in its death chambers. Now, as the state looks for more fool-proof ways to put people to death, the legislature has approved Nitrogen as it's go-to killing cocktail.

But while the gas may simplify the execution procedure, critics argue its use is unprecedented, and the legislation was pushed through with little medical research to support it. Since the tactic is untested it could also violate prisoners' rights.

Lawmakers Looking to Gas Death Row

Prisons in Oklahoma may begin using nitrogen to execute people later this year. The process -- called "hypoxia" -- would work by using nitrogen gas, an asphyxiant, to replace the oxygen in a prisoner's blood stream. Proponents argue that the method is more humane than other techniques as the prisoner would simply lose consciousness and die painlessly.

Why Nitrogen?

As public support for the death penalty has dropped over the years, so too has the availability of the drugs most commonly used to execute prisoners. Midazolam and pentobarbital, drugs commonly used in lethal injections, have become more and more difficult to procure, forcing state governments to look elsewhere. Nitrogen, on the other hand, is widely available, cheap, and easy to administer -- a plus for a state with a recent history of botched executions.

Any Objections?

Critics worry that lawmakers rushed to pass the bill authorizing this low-cost execution method without properly studying this particular application of nitrogen. As public defender, Dal Baich, noted, "This method has never been used before and is experimental." Oklahoma would be the first state to kill death row inmates using nitrogen.

From minor crimes to capital offenses, if you're facing criminal charges, it's important to speak to an attorney as early on in the process as possible.

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Neuss (ots) - Yanfeng Global Automotive Interior Systems Co, Ltd. (YFAI) today announced that S&P Global Ratings (Standard and Poor's) and Moody's Investors Service (Moody's), affirm their credit ratings of 'BBB-' and 'Baa3' both with a stable outlook. Moody's affirmed their investment grade rating on February 8, 2018 and S&P on March 7, 2018. The ratings are subject to continuous review by both agencies.Standard & Poor's has affirmed YFAI's long-term corporate rating of BBB- with a stable outlook. This is the second year that S&P has rated the company investment grade.Moody's Investors Service has continued to assign a Baa3 issuer rating with a stable outlook."We are pleased that both S&P and Moody's affirmed their ratings of YFAI with investment grade status," said Johannes Roters, CEO of Yanfeng Automotive Interiors. "This enables YFAI to ensure we are able to execute our strategic vision and priorities, as well as continue to develop and invest in new capabilities driving our business forward.""We believe these ratings are a testament to our team's performance, efficiency and the execution of our strategy," said Michael Kleinheksel, CFO YFAI, "All of these further underscore Yanfeng Automotive Interiors' position as an industry leader."About Yanfeng Automotive Interiors:Yanfeng Automotive Interiors (YFAI) is the global leader in automotive interiors. Yanfeng Automotive Interiors is redefining how people relax, work and play inside their vehicle interiors - today and decades from now. Headquartered in Shanghai, the company has approximately 110 manufacturing plants and technical centers in 20 countries and more than 33,000 employees globally. They design, develop and manufacture automotive interior components for all automakers. Established in 2015, Yanfeng Automotive Interiors is a joint venture between Yanfeng, one of the largest automotive suppliers in China and Adient, the global leader in automotive seating.For additional information, please visit http://www.yfai.com.Originaltext: Yanfeng Automotive Interiors digital press kits: http://www.presseportal.de/nr/117551 press kits via RSS: http://www.presseportal.de/rss/pm_117551.rss2For more information please contact: Yanfeng Automotive Interiors Jagenbergstrae 1 41468 Neuss GermanyAstrid Schafmeister Tel.: +49 2131 609-3028 E-Mail: astrid.schafmeister@yfai.com

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
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 Swiss stock market ended the first trading day of the new week in the red. A number of factors weighed on investor sentiment Monday, including continued concerns over a potential trade war. Investors were in a cautious mood ahead of Wednesday's policy statement from the Federal Reserve, as well as the upcoming announcement from the Bank of England on Thursday. The weak performance on Wall Street also weighed on sentiment in the afternoon, especially the drop in shares of social media giant Facebook. The Swiss Market Index decreased by 0.80 percent Monday and finished at 8,811.33. The Swiss Leader Index dropped 0.76 percent and the Swiss Performance Index lost 0.70 percent. The weak performance of the index heavyweights pressured the overall market Monday. Nestle and Novartis declined by 0.8 each, while Roche lost 0.3 percent. UBS weakened by 1.7 percent, Credit Suisse surrendered 1.6 percent and Julius Baer fell 1.2 percent. Swiss Re decreased 1.5 percent, while Zurich and Baloise dropped 1.4 percent each. ABB fell 1.6 percent after some cautious comments from Liberum. Sonova was among the weakest performing stocks of the session, with a loss of 1.9 percent. Swatch climbed 2.2 percent after Morgan Stanley upgraded its rating on the stock to 'Overweight' from 'Equal weight.' Shares of Richemont added 0.5 percent. In the broad market, shares of Sunrise dropped 1.9 percent after Citigroup issued a 'Sell' recommendation on the stock. 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.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA / ACCESSWIRE / March 19, 2018 / Medical clinic and research facility Olympus Genetics Pty Ltd, based in Sydney Olympic Park, NSW, Australia, are pleased to announce the release of medical services relating to the use of the INVITAE Inc Proactive Genetic Testing of approximately 139 Genes including 50 cancer genes, 50 cardiovascular genes and approximately 39 other genetic traits. More details can be obtained from http://www.olympusgenetics.com.au.

Proactive testing is important and covers the information below:

- Informs healthy individuals about their risk for certain genetic conditions.

- Analyzes up to 139 genes related to inherited cancers, cardiovascular conditions, and more.

- Includes post-test consultation with a board-certified genetic counselor for patients.

- Test results have a clear medical basis and are clinically actionable.

- Supports proactive health care in conjunction with a medical provider.

- Additional test options for a focused look at genetic risks specifically related to either cancer or cardiovascular conditions.

The Director of Mackay Oral and MaxilloFacial Surgery, Dr. Anthony Oliver, is a USA Board certified surgeon and a Graduate of Sydney University, The University of Melbourne, and completed the 4-year advanced program in Oral and MaxilloFacial Surgery at the prestigious Texas group of hospitals and The University of Texas. Dr. Oliver is one of Australia's leading specialists and works in NSW and Queensland.

Olympus Genetics Pty Ltd has partnered with a large American genetics company, Invitae Inc. of San Francisco, Ca. to offer the Australian genetic testing service with a 14-21 day turnaround for collection through to online results and genetic counseling. There are many cancers of the body that have a gene defect that may be picked up by screening. Similarly with cardiovascular diseases including cardiomyopathy.

Collection is easily undertaken with either a blood or salivary sample. The samples are collected in Sydney and under strict international conditions are prioritised air freight to the west coast of the USA where they are processed in a world-class, FDA approved laboratory in San Francisco, California. The results are available online and/or patients are subsequently advised of their results at our Olympus Circular Quay Medical Centre, 238 George Street, Sydney office.

On the 16th March, 2018 Mackay Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery under the leadership of Dr. Oliver undertook lectures to the North Queensland dental community. Olympus Genetics Pty Ltd was invited to attend and present.

Associate Professor Vickers, Director of associated research company, Olympus Stem Cells Pty Ltd says, "Genetic testing or screening for genetic diseases has an important role in preventive medicine."

Mackay Oral and MaxilloFacial Surgery have a strong emphasis on patient centred care and surgical excellence. Dr. Anthony Oliver is Board certified by The American Board of Oral and MaxilloFacial Surgery.

Olympus Genetics Pty Ltd is one of the few companies in Australia able to offer the analysis of a subset of approximately 139 genes in a timely and cost-effective manner. Olympus Stem Cells Pty Ltd is also one of the few companies undertaking groundbreaking stem cell treatment in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

More information on the Olympus clinics and the work that they do can be obtained at http://www.olympushealthgroup.com.au.

Contact Dr Anthony Oliver through Illawarra Oral and MaxilloFacial Surgery, NSW, Australia or Mackay Oral and MaxilloFacial Surgery, Queensland, Australia. More information on Associate Professor Vickers' work can be obtained at http://www.clinicalstemcells.com.

Contact Olympus Genetics Pty Ltd. and Olympus Stem Cells Pty Ltd:



Professor Russell Vickers

+61 4277 11 888

director@clinicalstemcells.com

Olympus Stem Cell Centre, Sydney Olympic Park, 5 Australia Avenue, Sydney Olympic Park, NSW, Australia

Contact Olympus Stem Cells Pty Ltd:



Professor Russell Vickers

+61 4277 11 888

director@clinicalstemcells.com

Olympus Stem Cell Centre, Sydney Olympic Park, 5 Australia Avenue, Sydney Olympic Park, NSW, Australia.

SOURCE: Olympus Genetics Pty Ltd
YOKNEAM, Israel, March 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Lumenis Ltd., the world's largest energy-based medical device company for surgical, aesthetic, and ophthalmic applications, announced that it will again be supporting the International Scar Treatment Conference in Israel, which will be held for the second time in Tel Aviv, on March 21st-22nd, 2018.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/541530/Lumenis_Logo.jpg )



(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/655985/Lumenis_is_Proud_to_Support_Scars_II.jpg )



Last year, at the very first Scar Treatment Conference, the international event allowed key opinion leaders from the USA, Europe and Israel to gather and share important new studies and patient care protocols. Among them were Dr. Jill Waibel, Dr. Peter Shumaker, Dr. Mateo Tretti Clementoni and other leading experts, who spoke about the unique Lumenis UltraPulseSCAARFX' solution for severe scar treatment.

"Treatment of scars is my passion and last year's 2017 International Scars Conference was one of the most informative meetings regarding this topic," said Dr. Matteo Tretti Clementoni. "Lumenis produces a variety of devices including the UltraPluse CO2, the ResurFX' (1565 nm non-ablative fractional), and the IPL with OPT', that allow me to treat most of the scars I see during my everyday activity. Using their devices along or in combination we are not only able to change the features of a scar but also to really improve the quality of life of the patients."

Under the direction of The Tel Aviv Medical Center, Ichilov, with the Israel Society of Dermatology and Venereology, the Israeli Society for Dermatologic Surgery and the Israeli Society of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, the conference will bring together experts from the plastic surgery, aesthetic, and dermatology community worldwide to explore the newest, cutting-edge practices in scar treatment and aesthetics.

"Lumenis is proud to support the second International Scar Treatment Conference in Israel," said Tzipi Ozer-Armon, CEO of Lumenis. "We take great pride in our meaningful solutions for scar treatments, which not only impact the visibility of scars, but the quality of life of patients who suffer from them."

Lectures will be held on a diverse range of topics, including scar mitigation and healing, surgery and trauma, therapies for medical management, laser and light therapy, and acne scarring and striae to name just a few. In addition to the presentations, and a live scar treatment workshop, an extensive, professional exhibition will be held to showcase the latest breakthrough innovations in medical equipment and the pharmaceutical industry worldwide, including a section featuring Lumenis breakthroughs, such as the UltraPulseSCAARFX', M22' - multi application platform, and AcuPulse'.

On Wednesday, March 21st and Thursday, March 22nd the Lumenis UltraPulseSCAARFX', M22' - multi application platform, and AcuPulse' complete aesthetic workstation will be the focus of over 20 lectures at the Scars II Conference. Highlights include, live scar treatments workshop by world renowned experts, "Ameliorating pain and itch", by Dr. William Norbury, "Algorithm for laser scar treatment", by Dr. Matteo Tretti Clementoni, and more. Please visit lumenis.com for a detailed agenda.

About Lumenis

Lumenis is a global leader in the field of minimally-invasive clinical solutions for the Surgical, Ophthalmology, and Aesthetic markets, and is a world-renowned expert in developing and commercializing innovative energy-based technologies, including Laser, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and Radio-Frequency (RF). For 50 years, Lumenis' ground-breaking products have redefined medical treatments and have set numerous technological and clinical gold-standards.Lumenis has successfully created solutions for previously untreatable conditions, as well as designed advanced technologies that have revolutionized existing treatment methods. For more information visit: http://www.lumenis.com



Forward-Looking Statements

Information provided in this press release may contain statements relating to current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about future events that are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may include but are not limited to the Company's plans, objectives and expectations for future operations, including its projected results of operations. Forward-looking statements are often characterized by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "believe," "should," "intend," "plan," "project" or other similar words, but are not the only way these statements are identified. These forward-looking statements are based upon our management's current estimates and projections of future results or trends. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties these forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether a result of new information, future events or otherwise.



For further information, contact 5W Public Relations at Lumenis@5wpr.com.
Also Announces that Major Hospital Will Host New Training Center for RECELL in Beijing

AVITA Medical (ASX: AVH) (OTCQX: AVMXY) today announced the commencement of a randomized, controlled clinical trial of RECELL in the treatment of deep partial-thickness (second-degree) burns in China. RECELL is a medical device designed to facilitate skin regeneration while reducing the amount of skin harvested at the time of surgery. Reduction in donor site skin requirements has important benefits from both clinical and health economic perspectives.

The clinical trial entitled "Key Technique and Clinical Pathway for Burn Treatment" is being funded by the China National Health and Family Planning Commission. In the controlled clinical trial, burn patients will be randomized to be treated with either standard of care, RECELL or one of two other treatments. The study is being led by Dr. Dahai Hu of The First Affiliated Hospital of the Fourth Military Medical University (Xijing Hospital).

AVITA Medical also announced that it is collaborating with the Plastic Surgery Department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), one of the most renowned hospitals in China, to establish a RECELL training center based in Beijing. The training center will help standardize protocol for the use of RECELL, train RECELL surgeons country wide, and encourage the expansion of the use of this innovative treatment to hospitals across China. RECELL is being distributed in China by China Pharmaceutical Group Shanghai Medical Instrument Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sinopharm, the state-owned healthcare conglomerate.

"We are pleased to be working with such prestigious organizations as the China National Health and Planning Commission, PUMCH and Sinopharm," said Dr. Michael Perry, AVITA Medical's Chief Executive Officer. "Our initiatives within China are consistent with our evolving strategy of using data from controlled clinical trials and health economic studies to ensure that RECELL is effectively promoted and priced in all major markets."

AVITA Medical has completed two U.S. pivotal clinical trials in patients with severe burns which will be used to support the planned launch of RECELL in the U.S. and in other markets internationally. In addition, the Company expects the commencement of additional clinical trials in burn patients in Australia and the United Kingdom this year, as well as two controlled clinical trials in the U.S. in pediatric patients. Support from organizations such as China National Health and Planning Commission in China and Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA, under Contract No. HHSO100201500028C), under the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, within the US Department of Health and Human Services in the U.S., allows these trials and other RECELL initiatives to be accelerated while maintaining resource requirements at a reasonable level.

ABOUT AVITA MEDICAL LIMITED: AVITA Medical is a regenerative medicine company with a technology platform positioned to address unmet medical needs in burns, chronic wounds, and aesthetics indications. AVITA's patented and proprietary collection and application technology provides innovative treatment solutions derived from the regenerative properties of a patient's own skin. Our medical devices work by preparing a REGENERATIVE EPITHELIAL SUSPENSION, an autologous suspension comprised of the patient's own skin cells and wound healing factors that are necessary to regenerate natural healthy skin. This autologous suspension is then sprayed onto the areas of the patient to be treated.

In all countries outside of Europe in which our devices are registered for sale, our portfolio is marketed under the RECELL brand to promote skin healing in a wide range of applications including burns, chronic wounds and aesthetics. RECELL is TGA-registered in Australia, and CFDA-cleared in China. In Europe, our portfolio of medical device products received CE-mark approval as three tailored product presentations, with three individual brand names. RECELL is designed for the treatment of burns and plastic reconstructive procedures; REGENERCELL has been formulated for chronic wounds including leg and foot ulcers; and RENOVACELL is tailored for aesthetic applications including the restoration of pigmentation. In the United States, RECELL is an investigational device limited by federal law to investigational use.

To learn more, visit www.avitamedical.com.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This letter includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "could," "may," "will," "believe," "estimate," "look forward," "forecast," "goal," "target," "project," "continue," "outlook," "guidance," "future," other words of similar meaning and the use of future dates. Forward-looking statements in this letter include, but are not limited to, statements concerning, among other things, our ongoing clinical trials and product development activities, regulatory approval of our products, the potential for future growth in our business, and our ability to achieve our key strategic, operational and financial goal. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Each forward- looking statement contained in this letter is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statement. Applicable risks and uncertainties include, among others, the timing of regulatory approvals of our products; physician acceptance, endorsement, and use of our products; failure to achieve the anticipated benefits from approval of our products; the effect of regulatory actions; product liability claims; risks associated with international operations and expansion; and other business effects, including the effects of industry, economic or political conditions outside of the company's control. Investors should not place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this letter. Investors are encouraged to read our publicly available filings for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this letter speak only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any of these statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180319006206/en/

Contacts:

For Further Information:

Australia

Monsoon Communications

Sarah Kemter

Phone: +61 (0)3 9620 3333

Mobile: +61 (0)407 162 530

sarahk@monsoon.com.au

or

USA

Westwicke Partners

Caroline Corner

Phone +1 (415) 202-5678

caroline.corner@westwicke.com

or

AVITA Medical Ltd

Dale A. Sander

Chief Financial Officer

Phone +1 (661) 367-9178

dsander@avitamedical.com
West Elm, home furnishings retailer and member of the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. portfolio of brands, is scheduled to open its third UK location on 20th March in Westfield London, the largest shopping centre in Europe. The 8,200 sq. ft. store will open with the brand's Spring assortment, along with a signature mix of Mid-century and modern furniture and accessories, as well as Fair Trade Certified and handcrafted products. Additionally, West Elm Westfield London will offer Williams-Sonoma, Inc.'s design consultation program Design Crew, which pairs customers with experts who can provide design services. West Elm Westfield London will bring approximately 30 locally recruited jobs to the community.

"We are celebrating five years in the UK this year and are thrilled to continue our growth and expansion with the opening of our third UK location at Westfield London," comments West Elm President Alex Bellos. "The community focused approach that Westfield London has taken to their new development aligns with our core brand values of Choice, Community and Consciousness. We're delighted to be recruiting within the local area, and supporting the creative talent of local artists, designers and makers through our West Elm LOCAL program. The new store will open with a cadence of exciting events, workshops and pop-ups to engage with the Westfield London community."

West Elm Westfield London will be launching with a limited-edition tote bag designed by LOCAL seller The Lovely Drawer, free to customers with a purchase of over 100. Throughout the launch day on 20th March, West Elm will host a series of free workshops including; contemporary paper flowers with A Petal Unfolds, brush lettering with The Lovely Drawer and lino printing with craft designer Emily Dawe.

For up-to-date information on in-store promotions, events and workshop tickets, customers are encouraged to "like" the West Elm Westfield London store on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westelmwestfield and follow West Elm UK on Instagram: @westelmUK.

Now located in 3 UK locations: Tottenham Court Road, Kingston and Westfield London; you can also shop online at www.westelm.co.uk.

Applicants interested in joining the West Elm Westfield London team are encouraged to email WEWestfield@wsgc.com.

About West Elm

Headquartered in Brooklyn, NY since 2002, West Elm opened its first store in DUMBO, the neighborhood it still proudly calls home. With a mission of harnessing the power of design and human connection to enrich lives, everything West Elm does is designed to make an impact in everyday life, from creating unique, affordable designs for modern living and commitment to Fair Trade Certified, from LOCAL and handcrafted products to community-driven collaborations and events. The brand operates more than 100 retail stores as well as e-commerce websites in the United States, Australia, Canada and the UK, ships internationally to customers around the world, and has unaffiliated franchisees that operate stores in Mexico, Middle East, Philippines and South Korea. In addition to home furnishings retail, West Elm operates West Elm Workspace in the commercial furnishings industry and announced its expansion into the travel and hospitality industry with the launch of West Elm Hotels. West Elm publishes the blog Front+Main and is part of an active community on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube. West Elm is a member of the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) portfolio of brands.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180319006218/en/

Contacts:

UK West Elm PR:

Sophie Hughes

PR & Brand Marketing Manager

Slhughes3@wsgc.com

+44(0)20 3865 6169

or

US West Elm PR:

Andres (Dru) Ortega

PR Influencer Marketing Manager

AOrtega2@wsgc.com
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Capstone Mining Corp. ("Capstone") (TSX: CS) is saddened to report that a fatal accident occurred at its Cozamin Mine on Sunday, March 18, 2018. An electrical technician was injured while working on an underground voltage regulator. He was transported immediately to a hospital in Zacatecas where he later passed away.

"Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to our miner's family and our entire team at Cozamin," said Darren Pylot, President and CEO of Capstone.

Operations at Cozamin were temporarily suspended yesterday, but have since resumed with the exception of the immediate area of the accident which is secured for investigation. An investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing and the necessary authorities have been notified.

Capstone remains committed to the highest safety standards at all its operations and sincerely regrets that these efforts did not prevent this incident.

AboutCapstone Mining Corp.

Capstone Mining Corp. is a Canadian base metals mining company, focused on copper. We are committed to the responsible development of our assets and the environments in which we operate. Our three producing mines are the Pinto Valley copper mine located in Arizona, US, the Cozamin polymetallic mine in Zacatecas State, Mexico and the Minto copper mine in Yukon, Canada. In addition, Capstone has the large scale 70% owned copper-iron Santo Domingo development project in Region III, Chile, in partnership with Korea Resources Corporation, as well as a portfolio of exploration properties. Capstone's strategy is to focus on the optimization of operations and assets in politically stable, mining-friendly regions, centred in the Americas. Our headquarters are in Vancouver, Canada and we are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). Further information is available at http://www.capstonemining.com.

Cindy Burnett, VP, Investor Relations and Communications, +1-604-637-8157, cburnett@capstonemining.com
BRASILIA (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. government's decision to increase duties on steel and aluminum imports may fast-track a free trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, said Brazilian Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles. During an interview with CBN radio, he said that countries affected by the surcharge should seek new partnerships to export their products. Meirelles also said that the Brazilian government is already in touch with the Donald Trump administration to understand the decision and assess if an agreement between Brazil and the United States is possible. However, the minister did not deny that the Brazilian government could take the United States to the World Trade Organization (WTO) if there is no agreement on the duties. 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.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Uber has temporarily stopped testing of its self-driving cars across North America after a pedestrian was killed by one of its self-driving cars in Tempe, Arizona on Sunday night. Uber has halted the testing of self-driving cars in San Francisco, Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Toronto. According to reports, it is the first fatality in any testing program involving autonomous vehicles. The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation into the accident. 'Our hearts go out to the victim's family. We are fully cooperating with local authorities in their investigation of this incident,' Uber spokeswoman said. 'Some incredibly sad news out of Arizona. We're thinking of the victim's family as we work with local law enforcement to understand what happened,' Twitter CEO Dara Khosrowshahi tweeted. The accident occurred at about 10 p.m on Sunday in the area of Curry Road and Mill Avenue. The vehicle was in autonomous mode at the time of the crash, but a driver was behind the wheel. The woman, 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg, was crossing the street when she was hit by the car. She died at a hospital. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 19, 2018) - Bluestone Resources Inc. (TSXV: BSR) (OTCQB: BBSRF) ("Bluestone" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of William Lamb as Independent Lead Director of the Board of Directors of the Company. Mr. Lamb became a Director of the Company at the Company's annual general meeting October 25, 2017.

Darren Klinck, President and CEO commented, "We are extremely pleased William will be more involved and has taken on the role of Independent Lead Director, he brings significant mine building and operating expertise in addition to a wide range of international experience that will be highly complementary to advancing the Cerro Blanco Gold and Mita Geothermal projects."

William Lamb

Mr. Lamb has over 25 years of experience in mining and operations in Canada and several Southern African countries. His background includes operational and project management in the precious metals, coal, chrome, and diamond sectors. Mr. Lamb spent the last 10 years with Lucara Diamond Corp. where he was instrumental in the acquisition of the AK6 asset, now the Karowe Mine. At Karowe the Lucara team took the project from feasibility through to production, including the use of new innovative technologies which resulted in the recovery of numerous record setting, large high quality diamonds. He currently also serves on the boards of various public and private companies in the mining and explorations sectors.

About Bluestone Resources

Bluestone Resources is a mineral exploration and development company that is focused on advancing its 100% owned Cerro Blanco Gold and Mita Geothermal projects located in Guatemala. The Cerro Blanco Project economics, as disclosed in the Company's Cerro Blanco Preliminary Economic Assessment which is available at www.sedar.com, and updated mineral resource estimate for Cerro Blanco indicates a robust project with an expected nine-year mine life producing 952,000 ounces of gold and 3,141,000 ounces of silver. Initial capital expenditures estimated in the PEA to fund construction and commissioning is estimated at US$170.8 million with all-in sustaining cash costs (as defined per World Gold Council guidelines, less corporate general and administration costs) estimated to be US$490 per ounce of gold produced. The Company trades under the symbol "BSR" on the TSX Venture Exchange and "BBSRF" on the OTCQB.

On Behalf of Bluestone Resources Inc.

"Darren Klinck"

Darren Klinck | President, Chief Executive Officer & Director

For further information, please contact:

Bluestone Resources Inc.

Stephen Williams | VP Corporate Development & Investor Relations

Phone: +1 604 646 4534

info@bluestoneresources.ca

www.bluestoneresources.ca

Cautionary Language

The PEA is preliminary in nature, it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that Bluestone Resources Inc. ("Bluestone" or the "Company") believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including, without limitation: the proposed timeline and benefits of the Feasibility Study; statements about the Company's plans for its mineral properties; Bluestone's business strategy, plans and outlook; the future financial or operating performance of Bluestone; capital expenditures, corporate general and administration expenses and exploration and development expenses; expected working capital requirements; the future financial estimates of the Cerro Blanco Project economics, including estimates of capital costs of constructing mine facilities and bringing a mine into production and of sustaining capital costs, estimates of operating costs and total costs, net present value and economic returns; proposed production timelines and rates; funding availability; resource estimates; and future exploration and operating plans are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to Bluestone and often use words such as "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "estimates", "intends", "may" or variations thereof or the negative of any of these terms.

All forward-looking statements are made based on the Company's current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. Generally, these assumptions include, among others: the ability of Bluestone to carry on exploration and development activities; the price of gold, silver and other metals; there being no material variations in the current tax and regulatory environment; the exchange rates among the Canadian dollar, Guatemalan quetzal and the United States dollar remaining consistent with current levels; the presence of and continuity of metals at the Cerro Blanco Project at estimated grades; the availability of personnel, machinery and equipment at estimated prices and within estimated delivery times; metals sales prices and exchange rates assumed; appropriate discount rates applied to the cash flows in economic analyses; tax rates and royalty rates applicable to the proposed mining operation; the availability of acceptable financing; anticipated mining losses and dilution; success in realizing proposed operations; anticipated timelines for community consultations and the impact of those consultations on the regulatory approval process.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements and, even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, Bluestone. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: risks and uncertainties related to expected production rates, timing and amount of production and total costs of production; risks and uncertainties related to ability to obtain or maintain necessary licenses, permits, or surface rights; risks associated with technical difficulties in connection with mining development activities; risks and uncertainties related to the accuracy of mineral resource estimates and estimates of future production, future cash flow, total costs of production and diminishing quantities or grades of mineral resources; risks associated with geopolitical uncertainty and political and economic instability in Guatemala; risks and uncertainties related to interruptions in production; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; uncertain political and economic environments and relationships with local communities; risks relating to variations in the mineral content within the mineral identified as mineral resources from that predicted; variations in rates of recovery and extraction; developments in world metals markets; risks related to fluctuations in currency exchange rates; as well as those factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Amended and Restated Annual Information Form.

Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was made, and except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Bluestone disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although Bluestone believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to their inherent uncertainty. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
Company Simultaneously Announces Successful Live Cases Performed in London at the International Veins Meeting

SAN JOSE, California, March 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Venclose, Inc., a privately-held Silicon Valley medical technology company, today announced that more than 2,000 patients have been treated with the company's VENCLOSE' Radiofrequency (RF) Ablation System in the United States and Europe. The VENCLOSE system is the next-generation endovenous RF ablation system designed to close the damaged vein and restore healthy blood flow in patients with venous reflux disease, a progressive medical condition which is often associated with varicose veins.

Additionally, the VENCLOSE system, which received CE mark approval in December 2017, was used during two live cases at the College of Phlebology International Veins Meeting held March 16, 2018 in London. The procedures wereperformed by Professor Mark Whiteley, Consultant Venous Surgeon and Consultant Phlebologist at the Whiteley Clinic, and Mr. Sameh Dimitri, Consultant Vascular Surgeon and Clinical Director of the South Mersey Vascular Centre. Both procedures were well tolerated, and immediate post-procedure duplex ultrasound confirmed closure with no serious adverse events.

"With the VENCLOSE system, I am able to offer my patients a well-established endovenous RF ablation treatment with a system that is more efficient for my practice," said Prof. Whiteley. "With the touch screen generator interface, I can easily switch between the 2.5 and 10 cm treatment segments. I particularly like the fact the system displays time of treatment and cumulative energy in linear endovenous energy density (LEED) - it's smart, versatile and efficient."

"I am impressed with the new VENCLOSE RF catheter," said Mr. Dimitri. "Its lower profile allows me to use a 6 Fr sheath, unlike other RF catheters which require a 7 Fr sheath, which results in a smaller catheter entry site and increases flexibility to help me navigate through tortuous veins."

With two heating lengths in one catheter, the VENCLOSE system is more versatile and efficient than current RF ablation systems - reducing total in-vein time and simplifying inventory management. Its smaller, 6 Fr catheter minimizes invasiveness and eases navigation through the diseased vein. The compact generator offers nearly instant power-up, and the touch screen display incorporates audible tones for thermal delivery to simplify its operation throughout the procedure.

"We are pleased to see such strong interest in and adoption of the VENCLOSE system," said Jerry Gibson, Chairman andCEO of Venclose. "We will carry this positive momentum forward as we bring our innovative system to more physicians across the US and Europe."

About Venclose, Inc.

Venclose is a privately-held, commercial-stageSilicon Valleymedical technology company developing next-generation solutions for the treatment of venous reflux disease, also known as chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). CVI is a progressive medical condition affecting more than 30 million adults in the United States alone. The VENCLOSE RF Ablation System offers physicians more versatility than the current endovenous radiofrequency ablation systems and is commercially available in the United States and Europe.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Katie Arnold

SPRIG Consulting, LLC

+1 (408) 805-0520

katie@sprigconsulting.com
Oil and gas company Oil Search,has announced a deal with Petsec Energy concerning its onshore exploration permit in the republic of Yemen.Under the agreement Petsec will acquire all shares of Oil search subsidiary Oil Search (ROY) Limited.Oil Search (ROY) Limited holds a 40 per cent working interest in the (Block 7) license and operatorship in the Republic of Yemen.Block 7 is an onshore exploration permit covering an area of 5000 square kilometers.The block contains the Al Meashar oil discovery made by Oil Search in 2010 as well as an inventory of nine prospects and leads defined by seismic surveys.The transaction increases Petsecs potential working interest in Block 7 to 100 per cent.Petsec says the deal means they can now focus on bringing the oil and gas fields into production.Shares in Oil Searchare trading 1.7% higher to $7.19
Metis Precision Medicine, a Turin, Italy-based developer of oncologic therapies, raised 450k in seed funding.

Club degli Investitori, a regional business angel network operating in Piedmont, made the investment.

Founded in 2017 as a Benefit Company by Prof Paolo Comoglio, Metis Precision Medicine develops a medicine that inducts the clinical remission and prolong patients life in selected cases.

The company, which has an IP portfolio related to monoclonal antibodies vs an oncogene (Met), intends to use the funds to conduct the pre-clinical stage to finalize the deposit of a new IP.

FinSMEs

19/03/2018
Daaichi is awaiting to get an arbitration award of Rs 3,500 from Singh brothers who according to the company did not reveal full details of Ranbaxy at the time of selling it to Daiichi.

Japanese drug maker Daiichi Sankyo in a complaint to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that former Ranbaxy promoters Malvinder and Shivinder Singh formed companies of dubious nature to conduct inter-corporate transactions and to siphon off money, according to a report in The Economic Times.

Daiichi is awaiting to get an arbitration award of Rs 3,500 from Singh brothers who according to the company did not reveal full details of Ranbaxy at the time of selling it to Daiichi. It also alleged the Singh brothers have done questionable related-party transactions, according to the letter it has written to the ED on 13 March.

Daiichi also expresses in its letter to ED its fears over the complex web of inter-company transactions that the Singh brothers allegedly woven to swindle money. It also believes the arbitral award money would not be secure without intervention of the ED.

The Japanese firms move of writing a letter to the countrys premier anti-money laundering agency comes close on the heels of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) and Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) conducting parallel investigations into financial irregularities at Fortis Healthcare and Religare Enterprises.

On 13 February, a PTI report said that Fortis Healthcare has board accepted the resignations of Singh brothers.

The board of directors of the company accepted the resignations of Malvinder, Executive Chairman and Shivinder, Non-Executive Vice Chairman, with effect from February 8, 2018, the company said in BSE filing, the report said.

A day after that, the brother duo resigned from the board of Religare Enterprises. "Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh have stepped down from the board of directors with effect from February 14, 2018," Religare Enterprises said in a regulatory filing, the PTI reported.

The Singh brothers had jointly tendered their resignation following the Delhi High Court order upholding the Rs 3,500-crore arbitral award in favour of Daiichi Sankyo.
Reliance Jio, telecom arm of Reliance Industries (RIL) promoted by Ambanis elder brother Mukesh, had in December 2017 clinched the deal with Reliance Group to buy debt laden companys mobile business, towers and optical fibre network.

Reliance Communications (RCom), Anil Ambani-led Reliance Groups telecom arm, has rushed to the Supreme Court in what could be termed as companys last ditch attempt to complete the Rs 25,000 crore assets sale deal with Reliance Jio (RJio), according to a report in The Economic Times.

The company had last week approached the Bombay High Court which rejected its plea seeking quashing of an arbitration order in favour of Ericsson, Swedish telecom equipment maker which claims Rs 1,012 crore of dues on RCom.

The plea from RCom in SC is also seen as an effort form the ailing company to avoid going to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) where it is staring at a bankruptcy proceeding.

RCom owes Rs 45,000 crore to as many as 35 banks which are keen on dragging the company to NCLT if it failed to repay the loans. With the telecom assets sale to RJio, RCom aims to raise Rs 25,000 crore and pare the whopping debt.

The Bombay HC injunction on sale of telecom assets by RCom to RJio without prior permission has led to the Reliance Group knocking on the doors of the apex court, hoping that the top court will clear the decks for assets sale.

RCom promoter Anil Ambani has promised to clear the Rs 45,000 crore within a stipulated time frame. The Rs 25,000 crore mobile assets sale deal with RJio forms part of that exercise which RCom wants to complete before the end the current financial year.

Reliance Jio, telecom arm of Reliance Industries (RIL) promoted by Ambanis elder brother Mukesh, had in December 2017 clinched the deal with Reliance Group to buy debt laden companys mobile business, towers and optical fibre network.

In March this year, Indias competition watchdog the Competition Commission of India (CCI), gave its approval to the deal which received a setback in the form Swedish firm approaching an arbitration tribunal and getting a favourable ruling, according to the PTI.

In the same month, the NCLT had given both the RCom and Ericsson one weeks time to find and reach an out of court settlement in the matter wherein Swedish company claims Rs 1,012 crore dues on the Indian company.

In September last year, Ericsson had in a plea sought from NCLT liquidation of the telecom operator to recover Rs 1,150 crore. According to Ericsson, RCom had not paid it for equipment and services for two years, and instead issued only a few post-dated cheques, according to this Economic Times report.

(Disclosure: Reliance Industries Ltd is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd)
Poor countries and poor people in rich countries have benefited from the surge in global trade over the past decade.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde cautioned the United States against putting up barriers to trade, according to a media report."Trade wars leave no winners," she said in the interview with Argentine daily La Nacion, responding to a question about President Donald Trump's decision to slap tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.

She said poor countries and poor people in rich countries have benefited from the surge in global trade over the past decade, but acknowledged that some regions and industries have suffered. "The effect generated by innovation and trade should be taken into account to remedy that harm, but trying to reduce trade or erect additional barriers won't generate any winners," she said.

Lagarde is in Buenos Aires for a meeting Monday and Tuesday of G-20 finance ministers and central bank presidents.

She said the global economy is in good shape, with 3.9 percent growth projected this year as well as higher levels of investor confidence. "That doesn't mean there aren't some clouds on the horizon that we should pay attention to," she said.

Trump's sudden decision earlier this month to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel and 10 percent on aluminium has revived fears of a trade war. He has since extended temporary exemptions to Mexico and Canada, pending renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. But the European Union has threatened retaliatory tariffs on US goods unless it is exempted. South Korea also is seeking an exemption and China has warned it won't stand idly by if its interests are harmed.

Lagarde noted the rise of China as an investor in Latin America, saying it was only natural that the world's second largest economy would seek partnerships in the region. "Any country like the United States or Europe might have thought in the past of this region as part of its territory, and (they) are now surprised because it no longer is," she said.
Calling the RBI ban a knee jerk reaction, businesses said they are perplexed by the central banks sudden decision.

Bankers could approach the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) with a request to do away with the ban on letters of undertaking (LoU), as the central bank order, announced on 14 March, will raise borrowing costs for importers, according to a media report.

Lenders are reportedly trying to put together a framework that will make buyers credit both safe and robust, without demolishing the simplicity offered by LoUs. It would be unfortunate if [Indian importers] now have to pay more and lose out on liquidity simply because a few rogue jewellers and bankers have misused the system, a senior banker told The Economic Times.

Furthermore, an unnamed finance head of a large firm told the newspaper that banks could also consider asking the RBI for its help in pushing out a legal framework for LoUs.

LoU volumes are estimated at anywhere between $20 billion to $40 billion. The business community is now upset, and rightly so. This is because they feel that theyre facing the brunt of actions of some jewellers and bankers, who cocked a snook at the system.

Last week, some businesses told Firstpost that they were struggling to figure out on how to make payments. Calling the RBI ban a knee jerk reaction, businesses said they are perplexed by the central banks sudden decision.

The central banks diktat came in the wake of the nearly Rs 13,600 crore scam in state-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB), which involves jewellers Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, who owns Gitanjali Gems.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered two FIRs  one in February and another on 31 January -- against billionaire Modi, Choksi and others for allegedly defrauding Mumbai-traded PNB. Mody and Choksi colluded with PNB employees at the lenders Brady House branch, in south Mumbai, to obtain unauthorised and unmonitored LoUs to commit the fraud.

With inputs from PTI.
Mumbai Police has arrested three directors of Parekh Aluminex Ltd (PAL) as part of an investigation into the non-payment of dues estimated at Rs 4,000 crore

The Mumbai Police has arrested three directors of city-based Parekh Aluminex Ltd (PAL), as part of an ongoing investigation into the non-payment of dues estimated at Rs 4,000 crore, several media reports said.

Following a complaint by Axis Bank against PAL for defrauding it of Rs 250 crore, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police arrested Bhawarlal Bhandari, Premal Goragandhi and Kamlesh Kanungo on Friday on charges of cheating, forgery, breach of trust and criminal conspiracy, The Times of India reported.

As many as 20 private lenders including the State Bank of India (SBI), Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), are also seeking the recovery of their dues.

According to Sify, Axis Bank's internal investigation found that directors of PAL cheated and manipulated the system to obtain loans and fraudulent letters of undertaking (LoU). The arrested directors have reportedly been raising fake invoices and issuing manipulated bills through bogus companies.

Between 2011 and 2013, the accused availed a number of short loans and credit facilities from Axis Bank, totalling Rs 290 crore, according to Hindustan Times.

The banks internal probe concluded that the loan amount given to the firm was diverted to the companys loan accounts maintained with other banks and was used for purposes other than what it was taken for. To get the loans, the names and documents of many firms were misused by the accused, an investigation officer told Hindustan Times on the condition of anonymity.

Recent bank loan frauds Persons, entities involved Rs crore Nirav Modi- Mehul Choksi-PNB scam 12,700 Vijay Mallya-Kingfisher bank loan fraud 9,000 Sterling Biotech-Andhra Bank scam 5,000 Parekh Alluminex - Axis Bank scam 4,000 Rotomac-Vikram Kothari-BoB scam 3,695 RP Info System-Shibaji Panja-Canara Bank-scam 515 Simbhaoli Sugars-OBC scam 109 Total 35,019

PAL's dubious record

In August 2017, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had barred PAL from the securities market and issued show-cause notices to its statutory auditor and a former executive director for alleged accounting fraud, diversion of funds and understatement of loans by over Rs 1,000 crore. The SEBI action followed a SBI complaint, filed with the CBI, which alleged that PAL and its directors had defrauded and cheated a consortium of banks.

The complaint filed by SBI had alleged that PAL and its directors fraudulently availed credit facilities from a consortium of banks including SBI, misused such credit facilities with an intention to defraud and cheat the banks, thereby causing losses to the tune of 122.07 crore and interest and other charges to SBI, the SEBI order had said.

CARE, BSE, NSE act against PAL

In August 2017, the BSE had restrained PAL from accessing the securities market and further prohibited it from buying, selling or otherwise dealing in securities in any manner whatsoever, either directly or indirectly. Later the NSE also followed the suit.

In May 2017, PAL and its five directors were booked in Rs 290 crore cheating case jointly filed by Axis Bank and Federal Bank.

In April 2014, CARE had suspended its rating for PAL's bank facilities and instruments, saying the company wasn't providing the needed information to monitor it.

In 2012, PAL had availed the facility of letter of credit (LC) for Rs 240 crore from Axis Bank and another Rs 50 crore LC from Federal Bank, an investigation officer had told The Times of India.
The Association of Power Producers has accused the RBI of over-ruling the Parliamentary standing panel on power and key ministries with its February 12 circular that ended all the existing loan restructuring mechanisms and voted for insolvency code to resolve stressed assets

Mumbai: The Association of Power Producers has accused the RBI of over-ruling the Parliamentary standing panel on power and key ministries with its 12 February circular that ended all the existing loan restructuring mechanisms and voted for insolvency code to resolve stressed assets. The association has also sought a special dispensation from the Reserve Bank saying their defaults are caused mostly by non-payment/delayed payments by state discoms and regulatory delays coupled with poor coal supplies by Coal India.

The association claims that regulatory delays have resulted in pending payments worth Rs 7,800 crore, while pending receivables from state discoms stand at Rs 8,300 crore. Also state-run Coal India is meeting only around 60 percent of its committed supplies. In a 12 March letter to the RBI- exactly a month after the 12 February RBI circular extinguishing all the existing bad loan management mechanisms like the 5/25, SDR, S-4A, CDR etc forthwith- the association has requested Governor Urjit Patel to intervene and exclude the power sector from the purview of the new NPA resolution rules.

Indirectly accusing the central bank of over-ruling the House panel on energy and the views of the Union power and coal ministries, association director general Ashok Khurana says, "The issue of stressed assets was discussed in depth with developers, bankers, regulators, and officials of power and coal ministries by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy. "After hearing all the stakeholders, they've recommended that the revival schemes of the RBI or government should be realistic and not symbolic," Khurana says in the letter.

"Every effort should be made to see that the projects with huge investment do not become NPAs for want of marginal financial infusion or adjustment in the way of making working capital available for passing on the interest variable to the stressed asset," the letter further says quoting the House panel report.

The letter also notes that already there are over 75,000 MW assets- either under operation or under construction- severely stressed due to various reasons-- lower coal availability, lack of long-term/medium-term PPAs, divergence between policy and regulations on pass through of incontestable changes in law (pending regulatory receivables of Rs 7,800 crore), huge delays in regulatory orders, and pending receivables from discoms with pending bills at Rs 8,300 crore.

The letter lists three main factors for the stress in the private sector power sector. "Three-four months of average delay in payment from discoms has resulted in around Rs 8,300 crore of receivables currently.

"Over two years of delay in receiving orders from regulators to pass on the increase in cost of coal due to various taxes and duties which are to be treated as 'change in law' and around Rs 7,800 crore are stuck due to this," the latter says and further notes that as against this, power developers pay in advance for coal, transportation and transmission.

Stating that 'a one-jacket-fits-all guidelines' of RBI will not work, the letter seeks sector-specific guidelines for different infrastructure sectors like energy, telecom, and steel as they have vastly different issues to be resolved. "The system has to be tolerant of genuine difficulties, while coming down heavily on mismanagement and fraud," the letter said.

"We request you to issue special dispensation for power sector by relaxing the default clause from one-day delay in debt servicing and classify the asset as NPA only after the completion of 180-day period and submission of resolution plan should be initiated only after the 180-day period."

That apart, resolution plan must note the regulatory/government delays and so should be exempted from counting as defaulting period. Finally for those case already gone to IBC resolution, RBI must allow grandfathering/a 12-18 month grace period so that resolution and standstill benefit may be allowed to be continued till such period.
During April-December 2017-18, foreign direct investments (FDI) into the country grew by a meagre 0.27 percent to $35.94 billion

New Delhi: As many as six sectors, including defence industries, ports and coal production, have failed to attract any foreign direct investments during the April-December period of the current fiscal, Parliament was informed on Monday.

The other three sectors, which were not able to attract foreign inflows are - photographic raw film & paper, dye-stuffs and coir, according to the data shared by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry C R Chaudhary in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

Barring defence industries and dye-stuffs, the other four segments had not received any FDI in 2015-16 either.

The government has relaxed FDI norms in several sectors, including defence, single brand retail and civil aviation, to attract foreign direct investment in the country.

India imports 70 percent of its military hardware from different countries.

During April-December 2017-18, FDI into the country grew by a meagre 0.27 percent to $35.94 billion.
In the private sector, Essar Oil had 4,275 petrol pumps while Reliance Industries had 1,400 retail outlets. Shell operates 100 petrol pumps

New Delhi: Private fuel retailers like Rosneft-owned Essar Oil and Reliance Industries have doubled their market share in last three years, capturing close to 7 percent of petrol sales and over 8 percent of diesel sales. Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in a written reply to a question put to him in the Lok Sabha, said private companies were allowed to sell petrol and diesel in March 2002. From April 2002, fuel pricing was also deregulated.

Consequently, Reliance, Essar and Shell set up petrol pumps to directly compete with public sector giants like Indian Oil Corp (IOC). In the initial years, private firms were aggressive in setting up of petrol pumps. However, they slowed down once government control over pricing came back in vogue in 2004-05, and they couldn't compete with subsidised fuel sold by PSUs. The government freed petrol price from its control in June 2010 and the same for diesel was done in October 2014, giving fillip to fuel retailing by private firms.

Pradhan said private players had a market share of 3.5 percent in petrol sales and 3.1 percent in diesel in 2015-16. This rose to 5.3 percent in petrol and 6 percent in diesel in the following year. In 2017-18, private retailers commanded 6.8 percent market share in petrol sales and 8.2 percent in diesel, he said.

Private retailers sold 5.18 million tonnes of diesel in 2017-18, up from 1.19 million tonnes in 2015-16, he said. Public sector oil marketing companies - IOC, Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL), saw diesel sales drop from 61.76 million tonnes in 2015-16 to 58.29 million tonnes in 2017-18. During this period, India's fuel consumption grew by an average of 3-4 percent annually. Pradhan said, in petrol, PSU sales rose from 20.95 million tonnes in 2015-16 to 22.39 million tonnes in the following year before dropping to 21.99 million tonnes in 2017-18. Private retailers, on the other hand, saw petrol sales double - from 767,900 tonnes in 2015-16 to 1.59 million tonnes in 2017-18.

India had 61,678 petrol pumps as of January. IOC operates the maximum 26,752 pumps, HPCL has 14,853 and BPCL 14,293 pumps. In the private sector, Essar had 4,275 petrol pumps while Reliance had 1,400 retail outlets. Shell operates 100 petrol pumps.

In 2016-17, India's fuel consumption rose 5.4 percent to 194.6 million tonnes. Diesel at 76 million tonnes is the most consumed fuel, accounting for close to 40 percent of all petrol products used in the country.
Much of the economic resolution presents vague generalities, apart from the section that lambasts the Modi governments economic management record.

The Congress partys economic resolution, adopted at the partys eighty-fourth plenary session, ends with this line: We have heard the clamour for change. It is now time for change. It would have raised some hopes had the resolution started with these words. But because they appear at the end of a document that only offers the same old cliches, it clear that the party under Rahul Gandhi just doesnt get it.

How else does one explain a proposal, in an accompanying resolution on agriculture, employment and poverty alleviation, that the party will create a National Poverty Alleviation Fund and would impose a 5 percent cess on the incomes of the top 1% richest Indians, and use this money to provide scholarships to the underprivileged?

The Congress party has always occupied the centre-left space and it has clearly decided to stay there. Seen in that light, the five tenets of its economic policy doctrine are predictable, though trite:

Prosperity for all through equal economic opportunities without the fear of economic oppression, tax terrorism and overbearing regulation. Carefully designed programs that focus on the needs and aspirations of the poor and the middle class. Large investments by the State in education, healthcare and social safety nets and an efficient public service delivery system. A conducive social and policy climate to foster business confidence, reward risk-taking and promote employment with security. Focus on human development indicators along with economic indicators.

Much of the economic resolution presents vague generalities, apart from  quite naturally  the section that lambasts the Narendra Modi governments economic management record. It rightly promises a simpler GST framework. It urges the government to strengthen both internal and external regulation and oversight of banks, but is silent on what it plans to do if it comes to power. It says the public sector is relevant, but does not say what must be done to revive it, or place it on par with the private sector. It is completely silent on disinvestment. It laments languishing exports and urges the government to do something about it, but does not tell us what, it thinks, needs to be done.

When it does get into specifics -- in the resolution on agriculture, employment and poverty alleviation -- it treads on dangerous ground, trying to out-left the communist parties.

Does the Congress seriously think that its snatching from tycoons and giving to thela-wallahs strategy will work? That, after all, is what the National Poverty Alleviation Fund is all about. As economist Ruchir Sharma said, while speaking at the News18 Rising India Summit: Since 2014, 23,000 millionaires have left this country. Last year, 7,000 millionaires left India. The year before, it was 4,000. A major side-effect of this is that you need your own people to invest in your country. This affects domestic markets. If a `suit-boot sarkar has had this effect on the suited and booted, will not the soak-the-rich cess lead to a further flight of capital from the country?

Now, do consider another proposal, which aims to strengthen the legal and penal provisions against traders who buy agricultural produce from a farmer below the minimum support price (MSP). Has any thought gone into how this will be implemented and what the consequences will be? Or has it been put there just to win some brownie points?

Agriculture is one issue on which both the resolutions have lit into the present government. Fair enough. But what exactly will a permanent Kisan & Krishi Majdoor Welfare Ayog with a constitutional status to oversee the welfare of the farmers and farm workers, guaranteeing them social security in old age do? Will it ensure that the huge number of recommendations (many of them for market-friendly reforms) made by sundry commissions and committees will be implemented? And will creating a separate fisheries ministry ensure that the right policies are framed and, more importantly, implemented? The Modi government was rightly mocked for adding `farmers welfare to the name of the agriculture ministry. It was a meaningless gesture. The Congress proposals are also likely to be equally pointless. Why not, instead, throw the partys weight behind specific recommendations that have been part of public discourse for decades?

What is also surprising is the promise to bring a loan waiver scheme for all small and marginal farmers in the country on the pattern of the farm loan waiver program of the UPA govt in 2009 benefitting 3.2 Cr farmers? This is a question that has been asked many times and bears repeating: if that had been so successful, why are farmers again in distress? This article shows how the 2008 loan waiver was not the success it was made out to be.

Indeed, none other than Abhijit Sen, a member in the Planning Commission during the United Progressive Alliances (UPA) rule, pointed out in this interaction with Firstpost, debt cannot be seen as a continuing problem; it is rather the accumulation of other problems and solving that does not solve the underlying problem. There is precious little, in the doctrine, on these underlying problems and how they will be addressed.

There are some good points about helping farmers to shift to allied activities like animal husbandry, floriculture, poultry farming and set up a network of food parks and special agricultural zones, and replicating Karnatakas success in electronic agricultural trading and renting farm equipment. But there is silence on reforms of state-level regulations on marketing and land leasing (two major hurdles in addressing agricultural distress).

The resolution talks about a comprehensive law on contract farming, but worryingly, this is focused on ensuring that farmers rights are protected. Now, it cannot be anyones case that farmers should be at a disadvantage in contracts, but a contract farming framework needs to provide a win-win for both sides. An overtly pro-farmer bias in the law will only see companies staying away or striking informal arrangements with farmers; it is the farmer who will lose in both situations.

To be fair, the resolutions do talk about reviving manufacturing, giving entrepreneurs more freedom, ending tax terrorism, providing a stable business environment. But the overall tone is that of a command-and-control mindset. The country certainly needs change  towards a more open and liberal economy. The Narendra Modi governments record on that front has been extremely patchy; it has, at best, been a more efficient UPA-3.

Earlier this year, K Raju, the head of Rahul Gandhis office, in an interview, said: I think he will be echoing the economic vision of Jeremy Corbyn of UK. It could be a blend of Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Dr Manmohan Singh's policies with a sharper focus on job creation.

A party that mocked the current government for pakodanomics appears set to usher in khichdinomics. The Indian economy doesnt need either. Meanwhile, the countrys wait for a party that is genuinely right-of-centre in its economic policy continues.

The writer is a senior journalist. She tweets at @soorpanakha.
Saudi state-run oil giant Aramco is seeking majority ownership of proposed refinery-cum-petrochemical complex to be built in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri

Oil giant Saudi Aramco has sought majority ownership of a proposed Rs 3 lakh crore refinery-cum-petrochemical complex, to be built in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district, according to a media report.

State-owned oil firms Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) have inked an agreement to build the world's largest refinery and petrochemical complex, in Ratnagiri, at a cost of around $40 billion.

Aramco is now in talks with these Indian firms, seeking marketing rights over fuel and petrochemicals produced at the complex, alongside an assurance that the refinery will mostly use Saudi oil, sources familiar with the matter told The Economic Times.

IOC currently owns a 50 percent stake in the project, with the remainder is equally split between BPCL and HPCL.

Giving Aramco the majority stake is just out of the question. If we cant have the majority stake in our own project, on our own land, then where, a person with knowledge of the ongoing negotiations was quoted as telling the news paper.

Why the Ratnagiri refinery holds importance?

The Ratnagiri refinery will take five to six years to commence production, after the project secures the requisite clearances. The refinery will include three crude units of 20 million tonnes each.

Once commissioned, the refinery will produce petrol, diesel, LPG, aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and feedstock for making petrochemicals that are the basic building blocks in the plastics, chemicals and textile industries.

IOC has been eyeing the west coast of India for a refinery, as catering to customers in the west and the south is difficult with its refineries located mostly in the north. HPCL and BPCL have also been looking at a bigger refinery because of the constraints they face at their Mumbai units. Being on the west coast will provide the proposed unit a natural advantage: it can easily source crude oil from the Middle-East, Africa and South America.

India has a refining capacity of around 232.066 million tonnes, which exceeded the demand of 194.2 million tonnes in the 2016-17 fiscal. According to the International Energy Agency (EA), this demand is expected to reach 458 million tonnes by 2040.

IOC operates 11 refineries with a total capacity of 81.2 million tonnes while BPCL has four refineries with a total capacity of 33.4 million tonnes. HPCL operates three refineries with a total capacity of 24.8 million tonnes.

Aramco's expansion drive in India

Last October, Saudi Aramco launched a new venture near New Delhi. The global oil exporter has been looking to tap rising demand in India, and invest in what is now the worlds third-biggest oil importer. Aramco, through its subsidiary Aramco Asia India (AAI), established a formal business presence in India in 2016.

Aramco is investing in refineries in major markets to lock-in customers ahead of its initial public offering (IPO). Saudi Arabias energy minister, on 8 March, hinted that the Aramco share sale could be delayed until 2019, Bloomberg reported. Saudi authorities are aiming to list up to five percent of the worlds largest oil producer on the Saudi stock exchange in Riyadh, the Tadawul, and on one or more international bourses via an IPO that could raise some $100 billion.

In the first week of March, Iraq overtook Saudi Arabia by a wide margin to become India's top crude oil supplier, meeting more than a fifth of the country's oil needs in the ongoing financial year. Saudi Arabia traditionally has been India's top oil source but in the April-January period of 2017-18, Iraq dethroned it, supplying 38.9 million tonnes (MT) of crude.

With inputs from agencies.
Going by the signals, it is very unlikely that the Modi government will rethink PSB privatisation.

Ruchir Sharma, the head of emerging markets and the chief global strategist at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, is a man whose observations on economies and financial markets typically carry sufficient weight. Those observations compel the heads of nations to ponder over their approach to economic issues. That's because Sharma manages assets worth over $20 billion (figure as on March, 2016) across the world including in key emerging markets.

Sharma, speaking at the Rising India summit on Saturday, said that he wouldn't advise Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on how the economy can grow more. Sharma was quoted as saying, "I will not advise on anything regarding India. I love the country and want to come back, Sharma said. Why wouldn't he do so? Sharma recalls a time when he was heavily criticised and asked to leave Russia after he made some observations on President Vladimir Putins approach to economic reforms. Apparently, learning from this, he wouldn't want to repeat the same mistake with India.

Sharma is referring to the not-so-covert tendencies of governments and pro-government media to reject even genuine constructive criticism and rubbish critics. The Narendra Modi government too has not been fond of criticism on its policies or on its approach to reforms, and has often hit back on even international rating agencies and multilateral agencies that were reluctant to acknowledge the government's work in a positive manner. Did this prompt Sharma to recollect the Russian episode at the summit on Saturday?

But the reluctant adviser in Sharma did push out an important piece of advise at the same session. He spoke about the imbalance in the Indian banking system. Every country needs a public sector but no country is as unbalanced as India," said Sharma.

What Sharma highlights here is an old, but still prevalent, problem in the Indian economy-- a banking sector problematically dominated by government banks, which operate above a level-playing field, compared with private and foreign banks, because these state-run banks are backed by the Centre.

Many government banks, sans government ownership, would have shut shop long back. Some of them continue to stay afloat like a critically I'll patient surviving only on life support. Sharma summarises the problem well. "PSU banks hold 2/3rd of the assets, while private banks are involved in more transactions. This is choking the Indian banking sector. There is regulatory overkill in the Indian banking sector because private banks will keep lending, but central banks are still holding assets.

What Sharma is implying here isn't difficult to understand: privatisation of PSBs and the transfer of ownership of a majority of all state-run banks to the private sector. This is perhaps the only idea left to be experimented to address the asset imbalance in the banking sector.

Interestingly, despite its stated pro-reform approach, privatisation has never figured on the Narendra Modi governments priority list, despite the PM stating in the beginning that the government has no business to be in business. This, despite state-run banks proving time and again their inefficiency with respect to governance and asset recovery. Over 90 percent of the NPAs in the banking system are on the books of state-run banks. Particularly in the light of the Punjab National Bank fraud (PNB) and a series of fraud cases involving PSBs, it does make a lot of sense to give a serious rethink on privatisation, given that private sector banks have better record of being accountable to their shareholders. Recently, Adi Godrej pitched for the privatisation of PSU banks. "I don't think so many banks needed ( in the public sector). I think we are too big a public sector in our country and I think they should privatise it. Godrej isn't the only one to have advocated PSU privatisation of late. There have been quite a few noted experts such as Uday Kotak, who have opined on similar lines.

In 2014, an expert panel under PJ Nayak recommended bringing down government holding in these banks below a controlling stake and letting private parties run these banks. But nothing much has happened so far, except for cosmetic reforms such as splitting chairman and CEO posts and bringing private sector CEOs.

In fact, the government doesn't need to privatise all banks. As PSU bankers such as SBI chairman Rajnish Kumar have pointed out, PSI banks have indeed played a significant role in spreading banking services to India's villages since nationalisation and hence these institutions deserves to have their own space in the country. But even then it doesn't make sense to have too many PSBs in an ambitious economy. The government can retain, perhaps, five to six PSBs and transfer the rest to the private sector. Right now, there are 21 of these banks post internal mergers in SBI group.

In the context of the Vijay Mallya-Kingfisher episode, the PNB fraud and several other cases of wrong credit decisions and careless approach, it is safe to say that PSBs have not acquired the efficiency to manage their own house despite post nationalisation. Like this writer argued in an earlier column, it doesn't make sense to put the entire banking system at risk to protect certain state-run banks.

But going by signals from the government so far, it is very unlikely that the Modi government will have a rethink on the PSB privatisation. The response from Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, to a question on bank privatisation at the Economist India Summit in New Delhi in September, 2016, shows how this government thinks as far as radical, but unpopular economic reform steps. I don't think that public or political opinion has converged to the point where we can think of privatisation in the banking sector," a Reuters report quoted Jaitley as saying.

Ruchir Sharma's words of caution on an unbalanced banking sector is not new. But it is very likely that this too will go unheard when it comes to PSB privatisation. It is unlikely that there will be any takers for his observations in the Modi government.
The SC admitted two appeals, challenging the acquittal of Rajesh and Nupur Talwar in the Aarushi Talwar double murder case, by CBI and Hemraj's wife Khumkala Banjade.

The Supreme Court on Monday admitted two separate appeals, challenging the acquittal of Rajesh and Nupur Talwar in the Aarushi Talwar double murder case, by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Hemraj's wife Khumkala Banjade.

According to NDTV, the CBI said that the Allahabad High Court's decision in October last year was "wrong" on several counts. Banjade, Hemraj's wife, had approached the apex court in December last year and had then said, "We've come to the Supreme Court for justice... the high court freed them (Talwars), they are killers... they should be punished."

Hemraj was the domestic help who was killed in the Aarushi Talwar murder in 2008 on the latter's 14th birthday. Speaking to Firstpost earlier, Banjade had said no one paid attention to the death of her husband, except for a couple of journalists who reached out every now and then after the May 2008 incident that tore her life apart. "The focus has always been the death of Aarushi."

On 12 October last year, a bench of Justice BK Narayana and Justice AK Mishra overruled the trial court judgment in the twin murder case of Aarushi and Hemraj and acquitted the Talwar couple, saying no conviction can stand on the basis of mere suspicion. The judges said that the CBI failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the Talwars are guilty. "The chain of evidence they have showcased is inconclusive," the court had said.

Upon hearing the verdict, Banjade said she was not surprised but saddened that the court let the Talwars walk free and cancelled their life sentence for lack of material evidence. While she believed Rajesh to be guilty of the double murder, she was unsure whether or not Nupur also had a role to play.

Fourteen-year-old Aarushi was found dead at the Talwars' Noida residence in May 2008. The needle of suspicion had initially pointed at 45-year-old Hemraj, who had gone missing, but his body was recovered from the terrace of the house two days later.

With inputs from agencies
The results for Andhra Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (APTET) 2018 results were released on Monday by the state government. Aspirants can check the result on the government's official website aptet.apcfss.in

The results for Andhra Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (APTET) 2018 were released on Monday by the state government. Aspirants can check the result on the government's official website aptet.apcfss.in.

These results were earlier slated to be announced on 16 March, but the Commissioner of School Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh decided to release the results three days later. According to The Times of India, the results were delayed as the education minister was not available on 16 March.

Aspirants can also expect the APTET Rank Card and APTET mark sheets along with the scores on Monday.

Here is how aspirants can check their results:

Enter the website: aptet.apcfss.in.

Towards the middle of the homepage, you will see a "Results" section in red, click on the link to be directed to the results page.

A new tab will open where you will be able to check the result. Enter your Hall Ticket Number and Date Of Birth and click on "Get results" to see your grades.

Take a printout of the results for future reference

The exam was held from 17 January 2018 to 27 January 2018. As per official statistics, as many as 4,46,833 candidates had registered for APTET 2018, out of which 4,10,828 candidates appeared in the examination. Official statistics also revealed that 1,71,052 candidates have appeared in Paper 1 while 1,81,304 appeared in Paper II Science and 58,472 have appeared in Paper II Social.

The Andhra Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (APTET-December, 2017) is conducted by the Department of School Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh in all 13 districts of the state through a computer-based test. The objective is to ensure National Standards and benchmark of teaching quality in the recruitment process in accordance with the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
Voicing concern over the financial deficit of the northeast, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley has said that the Central government will extend full support to reverse the situation in the region, an official statement said on Sunday

New Delhi: Voicing concern over the financial deficit of the North East, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley has said that the Central government will extend full support to reverse the situation in the region, an official statement said on Sunday.

Jaitley made this statement during a meeting with Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma, at his residence in New Delhi on Saturday evening, to discuss the financial situation of the state.

Lending a patient hearing to Sangma and his ministers, he assured full support and cooperation to increase revenue generation in the state.

"If we tell northeast to live on its own resources, it will take one day for the region to break, so it our responsibility to support and give a special attention to the region," Jaitley said.

He expressed hope that Assam was slowly coming out of the deficit status.

Jaitley has suggested that the delegation come up with appropriate strategies to promote tourism in Meghalaya, with a focus on making the state an educational hub.

Sangma also discussed the idea of setting up an IT and Food Park in Meghalaya, apart from promoting the indigenous herbal medicines of the region.

The issue of air connectivity in Meghalaya was also discussed during the meeting.

"At present we have a Pawan Hans helicopter. But, we are going to open three helipads in various parts of the state to ensure these services start. Railway tracks are also on the list but there are challenges as NGO and civil societies are posing some challenge, but we are trying to get them onboard," Sangma said.
Right-wing Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide alias Guruji on Monday demanded the arrest of Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar and others for allegedly inciting the riots of 1 January in Bhima-Koregaon and its subsequent fallout.

Sangli: Right-wing Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide alias Guruji on Monday demanded the arrest of Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar and others for allegedly inciting the riots of 1 January in Bhima-Koregaon and its subsequent fallout.

Speaking to the media, Bhide, who is the head of Shri Shiv Pratishthan, alleged that the roots of the riots lay in the 'Yalgar Parishad' (conference) organised by various groups on 31 December in Pune.

Among the speakers at the conference were Ambedkar, Gujarat Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, JNU student leader Umar Khalid, retired high court judge, Justice BG Kolse-Patil and other leftist-Dalit personalities.

"At this meeting, all these leaders including Ambedkar had provoked people for violence and rioting. We demand that the government must immediately arrest them for the Bhima-Koregaon riots," Bhide demanded.

He also sought a brain-mapping test of all the concerned persons, including Ambedkar to unravel the truth behind the casteist disturbances that rocked Bhima-Koregaon followed by a Maharashtra shutdown on 3 January.

Besides booking them for the riots and the shutdown, Bhide said that state government must recover the cost of the damages incurred during the disturbances.

"Its more than two months now. Why has the government failed to take action against these leaders for perpetrating the violence? Why have they not arrested them?" he asked.

Bhide also asked the government to clarify whether there was any link between the Yalgar Parishad and four Maoists arrested near Mumbai on 3 January.

"I have already explained that I have nothing to do with the riots and I have not even gone to Bhima-Koregaon for past four-five years. Ambedkar has been uttering my name only for publicity and I am ready for any enquiry," he said.

To press for its demands, the Shri Shiv Pratishthan plans to take out a procession of various Hindu organisations on 28 March seeking arrest of Ambedkar and his associates, he added.

Monday's developments came four days after Ambedkar served an ultimatum to the state government on 15 March demanding the arrest of Bhide by 26 March.

Another leader named by AmbedkarMilind Ekbotewas arrested from Pune in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon incidents last week and has been remanded to police custody till 21 March.

Several thousand Dalits from all over Maharashtra had congregated at the Victory Pillar in Bhima-Koregaon on January 1 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the war between a small group of British troops comprising mostly Dalits and the army of Peshwa Bajirao II which was vanquished.

Stone-pelting and rioting led to the death of one youth, and many others injured, besides leading to properties worth around Rs 13 crore being damaged, which the state government has assured to compensate.
It is expected to be a stormy day in the Parliament on Monday, especially for the Lok Sabha where the two no-confidence motions against the NDA government are likely to be taken up

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Amid the outrage over the Nirav Modi scam and Karti Chidambaram's arrest in the INX Media case, the NDA government is possibly staring at a stormy second half of Budget Session which begins from Monday. The first part of the budget session was held from 29 January to 9 February, while second half of the session will come to a close on 9 April.

The Congress is also likely to denounce the government over the arrest of former Union finance minister P Chidambaram's son Karti by the CBI in the INX Media alleged bribery case. The Congress has termed the CBI action "political vendetta".

The Opposition is also likely to corner the government over the tussle between Prasar Bharti and the Information and Broadcasting ministry. It is likely to raise issues concerning farmers, the Rafale deal, Staff Selection Commission "job scam", loss of life and property due to ceasefire violations on the LoC and increase in cost of petroleum products.

Meanwhile, YSRCP MPs from Andhra Pradesh are likely to hold a dharna against the Centre in the Parliament premises. The party is also expected to initiate a no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha on 21 March, reported Livemint.

BJP MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe calls for suspension of today's session under rule 267 of the Parliament in order to discuss allegations of corruption indulged by family members of former ministers under the tacit protection of ministers.

D Raja of the CPI too has issued an adjournment notice in the Rajya Sabha in order to discuss the Punjab National Bank scam. This is the third adjournment motion on the issue.

CNN-News18 is reporting that the BJP president will be meeting a delegation from the TDP to discuss the issue of special status to the state of Andhra Pradesh. According to the report, TDP is currently adamant on the 19 demands for the state. On the other hand, the YSRCP is also pressurizing the government over the same issue.

The bill to target economic offenders was approved by the government following the escape of diamond merchant Nirav Modi and other accused in the over Rs 12,700-crore Punjab National Bank scam.

The passage of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, which seeks confiscation of assets of absconding fraudsters and loan defaulters, and the triple talaq bill will be high on the government's agenda.

The Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill 2017 and The Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill 2017 will be tabled in the Lower House of the Parliament, reported PTI.

TDP MPs prtoest outside the Parliament over the issue of special status for Andhra Pradesh

Today has been the day of adjournment motions. A notice for an adjournment motion can be issued under rule 267 of the Parliament. It is generally utilised by an MP to discuss a matter of public importance. Three of the adjournment motions have been issued to discuss the Nirav Modi scam, while Pappu Yadav has issued an adjournment motion to discuss the alleged scam in the SSC exams. On the other hand, BJP MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe has issued an adjournment notice to discuss the allegations of corruption by relatives of former ministers.

While the Opposition is expected to target the government over financial scams in the recent past, the BJP is likely to pin the blame on the Congress-led UPA regime. The BJP has already claimed that the PNB scam had begun when the UPA was in power and its government has acted with alacrity after the fraud came out in the open. The party, energised by the win in Tripura and impressive performance in Nagaland and Meghalaya elections, is likely to be aggressive in Parliament and rake up scams that happened on the Congress watch to pin it down, party sources said.

However, Opposition created a ruckus in the House as soon as the session began.

Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Venkaiah Naidu is saying that everyone who issued an adjournment notices under rule 267 will get a chance once he holds a discussion with Arun Jaitley, the Leader of Rajya Sabha. He added that many of the members have to look at some other rule in the Parliament rule book to talk in the Parliament. On the issue of Cauvery water, Naidu said that the adjournment notice issued by AIADMK MP Navneethakrishnan will be discussed in Zero Hour.

According to Financial Express, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and BJP president Amit Shah are scheduled to meet a TDP delegation, and more importantly the Andhra Pradesh finance minister, over the issue of granting Andhra Pradesh with special category status.

"Don't create hungama," said Venkaiah Naidu as Opposition continued to create ruckus over PNB scam, 'Special Category Status' to Andhra Pradesh and other issues. This forced Naidu to adjourn the Upper House of the Parliament till 2 pm.

However, the Opposition continues to create ruckus. The Opposition has also walked into the Well of the House to protest against the government.

The resignation of Neiphiu Rio, who was elected to the Nagaland Assembly unopposed, and who is likely to be the next Chief Minister of Nagaland, has been accepted by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

The Rajya Sabha has resumed operations, with PJ Kurien seated at the Chair. However, MP's continued there agitation even as the Speaker took his seat. Slogans of "Nirav Modi vapas lao" raged in the Parliament while Kurien urged the MPs to maintain decorum of the House.

PJ Kuries, in an attempt to calm down the agitated members, acknowledged that the issues raised by them were important and agreed to allow discussion on them one by one. For today, he granted permission to conduct a debate on the frauds in public sector banks. However, Opposition MPs refused to vacate the Well and continued raising slogans. There demand was that the prime minister must explain why he could not keep his promise to bring back Nirav Modi and other people alleged scamsters.

In the Rajya Sabha, ministers are laying the papers on the table

Members of the Opposition come to the Well of the House to protest against Nirav Modi. Slogans of "Nirav Modi ko wapas lao" are being heard. Meanwhile, Venkaiah Naidu has adjourned Rajya Sabha till 11.30 am.

Times Now is reporting that Lok Sabha will be holding a marathon four-hour-long discussion on the issue, starting at noon.

The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the much talked about Fugitive Economic Offenders (FEO) Bill, 2018 which will be tabled in the remaining Budget session in Parliament. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said that the government has also decided to set up an independent body NFRA (National Financial Reporting Authority) to crackdown on big scams and avoid Nirav Modi-like situation in future. For the purpose the government will amend Companies Act.

While the ministers have tabled their papers, the Opposition continue raise slogans against the government. The Opposition is raising slogans like "Chota Modi, bada Modi Murdabad".

"The second half of the Budget Session is important for passing financial bills. I request the Congress, TDP, TRS and other parties to calm down and let the Hosue continue its work," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said.

While speaking in the Parliament, Union Minister Ananth Kumar said that Arun Jaitley will be making a statement on the issue. However, he also took the opportunity to target the Congress and the previous UPA government. "No one involved in the Congress-led UPA era corruption scandals will be spared," he said.

According to News18, MPs from four parties storming the Well to protest for different demands. While the Congress and the Trinamool Congress want debate on the PNB scam, the AIADMK is protesting over the Cauvery issue. The TRS wants the Constitution amended to skirt the 50% ceiling for reservation in jobs and education, while the TDP wants special status for Andhra Pradesh.

"We have to look at the importance of passing the women's reservation bill," Kanimozhi said.

"Families want to abort and kill the girl child. There are so many dowry deaths. Domestic violence is on the rise. When is all this going to stop?" she further said.

"Men are celebrating us today as mothers, sisters, daughter. I think it's time for women to say, 'enough of that'. We don't want to be celebrated for our sacrifices. We want to be celebrated for our identity," Kanimozhi said in the Rajya Sabha.

Women don't want to be celebrated for their sacrifices, they want to be celebrated for their identities: Kanimozhi

"I find it strange that we celebrate Women's Day. But men don't celebrate any particular day. I am not in favour of this tokenism. I request all the men to stop throwing crumbs at us and treat us with respect throughout the year," Anu Aga said in the Rajya Sabha.

"Earlier, people used to say, 'behing every successful man, there is a woman'. But now, the saying has become 'behind every successful man, there is a nationalised bank," said Derek O'Brien in the Rajya Sabha, clearly taking a dig at the Modi government over the PNB scam.

"Everyone should promise that the restrictions imposed on women by men will be abolished. On Valentine's Day, girls and couples should not be beaten up. In the name of anti-Romeo squad, women were beaten up in UP," AAP's Sanjay Singh said in the Rajya Sabha.

"On other hand, there are crimes against women which bring about shame to us. Which is why this day is one on which we should take a pledge to end such crimes," Swaraj said. "This should be a movement," she added.

"India is a country where a woman became president, prime minister, twice became the Speaker of a House," she said. "Today, women are doing combat duty in the army, flying planes in the air force," she added.

"International Women's Day gives us an opportunity to look at the requirements for gender equality," Sushma Swaraj said in the Rajya Sabha. "Women's reservation bill is important. But there are achievements by women even without reservation," she said.

We should take a pledge this day to end crimes against women: Sushma Swaraj

The Opposition parties protested against the passage of the budget without debate, as the session is slated to continue till 6 April.

The Finance Bill as well as the Appropriation Bill were passed in a matter of 25 minutes during which Opposition parties and ruling NDA ally TDP shouted slogans and created a din. The Lower House was adjourned for the day immediately thereafter.

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the crucial Finance Bill 2018 and a Rs 89.25 lakh crore spending plan for the next fiscal year without discussion amid ruckus, which led to the adjournment of both the Houses of Parliament for the eighth day.

The Rajya Sabha began Thursday's session with an obituary of former MP Hamida Habibullah. The members observed a minute of silence for the same.

Lok Sabha MPs could be heard protesting in the background even as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan tries to conduct the Thursday's session. Congress and other Opposition party members stormed the Well. Ministers speaking can hardly be heard over the din.

Even as Opposition party members stormed the Well in the Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the Centre is willing to discuss the Cauvery issue and special package to Andhra Pradesh but it cannot be done so with protests in the Well.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan was forced to adjourn the Lower House till 12 pm on Thursday within less than 10 minutes of the session's beginning.

Former Union minister and TDP MP YS Chowdary speaks on why he resigned from the BJP-led Centre in Rajya Sabha

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, former Union MoS for Science and Technology YS Chowdary said that the Andhra Pradesh bifurcation was done unjustly and unscientifically. "The division could have been done after taking care of employment potential, development in both states. Both states must have been developed equally for 10 years by the government in power at the time," he said. Following his opening remarks, other members of the House began to clamour and protest, creating a din.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu was forced to adjourn the House due to loud protests over former Union minister and TDP MP YS Chowdary's remarks on why he resigned from the Council of Ministers of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government.

Opposition MPs continued to storm the Well of the House even as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan resumed the session.

The Rajya Sabha was earlier adjourned till 2 pm on Thursday amid sharp exchanges between former Union minister from the TDP, YS Chowdary, and the Congress members over the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014 under the UPA government.

If accepted, it will be the first no-confidence motion moved against the Modi-government.

The motion can be accepted only if it has the support of at least 50 members in the House. YSR Congress has nine MPs in the Lok Sabha.

The YSR Congress's MP YV Subba Reddy gave the notice to the Lok Sabha secretariat for including the motion in Friday's list of business, his office said.

The YSR Congress on Thursday gave a notice for moving a no-confidence motion against the BJP-led NDA government following the Centre's refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh and found unlikely support from its arch-rival Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

YSR Congress Party MP YV Subba Reddy submitted a notice to the Lok Sabha Secretary-General Snehalata Shrivastava for moving a motion on 'No-Confidence in the Council of Ministers' in the house.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has become the first BJP ally to break away from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Follow LIVE updates on the same here.

After announcing the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) pulls out of the NDA, party MP Thota Narasimhan told ANI that the TDP will be moving a no-confidence motion on Friday. "We have decided... we are out of the NDA," he added.

"TDP withdrew support from the NDA, which did injustice to Andhra Pradesh. TDP president Chandrababu Naidu took this decision in an emergency teleconference with party politburo members and MPs, which was unanimously supported. TDP to also introduce no-confidence motion against NDA government," ANI quoted the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's Office as saying.

"TDP's decision to quit was inevitable after its mischievous propaganda against Centre. People of Andhra Pradesh have now realised that TDP is resorting to lies to cover up its inert governance. TDP's exit is a timely opportunity for the BJP to grow in Andhra Pradesh," BJP national spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao tweeted.

Speaking to ANI , BJP MP Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi commented on the TDP-NDA break up saying that every year before actual elections, there is always a rehearsal in Parliament. "We will see what happens in Parliament, which party chooses to go which way. In a way it is election year, and every state has demands and issues. It is not right for us to comment on it. It is a custom, before actual elections there is always a rehearsal in Parliament," he said.

Sarfaraz Alam (Araria, Bihar), Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel (Phulpur, Uttar Pradesh), Pravin Kumar Nishad (Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh), who won the recent bypolls held in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, took their oath as Lok Sabha MPs on Friday.

Supporting the no-confidence motion against the NDA government, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury tweeted: "Its (BJP's) betrayal of the promise of special status for Andhra Pradesh is inexcuseable. Its all-round failure and evasion of parliamentary accountability needs to be highlighted."

After the obituary references were read out, Opposition parties' MPs created a ruckus over the no-confidence motion against the NDA government. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till 12 pm.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi said his party will support the no-confidence motion against the NDA government in the Lok Sabha. "MIM party will support the no confidence motion in Lok Sabha, not only for failure of Modi government to implement State Reorganisation Act but their failure to fulfill their promise to provide employment to youth ans for injustice to Muslim women and minorities," CNN-News18 quoted him as saying.

"We have no confidence in their no-confidence motion, so we have decided to go on our own," he said. - PTI

TDP MP CM Ramesh added that YSR Congress MP Vijaysai Reddy was seen making attempts to meet the prime minister and this hinted at a nexus between both parties.

Andhra Pradesh's ruling party had on Thursday offered to back the YSR Congress' no-confidence motion but has now said it withdraws the support as it smells a nexus between it and the BJP.

TDP decided to move its own no-confidence motion after suspecting nexus between YSRCP and BJP

Speaking to ANI , BJP national spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao claimed that the Andhra Pradesh government and TDP are wary of the BJP's rise in the state. "The state government and TDP are feeling the pinch of the public opinion going against them and BJP will use this as an opportunity to grow as a political party and emerge as a dominant political force in Andhra Pradesh. For us it will prove to be the next Tripura," Rao said.

Even as Opposition MPs continued to chant slogans in the House, with TRS, TDP MPs storming the Well of the House, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan began with business for the day. She also said that she is duty-bound to introduce the two no-confidence motions but asked protesting MPs to sit in their places. As she said this, Opposition protests began to get louder.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day after Telagana Rashra Samithi (TRS) MPs stormed the Well. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she cannot introduce the two no confidence motions by YSRCP and TDP if House members continued to disrupt proceedings as she needed to check if there are 50 members to support each motion. Protesting MPs created more ruckus in response, forcing her to adjourn Lok Sabha till Monday.

The NDA had stormed to power with 336 seats in 2014, of which the BJP alone claimed 282 seats. However, a series of bypolls that went against the saffron party meant that its tally in the Lok Sabha currently stands at 273 seats. When one adds the allies the BJP does have by its side  Shiv Sena, JD(U), Apna Dal, LJP, SAD, RLSP, PDP  the tally rises to 312. If the TDP can be persuaded to come around once again, this could rise to 328, a comfortable majority.

The TDP has 16 MPs, and it said it would move a no-confidence motion against the Central government. In doing so, it would be following in the footsteps of rival Andhra Pradesh party, the YSR Congress, which has also said it would be moving a no-confidence motion against the Centre. The two Andhra parties have been miffed with the BJP following the latter's inability to grant special status for the state.

As some other Congress members were on their feet trying to join the issue simultaneously, Naidu adjourned the House till 2.30 PM.

"Do you want this sort of a thing to continue? ... Is that your suggestion. This is your party view," he said.

To this, Naidu asked if somebody committed a mistake in the past, does it mean that he should also do the same.

As he was making the appeal, Congress member Satyabrat Chaturvedi stood up and said he agreed with the Chair, but sought to know whether it was for the first time that he is witnessing such a scenario in Parliament.

"I am very much pained that the Upper House of Parliament is not able to transact its business for last two weeks. Dont't test my patience...We are meeting, greeting and not doing anything and adjourning," the Chairman said.

Before adjourning the House till 2.30 PM, Naidu said there were larger issues like banking scam, Cauvery river water sharing, demand for a special package to Andhra Pradesh and sealing in the national capital, which were agitating the minds of people and needed to be discussed.

After tabling of the listed papers, Naidu expressed his anguish saying the House has not functioned ever since it resumed on March 5 after recess during the Budget session.

The Rajya Sabha today witnessed an abrupt adjournment following a brief argument between Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and some Congress members soon after the House assembled for the day.

Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha told Chowsary to resume his speech from yesterday, which was interrupted due to the disruption of the House. He, however, added that Chowdary must stick to the speech approved by the Chairman and resist making any allegations.

Chowdary said that the former prime minister Manmohan Singh has promised that Centre's hand-holing to Andhra. He then added that both the national parties were responsible for the secession of Andhra Pradesh and a certain help was promised to us at the time. Chowdary further said that the new constitutional restriction being cited by the Centre should not be applicable retrospectively to what was promised to Andhra.

The deputy chairman, however, expunged those remarks as he said the Chairman had seen and vetted the speech but Chowdary had deviated from the approved version.

In the course of his speech, Chowdary quoted the Opposition MP Venkaiah Naidu requesting special status for Andhra for at least 10 years. This elicited an objection from Railway Minister Piyush Goyal who said that Chowdary was trying to cast aspersions on the Chair (Venkaiah Naidu). This was met with sharp opposition from the Congress members who requested the quotes to be repeated.

It is expected to be a stormy day in the Parliament on Monday, especially for the Lok Sabha where the two no-confidence motions against the Narendra Modi-led NDA government by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSR Congress Party are likely to be taken up.

However, equations with the existing allies aren't particularly rosy. In particular with Shiv Sena, the largest non-BJP constituent of the NDA. If the Sena follows TDP by backing out, the figure of 314 will go down to 296, just 23 more than the magic figure of 273, and the BJP can no longer be certain of its future.

The NDA had stormed to power with 336 seats in 2014, of which the BJP alone claimed 282 seats. However, a series of bypolls that went against the saffron party meant that its tally in the Lok Sabha currently stands at 274 seats. When one adds the 11 allies the BJP still has by its side  Shiv Sena, JD(U), Apna Dal, LJP, SAD, RLSP, PDP, PMK, SWP, NPP and AINR Congress  the tally rises to 314 . If the TDP can be persuaded to come around once again, this could rise to 330, a comfortable majority.

RECAP: With TDP quitting NDA, Centre's strength comes down to 314 from 336 in Lok Sabha

RJD's JP Yadav gave an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha on Monday over the recent "communal incidents of violence in Araria, Bhagalpur and Darbhanga", reported ANI .

Speaking to ANI, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said the party will "wait and watch" what happens in the Parliament on Monday. He said: "We will also have to see if the Speaker allows the no confidence motion or rejects it. TDP has its own state issues and we welcome them. As of now we have not decided yet on no confidence motion. Uddhav ji (Thackeray) will take a call."

The Parliament secretariat received three separate notices for a no-confidence motion against the BJP government on Monday, two of which were from TDP and one from the YSR Congress, reported ANI . Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan is likely to take up the notices after Question Hour if the House is in order.

CPI leader Duraisamy Raja said that the Left parties will be supporting the no-confidence motion in the Parliament on Monday. "People have started expressing their no confidence in the Modi government, it is time the Parliament does it too," ANI quoted him as saying.

He had earlier also said the BJP enjoys support "inside and outside" the Parliament, according to Business Standard . "I want to tell the Congress and other Opposition members that there is confidence inside and outside the House. That's why the BJP is ready to face the no-confidence motion," said Kumar.

Ahead of Monday's Parliament session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said that the saffron party was ready to face the no-confidence motion as it is sure it has the necessary support.

In less than two minutes of being in session, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12 pm. As soon as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan entered the House, loud protests and sloganeering dominated the scene, making it impossible for any business to be conducted amid the din.

Slogans of "We want justice" could be heard as Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said, "This is not in the interest of the country, and Parliament. I am willing to allow also these discussions. How long should we continue like this?"

The Upper House of the Parliament was adjourned till tomorrow after TDP and AIADMK MPs began protesting in the Rajya Sabha.

He also said that the TDP also increased the state's budget by Rs 1100 crores. "We will strive to do the same in future. We are moving to work to move forward in skill development to help the people of Andhra Pradesh," he said.

He also claimed that the YSR Congress Party is only 'playing politics' and has no interest in the state's welfare. Trying to assuage people's sentiments, Naidu said that the "TDP government is undertaking multiple irrigation projects to ensure the state's development is not stalled amid all this."

Andhra Pradesh chief minister and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said that the state is being cheated by the Central government. "We are being cheated by the government. The BJP is making false allegations against me," he said.

Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant told ANI that the party will abstain from the no-confidence motion. "We will neither support the government nor the Opposition. We will abstain," he said.

As soon as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan took up the Question Hour, members from these parties trooped into the Well holding placards. While members from the TDP, YSR Congress, TRS and AIADMK were in the Well raising slogans and holding placards, MPs from the TMC and Congress were seen standing at their seats. This forced the House to be adjourned till 12 pm.

The Lok Sabha proceedings were disrupted for the 11th day on Monday as the TDP, YSR Congress, TRS and AIADMK continued their noisy protests over various issues, including the banking scam and special status for Andhra Pradesh.

Even as the Lower House resumed its proceedings, sloganeering dominated the scene as TDP, AIADMK MPs could be heard shouting "We want justice". However, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan began with day's business, asking ministers to lay their papers on the table.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said: "We want discussion on the no-confidence motion. I request all MPs to maintain decorum so that we can discuss it. We are ready to discuss any issue with any member."

Following continuous uproar in the Lok Sabha, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till Tuesday. TSR, YSRCP MPs trooped into the Well, while chanting slogans such as "We want justice". Mahajan tried to introduce the no-confidence motion notices but requested all MPs to sit at their designated spots so that a quorum could be established. Opposition members and other parties' MPs continued to create a ruckus, forcing the House to be adjourned for the day.

The Samajwadi Party on Monday accused the government of egging AIADMK to stage protests in the Lok Sabha to avoid a no-confidence motion even as Tamil Nadu's ruling party warned that it would not allow business in both the Houses of Parliament till the Centre gives an assurance on the constitution of the Cauvery River Management Board.

MoS Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said the government is ready discuss all issues. However protests cause Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu to adjourn the Rajya Sabha till 21 March.

Sushma Swaraj starts speaking about the Indians in Mosul. She had spoken about the issue in the Rajya Sabha earlier.

The Bills have already been passed in the Lok Sabha

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to move Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The Bill gives the government power to confiscate the assets of such defaulters.

"Let us all protest and, if required, sit on hunger strike at every place, sport black badges during working hours in offices. Let us awaken the people," party chief N Chandrababu Naidu said at a meeting of women self-help groups.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) held protests in Vijayawada on Thursday about the Andhra Pradesh special status row, reported CNN-News18. The TDP had decided to extend support to the National Highways blockade programme called by the Opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh seeking special category status to the state.

As the deadlock in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha continued on Wednesday, here is a look at how both the Houses spent their time while in session ( as per PRS ):

What has the Parliament been spending its time on?

Protests and sloganeering marked the day's proceedings in the Lok Sabha as it began on Thursday. Opposition MPs could be heard chanting "We want justice" in the background, even as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan tried to conduct the day's business. As the protests grew louder, she said, "Nobody wants to listen, nobody wants to run the House." She then adjourned the Lok Sabha till 12 pm.

"At the time of passing the AP Reorganisation Act, they (government) gave some provisions under it. People are suffering in Andhra Pradesh," said TDP's CM Ramesh.

Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said that several leaders had approached him personally and let the the amendment Bill be passed.

MoS Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said, "The government wants to discuss everyone's issues. I request we discuss and pass other Bills."

Just as the House passed the Gratuity Bill, AIADMK and TDP MPs trooped into the Well of the House holding placards and created ruckus. To this, Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said " People want to know why the Chairman is adjourning the House? I would like to tell the people that I don't want these ugly scenes to be seen by them. Each day, some or the other party troops into the Well." Nearly 20 MPs stood in the Well surrounding Naidu, and chanting loud slogans.

As the Opposition refused to back down, Chairman Venkaiah Naidu adjourned Rajya Sabha for the day.

"I would like to request all the MPs to go back to their places and let the House function. We are ready to talk about all issues, including the no-confidence motion notices that are being brought to the House," said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, even as AIADMK and TDP MPs continued their sloganeering near the Well of the House.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she cannot act upon the no-confidence motion notices until there is order in the House. "I can't see anybody. I need to count heads (to establish a quorum of 50 members)," she said.

After 14 days of low productivity in the second edition of the Budget Session of the Parliament, the Centre is likely to make a fresh push to pass pending bills even as the Opposition remain vehement to corner the government over issues like the Punjab National Bank scam, the murder of 39 Indians in Iraq by Islamic State among others.

The Congress has issued a three-line whip to all its MPs in the Rajya Sabha asking them to be present in the House at 11 am in full strength on Friday and support the party's stand, PTI reported.

The Parliament is lagging behind in terms of finishing scheduled tasks with productivity level really low. The Budget Session of Parliament, which reconvened after a brief break on 5 March, has been marred with protests, with the daily functioning in both Lok Sabha and Rajya well below 0.1 hours (six minutes), according to PRS data.

With TDP's no-confidence motion notice still pending before the Lok Sabha, Chandrababu Naidu's party, which recently exited the NDA alliance, has appealed to Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to hold an all-party meeting on special status to Andhra Pradesh as well, reports said.

"I request the leaders of the parties to come to the chamber of the chairman," Naidu also said.

"This is totally undemocratic, totally unbecoming of Members of Parliament. You are weaking your cause. Please, you are all members. You must uphold the dignity of the House," Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said before adjourning the House for 15 minutes.

"Madame Speaker, you have always asked the House to be conducted in order. The government is ready for a discussion...Congress has become a marginal party," said Union minister Ananth Kumar in response.

"There are more than 50 members here who want to move a no-confidence motion," said Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.

As the ruckus in the Lower House continued, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House for the day.

Narendra Modi to retiring Rajya Sabha MPs: I am sorry Parliament failed you in this last session

Modi also said that the doors of Parliament and his Prime Minister's Office (PMO) will always remain open to them, and they are welcome to visit him whenever they like.

While bidding the departing MPs goodbye, Modi also took a sarcastic jibe at protesting Opposition MPs, saying they nearly ensured this Session didn't take place and nearly denied this vote of thanks.

Opposition ensured this Sesssion didn't take place and nearly denied this vote of thanks: Narendra Modi

Narendra Modi also added that it was unfortunate that they didn't get a chance to pass important legislations in their final session, but may look back at their tenure gladly given the passing of landmark bills like the Triple Talaq bill.

Unfortunate that you didn't get chance to pass important legislations in their final session: Narendra Modi

"People have been agitating for special status, for their water, for their poor farmers and labourers. The MPs have been fighting on their behalf. If the people get what is rightfully theirs, it's not their parliamentarians who will stand to benefit," Azad said.

He added that it's unfair to say MPs have been fighting and disrupting Parliament, because they are sent to Parliament to represent the needs of the people.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, meanwhile, said the Central Hall of Parliament is full of former MPs and he looks forward to seeing many of the retiring MPs at the same place in the future.

Unfair to say MPs have been disrupting Parliament, because they are sent to Parliament to represent needs of the people: Ghulam Nabi Azad

The second part of this session has 22 sittings, and is scheduled to conclude on 6 April. Five more sittings are slated.

This is the final week that the Houses are functioning in the Budget Session

Members from the Congress, the Left, the TDP and some other parties stood up holding the blue placards, apparently to show her that there were 80 members supporting the no-confidence motion

After a brief discussion on scams in public-sector banks, Bills such as the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill and the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill to be tabled in Rajya Sabha today

Arun Jaitley to move Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill in the Lok Sabha today, which is a Bill to deal with economic offenders who leave the country

"Most MPs are already seated. If everyone stops shouting and goes back to their seat, I can see how many support for the no-confidence motion. the House must be in order," Sumitra Mahajan said.

Day 19 of Parliament's Budget Session is likely to get underway shortly, but MPs from various Opposition parties have already begun protesting inside Parliament premises, drawing attention to various causes.

With Opposition parties slamming the central government over atrocities being committed on Dalits, Union minister Ananth Kumar has said the government is "committed" towards protecting the rights of Dalits. "Whenever Congress is in power, they are responsible for inciting people and spreading violence," Ananth Kumar said.

Lok Sabha was adjourned till noon within six minutes of starting proceedings, with Tamil Nadu MPs launching their demand the formation of a Cauvery Management Board.

Congress MPs from Punjab have climbed on to the roof of Parliament

When Lok Sabha reconvenes at noon, Home Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to address the House. Rajnath is expected to talk about the violence that singed large parts of the country of Monday.

As Opposition MPs kept up noisy protests, Home Minister Rajnath Singh addresses Lok Sabha over violence that singed large parts of the country on Monday. "The government has not diluted the provisions of the SC/ST Atrocities Act. In fact, we have strengthened the act. We have introduced provisions for the protection of victims, who are already suffered enough. Moreover, if officials are found lacking in their response to a complaint filed by anybody, we want action initiated against them as well," Rajnath Singh said.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan tried to address Lok Sabha on Tuesday, but noisy protests kept her from speaking. She was responding to Home Minister Rajnath Singh's speech earlier in the day. Faced with unrelenting Opposition protests, Mahajan adjourned Lok Sabha for the day.

Within minutes of proceedings beginning, Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12 pm after MPs raised slogans of 'We want justice, we want Cauvery board'

Amid loud protests, Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien adjourned the Rajya Sabha for 30 minutes, after having pleaded with protesting MPs to go back to their seats.

New members who took oath on Wednesday, have not been given division: Anand Sharma

Announcing the decision, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said it has been decided that the NDA MPs would be giving up their salary and other allowances for 23 days "for which parliament was not allowed to function by the Congress".

BJP and NDA party MPs announced on Wednesday night that they will take a pay cut for the 23 days wasted in the second phase of the Budget Session as they accused the Congress party of playing negative politics.

Congress issues three-line whip to its Rajya Sabha MPs asking them to be present in Upper House, reports ANI

Over a dozen Opposition parties had appealed to Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday for holding discussion on key matters like the SC/ST Act, PNB bank fraud, CBSE paper leak and Cauvery issue. Opposition leaders, including from the Congress, BSP, SP, DMK, NCP, TMC and the Left parties, had met in Parliament to discuss the lack of debate.

Leaders of several Opposition parties are holding a demonstration inside the Parliament premises over various issues.

Congress had said on Wednesday that it would not mind if Parliament session was extended by a day or two, but a debate on key issues should take place. "We want to hold discussions on key issues of national importance and we also want to pass legislation. The government should take the lead in doing so. We are not averse even if the session is extended by a day or two," Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad had told reporters.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chief Sonia Gandhi have joined the Opposition protest in New Delhi against the Centre.

Asserting that he attended the House proceedings daily, Subramanian Swamy said that it isn't his fault if the Parliament didn't function. "Anyhow, I'm the president's representative. Until he says so, how can I say I'll not take my salary?" ANI quoted him as saying.

Both the Houses of the Parliament were adjourned within minutes of reconvening on Thursday amid protests by the Opposition parties.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge urged Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to take up the no-confidence motion as the AIADMK continued protesting in the Lower House.

Kurien went on to read the rules of the Rajya Sabha. "You are all eligible for suspension," he said.

Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien said that he has an alternative to deal with the protests in the Upper House. "As per rule. I will see that a motion is moved to expel all protesting members. Thereby, you will lose all your voting right," he told the protesting MPs.

LS Speaker reminded the MPs that today was the last day of the second leg of the Budget Session, even though the MPs continued shouting.

"This Sabha is for a platform the raise issues for the welfare of the people. I understand that MPs have several issues they want to raise but they should keep in mind that the country has a variety of issues which need to be focused on," said Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

"I make an appeal to all of you to appear here next time to do what we were given to do at the time of Independence," said Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu.

BJP works for connecting people, Congress works for dividing people. Congress indulges in divisive, negative politics. It didn't let the House function. We'll sit in protest against the negative attitude of Congress during last 23 days: Ananth Kumar,Parliamentary Affairs Minister pic.twitter.com/T710ENwveX

BJP MPs to observe fast on 12 April to protest the impasse in Parliament caused by Congress: Union minister Ananth Kumar | PTI

"Congress has become a marginal party, even in the Parliament," he said. "They don't have their own parliamentary strategy for both the Houses. They don't have parliamentary logic," he added.

"From 5 March to 27 March, why did the Congress not allow business to happen?" said Union minister Ananth Kumar. "On 15 and 16 March, the YSRCP and TDP motions of no-confidence were brought up. Congress brought it up on 27 March? Why did they bring it up so late?" he added.

Budget Session of Parliament updates: Following continuous uproar in the Lok Sabha, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till Tuesday. TRS, TDP and YSRCP MPs trooped into the Well, while chanting slogans such as "We want justice". Mahajan tried to introduce the no-confidence motion notices but requested all MPs to sit at their designated spots so that a quorum could be established. Opposition members and other parties' MPs continued to create a ruckus, forcing the House to be adjourned for the day.

Even as the Lower House resumed its proceedings, sloganeering dominated the scene as TDP, AIADMK MPs could be heard shouting "We want justice". However, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan began with day's business, asking ministers to lay their papers on the table.

Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant told ANI that the party will abstain from the no-confidence motion. "We will neither support the government nor the Opposition. We will abstain," he said.

In less than two minutes of being in session, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12 pm. As soon as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan entered the House, loud protests and sloganeering dominated the scene, making it impossible for any business to be conducted amid the din. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day.

Ahead of Monday's Parliament session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said that the saffron party was ready to face the no-confidence motion as it is sure it has the necessary support.

The Parliament secretariat received three separate notices for a no-confidence motion against the BJP government on Monday, two of which were from TDP and one from the YSR Congress, reported ANI. Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan is likely to take up the notices after Question Hour if the House is in order.

It is expected to be a stormy day in the Parliament on Monday, especially for the Lok Sabha where the two no-confidence motions against the Narendra Modi-led NDA government by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSR Congress Party are likely to be taken up.

On Friday, the proceedings in Parliament were washed out for the second consecutive week due to protests by Opposition parties, which also led to the failure of the Lok Sabha to take up the notices for no-confidence motion moved by parties from Andhra Pradesh.

While the Lok Sabha proceedings were first adjourned till noon and then for the day, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned straight till 2.30 pm and later for the day with Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu expressing anguish over the proceedings being paralysed ever since Parliament resumed its budget session on 5 March after a recess.

In the Lok Sabha, the notices for the no-confidence motion, moved for the first time since the nearly four-year rule of the BJP-led alliance, were not taken up as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, who said there was no order in the House and adjourned the proceedings for the day amid vociferous protests over various issues.

The notices were moved by the YSR Congress and the TDP, who have been demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh, an issue on which the latter on Friday quit the ruling alliance. The no-confidence notices were moved by YSR Congress member YV Subba Reddy and TDP's Thota Narasimham.

The Lok Sabha proceedings were washed out for the 10th consecutive day following incessant protests and sloganeering by various parties, including TDP, YSR Congress, AIADMK and RJD over multiple issues, including special status for Andhra Pradesh and banking scam. Congress members were also seen standing at their seats.

Soon after papers and reports were laid during the Zero Hour, Mahajan said she has received a notice for no-confidence motion.

"I am duty-bound to bring it... provided the House is in order," she said amid the din.

"I request all of you to go back to your seats," Mahajan told the members protesting in the Well.

However as the members continued with the protests, the Speaker said since the House is not in order, she was unable to take up the notice and then adjourned the proceedings for the day.

Members from TRS and AIADMK were in the Well holding placards and shouting slogans. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal made a statement regarding the government business to be taken up in the House next week.

Soon after the House assembled at 11 am and was to take up the Question Hour, the proceedings were adjourned till noon due to the noisy scenes.

The House also extended the time for the Joint Committee on the Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017 to submit its report.

Earlier, three newly elected MPs  RJD's Sarfaraz Alam (Araria-Bihar) and SP members Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel (Phulpur-Uttar Pradesh) and Praveen Kumar Nishad (Gorakhpur-Uttar Pradesh)  took oath.

The House also paid respect to three departed former members and noted cosmologist Stephen Hawking, who passed away this week. Tributes were also paid to nine CRPF personnel, who were killed in a IED blast in Chhattisgarh, on 13 March.

Since Parliament reconvened on 5 March after Budget Session recess, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have been witnessing disruptions on a daily basis. On Wednesday amid chaos, the Lower House had passed the Finance Bill and appropriation bills without any discussion.

The Rajya Sabha proceedings were abruptly adjourned soon after it met, following a brief argument between the Chairman and some Congress members.

After tabling of the listed papers, Naidu expressed anguish saying the House has not functioned ever since it resumed on 5 March after recess during the Budget session.

Before adjourning the House till 2.30 pm, the Chairman said there were larger issues like banking scam, Cauvery river water sharing, demand for a special package to Andhra Pradesh and sealing in the national capital, which were agitating the minds of people and needed to be discussed.

He said notices given by members on these issues were accepted and he has agreed for a discussion on them but yet the House was not taking up the debates.

Naidu hoped that the House would function normally from next week and have constructive proceedings. "I am very much pained that the Upper House of Parliament is not able to transact its business for last two weeks. Dont't test my patience...We are meeting, greeting and not doing anything and adjourning," he said.

He said that "we have to go by consensus or by the majority of the House (on deciding the issues). You can't dictate something and say whether you go my way or the highway. That is no way, I must tell you," he said, adding that the Chair would not allow such a thing.

Naidu also warned the protesting members to ensure smooth functioning of the House before "I take extreme views".

As he was making the appeal, Congress member Satyabrat Chaturvedi stood up and said he agreed with the Chair, but sought to know whether it was for the first time that he is witnessing such a scenario in Parliament.

To this, Naidu asked if somebody committed a mistake in the past, does it mean that he should also do the same. "Do you want this sort of a thing to continue? ... Is that your suggestion. Is this your party view?"

As some other Congress members were on their feet trying to join the issue simultaneously, Naidu adjourned the House till 2.30 pm.

When the House reassembled, Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien asked TDP MP YS Chowdary to complete his speech which he was making on Thursday when the House was adjourned.

Chowdary said the earlier government had given several assurances to Andhra Pradesh about being compensated after Telangana was carved out of it.

However, the state "lost" cosmopolitan city of Hyderabad and the revenue arising from various industries and has remained only an agrarian state only, but has not been compensated, he said.

The bill to bifurcate the state would not have been passed if the assurances was not accepted by the members of the House, he said, amid protests by members from the Congress benches.

As soon as he ended his speech, protests by some opposition members led the Deputy Chairman to adjourn the House for the day.

With inputs from PTI
Clashes broke out between police and students of Jawaharlal National University (JNU) in front of Vasant Kunj Police Station where the students were protesting against a professor who had allegedly sexually harassed students in class, media reports said.

Clashes broke out between Delhi Police and students of Jawaharlal National University (JNU) in front of Vasant Kunj police station, where the students were protesting against a professor who had allegedly sexually harassed students in class. Protesting students have blocked the highway, breached police barricades, and have refused to attend classes until action is taken against the tainted teacher.

Around nine women students have accused JNU professor Atul Johri of Life Science stream of sexual harassment and have been seeking his arrest since Thursday, but the police is yet to take any action, India Today reported.

Meanwhile, the issue ignited another point of conflict between the varsity administration and the students as JNU's internal committee claimed that they have not received any such complaint while the students maintained that the university administration has not taken any action despite repeated complaints and has been trying to 'shield' the professor. Former president of JNU students' union Kanhaiya Kumar told India Today, "No crime should be forgiven on the basis of an individual's profession. The vice-chancellor should have taken immediate action."

Meanwhile, DCP South West Milind Dumbere said the matter is being dealt with according to the established procedure and the accused professor has been issued a notice and has been called to join the investigation on Tuesday.

Clash broke out between police & students of Jawaharlal National University (JNU) in front of Vasant Kunj Police Station where the students were protesting against a professor who allegedly sexually harassed students in class #Delhi pic.twitter.com/vrSOBocfGr  ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2018

Matter is being dealt according to law. Notice has been issued and he (JNU professor accused of sexual harassment) has been called tomorrow to join the investigation: Milind Dumbere, DCP South West #Delhi  ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2018

According to The Hindu, several teachers have also pointed out that as faculty who have supported the Gender Sensitisation Committee against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH), they were upset that the complainants had to contact the police on an issue that could have been pursued within the university. One protester noted that a full working day has passed after the complaint was filed, but "police has done no investigation".

Meanwhile, JNU Students Union President Geeta Kumari told IANS, "Police is intently favouring the accused trying to safeguard him from the charges. On Monday, only four people which did not include the accused were questioned." On Thursday, Kumari said when seven students from JNU lodged a complaint of sexual misbehaviour at Vasant Kunj police station against the professor, police registered the complaints with only one name. "This is shameful," she said.

"We demand his immediate arrest. If police thinks they can play clever with us... we protesting students standing here will also claim that we feel threatened with him moving around freely," Kumari said.

Earlier on Monday, accusing the police of disregarding procedures, 54 JNU professors demanded registration of separate FIRs in all eight complaints of sexual harassment filed against professor Johri.

They petitioned Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-West) Milind Dumbere's office two days after the Delhi Police registered an FIR against professor Johri following allegations of sexual harassment by a group of women students.

The teachers said eight complaints were filed by as many women students, however, the Delhi Police chose to register only one FIR based on only one of the complaints.

"Even though you have received 8 complaints, each of which reports incidents that are distinct and separated by space and time, you have chosen to register only one FIR under only one of the names. We are shocked to learn this as the law requires that a separate FIR is registered for each complaint," the petition said.

They also demanded separate statements of all the complainants be recorded on Monday itself. "This disregard for even basic procedure suggests to us that the Delhi Police has no intention of seriously proceeding against Atul Johri," the petition said.

With inputs from PTI
The resolution was moved by senior Congress leader and former foreign minister Anand Sharma and was seconded by Gaurav Gogoi, Member of Parliament from Assam.

China emerged as one of the main focus points of the foreign policy discussions at the plenary of Indian National Congress, where a resolution lambasting the half baked, episodic and reactive foreign policy of the Narendra Modi government was passed.

India's main Opposition party criticised the current government for allowing other powers like China to entrench itself in the neighbouring countries encircling India and for failing to counter the 'nexus' between China and Pakistan, which threatened the regional balance and stability. Ironically, the Opposition leaders made these observations in the 'August presence' of specially invited foreign dignitaries, including the top diplomats from the Chinese embassy in New Delhi.

The resolution on foreign policy adopted in the morning session on the second day of the plenary session accused Modi government of creating "spaces in our neighboring countries through episodic engagements, which has allowed other powers, in particular China, to entrench themselves" in the neighbourhood.

Highlighting with concern the major challenge (China) in the sub-continental neighborhood, the resolution further stated that "never before in independent India's history, has the country been so diminished in its immediate periphery."

China has been encircling India and has significantly increased its influence in India's neighbourhood, investing huge amount of money on the "string of pearls" by building and occupying seaports in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

China Pakistan Economic Corridor and OBOR initiatives

Noting the development of close relationship between Pakistan and China becoming a threat to South Asia, the resolution stated: "The Congress party recognizes the key foreign policy challenges include managing India's relations with China and Pakistan" as "the nexus between the the two neighbours poses a challenge to regional balance and stability

Warning the Modi government it said that "this will have significant implications over any meaningful role that India aspires to play in the Asian region and the world."

Li Bijian, the deputy chief of the mission and Zhou Yuyun, political councilor and representative of the international department of the Communist Party of China from the Embassy of China in New Delhi were seated in the VVIP section next to Congress president Rahul Gandhi , UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh along with other foreign guests as the resolution was passed unanimously without amendments by the Congress party plenary.

Cautioning the government about the recent developments in Maldives, Nepal, Mayanmar and Sri Lanka, the resolution stated that as China has made deep inroads in these nations, the Modi Government "needs to ensure that the relations with India do not become a factor in the domestic politics of the countries in our neighborhood."

In an oblique reference to increased Chinese presence in Maldives the resolution says "there is a need for eternal vigil to safeguard our interests and to thwart attempts of any country to establish bases, that will restrict India and make the Indian ocean region vulnerable"

The resolution was moved by senior Congress leader and former foreign minister Anand Sharma and was seconded by Gaurav Gogoi, Member of Parliament from Assam.

Embarrassed to the core, the foreign delegates including from neighboring countries Nepal ,Bangladesh and senior diplomats from Chinese Embassy in New Delhi attending the session refused to comment on these issues.

The Indian National Congress had invited delegates from the Communist party of China but only three delegates from the Chinese embassy attended the plenary session.

Meanwhile, the resolution also urged the government to encourage the private and public sector companies to "invest rapidly in Myanmar in key infrastructure projects considering the growing Chinese presence in the country"

China also figured in the speech of Congress president at the plenary. He said "China is every where in  Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Pakistan", adding that "right now in the world there are two visions, one of America and the other of China"

Rahul's visit to China on the invitation of the Communist Party of China has been postponed several times due to tense situation at the Doka La plateau and other issues.

Reviving the Nehruvian vision of Non-alignment he said "I want to create in next 10 years a middle vision which can be known as Indian vision which will be the best vision of brotherhood, non-violence and love." He said "we need to compete with China with love and not with hate and enmity".
The Defence Spokesperson retweeted a tweet by BS Yeddyurappa where he had thanked Narendra Modi and Amit Shah for their confidence in him.

The defence spokesperson's Twitter handle was the latest entity on the microblogging platform to apparently commit a faux pas as it retweeted a tweet by BJP Karnataka president BS Yeddyurappa where he had thanked Narendra Modi and Amit Shah for their confidence in him. The retweet was quickly removed but not before its screenshots spread over the internet.

The defence spokesperson usually tweets about events being conducted by the armed forces and the activities of the defence minister. There is little controversy in most of the tweets as they are generally informative in nature with images and details of the activities being undertaken by the armed forces.

The post of the Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence is currently held by Swaranashree Rao Rajashekar, a 1997-batch officer of the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS).

It is entirely possible that the retweet was merely a mistake but as fingers have been raised against the possible politicisation of the armed forces, this incident has invited scrutiny at levels higher than would have been expected.
Even a written assurance may not hold good in a region where informed consent is a remote concept and the tribes can be plucked out of the forest and dumped just about anywhere

The march by the Baiga tribe and other forest dwelling communities (between 17 and 19 March in Kawardha district in Chhattisgarh) may not have made it to the front pages of newspapers like the farmers long march in Mumbai recently did. But the issues raised by them are equally pressing, and are centred on securing land rights guaranteed by the law. The tribal farmers marching from Nashik to Mumbai also demanded implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), a short form for the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. The Chhattisgarh tribals too have similar demands as they fear displacement by conservation authorities.

Meanwhile, the act has remained on paper for most part and is opposed by conservationists who fear destruction of forest land and illegal clearing. Many of those who cultivate forest land have been doing so for generations. And in a bid to promote conservation of forests, one cannot ignore the vital aspect of people's involvement. However, between a stubborn forest department and a conservation lobby that has set its face against the act, the forest tribes are in a state of limbo.

The marchers in Chhattisgarh, led by the Gaon Bachao Samiti, also feared the displacement of people due to the creation of a tiger corridor between the Kanha and Achanakmar tiger reserves. Naresh Bunkar who heads the Gaon Bachao Samiti told Firstpost that all the marchers were detained and questioned by the police at Kandawani in Pandhariya block, where the march began. The police and the forest authorities said there was no such tiger corridor proposed in the area and so the purpose of the march was defeated. Bunkar, then asked the authorities to give it in writing that there was no proposed tiger corridor, which the forest official did. However, Bunkar and others demanded that the march was a peaceful protest and should be permitted as it would now focus on other demands for community and individual forest rights, and basic amenities in the 50 odd villages in the forest area of Pandhariya block.

However, even a written assurance may not hold good in a region where informed consent is a remote concept and the tribes can be plucked out of the forest and dumped just about anywhere, as has happened some years ago. In the winter of 2009 the Baiga tribe was suddenly evicted from some villages inside the Achanakmar Tiger Reserve, which has a smattering of tigers, in Mungeli and Bilaspur districts. Although the government did resettle the tribals, the concrete houses for them were built much later only after the cold killed one person.

The resettled tribal people now fear being displaced a second time for a proposed corridor between Achanakmar and Kanha tiger reserves. With little information forthcoming from the forest department, Bunkar and his supporters relied on newspaper reports which spoke of their proposed eviction. However, the fact remains that their rights to land have not been settled and the tribals don't have access to basic amenities like drinking water or electricity in their forest habitat. Their livelihoods are also seriously threatened and they cannot graze cattle anywhere near the forest or even collect forest produce at times.

To create tiger habitats free of human habitation has been a conservation priority since a few decades. In March 2017, the National Tiger Conservation Authority(NTCA) issued a circular to chief wildlife wardens of tiger range states asking them not to settle forest rights in critical tiger habitats, in the absence of guidelines to declare critical wildlife habitats.

In November, 2017, with tribal people facing evictions from core areas of tiger reserves, the international NGO Survival International, which is protesting such displacement, called for a tourist boycott. The NGO, which is a global movement to protect tribal peoples rights, urged tourists not to visit tiger reserves until the Indian tiger authority respects tribal peoples' rights to live in and protect their forests.

According to the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs website, in Chhattisgarh state, till 31 October, 2017, 8,52,530 individual claims were received, of which 3,86,206 titles were distributed. With regard to community forest rights, 27,548 claims were received and 14,161 claims were settled. The number of settled claims is far lower than the applications and many of them are often rejected for being false. However, in many parts of the state and the rest of the country, there is little attempt to settle genuine claims and that is what is causing the recent protests. Thus, the entire process of verification is cumbersome and the fact remains that there are false claims which are rejected. However, the many challenges to the FRA does not mean the substance of the act itself is at fault.

The status report of implementation on the website for the whole country said that of the 40,50,131 individual claims submitted till 31 October, 2017, a total of 17,59,955 were settled. For community rights, of the 1,39,696 claims, 64,316 have been approved till now.

While the FRA implementation remains dismal, the environment ministry has announced a draft forest policy, 2018 to revise the earlier one of 1988. The involvement of people in forest conservation or wildlife management or a policy framework that paves the way for this seems absent or lost in jargon. Already the Centre has drawn flak for the draft rules under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act released by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. On 15 March, 66 groups, individuals, researchers and community groups, submitted their objections to the rules and said that the "rightful authority to undertake compensatory afforestation activities on customary forests is not of the forest department but of the gram sabha."

The Centre has been favouring the removal of the gram sabha as a primary decision making authority as mandated under the FRA and this latest move is one more nail in the coffin. Forest rights groups are "opposing the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act itself as it violates the FRA by transferring compensatory afforestation funds (about Rs 50,000 crores) to the forest bureaucracy for setting up monoculture commercial plantations on customary forests of adivasis and forest-dwelling communities without the free, prior and informed consent of gram sabhas", according to submissions by the Community Forest Rights- Learning & Advocacy (CFR-LA), and All India Forum for Forest Movements (AIFFM).

The FRA, meant to redress a historical injustice to the forest dwellers and tribes, is being emasculated at every stage in the name of discouraging forest encroachment. The future remains bleak for the Baiga and other tribes who will struggle even more for survival.
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The recent decision by South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa to make his first official tour of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region so soon after taking office hopefully reflects a desire to prioritise it in the country's foreign policy.

South Africa chairs SADC this year and Ramaphosa visited three countries  Angola, Botswana and Namibia  which currently play important roles in the regional body.

Angola chairs the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation; Botswana is home to the SADC Secretariat; and Namibia is set to chair SADC in 2019. Namibia also hosts the SADC Parliamentary Forum.

SADC was established in 1992 and South Africa became a member in 1994. Its objective is to achieve economic development, growth, peace and security through regional integration, but assessments of its ability to achieve this have tended to be very negative, with the region missing several self-imposed deadlines in its integration agenda.

Whereas the ambition was to have created a customs union by 2010, SADC has only implemented a free trade area. It is now hoping to achieve the ambition of deeper integration by focusing on regional industrialisation and the creation of regional value chains. Intra-SADC trade accounts for only 15 to 17 percent of the member states' trade portfolio, with most countries still predominantly trading according to colonial ties and with China.

Politically, integration remains weak, with electoral crises affecting a number of member states, including Lesotho and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Ceding sovereignty to the regional body has remained the main stumbling block preventing deeper integration.

However, winds of change have been blowing in the region. In recent years peaceful and democratic change took place in Angola and early elections were held in Lesotho, allowing for a more stable government.

Bigger change, of course, happened in Zimbabwe where Robert Mugabe stepped down after 37 years in power following what many regarded as a coup, albeit a "soft" one. South Africa soon followed suit with the resignation of Jacob Zuma to make way for Ramaphosa, the newly-elected president of the ruling party, to take over the reins and to proclaim a "new dawn" for the country.

Reversing progress made

During the Mandela presidency it was often said that South Africa could ill afford to become "an island of prosperity in a sea of poverty." However, in the period since, South Africa has not projected strong leadership in the region and many of SADC's aspirations have suffered as a result. These aspirations are not only in the economic field but also in the setting of common political values and norms through the institutions that underpin the integration effort.

One of the biggest travesties of justice occurred when former presidents Mugabe and Zuma orchestrated the collapse of the SADC Tribunal. This followed rulings that the Zimbabwe government's seizure of a white farmer's land without compensation was racist and unlawful, and violated the SADC Treaty because he had been denied the right of recourse in the Zimbabwean courts.

The Pretoria High Court recently found that Zuma acted "unlawfully, irrationally and unconstitutionally when he supported and took part in a resolution suspending the operations of the SADC Tribunal".

Tipping point for the regional mining industry

The SADC Summit which will take place in August this year is themed "Partnering with the Private Sector in Developing Industry and Regional Value Chains". The action plan for an SADC Industrialisation Strategy was adopted in Swaziland in 2017 and is focussing on promoting agro-processing in the region alongside the development of the pharmaceutical industry.

Mineral beneficiation remains an important ambition on SADC's agenda and the SADC Protocol on Mining states that the industry is one of strategic importance in Southern Africa. Roughly half of the world's vanadium, platinum and diamonds originates in the region, along with 36 percent of its gold and 20 percent of its cobalt.

Ramaphosa's private sector and mining background could bring important direction to the future of mining in SADC. He could focus strongly on the sustainability of the mining sector throughout the region and bring a future-oriented approach by anticipating future trends and potential new areas of strength for the region. Think here what the shift towards the electric car in Europe may mean in terms of their mineral needs, or how increased mechanised mining could affect the labour market if the industry started to retrain its workers to become miners of the future.

While South Africa will chair SADC only for 2018, it can contribute towards building a long-term vision and action plan for the regional mining industry. For this to happen, it will have to work closely with like-minded SADC member states in order to convince the group of the urgency of planning for the future.

For these reasons closer relationships with Angola, Zambia and Namibia are important. In Namibia, large cobalt deposits have recently been found, which could see the country playing a critical global role in supplying the renewable energy battery sector. Solving the political problems in the DRC becomes even more critical in the context of mining.

Strengthening SADC institutions

On the governance side, SADC remains an organisation that is in effect run by heads of state. The institutions created by the SADC Treaty remain weak and as a result the region struggles with building regional protocols into domestic systems and in getting member states to adhere to their contents.

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The SADC Secretariat in particular has remained a weak institution. Despite restructuring on a regular basis, the problem at the core of its ineffectiveness is that it has no enforcement powers and acts only as a coordinating entity.

SADC has to rethink drastically how it can ensure that regional decisions and policies are domesticated into national laws. As it stands, the SADC Parliamentary Forum plays no role in promoting domestication and is restricted to sending electoral observer missions and working on capacity developing programmes for national parliaments. President Ramaphosa could voice his support for a SADC Parliament to replace the current, largely ineffectual, Parliamentary Forum. Apart from Namibia advocating for this change, regional support for it has been weak.

Unless SADC member states become serious about domesticating SADC protocols and policies, the integration agenda will remain a distant, unrealisable ambition. Giving a SADC Parliament legislative teeth could convince national governments of the importance that regional integration deserves.

Talitha Bertelsmann-Scott (@TalithaBerScott) heads the Regional Observatory at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). She writes in her personal capacity.
Posted 3/18/18

Central Bank recently announced the promotion and addition of several employees.Kendal Dingus is now a mortgage loan officer and HELOC specialist in the Central Bank of the Ozarks mortgage 
The main accused in the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, KT Naveen Kumar, has confessed to the killing, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has reportedly claimed.

The main accused in the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, KT Naveen Kumar, has confessed to the killing, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has reportedly claimed.

The police memo accessed by News18 states that Kumar recorded his statement, owning up to the murder. According to the confession statement, Kumar and his accomplice Praveen planned the murder outside Adi Chanchanagiri complex at Vijayanagara in the western part of Bengaluru.

Kumar took the police to both the crime spot and the place where he allegedly plotted her murder, the report added.

Police claim that Kumar has agreed to a lie detector test and he took them to crime spot using the same route he allegedly took on the night of murder, News18 added.

An officer of the SIT had earlier said that narcoanalysis test would be conducted on Kumar. "Though the court allowed us to conduct the narco test, or a lie-detector test, on KT Naveen Kumar on 12 March, the date and place for the same have not been fixed yet," SIT Investigation Officer MN Anucheth had told IANS.

Kumar was taken into custody on 3 March by the Karnataka SIT for questioning. He hails from Birur town in Chikkamagaluru district, about 250 kilometres west of Bengaluru, SIT Investigating Officer MN Anucheth said.

Lankesh, 55, the editor of Lankesh Patrike, was shot dead outside her residence in the city's southwestern suburb by unidentified assailants on 5 September last year.

The state government had set up the SIT to probe the journalist-activist's killing.

With inputs from agencies
Ornit Shanis How India Became Democratic: Citizenship And The Making Of The Universal Franchise tells the fascinating story of independent Indias first general election. Suhrith Parthasarathy comments on the main themes of Shani's book, and their impact on Indian constitutionalism

Editor's note: Ornit Shanis 'How India Became Democratic: Citizenship And The Making Of The Universal Franchise' tells the fascinating story of independent Indias first general election. The Indian Constitutional Law and Philosophy Blog is discussing the book in a four-part series that we're republishing here. In part one, Suhrith Parthasarathy comments on some of the main themes of Shani's book, and their impact on Indian constitutionalism.

***

Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it, said Learned Hand in his famous address at New Yorks Central Park in 1944 to an audience of newly naturalised American citizens. No constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it. While it lies there it needs no constitution, no law, no court to save it.

These words, as the ACLUs national legal director David Cole argues in his book, Engines of Liberty: The Power of Citizen Activists to Make Constitutional Law, captures an important truth and also simultaneously somewhat overstates the case. Although a constitution is unquestionably important in memorialising a peoples collective commitments, in helping develop a democratic culture, there can be little doubt that the ultimate protection of liberty flows not from such guarantees  from an independent judiciary or from principles of separation of powers and federalism  but from the pure pursuits of a states citizenry. In his book, Cole relies on three broad themes to make this argument: on the campaign for same-sex marriage in America; on the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms; and on the rights of those accused of terrorism and held at Guantanamo. Each of these represents a case of a civil society campaign succeeding against long odds. It is precisely one such story, perhaps even more telling than the victories that Cole cites, which Ornit Shani tells in her stirring new book, How India Became Democratic: Citizenship and the Making of the Universal Franchise.

Shanis book blazes a trail because it shows us how citizenship was made and contested on the ground, how Indias prospective voters acted as engaged citizens even before the Constitution came into force, and well before the countrys fundamental guarantees were set in stone. The creation of the suffrage, through a universal adult franchise, which we today tend to take for granted, was a consequence of radical thinking, of rewriting  as Shani says  the bureaucratic colonial imagination. While some of the institutions that make the present-day democracy in India have their antecedents in colonial rule, the universal adult franchise isnt a consequence of any such legacy. It is a product rather of a uniquely Indian exercise, driven from the ground by Indians of generally humble backgrounds.

Fundamentally, the concept of an electoral roll that would bind all adults together as equal individuals was anathema to colonial administrators, writes Shani. As a result, they designed voter lists and registrations forms that divided the electorate into at least three types of constituencies: general, European and Mohammadan.

And, whats more, the electorate contained various other qualifications, such as Husband pays income tax, literacy; and included a special provision regarding names of women. The very idea of expanding the franchise to women, Shani shows us, was a concept that proved especially difficult for colonial bureaucrats to grasp.

The notion that Indias democracy would be secured on the basis of a universal franchise, which was agreed on at the very beginning of the Constituent Assemblys debates in April 1947, was, therefore, already a product of revolutionary thinking. But that this principle could be realised, in the midst of Partition, which led to the displacement of an estimated 18 million people, and the killing of approximately one million people, and in the midst of integrating the princely states into the Indian republic, was an achievement of astounding proportions. Ultimately, the franchise helped expand the electorate to more than 173 million people, about 85 percent of whom had never voted in their lives, and a vast majority of whom, as Shani points out, were poor and illiterate.

As invigorating as the story on the bureaucratic excellence that helped drive the universal franchise is, How India Became Democratic tells an even bigger tale. It busts the conventional understanding, for instance, that the Constitution was a gift to India from an enlightened few, from Indias famous nationalist leaders. It shows us that common Indian people were already engaged with and demonstrated an understanding of the Constitution even before its enactment. The process of constitution making, Shani argues  and indeed shows us through letters, petitions and exchanges  was greatly informed by reaction on the ground. The Constituent Assembly Secretariat (CAS), which was managed by a small group of bureaucrats, was tasked with the job of preparing the first draft electoral roll on the basis of universal adult franchise. In performing this exercise, the CAS, which worked under the guidance of the constitutional adviser, BN Rau, was able to observe closely not only the direct consequences of its various actions, but also how the Constitution that would eventually be made was likely to tangibly affect peoples political rights and aspirations. This process of preparing the electoral rolls using the draft constitutional provisions as its basis, Shani writes:

not only turned the idea of the universal franchise into a reality, but also generated debates on the constitution outside the Constituent Assembly. Various civic organisations and administrators engaged with an array of constitutional provisions. In that context, the future constitutional vision as a whole was deliberated, interpreted, tested, and forged.

Directing this entire campaign was a wide-ranging commitment to equality. In many ways this belief in equality, as the book shows us, went beyond traditional conceptions of liberalism, allowing, in some cases, for classifying people differently in a bid to ensure a larger fairness in the process. A complaint from the president of Devicolam Taluq Travancore written in July 1948 to the president of the Constituent Assembly exemplifies how a basic pledge of equality steered the process of making the rolls.

According to the complainant, some 1,20,000 Tamilians residing in Travancore were being denied voting rights in the state even though Travancore had acceded to the Indian Union. These people, the complaint pointed out, had emigrated to the area over 50 years ago, and had had children born there. To-day there is none to represent our cause either in Travancore Government or Indian Union, wrote the president of the Devicolam Taluq Travancore. When India is fighting for the franchise and other rights of her people in South Africa and Ceylon I am fully confident that your Honour will immediately take up this matter with the present Congress Government now functioning in Travancore and get the most coveted right of voting and other privileges same as that a Travancorian enjoys in the State.

In response to this grievance, a member of the CAS prepared a note noting that the government of Travancore had refused to register Tamilians in the electoral roll because they were not naturalised subjects of the state. Similar rejections had been carried out in the state of Cochin too, and the government of Tripura had also undertaken an exercise to determine a basis for state citizenship. The CAS joint secretary ultimately wrote to the chief secretary of the Travancore Government, arguing that under the draft Constitution of India there would only be one common law of citizenship, and that states could not disenfranchise any of its residents by imposing their own conditions of naturalisation.

To this, the chief secretary answered that the common law of citizenship cannot alter the position of Tamilians in the state, as neither in law nor in fact is there any necessary connection between citizenship and voting. Voting is a right which a citizen obtains by showing himself possessed of the qualifications which are established by the state in which he resides. Matters pertaining to suffrage will have to be regulated by the state, and it will be for the state to determine who shall vote at elections.

The joint secretarys final rejoinder was rather telling. The state can no doubt provide qualifications for the purposes of voting, he wrote in his letter, but those qualifications must not be inconsistent with the provisions of part III of the draft constitution, which enumerated the various fundamental rights. Clause (1) of Article 9 of the Draft Constitution [which is today Article 15], the joint secretary wrote, prohibits discrimination against any citizen of India on the ground only of place of birth. If a citizen of India after the commencement of the new Constitution possesses all the qualifications prescribed for voters born in the State, it will not be permissible for the State to disqualify him from voting merely on the ground of place of birth. Whats more, the joint secretary also highlighted that a new article 289B had been proposed, which, on adoption, would entitle every citizen of India to be registered as a voter at elections to the State legislature.

The Travancore governments objections captured two primary arguments that were made by many in power during the time. One, that there would exist no general, fundamental right to vote, and two, that elections would be an essentially federal process, with separate election commissions being installed for voting at the centre and for voting in each of the states. It was the nature of these conflicts that made clear to the Constituent Assembly that a general principle of equality, both procedural and substantive, must guide the entire electoral process, and that there could be no separate electorates, one for the centre and one in each of the states.

Now, originally, the Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee and the Minorities Sub-Committee of the Constituent Assembly had agreed that a nominal right to vote should be included in the chapter on fundamental rights. The draft article read as follows:

(1) Every citizen not below 21 years of age shall have the right to vote at any election to the legislature of the Union and of any unit thereof, or where the legislature is bicameral, to the lower chamber of the legislature, subject to such disqualifications on the ground of mental incapacity, corrupt practice or crime as may be imposed, and subject to such qualifications relating to residence within the appropriate constituency as may be required, by or under the law. (2) The law shall provide for free and secret voting and for periodical elections to the Legislature. (3) The superintendence, direction, and control of all elections to the Legislature, whether of the Union or of a unit, including the appointment of election tribunals shall be vested in an election commission for the Union or the unit, as the case may be, appointed, in all cases, in accordance with the law of the Union.

However, the Advisory Committee on Minorities, Fundamental Rights, etc., headed by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, while agreeing with the substantive content of this article, recommended that the clause be included not in Part III, which enumerated the various fundamental rights, but in some other chapter of the Constitution. Patel offered no specific explanation for his committees decision, but the move to include the right to vote in a separate part of the Constitution flowed not from any belief in its relative lack of importance, but was likely a judgment founded on form, that elections in India needed separate constitutional grounding with an all-encompassing series of articles and clauses.

If anything, the exchange between the joint secretary of the CAS and the chief secretary of the Travancore Government only shows us that it was always the intention of the Constitutions makers  guided as they were by debates that occurred outside the Constituent Assembly  to instill in the electoral system, a basic guarantee of fairness. Unfortunately, this struggle for equality, these discussions that made clear to the Constituent Assembly that the electoral process would in any event be subject to the larger guarantees in Part III, havent informed the Supreme Courts interpretive process. Time and again, the court has rejected arguments for an inalienable, fundamental right to vote. In Shyamdeo Prasad Singh v. Nawal Kishore Yadav (2000), a three-judge bench of the court, for instance, held that the right to contest an election, a right to vote and a right to object to an ineligible person exercising right to vote are all rights and obligations created by statute. To the court, therefore, the right to vote was merely a license granted by statute that could be taken away just as easily by a legislative act. More recently, in Rajbala v. State of Haryana (2015), the court cited with approval its own decision in Javed & Others v. State of Haryana & Others, where it had held, rather absurdly, that:

right to contest an election is neither a fundamental right nor a common law right. It is a right conferred by a statute. At the most, in view of Part IX having been added in the Constitution, a right to contest election for an office in Panchayat may be said to be a constitutional right

These distinctions that the court has drawn between fundamental rights and constitutional and statutory rights ignore the serious contests that went into the conception of the universal franchise. They show us that the fundamental rights enshrined in Part III cannot be isolated from the electoral process. As How India Became Democratic argues, the preparation of the rolls provided a concrete opportunity for people and administrators across the country to use the Constitutionpeople discussed the Constitution and suggested amendments because they saw the Constitution as a means of resolving their disputes with the state and of securing their fundamental rights. Therefore, any law that seeks to restrict a persons right to vote, or a persons right to contest an election ought to be tested not only on the provisions of Part XV, which is devoted to elections, but must also fulfill the basic conceptions of equality and liberty enshrined in the various different guarantees of Part III. The right to vote and the right to contest elections cannot be severed from each other. Indeed, they cannot be severed from the basic, foundational promises that the Constitution makes. The making of universal franchise, as Shanis book shows us, was a product of a revolution, a movement that had at its base a belief in equal treatment, a belief in principles of inclusiveness. Ignoring this history will de-democratise the Republic, tarnishing a constitutional culture built through the most rigorous contestations on the ground.

This post originally appeared on ICLP and is reproduced here with due permission. Also read Part II, III and IV.
Pakistan has been told that the safety and security of Indian High Commission, its officers, staff members and their families is the responsibility of the Government of Pakistan, the source added.

New Delhi: Indian officials in Islamabad continue to face "harassment and intimidation" and Pakistan has been requested to immediately probe all these incidents, government sources said on Monday.

They said, Pakistan has also been asked to share results of the investigations with the Indian High Commission.

The sources also noted that the website of the Indian High Commission continues to be intermittently blocked which is causing inconvenience and has affected normal functioning of the Mission.

"Such incidents of harassment, intimidation and threats to physical security of diplomats and officials are in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, and a threat to the security and safety of the personnel of the High Commission of India," a source said.

Pakistan has been told that the safety and security of Indian High Commission, its officers, staff members and their families is the responsibility of the Government of Pakistan, the source added.

On 19 March, two officials of the Indian mission went for shopping to Safa Gold Mall and they were aggressively followed by two persons in a car (Toyota Corolla) in close proximity at various locations, sources said. In another incident, they said, two officials travelling in a High Commission vehicle were aggressively followed while going to a Super Market.

"Pakistan has been requested to immediately investigate all these incidents and direct the relevant authorities to ensure that such incidents do not recur. Results of the investigations may kindly be shared with the High Commission," the source added.

India has so far issued 13 note verbales to Pakistan through its mission in Islamabad protesting against these incidents.

Pakistan has also been accusing India of harassing its diplomats and releasing videos of alleged intimidation of its officials. However, the veracity of these videos could not be ascertained.

Islamabad has also called his High Commissioner to India back home for consultations on the issue.
The India-French joint naval exercise, 'Varuna-18', commenced on Monday in the Arabian Sea off the Goa coast and will include anti-submarine, air defence and asymmetric engagement exercises, a navy official said.

Panaji: The India-French joint naval exercise, "Varuna-18", commenced on Monday in the Arabian Sea off the Goa coast and will include anti-submarine, air defence and asymmetric engagement exercises, a navy official said.

The French Navy's anti-submarine frigate, Jean de Vienne, the Indian Navy's destroyer, INS Mumbai, and frigate INS Trikand are among the vessels participating in the exercise.

The Indian Navy's submarine, Kalvari, P8-1 and Dornier maritime patrol aircraft and MiG 29K fighter aircraft are also participating in the exercise.

The first phase of the exercise, which commenced on Monday, will conclude on 24 March, a defence official said.

The second phase will be held off the Chennai coast in April and the third near the La Reunion Island in May.

India and France will explore the measures to facilitate operational-level interactions between their respective armed forces and increase mutual cooperation, considering the common global threats, the official added.

Rear Admiral MA Hampiholi, Flag Officer Commander, Western Fleet of the Indian Navy, said "Varuna-18" would be conducted in three sea areas, including the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and South Western Indian Ocean.

The first phase would see the participation of French submarine and frigate Jean de Vienne, he added.

"It is noteworthy that the progress of the 'Varuna' series of naval exercises has found a mention in the joint statement of the Prime Minister of India and President of France on March 10 this year," he said.

Real Admiral Didier Piaton, who is heading the French side for the exercise, said India was a major partner of France in the Indian Ocean region.

"Maritime cooperation between India and France will be crucial in order to maintain the safety of international sea lanes for unimpeded commerce and communications in accordance with the international law, for countering maritime terrorism and piracy and building maritime domain awareness.

"Maritime security is a priority in our defence and security policy, along with the fight against terrorism," he added.

The Indian Navy and the French Navy have been conducting naval exercises since 1983. These exercises were christened as "Varuna" in 2001. The last edition of the exercise was conducted off the French coast in April last year.

The "Varuna" series of exercises has grown in scope and complexity over the years and provided an opportunity to the naval forces of both countries to increase interoperability and learn from each other's best practices, the official said.
A Delhi court on Monday deferred the arguments on a plea of Karti Chidambaram's CA S Bhaskararaman seeking anticipatory bail fearing arrest by the CBI in the INX Media case, after the probe agency sought time to file a reply.

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday deferred the arguments on a plea of Karti Chidambaram's CA S Bhaskararaman seeking anticipatory bail fearing arrest by the CBI in the INX Media case, after the probe agency sought time to file a reply.

Special Judge Sunil Rana, who has already granted him bail in the ED case, posted the matter for hearing on 26 March.

The counsel for Bhaskararaman had moved an anticipatory bail application on 12 March before the court apprehending that after the ED, the CBI would seek his custody for interrogation.

The special court had on 13 March granted bail to Bhaskararaman in the INX Media money laundering saying there was no specific allegation against him except that he aided former Union minister P Chidambaram's son in committing the crime.

The CA was sent to jail on 26 February after his custodial interrogation by the ED.

Karti's name had cropped up in the case relating to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board's (FIPB) approval granted in 2007 for receipt of funds by INX Media when his father and Congress leader P Chidambaram was the finance minister during the previous UPA regime.

The ED had alleged that INX Media had deliberately and in violation of the conditions of approval made a downstream investment of 26 percent in the capital of INX News Pvt Ltd without the specific approval of FIPB, which included indirect foreign investment by some foreign investors, and generated Rs 305 crore foreign direct investment in INX Media Pvt Ltd against the approved foreign inflow of Rs 4.62 crore.

To wriggle out of the situation without any punitive action, INX Media entered into a criminal conspiracy with Karti, the ED had alleged. The FIPB unit of the Finance Ministry had not only granted illegal approval but also misinformed the investigation wing of the Income Tax Department, it had alleged.
Junaid Khan's father Jalaluddin, through his counsel, had filed the petition on 26 October last year in the high court, seeking a probe by an independent agency like CBI.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Centre's response on a plea seeking a CBI probe into the Ballabhgarh mob lynching case in which 17-year-old Junaid Khan was stabbed to death on a train in June last year.

A bench of Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice MM Shantanagoudar also stayed the trial in the case till further orders.

Junaid's father has challenged the Punjab and Haryana High Court's 27 November last year order, refusing a CBI probe into the matter, and sought that the accused be booked under offences of hate crimes.

Junaid's father Jalaluddin, through his counsel, had filed the petition on 26 October last year in the high court, seeking a probe by an independent agency like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Junaid lynching case.

He had also demanded a stay on the trial in a Faridabad court in connection with the killing of Junaid.

Junaid, who had boarded a Mathura-bound train from Delhi, was allegedly stabbed to death when he, along with his brothers and cousins, was returning home to Khandawali village after shopping for Eid in Delhi in June.

His body was dumped near Asaoti village in Faridabad district.
The observations came after the Maharashtra govt filed a two-page reply, stating that it was the BMC's responsibility to provide office space and other infrastructure for the judicial committee.

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court rapped the Maharashtra government on Monday over its reply about steps taken to provide necessary assistance to a committee proposed to be set up to probe last year's fire incident at the city's Kamala Mills compound that claimed 14 lives.

A bench of Justices Shantanu Kemkar and MS Karnik said that while the state had earlier expressed keenness to appoint a judicial committee and provide infrastructure and other necessary assistance to it to help probe the incident, it was now trying to shift all the burden to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

"We (the court) don't understand this reply. You were to tell us about the constitution of the committee, the facilities and remuneration that was to be provided to the committee. Instead, you have filed a standard, computerised response, an irrelevant response," the bench said.

"Does the state keep a ready template for replying to court orders? Have you copy-pasted your reply from somewhere?" the court asked.

"Don't try to shift all your burden on the BMC," the bench said.

The observations came after the state government filed a two-page reply, stating that it was the BMC's responsibility to provide office space and other infrastructure for the judicial committee.

In its reply, the state had also mentioned some details of the dispute around the mill land.

At the last hearing, the court had specifically directed the state to consult the BMC and submit in writing the infrastructure and remuneration it proposed to provide to the committee members.

The BMC's counsel, senior advocate Anil Sakhre, told the bench that the civic body was ready to provide the requisite office space, computers, internet, and other infrastructure for the committee. The bench directed the BMC to state this in writing.

It also directed the state to conduct a meeting with the BMC and the petitioner within a week, and to file a fresh reply by 2 April.

The bench was hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by retired IPS officer Julio Rebeiro, seeking, among other things, a judicial inquiry into the fire that led to the death of 14 people in December last year.

The Maharashtra government had told HC last month that it had decided to constitute a three-member judicial committee to probe the "genesis" of the incident.

It had also submitted in a sealed cover the names of several retired Bombay HC judges, two architects from the panel of the high court, and two retired secretaries from the state urban development department. The court will select the members of the committee from among them.

On the night of 29 December last year, a fire broke at restaurant Mojo's Bistro in the Kamala Mills compound in Lower Parel. It later spread to the adjoining restaurant 1Above.

An inquiry by the city civic body had revealed large-scale construction irregularities and violation of safety norms.
With the Karnataka Assembly election round the corner, its state government has on Monday approved the separate religion status for the Lingayat community.

With the Karnataka Assembly election around the corner, its state government on Monday approved the separate religion status for the Lingayat community. The decision is expected to have massive political implications, as it has been a long-standing demand of the numerically strong social group.

The Karnataka cabinet arrived at the decision after holding discussions on the issue for nearly three hours, CNN-News18 reported.

The decision has come a day after a group of Lingayat seers met Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and urged him to implement the report of an official committee that recommended conferring a separate religious and minority status to the community. The seers, led by Gadag-based Tontadarya Mutt's Siddalinga Swami, called on Siddaramaiah at his official residence on Sunday.

As this article by Srinivasa Prasad points out, the Lingayats have largely supported BJP in the past and Siddaramaiah, through this move, may have divided their political leanings by supporting the community's demand for a separate religion status. The community constitutes about 17 percent of Karnataka's population.

The demand for a separate religion tag to Veerashaiva/Lingayat faiths had surfaced from the politically-influential community, amidst resentment from within over the two communities being projected as the same.

While one section led by Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha had demanded a separate religion status, asserting that Veerashaiva and Lingayats are the same, the other wanted it only for Lingayats as it believes that Veerashaivas are one among the seven sects of Shaivas, which is part of Hinduism.

Of late, some Lingayats have also stated that they were open to having the Veerashaivas under their umbrella, but the Lingayat nomenclature was non-negotiable.

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".

The Lingayat/Veerashaiva community that owes allegiance to the 12th century "social reform movement" initiated by Basaveshwara has a substantial population in Karnataka, especially in the northern parts of the state.

The BJP and several sections of the Hindu community have maintained a cautious stance, keeping away from the move to give Veerashaiva/Lingayat a separate religion status. They have accused the Siddaramaiah government of dividing the society to draw political mileage ahead of the Assembly elections due in April/May.

Lingayat strongman and state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa has been saying that his party would not allow efforts to "divide" the community.

With inputs from PTI
The Lok Sabha proceedings were disrupted for the 11th day on Monday as the TDP, YSR Congress, TRS and AIADMK continued their noisy protests over various issues

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha proceedings were disrupted for the 11th day on Monday as the TDP, YSR Congress, TRS and AIADMK continued their noisy protests over various issues, including the banking scam and special status for Andhra Pradesh.

As soon as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan took up the Question Hour, members from these parties trooped into the Well holding placards.

While members from the TDP, YSR Congress, TRS and AIADMK were in the Well raising slogans and holding placards, MPs from the TMC and Congress were seen standing at their seats.

As the protests continued, the House was adjourned till noon.

Since 5 March, when Parliament had reassembled for the Budget Session after recess, the Lok Sabha has seen disruptions on a daily basis.

Amid noisy protests, the House had passed the Finance Bill and the appropriation bills last week without any discussion.

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The redevelopment of existing slums and MHADA buildings will soon be brought under the regulations of the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority, state Housing Development Minister Prakash Mehta said on Monday.

Mumbai: The redevelopment of existing slums and MHADA buildings will soon be brought under the regulations of the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority, state Housing Development Minister Prakash Mehta said on Monday.

He was replying in the Legislative Assembly to a calling attention motion by BJP MLA from Dharavi, R Tamil Selvan.

Dharavi is dominated by slum clusters and has several buildings that have been constructed by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA).

As per rules, slums are redeveloped by builders under SRA guidelines and comprise a saleable portion, for fresh buyers, apart from homes meant for rehabilitating slum-dwellers.

"This decision will impact the lives of at least 50-55 percent of the population of Mumbai. Almost 41 percent people live in slums as per the 2011 census. There are also 104 major colonies of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) in the city," a senior housing department official said.

Both these segments would come under the state's RERA once the executive order, with necessary changes to the rules, is passed by the government, he informed.

"Earlier, RERA rules were not applicable to the construction of buildings which are meant for rehabilitation. However, if the houses meant for rehabilitation and those for fresh sales are in the same building, then RERA regulations would apply. Now RERA rules will apply to SRA buildings meant for rehabilitation," he explained.

The official said that as per the 2011 Census, the population of Mumbai was 1,24,42,373 of which 52,06,470 lived in 11,35,514 slum tenements.

The slum segment, he said, comprised 41.84 percent of the city.

"There are 104 colonies of MHADA in Mumbai of which 56 are large ones with several buildings. Both these segments will now come under RERA. It will streamline the development of buildings and protect the rights of the flat owners," the official said.

Earlier, speaking in the House, MLA Selvan said that builders who undertook work under SRA were found to be selling their projects to other builders.

"The new builder either develops it or, after some time, sells it to another builder. This benefits the builder but the rights of flat owners are violated," Selvan said.

Mehta replied, "It is true that builders start a project and disappear after some time. Once RERA is applicable to rehab projects of SRA and MHADA, builders will have to get bank guarantees and other assurances. They cannot exit the project midway."

Minister of State for Housing Ravindra Waikar, while responding to a query by Mumbadevi MLA Amin Patel, said that the government would bring in more transparency into the system.

"We will also hold a joint meeting of 126 SRAs in the Dharavi area along with other MLAs from Mumbai to find an amicable solution," Waikar said.

He assured the House that an office of the RERA would be set up in neighbouring Thane to address issues faced by residents there.
Activists of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have pulled down Gujarati signboards at some commercial establishments in the district.

Thane: Activists of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have pulled down Gujarati signboards at some commercial establishments in the district.

The cadres of the Raj Thackeray-led party smashed and pulled down over 20 signboards on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway in the district's Vasai area on late Sunday night, MNS Thane region president Avinash Jadhav said on Monday.

"Vasai and Thane district are in Maharashtra and not Gujarat, and we will not tolerate name boards in Gujarati anymore," Jadhav told PTI on the phone.

He asserted that their agitation against such signboards would continue.

The Vasai police control room confirmed the incident, but said no offence had been registered so far.

The incident came a day after Raj Thackeray called for Opposition unity and a "Modi-mukt Bharat" by 2019.

Addressing party workers at a rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai on Saturday, Thackeray said, "The country is fed up with the false promises made by (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and his government."

"All opposition parties should come together to get rid of the BJP-led NDA government to ensure a "Modi-mukt Bharat," he said, while reminding the audience of the BJP's "Congress-mukt Bharat" slogan.

In July last year, some workers of the MNS had protested against a jewellery shop in Dadar and a hotel in the Mahim area of Mumbai, asking them to remove the signboards in Gujarati, the police had then said.

Following the protests, the two establishments removed the Gujarati signboards, they said.

While the owners of the establishment did not lodge any complaint against the MNS cadres, seven of them were then arrested for "illegal gathering" in Mahim, the police had said.
In a fresh incident of statue vandalism, black ink was smeared on a name plate engraved with Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee's name at Presidency University campus in Kolkata on Monday

Two fresh incidents of statue vandalism were reported from different parts of the country on Monday.

In Kolkata, black ink was smeared on a name plate engraved with Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee's name at the Presidency University campus, while a statue of BR Ambedkar was vandalised by unknown miscreants in Bachwal village, Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. A News18 report said police personnel have been deployed in Bachwal to prevent any untoward incident and a case has been filed against unknown persons.

West Bengal: Black ink smeared on Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee's name engraved on a name plate at Presidency University campus in Kolkata pic.twitter.com/m8IQOq73ob  ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2018

This is not the first time that the Jana Sangh founder's statues have come under attack. Last week, a statue of Mukherjee was found damaged in Assams Kokrajhar district and the matter is under investigation.

Earlier this month, a bust of the Jana Sangh founder was allegedly vandalised by members of a left-wing student organisation in West Bengal. Seven members of a left-wing student group were later arrested in the matter. Police had said that all seven were members of a far-left student outfit known as "Radical". Six of them were students of Kolkata's Jadavpur University. The incident had drawn sharp reactions from the Bharatiya Janata Party's West Bengal unit.

West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh had condemned the incident, saying, "Be it people from the Left or any other party, I am warning everyone to refrain from trying to insult leaders and statesmen like Syama Prasad Mukerjee." Sayantan Basu, general secretary of the West Bengal BJP, had released a statement demanding strong action against the culprits.

Similarly, on 10 March, an Ambedkar statue was vandalised in Rajapatti village in Azamgarh. Prior to that, miscreants had targeted an Ambedkar statue in Meerut, according to the News18 report cited above. Earlier, it was reported that unknown miscreants had defaced BR Ambedkar's bust in Chennai. According to a report on NDTV, miscreants poured paint on Ambedkar's bust in Tiruvottiyur area of Chennai on the night of 7 March.

The country has witnessed a spurt in incidents of statue vandalism in recent days. On Saturday, India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's statue was found with its faced blackened in Katwa town of West Bengal, the police had said. The Congress had alleged that the BJP was behind the incident but the saffron party had denied any involvement in the matter. On 10 March, a life-size statue of Michael Madhusudan Dutt, a prominent poet during the 19th century Bengal renaissance, was found defaced in Raniganj of West Bengal's Purba Bardhaman district. Dutt's face was smudged with red colour by unknown miscreants, triggering condemnation in political circles as also among the locals.

The incidents of defacing statues of political and social leaders were triggered by the demolition of two statues of Vladimir Lenin in Tripura, following the BJP's victory in the state elections. This had caused the CPM to lash out at the saffron party and seek Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention.

With inputs from agencies
'President Putin thanked the Prime Minister for the phone call. He conveyed his commitment to further strengthen India-Russia relations in all spheres,' a statement from the PMO said.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called Russian President Vladimir Putin to congratulated him in his reelection.

"Conveying his compliments on Putin's success, the Prime Minister expressed the hope that under Putin's leadership, the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and the Russian Federation will continue to grow from strength to strength," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

"The Prime Minister also stated that he looked forward to welcoming President Putin in India for the annual summit later this year," it added.

"President Putin thanked the Prime Minister for the phone call. He conveyed his commitment to further strengthen India-Russia relations in all spheres, and also his good wishes for the continued progress of India and her people."

Russian voters gave Putin a resounding approval for a fourth term as president, with figures from the Central Election Commission (CEC) on Monday showing him winning with 76.68 per cent of the vote, his highest score ever, despite opposition activists highlighting a number of cases of vote rigging.

Almost 55.5 million voters supported his candidacy in the election that took place on Sunday paving the way for Putin, 65, to lead the country until 2024 after which he is constitutionally obliged to stand down, Sputnik news agency reported.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping on his re-election for a second five-year term, saying he looks forward to working with him to further develop Sino-India relations

Beijing: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping on his re-election for a second five-year term, saying he looks forward to working with him to further develop Sino-India relations.

Xi, 64, was unanimously elected by the 2,970 deputies of Chinese parliament the National People's Congress (NPC) last week.

Dear President Xi Jinping, congratulations on getting re-elected as the President of the People's Republic of China, Modi said in his message posted on his account on the Chinese social media platform Weibo on Monday.

I look forward to working with you for further development of our bilateral relations," he said.

Modi had opened his account in the popular social media blog Weibo during his visit China in 2015. He has 1,83,379 followers.

Earlier, the NPC also ratified a proposal to remove the two-term limit for president paving the way for Xi to become leader for life.

India and China are currently making diplomatic efforts to improve the relations following the 73-day long standoff at Doka La in the Sikkim section.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale recently visited Beijing and held talks with top-level Chinese officials, while Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has recently said that she planned to visit China next month.

Modi and Xi are expected to meet this year on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit to be held in June this year at the Chinese city of Qingdao.
Women members of the NCP on Sunday shouted slogans against Amruta Fadnavis, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' wife, during a programme in Solapur

Mumbai: Women members of the Nationalist Congress Party on Sunday shouted slogans against Amruta Fadnavis, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' wife, during a programme in Solapur.

The programme was organised to promote products manufactured by Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved.

The women, during their protest outside the venue, demanded to know why a market was being made available for Patanjali products when the same was not being done for items made by women's self-help groups (SHGs).

Police said that the women protesters were detained for a brief while and then released.

"No case was taken against any of them," an official said.

Earlier Fadnavis, during her speech at the function, claimed that people had "blind faith" on Patanjali products and the revenue generated from them was helping the nation.

Actor-turned-politician and Lok Sabha MP Hema Malini was also present at the function.
Union Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that a Doka La 2 is highly unlikely. She is right. Hyperventilating media reports notwithstanding, a sober assessment of ground realities indicates that India need not be apprehensive of renewed Chinese aggression in the disputed Himalayan region that saw a 73-day standoff last year.

Union Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that a Doka La 2 is highly unlikely. She is right. Hyperventilating media reports notwithstanding, a sober assessment of ground realities indicates that India need not be apprehensive of renewed Chinese aggression in the disputed Himalayan region that saw a 73-day standoff last year. That is not to say that we must not be on our guard and refrain from building own capabilities but to stress that the realities that triggered Doka La have changed, and therefore the behaviour must follow suit.

Speaking at the News 18 Rising India Summit on Saturday, Sitharaman played down concerns of another confrontation at Doka La, even though there has been a massive build-up of Chinese martial infrastructure since in the disputed area under Beijing's de facto control. While answering a question on the floor of the House, in fact, the defence minister recently gave an account of Chinese construction and troop deployment activities close to last year's face-off site.

"In order to maintain these troops during the winter, China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has undertaken construction of some infrastructure, including sentry posts, trenches and helipads," she told Lok Sabha on 5 March. Sitharaman's comments appeared to confirm some reports based on fresh satellite imagery that indicates China has rapidly moved to change "facts on the ground" by creating permanent and semi-permanent physical presence.

According to a report in The Print by Colonel Vinayak Bhat (Retired): "new images show concrete posts, seven helipads, new trenches and several dozen armoured vehicles close to the point where the Indian Army and the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) troops were locked in a 72-day confrontation last year." The report also mentioned the presence of "at least one complete mechanised regiment of possibly ZBL-09 IFVs or infantry fighting vehicles."

In light of this reality, let us now examine the defence minister's comments at the News 18 Rising India Summit. Stressing on the need to remain vigilant, Sitharaman said she is "certain" that Doka La won't be repeated.

"I dont think there will be another Doka La. Of course, the ministry of external affairs has sent elaborate answers on the status in Doka La. I dont want to add more words but I am certain there wont be Doka La 2. At various levels, engagements are going on. You have established processes, like there is a special representative who has had about 20 different sets of meetings. Then you have border personnel meeting, flag bearer meeting and recently, the army chief said we have resumed talks We are engaging at various levels...We have to be alert and conscious every minute of what happens and what doesnt at our border, she said in her speech at the News 18 thought leadership initiative.

Is the defence minister guilty of overconfidence? Do her arguments appear counterintuitive? The answer is in the negative.

First, it is important to note that these construction activities are taking place in a piece of territory in the high Himalayas claimed by both China and Bhutan. India has never claimed sovereign rights on the Dolam plateau. To the extent that China has now increased troop presence and built real estate on this disputed area (in contravention of its 1988 and 1998 agreements with Bhutan), it should be a matter of concern because it matches China's propensity to disregard agreements and rely on coercive strategies to further its expansionism.

However, so long as China doesn't alter the status quo at face-off site and try to widen, build or extend "the road southward from the existing terminal point, which is about 68 meters from the Doka La border crossing between India and the disputed territory between Bhutan and China" towards Geymochen, thereby directly threatening India's Siliguri Corridor, India has no moral, legal or strategic reason to interfere with Chinese activities.

The government has stood by its assertion that such an alteration hasn't yet taken place. "Our attention has been drawn to some reports that question the accuracy of the position stated by the government in respect to the situation in Doka La," external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said in January. "Government would once again reiterate that the status quo at the face-off site has not been altered. Any suggestion to the contrary is inaccurate and mischievous."

A legitimate question arises. Even if it is true that status quo ante still holds on the face-off site, China has still managed to substantially increase troop presence on the disputed bowl and has built a bulwark of capabilities. Should it not be counted as a threat to India?

To tackle this question, we need to understand the motivations behind Doka La resolution. When great powers are locked in a conflict, a resolution is possible only when it can be sold as a "victory" for both sides. For India, it was a win because it had stood up to China, thwarted its coercive strategies through denial and forced a return to status quo ante that existed before PLA's construction party had disturbed it. The results were tangible.

As scholars Oriana Skylar Mastro and Arzan Tarapore write in War on the Rocks, "by physically denying Chinas bid to change the status quo, India created a stalemate, which suited its strategic policy. It did not acquiesce to a Chinese fait accompli, and it did not have to summon the capabilities or resolve to reverse Chinas position, which would have risked a general war."

What of China? Regardless of whether BRICS Summit necessitated the resolution, Xi Jinping still had to sell the humble pie to domestic hawks as a "win". This is decidedly more difficult in an autocracy. Chinese propaganda machinery has built an image of an "all-conquering emperor" around Xi who is expected to return the Middle Kingdom to its ancient glory by defeating upstarts such as "poor, dirty and filthy India".

A "defeat" in India's hands on Doka La would have punctured Xi's image and rendered him unsuitable to lead world's latest superpower. Evidently, much of the construction activity that is going in Doka La may, therefore, be construed as showboating to whet the appetite of domestic hawks.

Xi may now point to increased PLA presence and military bulwark to show that "even though China had appeared to step down to avoid a conflict with India as a sign of magnanimity, it is now in full control of Doka La". This impression of "appearing to be in full control of any situation" is vital to the Chinese Communist Party's leadership construct.

Third, regardless of Chinese buildup, Doka La is the place where India enjoys a limited military advantage. As retired Colonel of Indian Army Ajai Shukla writes in his blog, Sikkim sector is the place "where India attacks China, not the other way around". The author posits that Siliguri Corridor isn't as a big a strategic vulnerability as it is considered to be.

He explains: "If moving appropriate troops into the Chumbi Valley is a logistical challenge, shielding them from Indian artillery, air and ground attacks in that bottleneck would be even more difficult. Thereafter, the PLA would have to break through formidable Indian defences, attacking mainly uphill, and then advance southward to Siliguri across thickly forested hills, harried all the way by numerically superior Indian forcesIf, miraculously, the Chinese still reach Siliguri, they would be decimated in massed attacks from Indian reserves that could be built up steadily."

All of these are significant points but a more compelling reason to stop fearing a recurrence of Doka La is both countries' renewed effort at reengagement, the machinations of which has been discussed in detail in a recent Firstpost piece.

Given its history of treacherous behaviour, any engagement with China is subject to appropriate disclaimers. Even so, the last few weeks have seen a greater effort from both sides to progress beyond areas of friction and meet the other halfway. (New Delhi has probably travelled more than Beijing).

Apart from the resumption of dialogue mechanismspointed out by the defence minister during her address at the News 18 Summitboth countries are trying to set up high-level meetings starting with Sushma Swaraj and Sitharaman's impending trips leading to a possible one-on-one between Narendra Modi and Xi.

Incidentally, the prime minister on Monday congratulated Xi on Weibo (the Chinese equivalent to Twitter) on being re-elected as the president.

PM Modi congratulates Xi on election as President in a message on weibo, says hopes to promote development of India-China relations pic.twitter.com/iBwox5WWW0  Ananth Krishnan (@ananthkrishnan) March 19, 2018

India is moving towards making "realism" the driver of its foreign policy away from its traditional idealist moors. The Chinese are past masters of it. Realism dictates greater engagement right now. Other fears may rest easy for the moment.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said he had not given up the demand for grant of special status to Bihar 'for even one second' since he first raised the issue 13 years ago.

Patna: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said he had not given up the demand for grant of special status to Bihar "for even one second" since he first raised the issue 13 years ago.

He also hit out at the RJD for questioning his "silence" after the TDP pulled out of the NDA seeking similar benefits for Andhra Pradesh.

Kumar declined to comment on the fresh conviction of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad in the fourth fodder scam case but said the claims of the former chief minister and his family members of being "framed" in corruption cases "could convince only hardcore supporters".

"I had written to the then prime minister for a special status to Bihar in 2005, shortly after assuming power in the state. A year later, we got a resolution passed in the state Assembly to the effect.

"Since then, the demand has been raised by us relentlessly and I have not strayed for even a second. I'm amused to see those who were never concerned about the issue have suddenly started questioning my silence," Kumar told reporters at party headquarters.

He also indicated that the issue of special status for Bihar would be raised before the 15th Finance Commission.

Kumar, who is the JD(U) national chief, had made a surprise appearance at a press conference convened by state chief Bashishth Narain Singh to announce merger of a breakaway faction of Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) founded by former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.

Senior JD(U) leader and state minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh was also present on the occasion.

Kumar was responding to queries about the relentless attacks by Lalu Prasad and Leader of Opposition in state Assembly Tejashwi Yadav.

They have been challenging him to speak up on the issue of special status for Bihar in the backdrop of the TDP walking out of the NDA over a similar demand for Andhra Pradesh.

"Special status is a need for Bihar. We will work towards ensuring that it is fulfilled. But we are not going to issue statements about the matter every now and then. We have always placed interests of the voters above their votes, unlike our detractors," he said.

About Prasad's conviction in the Dumka treasury case , Kumar said, "It is a judicial verdict and I have never spoken about a judgment passed by a court of law".

A special CBI court in Ranchi today convicted Lalu Prasad in the fourth case of multi-crore fodder scam related to fradulent withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore from Dumka treasury in 1990s. The court acquitted former chief minister Jagannath Mishra in the same case.

To a query about allegations of political vendetta and that the RJD supremo was being "framed", he said, "When we were sharing power in Bihar, they said the same thing. I had said this could convince only hardcore supporters."

The chief minister also said his government had ensured communal harmony and betterment of all communities and that he strongly believed in "taking all sections of the society along".

He, however, replied in the negative when asked whether he would advise the same to his ally BJP which has often been accused of triggering communal tension. "Every party has to decide its own course of action," he said.

To another query, the JD(U) chief said he did not attach much importance to bypoll results and "had decided to stay away in keeping with our policy not to contest a bypoll necessitated by incumbent's death. We relented following the BJP's demands, though we knew what would be the outcome".

The JD(U) had contested the Jahanabad Assembly segment in bypolls, where its candidate lost by a margin of over 35,000 votes.

About the Supreme Court order dismissing a PIL seeking his disqualification from the Legislative council on the ground that he did not disclose his criminal records, he said, "I was not made a party and not even served with a notice".
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) said it was undecided on providing compensation to Class X students for an alleged error in the English question paper

New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday said it was undecided on providing compensation to Class X students for an alleged error in the English question paper.

Teachers and students have been claiming that the paper held on 12 March had certain errors in the comprehension passage section.

The passage section of the paper where students were expected to find synonyms of 'endurance, obstruction and motivation' in paragraphs two, four and five, respectively had its answers in paragraphs three and six. Certain typos also led to confusion among students, an online petition started by a group of students said.

Reports were doing round that the board has decided to compensate students for the "error", however, the board officials clarified that no decision has been taken yet.

"Evaluation is a very secretive process. Though the marking policy is always decided keeping the interests of students in mind, an expert committee examines whether it is an error in the first place or not and how students' interest can be safeguarded," a senior CBSE official said.

The Class X and XII board examinations began on 5 March and will conclude by 13 April.
Pakistan on Monday expressed disappointment at India for not issuing visas to more than 500 Pakistani pilgrims for visiting the famed shrine of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer.

Islamabad: Pakistan on Monday expressed disappointment at India for not issuing visas to more than 500 Pakistani pilgrims for visiting the famed shrine of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer.

The visit was to take place under the 1974 Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines and is a regular annual feature, Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.

"Pakistan notes with deep disappointment the non-issuance of visas by India for the visit of the 503 Pakistani Zaireen (pilgrims) to participate in the Urs of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti (RA) at Ajmer Sharif, India from 19-29 March 2018," the statement said.

Due to India's decision, the Pakistani pilgrims have been deprived of the opportunity to participate in the Urs, which is of special significance, it said. Earlier 192 Pakistani pilgrims could not participate in the Urs of Hazrat Khawaja NizamuddinAulia in Delhi from 1-8 January due to the non-issuance of visas by India, it said.

The FO said that during 2017, despite Pakistan's offer to send a special train, Indian delays had resulted in Sikh yatrees (pilgrims) from India being unable to participate in the Martyrdom Anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev and the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

In February, Pakistan had made all the arrangements for the visit of 173 Katas Raj pilgrims, who were "forced" to withdraw their applications from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi due to non-issuance of necessary clearance by the Ministry of External Affairs of India, the statement said.

"Besides being violative of the bilateral Protocol of 1974 and the basic human right to religious freedom, such measures also undermine the efforts aimed at improving the environment, increasing people-to-people contacts and normalising relations between the two countries," the FO said.

It was again "ironic" that India failed to issue visas on the occasion of Urs of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti who for centuries has been the symbol of bringing communities closer to each other, the statement added.
Poonch incident is the latest in a series of tragedies that have killed over two dozen civilians, displaced thousands and terrorised many more in Kashmir.

Slouched on a bed at a Jammu hospital, Nooren is looking at visitors with expectant eyes, but no one has mustered the courage to explain to a 14-year-old girl the tragedy that devastated her family on Sunday after Pakistani forces allegedly targeted their home located in Lower Devta village along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir's Poonch district. Of the seven members, only her seven-year-old sister, Mehreen, survives but she is critical.

"We were sipping morning tea when the bomb (mortar shell) exploded in the room. My leg was in excruciating pain and I was crying. Then neighbours came and pulled us out from the rubble," Nooren said, recalling the last moments of her family at their home. According to officials, a mortar shell fired from the other side of the divide tore the roof of the residential house, killing Nooren's father and mother, and her three brothers.

The killing of Chaudhary Mohammed Ramzan, his wife Malika Bi, 32, and their three sons  Abdul Rehman, 14, Mohammad Rizwan, 12, and seven-year-old Razaq Ramzan  is the latest in a series of tragedies that have killed over two dozen civilians, including children, displaced thousands and terrorised many more in the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir. Officials say ceasefire violations are at an all-time high this year, which comes at a time when diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan are at an all-time low.

Diplomatic face-off

The tensions along the de-facto border in Jammu and Kashmir are replicated in the diplomatic face-off between India and Pakistan. Since the last months, the two countries have levelled allegations of harassment of diplomats in the two countries, prompting Islamabad to recall Sohail Mahmood, its high commissioner in New Delhi, after repeated incidents of "harassment". There are reports suggesting that Pakistan will not send the envoy back till the situation improves.

"There is nothing new or unusual about it. If you look at the history of the cold war, Americans and Soviets would often resort to such practices of intimidation. But it is a poor start to the year which has recorded 434 ceasefire violations in the first two months. With diplomacy in tatters, not only will the people in border areas suffer but it will also impact the situation on the ground in Kashmir," Noor A Baba, dean of social sciences at the Central University of Kashmir, said.

With insurgency-linked violence at an all-time high in the Jammu and Kashmir and more and more young boys from the Valley joining militant groups, the prospects of peace and normalcy in the conflict-ravaged state are getting bleaker. Today, due to the reluctance of the two countries in resolving their outstanding issues, young men in Kashmir are looking at radical ideologies such as of Islamic State, to set them free from the pangs of the three-decade-old violence and political turmoil. This is a dangerous precedent that will push the entire South Asian region into chaos.

The absent Kashmir dialogue

Before the BJP entered into a wedlock with the Peoples Democratic Party, the coalition drafted a governance framework which, among other issues, promised dialogue with "internal and external" (Hurriyat and Islamabad) stakeholders. The coalition, however, remained mired in controversies in the first three years. Emboldened by its Hindutva agenda that won the party election after election in different states across the country, the BJP-led Centre reneged on its promises as the PDP's popularity tanked in the Valley.

After the turmoil in 2016 following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani and an unprecedented wave of student protests that shook the Valley in the next year, the Centre appointed Dineshwar Sharma as a special representative for the state. In his more than two dozen visits to different parts of the state, Sharma interacted with a wide range of people, including former Hurriyat chief Abdul Ghani Bhat, but there has been little improvement in the ground situation.

"Interlocution may work at some level in Kashmir but it will not solve the problem entirely. You catch the bull by horns if it doesn't behave. New Delhi has refused to talk with Islamabad unless the latter stops 'exporting terror' but such an approach is detrimental to the situation in Jammu and Kashmir where border violence is at all time high and dangerous ideologies are gaining currency," Jehangir Ali, a senior journalist based in Kashmir told Firstpost.

Geelani's IB rendezvous

It is not as if New Delhi has not tried but the methods have been wrong. Last week, veteran Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani disclosed that an officer of Intelligence Bureau visited him at his home in Srinagar and proposed that the ailing separatist hold talks with New Delhi for resolution of the Kashmir problem. Geelani turned down the offer, telling the officer that unless Kashmir issue is not seen in "historical perspective", talks will not be productive.

"More than 150 rounds of talks over the last seven decades have been held on Kashmir between India and Pakistan but they have not produced any results. Unless New Delhi doesn't acknowledge Kashmir as a dispute, gets Pakistan on board and puts an end to the violence unleashed by security forces on our people, any effort at dialogue will be counter-insurgency and bound to fail," Yasin Malik, chairman of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, said.

For political observers and strategic experts, the road to peace in Kashmir starts in Islamabad. The strategic realignment of alliances in South Asia with the United States drifting away from Pakistan and the latter coming closer to China is a sign of hard times ahead in Jammu and Kashmir, where children like Nooren and her sister will continue to suffer for no fault of theirs. We can't afford to let it happen endlessly.
The Forgotten Mother Of Modern Tarot

Pamela Colman Smith was a gifted artist who had a love for the occult. She illustrated the world's best known tarot cards, as well as books by Bram Stoker and W. B. Yeats, AND she contributed artwork for the womens suffrage movement. And yet, her works are often overlooked; she even gets omitted from her own tarot.

A WELL-TRAVELLED LADY

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Pamela (known as Pixie to her mates) was born in Pimlico in London in 1878. Her family then moved to Manchester before heading to Kingston, Jamaica when she was 10.

Pixie became engrossed in Jamaican culture and folklore, something that would influence her work throughout her career. She even wrote and illustrated a book of Jamaican folktales called Annancy Stories thats still in print today.

In 1893, Colman's family moved to Brooklyn, and Pixie went to the very fancy avant-garde Pratt Institute to study art and illustration. Sadly, she had horrific health issues throughout her three years there, and thus never graduated.

BUT, Pixie was a ridiculously talented student. Even without a degree she immediately started getting paid work as an illustrator (which as anyone with an art degree will tell you, is stupidly impressive!).

You betta weeeeerk!

One of Pixie's first paid gigs was working with Bram Stoker (Yknow, that goth bloke who wrote Dracula). This proved to be a really enriching and satisfying partnership, with Pixie illustrating both his book on famed Shakespearian actress Ellen Terry and his final book The Lair of the White Worm.

Pixie had a knack of working with equally amazing writers, like W. B. Yeats on his (imaginatively titled) The Illustrated Verses of William Butler Yeats.

A CHANGE OF SCENERY

Sadly, Pixies beloved mother passed away in 1896. Needing a change, Pixie joined a travelling theatre group as a set designer (as you do). This period really influenced her artwork with grand theatrics, bold prints and colors galore.

Everyone loves a lovvie!

While doing all these varied projects, our girl still found time to support womens suffrage. She provided artwork for the cause in America, coming up with bold and simple designs that got the message across.

One of Pamela's suffrage artworks

Her friendship with Bram Stoker and W. B. Yeats led Pixie to become a member of the occult-loving group the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in 1901. The group, made famous by Aleister Crowley, had a fascination for all things occult, supernatural and weird.

And its this world of all things creepy that would influence Pixie in her most famous work.

Oooooooh SPOOKY!



THE RIDER-WAITE-SMITH TAROT

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Arthur Edward Waite was a fellow member of Golden Dawn, and he took an interest in Pixies artwork. See, he wanted to created a new tarot deck that would help bring tarot into the mainstream, and he reckoned Pixie was the artist for the job.

A quick explanation of tarot for those of you who are unfamiliar: Tarot cards are a deck of usually 78 individual cards, and are used for foretelling and insight. You have the main arcana made up of 22 cards and a set of minor arcana split between wands, swords, pentacles and cups. Each card has a different meaning and by grouping cards selected at random you can compose a story or reading for yourself or another person.

ANYWAY!

Pixie was given free reign to revamp tarot and she really sunk her teeth into it.

She came up with a set of theatrical cards that really refined each ones individual meaning. The most astonishing part is that Pixie was able to create the entire deck, almost 80 individual pieces of art, in just 6 months.

The Waite-Smith Tarot. All of these designs are from Pixie.

Waite wrote a book to accompany the set, and it was first published in 1909 by the publishing house Rider. The deck went on to become the most popular and recognised tarot deck in the world, but its just referred to usually as the Rider-Waite Tarot, which omits Pixie's name.

WHICH IS A FUCKING TRAVESTY!

FUCKING FUMING BABES!

As so many of these stories do, Pixies had a bit of a shit ending. She moved to Cornwall and died in obscurity as a pauper in 1951. And yet, in such a short space of time, Pixie had an incredibly diverse and interesting career that spanned across multiple art forms. Its a travesty that she isnt recognised for her work, particularly for bringing tarot into the mainstream and giving the cards new life.

THAT WAS INTERESTING, HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE?

Well, if you fancy reading some of Pamelas work, her storybook Annancy Stories is still in print. And if tarot has piqued your interest, Marcus Katz has written an interesting guide on the Waite-Smith Tarot that includes more of Pamelas history and influences.

This post originally appeared on F Yeah History and is reprinted here with permission.

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Written by Natasha Tidd, Sara Westrop, and Helen Antrobus, F Yeah History is dedicated to unearthing history that's just too good for history class. From historic hangover cures to unsung historic heroes, all told with a healthy does of gifs and somewhat terrible jokes, it's history...just not as you know it. Follow F Yeah History on FYeahHistory.com and on Twitter @F_yeah_history.
Members of the Pardhi tribe in Bhopal have seen little change in circumstances four months after a woman from the tribe immolated herself allegedly due to police harassment

Nearly four months since the shocking self-immolation of a woman from the community who alleged she was the victim of police harassment, there has been little change in the conditions of the Pardhis.

The case of 30-year-old Indarmal Bai from Bhopal was widely reported last November, when she set herself on fire  reportedly after local policemen repeatedly tried to extort money from her. A mother-of-two who made a living sorting scrap and selling cosmetics at village fairs, Indermal had complained that the policemen threatened to arrest her on trumped up charges if she did not pay them Rs 20,000. Hours after her demise in hospital, Indarmals 14-year-old son too attempted suicide, but was saved.

Found mostly in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, the Pardhis were among the 150+ tribes labelled criminal under the 1871 Criminal Tribes Act. After India gained independence, it denotified these tribes in 1952, but the Pardhi community hasnt been able to overcome the stigma.

We have been labelling the Pardhis as petty thieves since 1871 when the Criminal Tribes Act was passed, and until today  even after the Act has been scrapped  nothing has changed, says activist Pallav Thudgar who works with Muskaan, an organisation devoted to the wellbeing and education of Adivasi communities in Bhopal.

The stereotypes dog members of the community from early life; denied of opportunities, most Pardhis resort to jobs like scrap collection. The Ministry of Justice, meanwhile, holds there is insufficient evidence of atrocities against the tribe, so quotas/reservations cannot be put into effect. This belies the Pardhis' experience of daily persecution, says Pallav. "Society has not given them space to explore the concept of work. When, for a mere sack of rice you are asked to produce a bundle of documents, what exactly can we expect from the administration in terms of education or jobs?" he wonders.

When Pardhis attempt to set up roadside stalls or seek work on construction sites, they are reportedly chased away by authority figures who suspect them of being thieves. It is easy to exploit the Pardhis because of the stigma attached to the tribe. Our privilege prevents us from understanding the issue. People argue that if the Pardhis are labelled as criminals, they must have committed crimes sometime in the past. Of course there must have been a time when someone stole something, but it is as common as a theft happening in any other community. Moreover, who is to answer why there is a situation where they are having to steal? asks Pallav.

Pallav, and many activists like him who work with the Pardhis, feel it was the State that wronged the community when they drove them (and other denotified tribes) away from their natural environments, after the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 came into effect. The government took away the tribe's homes, stripped them off their skill set and shattered their occupational system which gave them food and resources. The tribes were never as much a threat to the forests as big businesses are today, says Pallav.

At a jansunwai held in the wake of Indarmal Bai's death, numerous denotified communities from across the country congregated at Gandhi Bhawan in Bhopal and described the growing abuse of their women.

The Pardhis described how their bastis of Rajiv Nagar, Baskhedi and Gandhi Nagar have a barrage of policemen showing up at any given time to investigate alleged crimes they think members of the community have committed. Bribery and the threat of false cases lead to a cycle of harassment that ends only when the person pays up, or when there is a death, like Indarmal Bai's.

Indarmal's is not the first suicide in the community. Data collected by Muskaan indicates a high prevalence of suicidal ideation  possibly linked to the oppressive circumstances of the Pardhis' life. We are close to publishing a study about the growing number of suicides. It indicates a minimum of 70 unnatural deaths within 200 Pardhi families over the last five years alone, says Pallav.

Local authorities have seemingly turned a blind eye to the treatment meted out to Pardhis.

For instance, an independent fact finding team appointed to investigate the case of Indarmal Bai was told by the Gandhi Nagar thana inspector (TI) that she had 'caught fire while burning scraps' and there were cases of theft registered against her. The TI further denied that Indarmal had been subjected to any harassment at all.

Community members and activists staged protests to demand an FIR be filed against the three cops who allegedly abetted Indarmal's suicide. It's only recently that a case has been registered in Jabalpur High Court but even after three hearings, the police hasnt been given any notice.

Previously, another fact-finding team spoke to cops at the Kamla Nagar police station regarding the harassment of Pardhi children who worked as waste-pickers. Then child welfare officer Amar Singh was quoted as saying: Pardhis commit crimes and rag-picking is only an excuse to steal.

Among the rare sunshine stories from the community is that of 20-year-old Tasveer. As a child, Tasveer worked as a rag-picker and (along with his parents) was locked up by the police several times. With the help of Muskaan, Tasveer was able to complete his school and college education.

"The story of Indarmal Bai is the story of every person in our basti. Every day is a struggle  figuring out if you'll have something to eat or if you'll be thrashed and abused by the police for some reason or the other," he says.

Tasveer adds that there has been no support from the government beyond "the promises made in speeches", and that no real solutions can emerge from those "sitting on the outside". "For any intervention to work, you need to come and see what really happens in the bastis, how we live, what we think, why we're tormented," he says. "There are conflicts like violence that are a reality within the community and we are working to eliminate them so we can stand united against the forces of hegemony."

"People think we are lazy or incompetent. We're more than capable of taking care of ourselves if only we'd be seen as part of society," Tasveer adds. "We do not want food or shelter from the government. What we want is the space and opportunity to earn them without being discriminated against.
India summoned the Pakistan deputy high commissioner in New Delhi and lodged a strong protest against the killing of five civilians in 'unprovoked firing' by Pakistani forces, terming the incident 'highly deplorable'

New Delhi: Reacting strongly, India termed as "highly deplorable" the killing of five civilians by Pakistani forces in "unprovoked firing" and summoned the Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner to lodge a protest over the issue.

Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah, who was called to the South Block in New Delhi, was also told that such heinous acts are against established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct and asked Pakistan to instruct its forces to desist from such acts immediately, the external affairs ministry said.

"It was conveyed that the deliberate targeting of innocent civilians, who are located two kilometres away from the forward line of defences, by Pakistan forces using high calibre weapons, is highly deplorable and is condemned in the strongest terms," the ministry said.

The strong protest was lodged at the loss of lives of five innocent Indian civilians (a couple and their three children) and grievous injuries to two other minor children in unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan forces on 18 March in Bhimber Gali Sector across the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, the ministry added.

India also asked Pakistani authorities to investigate such heinous acts, the ministry said.

"Our strong concerns were shared at continued unprovoked firing and ceasefire violations across the LoC and the International Border. More than 560 such violations have been carried out by Pakistan forces at the LoC so far during 2018 in which 23 Indian civilians have been killed and 70 others have been injured," the ministry said.

The Pakistan side was also asked to end the support being given to cross-border infiltration of terrorists, including through covering fire, it added.
Launching a scathing attack on the BJP-led NDA government, Raj Thackeray on Sunday called for opposition unity and a 'Modi-mukt Bharat' by 2019.

Mumbai: Launching a scathing attack on the BJP-led NDA government, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday called for Opposition unity and a "Modi-mukt Bharat" by 2019.

Addressing party workers at a rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai, Thackeray said, "The country is fed up with the false promises made by (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and his government." All Opposition parties should come together to get rid of the BJP-led NDA government to ensure a "Modi-mukt Bharat", he said, while reminding the audience of the BJP's "Congress-mukt Bharat" slogan.

"India got its first independence in 1947, second in 1977 (after the post-Emergency election) and 2019 can bring a third independence if India becomes Modi-mukt," the MNS chief said.

If the Modi government was ousted and an inquiry was ordered into demonetisation, it (the note ban) might turn out to be the biggest scam in the country since 1947, he said. Quoting an ISRO report, Thackeray said, "A large-scale desertification of Maharashtra is going on due to the depletion of groundwater. After Rajasthan, our state has reported the second highest rate of desertification in the country."

Saying this, he went on to question Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's claim of digging of 56,000 wells in the state.

The MNS chief said he was in favour of building a Ram temple in Ayodhya, but it should not be used as an election issue. "The Babri Masjid demolition case is in the Supreme Court and it will be deliberately discussed in the coming days to instigate communal riots," he claimed. "The Ram mandir should be built, but it should not be used as an election plank to divide the society and win votes," he said.

Taking a dig at Modi's foreign tours, Thackeray said the prime minister was apparently visiting those countries to get "flour for pakoda" as the visits had not fetched any investments.

The MNS chief also said films like Toilet Ek Prem Katha and Padman were a covert propaganda for government schemes. Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, who starred in both the films, was trying to follow the footsteps of Manoj Kumar, an actor who was popularly known as "Bharat Kumar", he added. "But Akshay Kumar is not even an Indian citizen. He holds a Canadian passport and Wikipedia describes him as an Indian-born Canadian actor," Thackeray said.

Taking potshots at Fadnavis, who recently featured in a video song about river conservation, the MNS chief said, "There are so many problems in the state, but apparently the CM is busy singing songs."

Thackeray also questioned the government's decision to accord a state funeral to Bollywood actor Sridevi in February. "Sridevi was a great actor, but what did she do for the country that her body was wrapped in the tricolour?" he asked. The media might have covered her funeral extensively at the government's behest to divert the people's attention from the Nirav Modi-Punjab National Bank scam, he said.

The government was trying to control the media, judiciary and agencies like the CBI, Thackeray said, alleging that the media was under tremendous pressure from the BJP-led government.

Incidentally, Thackeray had met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Saturday, ahead of today's rally. He, however, described the meeting at Pawar's residence in south Mumbai as a courtesy call.
Former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi on Monday said that the Right to Information Act was being 'strangled' due to the neglect of the state government.

Mumbai: Former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi on Monday said that the Right to Information Act was being "strangled" due to the neglect of the state government.

Gandhi has written a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asking him to fill the vacancies in the Information Commission in the state.

"RTI is slowly being strangled in Maharashtra by not appointing information commissioners. In Maharashtra, there is vacancy of one Chief Information Commissioner and three commissioners. These are not being filled despite repeated reminders," Gandhi stated in his letter to Fadnavis.

Gandhi said that the pendency of all the commissions was now alarming and it was, in turn, killing the objective of the Act which was transparency.

Sharing the figures of 31,474 pending cases in four regions, Gandhi said, "Nashik region has 9,931 pending cases, Pune has 8,647 cases, Amravati 8,026 cases and Mumbai(HQ) has 4,870 cases pending. These cases are languishing for the want of information commissioners."

His letter stated that it was a serious matter and needed immediate attention and claimed that failure to do so would allow the state to "succeed" in making the RTI Act "redundant".

"It will continue as a haven for rewarding retired bureaucrats and other favourites. It will be an expense account with no benefit to its citizens," Gandhi wrote.

He said that Maharashtra was one of the first states to enact the law when it came into effect in October 2005 but the state was now "reeling from the worst levels of pendency in years".
Earlier in the day, the apex court had directed the Centre to file a 'comprehensive status report' giving details of conditions in Rohingya refugee camps in various states.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to pass any interim order on a plea filed by two Rohingya refugees to ensure health and educational facilities for them.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud was told by the Centre that there was no discrimination in granting health and educational facilities to Indians and outsiders.

"We will not pass any interim order with regard to ensuring health and educational facilities for Rohingya refugees unless petitioners bring some material contradicting the claims of the Centre," the bench said.

Earlier in the day, the apex court had directed the Centre to file a "comprehensive status report" giving details of conditions in Rohingya refugee camps in various states.

The apex court had on 7 March sought the Centre's response on a plea of two Rohingya refugees  Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir  seeking education and healthcare on the lines of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who are given such facilities in Tamil Nadu.

However, the Centre in its affidavit had opposed the plea saying that the comparison with Sri Lankan refugees was "ill-founded and misconceived".

It said certain relief facilities to the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees had its genesis in the Indo-Ceylon Agreement of 1964.

The Rohingya refugees have sought permission to enter India, besides education and health care facilities and grant of refugee ID cards by the Foreigner Regional Registration Office.

They had earlier approached the apex court opposing the Centre's decision to deport over 40,000 refugees who came to India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination and violence against the community.

Various other pleas, including those by former RSS ideologue and Rashtriya Swabhiman Andolan leader K N Govindacharya, the CPI(M) youth wing Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the West Bengal child rights body have been filed in the apex court on the matter.

The court had suggested to the Centre not to deport these refugees, but the Centre had urged that it should not be written in the order as anything coming on record would have international ramifications.

The Rohingya people, who fled to India after violence in the Western Rakhine State of Myanmar, are settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.
The Supreme Court, on Monday, directed the Centre to file a 'comprehensive status report' giving details of conditions in Rohingya refugee camps in various states.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court, on Monday, directed the Centre to file a "comprehensive status report" giving details of conditions in Rohingya refugee camps in various states.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud considered the submission of senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, which stated that conditions at the camps are unhygienic and "filthiest to say the least".

The senior lawyer, appearing for the petitioner Zaffar Ullah, said the Centre and states like Haryana, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir should be asked to provide better hygienic facilities at these camps.

The plea alleged that poor and unhygienic conditions at these camps have led to several deaths recently.

The Rohingya, who fled to India after violence in Myanmar's western Rakhine state, are settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.
Xi Jinping wants China-centric Asia which requires subjugating India. Instead of getting mesmerised by the serpent's gaze, New Delhi should focus on its fangs

Two signals from China caused an eclectic change in Indias outlook towards China. In December 2017, Chinas Special Representative Yang Jiechi delivered Chinese president Xi Jinping's message to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that both countries should aspire to become "friends for generations" and "partners in rejuvenation".

The second signal was Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi briefing media in Beijing (March 2018), "Despite some tests and difficulties, the China-India relationship continues to grow. ...China is upholding its rights and legitimate interests.... Chinese dragon and Indian elephant must not fight each other but dance with each other.... If China and India are united, one plus one will become eleven instead of two. With political trust, not even the Himalayas can stop us from friendly exchanges.

Indias response was erratic, to say the least. A government memo asked leaders and government functionaries not to attend Tibetan diaspora events marking 60 years of Dalai Lamas exile and thanking India for giving shelter to Tibetans. With External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attending foreign ministers meet in China before the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Qingdao (June 2018), which will be attended by Modi, it's all the more reason to interpret Chinese signals cautiously. Besides, the fact that Tibetan prime minister Lobsang Sangay was invited for Modis swearing-in ceremony, wouldn't it have been prudent to quietly orchestrate postponing the 'thank you' event to the end 2018, giving time to observe the Chinese behaviour?

India also cancelled the annual Asian Security Conference by Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) citing administrative reasons, this years theme being "India and China in Asia: Making of a New Equilibrium". Whether or not there was fear of discussions that could displease Chinese participants, the cancellation does indicate undue appeasement; a sign of weakness.

Significantly, while Yang delivered Xi's message to Modi, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) was permanently establishing itself in north Dokalam. Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman eventually admitted Chinese presence in the region but efforts continue to play it down. A post on social media talked of PLA shivering in minus 17 degrees in temporary shelters. Another talked of satellite photographs misinterpreted and that China had no Plan B at Dokalam, which must have tickled the Chinese pink. Incidentally, Yang was a state councilor under Chinese premier Li Keqiang in 2013 when the latter visited India in the wake of the 19-kilometre deep PLA intrusion at Raki Nala in the Depsang Plains of eastern Ladakh.

Yis call for tango too raises many questions. Dance to whose tune  Chinas? Doesnt his statement about upholding Chinas rights and legitimate interests imply all illegal claims (Dokalam, Arunachal Pradesh, and other areas), and isnt this a threat? What is the basis of trusting China  a call to Tango? Where was China when Russian president Vladimir Putin was pushing for stronger India-China-Russia relations over a decade ago? Would Yi call that 1+1+1 equals 111?

The Chinese excel in attacking the leadership of target country  witness Pakistan, Nepal, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Laos, Cambodia, and even Indonesia. This is extremely easy in politically divided India. That is why Ambassador Luo Zhaohui was parleying with the Opposition and threatening India during the Dokalam standoff, while Indian communist leaders  welcomed and funded by Beijing and the Communist Party of China  are now sending "heartfelt congratulation and best wishes" to Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Quite apparently, China wants India to join CPEC, something the Indian Opposition may have promised to do if they come to power, surrendering the sovereignty of India notwithstanding.

Chinese are also past masters in winning over diplomats posted in Beijing. Remember Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel deploring then ambassador to China, KM Panikkar, in his letter to Jawaharlal Nehru on 7 November, 1950. Another former ambassador to China serving as National Security Advisor of India during the UPA II rule was building perceptions for India to withdraw from the Siachen area that would enable China and Pakistan to join hands in Ladakh at an immense strategic disadvantage to India.

Vijay Gokhale, Indias present Foreign Secretary has also served in Beijing albeit he has red-flagged Chinas connectivity push.

But all said and done, dont we understand that China is behind the increased belligerence of Pakistan, turning the Maldives and Nepal against India; Pakistan targeting Indian villagers to increase pressure on the Modi government; or the Pakistani prime minister rushing to Nepal to coordinate a joint China-Pakistan-Nepal pressure group against India, and the like. With absolute power, Xi is challenging the US on multiple fronts. Chinese protege North Korea is testing nuclear reactors for making weapons-grade plutonium.

Some views are being expressed that the India-China rapprochement would wean the communist nation away from Pakistan, which is naive considering China uses Pakistan against India, employing the ancient strategy to 'kill with a borrowed knife'. Besides, Pakistan is already a Chinese province and strategically vital for China. The view that the Chinese are constrained to team up with India because of the downturn in the Chinses economy too is flawed because the Chinese economy is four times that of India, and India will hardly terminate trade relations in case of border clashes; considering we havent even withdrawn the most favoured nation status to Pakistan.

India needs to remain steadfast, even though the NDA II has continued with the UPA policy of deliberately keeping India armed forces ill-equipped. India still has surprises for China in case of larger conflagrations while in small-sized conflicts, the military can be counted upon to blunt PLA intrusions. The obsolete weapons dont mean they dont fire, and Xi knows this from Chinas invasion of Vietnam in 1979. But if India wants peace, it must prepare for war. In geopolitics, no negotiations work from the position of weakness. Xi wants China-centric Asia which requires subjugating India. Instead of getting mesmerised by the serpent's gaze, we should focus on its fangs.

Finally, there is no reason for India to be obsequious to Beijing as China will mount all-round pressure in trying to force New Delhi to join CPEC and install a government that dances to Xis tune. At the same time, relations that dont impinge Indias national interests must be pursued.

The author is a retired lieutenant-general of the Indian Army
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi will now be its key negotiator with India on the vexed border issue after Beijing promoted him to the post of State Councillor.

Beijing: China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi will now be its key negotiator with India on the vexed border issue after Beijing promoted him to the post of State Councillor, the country's top diplomat, it was announced on Monday.

Wang succeeds Yang Jiechi, China's senior-most diplomat, who until now was the country's Special Representative on border talks with India. He will also remain the Foreign Minister. The decision was taken at the ongoing annual session of China's parliament.

Wang will talk to India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval who is its Special Representative on boundary talks.

China and India by far have held 20 rounds of talks on their 3,448-km disputed border. The countries fought a war in 1962 and have seen their armies cross into each other's territories due to the different perceptions of the boundary.

Wang repeatedly slammed India during the 73-day military stand-off at Doka La in the eastern sector of their border in 2017. The crisis was resolved in August.

Wang, however, struck a positive tone about Sino-India ties while addressing the media on the sidelines of China's annual parliament session. Wang said if China and India were united then one plus will be equivalent to 11, a remark welcomed by India and answered in the similar tone.

India's Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale met Wang in February who had a meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Wang had previously served as China's envoy to Japan and worked at the Asia desk of the Chinese foreign ministry.
The demand for special status for Andhra Pradesh is not an emotional one but driven by practical needs. The state needs more funds from the Centre.

Tollywood superstar and Jana Sena founder Pawan Kalyan, who recently announced his party's entry into the fray for the 2019 Assembly elections, has time and again criticised the TDP and its leadership. He wants the Centre to probe the alleged corruption charges against the Chandrababu Naidu government in Andhra Pradesh.

At a recent rally in Guntur, he said that he regretted extending support to the TDP, which according to him, is topping the list of corruption in the country.

The Jana Sena chief had asked Naidu at the rally why was he silent on the special status issue for the last four years, waking up just with elections around the corner, as per this Firstpost report. "Why should anybody support you in 2019? You changed Andhra Pradesh into Corruption Pradesh," he had fired.

Speaking to News18, Kalyan said that 40 TDP MLAs and some party leaders have levelled allegations against Naidu's son Lokesh and other TDP leaders of being involved in corrupt activities. Edited excerpts follow:

What prompted you to speak out on corruption allegations against the TDP government?

I am not speaking about it all of a sudden. In the last four years, I have raised this point with Naidu, but he doesn't seem serious about looking into the problem. Naidu is fully aware of the corruption taking place in his government.

People can look through it and I am not an outsider either. Around 40 MLAs and TDP leaders have complained to me about corruption in the government. They wanted me to explain to the chief minister. I attempted to do so, but he is not serious about looking into it, which is why I am talking about it. The central government should spring into action and look into the irregularities. There is some ulterior motive behind giving the Polavaram project to a private contractor.

Why didn't you raise the question before Prime Minister Narendra Modi?

I know the prime minister very closely, but I have my limitations. I am no parliamentarian. Also, TDP and BJP are not always on good terms. I don't want to get into their business. But now that I have spoken out, TDP leaders are saying that the BJP is the brains behind my statements. Interestingly, some time ago, the YSR Congress chief used to say that Naidu is behind me. But in reality, both are wrong. I am only listening to the public.

What will be your approach towards the BJP?

There is no possibility of a compromise between us and the BJP. People in Andhra Pradesh are very upset with the BJP and they do not trust the party. The demand for special status is not an emotional one but driven by practical needs. There are seven districts in Andhra Pradesh that are like Bundelkhand (in Uttar Pradesh) and are in a very bad condition. To improve the condition of these districts, we need more funds from the central government.

It doesn't matter whether the state gets the tag of special status or not. Name or status is not important. The issue is that we need financial help from the central government. Till the time our demands are not met, we will not strike any compromise with the BJP. So far, we are walking alone on this path. At the time of elections, we will decide if we need an alliance or go alone.

What are your views on the Third Front?

The Congress and the BJP have not been successful in understanding the regional problems of many states in the country. It is because of this reason that the Third Front is being formed. But regional parties should be able to think about national issues. I have met Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) and told him that about the Third Front, but nothing in detail so far.

How would you rate the Chandrababu Naidu and KCR governments on a scale of 10?

I would rate Naidu 2.5 and KCR six.
On the backfoot over tendering an apology to former Punjab minister and Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, the AAP on Sunday sought to pacify its party MLAs from the northern state to avert a split in the state unit.

New Delhi: On the backfoot over tendering an apology to former Punjab minister and Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, the AAP on Sunday sought to pacify its party MLAs from the northern state to avert a split in the state unit.

Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal's apology letter to Majithia for accusing him of being involved in drugs trade, had taken everyone by surprise, especially the AAP's Punjab unit.

The party's Punjab president Bhagwant Mann and its co-president Aman Arora had recently resigned from their posts in protest against Kejriwal's apology.

Of the 20 AAP MLAs from Punjab, 10 lawmakers along with state unit leaders met Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia at his residence where Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was also present. The chief minister is said to have given an explanation behind his apology to Majithia.

Majithia had slapped a defamation case against Kejriwal and other AAP leaders for accusing the former of drug trade during the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls campaign.

According to party sources, the Punjab AAP MLAs present in the meeting are believed to have been convinced with Kejriwal's explanation. However, only half of the dissenting party MLAs were present in the meeting, with the remaining legislators still miffed with the party leadership. "Anyhow, it rules out any split in the party in Punjab, as of now. Forming a separate group or splitting the party would require the consent of two-third of the 20 AAP MLAs," the sources said.

Among the prominent absentees were Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Bhagwant Mann, AAP MP from Sangrur. There have been different demands by the AAP MLAs and party leaders from Punjab after Kejriwal's apology letter went public, ranging from giving them more autonomy to forming a different group in protest.

Aman Arora, AAP MLA from Suna, who had attended the meeting said there was some "miscommunication. The reason he (Kejriwal) had apologised is because he has several cases against him in many parts of the country. And some of them are in the fast track courts, he told reporters after the more than two hour-long meeting.

Arora said the AAP MLAs present in the meeting were convinced with the explanation given by Kejriwal as the legal battle was draining him and the party in terms of resources. This, he said, was also consuming the party supremo's time which could be used for focusing on governance in Delhi.
What the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) couldnt do in four years, Arvind Kejriwal accomplished with a single stroke of the pen. By tendering a written apology to Bikram Singh Majithia, a former SAD minister who he described as a drug lord during the Assembly elections, Kejriwal has effectively demolished the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab.

Punjab: What the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) couldnt do in four years, Arvind Kejriwal accomplished with a single stroke of the pen. By tendering a written apology to Bikram Singh Majithia, a former SAD minister who he described as a drug lord during the Assembly elections, Kejriwal has effectively demolished the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab.

The AAP emerged as a formidable Opposition party during last year's Assembly polls. But its now heading towards a split with the partys Members of Parliament and Assembly divided over the apology. Majithia filed a defamation case against Kejriwal in 2016 after several AAP leaders alleged that the SAD leader was involved in the drug trade. Most AAP leaders in Punjab believe Kejriwal should have fought the defamation case to its logical end.

Bhagwant Mann, an AAP Member of Parliament, resigned as state party president, saying he was shocked to learn that his leader had apologised to Majithia. I am resigning as president of AAP Punjab. But my fight against the drug mafia and all kinds of corruption in Punjab will continue as an aam aadmi of Punjab, he said.

HS Phoolka, MLA from Dakha in Ludhiana and a senior lawyer, tweeted, In the best interest of (Punjab), my suggestion to AAP MLAs: Demand autonomy, not a separate party. AAP Punjab should function as a regional party with an alliance with national AAP. In Punjab matters, total independence and on national issues, go by national leadership.

In best interest of Pb, my suggestion to Pb AAP MLAs- demand autonomy, not a separate party.AAP Punjab should function as a Regional party with a alliance with national https://t.co/4uzQ9yQPVx Punjab matters,total independence & on national issues, go by National leadership.  H S Phoolka (@hsphoolka) March 17, 2018

But the demand for a separate party in the state is not new. After the debacle in last years Assembly polls, when AAP won only 20 of the 117 seats in the House, a similar demand was made. In December, former journalist and Khrar AAP MLA Kanwar Sandhu sent a letter to Kejriwal saying, There is a need for state units of AAP being autonomous, with their own members, structure, funding, constitution, manifesto etc for Vidhan Sabha and local-body polls. The advantage of the distinct nature of national and state entities of the party would be that while their fortunes are not limited, they would gain from each other, but not suffer on each others account.

Sources inside the party confirmed that at least 13 MLAs from the camps of Leader of the Opposition, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, and Kanwar Sandhu were ready to quit the party and float a regional entity. In fact, 18 out of the partys 20 MLAs met soon after the apology to discuss a split.

AAPs only ally in Punjab, the Lok Insaaf Party, which has 2 Assembly seats, severed its ties with AAP after Kejriwals apology. LIP MLA Simarjit Singh Bains called Kejriwal a traitor and said that he had betrayed the people of Punjab. Kejriwal has committed a fraud on Punjabis as he'd promised that he would never bow down before Majithia, said Bains.

To salvage the situation, AAP leadership convened a meeting with Punjab leaders in New Delhi on 18 March. Invitations were sent to all state MLAs but most of them refused to attend, saying the Delhi leadership should instead come to Chandigarh. Aman Arora, MLA from Sunam, resigned as party state co-president and said, While autonomy was already being discussed, some of the MLAs are discussing separation.

Even political experts and commentators have now started talking about a Third Front other than AAP in Punjab. Eminent economist and political commentator Sardara Singh Johl wrote on Facebook, If democracy in Punjab is to survive there must emerge a Punjab-based, strong, third alternative political front. AAP has almost lost its ground. At least fifty selfless, honest and credible persons who are not interested in contesting elections themselves may join to form a new political front to provide a third alternative.

Jatinder Singh, assistant professor of political science, Punjabi University, Patiala, said the apology by Kejriwal may not have improved Majithias image but has certainly destroyed the image of the AAP. Kejriwal's image, which was already facing trouble, has been further dented due to the apology. Punjab leadership must be thinking of parting ways from the main unit of AAP due the circumstances that have emerged after the apology, said Singh.

After winning four out of Punjabs 13 parliamentary seats in 2014 and 20 out of 117 seats in the 2017 Assembly polls, AAP won just one out of 95 seats in Ludhiana Municipal Corporation, the states largest, in polls held on 24 February. The Congress bagged 62 seats. AAP couldnt win a single seat in municipal corporation polls held in Amritsar, Jalandhar and Patiala in December.

During the Assembly election campaign, both AAP and Congress made the drug trade in Punjab a major issue. While AAP secured 20 seats, Congress bagged a whopping 77 seats. Upbeat over the apology, Majithia said Kejriwals apology affirmed that smear politics would never succeed. It is indeed a historical moment that a sitting chief minister has submitted a written apology in court withdrawing all statements he made against me besides regretting the damage caused to my esteem as well as hurt caused to my family, friends and well-wishers, he added.

Arjun Sharma is a Ludhiana-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters
The Yogi Adityanath government came under fire not just from political rivals like BSP and Congress but also ally SBSP, which claimed building temples would not solve people's problems, as it celebrated its first year in office in Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath government on Monday came under fire not just from political rivals like BSP and Congress but also ally SBSP, which claimed building temples would not solve people's problems, as it celebrated its first year in office in Uttar Pradesh.

A star-studded event was held in Lucknow with chief minister Adityanath launching a portal to fight corruption and even announcing a massive four lakh appointments to various jobs in as many as 64 departments of the state.

"Through this portal, any officials involved in corruption or who is encouraging it at any level, will not be spared. Effective action will be taken if any video or other evidence is uploaded on the portal. This will deliver a lethal blow against the corrupt elements," Adityanath claimed.

The state government will come up with four lakh jobs in 64 departments ranging from police constables and sub-inspectors to block development officers and lekhpals (revenue officials), he said at the event where Governor Ram Naik and a galaxy of political big-wigs including Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya, Dinesh Sharma and UP BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey were present.

"Today I can say that UP, where there was no law and order and anarchy prevailed, is now witnessing a change," Adityanath asserted adding that earlier politics of casteism, divisive forces and dynastic politics ruled the roost.

However, sulking ally Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) put cold water on the mood. already dampened by BJP's recent shock losses in Gorakhpur and Phulpur bypolls, by skipping the event.

SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, a cabinet minister in the Adityanath government, virtually targeted the ruling dispensation questioning the rationale behind the lavish celebrations.

"We have made this government and it is our duty to repeatedly point out shortcomings. Holding celebrations is not going to serve the purpose. Building temples in Mathura and Kashi will not give education to the poor, or toilets and pension to them," a visibly angry Rajbhar told reporters in Lucknow.

He also warned the BJP that his party's four MLAs may not vote for the saffron party candidates in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls in case the senior ally did not shed its "big brother attitude".

"If (BJP chief) Amit Shah does not talk to us, our four MLAs will boycott the Rajya Sabha elections (on 23 March)," Rajbhar asserted.

Refusing to take part in the celebrations on completion of one year in office, Rajbhar said, "Let them celebrate...I will not go to attend it till the questions of ration cards, housing, education, medicine and others are not redressed," he said.

Stressing that the BJP was ignoring smaller allies, Rajbhar said, "We kept begging for seats in the local body elections and had to go it alone at the last moment. We were not taken into confidence in the (Lok Sabha) bye-elections. At no place in Purvanchal where senior BJP leaders went, they took the name of SBSP or used our flag."

The SBSP has considerable presence in pockets of Purvanchal in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

"They fielded Anil Agarwal. We are alliance partners but they did not tell us or sought our votes for him. I kept saying let us talk but to no avail. Can an elder brother humiliate the younger one like this," he asked.

BJP has fielded nine candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections and Agarwal is one of them, though the party is sure of victory in only eight seats.

To a question, Rajbhar said he had not talked to either the SP or the BSP.

A senior minister in the Adityanath government Suresh Khanna, who met the sulking minister, however, played down the complaints. "We are members of the government and discuss issues and keep meeting regularly and this meeting is nothing new," Khanna stressed.

Meanwhile, the Congress alleged that the government was misusing people's money on holding the grand celebrations.

In a statement, UP Congress chief Raj Babbar said a cabinet minister was levelling charges of corruption and there was no clarification from the government. He said the BJP was rejected by the people in the recent Lok Sabha bye-elections and yet was celebrating the completion of one year in office.

BSP chief Mayawati advised the Uttar Pradesh government to introspect on its failures instead of celebrating.

Taking a jibe at Adityanath, the BSP chief said working wholeheartedly for the welfare of 22 crore poor and backward people of the state was the real "puja" and "raj dharma" which his government has failed to do.

"Because of these reasons, the people of the state are expressing their anger against the BJP again and again. There is the possibility of the BJP not performing well in the coming Lok Sabha polls," Mayawati said.

To a question about an ally venting ire against the BJP government, she said MLAs and ministers of the BJP will also open their mouth "as there is a difference between what they say and do".
The BJP on Monday slammed the Karnataka government for its decision to recommend separate religion status for Lingayats, accusing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of 'playing with fire for vote bank politics'.

New Delhi: The BJP on Monday slammed the Karnataka government for its decision to recommend separate religion status for Lingayats, accusing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of "playing with fire for vote bank politics".

Party general secretary in-charge of Karnataka P Muralidhar Rao accused the state's ruling Congress of practising a "divide and rule" policy.

"Congress carrying 'Divide and Rule' legacy of Britishers in India. Siddaramaiah ji is playing with fire for vote bank politics. Why has Congress done this before elections? Why didn't they do it 4 years back?" he said in a tweet.

Congress carrying 'Divide and Rule' legacy of Britishers in India !

Siddaramaiah ji is playing with fire for vote bank politics.

Why Congress has done this before elections?

Why they haven't done 4 years back??? https://t.co/YWVHH7FbbG  P Muralidhar Rao (@PMuralidharRao) March 19, 2018

In a significant move, the Congress government in poll-bound Karnataka on Monday decided to recommend to the Centre granting religious minority tag to the numerically strong and politically influential Lingayat and Veerashaiva Lingayat communities.

BJP chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa hails from the community and the government's decision is being seen by the saffron party as an attempt by the Congress to divide Lingayat voters, who strongly backed him have in the past polls.
The BJP-led government does not really fear the numbers in the event of a no-confidence motion. However, it would not want to expose itself to criticism through this.

The government is primarily responsible for ensuring smooth functioning of the House, as per parliamentary procedure. The Speaker has a constitutional mandate to take any action to ensure that the House is in order and proceedings are taken up. Yet, it seems that although the BJP-led government has the numbers to defeat a no-confidence motion, it is using the divisions in the non-BJP camp to ensure that it does not come up for discussion. This is because the Opposition is not only energetic but more united after the recent defeats of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

The surge in regionalism poses a political and ideological challenge to the BJP which wants to thrust one nation, one party; one nation, one language, etc. The fault lines in the ruling NDA are clear, though the Shiv Sena could be brought on board for the time being. Emotive issues like special status for Andhra Pradesh, the Cauvery question and the PNB fraud would certainly be a source of potential embarrassment for the government. The pandemonium in the House seems to be engineered as the AIADMK and TRS are determined to disrupt order, thus helping the government realise its objective.

MN Kaul and SL Shakdher, in "Practice and Procedure of Parliament", say that one of the fundamental postulates of a parliamentary democracy is the principle of collective responsibility of the Council of Ministers to the popularly elected House. The government can be in power as long as it enjoys the confidence of the House. Thus, a no-confidence motion should be given precedence over any other aspect in parliamentary proceedings. It is the duty of the ruling party to ensure that the House functions smoothly and the Speaker has full powers to ensure order in the House. No court can question these powers. The Supreme Court of India in Raja Ram Pal versus Hon'ble Speaker of Lok Sabha (2007) upheld the power even to expel a member. Despite such sweeping powers, why is order not being ensured in the House so that the important motion of no-confidence can be taken up?

The government does not really fear the numbers. The BJP is not worried about political management within Parliament. Even after the exit of the TDP, the NDA combine enjoys a comfortable majority. The Shiv Sena, despite some initial anxiety, has sent positive signals to the BJP by calling the no-confidence motion an immature step. The Akalis have reinforced their confidence in Modi. The AIADMK, despite its political posturing on the Cauvery issue, is not ready to oppose the BJP given the serious corruption allegations on the government and the internal fragility in the party. The TRS is sending confusing signals to the Opposition by holding parleys with senior leaders of the anti-BJP camp and adopting tactics inside Parliament that ultimately benefit the BJP. This strengthens the suspicion that the pink party is an ally in reserve for the saffron brigade. Thus, the Modi government can easily sail through the no-confidence tide. In fact, it is not numerically a tide. However, the issues underneath certainly worry the BJP.

As per the parliamentary procedures, as quoted in MN Kaul and SL Shakdher, et al , the discussion on a motion of no-confidence need not be confined to the ground mentioned in the notice of motion. It is open to any member to raise any other matter he or she likes during the course of discussion on the motion. Even the matters on which a separate discussion has taken place in the same session can be brought up.

This is precisely the reason why the government is feeling uncomfortable. It will be subjected to vehement criticism by a united and spirited opposition. Any discussion that allows for scathing criticism in an election year is something the government would want to avoid.

Although the BJP has little or no political stakes in Andhra Pradesh, the exit of the TDP on the special status issue has certainly hit the credibility of the BJP as a party that is ready to accommodate the genuine concerns of its allies. Issues like the Cauvery dispute can be a serious embarrassment as the elections to Karnataka are round the corner. The Karnataka government endorsing the demand of the Lingayats for a separate religion is a difficult pill for the saffron party to swallow at a time when state faces elections. Rural and agrarian distress, the gravity of which is illustrated by the Maharashtra farmers' long march, cannot easily be defended by the Modi government. The government has tried to woo this key segment of the electorate by claiming to have focussed on the agricultural sector in the Union Budget 2018. Further, the bank frauds can no longer be dismissed as a creation of the UPA as these fraudsters left the country under the Modi dispensation.

It is not that the BJP cannot defend itself. However, it would prefer to avoid keeping a focus on such issues in the run-up to Assembly elections in key states followed by the 2019 general elections.
The Congress on Monday demanded a time-bound probe into the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) paper leak scam and the sacking of Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh, under whose ministry the SSC functions.

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday demanded a time-bound probe into the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) paper leak scam and the sacking of Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh, under whose ministry the SSC functions.

Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala accused the BJP of spreading the 'Vyapam virus' across the country even as he dubbed the SSC as 'Students Suffer Corruption'.

He alleged that paper leaks, bogus candidates, massive cheating and deliberate collusion had marred the future of youths who applied to the SSC. "The future of India's youth gets jeopardised. Need of the hour is a thorough and independent probe in the entire SSC scam. No probe is possible until Minister of State, DOPT Jitendra Singh and SSC Chairman Ashim Khurana are sacked," Surjewala told reporters.

Questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence on the issue, he asked, "Will Modiji show the courage of conviction to secure the future of India's youth or will he remain on a perpetual 'maun vrat (vow of silence)'."

The Congress leader claimed that after the infamous 'Vyapam scam', the 'SSC scam' had marred the future of India's youth.

"Instead of giving two crore jobs per year, the career of two crore youths, who apply every year to SSC for around 50,000 vacancies, has been jeopardised.

"Typical of the government to brush every such issue under the carpet. Students demanding justice are hounded, beaten up and evacuated, with an arrogant government refusing to order a thorough probe," he alleged.

Surjewala alleged that there have been eight paper leaks in the SSC under the present government which forced cancellation of examination. He also alleged that there was an "unprecedented compromise of secrecy and safety of examinations by the SSC and it failed to conduct a security audit of the software".

He claimed that the parliamentary panel had passed strictures against the government and the SSC for not maintaining the "sanctity of exam process, lack of trust of the public in general and examinees in particular, malpractices and technical glitches, supervision on private entities involved in examination process and audit of hardware and software".

"Irregularities, malfeasance, paper leaks, proxy candidates, fake centres, lack of audit and supervision, questionable software and deliberate collusion have put a question mark on the future of India's youth," Surjewala alleged.
Asserting that electronic voting machines (EVMs) are 'absolutely credible', former Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy on Monday said any move to revert to the old practice of paper ballots is a 'retrograde' step.

Hyderabad: Asserting that electronic voting machines (EVMs) are "absolutely credible", former Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy on Monday said any move to revert to the old practice of paper ballots is a "retrograde" step.

The paper ballot system is susceptible to manipulation, leads to wastage of paper and takes longer to announce poll results, among other disadvantages, he told PTI.

Describing EVMs as the "nation's pride" and "absolutely credible", Krishnamurthy said it's unfortunate that some political parties are calling for the reintroduction of paper ballots.

"Just because some parties didn't do well in the elections, it does not mean the machine is bad. So, in my opinion, it will be a retrograde step if the machines are withdrawn. In my opinion, EVMs are absolutely credible", he said.

Krishnamurthy said the paper ballot system would probably take one week for election results to be announced.

"So much of paper wastage will be there. Under the ballot box itself, so much of manipulation will be there. We know, in some of the elections, bogus ballot paper is used to cast (votes). Checks and balances in the EVMs are not available in the conventional ballot box system," he said.

"Once you have ballot papers, there can be invalid votes," he said.

"Some of the countries have admired our system and suddenly to withdraw it is a retrograde step," he added.

The Congress last week urged that the Election Commission revert to the old practice of paper ballots in future elections instead of EVMs.

This is necessary as there are misgivings on "misuse" of EVMs to "manipulate the outcome contrary to popular verdict", the party said during its 84th plenary session.

Some other political parties have been alleging that EVMs were tampered with during polls and demanding reintroduction of the ballot paper system of voting.

The BJP had also said on Saturday that it can consider using paper ballots instead of EVMs in future elections if every party thinks that it should be done.
K Chandrashekhar Rao met Mamata Banerjee on Monday amid efforts to form a formidable non-BJP front of Opposition parties ahead of the crucial 2019 polls.

Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao met his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee on Monday amid efforts to form a formidable non-BJP and non-Congress front ahead of the crucial 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Speaking to the media after the meet, Rao said: "There is a need for an alternative force. We are trying to bring a real federal front for the country."

He also commended Mamata for her efforts in her state. "The way Mamata has transformed Bengal is commendable. I am really proud of the way Kolkata has developed."

The meeting assumes political significance as Rao recently floated the idea of forming a "third front" against the BJP and Congress for the Lok Sabha election.

"People are thinking before 2019 there will be another front. Let me clarify that this front will be for people of India. This won't be a mere alliance of a few political parties, this will be for the people. There is a need for an alternate force," Rao said, as per ANI.

Rao said that this country needs to a change and it is time to re-invent its politics. "Our front will be a bigger front, different from the routine model. This is just the beginning," he added.

#NewsAlert - There is a need for an alternative force. We are trying to bring a real federal front for the country: K Chandrasekhar Rao, Telangana CM  News18 (@CNNnews18) March 19, 2018

Mamata, meanwhile, said that politics is a continuous process but said that "this is a good beginning." "Every political party has its own identity and respect... but no one party should rule the country. We need to work together, maintain good relations with all parties. We are approaching others also (for the front), we are not in a hurry."

It is a good beginning. I think politics is a continuous process, whatever we have discussed is aimed towards development of the country: Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal CM after her meeting with Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao pic.twitter.com/2D9niWCgnd  ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2018

Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee is playing an instrumental role in bringing together Opposition parties against the BJP-led NDA with the aim to throw them out of power in the coming national poll.

It will be a collective leadership, it will be a federal leadership: Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Ro after his meeting with West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee pic.twitter.com/iet8ZLlYnT  ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2018

Speaking about the Third Front, Rao said: "It will be a collective leadership, it will be a federal leadership." "Neither the Congress nor the BJP has worked for this country," he told media persons.

According to News18, KCR was also expected to discuss the strategy that the two parties will adopt on the no-confidence motion being moved by the Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress against the NDA government in the Lok Sabha.

The meeting took place at the state secretariat, Nabanna and TRS MPs AP Jithender Reddy, K Keshava Rao and Telangana chief adviser Rajiv Sharma were also in attendance.

With inputs from PTI.
Karnataka is in desperate need for creation of infrastructure and jobs, not new religions

The Congress has been known to appease minorities to get their votes. This took India back by several decades and ruined the countrys social fabric, leading to a Hindu revivalism in 1980s and the rise of the Hindutva forces later. Undeterred by the fragmentation of Indias politics and society, now the Congress wants to go one step forward in its desperate electoral journey  or take the country a thousand more steps backward. It wants to create new minorities.

Thats what Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiahs bizarre move on Monday to turn the states Hindu upper caste of Lingayats into a separate religion amounts to. Karnataka is in desperate need for creation of infrastructure and jobs, not new religions.

The demand for the status of a separate religion by some in the community was made, rejected and forgotten a long time ago. But by finally agreeing to recommend to the Centre the tag of a minority religion for Lingayats, the chief minister stirred a hornets nest just two months before the state goes to Assembly elections. There are no prizes for guessing what his real motives are.

Siddaramaiahs supporters see this as a brilliant master stroke by the Congress chief minister to outwit the BJP, which sees the Lingayats as its core electoral base, but that might turn out to be wishful thinking. This surely puts BJP in a fix but this also might push the Congress, already seen as anti-Hindu party, into a position where it will be seen as a divider of Hindus.

In Indias byzantine communal politics, any move to please one caste may lead to backlash from others. Pleasing all communities is tantamount to walking the political tight rope: its easy to slip and fall. Even within the Lingayat community there are two major factions: Lingayats and Veerashaivas. A committee that the government set up had recommended the minority status only for Lingayats. By trying to extend the status to even Veerashaivas, the government may have ruffled the feelings of many in the community.

The status of a minority religion will no doubt please many Lingayat mutts and leaders who run a string of educational institutions or capitation fee-based money-making machines. This will help them reap benefits and privileges of a minority community, like Christians and Muslims. But past elections proved that the pontiffs of these mutts have little or no electoral influence on their community. Besides, this also has the potential for making the existing minorities insecure and uncomfortable as statements by some Muslim leaders already indicate.

Fools rush in...

Which reminds one of what Charlie Chaplin once said: Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself. Or is it the case of fools rushing in where angels fear to tread? Or is it just a case of vinashe kale vinasha kale, viprita buddhi (when one nears ones doom, one gets bizarre ideas).

Siddaramaiah has been toying with this wacky idea for some time now. But the Congress' vastly improved performance in the Gujarat Assembly elections three months ago may have given the party the fools courage to put the proposal in motion.

In Gujarat, the Congress promised to turn the upper caste of Patidars into a backward caste. Patidars saw the futility of it since it would go against a Supreme Court ceiling on reservations and fail judicial scrutiny, and though they helped the Congress win a few more votes, the party lost the poll.

Are Lingayats Karnatakas Patidars?

The Congress is playing the same game again with the Lingayats of Karnataka. Like the Patidars, they are an upper caste in public perception. But unlike Patidars, Lingayats enjoy the benefits of a backward class with five percent reservations. So the Congress has promised nothing less than the status of a separate religion to them.

As in the case of the Patidars, this is also a promise, by way of a recommendation to the Centre which must ratify the proposal. If the Centre agrees to the proposal, the Congress will take credit for it. And if the Centre rejects it, the Congress will blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Karnatakas BJP president BS Yeddyurappa, who is a Lingayat, for it. But the big question is whether the Lingayats, or at least a significant part of them, are dancing with joy over Siddaramaiahs recommendation and will show their gratitude by voting for his Congress en masse in the upcoming Assembly elections. The question has no clear answers.

Who is a Lingayat?

For one thing, there is no agreement on just how many Lingayats there are in Karnataka. The last caste census was taken in the state 87 years ago, long before the reorganisation of states and Independence. In the absence of a new census, the Lingayats have been estimated to be about 17 percent of the states population. That figure has been bandied about by political analysts for a long time.

But according to a so-called socio-economic caste census that Siddaramaiah ordered in April 2015 at a cost of around Rs 150 crore  which involved dispatching some 1.3 lakh enumerators to 1.4 crore homes across Karnataka  Lingayats account for only 9.8 percent of the states population. The new census even pegs the percentage of Vokkaligas, the other politically dominant upper caste in the state, at 8.2 percent but not 12 percent as believed.

If the idea of Siddaramaiah, who belongs to the backward caste of Kurubas, was to project Dalits as the states single largest caste group and raise their reservations, he was sorely disappointed. He has been projecting himself as the states unmatched ahinda leader: Kannada acronym for Alpa sankhyatara, Hindulida, Dalit (minorities, backward castes and Dalits). Vokkaliga and Lingayat legislators of all parties including the Congress raised a hue and cry over their reduced proportions in the population, forcing the chief minister to keep the census results in the deep freeze.

Whether the Lingayats are 17 percent of Karnatakas population or just 9.8 percent, giving them the status of a separate religion cant guarantee a victory at polls.

The upcoming election in Karnataka is largely about Modi, and to some extent Siddaramaiah. Forget Rahul Gandhi and the like. In broad terms, the election outcome will depend on how two anti-incumbency factors  one against Narendra Modi at the Centre and the other against Siddaramaiah in the state  will play out, with a series of unabashed populist schemes of the Congress in the state thrown in for good measure.

Siddaramaiah would do well if he stops his sole dependence on caste and communal politics and starts talking about in a convincing fashion what he has done for Karnatakas development: Very little according to his detractors, and if the crumbling infrastructure in Bengaluru and elsewhere in the state are testimony to a non-working government. Or he must talk about what he wants to do to improve the life of citizens, if re-elected.
The newly elected CPM state committee held in Thiruvananthapuram has endorsed the draft political resolution ruling out any truck with the Congress.

Congress leaders and political analysts had expected Kerala unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to soften its adamant stand on their political line following the humiliating defeat the party suffered in the Assembly election in its citadel in Tripura.

On the contrary, the state unit has toughened its stand on the tactical political line to be adopted by the party for the next three years. The first meeting of the newly elected CPM state committee held in the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram on 18 March has endorsed the draft political resolution ruling out any truck with the Congress.

Poll understanding with the Congress was mooted by party general secretary Sitaram Yechury in his draft resolution presented before the central committee at its meeting in Kolkata in January. The partys highest decision-making body rejected Yechurys line and adopted the alternate resolution moved by former party chief Prakash Karat following a vote.

The document circulated among the state units of the party will come up for voting at the 22nd party congress to be held at Hyderabad in April. The Kerala unit has backed in toto the Karat line viewing the Congress as a party that represents the interests of the bourgeoisie, landlords and imperialistic forces.

Moderates, who opined the need for a review of the stand in the wake of the partys drubbing in Tripura, were silenced by the pro-Karat section pointing out the dismal performance of the Congress not only in Tripura but also in the two recent Lok Sabha by-elections in Uttar Pradesh.

The supporters of the Karat line wondered how the Congress which has been totally decimated in Tripura and which lost its deposit in Gorakhpur and Phulpur could lead the battle against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

CPM veteran and former chief minister VS Achuthanandan, who was among the few leaders who supported Yechury, did not get any backing as his key supporters were removed from the state committee at the election held at the state conference in Thrissur last month.

Political observers believe that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who has gained total control over the party, had kept the Achuthanandan men off the party body because of their allegiance to Yechury. He has also ensured that none of the hard-core supporters of the party chief goes to Hyderabad.

This is to avoid a victory to the Yechury line in the party congress. Jacob George, a keen CPM watcher, said that the chances for a keen fight at the congress were strong since support for Yechury has been swelling at the national level following the Tripura election setback.

He told Firstpost that the attempt by the Kerala unit to write off the Congress citing its poor performance in Tripura and the two Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh may not hold ground since the party had performed well in Gujarat and in most by-elections in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Jacob feels that the state unit of the party was blindly opposing any alliance with the Congress because of the personal animosity between Pinarayi and Yechury. The chief minister had turned against him after he backed his arch-rival Achuthanandan in many crucial situations.

"Though Pinarayi has cut Achuthanandan and his supports to size, he is still not ready to pardon him for propping up the SNC Lavlin graft case that the former believes had affected his political career to a great extent," says Jacob.

He could become the chief minister only after he approached the court and got a clean chit in the case. But Pinarayi is still not in a comfort zone as the appeal against the high court order filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Supreme Court is still hanging as a Damocles sword over his head.

In fact, his critics believe that Pinarayi had mobilised his entire force to oppose Yechurys pro-Congress line, which in effect tantamount to helping the BJP, because of the pending case being pursued by the central agency. Curiously, when the Karat camp accused him of being pro-Congress, Yechury said he could counter-charge the former as pro-BJP.

Jacob said that a large section of the CPM cadres did not share the stand adopted by the state unit. He said that a large number of the party workers at the grassroots were not confident that the CPM can achieve its objective of defeating the saffron party without pooling all anti-BJP forces.

"Many of the party workers even think that Yechury can become prime minister if the BJP and its allies do not secure the required number of seats to retain power after the election. They see strong chance for the party since many regional parties like the Trinamul Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party and Janata Dal (Secular) have sharp differences with the Congress," he added.

Jacob believes that the Yechury camp is aware of such a situation emerging after the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Yechury may not like to miss the chance that they lost in 1996 when late Jyoti Basu was offered the post. Basu had later termed the rejection of the offer as a historic blunder.

Yechury or any other leader from the CPM can emerge as a consensus candidate if the party gets around 50 seats. Jacob thinks that Yechury is pleading for an electoral tie-up with the Congress to garner maximum seats so that the party can play a major role in the formation of the government if not head it.

His proposal was defeated at the Kolkata central committee by 24 votes. Barring one, all members from Kerala had voted against the Yechury line. Even though the Tripura contingent had also voted against the line then, many of them have changed their stand following the poll setback.

The Kerala unit is gearing up for a show of strength at the Congress. They have also started the search for a successor to Yechury. According to insiders, the names being considered include politburo members MA Baby and Vrinda Karat.

Jacob feels Yechury may not yield easily. He thinks he will put up a strong fight for the alliance with Congress in the party congress. NP Chekutty, a Kozhikode-based senior journalist, also shares the same view. He feels that the Congress may witness a fierce battle between the two camps.

Chekutty told Firstpost that CPM may even head to a split if the party chief fails to get his line approved at the congress. He, therefore, considers the 22nd Congress in the Telangana capital crucial in the history of the CPM.
Has Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) gone from being a regional party to a national party? That seemed to be the underlying thought when Raj took to the stage on Sunday night

Mumbai: Has Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) gone from being a regional party to a national party? That seemed to be the underlying thought when Raj took to the stage on Sunday night and criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi rather than Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. In his 75-minute-long speech on the occasion of Gudi Padwa, the MNS supremo hardly spoke about Maharashtra and its BJP-led government. Raj showcased his charismatic oratory after a long time, but those (among the lakhs who had gathered to hear him speak) who came to listen to his thoughts on directions for the party cadre and workers were left disappointed. As it turned out, Raj could only spare around five minutes on Maharashtra, lavishing the rest of his time on Modi.

It may be recalled that after the nine-day tour of Gujarat in August 2011, Raj openly supported Modi (see here and here), who was then Gujarat chief minister, in his prime ministerial run. Raj went as far as to dub his tour an 'eye-opener' and claimed that the people of Gujarat were fortunate to have a leader like Modi who only focussed on the progress of his state. But, voters rejected Raj's MNS in the Lok Sabha as well as the Assembly elections of 2014.

Now, four years on, Raj appears to have realised the error of his ways and has called for Opposition unity in the fight against Modi and the BJP. Addressing party workers at a rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Sunday, he said, "The country is fed up with the false promises made by Modi and his government. All Opposition parties should come together to get rid of the BJP-led NDA government to ensure a Modi-mukt Bharat."

"India got its first Independence in 1947, second in 1977 (after the post-Emergency election) and 2019 can bring a third Independence if India becomes Modi-mukt," the MNS chief said, "If the Modi government was ousted and an inquiry was ordered into demonetisation, it might turn out to be the biggest scam in the country since 1947."

A day before the MNS rally Raj Thackeray met NCP chief and former agriculture minister Sharad Pawar at his residence in south Mumbai. Last month, Raj conducted an interview of Pawar in Pune. Having realigned his position to openly support the NCP's Modi-mukt Bharat stand, it appears Raj will campaign against Modi and the BJP and indirectly support the Opposition parties, Congress and NCP.

In the 2014 General Election, the MNS flopped miserably with its nine candidates in Maharashtra losing their respective deposits. The party was then beset by bad luck in the October 2014 Assembly election too, which left the MNS with one MLA, as compared with 13 in 2009.

After the 2014 General Election debacle, Raj announced that his party would not contest Lok Sabha polls in future. As per Raj's views then, national parties should focus on Lok Sabha elections and leave state elections to regional parties like the MNS and others regional parties. But on Sunday, Raj appeared to have forgotten his own words and announced his plans to contest the Lok Sabha election or to join the anti-Modi front being helmed by Pawar. The NCP leader is set to host a dinner party in the last week of March for all party leaders willing to join the anti-Modi front.

In the five minutes Raj spent on the topic of Maharashtra, he said, "There are so many problems in the state, but apparently, Fadnavis is busy singing songs."

The MNS supremo also went on to examine the pressures on the media in the Modi era. "The government is trying to control media, judiciary and institutions like the CBI," he alleged, stating that the media was under tremendous pressure from the government, not to show anti-government news.

Whether or not Raj's volte face on Modi will bear fruit remains to be seen. But if he is serious about leading his party, he must focus on his own agenda and not piggybacking onto the agendas of other parties.

With inputs from PTI
Slamming Rahul Gandhi for his speech at the Congress plenary, Ravi Shankar Prasad said rampant lies have become the hallmark of the new Congress president.

New Delhi: Slamming Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his speech at the Congress plenary, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday said rampant lies have become the hallmark of the new Congress president.

Gandhi, who became party president in December, said on Sunday that the BJP, like the Kauravas, fought for power, while his party, on the lines of the Pandavas, battled for truth. He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of symbolising crony capitalism and called BJP president Amit Shah a "murder accused".

"Rampant lies, falsehood, and shameful parading of lies have become the hallmark of the new Congress president Rahul Gandhi. We thought after becoming president, he will be a little modest," Prasad told reporters outside Parliament.

The senior BJP leader and law and justice minister also questioned Gandhi's "arrogance" after getting a "zero" in Nagaland and Tripura Assembly polls and losing deposit in Phulpur and Gorakhpur".

"In the last 10 years of the UPA government, so many landmines were left behind by the previous government. They keep on blasting and they are now asking us questions?" he said in a reference to corruption scams.

The volley of criticism following Gandhi's speech began on Sunday with defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying that the party which questioned the "fundamental existence" of Lord Ram wanted to now identify itself with the Pandavas.

Sitharaman had said it was astonishing that the Congress president chose to make allegations against the BJP chief even though he has been cleared by a court.
Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, on Monday alleged that a Shiv Sena worker committed suicide while blaming his extreme step on demonetisation and GST.

Mumbai: Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, on Monday alleged that a Shiv Sena worker committed suicide while blaming his extreme step on demonetisation and GST.

The senior Congress leader raised the issue in the Lower House and targeted the Uddhav Thackeray-led party while asking why it was still supporting the NDA government even after the alleged suicide of its worker over the Centre's policies.

"Rahul Phalake, a Shiv Sena worker from Karad tehsil of Satara district, committed suicide on 16 March. Phalake, in his last post on social media, has elaborated his reasons and put the blame on demonetisation and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST)," Vikhe-Patil said.

"Both the decisions were imposed by the Union government and today, some Opposition parties have moved a no-confidence motion against the BJP-led NDA (government)," he said.

Why is the Shiv Sena still supporting the BJP when one of its party workers has been a victim of such decisions? Vikhe Patil asked.

The Shiv Sena is an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

Responding to it, Sunil Prabhu (of the Shiv Sena) said his party will support the no-confidence motion only if it is in the interest of the nation.

"The no-confidence motion is moved by the TDP, but it has been moved over the demand of special status for Andhra Pradesh. Bihar had demanded it, but it got nothing. The Sena will not support such a motion, just because one state's demands are not addressed," Prabhu said.

"The Sena will support a no-confidence motion if it is in the interest of nation, but certainly not any politically motivated motion," he said.

Ending its four-year-old alliance with the BJP, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had on 16 March pulled out of the NDA over the Centre's refusal to grant Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh and simultaneously moved a no-trust motion in Parliament.
Pinarayi Vijayan govt's opposition to CBI probe in SV Shuhaib murder case has exposed CPM's double game in the state. While the party condemns violence, it is often seen offering legal and financial aid to the accused of political killings

If there had been one murder case in the recent memory that has shaken the conscience of the average citizen in Kerala, its that of Indian Youth Congress worker SV Shuhaib in Kannur. It is not as if Kannur or the state of Kerala at large is not familiar with such well-orchestrated killings of political opponents by CPM or even BJP, but when a hapless 29-year-old Congress worker is at the receiving end, in undoubtedly the strongest bastion of CPM, the one-sidedness of the crime only amplifies the outcry.

This very outcry took Shuhaib's family to the doors of the Kerala High Court pleading for a CBI probe which the family succeeded in getting, but the state government seemed to have made up its mind that it would not let a CBI probe happen whatever be the odds.

The government first opposed the petition in front of the single bench which (heard the plea) only to earn terrible criticism from the court, which saw merit in allowing the plea of the family.

But what has now baffled political pundits across the state is the obstinacy with which the state appealed against the decision before a division bench of the same high Court and earned a stay order until this weekend.

And, in doing so, the Left government has not only turned its face away from the pleas of the father and the two sisters of the victim but has also exposed itself to ridicule. Many feel that the government is acting like an extension of the ruling party, which perhaps has a lot to hide in this murder case.

"Why should the government interfere in this? Why should the government or the party oppose a CBI probe demanded by the father of the victim if it has nothing to hide in this case? That is the cardinal question. As long as the government is not able to answer it convincingly, you cannot fault anyone who thinks that the state is doing this to protect someone," senior journalist and noted political commentator Sunnykutty Abraham told Firstpost.

Although Congress has been going to town with similar allegations of a cover-up by the ruling Left, it is the high courts observation while allowing the CBI probe that has literally shamed the government.

Justice Kamal Pasha was particularly miffed with the Kerala Police for its inability to recover the weapons used for the killing in spite of the accused being in custody and for its reluctance to use Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in spite of the case fitting the requirements, according to the court.

"Either they could not do it out of inefficiency or their hands are fettered as pointed out by the learned counsel for the petitioners. It cannot be believed that the investigating agency could not gather any information regarding the weapons from A1 and A2 even though for days and days they were in the custody. It cannot be said that the investigation of this case was expeditious or fair. It lacks transparency," wrote Justice Pasha in the judgment.

The Court also went on to uphold the contention of Shuhaibs father that there was a larger conspiracy at play allegedly involving some of the top leadership of CPM because the accused neither had any personal association nor any animosity with Shuhaib nor they were from the same locality.

That the 11-member gang looked more like a hired team of party workers from another area, puts Shuhaib's father's conspiracy argument on a sound wicket.

It is the same crucial point which many feel could rattle CPM and the state, if exposed by a CBI probe.

Already, three political killings which took place in Kannur are under CBI investigation. The CPM and its Kannur district secretary P Jayarajan, a party strongman and key aide of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, is under the scanner for all the three deaths. Another CBI probe is something the party can ill afford with hardly a year left for the Lok Sabha polls.

At the all-party meeting called following Shuhaibs murder, the state had agreed that it is ready to involve any agency for investigation. But then when his father when to the court, they backed out. Why did that happen? The state could have said that it has no opposition to a CBI probe but the single benchs harsh observations which sounded more like a no-confidence motion against the executive should be removed. This would have helped CPM score a political point as well as earn the peoples trust. But people now feel that the opposition to the probe is to protect someone big in the party," says Joseph C Mathew, former advisor to VS Achuthananthan and a political analyst.

There are others who have faced this double game of CPM up-close. KK Rema, widow of TP Chandrasekharan, who was hacked to death by a CPM gang in 2012 for starting a new party after defecting from CPM, feels the present script is too similar to Chandrasekharans murder.

"See even in our case too, the murderers were from two different districts and had no personal reasons to kill Chandrasekharan. But these are highly motivated killers who are doing the killing for the party leadership to ensure that CPM continues its stranglehold locally. Shuhaib was a headache for the party just like Chandrasekharan. That is why CPM is now worried that a CBI probe could bring out the larger conspiracy," said Rema.

But more significantly, this is where the partys double game comes to the fore. From the day Shuhaib was mercilessly hacked to death with 37 cuts to the lower part of his body, the district and state leadership of the party distanced itself from the killing saying no party member was involved.

A few days later when the killers were identified as party workers, four including Akash Thillankeri and Rajin Raj, were thrown out. Thillankeris selfie pictures with Jayarajan and even Pinarayi Vijayan had been circulating over the social media causing great embarrassment for the party.

But very strangely, CPM refused to say that the action taken against them was for killing Shuhaib. Rather, the party called the reason as 'anti-party activities' which many say is a perfect hoodwink to keep supporting the perpetrators legally and otherwise in the future.

"This is CPM's usual game plan. Throwing them out of the party is just a face-saving attempt. Later on, the party not only protects them, it runs their cases and even looks after their families. Even during Chandrasekharans murder, KC Ramachandran was thrown out of the party. But all help was provided by the party later. For all the accused, the case was run by the party with highly paid lawyers. It's never the family of the accused that runs the case. Here also it will be same. All this is just CPMs double game," added Rema.

Rema's words are gathering more significance under the latest turn of events. PK Kunhanandan, a convict in Chandrasekharan's murder case and is serving a life term. But he continues to be the partys Panur area committee member and even attends official meetings by arranging parole from prison.

That the state has recently suggested his name on the jail term remission list of prisoners has also come as a shock to many. Support for the convict runs so deep that the government has also been trying to by-pass the normal course of actions followed to release him.

Congress, in the meanwhile, is crying hoarse over the governments decision and it puts forth two arguments for the same. One, any investigation by the state police under the ruling party would substantially weaken the case helping the culprits get off the hook with a lesser sentence or even an acquittal citing lack of evidence. Second, the Congress calls this stay order gained from the court as a dilly-dallying tactic to buy time for the accused to get normal bail which they are entitled to if a chargesheet is not filed in 90 days time.

But CPM calls it baseless and says it has full confidence in the state polices investigation.

"There is nothing for CPM to hide in the Shuhaib (murder) case and so we are not afraid of a CBI probe. The government always wants every case to be probed by the state police and only if it cant be cracked by them then it goes to CBI. Here the state police have nabbed the culprits and neither the government nor the party is doing anything to protect them," CPM State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told media persons.

But not everyone is ready to buy this claim of CPM. History has exposed the partys double game in a number of cases in the recent past.

"I think we should understand how this cadre-based party works. Openly, they might condemn violence but ultimately a party that had been following the path of violent politics cannot simply one day ask its cadres to drop the knife. It does not work like that. It has not happened in West Bengal or Tripura. CPM will be finished if it does that even if it means that it is getting alienated from the people at large," says CR Neelakandan, convenor of Aam Admi Party (AAP) in Kerala.

With CBI coming into the scene, the party is also said to be worried about how BJP at the Centre would use it to hunt down senior CPM leaders in the state for the saffron party to work out its larger game plan of capturing power in Kerala.

There are political analysts close to the party think-tank who feel that CPM is wary of the changing scenario post the Tripura debacle and the need to send out a message to the electorate that the party doesnt stand with violent politics, at least in Kerala.

"In the recently concluded state conference of the party in Thrissur, there had been bitter opposition against the kind of politics followed by the Kannur district leadership. A huge section of CPM is fed up with this. This may be one of the reasons why the party wants to ensure credibility is regained by a transparent investigation under the state police itself rather than it going to CBI. That is the reason the state is showing confidence in the state police," says NM Pearson, CPM ideologue, and political commentator.

Meanwhile, the single bench of the Kerala High Court while giving the case to the CBI has said that that it is only the individuals who die and their families that are pushed to the streets but political parties never die. Hence such meaningless political killings should end.

Now it remains to be seen whether the ruling party in Kerala will show the political maturity to end such meaningless killings.
A year after he took charge in Uttar Pradesh, where does Yogi Adityanath's government stand on the three major policies of loan waivers for farmers, Anti-Romeo squads and gauraksha? Follow Khabar Lahariya's special reports on Firstpost

The Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh in 2017 yielded an unlikely chief minister.

Yogi Adityanath, the five-time MP from Gorakhpur previous to this appointment, routinely featured in the news for making communally-charged statements. While the Bharatiya Janata Party had focussed on development in the state during campaigning, the appointment of the priest-politician sparked speculation about the partys Hindutva agenda.

Adityanath took over the new post with a promise of development for all. My government will be for everyone, not specifically for any caste or community. We will work for development of all sections and castes and creed and create a new structure of progress. We will make Uttar Pradesh the dream land of the Prime Ministers development model," he said, adding, "I will rid Uttar Pradesh of anarchy, corruption, gun culture and goondas and bring back (its) glory."

Adityanath's appointment was followed by frenzied media reporting on the minutiae of his life: When he woke up, what he ate and other such. Parallelly, there were reports about the shutdowns of illegal (and at times legal) slaughterhouses in the state, and the Anti-Romeo squads  positioned as an effort to provide safety to women  that allegedly harassed couples.

The death of 61 children due to lack of oxygen at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College, in his own constituency of Gorakhpur, brought on criticism from across India.

On Firstpost  Read Parts I and II of this special series.

The states ambitious Rs 36-crore farm loan waiver scheme was seemingly a dud, with many farmers receiving laughable sums of 19 paise, or a few rupees, as per its own admission.

His governments alleged solution for the law and order situation in the state has proved controversial as well, with many dubbing Adityanaths rule encounter raj. There is also a burgeoning problem of unemployment.

And now just a few days before the one year anniversary of his appointment as chief minister, the BJP lost the Gorakhpur constituency for the first time in almost three decades.

Khabar Lahariya, an independent feminist news platform working out of rural Uttar Pradesh with rural women journalists only, is working on a series of video reports chronicling the performance of Adityanaths government over the past one year. The focus is on the three major policies of his government: Farmer loan waivers, Anti-Romeo squads and gauraksha.

Firstpost will be publishing these reports as well.

Catch up with parts I, II and III of the series here.
Nimish Sawant

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg started off the year with a promise to fix Facebook's multiple issues. But it looks like this is easier said than done. No sooner is Facebook coming to terms with one issue, there is another one waiting at the door to creep on to the collective conscience of its users. And this has been happening so regularly of late, that one has been left numb to an extent.

The most recent of the thorns in Facebook's crown is courtesy the alleged misuse of data by Cambridge Analytica. Last Friday, Facebook suspended Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL) and its political data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica after it emerged that it was using data shared by a developer who was supposed to use it only for his own app.

According to Facebook, "In 2015, we learned that a psychology professor at the University of Cambridge named Dr Aleksandr Kogan lied to us and violated our Platform Policies by passing data from an app that was using Facebook Login to SCL/Cambridge Analytica, a firm that does political, government and military work around the globe. He also passed that data to Christopher Wylie of Eunoia Technologies, Inc."

While one may have thought that this was pro-active action by Facebook  despite it being three years too late  it was only on the following day that the reason behind the suspension of SCL became amply clear. Turns out news media organisations such as The Guardian and New York Times had a story which would blow the lid of the data analytics firm methods and this could have had a hand in assisting with Donald Trump's victory, by manipulating voter behaviour.

So let's see how this latest controversy has played out so far.

What's Cambridge Analytica and why is it in the news?

Cambridge Analytica (CA) is a UK-based data analytics firm with its parent company named Strategic Communications Laboratories. The purpose of CA is to come up with online political campaigns, reach out to potential voters online and it does this by combining data from multiple sources including online information.

It is also the firm that worked for Donald Trump's presidential campaign as well as with the Leave EU camp during Brexit. One of its co-founders and data analysts at Cambridge Analytica, Christopher Wylie shared evidence about the company having harvested data from close to 50 million users on Facebook. This was done without the express permission of the said users. CA then used this information to create a psychological profile of the users as well as their friends based on their online activities. This was then used for targetted political advertising during UK's Brexit referendum as well as during the 2016 US presidential elections.

CA is said to have got this private data from Cambridge researcher Alexsandr Kogan, who created an app called 'thisisyourdigitallife' to offer personality predictions online. Now, Facebook lets app developers seek permissions from users to use their personal data to help develop the app. In this particular case, Kogan's app offered users a personality prediction after they agreed to take a personality test. Around 270,000 people downloaded the app. They gave their consent to Kogan to access their public information as well as limited information about their friends. Now while Kogan got access to this data, it was only meant to be used by him for developing his app. Instead, Kogan went ahead and sold this data to CA, which then used it to tweak their social strategies for the Trump election campaigns.

To give an idea, say if you had downloaded this app and taken the personality quiz, Kogan's app was able to determine your race, gender, sexual orientation, which political party you were most likely to vote for, and even predicting your vulnerability to substance abuse. That is quite specific information and something that most of us don't publicly share. Yet, this is the kind of deductions Kogan's app was able to make after you downloaded the app and answered a few queries.

CA also got funding from US billionaire Robert Mercer, who is also a major investor in alt-right website Breitbart News. And Steve Bannon, who served as a chief strategist in the first seven months of Trump administration and a founding member of Breitbart News was also the advisor to CA for a while.

Who is Christopher Wylie and what are his allegations?

Christopher Wylie is the co-founder and former research lead at Cambridge Analytica, who blew the whistle on CA's unethical activities. Speaking to The Guardian, Wylie said that the company exploited Facebook to harvest millions of people's profiles and used that to build models to target these same people.

Suspended by @facebook. For blowing the whistle. On something they have known privately for 2 years. pic.twitter.com/iSu6VwqUdG  Christopher Wylie (@chrisinsilico) March 18, 2018

According to Wylie, Facebook suspended his account for his act of blowing the whistle on something that Facebook knew privately for about two years.

Explaining the process to Channel 4 News, Wylie said that Kogan's app paid thousands of users (a lot of them hired by CA using Amazon's Mechanical Turks platform) a small amount of money to take an online personality quiz after they downloaded the app. While downloading the app users gave consent for Kogan's app to use their personal data, location and some publicly available data of your friends as well (this feature of accessing friends' data was discontinued in 2015). Then using the source code from the responses Kogan's app got, it was fed into an algorithm which would create a user psychological profile of the user. On an average, for every user survey, Kogan's app captured records of up to 300 Facebook users.

"I just need to engage 70,000 to 100,000 people to get a really big data set, really quickly. This method scaled very quickly and we were able to get upwards of 50 million plus Facebook records within a span of a couple of months," said Wylie saying that almost none of those 50 million users were aware that their data was being used.

Wylie spoke about how the Trump campaign used the data to create sort of culture war. "Steve (Bannon) wanted weapons for his culture war and we offered him a way to accomplish what he wanted to do, which was to change the culture of America," said Wylie.

What are Cambridge Analytica's responses?

CA responded to Facebook's suspension order by stating that it does not hold data from Facebook profiles. CA acknowledged that it had contracted a company, Global Science Research (GSR) (which was founded by Kogan), for a large-scale research project. According to CA, GSR was only to obtain data in accordance with the UK Data Protection Act and after seeking user consent.

"GSR obtained Facebook data via an API provided by Facebook. When it subsequently became clear that the data had not been obtained by GSR in line with Facebooks terms of service, Cambridge Analytica deleted all data received from GSR. No data from GSR was used by Cambridge Analytica as part of the services it provided to the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign," says CA.

What's Facebook's response?

According to Facebook, there is no data breach as the users who had downloaded the app made by Kogan, did so of their own accord.

"People knowingly provided their information, no systems were infiltrated, and no passwords or sensitive pieces of information were stolen or hacked," said Facebook. On the topic of the data of friends also being compromised, Facebook's 'platform policy' allows only the collection of friends' data to improve the in-app user experience and this data is not meant to be sold outside. For now, Facebook has suspended the accounts of Cambridge Analytica, Dr Alexsandr Kogan and Christopher Wylie, till further investigations.

In what can be construed as a self-goal, Facebook even threatened The Guardian with a legal notice against publishing the report, calling it 'false and defamatory' allegations.

Facebook's arguments denying the 'data breach' have a similar tone of the UIDAI denying any issues with Aadhaar security despite the many data vulnerabilities.

How is it related to the Trump election campaign?

CA was hired by the Trump campaign to help with data crunching during the 2016 election season. Steve Bannon, then chairman of Breitbart News, who eventually became an advisor to Trump, was also said to be the vice president of CA's board. CA guided Trump's campaign team on how best to target voters using ads or speeches or making the strategic campaign stops. While this may look like any other service persuading voters to vote for their party, according to Wiley what CA did was manipulating voters into voting for Trump.

Who is Facebook answerable to now?

Facebook is already facing the music in the US with regards to the involvement of Russian entities in gaming Facebook's ad platform. This revelation can only make things worse for Facebook. Even though Facebook says that there isn't a data breach, because users who downloaded Kogan's app did so of their own volition, the friends of these users who may not have interacted with the app had to let go of their data unknowingly.

Britain's information commissioner is investigating whether Facebook data was "illegally acquired and used," after it suspended CA. In the US, several Republican lawmakers have expressed serious concerns over privacy violations after this story broke out.

Republican Senator Jeff Flake said he had a lot of questions about the data taken from Facebook, including who knew it had been taken and whether it is still being used.

This is a big deal when you have that amount of data, and the privacy violations there are significant, he told CNNs State of the Union program. So the question is who knew it and when did they know it, how long did this go on and what happens to that data now.

Facebook faced new calls for regulation from Democratic senators on 17 March and was hit with questions about personal data safeguards, but it was unclear whether the Republican-controlled Congress would act.

Cambridge Analytica eyeing India

According to a report in Hindustan Times, the UK-based firm has its eyes on South-Asian countries such as India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as they approach elections. The report states that CA and its India partner Oveleno Business Intelligence (OBI) have reached out to Congress and BJP for a possible collaboration for the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

According to OBI CEO, Amrish Tyagi, the company is in talks with CA which has denied the allegations and is looking at legal measures. "We are partners. If something is established to be in violation of Indian law, then we will, of course, reconsider it," said Tyagi. So far according to Tyagi, CA has no projects in India so there is no question of them having done any social media work here.

What happens now?

We can rest assured that this matter will be in the news cycle for quite a while. The extent of the data breach is still not fully known. Whether Facebook and Cambridge Analytica will take the legal route is something that only time will tell. As for your personal data, as is evident from Wylie's confession, even if you may not have downloaded and used the 'thisisyourdigitallife' app, if you were friends with someone who had and hadn't really set your privacy settings, then your personal data is most surely part of the sweep.

As it is, Facebook and a lot of social media websites have been facing the music from governments especially in the US, the UK as well as the EU. This data breach will only strengthen the voices of critics who are asking for more regulation of social media.

As for Wylie, he could be sued by CA or Bannon for breaking any confidentiality agreements they may have had.

We will find out more in the coming days.
tech2 News Staff

It is said that charity begins at home. In 2010, a Google employee named Sasha Blair Goldensohn was walking in Central Park when a rotted branch fell on him and he went into a temporary coma and later had to suffer from internal paralysis. Within a span of two years, he returned to work, in a wheelchair though. His struggles with the wheelchair gave him the idea to add the wheelchair option in Google Maps.

According to a CNBC report, even though Google had been active in making sure that differently-abled people can use their services, Goldensohn saw the limitations for those using the wheelchair when he had to transit in the city. According to him, travelling in New York City in a wheelchair was not easy. Therefore, he introduced a feature where the users would be able to navigate routes which were wheelchair-friendly.

Goldensohn had presented a proof of concept which later got approved. However, he had to convince people to take up his initiative and two employees joined him.

It came under the "twenty percent project" where employees could take 20 percent of their time from their regular workload to work on their pet projects. A result of Goldensohn's project was the feature where Google Maps was using crowdsourced data to find various places which were wheelchair friendly or provided services such as crutches, in 2017.

Cities like Argentina have shown interest in Google's endeavour. Google is now looking to intintegrating data with local and transit authorities to help those who use a wheelchair navigate the city with ease.

This feature is currently available in London, New York, Tokyo, Mexico City, Boston, and Sydney.
Reuters

Several US Republican lawmakers expressed concern over privacy violations on 18 March after media reports that a political consultancy that worked on President Donald Trumps campaign gained inappropriate access to 50 million Facebook users data.

Republican Senator Marco Rubio said he believed some internet companies have grown too fast to digest their responsibilities and obligations.

So well learn more about this in the days to come. But yeah Im disturbed by that, Rubio told NBCs Meet the Press.

Senator Rand Paul was asked whether people can trust companies like Facebook in the wake of the report about Cambridge Analytica taking data.

People have to look into it. Whether or not it broke the law, absolutely, the privacy of the American consumer, the American individual, should be protected, Paul said on CNN.

Facebook disclosed the issue in a blog post on 16 March, hours before media reports that conservative-leaning Cambridge Analytica, a data company known for its work on Trumps 2016 presidential campaign, was given access to the data and may not have deleted it.

Facebook said in a statement that a Cambridge University psychology professor had lied to the company and violated its policies by passing data to Cambridge Analytica from an app he had developed. It suspended the firm from Facebook.

Facebook did not immediately reply when asked on 18 March for a response to the lawmakers comments. However, in a new statement on 18 March, the company said it was conducting a comprehensive internal and external review to determine if the user data in question still existed.

Cambridge Analytica and the professor have denied violating Facebooks terms, according to media reports.

The scrutiny presented a new threat to Facebooks reputation, which was already under attack over Russians use of Facebook tools to sway American voters before and after the 2016 US elections.

Republican Senator Jeff Flake said he had a lot of questions about the data taken from Facebook, including who knew it had been taken and whether it is still being used.

This is a big deal when you have that amount of data, and the privacy violations there are significant, he told CNNs State of the Union program. So the question is who knew it and when did they know it, how long did this go on and what happens to that data now.

Facebook faced new calls for regulation from Democratic senators on 17 March and was hit with questions about personal data safeguards, but it was unclear whether the Republican-controlled Congress would act.

US Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said more investigation was needed.

We need to find out what we can about the misappropriation of the privacy, the private information of tens of millions of Americans, he said on 18 March's ABCs This Week.

Also on ABC, Senator James Lankford, a Republican, said it was not known whether the incident was connected to the Trump campaign.
IANS

To help its employees at its Noida R&D facility to upgrade skills in areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud computing and Machine Learning (ML), Samsung India on 19 March signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India's premier engineering institute BITS Pilani.

As part of the initiative, the employees of the R&D centre will be able to pursue M.Tech in Software Systems, to further upgrade their skills, Samsung India said in a statement.

"As technology evolves, skill sets must evolve too, especially for a company like Samsung that is focused on the next level of innovations," said Seounghoon Oh, Managing Director, Samsung R&D Institute India-Noida.

"This MoU is in line with our vision to develop futuristic skill-sets aligned to the requirements of the fast evolving mobile and consumer electronics sectors," Oh said.

As part of the initiative, every year a batch of 35 employees from Samsung R&D Institute India-Noida (SRI-Noida) will be sponsored for this two-year M.Tech programme.

Established in 2007 with the primary focus of mobile software development and testing, SRI-Noida has an existing MoU with Delhi Technological University (DTU) for M.Tech and PhD since 2011.

It is actively involved in developing advanced solutions to suit market needs for South West Asia and also develop models for Middle East Asia, North America, Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) regions.

The R&D centre has developed several India specific innovations such as popular S-Bike Mode, Ultra Data Saving Mode, Social Camera, S Secure and S Power Planning.

Many of these innovations have done well in global markets as well, Samsung India said.

"With a deep understanding of the changing consumer behaviour and technological advancements, Samsung India is committed to support the government's 'Make in India' objective," Oh said.
tech2 News Staff

Match Group, the parent company, of dating apps such as Tinder, OkCupid, and Match.com has filed a lawsuit against another dating app, Bumble, on patent infringement.

It must be noted that Match Group has been trying to take over Bumble since 2017. Bumble is a dating app which gives women the power to make the first move.

Media reports suggest that this could be Matchs way to take over Bumble as it had initially declined the acquisition. Now, the Match Group has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against two of its patents.

The two patent infringements include Tinders swipe to connect feature. Another feature includes the option where the user can go back to the person if he or she was accidentally rejected or swiped left.

According to Recode, the spokesperson said that Tinders two ex-employees have allegedly stolen Tinders confidential information.

In 2017, Match Group had made an offer of $450 million to Bumble. But it had declined the offer, as its valuation was over $1 billion.

According to TechCrunch, the Match Group was quite keen to take over the dating app since it allows women to make the first move instead of men. It has been speculated that college-going graduates are a part of the demographic on Bumble, which was absent on Tinder.
tech2 News Staff

It's hard to believe that it's only been a few months since Apple's notch-tooting iPhone X emerged in the smartphone world. Anyone who's anything in the Android smartphone world has gone out of their way to copy the design, and it's now almost a style-statement of sorts to not have a notch on your smartphone.

One very popular smartphone maker who's kept away from all this notchiness is Xiaomi.

We were expecting to see their first notch on the nearly bezel-less Mi Mix 2s but now, Xiaomi has officially laid those rumours to rest.

GizmoChina cites a Weibo reveal that shows a notch-less Mi Mix 2s. Invites for a launch event in Shanghai have already been sent out. The yet-to-be-launched smartphone was shown off by Xiaomi brand ambassadoer Wu Yifan, who's seen flaunting the phone in several social promotional images.

While it is good that the phone lacks a notch, the design also suggests that the front camera remains at the bottom of the phone. Up-the-nose selfies and upside-down videos will still be an issue with the Mi Mix 2s.

The phone is expected to arrive with Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 845 chip and dual-rear cameras. As GizmoChina notes, it's possible that we'll see an 8/256 GB variant of the smartphone and support for wireless charging.

To commemorate the fact that the Mi Mix ended up in the Centre Pompidou museum in France, a museum for modern art, 10 lucky Xiaomi fans will receive Beijing-Paris tickets and a trip to the Centre Pompidou.
Supreme Court of Nebraska. STATE OF NEBRASKA, APPELLANT, v. CHAD T. KENNEDY, APPELLEE. No. S-17-703 Decided: March 16, 2018

HEAVICAN, C.J., MILLER-LERMAN, CASSEL, STACY, KELCH, and FUNKE, JJ. Lee Polikov, Sarpy County Attorney, and Nicole R. Hutter for appellant. Liam K. Meehan, of Schirber & Wagner, L.L.P., for appellee.

After finding Chad T. Kennedy had violated his post-release supervision, the district court terminated it unsatisfactorily. The State appeals, claiming this resulted in an excessively lenient sentence that was not authorized by law. We vacate the district court's order and remand the cause for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

FACTS

Kennedy was charged in the Sarpy County District Court with one count of operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest (Class IV felony) and one count of willful reckless driving (Class III misdemeanor). On February 9, 2017, he pled guilty to an amended information charging him with only the felony offense. Kennedy requested immediate sentencing and waived his right to a presentence investigation. He asked not to be placed on probation. The court imposed a sentence of 240 days in jail and 9 months of post-release supervision. He was given credit for 150 days already served, and it appears he was released from jail the same day he was sentenced.

In April 2017, the State filed what it captioned a Motion for Revocation of Probation. It is clear from the record the intent was to seek revocation of Kennedy's post-release supervision. The motion to revoke stated that Kennedy was in violation of his probation order dated February 9, 2017 in that he had failed to show for his scheduled probation appoint[ment]s and has failed to provide probation with a valid address or con-tact information.

At the hearing on the motion to revoke, Kennedy admitted he had violated the conditions of his post-release supervision and explained he had done so because he was incarcerated in Douglas County on an unrelated matter. He told the court he had been in custody in Douglas County for 40 days and expected to be released in another 32 and given 6 months' probation in a rehab and halfway house. The court accepted Kennedy's admission and found he had violated the terms and conditions of his post-release supervision.

The court then asked counsel how they wished to proceed. Defense counsel advised the cleanest thing would just be to terminate him unsuccessfully from supervision and they'll take that into consideration in sentencing in Douglas County. The State disagreed. It argued the court lacked statutory authority to unsuccessfully terminate post-release supervision and suggested instead that a sentencing order consistent with his [remaining] post release supervision term would be appropriate.

The court stated:

I'm going to note for the record a couple things:  Kennedy is under the jurisdiction and custody of the fourth judicial district at this point in time and pend-ing charges there. Certainly we did the transport order to get him here. And the point and purpose of post release supervision is to provide guidance and/or track for defendants to be able to follow that is being currently set up with Douglas County. And as a result of that he can't comply with our post release supervision because he's in custody in Douglas County. So, based upon the admission, the court is going to find  Kennedy has violated the terms and conditions of his post release supervision.

The court is going to terminate probation [as being] unsatisfactory. And that will be the judgment and order [of] the court. [Kennedy is] remanded to the custody of the sheriff.

The court's minute entry specifically noted that the court was not revok [ing] Kennedy's probation. The following day, on June 20, 2017, the court entered what it styled a Judgment and Sentence that provided in relevant part:

[Kennedy] was personally advised of his conviction for the crime of Count 1: Operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, felony offense, a class IV felony, pursuant to his plea of guilty and judgment of conviction entered on February 9, 2017, and [Kennedy's] admission to the Motion to Revoke Probation entered on June 19, 2017 and offered no good or sufficient reason why a sentence should not be imposed for such crime. The Court terminated the Post Release Supervision.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the Post Release Supervision is hereby terminated as unsatisfactorily.

The Sarpy County Attorney, with the consent of the Attorney General (State), timely appealed, alleging the sentence imposed was excessively lenient. We moved the case to our docket on our own motion and set it for oral argument.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

The State assigns, restated, that the district court (1) abused its discretion in imposing an excessively lenient sentence not authorized by Neb. Rev. Stat.  29-2268 (Reissue 2016) and (2) committed plain error by imposing a sentence outside the statutory limits.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

[1] Statutory interpretation presents a question of law, which an appellate court reviews independently of the lower court's determination.

[2] Whether an appellate court is reviewing a sentence for its leniency or its excessiveness, a sentence imposed by a district court that is within the statutorily prescribed limits will not be disturbed on appeal unless there appears to be an abuse of the trial court's discretion.

ANALYSIS

Post-release supervision is a relatively new concept in Nebraska sentencing law. Last year, in State v. Phillips, this court had its first opportunity to address the procedure for imposing a term of post-release supervision under  29-2204.02. The issues presented in the instant appeal provide our first opportunity to address the procedure when moving to revoke such a term.

As a threshold matter, we observe that the Legislature has defined [probationer to mean a person sentenced to probation or post-release supervision. Similarly, it has defined [probation to include [ ] post-release supervision. Post-release supervision is defined to mean the portion of a split sentence following a period of incarceration under which a person found guilty of a crime upon verdict or plea is released by a court subject to conditions imposed by the court and subject to supervision by the [Office of Probation Administration]. The Legislature has instructed that these statutory definitions apply for purposes of the Nebraska Probation Administration Act unless the context otherwise requires.

As such, the Nebraska Probation Administration Act sometimes refers to probation and post-release supervision interchangeably, and other times, separately. This may explain why, in the present case, the State filed a motion to revoke probation even though Kennedy had been sentenced to a term of incarceration followed by a term of post-release supervision. The trial court used the same vernacular in its June 20, 2017, sentencing order. Particularly because the available disposition differs slightly based on whether a probationer is alleged to have violated the terms of his or her probation or post-release supervision, we encourage courts, and officers of the courts, to be precise when taking up motions to revoke.

 29-2268

Violations of probation and post-release supervision are governed by  29-2268, which provides:

(1) If the court finds that the probationer, other than a probationer serving a term of post-release supervision, did violate a condition of his or her probation, it may revoke the probation and impose on the offender such new sentence as might have been imposed originally for the crime of which he or she was convicted.

(2) If the court finds that a probationer serving a term of post-release supervision did violate a condition of his or her post-release supervision, it may revoke the post-release supervision and impose on the offender a term of imprisonment up to the remaining period of post-release supervision. The term shall be served in an institution under the jurisdiction of the Department of Correctional Services or in county jail subject to subsection (2) of section 28-105.

(3) If the court finds that the probationer did violate a condition of his or her probation, but is of the opinion that revocation is not appropriate, the court may order that:

(a) The probationer receive a reprimand and warning;

(b) Probation supervision and reporting be intensified;

(c) The probationer be required to conform to one or more additional conditions of probation which may be imposed in accordance with the Nebraska Probation Administration Act;

(d) A custodial sanction be imposed on a probationer convicted of a felony, subject to the provisions of section 29-2266.03; and

(e) The probationer's term of probation be extended, subject to the provisions of section 29-2263.

Section 29-2268(1) is not applicable to Kennedy because it expressly excludes those on post-release supervision from the definition of probationer. Thus, the question presented here is whether the district court had authority, pursuant to either  29-2268(2) or (3), to terminate post-release supervision unsatisfactorily after finding a violation.

The State argues that upon finding a violation of post-release supervision, the district court had only two options under  29-2268: It could either revoke post-release supervision pursuant to  29-2268(2) and impose a term of incarceration up to the remainder of the post-release supervision term or it could find that revocation is not appropriate and enter an order pursuant to  29-2268(3)(a) through (e).

Kennedy argues the district court had a third option: It could discharge him from post-release supervision altogether under  29-2263. We address this argument first, and find it has no merit.

 29-2263 DOES NOT AUTHORIZE UNSATISFACTORY DISCHARGE

Section 29-2263 addresses both probation and post-release supervision, and provides in pertinent part:

When a court has sentenced an offender to post-release supervision, the court shall specify the term of such post-release supervision as provided in section 28-105. The court, on application of a probation officer or of the probationer or on its own motion, may discharge a probationer at any time. 18

Kennedy argues the second sentence of  29-2263(2) gave the district court authority to enter an order terminating his post-release supervision unsatisfactorily once it found a violation. He urges us to interpret  29-2263(2) to apply in circumstances where a violation of post-release supervision has been found and asks that we equate discharge under  29-2263(2) with being terminated unsatisfactorily. We decline to do either.

[3] Section 29-2263 generally governs a court's power to impose, modify, and discharge a person from probation and post-release supervision. In contrast,  29-2268 specifically governs violations of probation and post-release supervision and thus is the more specific statute. It is a general principle of statutory construction that to the extent there is a conflict between two statutes, the specific statute controls over the general statute.

More importantly, the early discharge permitted by  29-2263(2) is incompatible with unsatisfactory termina-tion. Section 29-2263(4) explains that [u]pon completion of the term of probation, or the earlier discharge of the probationer, the probationer shall be relieved of any obligations imposed by the order of the court and shall have satisfied the sentence for his or her crime.

[4] When interpreting a statute, effect must be given, if possible, to all the several parts of a statute; no sentence, clause, or word should be rejected as meaningless or superfluous if it can be avoided. An appellate court must look to the statute's purpose and give to the statute a reasonable construction which best achieves that purpose, rather than a construction which would defeat it.

[5] Because an early discharge under  29-2263(2) results in satisfying the sentence imposed, it cannot be reconciled with unsatisfactorily completing the sentence. We thus hold that once the State invoked the revocation process under  29-2268 and the district court found a violation of post-release supervision, the court was not empowered, at that point, to invoke the early discharge provisions of  29-2263(2).

ONLY DISPOSITIONS FOR VIOLATIONS OF POST-RELEASE SUPERVISION ARE THOSE ENUMERATED IN  29-2268(2) AND (3)

[6] We agree with the State that once the district court found a violation of post-release supervision, it was authorized by  29-2268 to take one of two paths: It could either revoke post-release supervision and impose a term of imprisonment up to the remaining period of post-release supervision under subsection (2), or it could find that revocation was not appropriate and order one or more of the dispositions authorized by subsection (3). Stated differently, once a violation of post-release supervision is found, a district court may proceed under either subsection (2) or subsection (3) of  29-2268, but the statutory language does not authorize any disposition not therein enumerated.

Before considering whether the district court was proceeding under subsection (2) or subsection (3) of  29-2268, we pause to address a jurisdictional question raised by Kennedy.

JURISDICTION OVER THIS APPEAL

Kennedy, relying on State v. Caniglia, argues this court lacks jurisdiction over the instant appeal, because no sentence was imposed that the State may challenge as excessively lenient. We disagree.

In Caniglia, the defendant was convicted in Sarpy County District Court of driving under the influence in August 2003. At the time, she was on intensive supervision probation in Douglas County for another conviction of driving under the influence. The Sarpy County court sentenced her to probation, to be served concurrently with the Douglas County probation. Both probation orders required that she refrain from using alcohol.

In December 2004, the State moved to revoke the Sarpy County probation, alleging the defendant was using alcohol, which the defendant admitted. At the hearing on the motion to revoke, the evidence showed the defendant already had been terminated from her Douglas County probation for using alcohol. The revocation in Douglas County resulted in her serving 15 days in jail and having her driver's license revoked for 15 years. After noting what had occurred in Douglas County, the Sarpy County court found a probation violation, and then, without ruling on the motion to revoke, terminated the defendant's probation as  unsuccessful. 

The State appealed the district court's order pursuant to a statute authorizing the State to appeal the sentence imposed if it reasonably believes the sentence is excessively lenient. We held the district court had not imposed a sentence at all, thus, this statute did not authorize the State's appeal. In doing so, we analyzed the version of  29-2268 in effect at the time (which is substantially similar to the current version, minus the specific inclusion of post-release supervision). We noted that pursuant to the terms of the statute, once the district court found a violation of probation it

was authorized to revoke probation and impose a sentence, to reprimand and warn the probationer, to intensify supervision, to impose additional terms of probation, or to extend the term of probation. The district court did none of the above. Instead, the district court ordered the probation terminated as unsuccessful. This was neither an authorized order nor a sentence.28

Based on this rationale, we found there was no appellate jurisdiction, because no sentence had been imposed that could be challenged as excessively lenient pursuant to  29-2320.

Here, the State also seeks to challenge the sentence as excessively lenient and relies on the same statute at issue in Caniglia, which requires a challenge from the sentence imposed. But unlike in Caniglia, the district court here ruled on the motion to revoke by determining revocation was not appropriate, and then proceeded to enter a sentencing order which purported to modify the sentence of post-release supervision by terminating it unsatisfactorily. As such, the jurisdictional concerns present in Caniglia are not present here. We conclude that the district court's order of June 20, 2017, is a sentencing order from which the prosecuting attorney may appeal under  29-2320. We proceed to consider the merits of the State's contention that the sentencing order was excessively lenient.

COURT WAS NOT PROCEEDING UNDER  29-2268(2)

In the present case, after finding Kennedy had violated his post-release supervision, the district court made clear it was not revoking that supervision as authorized by  29-2268(2). However, Kennedy suggests the court's sentencing order should be construed to have had the practical effect of revoking probation and imposing a term of zero months of imprisonment.

We rejected a similar argument in Caniglia. In that case, we refused to infer a term of imprisonment when one was not expressly stated, reasoning that when imposing a sentence, a court must state with care the precise terms of the sentence and that imposition of a sentence in a revocation of probation context is deserving of the same clarity expected when the initial sentence is imposed.

We apply the same reasoning here and conclude the district court's order cannot reasonably be interpreted to have revoked probation and imposed a term of zero months of imprisonment, when the court expressly held it was not revoking supervision and expressed no precise term of sentence. The district court was not proceeding under  29-2268(2) when it opted not to revoke Kennedy's post-release supervision, but, rather, to terminate it unsatisfactorily.

COURT ATTEMPTED TO PROCEED UNDER  29-2268(3), BUT ERRED

Subsection (3) of  29-2268 allows a court, after finding a violation of probation or post-release supervision, to decide that revocation is not appropriate, and instead order:

(a) The probationer receive a reprimand and warning;

(b) Probation supervision and reporting be intensified;

(c) The probationer be required to conform to one or more additional conditions of probation which may be imposed in accordance with the Nebraska Probation Administration Act;

(d) A custodial sanction be imposed on a probationer convicted of a felony, subject to the provisions of section 29-2266.03; and

(e) The probationer's term of probation be extended, subject to the provisions of section 29-2263.

Here, after finding a violation, the court made clear it was not revoking Kennedy's post-release supervision. We find that portion of the district court's decision was authorized by  29-2268(3). But having elected not to revoke post-release supervision, the court was limited to the dispositions enumerated in  29-2268(3). Because the sentencing order did not impose any disposition authorized by subsection (3), that portion of the court's order was erroneous and resulted in an excessively lenient sentence.

VACATE WITH DIRECTIONS

[7] For all of these reasons, the portion of the sentencing order which purported to terminate unsatisfactorily Kennedy's post-release supervision as a result of a violation was not authorized by statute, was erroneous, and resulted in an excessively lenient sentence. Pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat.  29-2323(1) (Reissue 2016), if an appellate court determines a sentence is excessively lenient, it may set aside the sentence and either (a) remand the case for imposition of a greater sentence, (b) remand the case for further sentencing proceedings, or (c) impose a greater sentence. We conclude it is appropriate to remand the cause for further sentencing proceedings consistent with the applicable statutes and Kennedy's due process rights.

[8] For the sake of completeness, we remind the parties and the court that the Legislature has established the procedure to be followed when a motion to revoke probation is filed, and this court has identified the minimum due process protections required at probation revocation hearings. We now expressly hold these same hearing procedures and due process protections apply when the court is considering a motion to revoke a term of post-release supervision. On remand, these procedures should be followed.

CONCLUSION

Once the district court found a violation of post-release supervision and decided it was not appropriate to revoke supervision, it was authorized by  29-2268(3) to either (a) order a reprimand or warning, (b) intensify supervision or reporting, (c) impose additional conditions of probation, (d) impose custodial sanctions, or (e) extend the term of probation. Because it did none of these and instead erroneously terminated post-release supervision altogether, we vacate the sentencing order of June 20, 2017, as excessively lenient, and remand the cause for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.

VACATED AND REMANDED FOR FURTHER PROCEEDINGS.

FOOTNOTES

. Neb. Rev. Stat.  28-905(3)(a)(iii) (Reissue 2016).

. See Neb. Rev. Stat.  47-502 and 47-503 (Reissue 2010).

. See Neb. Rev. Stat.  29-2320 and 29-2321 (Reissue 2016).

. State v. Carman, 292 Neb. 201, 812 N.W.2d 559 (2015); State v. Draper, 289 Neb. 777851 N.W.2d 334 (2015).

. State v. Moore, 214 Neb. 790, 143 N.W.2d 315 (2008).

. See Neb. Rev. Stat.  28-105 (Supp. 2017) and 29-2204.02 (Reissue 2016).

. State v. Phillips, 297 Neb. 469, 900 N.W.2d 522 (2017).

. Neb. Rev. Stat.  29-2246(5) (Reissue 2016).

.  29-2246(4).

.  29-2246(13).

. Neb. Rev. Stat.  29-2246 to 29-2269 (Reissue 2016).

.  29-2246.

. See, e.g.,  29-2250, 29-2251, 29-2258, 29-2262, and 29-2267.

. See, e.g.,  29-2263(2) and (3) and 29-2268(1) and (2).

. See  29-2268(1) and (2).

.  29-2263(1) and (3) through (5).

.  29-2263(2) through (5).

.  29-2263(2).

. Brief for appellee at 6.

. Id.

. See State v. Hernandez, 283 Neb. 423, 809 N.W.2d 279 (2012).

. See, Keller v. Tavarone, 265 Neb. 236, 655 N.W.2d 899 (2003); Omaha Pub. Power Dist. v. Nebraska Dept. of Revenue, 248 Neb. 518, 537 N.W.2d 312 (1995).

. See, In re Estate of Fries, 279 Neb. 887, 782 N.W.2d 596 (2010); TracFone Wireless v. Nebraska Pub. Serv. Comm, 279 Neb. 426, 778 N.W.2d 452 (2010).

. Accord State v. Caniglia, 272 Neb. 662, 668, 724 N.W.2d 316, 320 (2006) (in probation revocation proceeding,  29-2268 does not authorize district court to order probation terminated as unsuccessful).

. Caniglia, supra note 24.

. Id. at 665, 724 N.W.2d at 318.

. See  29-2320.

. Caniglia, supra note 24, 272 Neb. at 667-68, 724 N.W.2d at 320.

. See  29-2320.

. Brief for appellee at 9.

. Caniglia, supra note 24.

. See, State v. McBride, 252 Neb. 866, 567 N.W.2d 136 (1997); State v. Bensing, 249 Neb. 900, 547 N.W.2d 464 (1996); State v. Campbell, 247 Neb. 517, 527 N.W.2d 868 (1995).

.  29-2267 and 29-2268.

. See, e.g., State v. Johnson, 287 Neb. 190, 842 N.W.2d 63 (2014); State v. Shambley, 281 Neb. 317, 795 N.W.2d 884 (2011).

. See  29-2267(1) and (2).

. See, e.g., Johnson, supra note 34; Shambley, supra note 34.

STACY, J.

KELCH, J., not participating in the decision. WRIGHT, J., not participating.
Progressives for Immigration Reform, the 'non-profit' that bought $80,000 worth of ads running to full houses on the Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART) stations and trains told Firstpost that the ad blitz that launched late last week in Silicon Valley is the result of 'more than a year of thinking about the effects of immigration and hearing from tech workers who could not find employment.'

Progressives for Immigration Reform (PFIR), the "non-profit" that bought $80,000 worth of ads running to full houses at Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART) stations and trains told Firstpost that the ad blitz that launched late last week in Silicon Valley is the result of "more than a year of thinking about the effects of immigration and hearing from US tech workers who could not find employment."

Asked about the lush budget, PFIR's Kevin Lynn shrugged it off - Yeah, thats about right, say $80,000 We get grants, donations..we've been around for 10 years, you see."

The timing of the ad campaign takes steel wool to an already open wound for the H1B worker in America.

"Do these guys know how hard it is to get an H1B visa", reads one reaction on Twitter.

Oh wow this is infuriating. Do these people even know... how hard... it is to get an H1B?! https://t.co/Cei9jCbwNo  Mariana Alfaro (@marianaa_alfaro) March 16, 2018

That sums up the angst on the receiving end quite accurately.

The H1B visa is already so highly regulated and the paperwork burden so high that Canada is fast becoming a huge draw. Those who remain in the US on an H1B can broadly be divided into two camps - those who are on a plain vanilla H1B and those who have applied for permanent residency. The second category keeps investing time in the hope that their PR status is cemented and with every passing year, the difficulty levels of a clean break rise for a variety of reasons including sunk cost on many of life's non-negotiables. For relatively newer H1B workers, the current political mood and backlash present a very different world than what it was even three years ago.

In the Bay Area, the BART ads are all over social groups. People are telling us the ads are "scary" and "unnerving".

For PFIR, the BART ads are just a baby step. What they are bulldozing towards for is a "political solution".

"We'll get US tech workers together, we'll organize and we need to have a political solution to this," said Lynn on his way to California - the location of PFIR's headline hunting. "We're going there to speak with US tech workers who have found us through the ad," said Lynn who confirmed that PFIR's choice of the Bay Area was a no-brainer. "Yeah, Silicon Valley, that's why we chose it," he said.

Southern Poverty Law Center traces links from the past showing Progressives for Immigration Reform's ties with a man called John Tanton - described as the racist architect of the modern anti-immigrant movement.

He (Tanton) created a network of organizations  the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) and NumbersUSA  that have profoundly shaped the immigration debate in the United States, says SPLC.

So far, Indian H1B workers are bound by a loosely defined creed that it might be better not to raise an alarm over PFIR's ads on social media and instead let the storm pass. Even if they stay mum, the message is still getting seeded without an equal counterpoint across millions of commuters everyday for a month. This also points to a communications battle that is being dominated by those with massive treasure chests and a unified agenda.

In other news, this is a big week for the H1B community in the US and visa aspirants from all over. The new H1B season begins April 2 - the day after Easter weekend in America on April 2 so last minute paperwork is in full swing across outsourcing giants offices while H1B workers already in the US on the Green Card waitlist are hoping for a breakthrough when a $1.3 trillion catchall spending bill comes up for a vote in the US Congress mid week. Heres a round-up of the headlines:

Immigration proposals still in dispute as shutdown looms

Indians in the US who have applied for permanent residency are keeping their fingers crossed for some key items on their bucket list to be ticked off in this massive spending bill - easing country caps on Green Cards and reducing the average wait time of 10-15 years per application for those on employment based quotas are right on top. On the other side, does this resonate loud enough? Will Bob Goodlatte or Kevin Yoder be able to deliver? Or is this the hill where these bills will die? The latest tally looks like this: DACA - Not such a hot button. Trump wants funding for his wall along Mexico, Democrats may be willing to accept funding but they are dead against Trumps other demands for changes in legal immigration - which is where H1B figures. Over the weekend, the White House on Sunday made an 11th-hour push for billions of dollars in border wall funding but came up against the Democratic stonewall on the fine print. All the headlines are about DACA (which is essentially about illegal arrivals) while legal immigrants are stunned by the uphill battle this represents for their public communication effors.

H1B filing season opens April 2

The H1B visa filing season for the fiscal year 2019 (starting 1 October, 2018) which allows US companies to hire foreign workers will open on 2 April, 2018, USCIS officials have confirmed. Indian companies have traditionally led the sweepstakes cornering the lions share of visas each year. With less than two weeks to the finish line, immigration lawyers have their work cut out in Trumps America which is doubling down on H1B related abuse. On the supply side, H1B hopefuls who are applying under the stipulated 'caps' know that skill, talent or the strength of their CV have no role at all, its just pure luck in a lottery that will decide whether they get chosen. In Hyderabad, India, all roads lead to the gates of the Balaji Visa temple.
Vladimir Putin won Russia's presidential election on Sunday, giving him a fourth term that will take him to nearly a quarter-century as the head of state or government

Paris: Vladimir Putin won Russia's presidential election on Sunday, giving him a fourth term that will take him to nearly a quarter-century as the head of state or government.

Here are some of the world leaders who have held power the longest  excluding monarchs enthroned for life.

More than four decades

Topping the list with 49 years in power is Cuba's revolutionary hero Fidel Castro, who handed over to his brother Raul in 2008 when he was in his early 80s.

Taiwan's first president Chiang Kai-shek was in charge on the island and in mainland China for a total of 47 years until his death in 1975.

North Korean founder Kim Il Sung ran the reclusive state for 46 years before dying in office in 1994. He is still revered as the "eternal leader".

Albania's communist dictator Enver Hoxha was in power for 40 years until his death in 1985.

Muammar Gaddafi ruled Libya with an iron fist for almost 42 years before being ousted and then slaughtered in 2011 by rebels.

Omar Bongo Ondimba governed oil-rich Gabon for more than 41 years until his death in 2009.

Still counting

Currently the world's longest serving president is Equatorial Guinea's Teodoro Obiang Nguema, with 38 years under his belt since he toppled his uncle in 1979.

Others that are still counting their years in power:

Cameroon's president Paul Biya: 35 years.

Congo president Denis Sassou: 34 years, excluding a five-year pause.

Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen: 33 years.

Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni: 32 years.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: 29 years.

Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir: 28 years.

Chad's president Idriss Deby: 27 years.

Kazakhstan's president Nursultan Nazarbayev: 28 years.

Tajikistan's president Emomali Rakhmon: 25 years.

Eritrea's president Isaias Afwerki: 24 years.
China appointed a whole new set of top officials, including a defence minister, to head a revamped government, days after Xi Jinping began his second five-year tenure

Beijing: China on Monday appointed a whole new set of top officials, including a defence minister, to head a revamped government, days after President Xi Jinping began his second five-year tenure following the removal of the two-term limit.

The new line-up approved by the rubber stamp parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC), includes four vice-premiers: Han Zheng, Sun Chunlan, Hu Chunhua and Liu He.

Their names were approved by nearly 3,000 deputies of the NPC after they were proposed by Premier Li Keqiang, who himself was re-appointed to the post under the new political setup headed by Xi.

Xi was re-elected last week for a second five-year term, days after the NPC ratified constitutional amendment, removing term limits for president and vice-president. His close confidant and former anti-corruption chief Wang Qishan has been elected as the vice-president.

Vice-Premier Liu He is expected to play a bigger role in the management of the Chinese economy, the world's second largest after the US.

While Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has been elevated as the State Councillor which makes him a top diplomat holding dual posts, another key appointment from India's point of view was that of the appointment of Lieutenant General Wei Fenghe as the new defence minister.

Wei is widely regarded as the man behind the international face of China's rapid military modernisation and its reorganisation.

He played a key role in splitting the strategic missile force into two parts of Rocket Force and the Strategic Support Force.

Chen Wenqing remains the security czar overseeing the internal security, including espionage and counterintelligence as well as counter terrorism specially in the volatile Xinjiang province.

Also, the Yi Gang, a reformist has been appointed as the new governor of its central bank, the People's Bank of China, marking the first change at its helm in 15 years.

He will replace Zhou Xiaochuan who has headed the central bank for more than 15 years during which China has transitioned to become world's second largest economy replacing Japan.

Yi was deputy to Zhou and was largely regarded as a reformist and head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange which oversees the country's over $3 trillion forex reserves, the highest in the world.

The new appointments came as China unveiled a massive reshuffle plan of various ministries to make the government better-structured, more efficient and service-oriented, affecting more than two dozen ministries and organisations.

The new revamped administration will have 26 ministries and commissions of the State Council which is the central Cabinet. The new entities included ministry of natural resources, veterans' affairs and emergency management.

The plan includes merger of the Ministry of Culture and National Tourism Administration into one.

The sweeping changes include the merger of China's banking and insurance regulators and the setting up of a special bureau to oversee immigration issues.
President Donald Trump is not considering firing the special counsel investigating Russian election interference, a top White House lawyer said after a cascade of Trump tweets revived chatter that the deeply frustrated president may be preparing to get rid of Robert Mueller

Washington: President Donald Trump is not considering firing the special counsel investigating Russian election interference, a top White House lawyer said after a cascade of Trump tweets revived chatter that the deeply frustrated president may be preparing to get rid of the veteran prosecutor.

The late-Sunday statement from White House lawyer Ty Cobb came after top congressional Republicans warned of repercussions if Trump fired special counsel Robert Mueller, who is looking into contacts between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia and Russian meddling in the presidential election.

In a series of weekend tweets, Trump jabbed directly at Mueller by name for the first time. The president challenged the investigation's existence and suggested political bias on the part of Mueller's investigators. Trump has long been frustrated by the lengthy and intensifying probe and insists his campaign did not collude with Russia to influence the election in his favour.

"The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime," he said in a late Saturday tweet he ended with "WITCH HUNT!" Likely contributing to Trump's sense of frustration, The New York Times reported last week that Mueller had subpoenaed the Trump Organization for Russia-related documents. Trump had said Mueller would cross a red line with such a step.

"Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans?" he tweeted Sunday.

Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added...does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2018

Some of Mueller's investigators indeed have contributed to Democratic political candidates, but Justice Department policy and federal service law bar discrimination in the hiring of career positions on the basis of political affiliation. Mueller is a Republican.

The tweets revived talk that Trump may, in an attempt to end the investigation, move to have Mueller fired. Cobb sought to tamp down the speculation.

"In response to media speculation and related questions being posed to the Administration, the White House yet again confirms that the president is not considering or discussing the firing of the Special Counsel, Robert Mueller," he said.

Earlier Sunday, members of Congress, including some top Republicans, warned Trump to not even think about terminating Mueller.

"If he tried to do that, that would be the beginning of the end of his presidency," said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican- South Carolina, a Trump ally.
US President Donald Trump will present, on Monday, his plan to combat an opioid abuse epidemic, which will include seeking the death penalty for drug traffickers.

Washington: US President Donald Trump will present, on Monday, his plan to combat an opioid abuse epidemic, which will include seeking the death penalty for drug traffickers.

The Department of Justice "will seek the death penalty against drug traffickers, where appropriate under current law," a White House official indicated on Sunday whilst outlining the plan's main points.

The official did not offer greater detail on how the death penalty could be invoked against drug dealers without amending statutes.

Trump is due to unveil his plan in a speech in Manchester, New Hampshire, a state hard hit by the crisis.

An estimated 2.4 million Americans are addicted to opiates, the narcotics that include prescription painkillers, as well as heroin.

Nationwide, emergency room visits for overdoses from drugs like heroin, fentanyl and prescription painkillers were up 30 percent from 2016 to 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said earlier this month.

The report found that from July 2016 to September 2017, a total of 142,557 emergency room visits were due to suspected opioid overdoses.

Trump has previously mooted the "ultimate" punishment for drug dealers, and is said to have spoken in glowing terms about the policies of deeply controversial Filipino leader Rodrigo Duterte, who has ordered extra-judicial killings of traffickers.

"If you shoot one person, they give you life, they give you the death penalty. These people [who sell drugs] can kill 2,000, 3,000 people and nothing happens to them," he said.

Many opposition Democrats oppose the idea of executing drug dealers, and changing the law would require an act of Congress. "We will not incarcerate or execute our way out of the opioid epidemic," said Democratic senator Ed Markey last week.

"Extreme proposals like using the death penalty only perpetuate a harmful stigma associated with opioid use disorders and divert attention from meaningful conversations and progress on expanding access to treatment, recovery, and other public health initiatives," he said.
Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Monday stayed a high court order that granted bail to former prime minister Khaleda Zia in a corruption case

Dhaka: Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Monday stayed a high court order that granted bail to former prime minister Khaleda Zia in a corruption case, according to a media report.

Zia, 72, was sentenced to five years in jail on 8 February in connection with the embezzlement of 21 million taka (about $2,50,000) in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust, named after her late husband Ziaur Rahman, a military ruler-turned-politician.

On 12 March, the High Court here granted the chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) a four-month interim bail.

However on Monday, a full bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order to stay until 8 May the high court order which granted bail to Zia in the graft case.

Following Monday's Supreme Court order, Zia cannot get released from jail till 8 May, Anti-Corruption Commission's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan was quoted as saying by the report.

Earlier on 15 March, the ACC and the state filed two leave-to-appeal petitions before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, challenging the BNP chief's bail.
Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday pulled out of a public speech and question-and-answer session in Sydney because she was 'not feeling well', the event's organisers said

Sydney: Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday pulled out of a public speech and question-and-answer session in Sydney because she was "not feeling well", the event's organisers said.

Suu Kyi has been under fire internationally for her public silence about a military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state that has seen nearly 7,00,000 of the Muslim Rohingya minority flee to Bangladesh.

Suu Kyi, who attended an special ASEAN-Australia summit on Friday-Sunday, was in Canberra for talks with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull Monday. She had been due to make a keynote speech at the Lowy Institute think-tank in Sydney on Tuesday.

The speech and subsequent Q and A session would have been the only public comments the Nobel Prize winner would have made during her Australia trip.

"This afternoon the Lowy Institute was informed by the Myanmar embassy that the State Counsellor will no longer be able to participate in this event as she is not feeling well," a spokeswoman for the think-tank said in a statement.

"Accordingly, the event is now cancelled."

The Rohingya humanitarian crisis was one of the key topics at the special summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia, with other leaders quizzing her about the issue during a gathering on Sunday, Turnbull said.

Malaysia's leader Najib Razak had warned Saturday that the issue could threaten regional security since those victimised could fall prey to extremist groups like the Islamic State.

The exodus has sparked rare tension within the regional body, and Muslim-majority Malaysia has called for an independent ASEAN-led investigation into allegations of army abuse.

Suu Kyi was the subject of public protests against human rights abuses during the summit, with demonstrators criticising her as well as Cambodian strongman Hun Sen and Vietnam's Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
Depending on who is found to be at fault, the accident could have far-reaching consequences for the development of self-driving vehicles, which have been billed as potentially safer than cars with humans at the wheel.

A self-driving Uber SUV struck and killed a pedestrian in suburban Phoenix in the first death involving a fully autonomous test vehicle, prompting the ride-hailing company Monday to suspend all road-testing of such autos in the U.S. and Canada.

Depending on who is found to be at fault, the accident could have far-reaching consequences for the development of self-driving vehicles, which have been billed as potentially safer than cars with humans at the wheel.

The Volvo was in self-driving mode with a human back-up operator behind the wheel when a woman walking a bicycle outside a crosswalk in Tempe on Sunday night was hit, police said. Elaine Herzberg, 49, died at a hospital.

Uber suspended its self-driving vehicle testing in the Phoenix area, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Toronto. The testing has been going on for months as automakers and technology companies compete to be the first with cars that operate on their own.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi expressed condolences on his Twitter account and said the company is working with local law enforcement on the investigation.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said they are sending teams to investigate.

The crash could be a setback for autonomous vehicle research and lead to stricter regulations from states and the federal government, said Bryant Walker Smith, a University of South Carolina professor who studies the technology.

But Smith said more than 100 people die each day on U.S. roads in crashes of human-driven vehicles.

"That's a real contrast that we should keep in mind about this," he said. "We should be concerned about automated driving. We should be terrified about human driving."

The federal government has voluntary guidelines for companies that want to test autonomous vehicles, leaving much of the regulation up to states.

Many states, including Michigan and Arizona, have taken a largely hands-off approach, hoping to gain jobs from the new technology, while California and other states have taken a harder line.

California is among states that require manufacturers to report any incidents during the autonomous vehicle testing phase. As of early March, the state's motor vehicle agency had received 59 such reports.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey used light regulations to entice Uber to the state after the company had a shaky rollout of test cars in San Francisco. Arizona has no reporting requirements.

Hundreds of vehicles with automated driving systems have been on Arizona roads.

Ducey's office expressed sympathy for Herzberg's family, and spokesman Patrick Ptak said: "Public safety is our top priority."

The crash in Arizona isn't the first involving an Uber autonomous test vehicle. In March 2017, an Uber SUV flipped onto its side, also in Tempe. No serious injuries were reported, and the driver of the other car was cited for a violation.

Herzberg's death is the first involving an autonomous test vehicle but not the first in a car with automated control features. The driver of a Tesla Model S was killed in 2016 when his car crashed into a tractor-trailer in Florida.

The NTSB said driver inattention was to blame, not the vehicle's autopilot system. The agency said automakers should have safeguards that keep drivers engaged.

The U.S. Transportation Department is considering further voluntary guidelines that it says would help foster innovation. Proposals also are pending in Congress, including one that would stop states from regulating autonomous vehicles, Smith said.

Peter Kurdock, director of regulatory affairs for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety in Washington, called the Arizona crash tragic.

The group sent a letter Monday to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao saying it is concerned about a lack of action and oversight by the department as autonomous vehicles are developed. That letter was planned before the crash.

Kurdock said the deadly accident should serve as a "startling reminder" to members of Congress that they need to "think through all the issues to put together the best bill they can to hopefully prevent more of these tragedies from occurring."
Shinzo Abe hit back at critics over a favouritism and cover-up scandal that has seen his popularity plunge and loosened his iron grip on power.

Tokyo: Japan's embattled prime minister hit back on Monday at critics over a favouritism and cover-up scandal that has seen his popularity plunge and loosened his iron grip on power.

In a hotly awaited statement in parliament, Shinzo Abe stressed he had not ordered bureaucrats to alter documents relating to a controversial land sale as he comes under mounting pressure over the scandal. "I have never ordered changes," he said.

The scandal surrounds the 2016 sale of state-owned land to a nationalist operator of schools who claims ties to Abe and his wife Akie. The sale was clinched at a price well below market value amid allegations that the high-level connections helped grease the deal.

The affair first emerged in early 2017, but resurfaced after the revelation that official documents related to the sale had been changed. Versions of the original and doctored documents made public by opposition lawmakers appeared to show passing references to Abe were scrubbed, along with several references to his wife Akie and Finance Minister Taro Aso.

Aso has blamed the alterations on "some staff members" at the ministry.

The prime minister repeated an apology saying he "keenly felt" his responsibility over the scandal that has "shaken people's confidence in government administration."

The affair is hitting Abe's ratings hard, with a new poll in the Asahi Shimbun showing public support nosediving by 13 percentage points from the previous month to 31 percent. Another survey suggested that for the first time since before a general election in October, more people disapproved of the cabinet's performance than approved.

The scandal is harming Abe's hopes of winning re-election as head of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in September, which would make him Japan's longest-serving prime minister.

Abe insisted that, even before the alterations, the documents showed that his hands were clean. "If you look at the documents before the alterations, it is clear there is no evidence that I or my wife was involved in the sale of the national land or approval of the school, and that neither I nor my wife was involved."
Syria's president Bashar al-Assad on Sunday paid a first visit in years to battered Eastern Ghouta to congratulate his troops for a gruelling assault to oust rebels from near Damascus

Damascus: Syria's president Bashar al-Assad on Sunday paid a first visit in years to battered Eastern Ghouta to congratulate his troops for a gruelling assault to oust rebels from near Damascus.

Syrian state television broadcast photos of the president dressed in a shirt and jacket surrounded by soldiers, some perched on a tank behind him, in an unspecified part of Eastern Ghouta.

Rebels have held out in Eastern Ghouta since 2012, but a regime assault in the last month has retaken more than 80 percent of the former opposition bastion.

"The inhabitants of Damascus are more than grateful and they will maybe tell their children in the coming decades how you saved the capital," Assad told soldiers in a video released by his office.

The ferocious air and ground campaign against Eastern Ghouta has killed over 1,400 civilians since it was launched on 18 February, a Britain-based monitor says, and sparked international outrage.

In that time some 50 civilians, including 10 children, have been killed by rebel shelling of Damascus, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Pakistan's generals, particularly General Qamar Javed Bajwa, think their country has done more than enough to secure neighbouring Afghanistan and is not intimidated by the threat of US funding cuts, according to an analysis entitled The Bajwa Doctrine, published by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a leading British think-tank. In the document, Pakistan's generals spell out their vision for the future of US-Pakistan military relations under the administration of President Donald Trump.

Pakistan's generals, particularly General Qamar Javed Bajwa, think their country has done more than enough to secure neighbouring Afghanistan and is not intimidated by the threat of US funding cuts, according to an analysis entitled 'The Bajwa Doctrine', published by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a leading British think-tank. In the document, Pakistan's generals spell out their vision for the future of US-Pakistan military relations under the administration of President Donald Trump.

According to a report in the New York Times, a little more than a year after Bajwa took command, he has left no doubt as to who is in charge with there already being talk of the "Bajwa Doctrine" in which the army chief's vision is being reflected in Pakistans approach to foreign and domestic policies. According to a report in GeoTV, the document, which was published on Thursday, said Pakistan appears far more confident than it was when the George W Bush administration threatened the then-president, General (retd) Pervez Musharraf that they would bomb Pakistan "back to the stone age" if it didnt comply with American demands.

The RUSI report said the United States has been making the same threats since but gone are the days of timidity and scurrying to please the Americans and that the Bajwa Doctrine suggests the Pakistan Army should not 'do more', but rather the world must do more, according to the GeoTV report.

Dr Javid Iqbal, penning an editorial for Greater Kashmir, wrote: "The establishment in Pakistan has ruled out the strategic shift US wants the Pakistan to make, as it is widely taken to be against Pakistans strategic interests. Repeated call of Do more by US has been squarely answered with No more. It is already being called the Bajwa Doctrine implying army chief being adamant that any inclination to do more will mean moving Afghan war into Pakistani territory."

Dr Huma Baqai, writing for the Pakistani Observer, stated "The thrust of the doctrine is that the effort Pakistan military has put in since 2001 to counter terrorism on its soil and in the region must be both appreciated and recognised. The repute of Pakistan is not at stake anymore, it has changed for the better and Pakistan military has worked very hard and given a lot of sacrifice to make it happen and in 2018, America needs Pakistan and not the other way round."

"Post 9/11, Pakistan helped the US more than any of its NATO allies. The reward unfortunately is public humiliation now and then. President Trumps tweak was the proverbial straw that broke the camels back. The new thinking in Pakistan is, its time to change the equation. The message from Pakistan is loud and clear. The army has restored Pakistans stability. Afghanistans stability is the responsibility of Afghan government and US forces," she added.

Suhail Warraich, writing for The News, stated: "Believing in the importance of the Constitution, the doctrine wants to ensure the proper respect of all the institutions of the State. The years of collective experience of the military have proved that the supremacy of law is a major deterrent against terrorism. It is a considered view of the command that the capacity of civilian institutions like Police, Civil Services and civil intelligence agencies needs to be enhanced for strengthening the country."

"The Bajwa Doctrine seeks total peace on western borders and wants to make Iran and Afghanistan as its allies. Gen Bajwa has tried to rekindle the deep friendship with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the USA who were unhappy with the Nawaz government for different reasons," he added.

According to an editorial in the Daily Times: "Where the RUSI report does get it right is that under the so-called Bajwa Doctrine, Pakistan has to a large extent reclaimed the terror narrative. Both the civilians and the men in khaki have (rightly) said that the time for us to do more to fight enemy combatants is over; it is the world that should now assume this responsibility."

However, the editorial added that the one thing which stood out from the RUSI report is that international experts still have not quite got to grips with understanding Pakistan and that just as the US had not changed its post 9/11 policy, neither had Pakistan.

'Stop blaming Islamabad for US failure in Afghanistan'

In February, Bajwa claimed that there are no safe havens for terrorists in his country and asked the US to stop blaming Islamabad for its failure in Afghanistan. Bajwa asked the American leadership to instead search for the reasons for its failures in the war-torn country.

In January, Bajwa said Pakistan would not seek the resumption of suspended US military aid and it felt "betrayed" by critical statements made by American leadership against Islamabad's fight against terrorism. President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of providing safe havens for terror groups like the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network fighting in war-torn Afghanistan.

On 1 January, Trump tweeted that the US had "foolishly" given Pakistan more than $33 billion in aid in the last 15 years and had gotten nothing in return but "lies & deceit." Washington has confirmed that it will withhold nearly $two billion in aid to Pakistan.

With inputs from PTI
The capture of Afrin from the Kurds by Turkish-led fighters on Sunday could have major repercussions for Syria's protracted war

Beirut: The capture of Afrin from the Kurds by Turkish-led fighters on Sunday could have major repercussions for Syria's protracted war.

Here we look at what it means for Turkey, the Syrian regime and the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia who were in control of the city.

What has Erdogan won?

Forces led by Turkey launched an offensive on 20 January to retake the enclave of Afrin from the YPG, which Ankara considers to be a "terrorist" offshoot of its own outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The capture of the key city was a major win for Ankara and consolidates its control along its border in northern Syria, where it already supported a wide variety of armed groups.

"The Turks are victorious, they were always going to be victorious," Aaron Stein, from the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center, said.

"They have lopped off another piece of Syrian territory and will have incorporated it into Turkey governing structures."

Syria's seven-year war has killed more than 3,50,000 people and displaced more than half the country's population either inside Syria or abroad  including more than three million to Turkey.

The territorial gains could see Ankara "move refugee populations based inside Turkey back into Turkish-controlled areas", Stein said.

Nicholas Heras, a security fellow at the Center for a New American Security said taking Afrin was a success for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who shrugged off international concern to press on with the operation.

"Afrin is one of the most strategic areas of northwest Syria. It is a piece of real estate that anchors Turkey's presence for many years to come," Heras said.

This victory may not be the end.

Erdogan has repeatedly said that after taking Afrin, Turkey's offensive would expand to key border towns controlled by the YPG right up to the Iraqi frontier.



How disastrous for Kurds?

The loss of Afrin is a major setback for Syria's Kurds who have largely stayed out of the country's seven-year conflict as they focused on building an autonomous region after years of marginalisation.

Before the Turkish assault, the Kurdish-controlled region  known as Rojava  ran across large swathes of Kurdish-majority parts of north and northeast Syria.

Now the community has lost control of one of the three "cantons" it ran and their dreams of self-determination look increasingly fragile.

It is "a big blow for the Kurdish self-rule project", Kurdish affairs expert Mutlu Civiroglu said.

"Now the other Kurdish regions are under risk."

The Kurd's struggle against Turkey has also had another major impact  diverting them from the US-backed fight to wipe out the remaining pockets of the Islamic State group in Syria.

The Kurds have been the mainstay of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance that has battled against jihadist with the support of a US-led coalition.

Earlier this month the SDF said 1,700 of its fighters had been redeployed to fight the Turkish-led onslaught against Afrin.

Fresh trouble for Assad?

While the Kurds and the Turks have been the main protagonists in the tussle for Afrin, its loss will also dent Syria's President Bashar al-Assad.

The Syrian regime fiercely opposed the Turkish incursion and gave the green light for pro-government fighters to head to the front line to try to turn back the advance.

Ankara's gain comes just as Assad and his Russian-backed forces are in the ascendancy elsewhere in the country  reasserting their authority on other areas beyond their control.

Now the Turkish seizure of Afrin appears to place a key strategic region which the regime was hoping to regain firmly out of its grasp.

"Every metre of Syria that Turkish troops and their Syrian rebel proxies march on is now placed well beyond the reach of Damascus," analyst Heras said.

And despite the close ties between Assad and Moscow, Heras said Turkey's consolidation of territory in Syria was done "with the blessing of Russia"
Vladimir Putin cruised to victory in Russia's presidential election on Sunday, giving him at least another six years in power as Moscow's relations with the West become increasingly strained

Vladimir Putin cruised to victory in Russia's presidential election on Sunday, giving him at least another six years in power as Moscow's relations with the West become increasingly strained.

Putins victory will take his political dominance of Russia to nearly a quarter of a century until 2024, the longest rule since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, by which time Putin will be 71. He has promised to use his new term to beef up Russias defences against the West and to raise living standards.

In an outcome that was never in doubt, the Central Election Commission, with nearly 100 percent of the votes counted, announced that Putin, who has run Russia as president or prime minister since 1999, had won 76.66 percent of the vote.

Most world leaders, however, did not rush to congratulate the Russian president. The following are the ones who did:

Narendra Modi, Indian prime minister

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up Putin to congratulated him on his reelection.

"Conveying his compliments on Putin's success, the prime minister expressed the hope that under Putin's leadership, the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and the Russian Federation will continue to grow from strength to strength," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

"The Prime Minister also stated that he looked forward to welcoming President Putin in India for the annual summit later this year," it added.

Xi Jinping, Chinese president

Chinese president Xi Jinping, congratulated his Russian counterpart on the re-election, saying Beijing was willing to work with Moscow to bring ties to a "higher level".

"Currently, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership is at the best level in history, which sets an example for building a new type of international relations," Xi said in a congratulatory message to Putin.

Aleksandar Vucic, Serbian president

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was one of the first heads of State to congratulate Putin on election results.

"Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on your re-election as Russian president and best wishes to further steer your country along the clearly defined path of progress for the benefit of all its citizens. I am confident that with you outstanding talent of a leader with a clear understanding and inflexible will, responsibility and commitment to your cause, you will continue to achieve success in solving all issues important for Russia and in implementing plans for its further comprehensive development," the statement said.

Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela president

Pointing out the close ties between Caracas and Moscow, the official statement from Nicolas Maduro said, "On behalf of the Venezuelan people, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro congratulates Russian president Vladimir Putin on being re-elected president for the period of 2018-2024."

Raul Castro, Cuban president

Cuban leader Raul Castro congratulated Putin on winning the presidential election, Cubas ambassador to Russia Gerardo Penalver Portal said. "Raul Castro has conveyed his warm congratulations to Russias president-elect Vladimir Putin on his convincing election win on Sunday," the ambassador wrote on Twitter.

Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijans president

"I heartily congratulate you on a convincing victory in the Russian presidential election. This victory demonstrates your high political authority and active support for your policy aimed at ensuring stability, legitimacy and the rule of law in the country, carrying out large-scale reforms, implementing long-term social programs contributing to enhancing the well-being of citizens," a telegram published on Ilham Aliyevs official website said.

Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan president

"Nursultan Nazarbayev and Vladimir Putin have held a telephone conversation," Kazakhstan's official press service said. "The president of Kazakhstan congratulated Vladimir Putin on winning the Russian presidential election," it added.

"Under your effective guidance, Russia has been firmly pursuing the path of large-scale political and economic reforms aimed at improving peoples social conditions and ensuring the countrys active role in resolving pressing global and economic issues," Nazarbayev said in his message.

With inputs from Russian news agency TASS and other agencies
Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Monday, congratulated Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on his re-election, saying Beijing was willing to work with Moscow to bring ties to a 'higher level'

Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Monday, congratulated Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on his re-election, saying Beijing was willing to work with Moscow to bring ties to a "higher level".

Putin won in a landslide on Sunday, one day after China's parliament unanimously re-appointed Xi to a second term.

Xi has drawn comparison with Putin as the Chinese leader has consolidated power and gained a path to indefinite rule after the rubber-stamp National People's Congress lifted presidential term limits last week.

"Currently, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership is at the best level in history, which sets an example for building a new type of international relations," Xi said in a congratulatory message to Putin, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

"China is willing to work with Russia to keep promoting China-Russia relations to a higher level, provide driving force for respective national development in both countries, and promote regional and global peace and tranquility," Xi said.
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A Bradley County K9 was shot by burglary suspects in Cleveland, Tn., on Wednesday morning. It happened at the Toyota of Cleveland car dealership at 3560 Village North Boulevard. Cleveland Police said, "There is heavy police presence at exit 20. "Cleveland Police Department and the Bradley County Sheriff's Office are working together on investigation. "Please keep K9 ... (click for more)

The Hamilton County Health Department reported five more coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, all male, four black and one white, one between the ages of 51-60, one between the ages of 61-70, one between the ages of 71-80 and two over the age of 81. There have been 183 new positive cases on Tuesday. The total cases in the county now stands at 60,404. The death total is at 608. The ... (click for more)
Update 2  July 2018: Xiaomi has added couple of new cards including Check train PNR and Trending apps to MIUI App Vault. Xiaomi has partnered with Ixigo for Check train PNR service which can be used to check PNR status without leaving the home screen. Users need to enter their 10 digit PNR number for their upcoming train journey to see all the details. The card also shows recently checked PNR numbers which is really helpful as users dont need to enter PNR number each time they check PNR status for the same journey.

Apart from new cards, users can now fold-unfold empty cards so that they can see more information on the screen. Users can click on Tap to view details to unfold a card and click again to fold a card but only Notes, Calendar, Cricket and Stocks cards are supported as of now. MIUI team might extend this functionality to more cards in future.

Earlier: Last month, Xiaomi added a Stocks card to MIUI App Vault and also listed it on the Play Store. Now, Xiaomi has added another card which shows Todays `Deal on app vault from shopplus, clicking on any deal it redirects to Shopclues.com. Unreleased tag is now gone on the Play Store.

Also, MIUI users now have an option to turn off the App Vault, option for the same can be found under Settings -> Home screen & Recents. The feature to turn off App Vault is only available on MIUI Global Beta ROM as of now.

Earlier: Xiaomis MIUI is amongst the most popular Android skins with more than 300 million worldwide users. MIUI is a heavy skin on top of Android, but what sets it apart from other Android skins is its feature richness and customizations. MIUI focuses towards providing a rich user experience and to fulfill this, MIUI is loaded with many system apps like Calculator, Recorder, Mi Explorer, Mi Drop, App Vault, Mi Video, Yellow pages and many more. Xiaomi never bothered to list these apps to Play Store and kept it exclusive to MIUI users but after the launch of companys maiden Android One device Mi A1 last year, Xiaomi slowly started listing in-house MIUI apps on Play Store.

Company listed its feature-packed Calculator, Mi Drop, Mi Explorer apps on play store last year, and last week Xiaomi listed its smart assistant called App Vault on Play Store. The app is listed as a unreleased app, and currently its not compatible with Non MIUI devices.

After listing the app on Play Store, Xiaomi has rolled out an update for the app which adds one more card to the App Vault. The latest addition to the smart cards is a new Stocks card which provides stock prices in real time on the screen, Xiaomi has partnered with Webull to provide the real time data for the cards.

Users can manually add companies in which they are interested using the Add icon in front of My Companies, Users can also choose the display settings as per their preferences, Color Scheme option lets user choose Up, Down color amongst Green, Red and Red, Green schemes, Stocks display option gives an option to highlight Stock name or Stock Code.

This could be seen as an outcome of MIUI Partnership Day which was held in India during Nov 2017 with a vision to work closely with developers in the country to further build MIUI Global App Ecosystem and localize the MIUI user experience. As of now, App Vault offers very few cards as compare to MIUI China ROM as MIUI China team works closely with partner developers to provide various features such as scanner, tap plus, and more.

Source
Sen. Cory Booker didnt want to discuss Hillary Clintons recent controversial comments during an appearance on ABC News The View on Monday, telling the panel that hes focused on the future while reminding viewers that Democrats lost the election.

The elections over and is past, Booker said when pressed on Clintons comments that she won forward thinking portions of the country. The reality is we have to in this coming 18 election -- forget 2020 -- focus on right now, we have to see each other for the truth of who we are.

Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, attempted to filibuster about his feeling that President Trump is dividing the nation, but The View co-host Meghan McCain chimed in, saying, Hillary makes me feel that way as well. Do you think this messaging from her is hurting your party right now?

Booker said that Clinton lost the electoral vote and shes not the president of the United States, and therefore he is focused on the future.

We, right now, are in a state of crisis, Booker said. We need to get back to a country that understands were not each others enemies.

During a recent trip to India, Clinton told attendees at a conference in Mumbai that Americans did not "deserve" a Trump presidency, said she won the states "that are optimistic, diverse, dynamic, moving forward," and that Trump's campaign was "looking backwards."

Clinton summed up Trump's message as "you know, you didn't like black people getting rights, you don't like women, you know, getting jobs. You don't want, you know, to see that Indian American succeeding more than you are."

Clinton has also stood by comments implying that white women who voted for Trump were subject to "a sort of ongoing pressure to vote the way that your husband, your boss, your son, whoever, believes you should."

She attempted to explain her comments about American voters and the 2016 election in a lengthy Facebook post Saturday that claimed she "meant no disrespect to any individual or group."

Clinton's original comments drew backlash from Democrats, among them Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, who told "Fox News Sunday" that the former secretary of state's remarks were "not helpful."

It appears Booker agrees with Durbin when it comes to Clintons comments about voters.

Fox News Samuel Chamberlain contributed to this report.
Pressure is mounting for "The Crown" star Matt Smith to donate part of his earnings from the Netflix series to the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund, after it was revealed his female co-star and leading lady, Claire Foy, was paid less than him.

Producers of the period drama revealed the pay disparity at a panel during the INTV Conference in Jerusalem last week. Foy stars as Queen Elizabeth II and she took home a Golden Globe for her performance. She also has more screen time than Smith, who plays her husband Prince Philip.

The producers explained at the panel that Smith, who starred in the hit series "Doctor Who," was simply a bigger star than Foy at the time they cast the show.

The Care2 petition called upon Smith and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings to "show that they stand with women and do the right thing."

Mark Wahlberg recently donated his $1.5 million paycheck to the Times Up fund, after it was revealed he was paid 1,000 times more than his female co-star, Michelle Williams, for movie reshoots.

Over the last few days my reshoot fee for All the Money in the World has become an important topic of conversation, Wahlberg tweeted on Jan. 13. I 100% support the fight for fair pay and Im donating the $1.5M to the Times Up Legal Defense Fund in Michelle Williams name.

Williams, who also had to reshoot her scenes, was reportedly paid $80 per day for her work, totaling less than $1,000 total.

William Morris Endeavor (WME), the agency that reportedly negotiated the $1.5 million for Wahlberg and also represents Williams, said in a statement it will donate $500,000 to the Times Up fund.

Fox News' Nicole Darrah contributed to this report.
Controversial comedian Hannibal Buress, who is best known for his persistent routines about the sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby, had his mic cut off minutes into his set at a Catholic university.

According to attendees, Buress began his set by revealing a set of guidelines Loyola University Chicago had sent him prior to his show at the school's Colossus event.

In the email from the school, Buress stated, he was asked to refrain from "content about rape, sexual assault, race, sexual orientation/gender...illegal drugs or the use of."

So when Buress made a joke about the Catholic Church's history of child molestation, his mic was shut off, according to attendees on Twitter.

"Bitch a-- old people, I can project," Buress said referrencing the school's letter which he projected onto a screen onstage. "Y'all f--k kids, right," Buress said before the mic cut out.

The crowd reportedly booed but then quieted, so Buress could be heard without a mic. However, the program organizers then turned the background music up very loud so he could not be heard and Buress walked off the stage.

Loyola's Department of Programming (DOP) assistant director told the school's paper The Phoenix, "DOP students did not make any day-of decisions for Hannibal Buress' show. Student Development Administrators made the decisions."

One of the students in attendance tweeted that Buress returned to the stage 15 minutes later and was greeted with a standing ovation.

Buress made several references to the debacle during the rest of his set.

"There were content restrictions that were put with this gig," Buress said. "Which I agreed to, but today I was like, 'No, f--k that.'"

He added, "Imagine that, a grown out of touch person trying to police what goes into your ears and brain."

In October 2014, Buress memorably called Cosby a rapist during a Philadelphia stand-up performance. It was captured on video and posted online, gaining wide exposure and renewing scrutiny of decades-old allegations of sexual assault lodged by a number of women.

In a January 2016 panel discussion, Buress called it a weird surprise that his Bill Cosby "rapist" joke precipitated the star's fall from grace.

"I was doing a joke in my show and that shouldn't influence public opinion. I don't know if it should go that far," Buress said. "It's weird to me that a joke did that."

He added, "That's just one joke that ... people took and really ran with it."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Actor Jim Carrey drew new backlash Monday after posting artwork in which President Trump is depicted as the Wicked Witch of the West  just days after he sparked similar outrage with a "portrait" of White House press secretary Sarah Sanders.

"If you liked my last cartoon you may also enjoy... 'THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST WING AND PUTIN'S FLYING MONKEYS," Carrey tweeted, in reference to the evil antagonist from "The Wizard of Oz."

The actor's artwork follows a picture he tweeted an image of on Saturday, which he stated was a "portrait of a so-called Christian whose only purpose in life is to lie for the wicked. Monstrous!"

Carrey didn't identify who was in the picture, and his spokesperson wouldn't confirm to The Associated Press that it was Sanders, but many Twitter users seemed to know who it was.

The press secretary's father, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, wrote that Carrey is a "Pathetic BULLY, sexist, hater, bigot & 'Christaphobe" who "attacks @PressSec for her faith; what would be hypocritical Hollywood reaction if he called someone a 'so-called Muslim' or 'so-called Jew?' #classlessCarrey."

Twitter user Michael Gatz tweeted: "What a disgraceful thing to do," while user Delaine Gordon wrote that Carrey's portrait of Sanders "is just one more example of Hollyweird empowers women!"

Carrey often posts anti-Trump and other politically-motivated artwork to Twitter.

On the day of Trump's first State of the Union in January, Carrey posted an image of what appeared to be a cartoon-like Trump with the caption: "...and the blind shall see and the lame shall walk and the cheats shall inherit the earth!"
Former "Sex and the City" star Cynthia Nixon announced Monday she's throwing her hat in the ring for New York governor, taking on the powerful Democrat Andrew Cuomo.

It sets up an intriguing September Democratic primary race pitting an actor and liberal activist against a two-term incumbent with a $30 million war chest and possible presidential ambitions.

"We want our government to work again. On health care, ending massive incarceration, fixing our broken subway," Nixon said in a video announcing her candidacy. "We are sick of politicians who care more about headlines and power than they do about us."

Nixon had hinted at a run for months.

Her campaign website said Nixon would not accept any corporate contributions and would limit contributions from any individual or organization to $65,100 for the election cycle.

A Siena College poll released Monday showed Cuomo leading her by 66 percent to 19 percent among registered Democrats, and by a similar margin among self-identified liberals. Nixon did a little better among younger and upstate Democrats, but didn't have more than a quarter of either group.

The poll of 772 registered voters was conducted March 11-16. The margin of error is plus-minus 4 percentage points.

Nixon has in recent months given speeches and interviews calling on Democrats nationally to run "bluer" in 2018 and carve out a strong, progressive liberal identity rather than being merely "the anti-Trump party."

"It could be a fight for the soul of the Democratic Party in some sense," Baruch College political scientist Douglas Muzzio told The Associated Press.

Nixon, a 51-year-old Manhattan mother of three, is a longtime advocate for fairness in public school funding and fervent supporter of Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has frequently clashed with Cuomo on a range of issues. Her video showed her with her young son Max as she talks about being a proud public school parent.

A Cuomo campaign spokesman said the 60-year-old governor "has delivered more real progressive wins than any other Democrat in the country," including legalizing gay marriage, tightening gun restrictions, raising the minimum wage, expanding public education funding and banning fracking.



Cuomo recently mocked the celebrity status the Grammy, Emmy and Tony winner could bring to the race.

"Normally name recognition is relevant when it has some connection to the endeavor," he told reporters earlier this month. "If it was just about name recognition, then I'm hoping that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and Billy Joel don't get into the race."

While Nixon has strong political connections and name recognition in the city that was the backdrop for her Emmy Award-winning role as lawyer Miranda Hobbes in the HBO comedy "Sex and the City," her star power among upstate voters is less certain.

"Over and over in our research, Democratic primary voters say they're not looking for an outsider because they look to Washington, D.C., and see what the outsider has meant to this country," Jefrey Pollock, pollster and political adviser to Cuomo and other prominent Democrats, reacted.

Nixon won't be the only celebrity candidate on the New York ballot. Former "Law and Order: SVU" actress Diane Neal is running for Congress as an independent in a Hudson Valley district.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
In a press conference with their attorney Lisa Bloom, two women detailed sexual abuse allegations against actor Steven Seagal, with one saying he raped her when she was in her late teens and the other claiming the famed actor sexually assaulted her when she was 17.

The women, who have both previously spoken out about their claims, went into detail during a Monday press conference facilitated by Bloom.

Regina Simons claimed Seagal raped her 25 years ago at his home.

He closed the door and approached me from behind; he started kissing my neck and taking off my clothes. I was in shock, she said. I was completely caught off guard. Seagal was more than twice my size and twice my age. I was not sexually active nor had I ever been naked in front of a man before. I froze I remember him taking off his robe and the next thing I knew he was inside of me.

Faviola Dadis said she was 17 when she met Seagal in 2002. She claims their meeting took place at a hotel.

Steven approached me and said he would like to act out a romantic scene ... I felt uncomfortable because I was in my bikini and I expressed this ... Steven slipped his hand under my bikini top and simultaneously slid his hand over my vaginal area I quickly yelled that this audition is over, and I began gathering my things. Steven sat there calmly as if nothing had happened while I was noticeably upset and terrified by the experience. Steven's security guard stood blocking the doorway and only moved when Steven motioned to him.

Seagal's attorney did not immediately return Fox News' request for comment.

Seagal has previously been accused in a story by The Wrap of sexual assault by Jenny McCarthy, a claim he denied, and by another woman, former Bond girl Rachel Grant. He too denied her claim.

Our client denies having such contact with Ms. Grant and further vehemently denies any alleged assault at all, in particular, the alleged assault occurring in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 2002.
A Burger King in Massachusetts has removed a sign about overdosing after receiving backlash for displaying it.

The sign, which hung behind the counter of the Worcester location and was seemingly aimed at customers, read: You are ONLY allowed ONE overdose and then you are banned from this establishment.

TACO BELL IN CALIFORNIA TRASHED AFTER DRIVER PLOWS THROUGH RESTAURANT WALL

Police told WBZ they met with the restaurant manager to discuss ways in which they could help.

This particular location of the fast-food chain sees a large amount of drug activity. Its common knowledge, people do use those restrooms to do that sort of thing. There have been overdoses in there, a customer told WBZ.

According to a Mass Live report from October 2017, this Burger King near Kelley Square has had nine overdoses between September 2016 and September 2017.

Some believe the sign Burger King had hanging is a result of the stigma around drug use and addiction.

We are in the midst of an opioid crisis and signs like this dont help, AdCares Georganna Koppermann told WBZ. AdCare is a substance abuse treatment center that offers inpatient and outpatient services to those struggling with addiction.

Burger King told the news organization it is investigating the situation.

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The actions of this Team Member were an isolated incident and do not reflect the Burger King brand values or the values of the Franchisee, who independently owns and operates this restaurant, a Burger King spokesperson said. The Franchisee is investigating this incident thoroughly and will take the actions they believe are appropriate.
Heartstrings, the country gospel group, will headline the Cowboy Gospel Jubilee Friday at 7 p.m.

Heartstrings never fails to provide an evening of terrific music, said Steve Poteet, producer of the popular free show. They feature superb guitar work and exquisite vocal harmonies on some of the best songs in southern and country gospel music.

Review for Heartstrings:

Heartstrings is comprised of Cindy Oliver, Dale Sneed, Jerry Lance, Angie Black, Jim Sneed and Jackie Parris. The band has spent more than a decade sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ through song at churches and venues across the region.

The Cowboy Gospel Jubilee is a wholesome, Opry-style show that features multiple performers and various styles of music, mostly bluegrass and country gospel.

Regulars appearing on the Jubilee include Elmer Bramlett, Joel Moore, and the Cowboy Church pastor, Wally Varnell, playing the electric guitar Merle Travis-style.

Joel Moore is the host for this weekly, enjoyable music event.

The Cowboy Gospel Jubilee is held at the Cleveland Cowboy Church, in the Dockery Heights community at 3040 Blythe Road, off Dockery Lane, between Blue Springs and Blackburn Roads.

Admission is free and the hat is passed for the headliners.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker is earning himself some fans  and taking a bit of good-natured flak  after video emerged of him downing a tequila shot on St. Patricks Day.

On Saturday, Baker was spotted by Twitter user Becca Ruesch at the L Street Tavern in South Boston, where she filmed him downing a drink and sucking on a lime wedge behind the bar.

THE TRICK TO MAKING ANY WINE TASTE A LITTLE BETTER

This just in: Charlie Baker, the Governor of Massachusetts, is taking shots with the locals in Southie, wrote Ruesch.

Comments soon began pouring in on Rueschs post, many of which lauded the Republican governor for being a man of the people.

Others seemed to question his choice of drinking tequila on St. Patricks Day rather than an authentic Irish whiskey, though most werent too bothered.

5 ST. PADDY'S DAY COCKTAILS THAT DON'T CALL FOR WHISKEY

The media and Bakers fellow politicians, however, werent so forgiving.

The following day, at the citys annual South Boston St. Patricks Day Breakfast  which Baker attended  City Councilor Michael Flaherty joked that the Republican governor was bar-hopping so hard that he began Irish step-dancing in the middle of the street and later added that Bakers behavior was bad news for Democrats, particularly his gubernatorial challengers from the Democratic side. Because, um, hes acting like a Kennedy, The Boston Globe reported.

The Globe too got in on the fun, ribbing the governor for his choice of drink, or as they wrote: Yes, tequila, with a lime  not Irish whiskey  on St. Patricks Day.

Baker himself later took the dais to reiterate that he was simply doing what everybody else does in South Boston on St. Patricks Day weekend  pounding back a shot.

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Baker, who took office in Jan. 2015, has regularly enjoyed high approval ratings; multiple polls, including one as recent as Feb. 2018, have determined him to be the most popular governor in America, boasting somewhere between 69 and 74 percent approval ratings in his state.
After a change of heart, authorities in Nepal are allowing a double amputee who was banned from climbing Mt. Everest to reach his lifelong dream.

Hari Budha Magar was originally denied permission by the Nepalese tourism office to climb the worlds tallest peak because he doesnt have legs. The decision was part of a blanket ban, which also included solo climbers and the blind, to cut down the number of deaths on the mountain.

But the 33-year-old appealed to the Nepalese Supreme Court and the decision was overturned.

DAN CNOSSEN, A NAVY SEAL VETERAN AND DOUBLE-AMPUTEE, WINS PARALYMPIC BIATHLON GOLD

Hari told SWNS, "I am absolutely overjoyed and it shows you must never give up on your dreams but challenge yourself and always keep hope.

The British war veteran lost both of his legs in Afghanistan in April 2010, after stepping on a bomb while serving with the 1st Royal Gurkha Rifles.

Hari began mountain climbing as part of his recovery with some of his fellow servicemen and he already has scaled several peaks, including Ben Nevis and Mont Blanc. He is the only above-the-knee double amputee to have reached the 6,476-meter Mera Peak's summit in Nepal.

He explained to SWNS how a journalist friend took up his cause. He appealed to the Supreme Court in Nepal on my behalf and they ruled that I should not be refused permission, he said.

DOUBLE AMPUTEE WHOSE SCOOTER WAS STOLEN HAS NEW SET OF WHEELS THANKS TO FOX59 VIEWER

Nobody with his level of disability has ever climbed Everest. His upcoming venture will be achieved with a group called Conquering Dreams, an expert team of Royal Gurkha, U.S. Marine Corps and Navy Seal veterans.

"In the past I fought the enemy, but today I fight this injury, Hari said. "I fight to re-establish my mental health and live my life fully, help inspire others, learn new skills, relying confidently on my body as it is.
Early clinical trials show that a birth control pill for men may soon be a reality.

According to U.S. News and World Report, the new pill, called DMAU, is a combination of hormones  an androgen and progestin  and when taken daily could bring sperm count low enough so a man cant get his partner pregnant.

The trials showed the pill can be given safely for more than one dose, but did not yet test for its success as contraception.



"DMAU is a major step forward in the development of a once-daily 'male pill,'" said the study's senior investigator, Dr. Stephanie Page, during the Endocrine Societys Annual conference.

NEW MALE CONTRACEPTIVE IS INJECTED INTO TESTICLES  AND CAN BE REVERSED

The professor of medicine at the University of Washington explained, "Many men say they would prefer a daily pill as a reversible contraceptive, rather than long-acting injections or topical gels, which are also in development."

Previous attempts at developing an oral pill for men led to liver inflammation and toxicity, but according to Dr. Page that doesn't seem to be the case here.

"There was no evidence of liver toxicity. We did see mild weight gain and an increase in cholesterol levels and that may require us to fine tune the dosing, but overall we are very encouraged about the safety profile of dimethandrolone," she said in a report in MedPageToday.

MALE CONTRACEPTIVE 'HYDROGEL' PASSES TEST IN RHESUS MONKEYS

Following the safety trial, a three-month study will begin in April to determine if DMAU works as a contraceptive.

Dr. Page pointed out that, "Condoms are the only practical reversible form of male contraception  and it is more than 300 years old." The researcher added that studies indicate that men prefer taking an oral contraception rather than an injection or implant.
With vaping on the rise, parents are worrying about Juuling, a trendy new vape system thats becoming popular on college campuses and high schools.

According to a new report in Womens Health , the Juul is so small, students can plug them into their laptops for a charge while passing them off as flash drives.

Juuling is described in the University of Illinois' independent student newspaper as an epidemic sweeping across campus.

But Juul pods and other e-cigarettes still contain nicotine, according to the American Lung Association. The organization points out that, Nicotine is an addictive substance that can have negative health impacts, including on adolescent brain development.

LOCAL DOCTOR WARNS PARENTS OF DANGERS OF JUUL E-CIGARETTES

Dr. Donna Shelley, director of NYU Langone Medical Center's Tobacco Cessation Program told Fox News, "The effect on the brain is concerning because we don't want them developing an addiction, and then there's some neuropsychiatric concern that they would be more likely to use other drugs and develop some mental health issues."

Shelley explained how vaping is a safer alternative to combustible tobacco. "Like methadone is a form of harm reduction for heroine, you're still getting your nicotine, but getting it safely," she said.

The Juul Labs website states that the company "strongly" condemns the use of their product by underage users. "It is in fact illegal to sell our product to minors," they warn.

Other facts mentioned on the website include that one Juul vaporizer contains 5 percent nicotine by weight  or 200 puffs  while most other e-cigarettes and vapes contain anywhere from 0.03 percent to 1.8 percent nicotine.

Dr. Shelley described how, Nicotone binds to receptors in the brain which leads to the release of dopamine and other neurotransmitters that can basically make people feel better."

She added, "I don't worry about smokers using e-cigarettes, it's kids who are naive about nicotine, they might puff and smoke so much until they get niotine toxicity."

E-CIGARETTE USE EXPOSES TEENAGERS TO TOXIC CHEMICALS, NEW STUDY SAYS

Juul-pods are available at convenience stores and online to those who are 21 years old or older, but according to the Journal Sentinel underage students find ways to get the product.

Danielle Foster, a 15-year-old high school student from Milwaukee, said plenty of her classmates Juul in the bathroom at her school. I see a lot of people using them and teachers dont know how to look for them, Foster said. They (Juul users) think its better than smoking weed or cigarettes.

A recent study from the University of Washington found "substantial" evidence that young people who use e-cigarettes are more likely to try cigarettes.

As of now, there are no long-term studies on the health consequences of e-cigarettes and little consensus on whether they are effective in helping smokers quit, according to the report.

Lindsay Carlton contributed to this report.
A lucky feline, dubbed the miracle cat, who survived being impaled on two metal fence posts in London got a happy ending after being returned home to his owner.

Skittles was discovered early in the morning March 9 stuck on the eight-foot railings in a suburban part of the city. Officials had to use car-crash machinery to remove the ginger cat and he later underwent three emergency operations.

BRITISH GRANDMOTHER BECOMES FIRST TO VISIT ALL 7 CONTINENTS BY MOTORBIKE

While performing the surgeries, the vet discovered that the fence posts had narrowly missed the cats vital organs. One pole pierced his back leg and a second one hit his abdomen.

The cats owner, 27-year-old Shanakei Forde, said 4-year-old Skittles had gone missing Friday, but since hes an outdoor cat she wasnt too worried. By Sunday, she grew concerned and was making lost posters to hang when her neighbor told her about a cat that had been found.

"He heard about it at a residents meeting and told me the good news that he'd been found, but that he'd been injured she told SWNS. When I saw the pictures I couldn't believe my eyes, I didn't believe that was him  it was so shocking.

She said Skittles, a tough but loving cat, is a bit shaken up and happy to be home with her two kids, who consider him their best friend.

Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals investigators are still unsure how Skittles ended up on the fence. They believe he couldve either fallen from a nearby building or been intentionally put on the fence posts by the Croydon Cat Killer. Either way, hes lucky to be alive.

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Forde is currently trying to raise money to cover Skittles vet bills, which cost more than $4,000.
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Darkness is falling in Russia. Vladimir Putin didnt simply secure re-election on Sunday, winning 77 percent of the vote in a rigged election. He has consolidated all power in his hands and emerged as a modern-day Czar. He has also set his country on a collision course with the West, one that could prove catastrophic.

A close look at Putins record and rhetoric reveals a man consumed with re-creating a totalitarian state, expanding the countrys borders and rebuilding the glory of Mother Russia.

Putin has crushed the nascent democracy that was emerging in post-Soviet Russia in the 1990s, and brooks no dissent. His critics  be they journalists, businessmen, politicians, or anyone else  disappear, or die.

Consider the latest case of Sergei Skripal. The Russian spy flipped and became a double-agent working for the West. But having betrayed Putin, he and his daughter were found critically injured in Great Britain, poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia. Prime Minister Theresa May determined Russia was behind the attempted assassination. She also believes Moscow is behind other assassinations of Putin critics on British soil, and expelled 23 Russian diplomats from Britain.

Meanwhile, Putin has crushed the nascent free market economy that was beginning to emerge after the collapse of the Soviet empire. Russias re-centralized economy is suffocating. Poverty is rampant. Deaths by alcoholism and drug overdoses are exploding. One in four Russian men die before age 55. And Russians arent having enough children to replace themselves. Why would they? They have no hope.

Now that Putin has finished with his re-election charade, we must be prepared for the possibility that he will become even more aggressive -- kill more critics, possibly invade another country.

Yet if life is so dismal in post-Soviet Russia, then why is Putin so popular? And how should leaders in Washington counter the real and rising threat Putin poses to the U.S. and our allies?

Why Is Putin Popular?

In 1999, then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin appointed Putin as prime minister. Many Russians didnt even know who he was. Only two percent supported Putin to replace Yeltsin as president. Yet in just a few short months, Putins approval rating skyrocketed to the mid-80s. When Yeltsin formally stepped down as president, Putin was easily elected to replace him.

How did the Putin become so popular overnight? By invading Chechnya. He accused the Chechens of perpetrating a series of horrific apartment bombings (without any solid evidence, mind you). Then he proceeded to bomb Grozny, the Chechen capital, nearly out of existence. The Russian people concluded Putin was the strong man they needed to keep them safe.

In time, Putins approval ratings dropped from the mid-80s to the mid-60s, and Putin was fit to be tied. He gave a major speech declaring that the collapse of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century. He complained that tens of millions of our co-citizens and compatriots [find] themselves outside Russian territory.

Then, in the summer of 2008, Putin and his protege, Dmitri Medvedev, ordered Russian forces to invade the Republic of Georgia. They proceeded to occupy 20 percent of Georgia, and Putins poll numbers skyrocketed to 88 percent.

Fast-forward to 2011 and 2012. Russians were on the streets, protesting against government corruption and a weak economy. Putins numbers were deflating again, hitting a low of 61 percent.

Suddenly, Putin ordered Russian forces to seize eastern and southern Ukraine. On March 18, 2014, Putin formally annexed Crimea into the Russian Federation. His approval ratings shot up to 83 percent.

Next, Putin sent Russian forces into Syria. Together with Bashar al-Assad, Irans ayatollahs and the jihadists of Hezbollah, he helped slaughter thousands of people. Millions more have fled for their lives. Suddenly, Russia was the new superpower in the Middle East. Just in time for another Russian presidential election.

Putin isnt winning elections  even rigged ones  because hes making day-to-day life better for the average Russian. To the extent people willingly vote for him, its because he appeals to the bloodlust deep in the Russian soul. Putin creates a crisis, sends Russian forces into battle, crushes his enemies, and declares victory, and the people have something to cheer.

How Should Washington Respond?

In the face of such a grave and growing threat, however, President Trump has been essentially radio silent about the most dangerous dictator on the planet. He only mentioned Russia once in his State of the Union address. He rarely if ever Tweets criticism of the Russian leader. Indeed, Mr. Trump is more critical of his own Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, than he is of Putin.

Now that Putin has finished with his re-election charade, we must be prepared for the possibility that he will become even more aggressive -- kill more critics, possibly invade another country.

Now is the time, therefore, for President Trump to impose far more  and far tougher  sanctions against Russian officials and oligarchs to punish them for their crimes and prevent new crimes. The moves he made last week were steps in the right direction, but not nearly enough.

Follow the money of Putins inner circle. Freeze their assets. Make it difficult or even impossible for them to use or move their money from U.S. and European banks. Prevent these gangsters from having the freedom to travel into the U.S. and NATO countries. In short: hit the Russians where it really hurts, in their wallets.

Mr. Trump must also speak out clearly and more firmly against Putins aggressions in interviews and tweets. He should deliver a major speech declaring that Putin poses a clear and present danger to the national security of the United States and our allies, explaining Putin is hungry for wealth, hungrier for power, hungrier still for territory. He needs to lay out a comprehensive strategy to counter Russias military, intelligence and cyber threats. And he needs to significantly beef up U.S. and NATO deterrent forces in the Baltic States, which currently are too lightly defended and thus vulnerable to Russian attack.

Meanwhile, the president ought to host a meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May and other NATO leaders to discuss and implement additional unified strategies.

Darkness is falling in Russia. A virulently anti-American Czar is sitting in the Kremlin, plotting his next moves. Only decisive American leadership, in concert with our allies, can stop him. And stop him we must.
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Great news! Hillary Clinton has finally figured out What Happened! It wasnt, after all, James Comey or racism or Vladimir Putin or sexism or the hostile media that torpedoed her bid for the White House. Instead, it was(drumroll please) millions of Stepford wives, voting the way their husbands told them to.

In her insatiable thirst for redemption Hillary casts an ever-wider net, trying to scoop up those responsible for her defeat. Speaking in India recently, she again revisited her stinging 2016 election loss, this time hauling in white women, who vote the way your husband, your boss, your son, whoever, believes you should.

What an offense to the millions of women who didnt trust Hillary, didnt like Hillary, and didnt think she had earned the right to be our first female president. And what an embarrassment to her party, some of whom have disavowed her comments. Senator Claire McCaskill, for instance, who is battling to be reelected in red state Missouri, criticized Hillarys remarks; nonetheless, the Republican opponent hoping to dislodge McCaskill wasted no time tying her to Clinton, whom she previously had endorsed.

Republicans hope Hillary will hang around, reminding Trump voters how delighted they are that she isnt president. More and more Democrats would like her to disappear Stage Left, for good.

According to one survey, 61 percent of white women without a college degree voted for Donald Trump as did 45 percent of white women who graduated from college. Did all those tens of millions of females simply do as they were told by the men in their lives? Please, women are not that compliant or that stupid.

The irony is, of course, that Hillary would never have been a candidate for president but for the men in her life. It was husband Bill who pushed her forward from the start and, against all odds, became a beloved leader of the Democratic Party. And she would never have come close to cracking the glass ceiling but for the dogged efforts of President Obama, who saw her as willing to carry on his legacy.

Democrats who put gender ahead of the economy, or jobs, or national security, or who think that their dogmatic positions on abortion or equal pay are the only key to winning elections, are insulting women.

Remember, she was such a terrible candidate that she almost lost the Democratic primary battle to a septuagenarian Socialist who had been in Congress for 24 years and never passed a significant piece of legislation. And that was with the DNC not only rallying behind her but cheating on her behalf as well.

It was Bill who put Hillary on the national stage in 1992, breaking with long-standing convention to give his wife a policy role early in his administration. That she immediately flamed out after trying to craft a health care reform program, offending allies and opponents alike by running roughshod over them, should have raised red flags about her political IQ.

It was Bill who begrudgingly campaigned for her victorious rival Barack Obama in 2008, presumably in exchange for some guarantee that Hillary would win the latters backing when her turn came. And it was Bill who lent her his popularity and who pushed her to address disaffected white, working-class voters during the campaign -- advice which she ignored.

The insulting remarks in India were not Hillarys first broadside against her own gender. During Bills first run for president, she explained that she had chosen the unusual path of working while he was governor by saying I suppose I could have stayed home, baked cookies and had teas. Though Hillary tried to walk the sarcasm back, women not in the workplace knew they had been dissed.

Hillary is not the only liberal who blames white women for her defeat. Michelle Obama also railed about how women were, well, wrong to vote for Donald Trump. In a speech in Boston, the former First Lady said, As far as I'm concerned, any woman who voted against Hillary Clinton voted against their own voice in a way. Like Hillary, Michelle thinks women were simply following orders: Well, to me that just says you dont like your voice. You like the thing were told to like.

Told to like? How about, saw the big picture?

For voters overall, and for women, the economy and terrorism were the top issues in 2016. Hillary flunked on both counts. She promised to continue the economic policies of her boss Barack Obama, who produced the most lackluster recovery in the countrys history. Not only did she propose raising taxes on businesses and the wealthy  though she surely knew such measures would prove harmful to growth  she also came out against what she disparaged as the gig economy. This, as Millennials and women, in particular, applaud the flexibility that comes with jobs provided by new start-ups and technological innovation.

On terrorism, Hillary was on more solid ground, since even she had criticized Obama for lacking a robust foreign policy. As she said, "Great nations need organizing principles, and 'Dont do stupid stuff' is not an organizing principle." Unfortunately for Hillary, she made those remarks in 2014. By the time the election was in full swing, she had attached herself to Obamas coattails as firmly as a face is planted on Mt. Rushmore; veering more hawkish on Syria or ISIS, for instance, was simply not an option.

Democrats who put gender ahead of the economy, or jobs, or national security, or who think that their dogmatic positions on abortion or equal pay are the only key to winning elections, are insulting women. Many men and women understand that providing policies that unleash the growth of the economy is essential to the ambitions of our nation. Bolstering our entitlements programs, funding health care for the needy, improving our education system and strengthening our military all require revenues that will only come from an expanding economy.

That growth is what President Trump promised, and what he is delivering. And that is why he won.
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Anyone waiting for final proof that Washington needs a second special counsel got it Friday. The breathless anticipation over whether Attorney General Jeff Sessions would fire Andrew McCabe before McCabes FBI retirement began was a ridiculous exercise better suited for a television game show.

The pressure built because if he survived Friday, McCabe could retire with a lifetime pensionestimated to be worth $1.8 million. But if Sessions followed the recommendations of Justice Department lawyers and fired McCabe for wrongdoing before the witching hour, the former deputy director would get no pension and might face a criminal investigation.

The absurdity was not negated when Sessions finally fired him late in the evening. Either way he ruled, the spectacle was not worthy of the grave issues involved.

That the drama played out on the same day that news broke that the existing special counsel, Robert Mueller, subpoenaed records from President Trumps business organization highlighted the disparity between the no-holds-barred way Trump is being probed and the slapdash, unserious effort to uncover anti-Trump wrongdoing in the government.

McCabe is among the top law-enforcement officials and others in Barack Obamas administration who appear to have used their official powers to try to prevent or undermine Trumps presidency, yet there is no single investigation focused on this dark chapter in American life. This politicized double standard must end.

Like many, I have doubts about the wisdom of a second special counsel. As Mueller and others before him have proven, once they begin, special counsels are reluctant to stop. There is no applause for coming up empty-handed, so the incentive is to continue until they get a scalp or three.

A criminal investigation is the only way to find out who did what, and to connect the dots between various agencies, such as the FBI and State Department, that reportedly worked secretly to help elect Hillary Clinton.

Another problem is that special counsels operate without clear accountability, especially when, as in Muellers case, they are appointed by officials despite presidential objections.

Yet those concerns now pale next to the accumulation of evidence of serious and widespread wrongdoing during the last two years. Although the Inspector General of the Justice Department was the first to flag McCabes lack of candor when asked about a media leak, McCabe would not be required even to answer the IGs questions after he retired.

The same is true for former FBI Director James Comey despite serious suspicions about his conduct. Similarly, top Obama officials, such as James Clapper, Susan Rice, John Brennan and Loretta Lynch, who likely played various dirty tricks against Trump, are no longer subject to internal probes.

A criminal investigation, then, is the only way to find out who did what, and to connect the dots between various agencies, such as the FBI and State Department, that reportedly worked secretly to help elect Hillary Clinton.

Yet a routine criminal investigation, conducted by the Justice Department and the FBI, isnt the solution, either. Asking those departments to investigate themselves when they are still stonewalling Congress and private lawsuits over internal documents guarantees a whitewash.

All of which makes a special counsel essential. He or she could be appointed by the attorney general or a deputy if Sessions recusal prohibits his involvement.

The starting point should be the leak probes Sessions launched. Those have to do with classified material fed to the anti-Trump media during and after the election, some of it improperly unmasking Trump associates caught up in surveillance of foreign nationals.

The leak probes are important in their own right, but even more so because they might involve people who also allegedly engaged in other wrongdoing aiming to tip the election.

For example, McCabe, in addition to leaking, reportedly waited nearly a month before examining thousands of e-mails, some classified, that Clinton top aide Huma Abedin sent to her husband, Anthony Weiner, the sexual pervert now in prison. Some fellow agents reportedly believed McCabe was trying to run out the clock on the election because the e-mails might have hurt Clinton.

Those suspicions must be investigated, especially because McCabes wife got more than $600,000 for a state legislative race from Clinton ally Terry McAuliffe. Oddly, McCabe recused himself from the rigged Clinton probe a week before the election  despite having helped to direct it from the start.

Then there are the FBI lovebirds, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, who have much to answer for under oath, including their talk of an insurance policy in case Trump won the election. That conversation took place in Andys office, almost certainly a reference to McCabe, their boss.

Their involvement took another turn last week when texts revealed Strzok was close friends with the federal judge who initially presided over Michael Flynns case. The judge, Rudolph Contreras, later was replaced, with no reason given.

And dont forget that the FISA application to spy on Carter Page appears to have been a tissue of lies and omissions that some lawyers believe rises to criminal conduct. Again, McCabe and Strzok, along with Comey, were key players.

In short, there is a mountain of suspect behavior a new special counsel should dig into. All thats missing is someone with a shovel.
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My colleague, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, took to this space on Thursday to announce he would oppose both President Trumps nominations of Mike Pompeo as secretary of state and Gina Haspel as director of the CIA. His arguments against them were deeply ill-informed, and because of the misperceptions theyve spread, they deserve a fundamental reply.

First, Senator Paul trained his sights on Ms. Haspel, whom he said presided over practices that epitomized the abuse of government power. Senator Paul based his argument on a single piece of evidence: a quote in a book of a CIA operative who crassly hounded a detainee while interrogating him. He was referring to her supposed tenure as head of a CIA black site in Thailand, which used enhanced interrogation techniques to elicit information from detainees, including Al Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydah. On a separate occasion, Senator Paul even went so far as to call Ms. Haspel the head cheerleader for waterboarding.

All of which is false. Citing a ProPublica article on the book, Senator Paul alleged the quote belonged to Ms. Haspel, but the author of the book himself later debunked his claim. It was an entirely different CIA operative. As a result, both ProPublica and Senator Paul were forced to issue corrections.

But lets take his argument on its face. In essence, he calls it an abuse of power for a government official to execute government policy. Senator Paul may disagree with the use of these techniques, but Ms. Haspel did not go rogue or make these policies on the fly. She dutifully executed the approved policy as determined by the Department of Justice. And moreover, she did so at one of the most dangerous moments in our history. If that isnt a qualification for high public office, Im not sure what is.

Both Mike Pompeo and Gina Haspel are dedicated, hardworking patriots and would serve our country with distinctionbecause they have no illusions about the dangers our country faces.

Senator Paul also says Ms. Haspel lacks the credibility to lead the CIA because she told agents to destroy videotape recordings of detainee interrogations. But she was acting on the orders of her direct supervisor, both of whom believed it was entirely legal at the time. Mike Morell, former acting director of the CIA, later conducted an investigation and cleared her of any wrongdoing. And more to the point, how could she ask her fellow CIA agents to obey the law and execute all government policies, even those they disagree with, if she wouldnt do the same?

Next, Senator Paul questions Mike Pompeos judgment for his stalwart support of the FISA Section 702 program, which the intelligence community uses to monitor the electronic communications of terrorist suspects. Senator Paul flatly calls it a spying program and labels it unconstitutional, but again, hes wrong on the facts. The Section 702 program can only be used to monitor the communications of foreign persons on foreign soilnot American citizens. And every time this program has come before a federal judge it has been upheld as constitutional. But more important than that, it has saved American lives. In 2009, the intelligence we gained from this program helped our national-security officials foil a plot to bomb the New York subway.

For all of these reasons, Congress renewed the program for six more years in January. Members of both parties heard Senator Pauls arguments and found them wanting. If anything, Mike Pompeos unwavering support for this program shows he has a firm grasp of our national-security needs.

Senator Paul considers it a count against Director Pompeo that he called for Edward Snowden to receive the death penalty. The way I see it, Edward Snowden was an egotistical serial liar and traitor whose unauthorized disclosures of classified information have jeopardized the safety of Americans and allies around the world. Snowden should be tried and sentenced for his despicable crimes, and its entirely reasonable to make the case that he deserves capital punishment for committing treasonas Bill Clintons CIA Director, James Woolsey, has argued.

I have had the pleasure of working with both Director Pompeo and Ms. Haspel personally, and heres what I know about them. Mike Pompeo has a deep understanding of world affairs, a clear-eyed view of the threats to our national security, and key relationships with world leaders, all of which make him an excellent choice to be our top diplomat. Gina Haspel, meanwhile, is a true professional with decades of experience at the agency. They are dedicated, hardworking patriots and would serve our country with distinctionbecause they have no illusions about the dangers our country faces.

Senator Paul is right in saying no one should look to war as a first resortlet alone eagerly cheerlead for its arrival. But its not enough to simply confront war when it arriveswe must prepare for war in peacetime in order to prevent it. It was precisely the fact that Ronald Reagan rebuilt our military and modernized our nuclear arsenal in the 1980s that allowed him to negotiate with the Soviet Union. It was American strength that led to peace.

Senator Paul may disagree with that, but Mike Pompeo and Gina Haspel do not, and thats why Ill be proud to support both of their nominations.
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Nearly every person to hold the office of president has recognized that the single most important job of our government is to keep us safe. So why is the Trump administration now acquiescing in the evisceration of one of Americas most important counter-terrorism laws?

International terrorism is a constant threat to our safety at home and abroad. Every year, some of the millions of Americans who travel, study, or reside abroad are killed and injured by terror attacks outside the United States.

The threat posed by international terrorism is not new. Two centuries ago, pirates from the Barbary States in northern Africa regularly raided American merchant vessels traversing the Mediterranean Sea. The Barbary Pirates enslaved their captive American crews and held them for ransom. America responded by building a navy and sending the fledgling the United States Marine Corps to the shores of Tripoli.

In the 1980s, America faced a new threat from terrorists of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) one that had echoes of the past. In 1985, Palestinian terrorists hijacked the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro in the Mediterranean Sea. When their demands were not immediately met, the hijackers shot wheelchair-bound American Leon Klinghoffer and dumped his body into the sea.

Congress soon recognized that it would need more than the Navy and the Marines to fight this new breed of pirate. Soon after the Achille Lauro hijacking, a young professor at Yale Law School named Harold Koh had introduced the idea of allowing victims of terrorism to sue their attackers. By making terrorists pay up, these lawsuits not only would compensate the victims for their injuries, but it also would disrupt the terrorists financing, perhaps preventing future attacks.

According to this court, if a foreign terrorist kills and maims indiscriminately and without regard to nationalityas is the case in practically every suicide bombingit is unconstitutional to make the terrorists pay up.

Congress enacted this suggestion into law as part of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1992. This law allows [a]ny national of the United States injured in acts of international terrorism outside the United States to bring a lawsuit in federal court against their terrorist attackers.

Unfortunately, a court of appeals in New York recently gutted this important counter-terrorism measure. In a case brought by eleven American families victimized by PLO-sponsored suicide bombings and mass shootings in Israel, the court decided that subjecting foreign terrorists to lawsuits in U.S. courts violates the terrorists rights under the United States Constitution to due process of law. The court ruled that victims can sue only if they can show that the terrorists targeted them specifically because they were American, or somehow implicated American facilities or property in their attacks. So, according to this court, if a foreign terrorist kills and maims indiscriminately and without regard to nationalityas is the case in practically every suicide bombingit is unconstitutional to make the terrorists pay up.

I represent those eleven American families and we have asked the Supreme Court to review this very troubling decision. We are supported in that effort by the entire House of Representatives, which has sounded the alarm over the lower courts ruling, observing that it renders [the Anti-Terrorism Act] ineffective with respect to the overwhelming majority of international terrorist attacks within its scope and frustrates Congresss intended exercise of legislative power to combat terrorism. We also have the support of the Anti-Terrorism Acts original sponsor, Senator Charles Grassley, and 22 other Senators who span the entirety of the political spectrumfrom Elizabeth Warren to Ted Cruz.

But where is the Trump administration? In June of last year, the Supreme Court requested that the solicitor general submit the views of the United States as to whether the Court should accept the case for review. This should have been an easy call. As long as we have had solicitors general, it has been recognized that they have a duty to defend the constitutionality of Acts of Congress if there is a reasonable argument to do so. And that duty has maximum force where, as President Obamas solicitor general wrote, the statute in question  is a vital part of the Nations effort to fight international terrorism.

Months went by with no answer from the administration. It ultimately took the Trump administration eight months to file its brief. Astonishingly, the brief sided with the PLO and against American victims of terrorism. The administration urged the Supreme Court to leave undisturbed the New York courts amputation of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

This would seem to be an abandonment of the Justice Departments traditional practice of defending Acts of Congress and will seriously degrade one of our nations key tools in defending against and responding to international terrorism. We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will agree to consider this case despite the Trump administrations opposition. The bipartisan congressional judgment concerning how to protect Americans from terrorists deserves a hearing in the nations highest court. This is the last hope for the vitality and utility of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Award-winning local interior designer Dawn. D. Totty of Dawn D. Totty Designs was featured in the Spring 2018 issue of the nationally recognized magazine, American Farmhouse Style.

Ms. Totty moved from Chattanooga one year ago to nearby Jasper, into a new mountaintop community known as Jasper Highlands. It was there that she decided to to build and design a modern farmhouse.

Since 2010, Ms. Totty has built a following and appeal. Her custom-designed residential and commercial spaces are both functional and aesthetically pleasing, said officials. In 2014, she was the recipient of the Best of Houzz Award and has maintained that status for the last four consecutive years in both service and design. Her designs have also captured both local and national attention of the media and have been featured in many publications such as City Scope, Nashville Interiors, Vogue, Chatter Magazine and many others. Ms. Totty designs nationally as well as designing online with her clients from all over the globe .

Ms. Totty predicts that her contemporary farmhouse is a reflection of what is currently trending in 2018 and for many years to come. She believes that fads have a very temporary shelf life, but trends usually have the potential to last 10 or 20 years.

Ms. Totty will be featured as the lead designer in the first annual high end home decor show, Fine Interiors Chattanooga. The interior design exhibition will be at the Chattanooga Convention Center Sept. 27-30, and will showcase interior design trends, decor, fine furniture, objet dart, architecture and fine living.

For more information on Dawn D. Totty Designs, please visit her website at https://www.dawndtottydesigns.com.






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In a resounding victory for the State of Texas, the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has thrown out almost all of a preliminary injunction issued by a lower court that was preventing the Lone Star State from enforcing a state law going after sanctuary cities such as Austin, the states capital.

This is the right result, both legally and morally. Not only does the state law not violate the Constitution, as was erroneously claimed, but its intended to prevent the state from becoming a sanctuary  a safe haven  for criminal aliens who endanger the public.

Texas certainly has a right to be concerned about aliens who commit crimes in the state. The Texas Department of Public Safety recently released a report on the 245,000 criminal aliens who had been booked into local Texas jails from 2011 through the end of February of this year. Those criminal aliens, 66 percent of whom were in the country illegally, were charged with more than 650,000 criminal offenses. They have been convicted of almost 600 murders; 30,000 assaults; 3,300 sexual assaults; 9,000 burglaries; 20,000 thefts; 38,000 drug crimes; and 274 kidnappings.

As U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a recent speech, the policies of sanctuary cities and states make no sense. The fact that these aliens were arrested for committing local crimes shows that these jurisdictions found these aliens dangerous enough to detain them in the first place, but then insist on releasing them back into the community instead of allowing federal officers to remove them, as Sessions noted. That is reckless behavior by public officials.

As Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said after the ruling, sanctuary policies allow dangerous criminalsback into our communities to possibly commit more crimes. He is right.

To stop Texas from becoming a sanctuary for criminal aliens, the state legislature passed a law last year that required local governments to comply with federal immigration law. That included 8 U.S.C. 1373, which forbids state and local governments from preventing their officials from sending information to the federal government on illegal aliens who have been arrested or otherwise detained.

In fact, the state law requires city and county officials to assist federal immigration agents in their enforcement efforts and most importantly, to comply with, honor, and fulfill any detainer requests made by the federal government.

That means that local sheriffs and city police departments that fail to honor federal detainer warrants  which are requests issued by federal immigration authorities to hold illegal aliens for pickup  are in violation of state law.

The Texas statute imposes a civil penalty on sanctuary cities of up to $25,500 for each day they intentionally violate the law. Texas law enforcement officials can also be charged with a criminal misdemeanor for failing to honor detainer warrants, and the state attorney general can file a petition with a state court to remove them from office.

Unfortunately, only two days before the law was scheduled to take effect on Sept. 1, 2017, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction stopping Texas from enforcing the most important provisions of the law based on a misinterpretation of federal immigration law and constitutional requirements. That mistake has now been corrected by a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit. In an 18-page opinion written by Judge Edith Jones, the panel dissolved all of the injunction except for one minor (and unimportant) provision.

Jones pointed out that with only one exception, the provisions of the Texas law do not, on their face, violate the Constitution. The only provision that does is one that says that local officials may not endorse a policy that limits enforcement of immigration laws. This amounts to a First Amendment violation since it prohibits core political speech by attempting to prevent officials from endorsing, i.e., speaking positively about, sanctuary policies.

The fact that the Fifth Circuit left this portion of the injunction in place is immaterial. The major, substantive parts of the Texas law that force local officials to cooperate with and assist federal immigration agents and to turn over criminal and other aliens to federal authorities is now in effect in Texas. So are the civil and criminal penalties that the state can impose on any local cities or officials who violate the law.

As Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said after the ruling by the Fifth Circuit on Tuesday, the Texas law is a common sense measure intended to prevent the release of individuals from custody who have been charged with serious crimes. Sanctuary policies allow dangerous criminalsback into our communities to possibly commit more crimes. He is right.
House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who often has fought the Republicans over the actions of President Trump and the FBI, said on Sunday that former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe's firing from the bureau might be "justified."

Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired McCabe late Friday night, just hours before the FBI official was set to retire, jeopardizing McCabe's ability to collect full pension benefits.

"There's no way for us to know at this point, but even though it may have been justified, it can also be tainted," Schiff said on ABC News' "This Week," referencing McCabe's potential role in a probe investigating the Trump campaign's possible ties to Russia.

The ranking Democrat added that he thought it was difficult to know whether the firing was legitimate because it happened before the release of an inspector general report expected to conclude McCabe was not forthcoming about matters related to the FBI investigation of Hillary Clinton's emails.

ANDREW MCCABE CONTROVERSIES, FROM THE TRUMP TEXT SCANDAL TO HIS WIFE'S FAILED CAMPAIGN

Schiff also asked whether President Trump's "badgering" of Sessions to fire McCabe and "every other of the James Comey associates" played a role because of their connection to the former FBI director.

"Every one of them has been targeted by the administration, by the Republicans and Congress. And is this because they corroborate James Comey? That's a question we also have to answer," Schiff said.
A Washington D.C. council member apologized Sunday evening after he blamed a snow squall on a well-known Jewish banking dynasty.

In an Instagram post, Democrat Trayon White apologized to "the Jewish Community and anyone I have offended."

White made the comments on a Facebook video which was shot Friday morning through the windshield of a car driving through downtown Washington during snowfall.

"Man, it just started snowing out of nowhere this morning, man," White said, according to The Washington Post. "Y'all better pay attention to this climate control, man, this climate manipulation."

"And thats a model based off the Rothschilds controlling the climate to create natural disasters they can pay for to own the cities, man," he added. "Be careful."

The Rothschilds are a European family that once possessed the largest private fortune in the world. Their banking businesses provided the financing for government projects such as the Suez Canal. Their wealth and influence has made them the subject of several conspiracy theories, most of which are anti-Semitic.

"I did not intend to be Anti-Semitic [sic], and I see I should not have said that after learning from my colleagues," White said. He added that he was working to "understand the history of comment [sic] made against Jews."

White was elected to the D.C. city council in 2016. He represents Ward 8 in the city, the seat once held by controversial former Mayor Marion Barry.

Click for more from The Washington Post.
Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton attempted to explain her comments about American voters and the 2016 election in a lengthy Facebook post Saturday that claimed she "meant no disrespect to any individual or group."

During a recent trip to India, Clinton told attendees at a conference in Mumbai that Americans did not "deserve" a Trump presidency, said she won the states "that are optimistic, diverse, dynamic, moving forward," and said that Trump's campaign was "looking backwards."

Clinton summed up Trump's message as "you know, you didn't like black people getting rights, you don't like women, you know, getting jobs. You don't want, you know, to see that Indian American succeeding more than you are."

"I understand how some of what I said upset people and can be misinterpreted," Clinton said in her Facebook post. "I meant no disrespect to any individual or group. And I want to look to the future as much as anybody."

But the former first lady criticized Trump for relying on "scare tactics and false attacks [that masked] the fact that he is otherwise no friend to most Americans."

Clinton also stood by comments implying that white women who voted for Trump were subject to "a sort of ongoing pressure to vote the way that your husband, your boss, your son, whoever, believes you should."

"[T]here is anecdotal evidence and some research to suggest that women are unfortunately more swayed by men than the other way around," Clinton insisted on Facebook. "As much as I hate the possibility, and hate saying it, its not that crazy when you think about our ongoing struggle to reach gender balance  even within the same household.

"I did not realize how hard it would hit many who heard it," Clinton added. "So to those upset or offended by what I said last week, I hope this explanation helps to explain the point I was trying to make."

Clinton's original comments drew backlash from Democrats, among them Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, who told "Fox News Sunday" that the former secretary of state's remarks were "not helpful."

"Thirty percent of the people who voted for Donald Trump had voted for President Obama," Durbin pointed out. "Why? The same people who looked for change with President Obama thought there wasnt enough as far as their personal lives were concerned and they supported Donald Trump.

"That is a reality that Democrats acknowledge."
Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul on Sunday blasted former CIA Director John Brennan for suggesting that President Trump will be remembered as a disgraced demagogue, saying that Brennan spying on Americans while running the agency was disgraceful.

This man had the power to search every Americans records without a warrant, Paul tweeted Sunday. Whats disgraceful is attacking the Bill of Rights and the freedom of every American.

Pauls professional dislike for Brennan is epic and goes back years.

In 2013, he staged a historic, 13-hour filibuster on the Senate floor to block President Barack Obamas nomination of Brennan to lead the CIA, demanding answers to such concerns as whether the administration would execute a drone strike on an American on U.S. soil.

Then, 18 months later, Paul joined in a bipartisan call to have Brennan removed as the CIA chief, following revelations that the agency had spied on Senate Intelligence Committee staffers.

The most recent criticism follows Brennans response to Trump on Friday night after Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired FBI official Andrew McCabe two days before his retirement and eligibility for a full pension.

Sessions said he fired McCabe, the FBIs onetime deputy director, following an FBI report and an inspector generals report on McCabes handling of the investigation into Hillary Clintons use of private email servers while she was secretary of state.

When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history, tweeted Brennan, who on his Twitter page declares himself non-partisan. You may scapegoat Andy McCabe, but you will not destroy America...America will triumph over you.

Conservatives on social media also criticized Brennan's attack.

A year ago, media narrative was that intel chiefs were a bunch of apolitical boy scouts, tweeted Mollie Hemingway, an editor for the online magazine The Federalist and a Fox News contributor. As Brennan's increasingly unhinged tweets show, a year later, that narrative (and push by compliant media) looks patently absurd.

Samantha Power, a U.N. ambassador for Obama, this weekend defended the ex-CIA director, tweeting, Not a good idea to piss off John Brennan, then had to send a follow-up tweet in an attempt to quell the backlash.

Whoa! Just home & see much misinterp. of earlier tweet. Its testament to polarized times that it cd be misread as referring to something other than Brennans indignation, Power tweeted. So will translate: not a good idea to upset @JohnBrennan bc/ he will raise an angry (& eloquent) voice.
When Donald Trump was elected, a lot of people in California signed a petition supporting the states secession from the U.S. It was hard to take the movement seriouslydidnt we fight a war over this?

But there is another secession movement in California, and elsewhere in America, that is getting genuine attention from political pundits. While it may be unlikely to succeed, the idea of intra-state secessiona section of a state splitting off to form its own statehas been growing in popularity. And theres even a Constitutional procedure for doing it.

In recent decades, the political differences between rural areas and metropolitan areas seem to have become more severe. This has caused political splits in certain states, where, often, those rural areas, with lower populations, feel stifled by their city brethren.

As Joel Kotkin, a fellow at Chapman University in Orange, Calif. and author of The Human City: Urbanism ForThe Rest Of Us, tells Fox News, The worst thing in the world to be is the red part of a blue state.

He looks at his home state of California and sees numerous clashes between the coastal cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles, and the more conservative counties in the interior. This has led to the New California Movement, already organized in 35 counties, seeking to create two states where there was one. Other plans have California splitting into three states, or even six. It should be noted that these new states would still be bigger than many on the East Coast, and more populous than many in the West.

Kotkin feels this movement is driven by policies like the $15 minimum wage, which makes sense in San Francisco, but doesnt make sense in Fresno. He adds those running California are fundamentally authoritarian with not a lot of tolerance for any kind of economic or political diversity. As he puts it, their attitude is We know the truth, we know whats right, and it has to apply to everyone.

Kotkin further notes its not just California where this blue versus red battle is brewing, but up the West Coast, where eastern Oregon battles against the policies of Portland, and eastern Washington against Seattle. For that matter, theres Chicago against downstate Illinois, and New York City versus upstate New York. And the policy divisions are not just economic, but often traditional versus progressive politics regarding issues such as marijuana, gun control and the environment.

This is why theres a movement in New York for upstate to split from downstate. As Republican state senator Joseph Robach puts it, Were completely overwhelmed...by the policies of New York City. In 2009 and 2011 he introduced bills to hold a referendum on secession. And in 2015 there was a rally in favor of carving out a new state, supported by more than a dozen groups frustrated by the policies of Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo.

All this secession talk has captured the notice of University of Tennessee law professor Glenn Reynolds, who recently put out a new paper, Splitsylvania: State Secession and What to Do About It.

He notes that Article IV, section 3 of the Constitution allows for new states to be admitted into the union, though no new state can be formed within an old state without the consent of the state legislature as well as Congress. Thats a pretty high hurdle. But, as Reynolds told Fox News, not insurmountable.

Its been done before, but long ago. For example, Vermont split from New York in 1791, Maine split from Massachusetts in 1820, and West Virginia split from Virginia during the Civil War in 1863. There havent been any states formed by secession in modern U.S. history.

Whats more, Americans seem to have gotten used to the idea of 50 states, with Hawaii the last admitted to the Union in 1959. As Reynolds points out, for most of the countrys history we added a new state every couple of decades...now we act as if 50 is set in stone. Theres a plausible argument that we would be better off with more states. It would be more representative.

While it would seem that state leaders wouldnt want to give up power, Reynolds offers a scenario where politicians might greet the formation of a new entity. If youre a California politician, you spend a lot of time trying to fight your way to the top. And the trouble is its a really big statethere are a lot of other people trying to fight their way to the top...[If the state splits, theres] a smaller pond, but youre a big fish.

More important than forming new states, however, Reynolds feels we should address the disputes that make citizens support secession. Part of the problem, he believes, goes back to the Supreme Court case Reynolds v. Sims (1964), which declared state legislatures (as opposed to the U.S. Senate) have to be apportioned according to population, not geographical area. As Reynolds explains, under the old system, rural areas got more representation, and under the new system they got much less. This has helped lead to the present-day situation where rural areas feel underserved.

Reynolds hopes there can be less dramatic solutions than secession, such as Congressional statutes (or in some cases executive orders) to ease the pressure. Reynolds thinks they have the Constitutional authority to remedy the situation, particularly under the Guarantee Clause, which states The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government.

Reynolds points to civil rights laws, passed to protect unfairly treated minorities, as a model for how Congress might take action. He notes most federal laws...are written to leave states the power to make stricter regulations, but if it seems like the burden...is falling disproportionately on a minority in a state that has no real political power...then I think its fair for the federal government to step in and protect them. To Reynolds, this could mean laws limiting how far states can go regarding the environment, firearms, wages and...things that people in rural areas are unhappy about.

This may seem like extreme intervention to some, but its a lot less extreme than secession.

As Reynolds puts it, when you have people talking about wanting to split from their state, and form a new one, theres obviously some significant unhappiness, and if we can do things that are relatively low cost...to remedy it, I think probably we should. At least we should think about it.
After declaring the nations opioid epidemic a public health emergency in October, President Trump revealed his plans to crack down on the health crisis.



His plan, which he discussed in March, includes harsher penalties for drug traffickers and lowering the amount of drugs needed to trigger mandatory minimum sentences for dealers.

These are terrible people and we have to get tough with those people, Trump said of traffickers and dealers. This isnt about committees ... this is about winning a very tough problem.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 115 Americans die daily from opioid-involved deaths. Opioids, including prescriptions and heroin, killed 42,000 people in the U.S. in 2016  the highest on record.

Its important that the full weight of the federal government  with each Cabinet department determining their role in the crisis  is involved in tackling the epidemic, said Tom Coderre, a former official with the Obama administrations Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The opioid crisis is multi-faceted and multi-dimensional. Its not like there is a secret weapon out there, Coderre, recently hired as a senior adviser to Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo to help combat the opioid crisis, told Fox News.

Heres a look at what the Trump administration has proposed to deal with the crisis.

Death penalty

Trump has often mused that certain countries  such as Singapore  have fewer issues with drugs because of the harsh penalties dealers can face if caught. He has argued that a person in the U.S. can receive the death penalty or life in prison for shooting one person, but a drug dealer who potentially kills thousands spend little to no time in jail.

When the president unveiled his plan to combat the epidemic, he brandished the death penalty as a fitting punishment for traffickers.

Drug traffickers kill so many thousands of our citizens every year, Trump said. That's why my Department of Justice will be seeking so many tougher penalties than we've ever had and we'll be focusing on the penalties that I talked about previously for big pushers, the ones that are killing so many people, and that penalty is going to be the death penalty.

He added, Other countries don't play games ... But the ultimate penalty has to be the death penalty.

"The ultimate penalty has to be the death penalty."  President Trump

The Justice Department said the federal death penalty is already available for several limited drug-related offenses, including violations of the drug kingpin provisions of federal law.

Attorney Gen. Jeff Sessions issued guidance to all U.S. attorneys, urging them to "hold opioid manufacturers and distributors accountable for unlawful practices."

"[T]his should also include the pursuit of capital punishment in appropriate cases," he said. "Congress has passed several statutes that provide the Department with the ability to seek capital punishment for certain drug-related crimes."

Sessions added, "I strongly encourage federal prosecutors to use these statutes, when appropriate, to aid in our continuing fight against drug trafficking and the destruction it causes in our nation."

Mandatory minimum sentencing

Trump has called on Congress to pass legislation which would lower the amount of drugs needed to trigger a mandatory minimum sentence for dealers who knowing distribute illicit opioids.

Congress already has plans to weigh a range of bills targeted at curbing the epidemic.

Republican Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina have put forth a bill that includes lowering the amount of fentanyl needed to invoke mandatory minimum sentences in certain distribution cases.

Fentanyl is a high-risk type of opioid used by doctors to treat pain.

Its past time the punishment matched the crime when it comes to opioid distribution and trafficking, Cotton said in a statement.

Graham added, Increasing these mandatory minimums is well-justified.

More research, less prescriptions

Part of Trumps plan to attack the nationwide crisis is to increase research and development through public-private partnerships between the federal National Institutes of Health and pharmaceutical companies.

With the public health emergency declaration, officials are able to more easily deploy state and federal workers, secure grants for the unemployed and shift funding from certain programs  such as HIV or AIDs programs  to provide substance abuse treatment for certain individuals.

Trump wants to see the number of opioid prescriptions cut by one-third within three years. He also called for expanding access to proven treatment and recovery efforts.

Awareness campaign

Trumps plan includes broadening education and awareness as well  something he called for last fall when he declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency.

This awareness campaign includes broadcasting great commercials to scare kids from dabbling in drugs. Trump also announced the creation of a new website, CrisisNextDoor.gov, where people can share their stories about addiction.

Gary Mendell, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Shatterproof, said the crisis needs more attention and awareness, which the president can provide. An emergency declaration, he told Fox News, creates recognition ... and awareness around the country that this epidemic needs right now.

Past declarations

In October, Trump declared the crisis a national public health emergency, short of the national state of emergency sought by a presidential commission he put together to study the issue. It was renewed in January.

HHS has issued public health emergency declarations in the wake of natural disasters as well as the spread of diseases.

The agency issued its first declaration for the Zika virus in Puerto Rico in August 2016. It was last renewed in April 2017.

Public health emergencies were also declared in New York following Hurricane Sandy in November 2012 and in Missouri following a series of storms and tornadoes in May 2011.

Fox News' Elizabeth Llorente and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A growing number of Democratic lawmakers are offering temporary jobs to ousted FBI official Andrew McCabe in an attempt to help him secure a full government pension after Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired him just two days shy of his retirement.

Its not clear if the Democratic offers could even work or be accepted by McCabe. Asked by Fox News about the possibility, a source close to McCabe would only say the former FBI deputy director is looking at all options.

The idea was first floated Friday by MSNBCs Andrea Mitchell after Sessions fired McCabe, who the attorney general said "lacked candor  including under oath  on multiple occasions."

One suggestion from a McCabe supporter: if a friendly member of Congress hired him for a week he could possibly qualify for pension benefits by extending his service the extra days, Mitchell tweeted.

McCabe was fired just days before he would have been eligible for a lifetime pension, meaning those benefits could now be in jeopardy -- something Democrats are trying to prevent.

Sessions said the DOJs inspector general determined McCabe was not truthful during his review of the Clinton email investigation and the FBIs Office of Professional Responsibility recommended his firing.

Since then, at least four Democratic lawmakers have publicly offered jobs in their congressional offices.

To Andrew McCabe: If you need a federal job, call me on Monday, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., tweeted. I am serious. We have to stand up to bullies like @realDonaldTrump & @jeffsessions.

Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton replied to NBCs Mitchell and tweeted: Would be happy to consider this. The Sixth District of MA would benefit from the wisdom and talent of such an experienced public servant.

Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin tweeted: Andrew McCabe: I have the need to hire a Special Senior Staff Attorney to help me with my work on the House Judiciary Committee dealing with threats to the Constitution and the rule of law in America. You're perfect for the job. DM me.

Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan issued a press release on Saturday, saying he extended an offer to McCabe so that he can reach the needed length of service for his pension.

"My offer of employment to Mr. McCabe is a legitimate offer to work on election security, Pocan said. Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of American democracy and both Republicans and Democrats should be concerned about election integrity.

The job offer idea has been mocked by Republicans.

Wonderful idea, Ari Fleischer, the former White House press secretary under George W. Bush, sarcastically tweeted. Every member of Congress should hire fired bureaucrats who lied to an inspector general in the course of a government investigation. Pensions before Honesty. Great slogan.

Despite the offers, it would be tricky for McCabe to make this work, federal employer lawyers said.

Joanna Friedman, a partner at the Federal Practice Group in Washington who focuses on federal employment law, told Fox News McCabe would have to be hired into a law enforcement officer position to keep his eligibility.

I think it would be very difficult for a congressional member to hire him into the correct job series, Friedman said. I dont really see how they have the authority or jurisdiction to put someone into a position like that.

But Friedman said theres nothing to prevent a lawmaker in Congress from hiring McCabe just because Sessions fired him.

If someone wants to hire him, theres nothing that stops it, she said.

Sessions decision to fire McCabe came as Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz is wrapping up a bureau oversight investigation of the Clinton email investigation.

Horowitz determined that McCabe hadn't been forthcoming over questions about the FBIs probe into Clintons use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. The inspector generals finding sparked an FBI disciplinary process that recommended McCabes firing.

On Friday, Sessions said he accepted that recommendation and was firing McCabe for making an unauthorized disclosure to the news media and lacking candor  including under oath  on multiple occasions.

Fox News Jake Gibson and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Cynthia Nixon, known as Miranda Hobbes by fans of HBOs Sex and the City series, officially is challenging incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York's Democratic primary.

New York is my home. Ive never lived anywhere else, Nixon said in a campaign video. New York is where I was raised and where Im raising my kids. Im a proud public school graduate and a prouder public school parent.

I love New York. Ive never wanted to live anywhere else, but something has to change, Nixon said, adding that the government should fix the states problems with healthcare, mass incarceration and the subway system.

Nixon, 52, is no stranger to politics. Shes often butted heads with Cuomo over issues pertaining to public education. Shes advocated for an increase in funding for public schools, breast cancer awareness and gay rights, among other things. Shes protested President Trump and campaigned for former President Barack Obama.

Nixon also received the endorsement of the Working Families Party (WFP), an influential, progressive third party in New York.

In the primary, Nixon has been credited with pushing Cuomo to the left on some issues, including his executive order granting paroled felons the right to vote in the state.

Heres a look at Nixons political advocacy and some of the issues shes passionate about.

Public schools

Along with her wife, Nixon has championed causes related to New York Citys public schools, including an effort to reduce public school classroom sizes. It was during this campaign that Nixon met her future spouse Christine Marinoni, according to a profile in The Advocate.

Nixon was once arrested during a protest at City Hall aimed at increasing funding to public schools.

We marched on up, sat down and blocked the entrance, she told The New York Times. The police very politely asked us to move, and we declined. They pulled up the police van and put us in.

The Tony Award winner is also a spokeswoman for the Alliance for Quality Education, a New York-based organization that advocates for high quality academic opportunities.

Cynthia is a public school mom who is extremely sincere and knowledgeable and has consistently been outspoken on the need for fair and adequate funding for our public schools.  Billy Easton, executive director of Alliance for Quality Education

Cynthia is a public school mom who is extremely sincere and knowledgeable and has consistently been outspoken on the need for fair and adequate funding for our public schools, Billy Easton, executive director of AQE, told Fox News.

Shes been a very clear advocate, not just in a sort of self-interested, Im just trying to take care of my kids [way], but more from the standpoint of every kid deserves a great opportunity, he said.

In an op-ed for The Journal News, a New York newspaper, Nixon criticized the Trump administrations support for charter schools and implored New York to put more resources into public schools.

Gay rights

Nixon was honored with the Human Rights Campaigns Visibility Award in February 2018 because she is a fearless and outspoken advocate for all LGBTQ people, HRC President Chad Griffin said.

Cynthia uses her talent and public platform to speak out for equality in this country and around the globe, and in the process, she is changing countless hearts and minds, Griffin said in a statement.

CYNTHIA NIXON RELEASES MIRANDA-THEMED CAMPAIGN GEAR ON SHOW'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY

A year before she was awarded the honor, Nixon protested Trumps immigration ban at a rally held outside New York Citys Stonewall Inn, an important historical site for gay rights. She criticized Vice President Mike Pence, calling him the poster boy for anti-LGBT rhetoric, legislation and conversion therapy.

As LGBT people, we know how important coming out is, but I would argue that our coming out has never been more important than it is right now, Nixon said.

Nixon has been married to activist Marinoni since 2012. The pair lobbied to legalize gay marriage in Washington, where Marinoni is from.

Breast cancer awareness

After battling breast cancer herself, Nixon became a spokeswoman for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.

Nixon kept her own diagnosis quiet while she received treatment, telling ABC News she didnt want paparazzi at the hospital. After hearing the news from her doctor, she said she felt scared and didnt want this to be happening.

The cancer was found early, in 2006, and Nixon was able to beat it. She also had some prior experience with breast cancer; her mother successfully battled it when Nixon was a child, according to ABC News.

To treat it, Nixon had a lumpectomy and underwent more than six weeks of radiation, Fox News previously reported.

Access to abortion

Nixon has long been a supporter of Planned Parenthood and abortion rights, attending protests in Washington, D.C., and penning editorials in support of the reproductive health organization.

I am convinced that abortion rights are human rights not only because of compassion for my mother but also because I am a mother of three, Nixon wrote in an op-ed for Time, detailing her mothers own abortion. Many of us who made the decision to become parents have experienced a unique desire for parenthood. But that in no way mutes our desire for abortion to be safe, legal and available.

Women must have the right to determine whether and when to have children. That is what reproductive rights are all about, she continued. Abortion, like parenthood, is a deeply personal and sometimes complex decision for a woman, and no one can make that decision for her. Decisions about whether to choose adoption, end a pregnancy or raise a child must be left to the woman and her family to determine based on their faith with the counsel of their medical provider.

CYNTHIA NIXON EMBRACES 'UNQUALIFIED LESBIAN' LABEL IN NEW YORK GUBERNATORIAL RUN

Nixon was a keynote speaker at Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas awards luncheon in Dallas in March. And shes also participated in the Womens March, a nationwide women-led rally that advocates for women's rights, as well as other hot button issues such as immigration reform and LGBTQ rights

Mayor de Blasios campaign

Nixon was able to get another big-name celebrity to endorse Bill de Blasio in the Democratic primary when he ran for mayor in 2013: Alec Baldwin.

According to a New York Times profile, Nixon sent Baldwin an email, encouraging him to publicly pick de Blasio over Christine Quinn, then the speaker of the City Council.

Baldwin responded to Nixons email, ensuring her that he would support de Blasio and apologizing for lamely assuming that she was supporting Quinn as both women are lesbians, according to The Times.

She would also get other celebrities on board with de Blasio  including fellow Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker  and organized a fundraiser for him.

She is listed as one of de Blasios advisors. And for her own campaign, she's assembled a staff that includes veteran operatives who have worked for de Blasio, according to NY1.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The U.S. Supreme Court Monday rejected a request from Pennsylvania GOP lawmakers to throw out a new congressional district map drawn by the state's highest court.

The justices allowed the map to stand in a brief order denying a request for an emergency stay of enforcement. The court made no additional comment on the request.

A few hours earlier, a federal court in Pennsylvania also allowed the redrawn boundaries to begin going into effect.

"The plaintiffs invite us to opine on the appropriate balance of power between the Commonwealth's legislature and judiciary in redistricting matters, and then to pass judgment on the propriety of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's actions under the United States Constitution," the panel of judges wrote. "These are things that, on the present record, we cannot do."

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania had ruled that a 2011 GOP-crafted district map violated the state constitution's guarantee of free and equal elections. The new map was handed down by the court last month.

The pair of rulings makes it highly likely that this year's congressional elections in Pennsylvania will be conducted under district lines widely viewed as more favorable to Democrats than the 2011 map. Republicans had won 13 of the state's 18 congressional seats in the three elections where the old map was used.

The federal judges' decision comes in a case brought a month ago by eight sitting Republican congressmen and two GOP state senators. They argued the state justices infringed on the Legislature's prerogative and did not give lawmakers enough time to come up with a replacement.

The panel said the senators have only two votes in their chamber, calling that "inadequate as a matter of law to allow a lawsuit premised on an institutional injury to the General Assembly." The eight Republican congressmen, the judges wrote, may have wasted resources campaigning in their old districts, but they cannot prove that was caused by a violation of the U.S. Constitution's Elections Clause.

"The cost of shifting district boundaries -- in terms of both campaign funding and constituent fealty -- is surely appreciable," the judges wrote. "But the federal congressional plaintiffs have identified no legal principle tethering that cost to a legally cognizable interest in the composition of their electoral districts under the Elections Clause."

The emergency stay request was brought to the U.S. Supreme Court by two senior Republicans in the state Legislature who were on the losing end of the state Supreme Court decision. A stay would have resulted in the use of the 2011 map for this year's congressional elections in Pennsylvania. They wanted the new map put on hold while they pursued an appeal to the nation's highest court.

Both decisions came with just one day left for the state's congressional candidates to circulate petitions to get on the May 15 primary ballot. A special election for an open congressional seat last week did not use the revised maps.

More than 40 candidates had filed petition paperwork by mid-day Monday, according to state elections bureau data.

Fox News' Bill Mears and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Following up on the North America Nakba Tour that visited Chattanooga during Human Rights Month in December 2018, the International Solidarity Movement and two internationally renowned activists, Rana Nazzal and Joe Catron, visited Chattanooga to raise awareness about the current state of human rights issues in Palestine. The group spoke to the Political Economy and Middle East Politics classes at Southern Adventist University and convened a public talk "Straight From the Frontlines of Palestine" at The Well on the Southside, which is a member church of the Adventist Peace Fellowship.Paul Larudee of International Solidarity Movement-Northern California said, "A human rights advocate multiplies her/his effectiveness by combating Israeli human rights violations on the ground in Palestine.We need advocates everywhere, but being in Palestine is an exponential change. In fact, when you return, you will find yourself far more effective at home than before you left."Gandhi Global Center For Peace Co-Founder Missy Crutchfield said, "The work for nonviolent revolution in Israel-Palestine, Egypt and across the Middle East is the final frontier of civil and human rights. And Palestine specifically has become a metaphor for ending global occupation and oppression. Gandhi spoke to it. Mandela spoke to it. And Gandhi reminded us that fear is the enemy, not each other, and ultimately it will be love that conquers all."The North America International Solidarity Movement Tour is administered by the International Solidarity Movement  Northern California.Local Chattanooga partners working with the committee to bring the North America International Solidarity Movement Tour to Chattanooga include Gandhi Global Center For Peace and The Well on the Soutside, a member church of the Adventist Peace Fellowship.The Facebook live video and radio show interview on WGOW Talk Radio 102.3 FM are available for replay in coverage of the visit on Gandhi's Be Magazine here
The Museum of the Bible has acquired one of the two Bibles President Trump used to take the oath of office in January 2017, joining other versions used by American presidents at the privately-funded Washington, D.C museum.

Trump brought out his childhood Bible, which was given to him by his mother, Mary Anne, several times during the 2016 campaign. His Revised Standard Version (RSV) Bible was then used for the inauguration ceremony on top of the same book President Abraham Lincoln used in 1861.

My mother gave me this Bible, this very Bible, many years ago, Trump said in a campaign video from Trump Tower. In fact its her writing right here. She wrote the name and my address, and its just very special to me.

The future 45th president of the United States carried the Bible  which has the Trump name etched on the cover  to Sunday school classes at First Presbyterian Church in Queens, New York. His pastor and teachers also inscribed his Good Book when he graduated from Sunday school in 1955.

"We are honored to add this piece of our nation's history to our growing exhibit of presidential Bibles," Museum of the Bible President Cary Summers said in a statement. "It is our hope that guests will be able to learn not only about each president's unique Bible, but also about the influence this book has had on government and elected officials around the world."

The Museum of the Bible placed the Trump Bible on display in the Bible in the World exhibit on the second floor, alongside the Bibles of presidents Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush.

Truman, like Trump, used his personal Bible when he was sworn in as President of the United States in 1945. Eisenhower and Bush had their Bibles opened to a Scripture during their oath. Eisenhowers was opened to Psalm 33:12 during the inauguration in 1953, and Bush had has family Bible opened to the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:3-12 during his ceremony in 1989. His son used the same one when he became president in 2001.

In addition to the presidential Bible collection, the museum features 22 other exhibits on the Bibles impact on different subjects, from education and human rights to fashion and literature.

The Museum of the Bible, located on the Washington Mall, opened its doors to the public in November with thousands of artifacts dedicated solely to the Judeo-Christian Holy Book.
President Trump "constantly brought up former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabes wife and her failed Democratic bid for office during their conversations, Fox News has learned.

"Every time the two met, the president would bring up McCabe's wife and how she lost her election," a source close to McCabe said.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired McCabe on Friday. The president has celebrated McCabes ouster on Twitter as a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI.

McCabes wife ran as a Democrat for a Virginia state Senate seat in 2015, and she received donations from Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe's super PAC. McAuliffe is a close Clinton ally.

McCabe has identified himself as a lifelong Republican, but has said he did not vote in the 2016 presidential election.

These details about Trumps reference to McCabes wife are included in the memos McCabe wrote about his interactions with the president, the source said. Those memos have now been turned over to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team.

The president has referenced McCabes wife and those donations on Twitter.

How many hundreds of thousands of dollars was given to wifes campaign by Crooked H friend, Terry M, who was also under investigation? he tweeted Saturday.

According to the source, McCabe's memos also detail meetings former FBI Director James Comey had with the president.

"These memos also corroborate Comey's version of his meetings with President Trump, the source said.



Trump lashed out against Mr. McCabe and the memos over Twitter, expressing skepticism about their existence.

"Spent very little time with Andrew McCabe, but he never took notes when he was with me, Trump tweeted. I don't believe he made memos except to help his own agenda, probably at a later date. Same with lying James Comey. Can we call them fake memos?"

McCabe was fired just days before he would have been eligible for a lifetime pension after it was determined by career officials at the DOJ and FBI that he lied to investigators reviewing the bureaus probe of Hillary Clintons email server.

Fox News' Alex Pappas contributed to this report.
Speaking from one of the states hardest hit by the opioid epidemic, President Trump on Monday laid out a battle plan that calls for harsher sentences - and even the death penalty - for traffickers.

Trump called for expanded treatment options for victims in the Manchester, N.H., speech, but leveled most of his emphasis on beefed-up enforcement. And he heaped plenty of scorn on the people he believes are responsible for as many as 42,000 U.S. deaths per year.

"These are terrible people and we have to get tough with those people," Trump said of traffickers and dealers. "This isnt about committees... this is about winning a very tough problem."

"The ultimate penalty has to be the death penalty," Trump said, before musing, "maybe our country is not ready for that."

Trump wants Congress to pass legislation reducing the amount of drugs needed to trigger mandatory minimum sentences for traffickers who knowingly distribute certain illicit opioids. The death penalty would be pursued where appropriate under current law. Justice Department says the federal death penalty is available for several limited drug-related offenses, including violations of the "drug kingpin" provisions in federal law.

Trump reiterated an observation he has shared several times before -- that a person in the U.S. can get the death penalty or life in prison for shooting one person, but that a drug dealer whose actions could lead to thousands of overdoses can spend little or no time in jail.

The president said the federal government may consider aggressive litigation against pharmaceutical companies deemed complicit in the crisis.

"Whether you are a dealer or doctor or trafficker or a manufacturer, if you break the law and illegally peddle these deadly poisons, we will find you and we will arrest you and we will hold you accountable," Trump said.

Trump singled out Mexico and China as main sources of illicit opioids. A Drug Enforcement Administration report last year said: "Seizures indicated that China supplies lower volumes of high-purity fentanyl, whereas fentanyl seizures from Mexico are higher volume but lower in purity."

Smuggling operations in both countries constantly try to elude U.S. officials by selling through the Internet and sending the substances  which chemists for these traffickers often alter to avoid detection  through the U.S. postal service, U.S. officials have said.

Trump also announced a nationwide public awareness campaign, as well as increased research and development through public-private partnerships between the federal National Institutes of Health and pharmaceutical companies.

He announced a new website, Crisisnextdoor.gov, where people can share their stories about addiction. The hope is that horror stories will scare people away from behavior that could lead to addiction.

The Trump administration aims to see the number of filled opioid prescriptions cut by one-third within three years.

A third part of the plan addresses improving access to treatment and recovery programs that have proven effective. Many health professionals, relatives of those who have died of overdoses and people who have experienced addiction to opioids have been pushing for treatment to be a key component of any campaign to fight the epidemic.

"Failure is not an option," the president said. "Addiction is not our future. We will liberate our country from this crisis."

Opioids, including prescription opioids, heroin and synthetic drugs such as fentanyl, killed more than 42,000 people in the U.S. in 2016, more than any year on record, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And a recent CDC report said that the number of people checking into the emergency room after overdosing rose by 30 percent between July 2016 and September 2017.

"Drug dealers show no respect for human dignity and put their own greed ahead of the safety and even the lives of others. Drug trafficking is an inherently violent and deadly business: if you want to collect a drug debt, you collect it with the barrel of a gun. As surely as night follows day, violence and death follow drug trafficking, and murder is often a tool of drug traffickers," Attorney General Jeff Sessions reacted. "At the Department of Justice, we have made ending the drug epidemic a priority. We will continue to aggressively prosecute drug traffickers and we will use federal law to seek the death penalty wherever appropriate."

"We cannot arrest our way out of the opioid epidemicwe tried that and ended up with an even bigger addiction problem and the worlds largest prison population," Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, R-Ill., responded. "The war on drugs didnt work in the 80s, and it wont work now by reviving failed deterrence measures like the death penalty for drug dealers. We must instead crack down on the over-production and over-prescribing of painkillers, and increase treatment for those suffering from addictionboth of which have bipartisan support in Congress."

Last October, Trump declared the crisis a national public health emergency, short of the national state of emergency sought by a presidential commission he put together to study the issue.

Meanwhile, Congress plans to weigh a range of bills targeted at curbing the epidemic. The bills cover everything from improving access to treatment to intercepting shipments of illicit opioids en route to the United States.

"Our recommendations will be urgent and bipartisan, and they will come very quickly," said Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, according to published reports.

Fox News' Jason Donner, Jake Gibson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The White House and congressional Democrats traded proposals over the weekend about how to fix an Obama-era program protecting hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children from deportation, Fox News has learned.

A source familiar with the talks said discussions broke down after Democrats rejected a bid by the Trump administration to extend protections for those enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program until the fall of 2020. In exchange, the White House would receive $25 billion in funding for President Trump's long-sought wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Democrats countered with an offer to provide funding for the wall in exchange for a pathway to citizenship for all 1.8 million DACA-eligible immigrants -- as opposed to the estimated 800,000 who are enrolled in the program. At that point, the source told Fox News the talks broke down.

"The Democrats do not want to help DACA. Would be so easy to make a deal!" Trump tweeted Monday night.

The immigration talks were part of larger negotiations on a $1.3 trillion catchall spending bill, which would have to pass Congress by midnight Friday to avert another government shutdown.

Trump ended the DACA program in September of last year, but a court decision has essentially left it in place, for now. The president also traveled to California last week to inspect prototypes for the border wall, but what's pending now is $1.6 billion for earlier designs involving sections in Texas that double as levees and 14 miles of replacement fencing in San Diego.

It appears Democrats may be willing to accept wall funding, but they are battling hard against Trump's demands for big increases for immigration agents and detention beds they fear would enable wide-scale roundups of immigrants illegally living in the U.S.

Fox News' Mike Emanuel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke defended his use of the Japanese greeting konnichiwa when responding to a question from a lawmaker.

Zinke told reporters Saturday that the phrase is innocent and inoffensive.

How could ever saying good morning be bad? he said during his tour of the U.S.-Mexico Border in Arizona.

Zinke took heat last week after he said konnichiwa to a Japanese American congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, D-Hawaii, who quizzed him over funding for the Japanese American Confinement Sites program.

Will we see it funded again in 2018?," Rep. Hanabusa, asked Zinke last week.

"Oh, Konnichiwa," Zinke replied, sparking uproar among some lawmakers, civic groups and on social media who perceived the use of the phrase as perpetuating negative stereotypes about Japanese Americans.

"I think it's still 'ohayo gozaimasu,' but that's okay," Hanabusa corrected Zinke with a greeting normally used in the morning.

Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., called on Zinke to apologize for the remark: Zinke's comment betrayed a prejudice that being Asian makes you a perpetual foreigner. Intentional or not, it's offensive. He should apologize.

Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, also criticized the interior secretary.

How could ever saying good morning be bad?  Interior Secretary Zinke

The internment of nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans is no laughing matter, @SecretaryZinke. What you thought was a clever response to @RepHanabusa was flippant & juvenile, Hirono tweeted.

Hanabusa issued a statement on Saturday, saying the real issue here is that the administration ignored one of the most racially motivated periods in American history by defunding the Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) grant program.

When Secretary Zinke chose to address me in Japanese (when no one else was greeted in their ancestral language), I understood this is precisely why Japanese Americans were treated as they were more than 75 years ago, she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Astronomers are hunting down the cause of a nearby galaxy's "arrested development" with the help of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

The odd galaxy, called NGC 1277, doesn't appear to have evolved much in the past 10 billion years, a new study reports. Learning about its history should shed light on galaxy formation and evolution in general, study team members said.

NGC 1277, which is located about 240 million light-years away from Earth, is called a "red and dead" galaxy because it doesn't have enough fuel to produce new stars. That wasn't always the case, however. Shortly after the galaxy was formed, it produced stars 1,000 times faster than they are formed today in our Milky Way, the researchers said. [Gallery: 65 All-Time Great Galaxy Hits]

Astronomers think the key to NGC 1277's development lies in its globular clusters, which are groups of stars. Large galaxies typically have two types of clusters: metal poor, which appear blue, and metal rich, which appear red. (In astronomical parlance, a metal is any element on the periodic table that's heavier than helium.) Early in a typical galaxy's history, it should have a lot of red clusters; researchers think the blue clusters form later, after smaller satellites are absorbed into the center of the galaxy.

The Milky Way has roughly equal numbers of red and blue globular clusters, in part because our galaxy eats up galactic neighbors that get too close. But in NGC 1277, there are almost no blue globular clusters at all, the new study reports. This suggests the galaxy stopped growing because it didn't eat up nearby galaxies  a process that spurs star formation because of the new reservoirs of gas and dust that are available to it after such events.

"I've been studying globular clusters in galaxies for a long time, and this is the first time I've ever seen this," study lead author Michael Beasley, an astronomer at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC) at the University of La Laguna in Spain, said in a statement.

NGC 1277 might be moving too fast to eat, the researchers added. It's speeding through the Perseus cluster of galaxies at about 2 million mph (3.2 million km/h), which may not allow it to pick up gas for new star formation. The Perseus galaxy cluster also has a punishing environment near the center; the intergalactic gas there is too hot to coalesce for star formation, study team members said.

NGC 1277's shape is also a source of mystery. NGC 1277 has twice as many stars as the Milky Way, but it's just one-quarter the size of our galaxy. To researchers, the shape of NGC 1277 suggests that perhaps all galaxies, including the Milky Way, started as small, stunted collections of stars. It was only after accreting more material that galaxies grew into spirals and the other shapes that we see in the sky today.

NGC 1277 isn't the only "red and dead" galaxy out there; Hubble spotted several of these in the early universe. (In fact, astronomers suggest that 1 in 1,000 massive galaxies in the universe should look like NGC 1277.) The other galaxies, however, are too far away to see clearly. But NGC 1277's relative proximity allows astronomers to see greater detail, enabling more insights into its composition and history.

"We can explore such original galaxies in full detail and probe the conditions of the early universe," study co-author Ignacio Trujillo, who is also an astronomer at the IAC, said in the same statement.

Astronomers cottoned on to NGC 1277's unique history because of its central black hole, which is much more massive than expected for a galaxy of that size. Some astronomers suggest that young galaxies and black holes grow together; in the case of NGC 1277, the black hole may be overly massive (compared to those of other galaxies) because the galaxy's growth suffered from the lack of new stars.

The study team has used the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to identify another 10 candidate "arrested development" galaxies. As for NGC 1277, team members hope to use NASA's forthcoming James Webb Space Telescope (which launches in 2019) to look at how globular clusters move within NGC 1277. The clusters' movements will provide more information on dark matter  mysterious stuff that doesn't emit or absorb light, but which makes up most of the mass of the universe.

The results were published in the March 12 issue of the journal Nature.

Originally published on Space.com.
Two years after his historic return from the International Space Station (ISS), astronaut Scott Kellys year on the orbiting space lab continues to be a source of fascination.

Recently, attention has been focused on the changes that occurred in Kellys DNA during his time in space and whether his genetic makeup was permanently altered or not. Kelly returned to Earth after his 340-day stay in March 2016 and retired from NASA later that year.

During his time on the ISS, Scott took part in a study with his twin brother Mark back on Earth. Scientists studied the differences between Scott and Mark, who was also an astronaut at the time. The brothers provided blood, saliva and urine samples, underwent ultrasounds and bone scans, got flu shots and more, all in the name of science.

ASTRONAUT SCOTT KELLY: MY INCREDIBLE YEAR IN SPACE AND THE 'CRAZY RIDE' BACK TO EARTH

Scientists confirmed the preliminary findings of the Twins Study earlier this year. Researchers now know that 93 percent of Scotts genes returned to normal after landing, explained NASA in a statement released on Jan. 31. However, the remaining 7 percent point to possible longer term changes in genes related to his immune system, DNA repair, bone formation networks, hypoxia, and hypercapnia.

Scott Kelly himself also discussed the DNA changes during a recent interview with Fox News.

So, is he still an identical twin or not? Following widespread media coverage that a portion of Scott Kellys DNA was permanently changed by his year in space, NASA updated its Jan. 31 statement on March 15.

ASTRONAUT SCOTT KELLY: HOW I WENT FROM BAD STUDENT TO SPACE STAR

Mark and Scott Kelly are still identical twins; Scotts DNA did not fundamentally change, it said. What researchers did observe are changes in gene expression, which is how your body reacts to your environment. This likely is within the range for humans under stress, such as mountain climbing or SCUBA diving.

NASA added that the gene expression impact was relatively small. The change related to only 7 percent of the gene expression that changed during spaceflight that had not returned to preflight after six months on Earth, it said in its statement. This change of gene expression is very minimal.

The astronaut became the first American to spend 12 consecutive months in space when he completed his epic 340-day stint on the ISS.

ASTRONAUT SCOTT KELLY BACK ON EARTH AFTER YEARLONG SPACE MISSION

Kellys year in space is an important stepping stone for the longer missions required to reach Mars. The space agencys goal is to send a manned mission into low orbit around the Red Planet in the 2030s. However, the epic roundtrip journey could take 2-years and scientists are keen to weigh the potential impact of long-term missions on astronauts bodies and minds. Exposure to radiation will also pose a risk to astronauts on Mars missions.

We are at the beginning of our understanding of how spaceflight affects the molecular level of the human body, said NASA, in its updated statement. NASA and the other researchers collaborating on these studies expect to announce more comprehensive results on the twins studies this summer.

Kelly served as a Navy fighter pilot and test pilot prior to his selection by NASA in 1996. The Orange, NJ.-native went on to become a Space Shuttle pilot and commander and had two stints on the ISS.

The Associated Press contributed to this article. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
It's the stuff of legend: A wagon from the Union Army supposedly lost a huge cache of gold bars while en route from Wheeling, West Virginia, to the US Mint in Philadelphia in 1863.

More than 150 years later, the FBI is overseeing a dig in a Pennsylvania state forest where the famous loot might be buried, reports the AP.

The dig is taking place at Dents Run, about 135 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, though no parties involvedthe FBI, the state, or the treasure-hunting group Finders Keepersare saying much.

"I'm sorry, but as of right now all we're allowed to say is 'No Comment,'" a group member tells the Washington Post. "We'll keep you in mind when/if anything changes." Finders Keepers has long insisted that the gold is there, as detailed in this older post on its website, but it says skeptical state officials have never authorized a dig.

That apparently changed last week as the excavation got underway. Various accounts say the Union wagon train was carrying 26 or 52 gold bars, which would be worth $27 million or $55 million, respectively, today.

The Philadelphia Inquirer notes that a Civil War sergeant supposedly claimed that he was the lone survivor of an ambush on the wagon train, and the dig site is about 9 miles from where he said the ambush took place.

Historians have been skeptical about the story over the years, but Finders Keepers says it has found artifacts at the site suggesting Union soldiers were there.

The group also says metal detectors suggest something is buried there. Whether the lost gold is a tall tale or a genuine treasure should be known soon.

(Elsewhere, a fortune in gold might be buried in the Bay Area of California.)

This article originally appeared on Newser: Legendary Lost Gold May Have Been Found
The "Star Wars" robots R2-D2 and BB-8 are the droids that NASA is looking for  "astromechs" that can help repair spaceships on the fly, a NASA robotics engineer says.

Future NASA robots might resemble humanoid droids such as C-3PO and K-2SO from the waist up, but have giant mechanical spidery legs from the waist down, the engineer added in a new piece for the journal Science Robotics.

For more than 20 years, NASA has sought to develop robot assistants for astronauts. So far, they have developed three droids. [R2-D2 Gets Real: 'Star Wars' Droids Already Exist]

First, NASA developed Robonaut, a humanoid upper body mounted on several different lower bodies, although it was never flown in orbit. Second, they developed the far more advanced Robonaut 2, which made its way to the International Space Station in 2011. Third, in 2013, NASA engineers built Valkyrie, a lighter, full-body humanoid, to explore the potential of bipedal walking on Mars and other planetary surfaces.

However, to explore the full range of possibilities that robots in space can offer, look no further than "Star Wars," where droids can serve as translators, pilot ships, fight wars, hack enemy computers, ferry secret documents across enemy lines, and even serve drinks.

"'Star Wars' is a common cultural touchstone  say something's just like R2-D2, and your eyes will light right up," said W. Kris Verdeyen, a robotics engineer at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, who wrote about 'Star Wars' robots March 14 in Science Robotics. "Now 'Star Wars' is a fantasy movie  they take a lot of leeway with the physics, they're never without gravity  but as a tool to communicate to the public what the potential with robots is, it's wonderful," he told Space.com.

Of the most interest to NASA are "astromechs" such as R2-D2 and BB-8, which can keep a spaceship running even as it is being blown apart. "It'd be really nice to imagine a robot crawling on the outside of a space station to repair it," Verdeyen said.

Such droids could start off simple. "Even if the robot was really dumb, you could put it on the outside of the space station, and if there's a hole, it could just put its finger in it until the astronaut fixes it, to give you an idea of how we can get from no capability to 'Star Wars' capabilities," Verdeyen said.

In the movies, droids act just like robotic Swiss Army knives, nearly always equipped with the right tools for any situation. Although NASA would be hard-pressed to mimic this aspect of astromechs, Verdeyen does note that in tests, NASA's droids have used drills, surgical equipment and other tools.

"If we make a robot that looks and manipulate tools like a human, it can use tools that already exist for astronauts," Verdeyen said.

The ability to use human tools is just one reason why NASA droids are more likely to resemble humanoid droids than "Star Wars" astromechs. Another is that, well, rolling droids like R2-D2 and BB-8 are unlikely to fare well in real-life environments.

But the robots that NASA develops for missions to space may also not resemble humanoid droids such as C-3PO and K-2SO, either, Verdeyen added. "It doesn't make sense to have a bipedal walking robot for zero gee," he said. "If you look at the legs for Robonaut 2, they're big, spidery legs, made for climbing around in zero gee."

Although future NASA droids may not physically resemble "Star Wars" astromechs, when it comes to brains, NASA's robots would aim for their detailed spacecraft knowledge and real-time problem-solving ability. To reach that level, NASA is exploring what it calls "embedded intelligence," where robotic bodies are accompanied by an artificial intelligence and knowledge database similar to IBM's Watson.

"We're picturing something like Watson on a rack in a spacecraft local to whatever robot or astronaut would need to use it," Verdeyen said. This computer could then wirelessly control the robot or communicate with the astronaut, he said.

Verdeyen emphasized that NASA's droids are not coming a long time from now in a galaxy far, far away. "Everybody thinks robots like we see in the movies are far off, and they are, but they're less far off than they were five or 10 years ago," he said.

Original article on Space.com.
Cybercriminals are turning to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin to convert illegal revenue into clean cash, new research shows.

Cybercriminal proceeds make up an estimated 8 to 10 percent of total illegal profits laundered globally, according to research released by Bromium, a cybersecurity firm. That slice of illegal profits amounts to an estimated $80 billion to $200 billion each year.

The findings were announced Friday as are part of a larger nine-month study sponsored by Bromium.

It's already relatively easy for criminals to "wash money and convert it into cash," and the rise of unregulated, cryptocurrencies is accelerating this trend, said Gregory Webb, CEO of Bromium, in a statement.

NEWEST ID SCAM CREATES FAKE PEOPLE, POSES TERRORIST THREAT

Its no surprise to see cybercriminals using virtual currency for money laundering," said the report's author, Dr. Mike McGuire, senior lecturer in criminology at Surrey University.

"The attraction is obvious. Its digital, so is an easily convertible way of acquiring and transferring cyber-crime revenue, McGuire said in a statement.

Property purchases are becoming a popular target for criminals using virtual currency. This allows them to convert illegal proceeds into legitimate cash and assets, the research added.

Websites such as Bitcoin Real Estate offer everything from penthouse suites and lavish mansions, to 160-acre private islands, all with the option to buy using bitcoins, according to the study.

Properties purchased with cryptocurrency are not as closely scrutinized as cash purchases. Cryptocurrencies are not yet regulated by any central banks or governments, though increased scrutiny is being placed on them, with Facebook, Twitter and Google banning cryptocurrency-related ads.

About 25 percent of total property sales are predicted to be in cryptocurrency in the next few years, the study found. This worries financial analysts because it allows faster, more covert transactions. Many with criminal origins [which] could disrupt global property markets, the study noted.

But as law enforcement monitors Bitcoin more closely, criminals are changing tactics. Law enforcement agencies are now monitoring Bitcoin, causing many cybercriminals to look for alternatives, the research said.

Information on bitcoin transactions can leak during web transactions  typically via web trackers or cookies. This means that connecting transactions to individuals is possible in up to 60 percent of Bitcoin payments," the study added.

YOUR PERSONAL DATA MAY BE ON THE DARK WEB: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

As a result, digital currency platforms like Monero are gaining traction. Platforms such as Monero are designed to be truly anonymous, and other services such as CoinJoin can obscure transaction origins.

The report also cites the conversion of stolen income into video game currency or in-game items like gold, which are then converted into bitcoin or other electronic formats.

The study lists video games such as "Minecraft," "FIFA," "World of Warcraft," "Final Fantasy," "Star Wars Online" and "GTA 5," which are among the most popular options because they allow covert interactions with other players that allow trade of currency and goods," according to the research.

Gaming currencies and items that can be easily converted and moved across borders offer an attractive prospect to cybercriminals, McGuire said in the statement. This trend appears to be particularly prevalent in countries like South Korea and China  with South Korean police arresting a gang transferring $38 million laundered in Korean games, back to China.

The full findings will be presented at the RSA Conference in April.


Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and Rep. Ryan Costello (R-Pa.) Monday proposed legislation that would lower individual health insurance premiums in the individual market up to 40 percent and said that it should be included in the Omnibus spending bill Congress will consider this week.

Our recommendations are based upon Senate and House proposals developed in several bipartisan hearings and roundtable discussions, the four lawmakers said. According to independent experts, our proposal would reduce premiums in the individual market by up to 40 percent for farmers, songwriters, and small business men and women, and others who dont receive insurance from the government or from their employer and who pay for insurance on their own. A self-employed plumber making $60,000 may be paying $20,000 for health insurance. Over time, our proposal could cut up to $8,000 from that insurance bill.

Preliminary projections from the Congressional Budget Office indicate that the proposal could be adopted without adding to the federal debt.

Health care experts at management consulting firm Oliver Wyman released an analysis this week comparing this proposal to what people in the individual market will pay if Congress doesnt act. The analysis showed that this package would reduce premiums by up to 40 percent in the individual market for states that obtain a Section 1332 Affordable Care Act waiver and would provide insurance coverage to an additional 3.2 million individuals. The analysis also factored in increased flexibility for states that seek to use state innovation waivers and applies in the individual health insurance market on and off the exchange.

The United States Chamber of Commerce is urging Congress to include this legislation in the omnibus.Twenty patient and consumer groupsincluding the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and the American Lung Associationalso recently urged Congress to pass this legislation. The AARP called on Congress to strengthen the individual health insurance market and protect affordability and coverage for millions of Americans.

Background on the proposal:

Meaningful permanent flexibility for states in revised Section 1332 Affordable Care Act State Innovation Waivers.

Three years funding of invisible high risk pools/reinsurance at $10 billion per year, with a federal fallback in the first year. States could set up an invisible high-risk pool based on the Alaska/Maine model, a traditional reinsurance pool, a pool based on another states model, or something of their own design.

Authorizes new copper plans that will allow anyone to buy catastrophic coverage.

Three years funding of cost-sharing reduction subsidies. Helps those who are below 250 percent of the poverty level who receive government assistance to help them pay for their deductibles and co-pays.

Includes protections so that federal funding directly benefits Americans, not insurance companies.

Requires the HHS secretary to issue regulations allowing insurers to sell plans across state lines.

Does not change Affordable Care Act essential benefits requirements or guarantee of insurance for an individual with pre-existing conditions.

Includes the traditional Hyde protections that have applied to appropriations bills since 1976 and that apply to Medicaid, Medicare, Childrens Health Insurance Program, TRICARE, Indian Health Service, Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, Veterans Affairs, and the Labor-HHS appropriations bill. Clarifies that Hyde-exemptions and effect on non-federal funding remain the same.

Requires transparency for consumers purchasing short-term limited duration insurance. States may add additional requirements on top of the federal requirements.

Click here for the text of the proposed legislation.
Following outrage over a data breach that may exposed approximately 50 million Facebook accounts and resulted in a $40 billion decline in its market cap, the social network has hired a digital forensics firm "to conduct a comprehensive audit of Cambridge Analytica."

In a blog post, Facebook said it has approached the firm, as well as former Cambridge Analytica contractor Christopher Wylie and current Cambridge Analytica data scientist Aleksandr Kogan to submit to the audit as well. The Mark Zuckeberg-led company said Kogan has given his verbal agreement, but added that Wylie has thus far declined.

"This is part of a comprehensive internal and external review that we are conducting to determine the accuracy of the claims that the Facebook data in question still exists," Facebook said in the statement. "This is data Cambridge Analytica, SCL, Mr. Wylie, and Mr. Kogan certified to Facebook had been destroyed. If this data still exists, it would be a grave violation of Facebooks policies and an unacceptable violation of trust and the commitments these groups made."

LAWMAKERS DEMAND ANSWERS FROM FAEBOOK AFTER CLAIM THAT ANALYTICS FIRM SNATCHED USER DATA FOR TRUMP CAMPAIGN

The firm added: "We are moving aggressively to determine the accuracy of these claims. We remain committed to vigorously enforcing our policies to protect peoples information. We also want to be clear that today when developers create apps that ask for certain information from people, we conduct a robust review to identify potential policy violations and to assess whether the app has a legitimate use for the data. We actually reject a significant number of apps through this process. Kogans app would not be permitted access to detailed friends data today."

Britain's information commissioner said she would apply for a warrant to access the servers of Cambridge Analytica. Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said in a statement Monday that she planned to seek the warrant because the British firm had been "uncooperative" in her investigation of whether Facebook data was "illegally acquired and used."

Also Monday, The New York Times has reported Facebook's chief information security officer plans to leave in August .

The newspaper, citing current and former employees it did not name, said Alex Stamos would leave after a disagreement over how the social network should deal with its role in spreading misinformation. It said Stamos pushed to do more to investigate and disclose Russian activity and that he stayed to oversee transferring some 100 people in his group to other divisions.

When reached by The Associated Press, a Facebook spokeswoman did not address whether Stamos was leaving, although she pointed to a tweet in which Stamos says he's still fully engaged at Facebook but that his role has changed.

Domingo Guerra, co-founder and president of security specialist Appthority, said the data leak was reminiscent of previous gaps his company has identified, raising security concerns.

"Facebook has a huge responsibility to protect its users and their data, as Facebook is used by millions of people all over the world," Guerra said. "Plus, when Facebook acquired WhatsApp, they essentially acquired every mobile cellphone number in the world. Even if you dont use WhatsApp, if any of your friends have your phone number in their address book, then Facebook has that as WhatsApp harvests each users address book. So, your friends can share your data/phone number and youll never know."

It's unclear at this point whether this specific breach will impact the company's advertising business over the long-run, but eMarketer analyst Debra Aho Williamson said it is something for advertisers to be cautious about.

"This specific incident is not likely to cause advertisers to leave Facebook, but it will cause them to think twice about how data about Facebooks users is handled," Williamson told Fox News. "Facebooks advertising system depends on user data, and it has used that data to develop targeted advertising capabilities that are better than any other company can offer. If Facebook were forced to change the way it uses data or the way its ad products work, then advertisers may become less enamored with it."

The research firm said it expects worldwide ad spending on Facebook to grow 22 percent in 2018, reaching $48.85 billion, accounting for nearly 18 percent of all global digital advertising.



The company has come under fire from lawmakers after it announced over the weekend it was suspending Cambridge Analytica, which has ties to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

In Washington, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee told ABC News' "This Week" that Cambridge Analytica's work deserved further scrutiny by the panel.

"We need to find out what we can about the misappropriation of the privacy, the private information of tens of millions of Americans," Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said.

Schiff pointed out that the committee had only done one interview with Alexander Nix, the head of the U.K.-based firm. "Even then it was by a video conference at the GOP's insistence," he said.

In a separate statement, Schiff said Facebook must "answer important questions about why it provided private user information to an academic, how they have informed users in advance of these kinds of data transfers, and whether it can demonstrate that this data has indeed been destroyed. They must also answer questions about how they have notified users about this breach of their personal data."

FACEBOOK APOLOGIZES FOR SEARCH SUGGESTIONS OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY VIDEOS

Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., told CNN's "State of the Union" that it was important to find out "who knew what when?"

"This is a big deal, when you have that amount of data," Flake said. "And the privacy violations there are significant. So, the question is, who knew it? When did they know it? How long did this go on? And what happens to that data now?"

News of the data breach, which may have provided Cambridge Analytica access to 50 million accounts, sent the stock down sharply in Monday trading, falling as low as $170.06, before slightly recovering.

Fox News' Samuel Chamberlain and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_Ciaccia
A group of underage partiers were arrested in Florida on Saturday afternoon for partaking in the spring break debauchery.

The Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office posted a picture on Twitter of the 14 spring breakers that were arrested for underage drinking  all before 2:40 pm on St. Patricks Day.

Full bus of 14 #SpringBreak arrests by 2:40 PM today. We remind you we have #ZeroTolerance for underage drinking! 21 is the law -and it's strictly enforced for your safety and the safety of those around you, the Sheriffs Office tweeted.

SPRING BREAKERS GONE WILD: COLLEGE STUDENTS ANNUAL RITE OF DEBAUCHERY CONTINUES

But the handcuffs havent seemed to dampen the groups spirits. Several of the bus riding law breakers posed for the camera. One girl in the back row even showed off her handcuffs by lifting up her arms, and flashed a big smile.

Though the crew seemed to be unfazed by the arrests, several on Twitter have a different point of view.

In response to the photo, one person tweeted, And far too many think it is FUNNY. Nothing funny about breaking the law, Parents should not tolerate this and these kids should be ashamed.

Another wrote on the Okaloosa County Twitter, Agree! Zero tolerance.

Spring break has been a growing problem for Florida beach towns with an estimated 4 million college students descending on the Sunshine State each year.

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This year several popular spring break destinations  Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Panama City Beach, Orlando and Daytona  have started cracking down on the rowdy and dangerous behaviors college kids engage in during the boozy week.

We changed the hours of drinking back two hours earlier, bars must close at two, no drinking on the beach in March, no parking overnight on the rightaways, those are just some of them, Panama City Beach Mayor Mike Thomas told Fox News. I know that the arrests are down, and that we are having a very nice spring break.

If you chose to act up, and chose not to follow our rules, youre going to jail, Thomas added.

The crackdown seems to be working for the city. Over 220 spring breakers had been arrested as of March 13, Metro reports.

Fort Lauderdale also issued stricter rules for partiers.

It just wont be tolerated. If thats what kids want, they definitely shouldnt be coming here," Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce President Dan Lindblade similarly told the Sun Sentinel. "The spring break days of the past arent that way anymore.

Fox News' Janine Puhak contributed to this report.
A grandmother has become the first Brit to reach every continent on a motorbike  on a journey of almost 80,000 miles.

Steph Jeavons, 42, sold all her belongings before setting off four years ago on a 250cc dirt bike.

The adventurer, from Colwyn Bay, north Wales, had been dreaming of the expedition for 20 years before she finally left in 2014.

She finally returned on Sunday, to the Ace Cafe in Stonebridge Park, north west London  almost four years after she set from there.

The mom-of-one was determined to go on the once-in-a-lifetime journey after having her son Nathan, aged 24.

She even became a grandmother to Alexis, three, while she was in India, on the same day she first saw a wild tiger.

Jeavons has now become the first Brit to lap the globe touching all seven continents on her trusty Honda CRF250L  nicknamed Rhonda the Honda.

She said: "I wanted to have a big trip years ago and I was 18 when I started thinking about it  originally it was just Borneo to see orangutans and it went on from there.

FISTFIGHTS, NUDE MASTURBATION AND DEAD PETS: WHAT'S GOING ON WITH AIRLINE TRAVEL?

"I had my son Nathan when I was 18, which reinforced that dream, and I was a mortgage adviser until 2008, but I decided to change my life and set up an off road motorcycle school in Wales with a business partner.

"Within six months of setting up, Honda offered us a contract and within 12 months we became the biggest off road school in the U.K., also running tours in Morocco.

"Eventually, I decided to ride to all seven continents, and a couple of tequilas convinced me I could do it.

"I drew a big line across the globe on a map in my office and started researching where I wanted to go.

"I realized certain things would be more difficult  I wanted to go through China  but it was very expensive, and I would've had to have a guide, so that dictated my route a little bit.

"Antarctica was a big one for me, just because it was a challenge, and people said I wouldn't be able to get my bike there, but we managed it on a tiny sailing yacht across the notoriously rough Drake Passage.

"It was extremely emotional, it really was a dream come true.

"I left aged 38  it was never going to happen if I didn't just set a date and had said I'd leave on my 40th birthday, but actually ended up leaving early.

"I've done almost 80,000 miles across four years of travel, with about six hours a day on the bike, covering 50 countries."

Jeavons' absolutely perfect' companion, Rhonda the Honda, has broken down just once during her journey.

She said highlights of the ride included Ethiopia, Colombia, Iran and Mexico  countries she had initially been nervous to visit.

Jeavons made her triumphant return to London at the Ace Cafe on Sunday, four years after she set off.

She added: "The bike has been dead reliable, it's really small bike and not a tourer because I wanted a dirt bike for off road and the mountains.

"I went home briefly from Canada, I had some injuries so I went home for physio, and got to meet Alexis, which was lovely.

"It's really difficult to choose my favorite  I loved a lot of the countries I was nervous of visiting.

"There were a lot of ups and downs, it really was a rollercoaster and there were some bits I didn't enjoy  Argentina was a bit of a low after the high of Antarctica.

"India was quite a difficult place to ride because it was 40 degree heat, the traffic is as bad as people say it is, and I got quite sick from heat exhaustion.

"People in most places are telling you that the next place is dangerous but I've never really had trouble, 95 percent of the people I've met have been exceptionally friendly and helpful.

"I think it's because I'm a strong woman on a bike and they're interested in my story, they want to help.

"With places like Iran, my friends and family were nervous of me going there alone, but every time I stopped locals were trying to take me home and feed me  my biggest danger was probably getting fat.

"Eastern Europe when I was still getting my grounding felt unsafe, because I was learning to cope alone and how to read people, but it was more about perspective."

Super-gran Jeavons said despite initial doubts from family and friends, they have been incredibly supportive of her grand tour.

She sold her house, business, belongings and bike before leaving a few sentimental items in her parents' attic.

Jeavons said: "I don't think people believed I'd do it, they thought I was full of it and even talking to my parents their eyes glazed over, but I was obsessed with the idea of the trip.

"My family are bikers too and they were very supportive, my friends said they knew I'd do it but that I could come home whenever I wanted.

"Everyone had faith in me but I was terrified, they thought I knew what I was doing but I didn't.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

"People loved that I was giving it a go, and they were impressed whatever happened.

"I sold everything, it was all or nothing for me and I couldn't put things on hold so I just went for it, basically all I was left with was a couple of boxes in my parents' attic."
A Democratic New York state lawmaker said Sunday she planned to introduce a bill that would give pet passengers the same rights as humans when flying on airplanes.

Sen. Marisol Alcantaras bill comes in wake of the uproar caused when a French bulldog named Kokito died after it was forced into an overhead bin by a United Airlines flight attendant last week.

Make no bones about it, United is in the doghouse, Alcantara, D-Manhattan, said outside LaGuardia Airport as she was joined by the family of the puppy.

Alcantaras bill, named Kokitos Law, would bar pets from being placed into overhead storage on airplanes, give pet passengers the same rights as humans, force cargo holds to be pressurized and ventilated and hold airlines to other safety standards, according to the New York Post.

The 10-month-old dog was killed during a United flight from Houston to New York after a flight attendant put the dogs carrier into an overhead bin. The family insisted that they told the attendant there was a dog in the bag.

The family said they heard the dog bark and whimper during the flight, but were prevented from getting up to check on the dog.

This was a tragic accident that should never have occurred, as pets should never be placed in the overhead bin. We assume full responsibility for this tragedy and express our deepest condolences to the family and are committed to supporting them, United Airlines spokeswoman Maggie Schmerin told Fox News in a statement. We are thoroughly investigating what occurred to prevent this from ever happening again.

The District Attorneys Office in Queens sad it was investigating the dogs death, according to the New York Post.
The friendly skies are starting to sound downright dangerous. In March alone, stories of rape, fistfights and dead beloved pets have dominated national headlines. And it seems no airline is immune. United, Southwest, American and Alaska Airlines are just a few of the carriers scrambling to explain the behavior of crew members. And tales of passengers gone wild can often be even more harrowing.

Both pets and humans have been mistreated by airlines for years. With the advent of smartphones and more and more passengers aware of taking them out and hitting record, theres been a microscope on airlines and how these incidents are handled. Especially following the Dr. Dao incident last year, passengers are better equipped to document anything that happens when traveling - especially on United, Brian Kelly, CEO and founder of The Points Guy told Fox News.

In a recent survey of airplane crew members, 67 percent of respondents said they have witnessed passengers behaving aggressively or violently toward each other, and 10 percent have experienced firsthand passenger-initiated violence.

But it's not just the flyers acting out. Things have gotten so bad with their employees, United just rolled out a compassion training program aimed at teaching employees how to be caring, safe, dependable and efficient. This new system will require around 30,000 customer-facing crew members to attend a four-hour training session to ensure all safety standards are met with a smile.

Despite recent headlines, however, complaints against the airline were down in 2017 from 2016. According to the Department of Transportation, only 2,030 complaints were made, compared to 2,277 the previous year.

But you wouldn't know that from the headlines over the past few weeks. Here is a quick summary.

A mix-up with United Airlines resulted in a familys dog being sent to Japan instead of Kansas. Irgo the German shepherd ended up in the foreign country when his owner, Kara Swindle, was moving with her family and pet from Oregon to Kansas. Swindle was traveling to Wichita with her two small children on one flight and 10-year-old Irgo was being flown out separately the same day. Since Irgo is a large breed, he had to be transported by kennel in the cargo hold of the plane. When Swindle went to pick up her dog from the cargo facility, she discovered Irgo was missing and there was a Great Dane waiting, instead. United confirmed the mix-up took place in Denver during a layover and the two pets were sent to the wrong destinations. A day later, Irgo was put on a private charter to be returned home to Kansas.

A man and his young daughter got kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight after the child allegedly wouldnt sit in her own seat. According to a witness, who recorded a viral video of the incident, the little girl was afraid and acting upset in preparation for takeoff. When the father asked for a minute to deal with his daughter, estimated to be around two years old, the attendant reportedly walked away and called for someone to remove them from the flight. Southwest confirmed the family was removed from the flight after the conversation escalated between the passengers and crew. They were later booked on a different flight to their destination.

A black man is calling out United Airlines for racial bias after he says a white woman was offered a $1,000 voucher to remove her feet from the tray table. However, the airline says it was all a misunderstanding. Frederick Joseph was traveling from Austin, Texas to Newark, New Jersey when the passenger next to him took off her shoes and placed her feet on the tray table. When he asked her to remove them, she reportedly refused and told a flight attendant he was disrupting her flight. In order to pacify the customer, Joseph claims she was offered a $1,000 voucher. While he later explained the airline assured him the woman received no such compensation, he still said he doesnt feel as though he was treated with equal respect because of his skin color. United denied Josephs accusations.

A French bulldog died on a United Airlines flight after the owners were forced by an attendant to store him in the overhead bin while traveling from Texas to New York. The pets owners paid $125 to have the dog on board and carried him on in a TSA-compliant carrier, which shouldve been kept underneath her seat in compliance with the airlines pet policy. However, a flight attendant told the family he had to be put in the overhead bin. Despite the dogs barking, the family was unable to check on their beloved pet until they reached their destination, at which time they discovered Kokito had died. Cause of death is assumed to be a lack of oxygen. United claimed full responsibility for the tragic accident and offered the family compensation.

An unruly passenger on a Lion Air flight was removed by aviation officials for wearing a life vest on board and instructing other passengers to do the same. Despite crew members removing the vest and stowing the item, the passenger took it out and put it back on six more times throughout the duration of the flight, claiming he could see and feel danger. The plane landed at its destination in Padang, Indonesia, but the passenger was apprehended and handed over to airport authorities.

A male American Airlines captain was arrested right before takeoff on a flight scheduled to fly out of Sao Paulo, Brazil after engaging in a heated argument with a female ground agent. The dispute was reportedly over the alignment of a jet bridge. When the agent accidentally stepped on the pilots foot, he became angry, pushing her and grabbing her by the neck, according to witnesses. An airport maintenance worker had to intervene and the flight was cancelled, leaving passengers stranded at the airport. The pilot was arrested and his passport withheld.

Two male passengers engaged in a violent fistfight onboard a Southwest Airlines flight in Dallas preparing to depart for Los Angeles. Witnesses claim one of the passengers was asked to leave the plane after arguing with a flight attendant regarding the overhead bins. When he refused, the pilot asked all passengers to exit the aircraft. Trying to prevent the situation, the other male passenger stepped in and asked the man to get off, sparking the altercation. According to the airline, both passengers involved were deplaned and turned over to local law enforcement.

A mother traveling alone with her 6-month-old son was removed from a Spirit Airlines flight to Boston because a flight attendant told crew the baby was sick. The woman said her baby had been spitting up before the flight, so she requested an aisle seat to make it easier to care for the child. Thats when the flight attendant told her she needed to exit the aircraft because her baby was too sick to fly. When she got back to the ticket counter, she discovered her luggage hadnt been removed and was on its way to Boston without her. Spirit Airlines said the decision to remove the woman from the flight was based on the safety of other passengers.

A woman behaving bizarrely on a United Express flight from San Francisco to Boise, Idaho had an emotional outburst and tried to open the emergency exit door halfway through the trip. The agitated passenger was reportedly yelling things like I want to die! Get me off this plane! She then started screaming I am God, I am God, I am God, I am God! as she tried to open the cabin door. Other passengers restrained her with zip ties until the plane landed. A spokesperson for Skywest, which was operating the flight, said that once all passengers were safely deplaned, the unruly customer was held for questioning by law enforcement, said Layne Watson, a spokesperson from SkyWest.

A passenger was arrested after stripping naked and watching porn on his computer before attacking an airline crew member on a Malindo Air flight from Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, to Dhaka, Bangladesh. Authorities arrested the 20-year-old for his disturbing behavior. After a flight attendant requested he put his clothes back on, the man complied but then later began assaulting the female crew members. Unable to calm him down, with the help of passengers, the crew members retrained the man by tying his hands with a piece of cloth until he could be detained upon landing. The airline said the disruptive passenger was sent to jail by the Bangladesh authorities.

A Siberian Airlines passenger was arrested after punching and strangling men, women and children on a flight from St. Petersburg to Novosibirsk, Russia. The unruly man was pacing the aisles, spouting obscenities and disturbing other passengers, ignoring crew members requests to take his seat. He got physical with other people on board, grabbing one womans hair and calling another passengers baby a slut. Once the plane landed, police took the man to the airport holding cell, where he continued behaving aggressively, removing his shirt and banging on the walls.

Thirty-four passengers on a Nextjet flight were sent to the wrong city 600 miles away from their intended destination after a mix-up with airline scheduling. The passengers were previously informed their flight to Gothenburg, Sweden had been delayed due to weather. A few hours later, a plane arrived and the group of people boarded. However, instead of being flown to Gothenburg, which is on the west coast of Sweden, the passengers ended up in Lulea, in the far north of the country. The mix-up apparently occurred when the airline was forced to cancel the original flight, but failed to notify passengers waiting at the airport.

Fox News' Janine Puhak, Alexandra Deabler and Michael Bartiromo contributed to this report.
Scottish actor Graham McTavish says his recent flight with United Airlines was rubbish, claiming to overhear the crew make jokes about stuffing dogs into the overhead bins  just days after United was accused of forcing a woman to stow her French bulldog in an overhead bin, where it ultimately died.

Sorry, but my journey with @united today was rubbish, tweeted McTavish on Friday evening. Crew on the NOLA/ Chicago leg making jokes about dogs in the overhead, and then plain rude on the delayed Chicago/Vancouver flight."

UNITED AIRLINES MISTAKENLY SENDS DOG TO JAPAN INSTEAD OF KANSAS

McTavish, who has appeared on Starzs Outlander and AMCs Preacher, further suggested that a crew member on the latter flight approached him and said, If you want lunch, youd better get that [tray] table out.

Just makes a bad experience worse, guys, he added.

McTavish did not elaborate on the joke he says he overheard on the first flight, but many of his followers were quick to speak out against United alleged behavior in the comments.

United has since confirmed that the airline is trying to contact McTavish as part of its investigation into the matter.

"We are concerned by Mr. McTavishs experience and take these claims seriously," the airline said in a statement obtained by Fox News. "We have reached out to him directly to get the facts and are speaking with other customers and our crew to learn more."

United ran into trouble for reportedly forcing passenger Catalina Robledo to stow her dog in an overhead bin last Monday, during a flight from Houston to New York. The French bulldog, named Kokito, was found unresponsive after being removed from the overhead bin.

DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER TO INTRODUCE BILL TO PROTECT PETS ON FLIGHTS

Robledos 7-year-old daughter said the flight attendant later claimed she didnt know there was a dog in the womans bag, though the young girl disputed this. United later accepted responsibility for the incident.

This was a tragic accident that should never have occurred, as pets should never be placed in the overhead bin. We assume full responsibility for this tragedy and express our deepest condolences to the family and are committed to supporting them, said United spokesperson Maggie Schmerin following the dogs death.

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Just one day after the incident with Kokito, United was again blasted for its handling of pets, this time for accidentally sending a familys German shepherd to Japan instead of Kansas. Further, on March 15, a United flight bound for St. Louis was diverted to Akron, Ohio, after the crew discovered a dog had been loaded into the plane's cargo area "by mistake."
Another Austin explosion -- possibly triggered by a trip wire -- injured two people on bicycles Sunday night, leaving police frantically working to determine if the blast is linked to a trio of package bombings that have gripped the Texas capital in fear.

The latest blast occurred around 8:30 p.m. Sunday night in a suburban neighborhood known as Travis Country. Investigators didnt immediately confirm what caused it.

"If this explosion was the result of a bomb using trip wire technology, that is showing a different level of skill above that we were already concerned that this suspect or suspects may possess," Austin Police Chief Brian Manley told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Monday.

Manley said the explosion may have been detonated by a trip wire, adding the blast was activated by someone either handling, kicking or coming into contact with a trip wire that activated the device" as they walked or rode their bikes through the area.

"That changes things, in that our safety message to this point has been involving the handling of packages and telling communities 'do not handle packages, do not pick up packages, do not disturb packages,'" Manley said at a hastily-arranged news conference.

Manley said police were working under the belief the explosion was related to the three others, but investigators still had yet to process the entire scene.

"We are working under the belief that they are connected."



Austin Police Chief Brian Manley spoke in a news conference regarding an explosion that left two people injured in Austin, TX. The blast comes after 3 package bombs detonated earlier this month. https://t.co/XcF3tYGt63 pic.twitter.com/MgeeRxHZjF  Fox News (@FoxNews) March 19, 2018

Austin Police urged people within a half-a-mile radius to stay in their homes as the "scene needs to be processed and properly cleared of any hazards," and that police will provide an update at 10 a.m.

"We want to put out the message that we've been putting out and that is, not only do not touch any packages or anything that looks like a package, do not even go near it at this time," Manley said at an earlier news conference. Because "we have not had an opportunity to look at this blast site to really determine what has happened."

A witness speaking to FOX7 described hearing a "loud bang," adding that it was "not a car crash, not gunshots but something terrible."

AUSTIN PACKAGE BOMB ATTACKS TIMELINE

Two men in their 20s suffered non-life threatening injuries in the blast, including one who had nails in his leg, according to KVUE-TV. South Austin Medical Center officials said the men were in good condition.

Authorities also issued an emergency alert on cellular phones after the blast took place.

Austin Mayor Steve Adler said late Sunday he was confident authorities were going to find who is responsible for the string of horrific explosions, according to KVUE-TV.

Manley urged people within half a mile to stay in their homes. Authorities said they would keep the surrounding area blocked off for authorities to check the area, according to FOX7.

Thad Holt, 76, who lives near the site of the fourth explosion, told Fox News the neighborhood is "very quiet," with a lot of families.

"We were surprised because it all had been concentrated on that side of town, in lower income neighborhoods but this is a real, nice neighborhood, nice homes, everything from retired people to professional people," he said. "It's a pretty crime-free neighborhood."

Holt, who has lived in the neighborhood for almost 18 years, said he had taken a walk with his wife around 7:30 and walked right past the area at a quarter to 8.

"Nothing like this happens here," he said.

Sundays explosion was the fourth to rock Austin less than three weeks. However, the three previous blasts occurred on the eastside of the city.

The first was a package bomb that exploded at a northeast Austin home on March 2, killing 39-year-old Anthony Stephen House. Two more package bombs then exploded farther south on March 12, killing 17-year-old Draylen Mason, wounding his mother and injuring a 75-year-old woman.

AUSTIN PACKAGE BOMBS PROBABLY 'PRETTY SIMPLE,' COMPONENTS COULD LEAD COPS TO SUSPECT, EXPERTS SAY

Police said all three of those were likely related and involved packages that had not been mailed or delivered by private carrier but left overnight on doorsteps.

Manley originally suggested they could have been hate crimes since all the victims were black or Hispanic, but now says that investigators aren't ruling out any possible motive. The two victims in Sunday's blast were two white males, Manley told ABC News on Monday.

Earlier Sunday, Austin police said the reward for information leading to an arrest in the deadly explosions has risen by $50,000 to a new total of $115,000. Manley said more than 500 officers, including federal agents, have conducted 236 interviews in following up 435 leads.

Fox News Shira Bush, Michael Arroyo, Nicole Darrah and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
A man in Indiana who apparently needed a ride decided to take a cab to and from the bank he robbed, police claimed.

Derrick Faria, 19, was arrested on Thursday less than an hour after he allegedly robbed a Fifth Third Bank in Evansville, the Evansville Courier & Press reported.

JUDGE LOCKS SELF IN COURTROOM, CAUSES $3G IN DAMAGE TRYING TO BREAK FREE: REPORT

Faria reportedly ordered a taxi cab at home before taking it to the bank, where Evansville Police said he gave the bank teller a note that read: "this is a robbery give me all your money." Faria reportedly did not have a weapon.

The man then allegedly took the cab back home and paid the driver $20 from the money he stole.

Authorities recovered all the money stolen during the robbery except the $14 cab fare and $6 tip.

COUPLE ON THE RUN FROM POLICE BOLTS STRAIGHT INTO PRECINCT PARKING LOT

Investigators, according to the newspaper, found "paraphernalia used to ingest synthetic drugs" in Faria's home after they executed a search warrant.

Faria is being charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and robbery, and is being held at the Vanderburgh County Jail.

Evansville is in Southern Indiana, a couple hours southwest of Louisville.
Broomfield police are investigating a pipe bomb that was discovered inside of a stolen vehicle at a Walmart located on the 12100 block of Sheridan Boulevard.

The incident began at 4:10 a.m. when officers were conducting business checks and patrolling the Walmart parking lot when they found a vehicle that had been stolen out of Thornton.

Three suspects have been detained by officers and transported to the Broomfield Jail, including two male suspects and one female suspect.

30-year-old Zach Rickard, 48-year-old John Ulibarri and 28-year-old Heather Moore have been identified as the suspects in this case. Moore is facing eight charges, including motor vehicle theft and fugitive from justice.

Rickard faces six charges, including motor vehicle theft and possession of drug paraphernalia.

And Ulibarri faces a charge of fugitive from justice.

Adams County Bomb Squad assisted the Broomfield Police Department with this investigation and have confirmed that the device found in the vehicle is a pipe bomb.

The device has been disassembled by the bomb squad and the investigation is ongoing, according to the latest tweet from police.

Authorities will remain on scene as they complete their investigation.

Read more from Fox 31 Denver.
A New Jersey high school came under fire Friday after it allegedly suspended two students over a gun photo taken during a family visit to a shooting range.

News of the unnamed students' suspension circulated through a Lacey Township Facebook group, according to NJ.com.

Amanda Buron, a Lacey resident and family friend of one of the suspended students said one of the photos shared on SnapChat featured four rifles, magazines, and a gun duffel with the caption "fun day at the range," NJ.com reported.

Buron said the two students received a five-day in-school suspension after the picture drew the attention of Lacey Township High School officials, who argued that it violated the schools policy on weapons possession.

The school district shortly faced community backlash for the alleged suspension, with many calling for people to appear at the school board's next meeting on Monday to protest the decision.

The school, however, denied the students were suspended over the picture.

"Information posted on social media is incorrect, Lacey schools Superintendent Craig Wigley told the publication last week. The officials declined to provide any additional details or point out what exactly was false.

The controversy brought the attention of a New Jersey gun advocacy group that sent the school district a cease and desist letter and threatened with a lawsuit if it does not overturn the suspension of the students and change the policies regarding the Second Amendment.

The Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs (ANJRPC) said in a letter that the schools policies allow suspending students for up to a year if they are "reported to be in possession of a weapon of any type for any reason or purpose on or off school grounds."

"Information posted on social media is incorrect."  Lacey schools Superintendent Craig Wigley

The policy is clearly wrong and violates the Second Amendment. We hope that they're reasonable people and they will fix it. If they don't, we're prepared to take legal action, ANJRPC executive director Scott Bach told NJ.com.

The group also demands the school to apologize to the two suspended teens.

Schools do not have the authority to chill the rights of their students off of school grounds, and this blatant infringement of constitutional rights will not be tolerated," Bach added. "I don't care if no students were disciplined. The policy has got to go."

Overtly broad policies of the school district have been criticized in the past. Ed Cardinal, whose son attends a school in the same district, said the officials once demanded his son to remove a window sticker of a gun from his pickup truck that he drives to school.

"He was kind of heated about it and so was I," Cardinal said.

They abided by the demands and removed sticker after the district threatened to punish the teen.
Larnelle Harris will be in concert to benefit the Bryan Opportunity Scholarship Program on April 19. This program helps make Bryan College accessible to academically qualified Tennessee students who demonstrate significant financial need.

Larnelle has received five Grammy Awards, 11 Dove Awards, three Male Vocalist of the Year Awards, a Silver Bell Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and is a member of three Halls of Fame.

The served dinner will be a Baby Spinach Salad, Seared Filet Mignon and Grilled Chicken with Artichokes and Spinach (Entree Duet), Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Broccolini, Warm Rolls and Creme Brulee.

The dinner and concert will be in the ballrooms at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Doors open at 6 p.m. The dinner and program begin at 6:30 and will end by 8:30 p.m.

The RSVP deadline is April 12. Call 775-7323 or register online at www.bryan.edu/dinner. Admission is $50 per seat.
Home security experts in Austin, Texas say that they have seen an uptick in inquiries after four bomb explosions rocked the capital of the Lone Star State.

Weve seen an increase in volume. Its a significant uptick. Daniel Stoltzfus, CEO of Texas-based Fort Knox Home Security told Fox News.

The security expert says the industry as a whole has seen a shift from alarms to surveillance with items like automatic locks as well as exterior and doorbell cameras -- a technology that he says could have helped to prevent the bombings in Austin.

Its probably the best way to detect, Stoltzfus says. With a doorbell camera, a user can know when a package arrives and get a text immediately.

If something doesnt look right, they can call the authorities without actually going outside and touching the package.

And exterior cameras can help monitor activity around the perimeter of a home.

Homeowners would be able to see a video of any suspicious cars, he said.

Based on what we are seeing, its a huge need for people. All of these method are effective in preventing incidents such as these.

Stoltzfus says that he cant say with certainty that the increase in customers is directly related to the bombings, but inquiries to his company have dramatically increased in the past three weeks. He said it often happens when events such as these make the news.

We did see a spike in our Houston office a few years back after a series of robberies in the city, he recalled. We dealt with 40- something homes in the area in the two days after it made the news.

A fourth explosion occurred within Austin city limits on Sunday evening in a suburban development known as Travis Country. Two men, ages 22 and 23, were walking their bicycles when the explosives detonated. The attack differs from the first three, which involved package bombs left on people's doorsteps, according to police.

Travis Country is far from the sites of the earlier bombings, which occurred over two-plus weeks in residential neighborhoods east of Interstate 35, which divides the city.

The first was a package bomb that exploded at a northeast Austin home on March 2, killing 39-year-old Anthony Stephen House. Two more package bombs then exploded farther south on March 12, killing 17-year-old Draylen Mason, wounding his mother and injuring a 75-year-old woman.

Earlier Sunday, Austin police said the reward for information leading to an arrest in the deadly explosions has risen by $50,000 to a new total of $115,000. Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said more than 500 officers, including federal agents, have conducted 236 interviews following up 435 leads.

Local authorities said on Monday that they believe a serial bomber is likely responsible for the four explosions.

"We are clearly dealing with what we what we expect to be a serial bomber at this point, based on the similarities between now what is the fourth device," Manley said at a news conference Monday morning.

Frederick Milanowski, the special agent in charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, says the latest bomb was "more sophisticated" because it used a trip wire. Milanowski said trip wire devices, possibly using fishing line, are triggered by victims applying any kind of pressure or tension.

"We are more concerned now. That is, people see something suspicious they stay away and contact law enforcement," he said during Mondays press conference.

A former European military-trained bomb technician told Fox News that in his professional opinion, the latest bombing is the work of someone with either military or NGO training.

[It] doesn't seem like a job that anyone who learns off the internet can do. You learn how to make a pipe bomb on the internet. The technician, who requested anonymity because of the nature of his work as a private contractor, said. You don't learn how to make a wire trip bomb and deliver it undetected. Thats an interesting skill set.

Tripwire bombs can be in a doorway. Putting it in a package is an interesting thing, and takes a significant amount of skill - more than just setting up a claymore to go off. You have to take into consideration how much force is being used to open a packagethat makes for a pretty sensitive device.

Fox News' Travis Fedschun contributed to this report.
A "serial bomber" is likely responsible for four explosions in Austin this month, the latest of which injured two people Sunday night after they crossed a trip wire possibly made with fishing line, officials disclosed Monday.

Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said at a news conference Monday morning that although the bomb that injured two men on Sunday night was linked to the three previous blasts, the latest bomb involved a trip wire while the previous explosions were package bombs left on people's doorsteps.

"We've seen a change in the method this suspect is using," he told reporters.

Austin's top cop also called on whoever is behind the string of bombings that have killed two to reach out to police to let them know why they're setting off the explosives. Manley said it's too soon to say whether the blast Sunday night could have been a response to his call a day prior for those behind the bombings to reach out.

"We are clearly dealing with what we what we expect to be a serial bomber at this point, based on the similarities between now what is the fourth device," he said.

Frederick Milanowski, the special agent in charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, says the latest bomb was "more sophisticated" because it used a trip wire. Milanowski said trip wire devices, possibly using fishing line, are triggered by victims applying any kind of pressure or tension.

"We are more concerned now. That is, people see something suspicious they stay away and contact law enforcement," he said.

The men injured Sunday night in the explosion in the southwestern Austin neighborhood of Travis Country, ages 22 and 23, are white, unlike the victims in the three earlier attacks, who were black or Hispanic. The men on Sunday were walking their bicycles when the explosives detonated, which differs from the first three attacks, which involved package bombs left on people's doorsteps, according to police.

Authorities on Monday were canvassing the area in search of anything suspicious, and residents were warned to remain indoors and to call 911 if they needed to leave their homes before 2 p.m.

Travis Country is far from the sites of the earlier bombings, which occurred over two-plus weeks in residential neighborhoods east of Interstate 35, which divides the city.

Christopher H. Combs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's San Antonio Division, said at Monday's news conference the latest explosive device using trip wires "changes things."

"It's more sophisticated, it's not targeted to individuals," he told reporters. "We're very concerned that with trip wires a child could be walking down the sidewalk and hit something."

Combs said the latest developments should be a warning to residents to not approach any suspicious items, as they may set off something armed with trip wire, and to contact local authorities immediately.

AUSTIN PACKAGE BOMBS PROBABLY 'PRETTY SIMPLE,' COMPONENTS COULD LEAD COPS TO SUSPECT, EXPERTS SAY

A witness to Sunday's blast speaking to FOX7 described hearing a "loud bang," adding that it was "not a car crash, not gunshots but something terrible."

Thad Holt, 76, who lives near the site of the fourth explosion, told Fox News the neighborhood is "very quiet," with a lot of families.

"We were surprised because it all had been concentrated on that side of town, in lower income neighborhoods but this is a real, nice neighborhood, nice homes, everything from retired people to professional people," he said. "It's a pretty crime-free neighborhood."

"We are clearly dealing with what we what we expect to be a serial bomber at this point, based on the similarities between now what is the fourth device."  Austin Police Chief Brian Manley

Holt, who has lived in the neighborhood for almost 18 years, said he had taken a walk with his wife around 7:30 p.m. and walked right past the area where the explosion occurred about 15 minutes later.

"Nothing like this happens here," he said.

Sundays explosion was the fourth to rock Austin in less than three weeks. However, the three previous blasts occurred on the east side of the city.

AUSTIN PACKAGE BOMB ATTACKS TIMELINE

The first was a package bomb that exploded at a northeast Austin home on March 2, killing 39-year-old Anthony Stephen House. Two more package bombs then exploded farther south on March 12, killing 17-year-old Draylen Mason, wounding his mother and injuring a 75-year-old woman.

Police said all three of those were likely related and involved packages that had not been mailed or delivered by private carrier but left overnight on doorsteps.

Authorities on Sunday said the reward for information leading to an arrest in the deadly explosions has risen by $50,000 to a new total of $115,000. Manley said more than 500 officers, including federal agents, have conducted 236 interviews in following up 435 leads.

Fox News' Shira Bush, Ryan Gaydos, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Austin police are reminding residents to remain "vigilant" after announcing a suspected "serial bomber," identified as a 24-year-old white male, died after a confrontation with police overnight Wednesday. Officials warn the suspect could have set up other explosive devices prior to his death.

Over the past three weeks, a string of package deliveries left at least two people dead and several others injured after explosions rocked their homes.



The first explosion unfolded on March 2, killing 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House after a "device" exploded on the front porch of his Austin home. The blast was investigated initially as a suspicious death, and later as a homicide.

Ten days later, a similar incident was reported just 12 miles from House's home. A 17-year-old, identified as Draylen Mason, was killed and his mother was injured after a package exploded inside their home.

Hours after the second explosion occurred, police reported a third blast, confirming that at least one elderly woman was injured.

The night of March 18, around 8:30 p.m., a fourth explosion -- possibly triggered by a trip wire -- occurred. Two men in their 20s suffered non-life threatening injuries in the blast, including one who had nails in his leg, according to KVUE-TV.

"If this explosion was the result of a bomb using trip wire technology, that is showing a different level of skill above that we were already concerned that this suspect or suspects may possess," Austin Police Chief Brian Manley told ABC's "Good Morning America" on March 19.

Another device exploded early March 20 at a FedEx ground distribution facility in Schertz, Texas, injuring one person.

Schertz Police Lt. Manny Casas told Fox San Antonio a medium-sized package, which was heading to Austin, was on the conveyor belt when it exploded. A female employee was treated for a possible sound injury and was released.

All of the explosions are believed to be linked, according to investigators, and officials said they were not ruling out any possible motives.

Here's a timeline (in Central Daylight Time) of the deadly package explosions shaking Austin -- and what police are advising residents as they continue to investigate the incidents.

March 2

6:55 a.m.

Austin police receive reports of an explosion and find a critically-injured House. The 39-year-old victim is then transported to nearby Round Rock Hospital.

7:48 a.m

House is declared dead at the hospital nearly an hour later. Authorities announce House's death is being investigated as "suspicious."

10:45 a.m.

The Austin Police Department holds a news conference in House's neighborhood.

10:50 a.m.

Austin police say they've determined the device was inside a package, and are working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to reconstruct the item and learn who may have created it.

Right now, we're trying to determine how did the package get there and who was the intended target? We do feel that this was targeted at somebody. We're still trying to figure out whether that was the individual who died or not, Assistant Chief Joseph Chacon with the Austin Police Department tells reporters at a news conference.

Police say it is "an isolated incident and that there is no continuing threat to the community," adding that there is no reason to believe it is terror-related.

Anytime we have a bomb go off like that and somebody dies, the first thing people think is terrorism. While we cannot completely rule it out at this point, we do not believe that terrorism is a motive in this death, said Chacon.

House had also faced previous charges in Travis County, according to Fox 7.

March 12

6:45 a.m.

Austin Police received a call about an explosion in a neighborhood on the northwest side of the city after a 17-year-old resident found a package on the front step, brought it inside and opened it in the kitchen, where it exploded.

9:30 a.m.

Authorities confirm a teenager is dead and a woman in her 40s is seriously injured after a package explodes at a home in Austin, marking the second such explosion in the city within two weeks.

Police say the teen died at the scene, while the woman was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The FBI offers to assist Austin police with the investigation.

10:45 a.m.

The Austin Police Department holds a press briefing in the neighborhood where the second package bombing occurred.

10:50 a.m.

Authorities say they believe the package bomb that killed the teenager and wounded the woman is linked to the deadly package sent to House's home earlier this month because they were both left on the front doorstep and not delivered by a mail service.

Manley said the U.S. Postal Service does not have a record of delivering a package to the Austin home where the explosion occurred Monday.

Police reclassify House's death as a "homicide investigation," instead of a "suspicious death," as the two incidents may be related.

Manley says investigators hope to collect surveillance video and evidence from nearby homes to identify a suspect.

"We're doing a canvas of the neighborhood right now," Manley says.

11:50 a.m.

Another explosion is reported in the Montopolis neighborhood, located southeast of downtown Austin.

The Austin Police Department confirms police are reponding to an "urgent" call.

12:08 p.m.

Austin-Travis County EMS officials declare a "trauma alert," announcing they are transporting at least one patient to the hospital following a reported explosion.

12:16 p.m.

Austin-Travis County EMS confirm in a tweet that a woman in her 70s has "serious, potentially life-threatening" injuries. A second woman from that address had an unrelated medical issue and was not taken to the hospital.

2:45 p.m.

Police hold another press briefing to update reporters on a third blast in Austin.

2:50 p.m.

Police identify the victim of the third bombing as a 75-year-old Hispanic woman, who is currently in "critical, but stable condition."

Based on evidence gathered at the scene, police say they believe the third incident is related to the two previous ones involving package bombs.

"We do not have a specific victimology ... at this point, we are willing to investigate any avenue that may be involved behind these attacks," Manley says.

Manley says it's not yet clear whether these victims were "intended targets," but asks the community to be vigilant.

"We are having innocent people getting hurt across the community," he adds.

March 18

8:32 p.m.

Austin police are dispatched to a southwest Austin neighborhood after reports of a "bomb hotshot" explosion.

9:16 p.m.

Austin police confirm two males were injured after another explosion -- possibly triggered by a trip wire -- occurred in an Austin neighborhood known as Travis Country.

10:27 p.m.

Police hold a news briefing to update residents on the latest explosion, which officials believe may be related to the three others.

"Not only do not touch any packages or anything that looks like a package -- do not even go near it at this time," Manley warns.

March 19

1:33 a.m.

Austin police hold another news briefing, with Manley at the mic.

"There have been reports in the media that this device was triggered by a trip wire, and we're here to say that's a possibility," Manley says. "So that changes things."

Manley then asks community members to have an "extra level of vigilance."

4:05 a.m.

Police ask residents in the Travis Country neighborhood to remain in their homes until the area has been properly cleared.

6:43 a.m.

Emergency alerts are sent out to residents in Travis Country, asking them to stay in place until police clear their neighborhood of "any hazards."

10:00 a.m.

During a morning press conference, Manley warns residents to look for "anything that looks out of place," including suspicious bags, backpacks or packages, especially if they notice a wire poking out.

"We [are] not willing to classify this as terrorism, as hate, because we just don't know enough," Manley says.

Manley says officials have noticed a change in the method this suspect is using, which reveals a "higher level of sophistication."

However, Manley adds, there are "similarities" between all of the recent explosions.

March 20

12:30 a.m.

A device explodes at a FedEx ground distribution facility outside of San Antonio, injuring one person. The pacakage was apparently addressed to Austin and is likely linked to a string of bombings that have rocked the state's capital this month, federal officials said.

6:07 a.m.

Officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) confirm they are at the scene of the explosion.

March 21

4:57 a.m.

The suspect in the bombings blew himself up during the early morning of March 21, Manley said at a news conference.

Authorities had tracked down the suspect to a hotel parking lot in Round Rock, Texas  about 20 miles north of Austin. The suspect drove away from authorities before the car stopped in a ditch on the side of the road, according to the police chief. When a SWAT team approached the vehicle, the suspect then detonated an explosive device inside of the car, he said.

One officer suffered minor injuries in the blast, while a second officer fired his weapon, Manley said.

Authorities identified the suspect as a 24-year-old white male. Officials did not say if he is from Austin or reveal a motive.

ATF agent Fred Milanowski said it was hard to say if the suspect acted alone.

Manley encouraged the community to be alert -- authorities arent sure of the suspects whereabouts before his death and he could have left behind more packages.

5:28 a.m.

In a tweet, President Trump acknowledged the suspect had died and praised law enforcement officials for tracking him down.

Great job by law enforcement and all concerned! Trump said.

Police warn residents to beware of suspicious packages

Federal law enforcement officials told Fox News the packages were made to look like mail.

Police warned residents who found any suspicious packages to call 911, and to send tips to Austin Crime Stoppers at (512) 472-8477 or Texas Crime Stoppers at 1-800-252-8477.

Fox News' Nicole Darrah, Travis Fedschun, Kaitlyn Schallhorn and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A newly-constructed pedestrian bridge collapsed on March 15 at Florida International University in Miami -- killing six people.

The victims included a college student driving a friend to doctors appointment, business partners running errands together and a father of three heading home from work, according to names released by the Miami-Dade Police Department several days after the tragic accident.

Read on for a look at the victims involved in the deadly incident.

Alberto Arias

Alberto Arias, 53, owned a party rental and decoration business with his friend, Osvaldo Gonzalez, also a victim of the bridge collapse.

Life is really something, Elizabeth Morales, Arias cousin, posted on Facebook in Spanish, according to the Miami Herald. Just yesterday, I was praying to God for the people who were there [at the collapsed bridge] without knowing that one of ours was there. R.I.P, cousin. A great human being.

Arias was reportedly helping his mother move, friends told WTVJ-TV.

He went out of his way to help anybody. He was a business owner and he just took a lot of pride in his work and family, Ismael Segovia, his cousin, told WTVJ.

Arias had studied at the University of Havana in Cuba, the Miami Herald reported.

Navaro Brown

Navaro Brown, a 37-year-old construction worker, was the second victim to be identified in the bridge collapse. He worked for Structural Technologies VSL, a company that strengthens bridges.

Brown died at the hospital.

Its unclear what work Brown was doing on the bridge at the time of its collapse, but a spokesman for the company told the Miami Herald that Structural Technologies VSL was providing installation support for our products.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Browns family and with the other affected employees, Michael Biesiada, a spokesman for the company said. We really appreciate the work of the first responders who immediately offered their help.

Two other employees with the company were also reportedly injured in the collapse.

Appleonia Brown, who identified herself as Browns cousin, said on Facebook that he was from Jamaica, according to the Herald.

Brandon Brownfield

A father of three, Brandon Brownfield died Thursday, his wife of nearly four years confirmed in a Facebook post.

Its a pretty magical thing to find your soulmate in this world, Chelsea Brownfield said. Like pieces to a jigsaw puzzle, our crazy curvy edges matched and we fit together like no one else could.

The coming days are going to be excruciating, as we dig deep to find the strength we need to heal. Please keep us in your prayers, as I now have to find the words and answers to tell my girls that their Daddy is not coming home, Chelsea Brownfield said.

The couple moved to Florida only a few years ago for Brownfields job in the crane industry, a GoFundMe page said. They had also recently bought a house in Homestead, Florida.

The Brownfields daughters are between the ages of 10 months and five years, a pastor at the First United Methodist Church in Homestead, where the family attended, told the Miami Herald.

Brownfield, 39, was driving home from work when the bridge collapsed. He was a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers, according to the fundraising page, which had raised nearly $70,000 by March 19.

Alexa Duran

A freshman at FIU, Alexa Duran, 18, was driving under the bridge when it collapsed.

Her father, Orlando Duran, told el Nuevo Herald that his daughter died after the bridge fell on top of her car.

My little girl was trapped in the car and couldnt get out, he said, according to the Miami Herald.

Durans friend, Richard Humble, was in the passenger seat of the car when the bridge fell. He told The Associated Press that they had been stopped at a traffic light when he heard the bridge creak. Humble was able to get out of the car  and reportedly needs a neck and leg brace due to his injuries  but couldnt get to Duran.

I was screaming her name so loud cause I just wanted her to hear it and she just wouldn't respond, the sophomore said.

Duran had taken Humble, who called her the nicest person he knew, to the doctors office to get medication that day.

The way the bridge fell, it fell on the drivers side, FIU student Manny Perez told the Miami Herald.

Lynnet Gomez, also a FIU student, also told the newspaper that Duran was an awesome person and the funniest person she knew.

Duran was studying political science at FIU, according to the newspaper. She was a member of Alpha Xi Delta sorority.

Osvaldo Gonzalez

Osvaldo Gonzalez was just days away from a planned trip to his hometown in Cuba to celebrate parrandas, a carnival-like celebration, according to the Miami Herald.

Gonzalez, 57, was in the car with his business partner, Alberto Arias, when the bridge collapsed. Arias was also killed.

Marisol Gonzalez remembered her brother as the best thing in the world and very cheerful, with a desire to live life to the fullest.

He was a family man, friend Amauri Naranjo told the Miami Herald. He had many friends because he was very communicative and he would help a lot of people here and he would also help with decorating the floats for the parrandas.

According to Naranjo, Gonzalez, nicknamed Ozzie, moved to the U.S. from Cuba in the 1980s and helped Arias leave Cuba as well.

Rolando Fraga Hernandez

Rolando Fraga Hernandez, 60, was killed when the bridge collapsed on top of his Jeep Cherokee, relative Carol Fraga told the Miami Herald.

Originally from Cuba, he reportedly worked as a systems technician for ITG Communications and as a truck driver.

The day before the bridge collapse, Fraga Hernandez shared a quote on his Facebook page that, in Spanish, said, Nothing is forever. Coffee gets cold, people leave, time passes and people change, according to a translation from the Miami Herald.

Fox News Paulina Dedaj, Madeline Farber and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Thousands of students at Florida International University returned to classes Monday after spring break, facing the aftermath of last weeks deadly bridge collapse for the first time.

Thursdays tragedy left six people dead and 10 injured when the brand-new 950-ton, 174-foot-long prefabricated bridge broke into pieces and came crashing down, trapping eight cars underneath it.

On campus, reactions ranged from shock to anger.

It was definitely different walking into campus today. I saw people walking with heavy shoulders and their heads down, said Alexandria Mauri. The bridge was supposed to be a step in the right direction to keep the students safe. I thought it was going to be a good thing, but it just didnt work out that way.

No one ever expected it to collapse, said student Keith Velasquez. A couple of my classmates had to step out of the room when we were speaking about it today.

The college was on spring break the week of the collapse.

The school said in a statement over the weekend that while operationally Monday will be a regular day at FIU, life on (Modesto A. Maidique Campus) will be far from normal. As a university community we continue to grieve the victims of the pedestrian bridge accident.

At 1:47 p.m., the time of Thursdays collapse, a moment of silence was observed throughout campus.

Outside the Graham Center, a hub for student activities and events, FIU President Mark Rosenberg joined students, faculty and staff to remember the victims of the collapse, including 18-year-old freshman Alexa Duran.

Doreen Patichi said she drives down the street the bridge spanned every day.

It couldve been me, she said, Southwest Eighth Street is probably one of the busiest streets Ive ever been on in my life... the whole point for the bridge was to create safety, which is ironic because it did the opposite.

As one of the largest public universities in the country, FIU boasts enrollment numbers of over 55,000. As the school has grown, so has the traffic problem surrounding it.

Before it collapsed, the highly touted FIU-Sweetwater UniversityCity bridge scheduled to open next year was expected to be a crown jewel of the main campus in west Miami-Dade, offering a safe option for students to cross the eight lanes of heavily congested traffic that line the entrance to campus, an infamous obstacle thats plagued the school and surrounding communities for years with hit-and-run accidents and most recently, a death.

In August of 2017, Alexis Dale, a freshman, was killed when she was hit by a car as she crossed the same street the new pedestrian bridge was built across.

FIU wanted to prevent accidents like what happened to Dale from happening again, so the school and the neighboring City of Sweetwater built the new pedestrian bridge.

Thank God I was out of town because at that time I would be passing under that bridge for class, said Roger Sanchez, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering. Sanchez said that in his engineering classes, he is taught that safety is the main priority. Were making things that people are going to use, we dont want them to risk their lives.

When asked whether students will want another bridge built, Angely Ortiz said, I think if they do build another bridge, students will be scared to use it. I will be scared to cross another bridge, even if they say its safer. If you want to build a bridge, make sure it is done correctly.

The cause of the bridge failure is still being investigated, including by officials from the National Transportation Safety Board, which has confirmed that crews were applying whats known as post-tensioning force on the bridge cables before the collapse.

On Friday, officials said that a bridge engineer left a voicemail with the Florida Department of Transportation two days before the collapse, reporting cracks at one end of the concrete span, but the voicemail wasnt received until after the accident.

NTSB officials are investigating the report but said it's not clear if cracks contributed to the bridge's catastrophic failure.

Rosenberg has also announced an independent investigation of the collapse by the university.

A blood drive for victims being treated at the hospital has been planned for Tuesday. The schools Student Government Association will hold a vigil for the victims on Wednesday and Durans sorority, Alpha Xi Delta, will host a memorial event Thursday evening.
A Florida woman has been arrested for posting on Facebook she was going to blow everyone up during an elementary school teacher planning day, police said.

Christina Marie Maddox, 33, of Yulee, allegedly posted the statement Thursday night and now faces a felony charge of written threats to kill, First Coast News reported.

They have teaching planning day tomorrow and Ill def be there going to blow everyone up, she was reported by police as saying.

Maddox was contacted by the Nassau County Sheriffs Office and arrested the next day. She reportedly told police the post was taken out of context and she had no intentions to hurt anyone.
A Florida daughter accused of carving her mothers eyeballs out with glass shards allegedly yelled Im a murderer, Im a murderer! before being taken into custody for the gruesome attack.

Camille Balla, 32, was arrested early Friday on suspicion of committing murder after the slashed-up body of her mother, Francisca Monteiro-Balla, 55, was found in their blood-soaked Royal Palm Beach home.

I killed my mother and I need help, Balla, who claimed to have smoked cannabis possibly laced with Flakka or PCP before the incident, told responding deputies, according to a police report viewed by the Sun-Sentinel.

SOUTH CAROLINA WOMAN WHO GOUGED HER EYES OUT THOUGHT IT WAS A SACRIFICE TO GOD

Balla handed over a pair of bloody keys to the home and detectives say they found her mothers eyeballs removed from their sockets and placed on top of a cardboard box in the garage. Monteiro-Balla was killed with glass shards and had suffered wounds to the head, arms, chest and stomach, they added.

Investigators also found several handwritten notes throughout the home with religious undertones related to clearing of the soul, the Sun-Sentinel added, citing a police report.

Police said Balla had cuts on her hand and screamed Im a murderer, Im a murderer! while being treated by paramedics. They were called to investigate after a colleague found Balla covered in blood outside the home, according to the newspaper.

Balla was denied bond during a hearing Monday and was ordered by a court to have a mental health evaluation. The police report also said she was running around for periods of time during the arrest and had bouts of screaming while being treated by hospital staff.
Welcome to Fox News First. Not signed up yet? Click here.

Developing now, Monday, March 19, 2018

Austin, Texas residents are on edge after a blast leaves two people injured; it is unclear whether it is related to the three package bomb incidents earlier this month

President Trump's attorney denies he is considering firing Robert Mueller after Trump's recent series of tweets criticizing the special counsel's probe on Russian collusion

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is reportedly 'considering all options' after being fired Friday

The first lawsuit in last week's deadly Florida bridge collapse is expected to be filed Monday

Hillary Clinton tries to explain her controversial comments about Trump voters made during a trip to India

THE LEAD STORY - FEAR OF A POSSIBLE SERIAL BOMBER STRIKING AGAIN: Austin, Texas was on edge early Monday as an explosion injured two people and left police wondering whether the blast was related to three others that have already gripped the city in fear ... The latest blast occurred Sunday night in a suburban neighborhood known as Travis Country in southwest Austin. Authorities said the explosion may have been triggered by a tripwire, but cautioned that they were still processing the scene. Austin police Chief Brian Manley said early Monday that based on the evidence that had been seen they believe a bomb did detonate. He said that police were working under the belief that the explosion was related to the three others, but investigators still had yet to process the entire scene. Residents within a half-a-mile of the blast were urged to stay in their homes until at least 10 a.m. local time.

Sundays explosion was the fourth to rock Austin less than three weeks. However, the three previous blasts occurred on the east side of the city. On March 2, a package bomb exploded at an east Austin home, killing a 39-year-old man. Then, 10 days later, on March 12, two package bombs in other parts of the city exploded, killing a 17-year-old, wounding his mother and injuring a 75-year-old woman.

TEAM TRUMP ATTEMPTS TO DEFUSE MUELLER FIRING SPECULATION: An attorney for President Trump said the president "is not considering or discussing" firing Special Counsel Robert Mueller after Trump fired off a series of tweets criticizing the investigation into Russian actions during the 2016 presidential election ... "In response to media speculation and related questions being posed to the Administration, the White House yet again confirms that the President is not considering or discussing the firing of the Special Counsel, Robert Mueller," read the statement from Ty Cobb. Cobb's remarks came one day after Trump's personal lawyer, John Dowd, called on Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to "bring an end" to the Mueller inquiry. On Saturday evening, hours after Dowd's statement, Trump tweeted: "The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime. It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT!"

DEMOCRATS TO MCCABE'S RESCUE: Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is reportedly "considering all options" to save his government pension as various Democrats extend job offers following his firing last Friday ... Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired McCabe just days before he would have been eligible for a lifetime pension after it was determined that he lied to investigators reviewing the bureaus probe of Hillary Clintons email server. McCabe blasted his firing as part of an ongoing war with the FBI and an attempt to undermine Russia Special Counsel Mueller's investigation. "This attack on my credibility is one part of a larger effort not just to slander me personally, but to taint the FBI, law enforcement, and intelligence professionals more generally," he said in a statement. "It is part of this Administrations ongoing war on the FBI and the efforts of the Special Counsel investigation, which continue to this day. Their persistence in this campaign only highlights the importance of the Special Counsels work. McCabe has received job offers from Democratic Reps. Mark Pocan, Jamie Raskin and Luis Gutierrez.

SEEKING JUSTICE IN FLORIDA BRIDGE COLLAPSE: The first lawsuit following last week's deadly bridge collapse at Florida International University is expected to be filed on Monday ... "I will be filing the first civil lawsuit related to the #FIUBridgeCollapse tomorrow morning," Matt Morgan, of the Morgan & Morgan law firm, tweeted. "It is imperative we act quickly to secure critical documentation & data. Thoughts & prayers to all the families impacted by this tragedy." Attorneys with the firm are scheduled to hold a press conference on Monday afternoon in Orlando regarding the suit. They said it would be filed on behalf of someone who was injured in the collapse, but did not specify which person.

HILLARY: I 'MEANT NO DISRESPECT': Hillary Clinton attempted to explain her comments about American voters and the 2016 election during a recent trip to India in a lengthy Facebook post that claimed she "meant no disrespect to any individual or group." ... Clinton told attendees at a conference in Mumbai that Americans did not "deserve" a Trump presidency, said she won the states "that are optimistic, diverse, dynamic, moving forward," and said that Trump's campaign was "looking backwards." Clinton summed up Trump's message as "you know, you didn't like black people getting rights, you don't like women, you know, getting jobs. You don't want, you know, to see that Indian American succeeding more than you are." In her Facebook message, Clinton said she understood the uproar over her comments, but she did not back away from them. "I understand how some of what I said upset people and can be misinterpreted," she wrote. "I meant no disrespect to any individual or group. And I want to look to the future as much as anybody."

AS SEEN ON FOX NEWS

LONG-TERM TRUMP VERSUS ' HALF-A-PLANNERS' DEMS: "If you look at what Trump's doing, all of these things are kind of long-term solutions to problems that we kind of live with. [Trump] is always thinking about the future." Greg Gutfeld, on "The Greg Gutfeld Show," comparing Trump's style of governing with Democrats who don't follow-through on their promises. WATCH

THE FBI CRIME FAMILY, ACCORDING TO JUDGE JEANINE: "You should have been fired a long time ago. You should lose your law license and you should have been taken out in cuffs."  Judge Jeanine Pirro, in her "Opening Statement" on "Justice with Judge Jeanine," comparing the firing of FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe to a "classic crime family take-down." WATCH

THE SWAMP

Trump to seek death penalty for some drug traffickers in plan to fight opioid crisis.

Rep. Keith Ellison, under fire for Farrakhan ties, claims he hasn't seen the controversial leader since 2013.

Democratic New York lawmaker to introduce bill to protect pets flying on airplanes.

Zinke defends 'konnichiwa' comment to Japanese-American lawmaker.

ACROSS THE NATION

Some officials wanted Parkland suspect Nikolas Cruz committed in 2016, documents show.

DC council member apologizes after blaming snowfall on Jewish bankers controlling climate.

Uproar after New Jersey high school allegedly suspends students over gun-range photo.

Mississippi boy, 9, fatally shoots sister in head over video game controller, police say.

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS

Fed's thinking on future rate increases will come into focus this week.

U.S. tariffs to be in spotlight at G-20 summit.

401(k) taxes in 2018: What you need to know.

FOX NEWS OPINION

Ted Olson: Why wont the Trump administration defend a key anti-terrorism law?

Janice Dean: This is #MS -- My journey with multiple sclerosis.

Online abuse of women in politics undermines both them and our democracy.

HOLLYWOOD SQUARED

Katy Perry legal battle has left me broke, nun says.

Jim Carrey slammed for 'disgraceful,' garish portrait of Sarah Sanders.

Driver tries to fool traffic cop with Homer Simpson's license.

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS?

Teen loaning out prom dress on Twitter sparks a social media movement.

WATCH: A germophobe gorilla? Philadelphia Zoo primate walks upright so he won't get his hands dirty.

Explorers find 119-year-old shipwreck at the bottom of Lake Erie.'

STAY TUNED

On Fox News:

Fox & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Law professor Jonathan Turley provides insight on the firing of FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe; HHS Secretary Alex Azar discusses the administration's efforts to fight the opioid crisis; Stuart Varney weighs in on the debate over fines that are scaled to income; Karen and Charlotte Pence share their new children's book about "Marlon Bundo." Plus, Sean Hannity on President Trump's ongoing battle with the mainstream media.

Tucker Carlson Tonight, 8 p.m. ET: Tucker takes a closer look at why Americans hold more credit card debt than ever and why a "major tipping point" is coming.

On Fox Business:

Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: Guests include: Sen. Chuck Grassley; Rep. Marsha Blackburn; Alan Dershowitz; Judge Andrew Napolitano; Christopher Bedford, editor-in-chief of The Daily Caller News Foundation; Lee Carter, president of Maslansky and Partners; Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy; Jeffrey D. Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University; Hugo Gurdon, editorial director of the Washington Examiner.

On Fox News Radio:

The Fox News Rundown podcast: New sanctions have been slapped on Russia by the Trump administration as Vladimir Putin looks towards a fourth term as president. Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton weighs in. Plus, commentary from former State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf.

Want the Fox News Rundown sent straight to your mobile device? Subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher.

The Brian Kilmeade Show, 9 a.m. ET: New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin on why a second special counsel should be appointed to investigate FBI leaks; Andrew Pollack, father of Parkland massacre victim, on new gun legislation proposals and the latest new revelations about suspect Nikolas Cruz; Kevin Sorbo reveals the story behind his new movie.

#OnThisDay

2013: Pope Francis officially begins his ministry as the 266th pope, receiving the ring symbolizing the papacy and a wool stole exemplifying his role as shepherd of his 1.2-billion strong flock during a Mass at the Vatican.

2003: President George W. Bush orders the start of war against Iraq. (Because of the time difference, it was early March 20 in Iraq.)

1918: Congress passes the first law establishing daylight saving time in the United States, with clocks to be moved forward one hour from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. (This law was repealed in August 1919.)

Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Enjoy your day, and we'll see you in your inbox first thing Tuesday morning.
A California high school teacher was placed on paid administrative leave after she questioned if officials would support the anti-abortion March For Life in the same way they encouraged participation in the National School Walkout promoting gun control.

Rocklin High School history teacher Julianne Benzel said the punishment came after she asked her students days before the nationwide protest if it was appropriate for their school to support that protest while remaining neutral about the annual pro-life march.

If youre going to allow students to get up and walk out without penalty, then youre going to have to allow any group of students that wants to protest, Benzel told FOX & Friends Friday morning.

But as students began walking out Wednesday, Benzel received a letter placing her on administrative leave.

The complaint, Benzel said, came from two students and one parent, and her penalty was given without corroboration from other students. She said the administration basically targeted her.

STUDENT WITH TRUMP FLAG ASSAULTED BY MOB DURING NATIONAL SCHOOL WALKOUT

But the school district said Benzel was not punished for her pro-life comments.

The teacher was not penalized or placed on leave based on her viewpointsThe district can clarify that the action was taken due to complaints from parents and students involving the teachers communications regardingthe student-led remembrance activities, district spokesperson Diana Capra said in a statement.

But not everyone in the class complained about the discussion. Rocklin student Nick Wade, who chose not to walk out, agreed with the teacher's point.

If we were to go to the school and say something like I want to walk out for, maybe, abortion rights, then you know they probably wouldnt let us because thats more of a conservative push, Wade said.

The history teacher said she asked students if they knew about the walkout the week before, and after most of her 120 students said they didnt, she gave a brief overview of it, adding that they should do their own research and discuss it with their parents. Benzel said she asked students if there was a double standard, giving the example: If it was an anti-abortion walkout, would their school support it?

OHIO STUDENT SUSPENDED FOR STAYING IN CLASS DURING NATIONAL WALKOUT DAY

Benzel said she hopes the walkout day prompts a larger conversation across the nation, not just about Second Amendment rights, but also the First Amendment free speech rights for all Americans.
Lee Universitys Jazz Ensemble will present a spring concert on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Conn Center.

The evening will feature music from jazz icons such as Chick Corea, Charles Mingus, and Thad Jones. Original music from the ensemble director, Alan Wyatt, will also be performed.

I've been writing orchestrations for some of the original music that I performed at my faculty recital a few years ago, said Mr. Wyatt. With this strong ensemble that I've been enjoying all year, I look forward to having them share with our audience new renditions and colorations of some music that's been very close to my heart.

According to Mr. Wyatt, the Jazz Ensemble recently returned from a successful performance at the Notre Dame Jazz Festival at Notre Dame University in Indiana. The festival is the nations oldest collegiate jazz festival celebrating its 60th year.

The ensemble earned an overall Division I rating for its outstanding performance. Graduate trumpet student Caleb Hall was honored with an Outstanding Soloist commendation.

The Lee University Jazz Ensemble performs traditional and recent literature for the traditional Big Band. The ensemble comprises sections of wind and brass instruments, including saxophones, trumpets, and trombones, as well as rhythm section instruments. A frequent award winner at national festivals, the ensemble performs for campus, school, and civic events.

Mr. Wyatt, an assistant professor of music at Lee, has shared the stage with several artists, including Frank Sinatra Jr., The Temptations, The Four Tops, Doc Severinsen, and Clay Aiken, among others. Wyatt teaches courses in music business and serves as the area coordinator for the Department of Musicianship Studies in Lees School of Music.

Admission to the concert is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Lees School of Music at 614-8240.
A man who frequently checked a teenager out of school without her parents' knowledge and fled to Mexico with her will soon be in the custody of Pennsylvania authorities.

Federal agents and Mexican authorities found 45-year-old Kevin Esterly and 16-year-old Amy Yu in Playa del Carmen on Saturday and flew them to Miami. An extradition hearing was held Monday for Esterly, and he will be returned to Pennsylvania in the next two weeks, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's office said.

The girl arrived Sunday in Philadelphia and was taken home to Allentown, 60 miles (97 kilometers) away. Esterly faces a felony charge of interference with the custody of a child when he arrives back in Pennsylvania.

The two had been missing since March 5, when Allentown police said they bought one-way tickets from Philadelphia to Dallas and then headed to Cancun. Mexican authorities issued an Amber Alert in the case on Thursday.

Police have said they believe the teen went willingly with the married father of four, who had signed her out of school 10 times in the last few months. The girl had altered her student records to list Esterly as her stepfather, said Gary Hammer, of the Colonial Regional Police Department.

Amy's family previously said the two met at church years ago, and the girl is friends with one of Esterly's daughters.

Attorney John Waldron, who represents Esterly's wife, Stacey, told The (Allentown) Morning Call on Sunday that her husband had been calling her from prison, but she refused to accept his calls and plans to file for divorce.
Several motorists were injured after a tractor trailer carrying stones and gravel lost its load on a Maryland interstate outside the nations capital, causing a pileup involving 20 vehicles, officials said.

The Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service said the crash was reported in the southbound lanes of Interstate 270 around 5:20 a.m. in Germantown, located about 24 miles northwest of Washington D.C.

Pete Piringer, a spokesman for Montgomery County Fire, tweeted that rescue personnel evaluated 24 people at the scene, and four were transported to area hospitals.

Of the four sent to hospitals, only two were considered to have trauma-level injuries, but none were believed to be life-threatening, according to Piringer.

Piringer tweeted "other vehicles apparently could not avoid" the tractor trailer after it lost its load.

SNOW SQUALL CAUSES 81-VEHICLE PILEUP ON OHIO INTERSTATE

The crash near Middlebrook Road caused all lanes on the highway to be closed for several hours, according to FOX5.

Maryland State Police said they are investigating the crash with help from Montgomery County Police and the Maryland State Highway Administration.
Some cities and counties are looking for a clean break -- from their designated state, that is. For years, some U.S. officials have fought to create the 51st state, providing a variety of reasons why they should gain independence.

Officials have drafted petitions, campaigned from county to county and created lengthy proposals to explain why their area should be considered a state. Most believe it would be economically beneficial for their particular area, others argue it could make a difference in local elections.

Article IV, section 3 of the Constitution allows for new states to be admitted into the union, though no new state can be formed within an old state without the consent of the state legislature as well as Congress.

That's not likely to happen any time soon.

"Generally speaking, it's very uncommon for a state to willingly vote to make itself smaller. (The last time that happened was in 1862 when West Virginia broke off from Virginia, and that involved some creative wartime interpretations of the Constitution.) And the U.S. Congress seems no more likely to vote for such statehood," the Pacific Standard Magazine explained in an online post in November 2013.

There havent been any new states formed by secession in modern U.S. history. But that doesn't mean people aren't still going to try. Here's a look at some state partition proposals in recent years.

New California

Two men launched a campaign on Jan. 15 to create the 51st state of the union, dubbed "New California." The movement proposes dividing rural California from the coastal cities, citing a list of 40 grievances against the state's government.

Unlike the failed 2016 campaign to split California into six states, this movement, founded by Robert Paul Preston and Tom Reed, seeks to consolidate rural California into its own economy.

"After years of over taxation, regulation, and mono party politics the State of California and many of its 58 counties have become ungovernable," the movement declares on its website.

It states that a consensus must be reached by the state legislatures of California as well as Congress. The process, according to New California hopefuls, could take up to 18 months.

As of April 24, the group claimed it has approval from 38 of the state's 58 counties needed to take it to the Legislature, CNBC reports.

"North Colorado"

Ten counties in Colorado started floating the idea of becoming their own state -- "North Colorado" -- in July 2013. And two more counties in Nebraska hoped to join them.

With a combined population of 350,000 people, North Colorado would have been the smallest state in the union if Congress agreed with lawmakers and declared the area an official state, according to the Pacific Standard Magazine.

Local officials said a new state was needed to better represent the interests of northern Colorado.

I say 80 percent of the oil and gas revenue in the state of Colorado is coming out of northeastern Colorado  Weld, Yuma County, and some of other counties, Weld County Commissioner Sean Conway told CBS Denver at the time. Seventy percent of the K-12 funding is coming off the state lands in Weld County alone. Im telling you we are economic drivers.

The proposal was placed on a November 2013 ballot, but was widely rejected by voters -- 58 percent to 42 percent.

Weld County voters said this is an option we shouldnt pursue and we wont pursue it, Conway said in response to the vote, according to the Denver Post. But we will continue to look at the problems of the urban and rural divide in this state.

"Baja Arizona"

A group of attorneys in Arizona's Pima County Democratic attempted to form their own state, called "Baja Arizona," back in February 2011. The movement was called "Start Our State" and represented the roughly 1 million residents in Pima County.

Paul Eckerstrom, who helped lead the effort, argued the state legislature had gone "too far to the right," according to the Arizona Daily Star. He specifically pointed to politics in Phoenix, adding that priorities outlined by politicians in the city weren't representative of the needs in Pima County.

"Every bill we've heard about here is either anti-abortion laws or anti-Mexican laws,' Eckerstrom told the local paper. "These are not laws that are geared toward solving the real problems that we have."

The legislature reportedly voted against the bill weeks later.

"Cook County"

On Nov. 22, 2011, Illinois Reps. Bill Mitchell and Adam Brown introduced a bill that would separate Cook County -- the second most populous county in the U.S. -- from the rest of the state.

Mitchell argued that voters' voices were being "drowned out by Chicago."

Downstate families are tired of Chicago dictating its views to the rest of us, Mitchell told NBC Chicago at the time. You only have to look at the election results from last years governors race to see the problem. Cook County carried Pat Quinn, while almost every Downstate county supported Bill Brady."

In January 2013, the bill came up during a chamber session in the Illinois House of Representatives but lawmakers adjourned it indefinitely.

Fox News' Steve Kurtz and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
A New Jersey judge barred from hearing DWI cases after previously being accused in one is heard telling officers he is a f----ing judge in newly-released video of the 2016 incident.

Wilfredo Benitez, a municipal judge in East Orange, Belleville and Bloomfield, was found passed out in his vehicle in Teaneck with the car's emergency lights flashing in the early morning hours of Nov. 12, and was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, NJ.com reported, citing court records. Benitez blew a blood-alcohol level two times the legal limit in a police sobriety test, it added, but eventually was acquitted in the case due to flaws in the investigation.

You are wasting your time and you know it! Benitez is heard telling a New Jersey state trooper as he is being read his Miranda rights. I will f----ing fight you, and you know youre being a d---.

At an earlier point in the video, Benitez says look, Im a f---ing judge.

I would never do anything to hurt you, man, cmon, he is heard saying.

Benitez first told the troopers that he was dropping his daughter off at school and heading home, despite it being around 2 a.m. on a Saturday. Then he said he was dropping off his son.

You were driving your son? Or your daughter? one of the troopers asks.

A police report of the incident said the judge struggled with the sobriety test but insisted he wasnt drunk or a drug addict, NJ.com reported. Superior Court Judge Roy McGeady cleared Benitez in May 2017.

The incident was first made public in January after the state judiciary accused him of abusing his role. He is now facing an ethics case stemming from the incident and is barred from hearing DWI cases for the time being, according to NJ.com.

The judge, in court papers, reportedly said he was regretful and apologetic for the foul language used during the arrest, but denied wrongdoing.
An Oregon man claims that he was nearly beaten to death Sunday after being ambushed by strangers in his home.

Joshua Morrison, of Portland, told Fox 12 that a woman who was screaming for help knocked on his door and when he opened the door the woman started to punch him in the face. Morrison said two men then appeared in his doorway and tied him up.

They just all three of them started attacking me, he told the station. Theyd work on my face while they held my wrist. I thought I was actually going to die. I was telling myself in my mind, Im going to die now, this is it -- just keep fighting, just keep fighting.

Morrison said the suspects hit him in the face with the end of a shotgun they found inside his home. He said the attackers even hurt his cat.

Morrison said he had to stay in the hospital for a few days.

A GoFundMe page set up for his medical bills show Morrison with multiple lacerations to his head and nose.

"I was telling myself in my mind, Im going to die now, this is it -- just keep fighting, just keep fighting.  Joshua Morrison

Portland police were called to the home, but the intruders had left before authorities arrived, according to Fox 12.

Police were still investigating the incident and have not provided details of possible suspects.
At one point, it was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Two years after 49 people were massacred inside a crowded nightclub in Orlando, the wife of the gunman responsible was put on trial -- with families of the victims looking for justice.

Omar Mateen opened fire with a Sig Saur semi-automatic rifle on June 12, 2016, killing dozens of people before he was fatally shot hours later by police. The trial of his widow, Noor Salman, was the only criminal prosecution for the incident.

Testimony began on March 14. After deliberating for three days, the jury announced on March 30 that Salman was found not guilty of obstruction and providing material support to a terrorist organization.

In light of the verdict, here's what you need to know.

What was she being accused of?

Salman pleaded not guilty to charges of aiding and abetting Mateen's allegiance to the Islamic State. She was also charged with obstruction of justice, as FBI agents say she lied to them during questioning hours after the attack.

Assistant U.S. Attorney James Mandolfo said Salman gave conflicting statements to FBI agents. In one conversation with authorities, before they informed her of any details of the attack, she said, "My husband is safe with guns."

"No one ever told her about guns," Mandolfo said.

FBI agents interviewed Salman three times after the attack. They said she was aware Mateen was planning to do something and that texts to her husband prove it.

"She knew he was going to conduct the attack," federal prosecutor Roger Handberg told a judge during a hearing in Oakland on Jan. 17, 2017.

One text recovered from Salmans phone reads, If ur mom calls say nimo invited you out and noor wants to stay home. Another reads, She asked where you were xoxo. Love you.

Nimo, or Nemo, is the name of one of Mateens friends, whom defense attorneys said Mateen often used to cover his tracks when he went out to cheat on his wife.

She shopped with her husband at Walmart the night before the attack when he bought five containers of ammunition, a source close to the investigation previously told Fox News.

A law enforcement source also told Fox she had driven her husband to Pulse nightclub at least once before the deadly shooting.

What was her defense?

The family and Salmans lawyers denied she had anything to do with Mateens plot.

In a November 2016 interview with The New York Times, Salman apologized for her husband's act and claimed she was unaware of his plan.

"I don't condone what he has done," she told the newspaper. "I am very sorry for what has happened. He has hurt a lot of people."

Defense attorneys described Salman as a simple woman with a low IQ, who was abused by her husband and was in constant fear for her life. Her attorneys also claimed she wasn't given proper Miranda warnings, which tell suspects they have a right to remain silent and have an attorney present, before she made statements.

I knew when he left the house he was going to Orlando to attack the Pulse Night Club, Salman confirmed in a signed statement written by an FBI agent, according to documents obtained by the Orlando Sentinel.

Defense attorney Linda Moreno argued that this confession was coerced and, therefore, should not be admissible in court.

"Noor Salman denied any knowledge of Omar Mateen's plans for hours," Moreno said, claiming agents told Salman that she could go to jail and not see her child.

What about her family?

FBI agents arrested Salman in January 2017 inside her California home, where she had been living with her young son, whom she shared with Mateen.

The now 5-year-old boy, who lives with his maternal grandmother in California, has since learned about his father's act and hasn't had any contact with Mateen's side of the family, Susan Clary, spokeswoman for Salmans family, told the Orlando Sentinel.

Salman reportedly calls the boy daily.

"They talk about what he learned in his kindergarten class that day and what his favorite toys are," according to the Florida newspaper.

What were the highlights of her trial?

U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron, federal prosecutors and defense attorneys picked 12 jury members and six alternates on March 12.

Opening statements started in federal court on March 14 in downtown Orlando.

On the first day of the trial, jurors listened to a witness who hid under a dead body for three hours as shots were fired and an Orlando police detective who choked up on the stand. They also watched a video taken during the shooting by a survivor inside the club.

Jurors watched graphic videos of the massacre the next day. Salman shielded her face as the videos and images were displayed on screen, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

One video showed Mateen opening fire  shooting people already lying motionless on the dance floor. He then walked toward the restroom where he began targeting people hiding in the bathroom stalls.

On March 18, Salman's defense team filed a motion, asking the judge to ban the prosecution from using any damning statements the widow may have made to an FBI agent about Mateen's plan, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The next day, FBI Special Agent Ricardo Enriquez took the stand to reveal the statement Salman had given him the night he questioned her about the mass shooting.

I am sorry for what happened, Enriquez read Salman's note, according to the Orlando Sentinel. I wish Id go back and tell his family and the police what he was going to do.

Salman's defense attorneys argued those statements weren't accurate.

On March 20, the mother of Mateen's friend, known only by the nickname "Nemo," testified in court. She discussed the pair's relationship, and told the court her son was working that night in Washington, D.C., and had not been with Mateen.

Jurors got a deeper look into Mateen's past on March 21 as they searched through his browser history, which included ISIS propaganda and beheading videos. They also flipped through photos taken inside his Florida home.

Final text messages between the couple were then read aloud in court.

Salman texted Mateen twice during his hours-long standoff with police, asking, "Where are you?"

Mateen responded, "You heard what happened."

"????" Salman replied. "What happened?!" Salman texted.

"I love you babe," Mateen wrote in his last text message at 4:29 a.m.

"Habibi what happened?!" Salman wrote, using an Arabic term of endearment. "Your mom said that she said to come over and you never did."

On March 22, jurors watched security footage of Salman standing by her husband's side -- with their young son close by -- as Mateen bought ammunition at Walmart.

"I knew Omar was preparing for Jihad when he bought the rifle, was going to the range to shoot, was spending a lot of money and bought the ammunition, Salman said, according to a transcribed statement jurors were given earlier, the Orlando Sentinel reported. I saw these things as a green light for Omar to do an act of violence."

On March 24, lawyers revealed that Mateen's dad was a secret FBI informant for more than a decade -- a revelation that led to immediate calls by the defense for a mistrial.

"Seddique Mateen was a FBI confidential human source at various points in time between January 2005 and June 2016, the defense lawyers, in a court document, quoted United States Attorney Sara Sweeney as saying in a letter.

Salmans lawyers, who denied she had anything to do with the attack, added: Moreover, the defenses questioning of the Governments witnesses has also been hindered by the Governments actions. During the cross-examination of Shahla Mateenshe denied any knowledge of a relationship between Seddique Mateen and the FBI. This was either false and the Government knew it since Seddique Mateen had been working with the FBI for eleven years or Seddique Mateen had kept this information from his wife  a situation ripe for cross-examination.

U.S. District Judge Paul Byron rejected the defense's motion for a mistrial on March 26, saying it had little bearing on the trial.

"This trial is not about Seddique Mateen. It's about Noor Salman," Byron said.

Sweeney told the 12 jurors on March 28 that Mateen's initial target was not Pulse, but Disney Springs.

The target of that terrorist attack was not the Pulse nightclub. ... The target of his attack was Disney, Sweeney argued during closing arguments, showing the jury photos of a baby stroller and doll she believed Mateen planned to use to hide his weapons and get into Disney, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Salman's defense lawyers said Sweeney's information didn't make the incident "any less tragic" and argued that it had nothing to do with his wife's knowledge of an attack.

"It's a horrible, random, senseless killing by a monster. But it wasn't pre-planned," defense attorney Charles Swift said. "And if he didn't know, she couldn't know."

Deliberations began following the closing arguments around 2 p.m. on March 28.

On March 30, after deliberating for three days and 12 hours, the jury in Salman's case reached a not guilty verdict on all counts. The widow was found not guilty of obstruction and providing material support to a terrorist organization.

Fox News' Phil Keating and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Officials said an Arizona woman was killed after being struck by a self-driving Uber vehicle Sunday  an incident believed to be the first of its kind.

The accident in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe caused the company to suspend all testing of self-driving vehicles in cities across the country.

Tempe Police Sgt. Ronald Elcock told Fox News that Elaine Herzberg, 49, was walking outside of a crosswalk when she was struck by the vehicle just before 10 p.m.

"The vehicle was traveling northbound just south of Curry Rd. when a female walking outside of the crosswalk crossed the road from west to east when she was struck by the Uber vehicle," police said.

Herzberg was taken to a nearby hospital, where she later died, according to police.

The self-driving Uber was in autonomous mode moving at a speed of 40 mph at the time of the collision, Elcock said at a news conference.

The driver, identified as 44-year-old Rafael Vasquez, has been cooperating in the investigation and was not found to have been impaired at the time of the accident, police said.

Uber said on Twitter the company is fully cooperating with local authorities as the investigation occurs, and told Fox News it has halted testing of the self-driving vehicles in cities across the country.

UBER PREPARES NEXT GENERATION OF SELF-DRIVING CARS

"Our hearts go out to the victims family," Uber Comms tweeted. "Were fully cooperating with @TempePolice and local authorities as they investigate this incident."

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi tweeted: "Some incredibly sad news out of Arizona. Were thinking of the victims family as we work with local law enforcement to understand what happened."

The company has been testing autonomous vehicles in Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Toronto and the greater Phoenix area for months. Automakers and tech companies are competing to be first with the technology.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to investigate the crash.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement to Reuters it is "in contact with Uber, Volvo, federal, state and local authorities regarding the incident," and will take appropriate action.

The federal government has voluntary guidelines for companies that want to test autonomous vehicles, leaving much of the regulation up to states.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is considering other voluntary guidelines that it says will help foster innovation. But Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao also has said technology and automobile companies need to allay public fears of self-driving vehicles, citing a poll showing that 78 percent of people fear riding in autonomous vehicles

The number of states considering legislation related to autonomous vehicles gradually has increased each year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In 2017 alone, 33 states introduced legislation.

California is among those that require manufacturers to report any incidents to the motor vehicle department during the autonomous vehicle testing phase. As of early March, the agency received 59 such reports.

Fox News' Nicole Darrah, Shira Bush and Charlie Lapastora, along with The Associated Press, contributed to this report.
Sunday night's deadly crash in Arizona involving a self-driving Uber SUV could leave the ridesharing company vulnerable to criminal charges under new rules enacted earlier this month by the state's governor.

Republican Gov. Doug Ducey used light regulations to entice Uber to the state after the company experienced a shaky rollout of test cars in neighboring California, and hundreds of vehicles with automated driving systems have been on the state's roads.

But on March 1, Ducey signed an executive order creating a detailed rules and licensing system for the vehicles. Under the new rules, a spokesman for the governor told the Phoenix New Times, a company that operates a self-driving vehicle would be held responsible if it negligently killed someone during testing. According to the paper, the company could even be held criminally liable in the same manner a person would.

Police in Tempe said an Uber-operated Volvo SUV was engaged in autonomous mode with a human back-up operator behind the wheel when it struck and killed 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg. Monday evening, investigators identified the back-up operator as 44-year-old Rafael Vasquez.

Tempe police spokesman Ronald Elcock told reporters that Vasquez "was cooperative and there was no impairment shown." He added that investigators had examined dashcam video from the car as well as video that showed Vasquez.

It was not immediately clear whether Herzberg's death could be considered the result of negligence. Investigators said the woman was walking outside the crosswalk when she was struck by the car. Under Arizona law, pedestrians are obligated to give vehicles the right of way when crossing outside of a crosswalk.

"If there's availability to do it, please use the crosswalks," Elcock admonished during a news conference. The police spokesman also said that the car was traveling 40 miles per hour when it struck Herzberg.

The Phoenix New Times reported that the speed limit in the area is 45 miles per hour. However, the paper also noted that the area is often traversed by pedestrians and "[m]id-street crossing is common."

Elcock said that the Maricopa County Attorney's Office would make the final decision about whether to pursue charges in Herzberg's death.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi expressed condolences on his Twitter account and said the company is working with local law enforcement on the investigation. Late Monday, the company announced it had postponed a planned Thursday showcase of its self-driving vehicles at the company's Tempe facility. Spokeswoman Stephanie Sedlak said the event would be held at a later date.

The crash in Arizona isn't the first involving an Uber autonomous test vehicle. In March 2017, an Uber SUV flipped onto its side, also in Tempe. No serious injuries were reported, and the driver of the other car was cited for a violation.

Herzberg's death is the first involving an autonomous test vehicle but not the first in a car with some self-driving features. The driver of a Tesla Model S was killed in 2016 when his car, operating on its Autopilot system, crashed into a tractor-trailer in Florida.

The NTSB said that driver inattention was to blame but that design limitations with the system played a major role in the crash.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Multiple billboards seen in Kansas on Friday called for the prosecution of a police officer after he shot and killed an unarmed man during a fake emergency call last year.

Andrew Finch, 28, was killed in December after a prankster called 911 with a sham story about a shooting and kidnapping at Finchs Wichita home. Police called the hoax call a case of swatting, in which a person makes up a false accusation to get a SWAT team to go to the targets address.

The suspected man behind the false report, Tyler Barriss, is currently behind bars on $500,000 bond. He was charged for involuntary manslaughter, giving false alarm, interfering with law enforcement, and false reporting a felony.

Police said that during the fatal SWAT raid, officers asked Finch to put his hands up and move slowly. He allegedly moved his hand toward the area of his waistband  prompting a police officer to shoot him, fearing he was reaching for a gun. Finch was unarmed, police later admitted.

But the family of the victim and local community are not satisfied with the explanation and call for the prosecution of the police officer who shot Finch during the raid, KWCH reported.

Four billboards erected across the city read: ANDY FINCH IS DEAD. IF YOU BELIEVE IN JUSTICE, IT'S TIME TO FILE CHARGES. The group calling itself Justice for Andy is behind the message, although who is running the group remains unclear.

Lisa Finch, the victims mother, told KWCH that she is happy to see the billboards.

This really matters to people. Complete strangers are willing to do stuff on behalf of my son, and to a grieving mother who lost that son, I cannot describe what that means to me," she said. "It makes it just a little easier to deal with to know that so many people care about what happened to my son."

ANDY FINCH IS DEAD. IF YOU BELIEVE IN JUSTICE, IT'S TIME TO FILE CHARGES.  Billboard in Kansas

Finchs battle to see the police officer prosecuted began earlier this year. Chicago civil rights attorney Andrew M. Stroth, who represents the family, said the family wants Wichita and its police to be held accountable.

Justice for the Finch family constitutes criminal charges against the shooting officer and any other liable officers as well as damages against the city of Wichita for the policies and practices of its Police Department, Stroth said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The man accused of fatally shooting a woman and wounding six people at a Tennessee church in September faces a 43-count indictment, including charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder and felony civil rights intimidation.

The grand jury indictment in Davidson County against 26-year-old Emanuel Kidega Samson comes several months after the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ shooting in Nashville. He has been held without bond since September. His arraignment is March 28. He hasn't appeared in court yet.

An arrest affidavit from September says Samson waived his rights and told police he arrived armed and fired at the church. The Sunday shooting rampage killed 38-year-old Melanie L. Crow of Smyrna, Tennessee. She was shot in the church parking lot.

All of the victims in the church shooting were white, but authorities have not definitively said whether they believe Samson, who is black, specifically targeted them based on their race or not. The indictment doesn't specify which civil rights were infringed upon.

In October, Nashville Police Detective Steve Jolley testified that a note in Samson's car referred to a white supremacist's 2015 massacre at a South Carolina black church.

The note found on the dashboard read something like, "Dylann Roof was less than nothing," Jolley said.

"It was really kind of just vague," Jolley said.

But Jolley said Samson downplayed the role of race to detectives.

"I asked him specifically and he said that he didn't give much thought to race," Jolley said. "I think he also said the same thing about religion. So he didn't indicate to me any particular thing for motivation."

Jolley said Samson also told him he heard voices and had visions. Samson wouldn't elaborate on a vision of the church when pressed by police during an interview, Jolley said.

Authorities have said Samson came to the U.S. from Sudan as a child in 1996 and is a U.S. citizen.

The FBI and U.S. attorney's office in Nashville quickly opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting.

Churchgoer Robert Caleb Engle has testified that during the rampage, he twice confronted the gunman, who was wearing a tactical vest and a motorcycle-style mask with a clown smile on it. Engle said he was pistol-whipped three times in the head. At one point, he pushed the gun back on the shooter and a shot fired, striking the gunman and sending him to the ground.

Engle said his father kicked the gun away, stood on the shooter's hand and told Engle to go get his gun out of his truck.

Engle came back with his weapon, put his foot on the shooter's back and stood guard until first responders arrived.

According to police records, Samson struggled to hold a job, had a volatile relationship with a woman that twice involved police this year, and also had expressed suicidal thoughts in June.
The Lee University Department of Theology will host Dr. Mikeal Parsons on Thursday. The lecture will take place at 7 p.m. in Jones Lecture Hall, located in Lees School of Religion, Room 113.

Dr. Parsons, professor of New Testament studies and the Macon Chair in Religion at Baylor University, will present The Ethiopian Eunuch Unhindered: Embodied Rhetoric in Acts 8 as part of Lee Universitys Centennial Lecture Series.

The lecture will examine the social location of eunuchs in the ancient world in order to gauge the early churchs level of openness to those on the fringes of Greco-Roman society.

Mike Parsons is one of the leading Luke-Acts scholars of his generation and a wonderful example to all of what it means to be a devoted churchman in the academy, said Dr. Mark Proctor, associate professor of New Testament at Lee.

Dr. Parsons currently serves as editor of the academic journal Perspectives in Religious Studies and as co-editor for the series Paideia: Commentaries on the New Testament. In addition to his editorial work, Parsons has authored and co-authored numerous works such as Rethinking the Unity of Luke and Acts, Luke: Storyteller, Evangelist, Interpreter, and Body and Character in Luke and Acts: The Subversion of Physiognomy in Early Christianity.

He is a longstanding member of the Society for Biblical Literature and has served as president of the SBL- Southwest Region and president of the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion.

Dr. Parsons is a native of North Carolina and is married to Dr. Heidi J. Hornik, professor of Italian Renaissance art history at Baylor.

The Centennial Lecture Series, sponsored by Lee University Office of Academic Affairs, will take place throughout 2018 as the university celebrates its 100th year.

Thursdays lecture is free, non-ticketed, and open to the public.

For more information about the event, contact the Department of Theology at 303-5110.
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 court in northern Greece has convicted a Syrian refugee of having been a fighter with the Islamic State group in Syria, and sentenced him to eight years' imprisonment.

The Komotini court acquitted the man Monday of murder and explosives-related charges concerning his alleged activities with the group, his lawyer said.

The 33-year-old has not been identified pending his appeal.

The man denied any link with IS, saying he had belonged to the Free Syrian Army armed opposition group.

He was arrested in October after applying for asylum in Greece, when authorities found pictures of military activity on his mobile phone.

The man entered Greece as a refugee from Turkey with his wife and two children, reaching the Aegean Sea island of Leros by boat in 2016.
An employee of France's Consulate in Jerusalem is under arrest for allegedly smuggling dozens of weapons from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank, Israel's domestic security agency said Monday.

The suspect, identified as Romain Franck, 24, was part of a broader Palestinian smuggling ring and used his consular vehicle as cover to transport the weapons through Israel's tightly secured border with the Gaza Strip, according to Israel's security authority, the Shin Bet.

In all, Franck transferred 70 handguns and two rifles on five occasions over recent months, the Shin Bet said. He received the arms from a man employed at the French cultural center in Gaza and brought them to someone in the West Bank where they were then sold to arms dealers, investigators added.

Police said Franck used his diplomatic vehicle as a cover, exploiting the lesser security check that is granted to diplomats. Israel's security authority sent reporters a picture of what it said was the consular vehicle, a silver SUV, though it was not clear from the photo whether the vehicle carried the white license plates of the consular corps.

Investigators said Franck was arrested Feb. 15 in the Erez Checkpoint during one of his smuggling attempts. A source with the security authority told Fox News they found several weapons wrapped in a plastic bag in the trunk of the car.

He confessed to the charges citing financial motives, and said his superiors at the consulate did not know about the plans, police said.

The investigation was carried out in coordination with the Israeli Foreign Ministry. We take this case very seriously and are in close contact with the Israeli authorities, a spokesman for the French Embassy in Tel Aviv said.

It was not clear what level of diplomatic immunity, if any, Franck has held. His level of immunity could affect whether he is tried in Israel or expelled to France, if found guilty.

In all, nine suspects have been arrested, and six were indicted Monday. Among the suspects: a Palestinian security guard at the French Consulate in Jerusalem.

According to his Facebook page, Franck, who is from Lambersart in the north of France, arrived in Jerusalem in January 2017. "It's the big day, starting to a new adventure.. Thank you for everything that accompanied me and supported in this new experience that begins!" he wrote at the time.

Later he posted many photos from the region, including from Petra and Aqaba in Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and the Jordan Valley.

The case was reported extensively on Sunday in the French press but a gag order was imposed on coverage of it in Israel, even though the relevant agencies in Israel, including the Shin Bet and the Foreign Ministry, had already worked on a press release on matter. It was removed on Monday morning, prior to the indictments of the suspects.

This is not the first time that a security-related case has been barred from publication while it was covered extensively abroad.

The sensitive case comes ahead of a planned visit next week by the French foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Dutch police say four people have been killed in a collision between a minibus and a truck in the southern town of Helmond.

Police in the East Branbant region say in a tweet that four people travelling in the minibus were killed in the accident Monday in the town 125 kilometers (78 miles) southeast of Amsterdam. The driver of the truck was seriously injured.

The cause of the accident and further details were not immediately available.
There were no signs of forced entry at a London home where a Russian businessman was found dead with his neck crushed a week ago, British police announced Monday, as the investigation continues into what appears to be another Kremlin-ordered hit.

Nikolai Glushkov, 68, was found dead at his southwest London home on March 12. He was an associate of Boris Berezovsky, a wealthy Kremlin critic who died under disputed circumstances in 2013.

The murder investigation is being headed by counterterrorism detectives because of the "associations Mr. Glushkov is believed to have had," police said Monday, according to The Associated Press.

They added that there were no signs of forced entry into Glushkovs home in the New Malden neighborhood. Police revealed Friday that an autopsy found he died from a neck compression.

Glushkov had worked for various Berezovsky enterprises including the car factory AvtoVAZ and flagship Russian airline Aeroflot.

He was arrested in 1999 and put on trial for embezzling $7 million from Aeroflot. In 2004, he was sentenced to three years and three months in prison, but released because of time served.

Last year, Glushkov appeared on a list published by the Russian Embassy in London of Russian citizens wanted for serious crimes whom the U.K. had refused to extradite. It said Russia had sought his extradition in 2015 "for committing a number of severe financial offences on the territory of Russia," but the British government refused.

Glushkovs suspicious death occurred a week after former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, were poisoned by a nerve agent on March 4 in Salisbury.

British authorities blamed that attack on Moscow, with Foreign Minister Boris Johnson saying it's likely the order to poison the pair came directly from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

However, British police say they do not see a link between the Glushkov case and that poisoning. Despite this, they have contacted other Russian exiles in the last few days to discuss their safety, The Associated Press reported.

Russia has denied any involvement, but both incidents appear to be only the latest in a long line of Kremlin-ordered hits against spies and dissidents.

Russia spy agencies over the decades have found creative ways of silencing their enemies, including the infamous 1978 poisoned-umbrella stabbing in London of dissident Bulgaria writer Georgi Markov.

The most infamous recent assassination was that of Alexander Litvinenko. A former intelligence officer who defected to London in 2000, Litvinenko publicly accused his superiors of hatching an assassination plot against a Russian oligarch.

While in London, Litvinenko fell ill in November 2006, dying soon thereafter. His death was ultimately attributed to drinking tea poisoned with radionuclide polonium-210.

A judicial inquest ruled in 2016 there was a strong probability Litvinenkos death was a Russian intelligence operation that was probably approved by Putin.

In the last four years alone, dozens of high-profile Russians  including journalists, anti-corruption experts and politicians  also have all died under suspicious circumstances.

Fox News Lucia I. Suarez Sang and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Monday that Russia is not fooling anyone with its increasingly absurd denials of poisoning ex-spy and his daughter with a military-grade nerve agent in Britain.

The top British official accused Vladimir Putin  who extended his rule for another term on Sunday after a landslide election victory  of trying to hide the truth of his regimes involvement in the attack on the British soil.

The Russian denials grow increasingly absurd, Johnson said in Brussels prior the meetings with EU leaders. He said the U.K. has the full backing of its European partners. I think what people can see is that this is a classic Russia strategy of trying to conceal the needle of truth in a haystack of lies and obfuscation.

Johnson said many in the European Union have been victims of malign Russian behavior and that Moscow is not fooling anybody anymore.

Johnson has been the leading voice in criticizing Russia over the weekend for its alleged involvement in the poisoning attack of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

On Sunday, he claimed Britain has evidence Russia has been stockpiling a nerve agent in violation of international law very likely for the purposes of assassination.

The Russian denials grow increasingly absurd."  British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson

The Russian state has been engaged in investigating the delivery of such agents, Novichok agents ... very likely for the purposes of assassination, he said.

The trail of blame of the nerve agent attack in Britain leads inexorably to the Kremlin, he added, noting that the country has been producing the nerve agent despite its claims to the contrary.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Lee University will host a faculty recital with Dr. Jonathan Jung, piano, and Dr. Hyeri Choi, violin, on Wednesday, March 21, at 7:30 p.m. in Squires Recital Hall, located in the Humanities Center.

Dr. Jung and Ms. Choi will perform works by Sergei Prokofiev and Johannes Brahms, as well as an original piece by Dr. Jung, Poeme for Piano and Violin.

Dr. Jung joined the faculty of Lees School of Music as an assistant professor of piano in the fall of 2017. He previously taught at Southwestern Oklahoma State University and Jones County Junior College.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Jung performs regularly across the United States. He has performed with the Eastman Philharmonic Orchestra and Korean Philharmonic Orchestra of New Zealand. As a composer, Dr. Jungs original pieces have been performed in Carnegie Hall, Hatch Recital Hall, and Brevard Music Center.

He has received awards in the Christchurch National Piano Concerto Competition, Eastman Concerto Competition, Kapiti Coast National Piano Competition, and Kerikeri Piano Competition.

Dr. Jung earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree, Master of Arts in Theory pedagogy degree, and Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music. He received his Bachelor of Music from the University of Auckland.

Dr. Choi is an assistant professor of violin at Idaho State University and the appointed concertmaster at the Idaho-Civic Symphony.

She served as a guest concertmaster of the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra in 2016, assistant concertmaster of the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes from 2012-16, and principal second violin of the Seoul Metropolitan Youth Orchestra in Korea.

As the First Prize winner of the 2014 American Protege International String and Piano Competition, Dr. Choi performed at Carnegie Halls Weill Recital Hall. She also performed a solo recital in the Musicales Concert Series at the George Eastman House.

Dr. Choi has performed internationally at the Kirishima International Music Festival in Japan and the Music Alp Festival in France.

Dr. Choi received her doctorate and masters degree from Eastman School of Music, and her bachelors degree from Ewha Womans University in Korea. She also earned her Orchestra Performance Certificate from TOHO Orchestra Academy.

For more information on the recital or the Lee University School of Music, email music@leeuniversity.edu or call (423) 614-8240.




The Lowes Gives Foundation awarded a $13,000 grant to Northside Neighborhood House for a complete kitchen renovation. The NNH used the grant funding to update their agency kitchen, which hadnt been updated since 1989.

The NNH worked with the local Hixson Lowes store to complete the project in just a week. After demolition, Lowes helped install new flooring, counter tops, cabinets, back splashes, and stainless steel appliances.

The space has been transformed into a modern, more functional kitchen where our employees and clients can gather, we can host monthly cooking classes, and much more, said Brianne Lalor, chief development officer for the NNH.

When you are focused on helping neighbors meet basic needs and providing education services, projects like kitchen renovations fall to the bottom of the priority list. Thanks to the Lowes Gives Foundation, we have a brand new kitchen that will last for years and years to come.
Voice of the People I can drive on the left lane of Ind. 49 and not have to deal with the truck traffic any more. I dont think I know you Jim Ton but apparently youre the one that made this happen. My life is a little better now....

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...
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Farmers in England attempting to complete their 2018 Basic Payment Scheme claims are finding major errors in the mapping data held on their hedges.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has introduced a new hedge layer this year that aims to show the length and location of any hedges that are eligible to count towards their ecological focus area (EFA) obligation.

It is anticipated that many more farmers will be looking to use hedges as EFAs in 2018 because of the ban on the use of plant protection products on nitrogen-fixing crops and fallow.

See also: RPA boss blasted over payment delays and mapping

But farmers who have started to look at this information have discovered worrying levels of inaccuracies.

Dear RPA, Please could you add a feature create hedges, as 75% of our hedges have been left off the system. I assume now I need to do a lot of paperwork to get them added. Thank you.  Samuel Topham (@samueltopham14) March 13, 2018

They are finding land parcels where hedges do exist in real life, but do not show on the RPAs system, along with fictitious hedges appearing where they should not be.

Others are reporting difficulty in getting the hedging layer information to appear at all.

Its amazing how the RPA can recognise a wall as a hedge yet they cant recognise actual hedges. Another fun application period coming!  David Robinson (@dcrobinson79) March 16, 2018

Purely out of interest, I just had a look at my hedge maps. I have 652m on a 10.29ha field. This interests me as we lifted the beet on Friday and to the best of my knowledge there are no hedges on the field. What a good Just I dont use hedges for EFA.  Robert (@waddledogie) March 15, 2018

Richard Wordsworth, NFU senior BPS adviser, said the union had already flagged the issue with the RPA and was pushing for further guidance and support.

The problem was most acute for growers who were looking to use hedges to meet their EFA requirements, he said.

However, the union was also very concerned about the implications if the hedge layer was used as a checking tool against agri-environment scheme claims.

This is a huge problem for those who are affected and puts additional pressure on claimants when hedges could have been a quick and easy way to meet their EFA obligation, said Mr Wordsworth.

The current guideline from the RPA is that if you need hedges to meet your EFA and they arent showing on the hedge layer, you need to fill out an RLE1 form to get them added back in and cover your EFA hedge claim position.

NFU vice-president Stuart Roberts said the situation was going to create more work for farmers and agents.

Yet again, the industry is going to have to pick up the pieces and correct errors that are not of their making. Our advice to farmers is to log in to the online system and start looking at the information now, so you can check your mapping, read the guidance notes and start working things out.

A tweet published on the RPAs Twitter account on 14 March said: If you arent using hedges for an agri-environment scheme or to meet your 5% EFA obligation, you wont need to send in an RLE1 to tell us about any changes to the hedge layer.

Farmers Weekly has contacted Defra for a comment on behalf of the RPA.
Farmers have been praised for their efforts to clear roads and help stranded motorists after a mini Beast from the East gripped much of the UK.

Across the country, farmer have headed out in force again to clear snow drifts from rural and main road networks.

Drifting snow, bitterly cold winds and icy conditions wreaked havoc in Lincolnshire on Saturday (17 March) and police advised motorists not to travel unless absolutely necessary.

See also: 15 frustrating things about snow on the farm

Lincolnshire Police said a number of farmers were out in the county clearing roads after heavy snow and freezing temperatures made some areas impassable.

One area was the A607 road around Boothby Graffoe and Waddington, where farmers were called in to clear snow and help clear routes for stranded vehicles.

Further north in Scunthorpe, Lincs FMs director of programming, Sean Dunderdale, told how one farmer heard a stranded motorist call the radio station to say he had been stuck in his vehicle for two hours.

Ultimate local radio, just now. Guy calls in a panic, stuck for two hours in a snow drift. Tried digging himself out but getting nowhere.

I mention his location on air. Within 10 minutes a tractor arrives to tow him out and hes heading home.

Our listeners are the best.  Sean Dunderdale (@seandunderdale) March 18, 2018

The farmer sprang into action to rescue the motorist with his tractor within 10 minutes, Mr Dunderdale tweeted. Ultimate local radio, he said.

This farmer has come over from Scunthorpe to help clear roads including this one near Barton. #snow #BeastfromEast2 pic.twitter.com/HCiFJ1cU2L  Sarah Walton (@SarahWaltonNews) March 18, 2018

Dont forget farmers

Writing on Twitter, Lincolnshire-based independent agronomist Sean Sparling urged members of the public not to forget farmers who had rescued thousands of stranded motorists from the snow.

Newbie farmer Daphne Page, who is expecting, posted a tweet telling how one farmer had cleared the roads of snow near her home in case she went into labour.

Country neighbours are the best, she tweeted.

Amazing neighbour came by in his tractor to make us a track, just in case baby chose today to arrive. Country neighbours are the best. #community pic.twitter.com/VMni44RN6Q  Daphne (@DaphPage) March 18, 2018

In Yorkshire, a team of community-minded farmers helped council contractor Ameys Streets Ahead gritting team in Sheffield clear the citys roads overnight Saturday, the Sheffield Star reported.

Alistair Duncan, an Amey spokesman, said: We had all of our gritters out from 6pm until 6am on Saturday night. About 20 were out through the night, all with snow ploughs on to clear heavy snow and seven tractors worked with us to move the snow.

In the Rhymney Valley, south Wales, K J Services posted a video on Twitter of one of its team of tractor drivers out clearing snow from public roads on Sunday (18 March).

Heavy snow and high winds left sheep farmers battling tough conditions for early spring lambing.

A number of farmers posted pictures and videos of snow drifting inside sheds, and working in horrendous conditions trying to carry water to new lambs in fields.

Lambing isnt fun in this weather especially when the snow comes into the sheds  #farming247 #lambing2018 pic.twitter.com/pufeq0B1mq  Vikki bowen (@vikki_bowen) March 18, 2018

Farm charity Rabi said farmers struggling to pay for heating should contact them.

Go away #minibeastfromtheeast! Weve had enough of the snow. Remember, we can help pay for heating if youre a farmer or farm worker and are struggling financially. Give us a call on 0808 281 9490 pic.twitter.com/ayKJ0QyoKA  R.A.B.I (@RABIcharity) March 17, 2018

The Met Office has forecast dry weather with sunny spells, feeling less cold on Monday (19 March).

From Tuesday to Thursday (20-23 March), the weather will turn more unsettled, with rain spreading south-eastwards across all areas. It will be windier, with temperatures recovering to nearer normal.

On Twitter, the NFU urged people to show their appreciation for farmers who work year round to produce our food.
Young farmers in Scotland who are looking to start a career in agriculture are to be awarded government grants worth 4.2m in total.

Scottish rural affairs secretary Fergus Ewing said the latest award would see 81 successful applicants receive a share of the funding, which will help to create and develop their businesses.

The funding is part of the New Entrant Start-Up Grant (NESUG) and Young Farmer Start-Up Grant schemes (YFSUG), which will allow 23 NESUG and 58 YFSUGs applications to be approved

See also: 9 ways to get into farming

Announcing the funding, Mr Ewing said: Its vital to the sustainability of agriculture in Scotland that we do everything in our power to encourage new entrants to farming.

With the average age of Scottish farmers currently close to 60, there is of course an emphasis on encouraging young people into farming.

But new entrants of any age are welcome, and can help to drive innovation and improve best practice across the industry, while contributing to the economic vitality of the sector.

The funding announcement brings the total funding from EU and Scottish government to more than 13.8m, supporting the development and creation of almost 256 new farms across Scotland.

Welsh government grants

Meanwhile, in Wales, Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales) has warned that outward migration of young people is sapping life from Welsh communities.

The party said over the past decade, the four local authorities in the West  Ynys Mon, Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire  had seen 117,000 young people aged 15-29 leave either to other parts of Wales or the UK.

Plaid Cymru AM for mid- and west Wales, Simon Thomas, urged new entrants in Wales to apply for their share of a 6m new Welsh government grant scheme to help young farmers in Wales get on their feet.

Currently the average age of farmers in Wales is over 60  just 3% are under 35, said Mr Thomas. To secure the future of the industry in the teeth of the challenge of Brexit, more young entrants are needed.

The grant will provide 40,000 to 150 farmers as part of a Young People into Agriculture Scheme. Applicants must be younger than 40 on 1 April and must be looking to establish a new business or develop an existing one.
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The city is now collecting photographs from friends and family of those who lost their lives for a digital memorial.
Ford County Kansas Sheriff, Bill Carr, Intimidates Pastors to Cancel A Night For Life Contact: Rev. CJ Conner, 620-255-9597



DODGE CITY, Kan., March 19, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- "This is reckless." This is how Ford County Kansas Sheriff Bill Carr described plans to hold a worship gathering for families on March 28th to come together for healing and support in the face of a major suicide epidemic in Dodge City, Kansas.



According to Rev. CJ Conner, the Ford County Sheriff and his allies engaged a full court press lobbying effort to intimidate pastors and organizers into cancelling the highly anticipated event.



"I'm not sure what happened," said Rev. CJ Conner. "Everybody knew that I was hosting and organizing the event. People were calling me to tell me the Ford County Sheriff leaned on them to shut it down. We had the space, lots of funding donated, the Pizza donated. Neither Sheriff Bill Carr nor any of his buddies had the courage to call me."



Rev. Conner has been a pastor for 20 years and has lived through epidemics like this. "Helping communities address suicide and create a culture of life and healing in the midst of epidemics has been a recurring theme in my ministry. What I've always found is also true in Dodge City: The professionals and pastors aren't prepared for something like this. Until we are ready to humbly admit suicide epidemics are a result of our lack of experience, we can never acquire the skills we need right now to save lives."



Before he became a pastor, Conner worked as a social worker and a counselor in a high population urban community that looked much like Dodge City.



"To intimidate Pastors and organizers into cancelling an event has a chilling effect on the free exercise of religion, especially when you are doing it behind a badge and a gun. Let's just say people who cross Sheriff Carr get pulled over more often in Ford County."



The day after the event was announced, 12 officers with guns and rifles drawn descended on Rev. Conner's Aspire building in Downtown Dodge according to shop owners that rent from him.



"When I asked an officer on the scene what happened, he yelled at me. Later I got help from dispatch and the police said that the guns may have been drawn, but that it was all a misunderstanding."



"The people in power in Dodge City want this pastor to "know his place. They want me to know that I'm not welcome in Dodge."



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clarajancita at 19-03-2018 03:21 PM (3 years ago) (f)

Nollywood actress, Lola Margaret, who is now an ex-convict because of her incident with the US Police over alleged fraud case she was involved in, has been deported to Nigeria.The actress got nabbed after a strong surveillance was placed on her account. She was suspected to have been withdrawing huge sums consistently before she was nabbed.

Nollywood actress, Lola Margaret, who is now an ex-convict because of her incident with the US Police over alleged fraud case she was involved in, has been deported to Nigeria.The actress got nabbed after a strong surveillance was placed on her account. She was suspected to have been withdrawing huge sums consistently before she was nabbed.

Sources close to the actress alleged that the Lola was initially released on condition that she reveals the identities of the characters she was working with on the illegal withdrawals, and she did. After Lola Margaret got released, she took to Instagram to thank God. She said, Sources close to the actress alleged that the Lola was initially released on condition that she reveals the identities of the characters she was working with on the illegal withdrawals, and she did. After Lola Margaret got released, she took to Instagram to thank God. She said, Quote What else can say onto the Lord? than thank u, my God is good. However, the police later returned to take her in for further interrogations, and she has been in their custody ever since.



There was no official report on the alleged card fraud by the Atlanta police, but the actress mugshot surfaced online. See below.

Hints has it that the actress has since been released and deported back to Nigeria and considering the gravity of her actions, the actress has decided to relocate to Ibadan from Lagos where she formerly resided.

Currently the actress is maintaining a low profile as she is yet to attend any public function as she hopes to rebrand herself and stage a strong come back to the industry.



Lola Margaret (born Lola Margaret Oladipupo) is a Nigerian actress, film producer and director. Her career came into limelight after she starred as the lead character in the movie Bisola Alan. Lola was born in Ilesa, a city located in Osun State South-Western Nigeria where she went on to complete her basic and secondary school education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and International Relations after graduating from Lagos State University.

However, the police later returned to take her in for further interrogations, and she has been in their custody ever since.There was no official report on the alleged card fraud by the Atlanta police, but the actress mugshot surfaced online. See below.Hints has it that the actress has since been released and deported back to Nigeria and considering the gravity of her actions, the actress has decided to relocate to Ibadan from Lagos where she formerly resided.Currently the actress is maintaining a low profile as she is yet to attend any public function as she hopes to rebrand herself and stage a strong come back to the industry.Lola Margaret (born Lola Margaret Oladipupo) is a Nigerian actress, film producer and director. Her career came into limelight after she starred as the lead character in the movie Bisola Alan. Lola was born in Ilesa, a city located in Osun State South-Western Nigeria where she went on to complete her basic and secondary school education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and International Relations after graduating from Lagos State University.

Post Reply I am a metro reporter on Gistmania, I have been publishing news materials for over 5 years Posted: at 19-03-2018 03:21 PM (3 years ago) | Hero
VALLEY COTTAGE, NY, March 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a newly published Future Market Insights report, the global rare neurological disease treatment market will exhibit a splendid expansion throughout the forecast period (2017-2026). Revenues from the market are envisaged to exceed US$ 12,000 Mn by 2026-end.

New Drug Formulations and Initiatives toward Improving Treatment & Care of Patients to Influence Market Growth

Declining blockbuster drugs have led pharmaceutical companies to keenly investigate potential new areas of research & development. Drug manufacturers have been incentivized by the Orphan Drug Act to develop new drug formulations associated with treatment of various rare diseases such as rare neurological diseases, in a bid to introduce new treatment options to the market. Regulatory advantages such as breakthrough designations, longer market exclusivity, and reduced fees & tax incentives have encouraged investments in R&D of drugs related to rare neurological diseases.

The world is entering into a new era, wherein science has realized the capability of aiding development of treatment & care for patients affected with rare neurological conditions. Several initiatives are being taken for coordinating efforts of pharmaceutical companies and healthcare institutes who share similar aim of improving treatment & care for patients suffering from rare neurological diseases. For example, Brains for Brain Foundation, European Brain Council, LSD Patient Collaborative, and members of pharma industry are supporting an initiative in Europe which is expected to enhance visibility, awareness and recognition of rare neurological disorders for facilitating their early diagnosis. The initiative also aims to facilitate and promote collaboration and partnership between physicians, patient advocates, decision- & policy-makers, and researchers.

Request a Sample Report with Table of Contents and Figures: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-6445

North America to Lead Global Rare Neurological Disease Treatment Market

North America is set to lead the global rare neurological disease treatment market, with an estimated revenue share of over 40% during 2017 to 2026. Economic and technological vigour, coupled with increasing geriatric population in the region, which is highly prone to such brain-related diseases, will influence demand for rare neurological disease treatment in North America.

The market revenue share of Europe and Asia-Pacific excluding Japan will also remain significant. However, combined revenues from the markets in these two regions will continue to be smaller than those amassed from the market in North America. Rare neurological disease treatment market in North America and Europe will record a parallel expansion through 2026, in terms of value.

Biologics to Remain Preferred Drug for Rare Neurological Disease Treatment

Biologics will continue to be the preferred drug for treatment of rare neurological diseases. Revenues from sales of biologics will account for the lions share of the market through the forecast period, based on drug type. However, revenues from sales of organic compounds for rare neurological disease treatment are forecast to record a relatively faster growth through 2026.

With an estimated market revenue share of nearly 60% during 2017 to 2026, Alzhiemers disease will continue to dominate the market, based on indication. In addition, revenues from treatment of this indication segment are likely to record the fastest rise in the market through 2026. Injectables will remain sought-after among mode of administration of drugs for treating rare neurological conditions.

Preview Analysis on Global Rare Neurological Disease Treatment Market Segmentation By Indication Type - Alzheimers Disease, Narcolepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Other Indications; By Drug Type  Biologics,Organic Compounds; By Mode of Administration Type  Injectables, Oral, Others; By Distribution Channel Type - Hospital Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies, Online Pharmacies: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/rare-neurological-disease-treatment-market

Since the recent past, leading pharmaceutical companies have been placing more emphasis on rare disease, with tremendous support from the government. There is a greater likelihood that effective therapeutic measures for these life threatening rare diseases will be realized in the near future. FMIs report identifies and tracks key players influencing expansion of the rare neurological disease treatment market that include EMD Serono, Inc., Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, Medtronic Plc, Bayer Aktiengesellschaft, and Novartis AG.

Our advisory services are aimed at helping you with specific, customised insights that are relevant to your specific challenges. Let us know about your challenges and our trusted advisors will connect with you: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-6445

More from FMIs Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Medical devices Market Intelligence:

Keloid Treatment Market Keloid Treatment Market Segmentation by treatment type - Occlusive Dressing, Compression Therapy, Cryosurgery, Excision, Radiation Therapy, Laser Therapy, Interferon Therapy, Intralesional, Corticosteroid Injection, Others; by end user  Hospitals, Dermatology Clinics, Ambulatory Surgical Centres, Others: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/keloid-treatment-market

Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Market Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Market Segmentation By Disease Indication Type  Gastric Neuroendocrine Tumours, Lung Neuroendocrine Tumours, Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours, Appendiceal Neuroendocrine Tumors; By Treatment Type - Somatostatin Analogs, Targeted Therapy (Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors, mTOR Inhibitors), Chemotherapy (Antimetabolites, Alkylating Agents, Natural Products); By End User  Hospital, Clinics, Oncology Centres, Ambulatory Surgery Centres: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/neuroendocrine-carcinoma-market

Sports Medicine Market Sports Medicine Market Segmentation by Product Type - Body Reconstruction, Body Support and Recovery, Body Monitoring and Evaluation, Accessories; Application - Knee Injuries, Shoulder Injuries, Ankle & Foot Injuries, Back & Spine Injuries, Elbow & Wrist Injuries, Hip Injuries, Other Application: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sports-medicine-market

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Police officers enter the forensic tent erected outside the home of Nikolai Glushkov in New Malden, on the outskirts of London, March 16, 2018.

Russian Federation is to expel 23 British diplomats following the row over the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury.

Russian Federation said Friday morning that it was expelling 23 British embassy staff from Moscow.

Russian Federation said it was also shutting down the activities of the British Council, which fosters cultural links between the two countries, and Britain's consulate-general in St Petersburg.

The decision comes after earlier in the day the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned UK Ambassador to Russia Laurie Bristow.

Russian officials also warned that if Britain takes "further unfriendly actions" against Russia, "The Russian side reserves the right to take further retaliatory measures".

British prime minister Theresa May this week expelled 23 Russian diplomats and severed high-level contacts over the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

A former double agent, Skripal betrayed dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence before his arrest in Moscow in 2004.

The pair remain in the hospital and are critically ill.

Russian Federation has threatened to escalate its response should Britain respond with further sanctions, according to the ministry statement.

"It is our view that when political or diplomatic relations become hard, cultural relations and educational opportunities are vital to maintain ongoing dialogue between people and institutions", it said.

The UK Foreign Office said its priority was looking after its staff in Russian Federation and helping those who will return to Britain. Russia's Investigative Committee opened a criminal case Friday into Yulia Skripal's attempted murder.

The UK government claims that they were poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok, developed exclusively by Russian Federation.

London's Metropolitan police counter-terrorism command has said there is no suggestion that Glushkov's death is connected to the poisoning attack, but that they are investigating because "of associations Mr Glushkov is believed to have had". Officers also are trawling through some 4,000 hours of CCTV footage, he said.

In what seems like a odd coincidence, police now say Nikolai Glushkov, a Russian former businessman, was murdered last week at his home just outside London.

Russia has now denied that any program under the name Novichok ever existed, despite the evidence presented two decades ago by the Russian scientist Vil Mirzayanov, who revealed its existence after becoming concerned it violated Russia's commitments to the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Skripal's poisoning has prompted police in Britain to re-examine the cases of several Russians who have died or fallen ill on United Kingdom soil, amid criticism that the British government shut down the original investigations for political reasons without getting to the bottom of what happened. He was freed under a spy swap deal in 2010 and took refuge in Britain.

CNN's Matthew Chance reported from Moscow and Laura Smith-Spark wrote and reported from London.
The opioid epidemic, which killed 64,000 Americans in 2016, is making governments resort to unprecedented policies for saving lives and preventing addiction in the first place.First it was the expanded access of naloxone, the overdose-reversing drug now available in many schools and pharmacies and often carried by first responders. On Monday, President Trump is set to announce new policies to fight the opioid crisis, including the death penalty for some drug dealers. Meanwhile, several states are exploring their own new policy: tax drug manufacturers for the opioids they produce.350 million opioid pain pills came into Kentucky last year. Drug companies get billions, our state gets nothing, and communities are devastated, says Kentucky state Rep. James Kay, who sponsored an opioid tax bill.Bills are also circulating in Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee and West Virginia. They vary on tax amounts, how the law would be enforced and how the money would be used. Some propose putting the new revenue toward expanded treatment options. Others would use it for funding public schools or adding to the General Fund.But even among supporters of taxing opioids, there are still a lot of questions: How could they prevent the tax from being passed on to consumers? Would it hurt patients who need pain pills? And could a tax actually reduce the number of overdoses and drug users?To prevent cancer, you tax cigarettes to get people to stop buying and smoking. But do we want to tax peoples medical treatment? Thats trickier, says Richard Auxier, research associate for the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.Because legal opioids arent a consumer good that can be bought over the counter, its unclear if this tax would slow prescriptions in the same way a cigarette or soda tax is supposed to deter people from consuming those things.We can keep saving people [with] naloxone, but until we start talking about how [opioids]get dispensed, were going to keep having this problem. And the drug companies have to be a part of the solution, says Minnesota state Rep. Dave Baker, a Republican who supports the tax.In Baker's state, the bill calls for sending opioid manufacturers a quarterly tax bill based on how many pills were prescribed. Lower-dose opioids like codeine would be taxed less than stronger opioids like oxycodone.I do believe a significant tax would cut back on the supply," says Kay, the Kentucky representative.It's no secret, though, that pharmaceutical companies spend a lot of money lobbying against laws that could hurt their bottom line. For instance, despite bipartisan anger over soaring drug prices, the industry successfully campaigned against two ballot measures in the last couple of years that would have regulated drug prices in California and Ohio.Indeed, in Kentucky, Rep. Kay admits that getting the opioid tax bill to pass the Senate will be a challenge because pharmaceutical interests have stepped up their lobbying three-fold since it picked up steam. However, he is encouraged by the bipartisan nature of the proposals.These opioid tax proposals come at a time when more than 300 states, cities and counties are suing opioid drug manufacturers and distributors for their role in the opioid crisis. Most of them are seeking monetary damages for the cost of fighting the epidemic.We want to make the people who created this epidemic pay, and I empathize with that," says Auxier, the researcher. "But I just dont know how that will work [with opioid taxes]."Instead of passing an opioid tax now, Auxier advises states to first increase funding for substance abuse treatment and mental health care -- and then experiment with how a tax could supplement that cost. It might be more helpful to think of it like a gas tax, he says: as a tool for revenue rather than changing behavior.
Gov. John Kasich called our office on Thursday to apologize.He said we shouldn't have taken him so seriously and that he was joking when he popped off at a news conference with a cry of "fake news" and told reporters that The Dispatch was wrong in reporting newly recalculated job-creation numbers -- numbers provided by his administration."Look, if I'm wrong, I say so. You were right, and I was wrong," he told Dispatch Editor Alan Miller.A week ago, we noted that the state recalculation of official job gains for 2017 was 12,500 -- down from the state's previous estimate.Here's how we got that number: Dispatch business reporter Mark Williams, who knew this was the time of year when new federal data cause revisions of annual job-creation statistics, asked the Kasich administration's Department of Job and Family Services for yearly job totals since 2011.Williams, our expert on these statistics, wrote the lead story for Page A1 on March 10 reflecting the lower annual job creation totals. Kasich's spokesman was quoted in the story, but no one from his office questioned the numbers at that time.This column came out the next morning, explaining that the 2017 total means that in both of the past two years under Kasich, Ohio performed worse in job creation than under the final year of Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland.And the day after that, during a gathering with reporters on Monday afternoon, Kasich was asked about the Dispatch report on his jobs numbers being worse than Strickland's in 2010."Their numbers are wrong; so, fake news," Kasich replied.Later in the afternoon, a spokesman for Job and Family Services called to say that the jobs figures the agency had given to us were incorrect, and provided different ones -- revised upward to 32,200, which still means that the totals for the past two years remain below those of Strickland's final year. That story appeared in Tuesday's paper.And while Kasich said on Thursday that those revised numbers are still lower than he would like to see, he reiterated that he is pleased that "nearly half a million" jobs were created under his watch.Un-Kasich like...The Trump-like charge of "fake news" was the only time in the memory of several Statehouse reporters that Kasich used that tactic.In fact, he has been a strong supporter of a free press -- even when he doesn't like what we publish. During an Associated Press legislative and political preview Jan. 31, he decried attacks on the media increasingly employed by the White House and its supporters."Seems like everything is 'fake news' and you can't believe what you read," Kasich told a couple of dozen journalists. "This idea that there's nothing that we can trust anymore -- nothing -- to me it is very concerning."He went on to say that those kind of complaints fit a pattern."The first thing that happens when people want to be bullies, and they're autocrats or whatever it is, is that they go to restrict the press. So, do all the complaining you want, but thank God we have the press. To me, it is just one of those essential things that we have in our country that is so important for the fabric of who we are as Americans."While some of his fellow Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee are asserting privately that Russia clearly worked to elect Donald Trump in the 2016 election, Rep. Brad Wenstrup is sticking with the panel's GOP chairman's assertion that the goal was simply to disrupt the election without preferring either Trump or Hillary Clinton.In an interview with Jessica Wehrman of the Dispatch Washington bureau last week in his Capitol Hill office, the Cincinnati Republican said the committee "pretty much agreed they really weren't for Trump -- they were for disrupting our process any way they possibly could."I've said all along, this whole thing with Russia is 'heads I win, tails you lose.' They're achieving what they wanted to achieve, because if she wins, they have things on her; they want to demean her. And if he wins, he's not legitimate and we're fighting about that."
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider an Arizona case that could have spelled the end of capital punishment in that state and the rest of the nation.In a failed late-stage appeal, condemned killer Abel Hidalgo argued both that his state's death penalty statute was over-broad, unconstitutionally allowing too many murder convictions to be death-eligible and that the death penalty as a whole is unconstitutional.Although they didn't take up either question, four of the justices issued a statement laying out their interest in taking up the Arizona-specific claims in the future.But their refusal made no mention of the broader claims challenging the nation's harshest punishment."I don't think it tells us anything one way or the other about whether the court will consider the overall constitutionally of the death penalty in the U.S.," said Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center."When people ask whether this is 'the big case,' the four justices who issued the statement said it is not a case about the constitutionality of the death penalty itself -- it's a case about the state of Arizona's requirements for making somebody eligible to face the death penalty in that state. And on that narrower question they want to see a more fully developed factual record."The issue of the breadth or narrowness of capitally punishable crime statutes is a decades-old legal debate. In 1972, a groundbreaking Supreme Court decision eliminated the death penalty, deeming existing laws too arbitrary.States responded by revising their laws to include specific "aggravating circumstances" that could make a case capital -- and the justices validated the new statutes in a 1976 decision.In Texas, those aggravating factors include things like multiple murders, slayings of children under 10, murder-for-hire, and murders committed in the course of other crimes like rape or burglary.In Arizona, a slightly broader set of 14 aggravating factors includes killings involving a stun gun, "especially heinous" slayings, murder-for-hire, murders committed in a "cold, calculated manner with pretense of moral or legal justification" and more.Hidalgo -- who was convicted in a gang-related $1,000 contract killing in 2001 -- was represented in court by attorney Neal Katyal, the high-profile attorney behind the Hawaii federal case fighting Trump's travel ban.Katyal did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide another case testing the Trump administration's power to arrest and jail immigrants facing deportation, including longtime lawful residents who committed minor offenses years ago.The justices will review a class-action ruling from California that held that immigrants who were released after serving time in local and state jails may not be detained later by federal immigration agents for possible deportation and held indefinitely without a hearing, if they pose no danger to the public and are not likely to flee.Administration lawyers appealed the ruling of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that federal law calls for "mandatory detention" for all noncitizens who face possible deportation because of a criminal record.They said the 9th Circuit's approach would lead to a "gap in custody" and "frustrate the [government's] ability to remove deportable criminal aliens from the United States." And they placed part of the blame on "state and local jurisdictions [that] do not always cooperate" with federal efforts to arrest immigrants who are leaving jails.The case, to be heard in the fall, sets up another clash between "sanctuary" cities and counties and federal immigration agents who seek to detain and deport immigrants who have criminal records.In deciding the case, the 9th Circuit said that more 30,000 non-citizens are held every day in the United States in "prison-like conditions" while they challenge the government's efforts to deport them. The judges said the mandatory-detention rule covers those with a "broad range of crimes" on their records, from violent felonies to simple drug possession. And it applies to longtime, lawful residents who have lived and worked in the United States for decades, they said.The lead plaintiff in the challenge to this provision, Mony Preap, was born in a Cambodian refugee camp and has been a lawful permanent resident since 1981. He was convicted on two counts of marijuana possession in 2006, a misdemeanor offense. Agents of the Department of Homeland Security took him into custody in 2013 under the disputed part of the immigration law, which says the DHS "shall take into custody any alien" who was convicted of a "deportable" offense "when the alien is released."Preap joined a class-action suit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union to challenge the government's view that he was subject to mandatory detention seven years after his release. A federal judge in San Francisco and the 9th Circuit agreed with the challengers and said the phrase "when the alien is released" referred only to the time of their release. Because Preap had been released years earlier, he was not subject to mandatory detention in 2013 for the past offenses, the appeals court said."We therefore hold that the mandatory detention provision ... applies only to those criminal aliens who are detained promptly after their release from criminal custody, not to those detained long after," wrote Judge Jacqueline Nguyen.The Supreme Court kept the government's appeal on hold while it decided a related case. In Jennings vs. Rodriguez, the court ruled last month that federal law did not give jailed immigrants a right to a bail hearing after six months in custody. However, the justices sent that case back to the 9th Circuit to rule on whether indefinite detention without a hearing violated the Constitution.The new case, Nielsen vs. Preap, concerns a part of the same immigration law but focuses on a different group of lawful immigrants who had served jail time for a criminal offense.Lawyers for Preap and the other plaintiffs in the case had urged the court to turn down the administration's appeal. "Instead of focusing mandatory detention on high-risk individuals who are coming out of criminal custody, the government's expansive interpretation would sweep up individuals who have been living peaceably in the community for more than a decade and pose neither a danger nor a flight risk," they said.They cited a second plaintiff, Eduardo Vega Padilla, who came to the United States as a toddler and has been a lawful permanent resident since 1966. He was convicted of drug possession in 1997 and for keeping an unloaded pistol in a shed behind his house. He served six months in jail, but was arrested 11 years later under the mandatory-detention provision of the federal law. Padilla was later released on bond because he posed no flight risk.Preap was released after winning his fight against deportation.But the Supreme Court said it would hear the case of Neilsen vs. Preap in the fall to decide whether federal law requires mandatory detention for all non-citizens who have past crimes that could trigger their deportation.
Photo of the Fairbanks Fire Department Headquarters courtesy of Deputy Fire Marshal Kyle Green

Officials at the City of Fairbanks (Alaska) will take a closer look at the mutual aid it offers to local agencies due to a growing demand for assistance. Earlier this week, a fire broke out at Fairbanks Fire Department (FFD) headquarters while crews were out responding to calls. According to the city, emergency calls  both from mutual aid and within the city  are increasing, but staffing has not.

On March 10, the engine compartment of a light-duty SUV caught fire while stationed at a bay in the FFD administrative vehicle maintenance garage. The SUV was part of the reserve fleet, and used as a back-up battalion chief vehicle. At the time of the fire, all personnel except two were out responding to emergency medical calls. The fire stations sprinkler system was activated, and a single fire sprinkler was able to control the fire until an available engine could respond.

The exact cause of the vehicle fire has not been determined, and direct fire damage was limited to the administrative apparatus bay, though some smoke damage extended into other areas of the building.

Photo of the backup batallion chief SUV courtesy of Deputy Fire Marshal Kyle Green

An increase in mutual aid requests, along with an increase in calls within the city, have placed a burden on FFD personnel. Currently, mutual aid requests are immediately dispatched to the nearest mutual aid agency, whether it's high- or low-priority. The Fairbanks Emergency Communication Center is revising its dispatch process, placing lower priority requests in a queue until FFD personnel are available to respond.

According to a release from the city, the call volume for FFD increased more than 26% between 2014 and 2017, with no correlating increase in staffing. Mutual aid received by the city has increased from 69 emergency medical services (EMS) calls in 2014 to 311 calls in 2017. Mutual aid given by the city has increased from 19 calls in 2014 to 52 calls in 2017. By placing lower priority mutual aid requests in a queue, FFD hopes to better prioritize its calls.

In addition, the mayor plans to introduce a resolution to fund additional personnel.
The Governors Official Program is comprised of a wide range of constitutional and legal duties and ceremonial and community engagements. Each year, the Governor hosts thousands of visitors to Government House to take part in investiture and award ceremonies, Open Days, receptions and meetings, and travels widely throughout Queensland to support the activities of Patron groups. View a chronological record of the Governors daily program below.

On Friday, in the morning, at the Parliamentary Annexe, Brisbane, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and Mrs Kaye de Jersey attended the Queensland Overseas Foundation (QOF) Scholarship Award Ceremony, where the Governor presented certificates to scholarship and bursary recipients, addressed guests, and presented a QOF Life Membership Award.

In the afternoon, at Government House, the Governor received the Deputy Clerk of the Parliament, Mr Michael Ries, for the presentation of three Bills for Assent.

Following, at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Clubhouse, Manly, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey attended the rededication of the RQYS Opening Stone, and the Governor addressed guests.
Governor's Program

The Governors Official Program is comprised of a wide range of constitutional and legal duties and ceremonial and community engagements. Each year, the Governor hosts thousands of visitors to Government House to take part in investiture and award ceremonies, Open Days, receptions and meetings, and travels widely throughout Queensland to support the activities of Patron groups. View a chronological record of the Governors daily program below.
A new comprehensive Bill will soon be introduced in Parliament that will cover safety and security as well as meet the requirements of the latest international safety standards and the international instruments ratified by Mauritius. This is in line with Governments commitment to further strengthen our national regulatory infrastructure.

This announcement was made this morning by the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Energy and Public Utilities, Mr. Ivan Collendavelloo, at the opening of the five-day African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology ( AFRA ) meeting which is being held at Voila Hotel in Bagatelle. Some 40 regional and non-regional experts are attending.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasised that Mauritius wants to join the category of green countries for compliance with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) international safety standards by 2020. He recalled that AFRA with the support of IAEA has significantly helped African Member States to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.

Mr. Collendavelloo pointed out that Mauritius, which has joined AFRA in 1990, has acquired significant assistance and expertise in the field of sterile insect techniques, nuclear medicine and mutation breeding for improved crops. An African training hub against fruit flies which cause major economic losses to farmers has also been set up, he said.

He further added that in the health sector, Mauritius has benefitted from technical assistance to improve nuclear medicine and radiotherapy services and consolidate capacity building on the risk factors for non-communicable diseases using stable isotopes.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, it is imperative to take into account the aspect of safety in the application of nuclear science and technology in the various areas of activities. Considerable efforts, he pointed out, are being made to strengthen our regulatory infrastructure for safety and one important milestone was the setting up of the Radiation Protection Authority as the national regulatory body for the control of the use of ionizing radiation.

The Chairperson of AFRA, Mr. M. Sabedi spoke extensively about the agreements contribution to the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals. He noted that AFRA has the expertise and competencies necessary to contribute to almost all of the MDGs. For example, by encouraging the cultivation of more resilient, nutritious crops, AFRAs food and agricultural activities have the potential to positively affect poverty, human health and child nutrition in the region.

He also highlighted that many challenges exist, such as lack of awareness of nuclear science and technology and lack of academic programmes to train scientists in different sectors, but noted that he was nevertheless hopeful for AFRAs future prospects.

The Task-Force Meeting

The Task Force Meeting for the Formulation of a Regional Strategic Cooperative Framework (RCF) is being held from 19 to 23 March 2018 . It is hosted by the Government of Mauritius with the support of the IAEA and AFRA.

The objectives are: to review the SWOT Analysis based on the critical assessment report and working document with a view to developing strategic programmes focusing on the priority areas of Human Health, Food and Agriculture and Radiation Safety including developing key performance indicators, and to establish technical cooperation/triangular cooperation to play a critical role in enhancing African Member States capacity to benefit from nuclear science and technology including the other thematic areas (energy development, industrial applications, water resources).

The expected output of the meeting will be an advanced draft of the AFRA RCF, based on the identification and analysis of current and new regional trends, priorities and challenges in nuclear science and technology in the African region, highlighting AFRAs priority cooperative programme areas for the period 2019-2023 in support of the regions peaceful uses of nuclear applications for its socio-economic development.
Manila (CNN Philippines Life)  Speaking at the recent CNN Philippines Leading Women to #PressForProgress summit, Rissa Mananquil-Trillo mapped out her journey toward discovering the true meaning of beauty. From a childhood spent battling name-calling due to her morena complexion and gangly frame, to finding solace with a group of friends that called themselves the Ugly Duckling Crew (with whom she still keeps in touch), to becoming a mother at 18 and still graduating from university with flying colors.

At 23, Mananquil-Trillo became president of the Professional Models Association of the Philippines and helped change the way models are seen and compensated, from raising their professional rates to ushering in an era of appreciation for morena beauty. Fifteen years later, she has settled down with a loving family  but she has also gone back to school for an Executive MBA at the Asian Institute of Management, and launched Happy Skin, a local brand with products specifically made for Filipino skin.

Beauty, she has learned, does have a face  its the face you put on when you take life head-on, with bravery, trust, and conviction.

CNN Philippines Life sat down with Mananquil-Trillo after her talk to discuss how Happy Skin subverts Philippine beauty standards, making beauty more accessible, and what she has learned about the beauty needs of Filipino women. Below are edited excerpts from the interview.

Growing up, as a model, and eventually as a founder of a beauty brand yourself, what have you personally noticed about beauty standards in the Philippines?

A majority of Filipinos still have a certain standard of beauty influenced by Hollywood, international magazines, and influencers. But theres also a good percentage of women who know how to embrace their natural skin color, their natural appearance, and the innate beauty of Filipinos. So its actually a challenge to become a cosmetics company in this era, because you also have a voice too, and you have a responsibility to educate women: This is what beauty is all about.

And the nice thing about being a homegrown brand is, you speak to the Filipina. This is what suits you, this is whats right for you. This is the Filipino definition of beauty. So in the beauty industry, theres a lot of trends, like Korean and Japanese [brands]. My small dream is that maybe one day the Philippines can also be recognized as a beauty capital, and theres a Filipina beauty that people also aspire to have.

How did you keep yourself from being affected by these standards?

I think it helps that [I was] in an environment that wasnt very close-minded. I was lucky to grow up with parents and household help who instilled confidence in me. But even if I had a neighbor  who was my crush!  calling me labels because of my skin color, at the end of the day, when you go home, a [young woman] has to feel secure in her own home and I feel it starts from there.

If they dont get confidence and love from their own family, it will be hard for them to even actually feel confident outside of home. So its good to be in a supportive environment, and thats why its not just [for] parents, but even teachers, any [person of influence or] authority. When a girl says, Hey, this is my dream, you dont shut her down.

"A lot of people always think its physical. Its what you can see or what you can touch. But to me, true beauty is the intangibles. Its about intelligence, kindness, character, and integrity," says Mananquil-Trillo on the true meaning of beauty. Photo by JL JAVIER

How does Happy Skin go against or redefine existing beauty standards?

For one, I dont think youll see that we promote whitening or a different standard of beauty. Its really made for the Filipina. Whether youre fair, chinita, or morena. We dont put out a lip color that wasnt tested across skin tones because we want that when you get to the counter, itll be an easy experience to actually choose a lip color. Kasi if youre a newbie in makeup and you go to the counter, What color should I choose? Its so confusing. You have pinks, reds, and nudes. And then its another question if itll actually suit your skin type. So whenever we put out a color, we make sure to test it across skin tones so that the makeup experience will be easier and effortless.

In our campaigns, we also use a wide variety of Filipinas. We dont really use fly-in models. Weve featured Kelly Misa and Maggie Wilson. Weve collaborated with Kris Aquino, Liz Uy, Heart Evangelista. Even the messages: When we launched our gel polish line, of course its polish on your tips, but we wanted to convey to women that who you want to be is right at your fingertips. We named shades after different roles women can take or embrace, like Superstar, Influencer, Achiever. A young girl can be very impressionable, [so she can read that] and take it to heart. I dont want any woman to ever feel, Hindi ka pwede diyan, or This is the only definition of beauty.

What else can we do to make beauty more accessible to everybody?

Accessibility isnt just a brand being available. For me, accessibility also means the right price points. Happy Skin is about bridging luxury or prestige and mass brand, so its somewhere in the middle. We want to be able to give women the quality of these luxury brands at a more affordable price point. Its at a value that a woman can actually achieve. Accessibility is also about sustainability. Even if you find your holy-grail foundation, but it costs 3000, its not sustainable in the long run.

Makeup and skincare have become social tools for people of all ages to express themselves, feel empowered, and get creative. How do beauty products help build identity and confidence?

[People are seen as] frivolous or flighty for using makeup. Youre not embracing your natural look. But I treat makeup like dressing up. When you dress properly, and youre dressed right, its about respect and good manners. And thats how I view makeup. You want to look polished, you want to look respectable. Its a sign of respect for people youre going to meet with.

Accessibility isnt just a brand being available. For me, accessibility also means the right price points.

Since you founded Happy Skin, what have you noticed about the beauty rituals, needs, and tastes of Filipino women?

Since we live in a digital era, everyone expects things quick. We live in an era where you tap, swipe, and click, so they expect the same from their products, when theyre being delivered or they shop in the store. So this has changed how we try to approach women for the Happy Skin experience.

When they try a skincare product, they expect to see results immediately. Otherwise, theyre not going to stick to it. We recently launched our skincare line, finally. It was something that I think people were expecting, since the brand is a dual citizen of skincare and makeup. We launched an oil control and anti-aging line. They were really important things we wanted to address. We wanted to encourage women to actually stick to a skincare routine, and the problem is, women cant stick to it, because we dont see results. We wanted to change that, so they would see results, and when you do see results, you actually commit to a routine.

Theres this Korean craze of going through a 10-step skincare routine, and Ive tried that. I love it, Im kikay, I love pampering myself. It didnt feel like a chore. But the eye-opener was when one night, my husband goes, Are you going to do that for an hour, or are you going to spend time with us? So, to me, he was right. Why should I sacrifice more important things when I can have a skincare routine that actually works and wont take 10 steps? With our skincare line, women can achieve their best skin ever in just three steps.

How do you define true beauty?

A lot of people always think its physical. Its what you can see or what you can touch. But to me, true beauty is the intangibles. Its about intelligence, kindness, character, and integrity.
Description

GIS  19 March 2018: The State Government of Uttar Pradesh, India is providing two acres of land in Varanasi to Mauritius to set up the Uttar Pradesh Mauritius Pravasi Bhawan that will have as main objective to connect the Indian Diaspora with their roots in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

This is one of the major outcomes of the recent mission of the Minister Mentor, Minister of Defence, and Minister for Rodrigues, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, to India where he participated in the Uttar Pradesh Investors Summit and proceeded on an official visit at the invitation of the Minister of Defence of India.

The Summit aimed at showcasing the investment opportunities and potential in the various sectors of Uttar Pradesh and offered a global platform, that brought together Heads of States and Governments, Ministers, leaders from the corporate world, senior policy makers, heads of international institutions and academia from around the world to further the cause of economic development in the State and promote cooperation.

In the margins of the Summit, the Minister Mentor had meetings with the Chief Minister, and the Governor of Uttar Pradesh and discussed cooperation between Mauritius and Uttar Pradesh.

During his official visit in New Delhi, Sir Anerood Jugnauth also met the Minister of Defence of India and discussions focused on cooperation, namely in areas such as infrastructure development, economy and trade, education and capacity building, culture and maritime security.
Resilience is a buzz word currently being tossed around and twisted to meet the criteria of the writer, grant proposal or academic looking to publish a paper. One could argue that you are looking to establish resilience in every aspect of the four phases of emergency management. In reality, resilience is added to a community only when there is a singular focus on disaster mitigation. Unfortunately, often the use of the word resilience is used as an excuse to not do any mitigation.Today, our emergency management system is being caught in the whirlpool of disaster response and recovery. These two elements of the emergency management system are sucking all the energy, in the form of time and funding out of people and organizations. 2017 saw FEMA chasing its tail, going from one disaster to the next, shifting people, resources, and priorities from one disaster to the next.The only phase of emergency management that can end this cycle of destruction and rebuilding, in the same way, in the same placeis disaster mitigation. While mitigation may have some funding, compared to the costs of disaster response and recovery, they swamp what little funding is available for mitigation.To break this hold on disaster response and recovery it would be wise to reexamine a previous program that was ended when one presidential administration replace another and the baby was thrown out with the bathwater. This program was named Project Impact.The following key elements are what made Project Impact a success:1. The program was envisioned by and supported in a consistent manner by the then FEMA Director.2. Maximum flexibility was provided to grant recipients in using the funding, as long as the money was spent on disaster mitigation.3. Public  private sector partnerships were encouraged. In actuality the program could have been called Project Partnership.4. FEMA Regions provided technical assistance and partnered with the local jurisdictions selected to receive funding.5. Funding was use for planning, events and program elements, not for the purchase of equipment.6. One major aspect of the program was the building up of human capital within a community by grass roots efforts. These people to people contacts built social capital, and an understanding of the value of mitigation among those who could benefit most from it.7. FEMA hosted a national meeting each year at a Washington, D.C. hotel where communities exchanged information on their projects and there was a celebration awards dinner and program that capped off the week of sharing.Project Impact was kicked off by the awarding of $1 million grants to six cities. Subsequent grants were smaller, but the funding in that era was significant, e.g. $300, 000 per awardee. Event at its zenith, the national program was only approximately $20 million per year. Communities that participated in the program had strong ownership for the efforts that were extended in the community. Ironically, the program was ended on Feb. 21, 2001, a date that coincided with the Western Washington Nisqually Earthquake. Even with the discontinuance of the Federal program, many communities continued their mitigation efforts.The 9/11 terrorist attacks and new leadership at FEMA and then the Department of Homeland Security turned all efforts, federal, state and local toward terrorism. This priority of funding was not semi-corrected until the failures of Katrina became evident and the pendulum swung back to a more balanced all-hazard approach. Mitigation has never become the focal point that it had been for a period of approximately five years during which Project Impact existed.
(TNS)- The city and county have a 929-page plan that outlines who does what, when and how in the event of a disaster like Hurricane Harvey.That plan outlines critical steps governments should take to protect citizens, such as warning residents of oncoming hazards and protecting water supplies.But during Hurricane Harvey, some parts of the plan werent followed, including steps to estimate damage to homes and businesses and organize volunteers.Now, some community leaders are calling for an updated version.The lesson is learned, said Victoria architect Rawley McCoy, who called for discussions on how to improve after the storm. Now what are we going to do about it?The storm forced displaced residents into shelters in Austin, shut down the citys water system and left officials without estimates of how many homes and businesses were damaged.In the storms aftermath, Councilman Jeff Bauknight asked for a copy of the plan and found some parts of it werent followed despite requirements for most of it to reviewed at least once a year.In the new version, Bauknight said he hopes to see step-by-step plans to ensure residents are safe, for example, if there isnt electricity powering the citys water system or traffic signals are damaged.Its stuff like that I want to see in the plan  heres who you call and this is how to get what you need, said Bauknight.Bauknight said he hopes council members can review a new version of the plan this spring so it can be updated by the time hurricane season arrives.Victorias top emergency official, Richard McBrayer, was out of town and could not be reached for comment about why parts of the plan werent followed or what officials hoped to improve in the updated version plan. County Judge Ben Zeller was also unavailable for comment Friday.Even before disasters occur, the plan says Victoria should create and train damage assessment teams. The plan says there should be two teams  one that surveys damage to government facilities and another to assess homes and businesses.When inspecting damage, the plan asks the surveyors to fill out forms about whether apartments, mobile homes or houses were damaged and to what extent. Theres a similar form for businesses, which calls for notes on damages and the length of any closures.But that didnt happen. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, officials surveyed damage to government facilities, but there werent comprehensive estimates for damage to private property.City Manager Charmelle Garrett said the reason why local governments do initial damage assessments is so they can ask for state or federal help. A few city departments did initial windshield inspections to estimate damage after Harvey, but detailed estimates werent needed because a disaster had already been declared.Once the state and federal government included Victoria County in the disaster declaration there was no need to complete the information, said Garrett.But the lack of data left local nonprofit leaders scrambling to identify the communitys needs. Mid-Coast Family Services, a nonprofit that provides rental help, ended up doing an informal survey to ask apartments if their units were damaged.A few months after the storm, nonprofit leaders in charge of recovery were able to get some data from FEMA and are currently working to assess damage for people who ask for help. But its still unclear exactly how many people experienced home damage or have yet to returned home.The plan calls for identifying volunteer groups that can provide help during disasters and lists a range of nonprofits including the American Red Cross and the Mennonite Disaster Service.The plan also points to a local group thats supposed to organize volunteer efforts and meet before a disaster ever strikes. But the group, called Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, had not been active for years and was not ready when Harvey struck.The plan also says the VOAD generally oversees two sub-groups  a special committee to help meet residents unmet needs and another group to oversee donations. But its unclear if either of those groups were active before Harvey.The lack of coordination left officials and nonprofit leaders hard pressed to organize help. In the emergency plan, lists of volunteer centers and distribution locations were both blank.Bauknight, the city councilman, said volunteers who wanted to serve hot meals contacted him, but he didnt know where to send them. He was told to call the VOAD group, but they had no clue what to do.After the storm, emergency officials said they plan to ensure volunteer groups meet throughout the year to ensure theyre ready when disaster strikes. And nonprofit leaders who stepped up to help after the storm say they will keep organized even if local governments arent leading the charge.For people who are especially vulnerable like those who are elderly or disabled, the plan calls for officials to send warnings over the radio, TV or going door-to-door to talk with residents.It also says many people who dont own cars will need help evacuating, and the government should arrange for school buses, ambulances or other vehicles to help transport people.Usually, authorities aim to have 96 to 120 hours to prepare for evacuations. But Hurricane Harvey rapidly intensified during the course of a couple days, leaving government officials little time to organize evacuation efforts. That left some residents without cars or cash unable to evacuate.Kim Pickens, who advocates for the homeless, took to the streets to warn people about the oncoming hurricane. For many people she talked with, it was the first theyd heard about the storm.They were panicking when they did find out, Pickens said.McCoy, the architect, said the governments first priority should be protecting people who dont have the means to protect for themselves. In the updated version of the plan, he would like to see the government figure out how many people need help and include detailed plans for evacuations.How many buses do you have? McCoy said. How many drivers do you have that are willing to do this?According to the plan, local officials have the ultimate responsibility for providing shelter and mass care to protect local residents displaced from their homes and others who evacuate into our jurisdiction due to emergency situations.Shelter, according to the plan, can range from short-term relief to longterm stays where evacuees need showers, sleeping and food.But in Victoria, there were only two shelters during Harvey, both of which filled up quickly and could only house people for a couple days. So Victoria residents who needed long-term help were bused to San Antonio or Austin.The plan says the American Red Cross oversees shelter operations and should make agreements with school districts, churches and other property owners who can offer shelters. But the list of shelters was redacted so its unknown where shelters are or if those agreements are in place.However, community leaders are calling for a new shelter that can house people who lost homes. Derrick Neal, Victorias health department director, said there should be a designated building to shelter displaced residents for up to 90 days.It wouldnt be a dome  maybe a gym, large church or community center  something that has showers and restrooms for several individuals, Neal said.The plan calls for taking all sorts of precautions to protect utilities like electricity and water, including curtailing residents water service to save water for fire fighting. It also says local officials should develop plans to install emergency generators in important facilities.Some of Victorias important government buildings had generators, but a few important facilities needed to pump drinking water didnt. Harvey shut down water service for a couple days, leaving the city limited supplies to fight fires.And once the water service returned, residents were asked for about a week to boil water before drinking.We dont want (hurricane season) to come around with a couple of things happening  were in the same position with water, and we dont have an updated emergency plan, said Bauknight.During Harvey, the city was forced to borrow generators from a local hospital. To prevent the water system from failing again, the city is looking to purchase its own generators, said Bauknight.Besides buying generators, Bauknight said he wants to see the plan updated with specific steps to ensure water supplies are protected. For example, if the person who oversees the water system is gone, is the plan detailed enough so others would know how to protect it?What do I do if we have a hurricane coming? What are the steps I need to take to make sure all the water towers are full  valve them off at a certain time to protect the water towers and water supply  all that stuff, said Bauknight. And that stuff is not in the plan.Marina reports on local government for the Victoria Advocate. She may be reached at mriker@vicad.com or 361-580-6511.2018 Victoria Advocate (Victoria, Texas)Visit Victoria Advocate (Victoria, Texas) at www.victoriaadvocate.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
See information on the webinar below. Many people see drones only from a negative context. I try to think of them as another vehicle like a car or truck. Cars and trucks can be used as weapons. They kill many more people than any other piece of technology being used today. Drones are already doing some pretty wonderful things, and their uses will only increase in the future. However, we need to take precautions against their improper use.Do you work in physical security or facility protection? On Tuesday March 20 at 1 p.m. EDT, EASE is hosting a public webinar on the security risks posed by drones. EASE analysts and Welund North Americas Travis Moran will discuss the threat, possible mitigation options, and take questions. EASE is an information-sharing community that works with utility companies to share threat intelligence for mutual defense. It sources information from members, vendors, government and other information sharing and analysis centers, information sharing and analysis organizations, and community emergency response teams. The registration link for the webinar EASE asks that registrants sign up at least one hour prior to the event using business email.
2018 Startups in Residence The 2018 Startups in Residence cohort began in February and will wrap in June  but not before a demonstration day May 22 as part of Bridge SF 2018, from May 22 to 24 in San Francisco.



The fourth annual conference convenes cities, startups, academia, enterprise companies and venture capital in an effort to bridge the gap between public and private sectors.





San Francisco Chief Innovation Officer Jay Nath, a key architect of its groundbreaking Startup in Residence (STiR) program, has left City Hall to focus more exclusively on leading the fast-growing civic-tech sector collaboration, now in its fourth year.Nath confirmed tothat he was in his second week on the job as co-executive director at the City Innovate Foundation, a San Francisco-based nonprofit focused on helping local governments develop user-centered products and services.Deputy CIO Krista Canellakis has been named the city's new chief innovation officer, a change recently reflected on the website for the Mayor's Office of Civic Innovation (MOCI).Canellakis started with MOCI five years ago in the first cohort of Mayor Edwin Lees Innovation FeIlowship program, she said via email. In 2014, she led the creation of the Living Innovation Zones (LIZ) program in partnership with the city planning department, aimed at catalyzing creative interventions in the citys public spaces.My passion throughout my experience in government is around building a community of civic entrepreneurs, both inside and outside of government, who are exploring fresh ways of tackling problems together, said Canellakis, who described MOCI as full steam ahead.An important focus of our work for the next chapter is how we institutionalize innovative practices and mindsets into the DNA of city government and strengthen our city staffs ability to collaborate and problem solve in new ways, she said.STiR, which connects young tech companies with government to address public-sector issues, began as a San Francisco in-house pilot in 2014  an experiment, as Nath termed it. It has since grown exponentially, expanding nationwide to 12 jurisdictions in 2017 , with participants as far flung as Boulder, Colo. ; Miami-Dade County, Fla.; and Washington, D.C.The program has also inspired at least one variation, CivTechSA in San Antonio; and some of the developers who have participated have built products that have reshaped government work. Binti , for example, has created a program to streamline foster-care applications that is now being used in an increasing number of jurisdictions.In July 2017, the City Innovate Foundation took a leadership role amid STiRs expansion though San Francisco remained heavily involved, contributing resources including a federal Department of Commerce grant of $500,000 that ends this June.The Foundations Executive Director Kamran Saddique described STiRs future then as one of "huge potential," and said its separation from City Hall would facilitate its scaling up. The nonprofit has been successful recently, Nath said, in securing the same grant for nearly $500,000 over three years as a new primary funding source.Nath, who announced his departure internally in February and left the city during the latter half of the month, said hell always be grateful to the late Mayor Edwin Lee, who created MOCI, and to current Mayor Mark Farrell for their unwavering confidence and support of my work, especially with respect to STiR and their broader commitment to cross-sector collaboration.But after 11 years of public service, Nath said he had decided his commitment to improving government is best served by focusing his energy and time on growing the late Mayor Lees Startup in Residence program. Joining the Foundation, he said, will allow him that opportunity.Thats something thats always excited me, is the fact that cities are working collaboratively towards making better cities, and that were not competing and that we can share whats working, whats not working. When I think about the ability to make [an] impact, Startup in Residence, I think, is a great lever, Nath said, noting that improving residents access to their governments can restore trust.And I think that if we can create a government that is more responsive, that is more effective, that were going to rebuild that trust and start getting people more involved, he added.Naths departure is a significant one. Hes held his position since January 2012, when Lee first established MOCI and tapped Nath to lead it. Nath had been with the city since 2006 and had previously served as its director of innovation. One of the first to have a chief innovation officer job at the city level anywhere in the United States, he quickly became one of the most prominent municipal gov tech executives in the country.Work done under Nath in San Francisco often served as a bellwether, creating benchmarks and examples for public-sector tech leaders in other cities. When discussing new projects with CIOs in any city hall, it was not uncommon to hear them say theyd been inspired by programs that were started in San Francisco.Nath contributed significantly to the citys work on open data, leading its effort to be the nations second municipality to launch an open data portal. He founded Civic Bridge in 2015, which recruits private sector pro bono assistance on critical local government issues, and spearheaded the citys universal Internet project, which he said is very close to becoming a reality and hopefully establishing a new model for municipal broadband.Civic innovation is about more than technology  its about bringing fresh approaches to civic challenges, Canellakis said.The citys FiberforSF project, led by Farrell and Chief Information Officer Linda Gerull, who heads the sponsoring agency, has gone further than any other major U.S. city, Canellakis said, toward creating an Internet utility that serves every home and business with gig-speed Internet.The fiber network will provide all San Franciscans an equal opportunity to access educational and employment resources, participate in civic and social life and use online digital government services, she said, adding that its net neutrality and privacy protections have been praised by FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, and covered by national civil liberties groups including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and New America Foundations Open Technology Institute.Nath also worked diligently to simplify how public agencies find and purchase technology, innovating within the often-fraught government procurement process . Creating an easier, automated process that encouraged innovators to work with government has been an evolving focus of the office during his tenure with the city.But asked which of his accomplishments he is proudest of, Nath pointed to San Franciscos work around structured collaboration models like STiR and its sister program, Civic Bridge.The former CIO declined to speculate on what the future holds for MOCI, with unknowns of the June 5 special election to fill the unexpired term of Lee, who died unexpectedly on Dec. 12. Farrell, who was appointed temporarily to the post by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, will not be running.But Nath said the office has left an indelible mark on San Francisco and a number of other cities that weve worked with, namely, its pivot to cross-sector collaboration.That shift in perspective, I think, is really the hallmark of the work that weve done, and Im sure that will continue under any future leader. Its something that I think is core to the values of San Francisco and the values of many other cities, he said.
Microsoft Teams quickly became the business application of choice as state and local governments raced to equip remote teams and maintain business continuity during the COVID-19 lockdown. But in the rush to deploy Teams, many organizations overlook, ignore or fail to anticipate some of the administrative hurdles to successful adoption. As more organizations have matured their use of Teams, a set of lessons learned has emerged to help agencies ensure a successful Teams rollout  or correct course on existing implementations.
(TNS) Columbus, Ohio, expects to finish outfitting police officers with body cameras this summer, six months ahead of schedule.More than 850 officers already are wearing the cameras, which the city began purchasing in late 2016, and a total of about 1,300 should begin using them by the end of June.Originally, officials expected the rollout to run through the end of 2018. But implementation "has proceeded very smoothly," Bob Stewart, assistant director in the Department of Public Safety, told Columbus City Council members last week.Columbus selected WatchGuard Video of Allen, Texas, as its vendor for 1,575 body cameras and accessories in December 2016 after Mayor Andrew J. Ginther promised during his 2015 campaign that he would bring the technology to the Division of Police."From the earliest days of his administration, Mayor Ginther has made the implementation of body-worn cameras a top priority because they are an important tool to enhance public safety," said Robin Davis, Ginther's spokeswoman.The cost of the rollout at that time was expected to be about $9.1 million over five years, including the equipment, training, server space to store video and licensing fees. About $3.6 million was for cameras and $4.1 million for data storage.So far, the city is ahead of schedule and under budget, said George Speaks, assistant director of public safety.Last year, the city spent about $4.5 million on body-camera implementation, including about $1.6 million for the cameras and $1.3 million for storage. Running fiber-optic cable to police substations through which officers can upload video was cheaper than expected, costing about $706,000, said Speaks, the department's chief architect for the body-camera program."I think the implementation has gone very well," he said. "Part of that is all of the work that we did at looking where cities failed their implementation."Speaks said the Columbus Police Training Academy also has been able to expedite the training of officers to operate the cameras by using an instructional video, which is getting the cameras to officers faster.The city initially equipped about a dozen police officers with the cameras. Bike and traffic patrol officers were the first to get them, followed by new police recruits.As of Tuesday, 869 officers had body cameras, Speaks said.Last year, the city budgeted to hire seven people to deal with body-camera footage. They included people to deal with records requests to police and additional staff in the city attorney's office to handle a new bank of evidence.The 2017 budget anticipated the seven workers to have salaries totaling about $326,000.City Attorney Zach Klein said his office has hired only two of the four workers originally anticipated. Those two have been working on acquiring footage, searching hours-long videos for specific interactions and cutting down the footage for prosecutors, he said. With more cameras coming online, he said, he is working with the administration to determine whether additional staffing is needed.The camera footage is showing the "unvarnished truth" of what happens in police interactions, Klein said."It is a wise investment because it protects the community and police, and having sunshine on this process and police interactions is good for all parties involved," he said.Speaks said the city is evaluating whether the staff it has hired is sufficient to deal with the additional workload the cameras create. Those jobs could be affected by proposed rules for when body-camera video will be released to the public, which is pending in the legislature.A bill introduced in November is still in committee, according to the Legislative Service Commission.Implementing the cameras has mostly been smooth, but some minor problems have cropped up, said Jason Pappas, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9. For example, lights on some cameras wouldn't turn off when officers were supposed to use them in "stealth mode," such as during a SWAT situation, he said.Police officers, though, are growing accustomed to the new technology, Pappas said.
What is a Stingray or DRT box device?

Warrant or not?

(TNS)  For the last six years, Albuquerque police have had at least two devices capable of spying on cellphone calls and texts, though the city says police are authorized to use them only to collect tracking data, not details.But how much the technology has been used, on whom and why is not clear to the public  nor will it be. Police and city officials say they cant answer questions because that would violate device purchasing agreements signed with the FBI, which hints at federal prosecution for anti-terrorism and weapons trafficking laws if details are revealed. Its also possible the only consequence for answering questions is losing use of the devices.What is clear from documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico following a lawsuit against the city is that for most of the six years the department has had the devices, which include at least one Stingray and at least one DRT box , the department did not have its own written policy or procedures guiding the use of the devices or the handling of the information they captured.In a pivot from the Richard Berry administration, which withheld confirmation of the devices, the Tim Keller administration in January released the confirming documents to the ACLU. They agreed to dismiss their lawsuit.City Attorney Esteban Aguilar Jr. said Friday the release was intended to further transparency and engage the community in policy making.Aguilar would not say what types of cases the devices are used in but said, hypothetically, they are helpful in emergencies such as a lost hiker or a lost child who might have a cellphone.But he also said they are an important tool for law enforcement, possibly for apprehending a fugitive suspect or in a violent crime investigation.Chris Dodd, trial attorney with the Law Offices of the Public Defender in Albuquerque, said he imagines police would likely use the devices for drug investigations, too.If you have a suspected drug trafficker and you want to find all of his associates, you can park (the device) in a van in the neighborhood so you can then see everyone who he is contacting him and start making list and go through law enforcement databases to find who those people are, he said.That, he said, also captures data for all the drug traffickers neighbors, and that could be anyone using a cellphone.The problem with Stingray technology, is (officials) are telling (police) dont ever write anywhere when you use it, so its hard for us to know if in fact it was used in a case, Dodd said. But he said his office is not aware of any cases where we strongly suspect that it was used.The city, for its part, says it cant say if it has been used or how much or in what types of cases without violating the non-disclosure agreement with the FBI. The federal agency brokers the sale of the devices from private corporations.Despite what the ACLU says is progress in transparency on the controversial technology, Executive Director Peter Simonson said Friday that a recent meeting with the department intended to discuss the creation of a more formal policy was instead a pretty tense and constrained meeting with city attorneys refusing to answer questions.There is a lot that remains unanswered, Simonson said, noting his group is not opposed to the department using the technology, the ACLU just wants strong and clear policies that protect civil liberties. The public deserves some proof there is a process in place for the protection of peoples privacy.Keller was not available for an interview, but his newly-appointed city attorney did answer what questions he said he could without violating the FBIs prohibitions.I will say that the police department is not intercepting communications. They are prohibited from gathering the actual content of the communications, specifically prohibited, Aguilar said, noting discussing the technology with the ACLU and others puts the city in difficult position. We want to be as transparent as possible on this specific issue, but we are specifically prohibited from discussing a whole lot of stuff.The non-disclosure form says that the agreement trumps any state or local open records laws. The forms also direct prosecutors to dismiss criminal cases if a court orders discovery that could reveal details on the devices.Former 2nd Judicial District Attorney Kari Brandenburg said that never happened under her administration, and she wonders how much the devices are actually used.Current DA Raul Torrez was also not available for an interview and his spokesman did not answer questions, instead, sending this statement:While we are unaware of any criminal referral from our law enforcement partners predicated on the use of cell site simulation technology, we are mindful that any emerging law enforcement tools may present challenges to our understanding of privacy. To whatever extent such technology becomes material to case prosecution in the future, we will work with our law enforcement partners, the courts and the legislature to define the appropriate boundaries for its use.It was not disclosed if the District Attorneys Office has also signed a non-disclosure agreement with the FBI.Around the nation, news reports and the ACLU have documented instances in which prosecutors have dismissed cases instead of reveal the way the devices (like those in Albuquerque) are used in investigations.Former Mayor Berry declined to comment. His Chief Administrative Officer Rob Perry, who along with then-Police Chief Gorden Eden signed the FBI non-disclosure agreement to acquire the Stingray in 2014, said he didnt remember the event or the technology.APD Chief Mike Geier was also not available for an interview. His spokesman, Gilbert Gallegos, instead sent a statement saying the department is utilizing the technology in strict compliance with all applicable guidelines governing the use of such technology, which include strict non-disclosure provisions required by the Department of Justice and the FBI.Albuquerque Police Department records confirm it has at least one each Stingray and DRT box cellular phone surveillance device. The devices basically work like this:The devices mimic a cellphone tower, drawing to them all cellphone use within a certain distance of their locations. They can be attached to a building, vehicle, drone or airplane to scan an area near targets of investigations. Such devices then can track all phones used in the vicinity  not just the target phone  and some devices can listen to conversations and track texts underway on the phones. Some may have additional technological features.The devices can also seek and find cellphones, recognizing the strength of a phone signal and the direction it is coming from, even if the phone isnt making a call or connected to a data network.It is not clear whether the Albuquerque Police Department has for the last six years considered the technology subject to warrant requirements. Police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said the department does secure warrants before using the technology, and City Attorney Esteban Aguilar Jr. said Friday that APD follows, as it has for years, the Department of Justices guidelines for police agencies using this technology. That guideline says police must obtain a warrant except in emergency situations and exceptional circumstances.The guideline also says the devices are authorized by law and policy. But the departments draft policy, written in August 2017 (five years after acquiring a device), says that if a court order is needed one should be obtained otherwise a police supervisor must approve using the device.State law doesnt explicitly require a warrant to collect the data gathered by Stingray and DRT box devices. A bill passed by the Legislature in 2017 would have required a court order for a Stingray action, along with other searches of electronics, but Gov. Susana Martinez, a former prosecutor, vetoed the bill.The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico says it wants a warrant process put into the APD policy. Aguilar said the city welcomes the ACLUs input.
The app could be used to detect an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation that can cause blood clots, a stroke or even heart failure. Normally, atrial fibrillation is hard to detect without the use of an electrocardiogram.Led by researcher Tero Koivisto, a research team at the University of Turku, Finland, has created an app that can detect atrial fibrillation with 96 percent accuracy. The research was based on a discovery in 2011 by the university and Turku University Hospital that small accelerometers can accurately detect atrial fibrillation by monitoring chest movements. Since most smartphones contain accelerometers, all they had to do was develop an app that could analyze the data from the accelerometer when the user placed the device on their chest. Circulation Journal has published a paper on the teams research.
(TNS)  Citing national security officials warnings that Minnesotas voter database had already been targeted by elements at the behest of the Russian government, the secretary of state is asking for funding to update its statewide registration system.Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said hes been in multiple meetings with Department of Homeland Security officials  including a meeting as late as February  relating to foreign attempts to affect the integrity of Minnesotas voting system.They are sobering, Simon said of the meetings, for which he was recently given secret security clearance  meaning, he said, he couldnt give too many details.In 2016, entities associated with the Russian government targeted 21 states, including Minnesota, national security officials have said. Two of those states  Illinois and Arizona  had their state databases penetrated.The databases do not affect voting results but include registered voters personal information, including such things as names and addresses, social security information, residential history and drivers license information.Minnesotas database, known as the Statewide Voter Registration System, had its defenses probed, but no hack was attempted, Simon said.They [national security officials] have publicly said we should expect more of this, and from more sources, Simon said.Again, the states SVRS system has nothing to do with how ballots are cast on election day. Ballots are instead handled at the individual county level  and as for any threat of compromising those county systems, Simon said, Thats not the principle threat, here. The fundamentals in Minnesota are very good.In particular, Minnesota is still a pen and paper state  and paper records need to be kept for 22 months after election day.Voting machines are, by state law, disconnected from the internet while voting takes place. After polls close, a paper copy of results is printed, that data is encrypted and sent to a central tallying site by modem  and the received data is checked via phone with the paper copy printed at polling stations.The architecture is very good, Simon said.But given state actors with unlimited budgets appear to be interested in Minnesotas voters database, Simon said it would probably be good idea to modernize it.Gov. Mark Dayton agreed, allocating $381,000 in his proposed budget to do it.The database will take $1.4 million over four years to update, Simon said. Essentially, four people writing code for four years, at a cost of $350,000 a year.With the remaining $31,000, Simon said he will make hardware and software upgrades suggested to him by national security officials.When asked about any comparison to the $93 million MNLARS vehicle registration problems, Simon said, This is not a brand-new system, as MNLARS is. This is a much smaller scope.The voters database was built in 2004 at a cost of roughly $6 million.A report by the Office of the Legislative Auditor released Friday also recommended modernizing the voters registration database.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19)  It could take some time before the public knows what happened in the Plaridel plane crash.

This, according to Civil Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) spokesperson Eric Apolonio who said it may take up to a month before results on the investigation are revealed.

Apolonio said they would not be able to release any information as the investigation into the crash was still ongoing.

Apolonio also said that unfortunately in this case, the plane had no black box that could tell what really happened.

A black box contains the plane's flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder, a very crucial piece of equipment in crash investigations, he said.

"They don't have it because of the weight and the cost of installing it in that aircraft," he said.

Despite the absence of the black box, Apolonio said the cause of the crash could still be established as CAAP investigators are fully trained to make a determination in these types of cases.

He added Lite Air Express, the company who operates the plane, is required to submit all records about the aircraft and face the family of those who died in the crash.

"Definitely, they have to because they're the one liable for supporting these victims," he said.

Apolonio also said that improvements for the airport were also in the pipeline.

Ten people, including three minors, were killed after a small plane crashed into a residential area in Plaridel, Bulacan on Saturday.

CAAP said a six-seater Piper PA-23 Apache aircraft operated by Lite Air Express bound for Laoag, Ilocos Norte crashed upon takeoff from Plaridel Airport at 11:21 a.m.

At around 5 p.m., the Plaridel police said they had retrieved 10 bodies from the site of the crash in Barangay Lumang Bayan.

All five people onboard the plane died in the crash:

Capt. Ruel M. Meloria (Pilot)

Romeo H. Huenda (Chief Mechanic)

Alicia N. Necesario (Passenger)

Maria Vera F. Pagaduan (Passenger)

Nelson T. Melgar (Passenger)

The five other casualties belonged to a family living in the house the plane crashed into.

The local social welfare office identified them as Rissa Dela Rosa, a mother and her children John Noel Dela Rosa, 17, Timothy Noel, 10, and Krissa, 7. The grandmother, Luisa Santos, 75, also died from the incident.
A new deal between Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes could be delayed.

Earlier, team boss Toto Wolff said he hoped a contract to keep the quadruple world champion at Mercedes beyond 2018 would be agreed by Melbourne.

"We started talking about it but it's not really my priority at the moment," Hamilton said at a sponsor event, according to Spain's Diario Sport.

"I want to keep racing, so I have to renew it at some point, but I will not do it when others want me to. I'll do it when everything is ready," Hamilton added.

In the past couple of days, Wolff said Hamilton may be tempted by a move to Ferrari.

But Hamilton said "loyalty" is important to him.

"Red is my favourite colour," he is quoted by Italy's La Repubblica. "But I'm fine where I am.

"Loyalty is a value my father taught me. I've changed teams only twice in my career so I'm not the type that jumps from here to there."

However, Hamilton admits he has received offers from Maranello.

"Yes, but they cannot have all the drivers they want," he said. "And I say that as a great Ferrari fan. It's a fantastic team and I love racing against them."

It is likely that Hamilton and Wolff are merely debating the details of his new contract, including the retainer and the duration.

Hamilton said: "I do not want to retire soon or prematurely. I could race up to 40 if I wanted, but I don't think I'm going to do that.

"I could stay another year or two, but if I'm going to be as excited as I am for a new season in two years time, I cannot really guess now," he added.

(GMM)
A top Copenhagen official has played down hopes the Danish capital could soon join the F1 calendar.

Ninna Hedeager Olsen, the deputy mayor for Copenhagen's technical and environment department, told Politiken newspaper that an F1 race in the city is "completely unrealistic".

"The organisation of an event like formula one is so extensive and requires so many resources that it is completely unrealistic for Copenhagen by 2020," she said.

Hedeager Olsen said another major obstacle is the city disruption the event would cause.

"My administration estimates that formula one could affect central parts of the city for up to nine weeks," she said. "This is of course completely unacceptable."

(GMM)
Daniel Ricciardo will walk a contract "tightrope" in 2018.

That is the view of the Australian's countryman Mark Webber, referring to the fact that Ricciardo is on the prowl for a potential move from Red Bull for 2019.

"The first part of the year is very important for him," Webber told Melbourne newspaper The Age.

"He is on a tightrope. There is no question."

But he said that while Ricciardo is gambling slightly by stalling, 28-year-old Ricciardo's F1 future is "safe".

"It's just a question if he is wants the absolute perfect team in '19 and trying to get number 1 status somewhere in those teams. That's what he would love to achieve," Webber said.

(GMM)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19)  Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Monday formally asked her colleagues at the Supreme Court to dismiss the petition seeking her ouster.

Sereno, through her legal counsel, Justin Mendoza, filed her comment on the quo warranto petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida.

"In her comment, the Chief Justice respectfully prays that the honorable Supreme Court dismiss the quo warranto petition outright, which seeks her removal and questions the validity of her appointment," he said.

Her camp said the Chief Justice can only be removed from office through impeachment.

"The Chief Justice respectfully submits that Section 2, Article 9 of the 1987 Constitution and the established rules of court clearly provide that members of the Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice herself, may be removed only by impeachment," Mendoza said.

Calida on March 5 filed a quo warranto petition asking the Supreme Court to void Sereno's appointment in 2012 for failing to file her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), a requirement of the Judicial and Bar Council for those applying for the post.

Under the rules of court, the government or any individual may file a quo warranto petition against a person who usurps, intrudes into, or unlawfully holds a public office or position.

Related: Sereno: Shortcuts 'preferred' over heeding Constitution

The House Committee on Justice, voting 33-1, approved on Monday the articles of impeachment against Sereno.

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.

"The Chief Justice looks forward to her day in court before the Senate sitting as the impeachment tribunal, where she will be able to present her side, present her witnesses, and her evidence," her legal counsel said.

The Chief Justice is on indefinite leave to prepare for the expected Senate trial.

Speaking to CNN Philippines Monday, Atty. Josa Deinla - spokesperson of Sereno - said, "She (Sereno) still trusts that her colleagues at the Supreme Court will rule on this matter in accordance with the Constitution."

She added, "The Chief Justice is not concerned with the humiliation or embarrassment that this will cause her. She is really more focused on how she will be able to bring out the truth and to emerge out of this so that she may continue working at the Supreme Court."

The Senate, convening as an impeachment court, will need a two-thirds vote or 16 of 23 senators to convict the Chief Justice.

CNN Philippines' Rex Remitio contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19)  The House of Representatives has approved the Absolute Divorce Bill with a vote of 134-57-2.

Under the bill, an absolute divorce is judicially pronounced after a permanently broken marital union or marriage.

Once absolute divorce is made effective, legal marriage bonds are cut and the former spouses can marry again either by civil rites or a religious ceremony.

Congressmen who opposed the measure expressed fears that the bill would lead to more couples separating instead of trying to fix their differences.

The bill's sponsor, Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, earlier said the proper court shall not start the trial of a petition for absolute divorce before the expiration of a mandatory six-month cooling off period, after the filing of the petition during which the court shall exercise all efforts to reunite and reconcile the parties.

Under the bill, the custody of children will be determined by a court "in accordance with the best interests" of the children. Minors under seven years old may not be separated from their mother unless there are "compelling reasons" for it.

Earlier, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte was not for the divorce bill.

READ: Malacanang: Duterte against divorce bill

"Ayaw po sana niya mag-kumento, pero since nagbotohan naman na sa kamara, ang presidente po ay tutol sa divorce," Roque said.

[Translation: He actually didn't want to comment, but since the House has already voted on it, the President is against divorce.]

He added Duterte considered how divorce may affect the children and the distressed spouses.

CNN Philippines digital producer Ver Marcelo contributed to this report.
Better days. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Had your junk-food cravings stymied lately by an empty bodega chip aisle? Blame Frito-Lay: Corner stores around town are reportedly running out of everything the company makes  so Doritos, Cheetos, Fritos, Lays and Ruffles chips, Rold Gold pretzels, Cracker Jacks, Grandmas cookies  after the PepsiCo subsidiary cut the pay of its delivery drivers by as much as a third, prompting many to quit.

The Post reports that Frito-Lay has tried spreading remaining drivers through New York as evenly as it can, but bodega owners say that in some cases theyve seen nary a Cheetos bag in over three months. I call the distribution center and no one answers, one operator tells the paper. Another who owns 33 Gourmet Delis in midtown says hes fed up at this point, and is just done with them.

According to the Post, 35 of 140 drivers have quit Frito-Lays Brooklyn depot (whose zone extends to lower Manhattan and midtown stores), and 12 of 105 have quit in the Bronx. The pay change affects drivers nationwide, and apparently consisted of swapping a more salary-driven structure for a commission-based system in which some drivers in bodega-dense urban cores reportedly used to make almost six figures. The company argues that drivers around the U.S. have seen an increase in overall compensation on average, but that calculation includes the ones in Wyoming, where its 50 miles to the next Flying J truck stop. (The new salary is said to be around $50,000.)

Some drivers say theyre now doing freelance delivery for Amazon, or driving for Uber on the weekends. Of the ones still delivering Cheetos, the Post adds that some especially desperate store owners, meanwhile, have resorted to ambushing them on their routes to try to bum chips or pretzels.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19)  The International Criminal Court (ICC) can tap other resources for its preliminary examination into the war on drugs, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) said Monday.

"They can consult other sources of information  like NGOs (nongovernment organizations), other UN (United Nations) bodies, witnesses to be presented to them," IBP National president Abdiel Fajardo told CNN Philippines' The Source.

The ICC revealed on Saturday the Philippines' withdrawal from the court would not affect ongoing proceedings. The preliminary examination is set to determine whether the ICC has the jurisdiction to open a full-fledged investigation into the drug war.

Related: ICC review to proceed despite PH withdrawal

In its statement, the ICC said the Office of the Prosecutor "will also give consideration to all submissions and views conveyed to it during the course of each preliminary examination, strictly guided by the requirements of the Rome Statute."

Similarly, the ICC told CNN Philippines that while their office encourages participation with national authorities, "preliminary examinations can be undertaken without access to the territory."

However, the government insists the Rome Statute  which the Philippines ratified in 2011  was never effective to begin with as it was supposedly not published in the Official Gazette.

In an interview on Friday, Presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo said the ICC probe was off, adding the investigators would not be granted visas to enter the country.

'Rome Statute still stands'

The IBP believes the Philippines is still bound to the Rome Statute, whether or not the treaty was published in the Official Gazette.

"One of the basic principles in international law is that you cannot invoke a local law to stop your commitment to the international community because of the multilateral treaty," said Fajardo.

Under the Civil Code of the Philippines, laws shall "take effect 15 days after publication either in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines."

In his announcement on March 14, President Rodrigo Duterte said the withdrawal was "effective immediately."

Related: Roque on withdrawal from ICC: It saddens me, but I agree with Duterte

However, Fajardo said under Article 127 of the Rome Statute, a withdrawal could only take effect one year after notification is received by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

"It's very clear there that the withdrawal does not take effect immediately. And we signed the treaty with open eyes... We have to take the Rome Statute in its complete form," he said.

The IBP previously said the withdrawal from the Rome Statute should "undergo the same scrutiny, diligent study, and debate" as when it entered the treaty.

However, Panelo said he and the President believe the Senate need not review the withdrawal from the ICC.

Fajardo also rebutted Duterte's claim that the ICC was sponsored by the European Union (EU).

Related: Duterte wants other countries to withdraw from ICC

"What I know is that the Philippines was an active participant in the drafting or crafting of the instrument that led to the formation of the Rome Statute," said Fajardo.

The Duterte administration and EU have had strained relations as Philippine officials previously rejected aid, citing supposed conditions following its criticism of the drug war.

Fajardo surmised the President's response was "part of a legal strategy."

Watch the complete interview with Fajardo here.
UNIDO And FAO Supporting Local Artisans For Agricultural Hand Tools Production in Eastern Equatoria

Majority of farmers in Imatong and Kapoita States of South Sudan have to depend on hand outs from international organizations such as UN Food and Agricultural Organization for hand tools for cultivation of their crops because the technical capacity and knowhow of the local blacksmiths are limited.

JUBA, 19 March 2018 [Gurtong]-Therefore, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and FAO decided to improve capacity of the local artisans and blacksmiths in the Imotong and Kapoita States to produce quality agricultural tools and other household items such as hoe, panga, axe, sickle, maloda, knife, metallic bins, cooking stove, frying fan, storage box (sanduk), etc. Moreover, FAO is planning to introduce animal traction technology in the Imatong and Kapoita States in which farmers will be trained on use of ox plough. Thus, to complement the activity and ensure local availability of spare parts, UNIDO decided to train the local blacksmiths on production and repair of ox plough spare parts and improved planter.



Mr. Ram Kishore Prasad Singh, the Chief Technical Advisor for UNIDO informed that UNIDO and FAO together with the Women Action for Sustainable Development (WASI), a local NGO, trained 60 blacksmiths from Lopa and Kapoita North Counties in the Eastern Equatoria region on production and repair of improved agricultural tools and implements and spare parts for oxen plough. In addition, 27 metal workers from Torit and Kapoita South Counties were trained on fabrication and repair of improved design of metallic bins, frying pans, cooking stove, sheet metal boxes (sanduk), etc. At the end of the training programme the participants were organized into groups and each group were handed over with a set of tool kits to start their business.



FAO Project Coordinator and Head of Torit Field Office Mr. Mezbanur Rahman thanked UNIDO for organizing the training programme under the Sustainable Food Security through Community-Based Livelihood Development and Water Harvesting in South Sudan which is funded by the Government of Canada and jointly implemented by FAO and UNIDO in the Imotong, Kapoita and Boma States. Mr. Rahman during discussions with the participants also shared FAO plan for supporting the artisans and blacksmiths groups through their implementing partners with working capital and raw materials to locally produce agricultural tools and implemented in the Eastern Equatoria region. He said that FAO through their implementing partners will make contract with the local blacksmith groups for supply of locally produced agricultural tools and implements this will help improving local economy and income of the trained artisans and blacksmiths.



Ms. Esther Kenyi, UNIDO Project Officer said that UNIDO is planning to train some bee keeper and honey collectors in the Imatong and Kapoita States on collection, processing and marketing of honey and other by-products. Thus, to ensure availability of locally improved bee hives, UNIDO trained 23 local carpenters from Kapoita North and Lopa Counties on fabrication and repair of improved design of bee hives. In the same training, the carpenters also learnt the fabrication and repair of improved planter, making handles for agricultural tools and implements and construction of low cost solar dryer.



The Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture of Imotong and Kapoita States hailed UNIDO and FAO for organizing various training and capacity building activities of the local community in their states. There are different ways for livelihood enhancement and this training is on hands skill that you participants can benefit from a lot. However all of you need to be attentive said Mr. Adedomia the Director General for the Ministry of Agriculture in Kapoeta State. He added that once the knowledge is gained from this training, the participants can use the information to produce quality products from which income is generated and the money gained can support with payment of medical bills as well as school fees. Thus, better livelihood.



While Dr. Isaac the Director General for Agriculture from Imotong State asserted that the issue of access to farm inputs especially the metallic bin, hoes and pangas has been a challenge to the farming communities, so building the capacity of the local artisans on the production of these inputs will enable timely production for the farmers and also improve incomes of the trainees. One of the trainees in Imotong State expressed his gratitude to UNIDO especially for providing tool kits which previously they did not have and they promised to identify a strategic location from which they will operate as a group. In Kapoeta, the trainees informed UNIDO that this is the first training of its kind that they have done. Most of them gained their knowledge and skills through practical work. Therefore, they are happy to be beneficiary of the carpentry and metal work training.



The Sustainable Food Security through Community-Based Livelihood Development and Water Harvesting in South Sudan is a project funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD), Government of Canada and jointly implemented by the FAO and UNIDO in the Imotong, Kapoita and Boma States. The project aims to reduce conflict resulting from lack of water and increase in agriculture productivity and livelihood diversification targeting about 8,000 HHs from the different communities and groups in EES and GPAA.



The project will contribute to improved food security and income of target communities by increasing household agricultural production capacity and creating further opportunities for youth and women to contribute to household welfare as well as addressing water scarcity in the area. The expected outcome of the project is a strengthened resilience of communities in Kapoita, Imatong and Boma States to drought and other shocks.






Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19)  The House Committee on Justice, voting 33-1, approved the articles of impeachment against embattled Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Monday.

"Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno has failed to live up to the standards imposed by the Constitution and the Supreme Court upon members of the Judiciary. She has, by her own acts, caused the diminution of public faith in the Judiciary," the 56-paged articles of impeachment read.

Sereno's spokesperson, lawyer Josa Deinla, said the vote was expected.

"The committee report, as predicted, sets forth matters that are either contrary to evidence presented to the committee or manifestly biased or one-sided, and that fail to rise to the level of impeachable offenses," Deinla said in a statement.

She added Sereno "eagerly awaits" the transmittal of the articles to the Senate, that will convene as impeachment court.

The House panel listed six articles of impeachment in the report. First is her alleged violations in her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), on top of other issues.

Quoting the resolution on the articles of impeachment, Justice panel chair Reynaldo Umali said Sereno must be impeached for allegedly violating the Constitution, betraying public trust, and committing other high crimes when she "deliberately failed" to file her SALN 17 times.

The report stated Sereno had no SALN for the years 1987 to 1997, 1999 to 2001, and 2003 to 2006, when she taught at the University of the Philippines.

Umali said Sereno "misrepresented" herself as a person of integrity and probity when she applied as associate justice in 2010 and as chief justice in 2012.

"In fact she is not, as shown by her overt acts of deceiving and misleading the Judicial and Bar Council when she could not submit her SALNs from 1996 to 2006," Umali said.

Aside from non-filing of SALN, the House panel said Sereno did not declare a 2.24-hectare property in Mariveles, Bataan with current zoning value of P44 million, registered in Sereno and her husband's name.

Umali, in an interview with CNN Philippines on Friday, said issues in her SALN make the strongest charge against Sereno.

He noted that Sereno's predecessor, the late Renato Corona was impeached for omissions in his SALNs. Umali, who served as prosecutor in the Corona trial, has said Sereno's violations were even worse than Corona's.

"This is a sequel of the previous impeachment... there were two properties undisclosed but more than that there were 17 SALNs not filed, this is even worse," Umali said.

READ: Umali: Sereno's violations worse than Corona's

In a phone interview with CNN Philippines, Jojo Lacanilao, one of Sereno's spokespersons, said the alleged non-filing of SALNs could not be used in the impeachment case.

"Previous to becoming an impeachable official, a justice, pano naman naging relevant yan (how can that be relevant)?" Lacanilao said, Friday.

He also denied Sereno has undeclared properties.

The Solicitor General has filed a quo warranto petition asking the Supreme Court to void Sereno's appointment for failing to file her SALN, a requirement of the JBC for those applying for the post.

JBC Executive Director Annaliza Ty-Capacite in a February 12 hearing told lawmakers the body considered as "substantial compliance" Sereno's submission of three SALNs, covering 2009, 2010, and 2011.

In an exclusive interview with CNN Philippines on March 8, the day the justice panel found probable cause to impeach Sereno, the Chief Justice said, "Many wrong things were said about my SALN."

She said she would answer them once her case reaches Senate trial, as she did not want to preempt her defense.

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 conviction in just one article is enough to oust Sereno.

Corruption

The House panel also accused Sereno of corruption and betrayal of public trust when she misused P18 million in public funds to show her "grandiose sense of self-importance" by purchasing a P5-million Toyota Land Cruiser for service vehicle, and the hiring of an information technology expert with an P11-million compensation.

In addition, Sereno also allegedly selected Shangri-La Boracay as the venue of a meeting with ASEAN chief justices, which cost around P3 million, without proper canvassing.

Abuse of power

Umali said another article of impeachment involves Sereno's alleged abuse of power as ex-officio Chairperson of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) in several instances.

Among which, her alleged hand in excluding Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justice Fernanda Lampas-Peralta from the shortlist of nominees for the position of CA presiding justice.

Peralta's husband, Supreme Court Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta, revealed this in one of the hearings.

Lacanilao denied the accusation, saying the JBC only implemented its rules. "Under the Sereno chairmanship, hinigpitan na nila yung mga rules kasi dati very lax sila (They were stricter in the rules because they were very lax before)."

Undermining Congress

In another article, the justice panel accused Sereno of undermining and disregarding the mandate of separation of powers among the three branches of government in several instances, Umali said.

The panel said Sereno interfered when she advised justices of the Court of Appeals (CA) on how to handle their standoff with lawmakers over the detention of six Ilocos Norte government employees, or "Ilocos 6," who were accused of misusing tobacco funds.

READ: CA justice: Sereno intervention in 'Ilocos 6' case shows 'lack of delicadeza'

The panel also noted Sereno disrespected impeachment proceedings when she did not attend any of them.

But Lacanilao said it was the lawmakers who rejected Sereno's request to allow her lawyers to examine witnesses on her behalf.

Watch the hearing here:
(Bloomberg) Chinas $930 billion sovereign wealth fund plans to expand investments in areas such as real estate, hedge funds, infrastructure and private equity for more stable returns, as it reduces exposure to volatile public markets. China Investment Corp., which recently sold its shares of Blackstone Group LP, is seeking to boost alternative and direct investments to 45 percent or more of its overseas portfolio in the next three years, from about 38 percent at the end of last year, President Tu Guangshao said in an interview in Beijing.

To read this article:
(Reuters) A New York hedge fund manager on Thursday pleaded guilty to federal charges that he defrauded investors through a nearly $22 million Ponzi scheme. Michael Scronic, 46, entered his plea to one count of securities fraud before U.S. District Judge Catherine Seibel in White Plains, New York, federal prosecutors announced. A lawyer for Scronic, Rachel Martin, declined to comment. Prosecutors said Scronic, of Pound Ridge, New York, sent investors in his Scronic Macro Fund bogus account statements from 2010 to 2017 showing large positive returns. In fact, they said, he lost or spent all but about $27,000 of the $21.8 million he told investors the fund had.

To read this article:
A princess, a former French spy, and a Finnish Woman are on board Nostromo, a US registered luxury yacht in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The yacht is getting close to Goa, India. The princess contacts an NGO in London and asks for help. She says she is S heikha Latifa Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai the middle daughter of the ruler of Dubai, I am the one skydiving, not to be mixed with the other two daughters, both also called Latifa!

This story could be the stuff of weirdest Hollywood thrillers, but it seems to be true and unfolding right now.

In a Video sent to Radha Stirling, the CEO of Detained in Dubai, she says she could not cope with all the restrictions imposed on her by her family and is escaping the Golden cage she lived in. Her aim is to get to India, take a flight to the United States and seek asylum. Helping her in her escape are a former French intelligent officer, Herve Jaubert, and a friend, who later is confirmed to be a Finnish woman.

Since the first contact, the trio maintains frequent communication with Radha, until on Sunday the 4th of March 2018, when the story takes an even more thrilling turn. Herve informs Detained in Dubai, that they were within 50 miles of Indian shore as of 11:00 GMT, with the plan to disembark and fly to the US from Mumbai. Seven hours later, a distress call is made from Sheikha Latifa to Radha Stirling. Latifa tells Radha that she was hiding with her friend, that men were outside, that she didnt know what was happening and that she was hearing gunshots. Then contact with the trio ceases immediately and permanently. This was two weeks ago and there is no trace of the three and the yacht since.

Detained in Dubai knew that in addition to Herve, there was a third person; a friend on board the yacht, but her identity was unknown until today. It turned out the person in question is a 41-year-old Finnish woman called Tiina Johanna Jauhiainen who has now been reported missing by her family. All three have been officially reported as missing in France, the UK, the USA, India, Finland and the UAE.

According to the Jauhianen family, who has released a statement through Detained in Dubai, Tiina was a close friend of Sheikha Latifa Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai, known for her skydiving, a sport that Tiina was also passionate about and they had bonded over the years, becoming close confidants.

Sheikha Latifa had confided in Tiina that she had been imprisoned and abused as a result of a prior escape attempt and, since her release, was working on a plan to flee the country. Tiina had in turn, told her family of the situation and Latifas ideas to leave the country. The two friends found public figure and French ex-secret service agent Herve Jaubert, who is famous for his book Escape from Dubai.

Tiinas family was contacted by Tiina from the yacht and they maintained communication with her. The last time Tiina was seen online was a few minutes before the distress call was made from Latifa to Radha.

We have a US flagged yacht that has disappeared, a US/French national, a Finnish national and the daughter of the ruler of Dubai missing after reporting gunfire. We now have the daughter of the ruler of a country making serious allegations of criminal actions against her father. States Radha Stirling of Detained in Dubai. The UAE has such strong commercial, trade, media and diplomatic ties, that this incident is likely to have a snowballing effect on the political and economic stability.

So far, Authorities in UAE, Finland, and France have been silent.

Social media users are using hashtags #FindLatifa #FindHerve #WhereisLatifa? #WhereisHerve? #EscapefromDubai#WhereisNostromo? to source information and raise awareness. #WhereisTiina?

Tiina left our small town for the world, first to London in 1997, later settling in Dubai. She had always wanted to see the world, and she cares very little for material wealth or possessions. Says Tiinas brother Oku Jauhiainen in the familys statement released today. Since 2001, Tiina has lived in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, working mainly in real estate and fitness industries. In mid-2000s Tiina became an avid enthusiast of capoeira, a Brazilian martial art. In 2010 the sport also connected Tiina with Sheikha Latifa Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai when Tiina became her instructor and personal trainer. They became close friends, with a particular passion for skydiving. Sheikha Latifa referred to Tiina as my angel and the only person I can talk to about anything.

Jauhiainens familys last contact with Tiina was on Saturday 3rd of March. They were contacted by a friend the next day and heard about the possible raid on the yacht. The family contacted the Finnish Police and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland and filed a missing persons report.

We appeal to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as a father and to the Crown prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as a brother, like us, to investigate this matter urgently, to contact Detained in Dubai and to make a public statement, says Oku.

Since the incident, parties who had known the missing persons have confirmed their identity and last known location. Close friends have confirmed that the woman in the video is indeed Sheikha Latifa who explained that there are three Sheikha Latifas and that she was the middle one known for skydiving, with the Instagram account latifa_1.

It has been reported to Escape from Dubai that UAE authorities have rounded up at least ten people who were known to be in communication with Tiina after the duo went missing in late February. Detained in Dubai is seeking further information on those who may currently be in CID custody.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland have confirmed to Detained in Dubai, that they are seeking any information that may assist their investigation and that the Finnish Embassy in Abu Dhabi is following the case.

Detained in Dubai is a UK based NGO specializing in helping foreigners who are detained in Dubai. Escape from Dubai was founded in response to this incident to act as a central information point.

Helsinki Times could not independently confirm the authenticity of the video and the facts surrounding these events and is quoting statements from Detained in Dubai and the Jauhiainen Family which were published through detained in Dubai.

HT

Photos: Detained in Dubai
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19)  The lawyer of Janet Lim Napoles admits Malacanang played a role in its plea to move her from Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig to a new safe house.

The key figure in the alleged pork barrel scam filed motions at the Sandiganbayan seeking a custody transfer following her provisional admission to the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Witness Protection Program (WPP).

Before doing so, her lawyers apparently sought approval not just at the DOJ level, but up to Malacanang.

During a hearing on the motion on Monday, her lawyer Stephen David revealed in open court he met with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to discuss the matter.

"We are in a situation where we don't know what to do. Is she being immediately taken out of the facility, or shall we file a motion? That's why we have to consult people in authority as to what to do," he clarified.

In an interview, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte is not at all involved in the DOJ's dealings with Napoles.

David says he wanted Napoles to be moved immediately, and then just inform the court after the fact, but Medealdea advised him to seek the court's permission first.

The Sandiganbayan's 1st, 3rd, and 5th divisions will decide whether there is valid and sufficient reason to move Napoles out of her regular jail. These are the same divisions handling Napoles' plunder cases over an alleged pork barrel scam.

The Ombudsman's chief prosecutor opposed Napoles' plea, and questioned her provisional coverage under the WPP.

Special Prosecutor Edilberto Sandoval said, "To me there's no such thing as provisional grant..how long? Can it be 10 years? One year? Supposed later on after about six months dineny [it was denied]? What will happen to the provisional admission?"

All three divisions gave the prosecution time to file their official opposition to Napoles' motion.

Napoles' lawyer meantime, claimed the motions were just a matter of courtesy as the DOJ can still have her moved even without the court's permission.

The DOJ is working with her in the reinvesitigation of the pork barrel scam, specifically looking into the involvement of allies of the Aquino administration.

"Ang process na yan nagstart pa during the term of Senator De Lima. May mga list noon kaya lang di namin maintindihan bakit andaming nakalista, bakit mga opposition lang ang na-file-an? Ano nangyari dun sa iba? So ngayon, tinutuloy lang ng present DOJ," David said.

[Translation: That process started during Senator De Lima's term. There was lists them, but we couldn't understand why it was only members of the opposition who had cases filed against them. What happened to the others? So no, it's just being continued by the current DOJ.]
MUCH like its acclaimed director, Glasgows Lynne Ramsay, You Were Never Really Here is a film that defies convention.

Its most immediate impact is as a careful, lean, taut thriller, of the kind that Hollywood made so effortlessly in the post-war years, steadily dripping information as the antihero stumbles into a conspiracy beyond his comprehension.

However, where the classic noirs explored shades of grey, Ramsays film is a full-colour delirium, pausing at moments in its whiplash running time to dwell briefly on the beauty of the most unlikely things: a green Jelly Belly; a deserted airport gate; a childs wet hair; an office full of cut flowers.

At its heart, much like Jonathan Amess source novel, the film is a character study, telling the story of Joe  a career-best turn from Joaquin Phoenix as a low-key but focused hitman operating from suburban New York.

Although he has gone to seed somewhat, and is probably past his physical prime, Joe is nevertheless an efficient worker. He leads a ghost-like existence, much of it spent caring for his elderly mother, but he specialises in finding missing children. His latest case takes up the films breathtaking opening scenes, a dazzling, edgy mosaic that plays out with the same kind of suspenseful intensity as the beginning of Nicolas Winding Refns Drive.

Once the job is done, Joe returns to normal life, but it is clear something isnt quite right. Although he will finish a job by any means necessary, Joe is a man driven by duty and conscience, haunted by memories of an abusive, unseen father and flashes from a life of service, either with the military or the FBI.

Joe leans towards self-destructiveness, which is perhaps why he finds so much satisfaction in the protection of innocence. He gets another chance of salvation when an ambitious politician comes calling, asking Joe to find his runaway teenage daughter, Nina (Ekaterina Samsonov), but this time things dont pan out the way they usually do.

Actually, nothing in this film is predictable, starting with Phoenixs soulful, masculine, but never macho performance  a meditative study of torment that won him the best actor award at Cannes.

Then theres Jonny Greenwoods restless but controlled score, which seems to grow and evolve at its own pace, always ahead, like the mystery unfolding.

The most extraordinary aspect, however, is Ramsays handling of this gritty detective story. Using bare-bones exposition, guided largely by the principle of show but dont tell, Ramsay gets as close as any director has come to the staccato storytelling of the best hardboiled pulp fiction  from Jim Thompson to James Ellroy.

At the same time, theres a humanity here, a surprising, surreal lightness  even sweetness  that takes over, like Joes survival instincts, whenever the darkness threatens to close in.

You Were Never Really Here is now on general release.
The Winslow Boy | Oxford Playhouse | Monday, March 12

THE plucky individual versus the crushing power of the British Empire at its height: what a great story, especially in the hands of the master playwright, Terence Rattigan.

Director Rachel Kavanagh does this enduring work justice, largely because of warm and appealing performances from Aden Gillett as Arthur Winslow and Dorothea Myer-Bennett as his daughter, Kate.

Theirs is the central relationship in a tale of family loyalty and faith going up against an indifferent military not much concerned with justice. Gillett, particularly, shows a determined love for his youngest son, wrongly accused of theft at his naval college.

Myer-Bennetts timing and portrayal of worldliness is also something to savour. These two stand out where others play their parts adequately or well.

Interesting also to see Timothy Watson, aka Rob Titchener from The Archers, continuing his national rehabilitation on the Playhouse stage.

His is the role of arrogant but near unbeatable Kings Counsel, characteristics which his voice and facial expressions expressed well but which were not reflected in his physical movement. There is meant to be a stiffness about Sir Robert Morton, but was it wise of the director to get him to move so awkwardly? This is the sort of man who is meant to expand into a room and own it and that wasnt always evident.

The Winslow Boy has been around for more than 70 years and is based upon a true story from before the First World War. It endures because Rattigan knows how to tell a good story and its theme is universal  the principle of right beyond justice or the law.

Despite the underlying seriousness there is a lot of humour and a feminist subplot involving the Suffragette movement is surprisingly prescient  Rattigan, writing in 1946, sees the future quite well.

The Winslow Boy is one of his most popular plays  perhaps not his best, though; that is more likely to be The Deep Blue Sea. But it is engaging and important and this production recognises that.

Until Saturday.

Mike Rowbottom
COUNCILS should have more power to compulsorily purchase land and build housing on it, says the man overseeing the delivery of new homes in Henley.

Ken Arlett, a retired building contractor who chairs Henley Town Councils planning committee and neighbourhood plan group, believes this is the only way to provide enough affordable accommodation for the areas young people.

He was responding to accusations by Prime Minister Theresa May and housing minister Sajid Javid that planning authorities such as South Oxfordshire District Council are failing to meet the countrys needs.

The Government has threatened to impose quotas and revoke councils rights to decide planning applications if they fall behind and instead hand control to a new central agency run by planning inspectors.

The Local Government Association has blamed developers for the shortfall, claiming many fail to act after securing permission because they are waiting for sites to increase in value before selling them on, a practice known as land banking.

Councillor Arlett, who was a carpenter in the construction trade for most of his life, says the solution is to allow planning authorities to be able to purchase greenfield plots at the market rate and then build their own homes.

At present, councils can seek the Governments permission for a compulsory purchase order but may have to pay a higher price that reflects what the land would be worth if it had consent for a private housing development.

Cllr Arlett says developers like Crest Nicholson, which is building 170 houses at Highlands Farm in Henley, are forced to build larger properties to recoup their investment in higher-value land.

This then excludes poorer residents as even affordable housing, which must comprise at least 40 per cent of all new developments under planning rules, is still too expensive for many people.

Councillor Arlett, a former Henley mayor who lives in Elizabeth Road, said: The majority of housebuilders are working at capacity and just cant meet the demands being imposed.

Ive worked for all the major firms, including McAlpine, Bovis, Tarmac and Galliford Try, so I know how complex it is.

You need everything from surveyors and contractors to the materials and its a real logistical challenge. If the Government sat down and spoke with the big developers they might get some interesting insights.

Developers arent going to build houses if they think wont be able to sell them because they know their cashflow will dry up. If theyre struggling to sell whatever theyve already built, they will just slow down any ongoing work to reduce their outgoings.

They pay top money for land with existing permission for housing so they cant afford to provide anything cheap but at the same time, it takes much longer to sell the larger three- or four-bedroom places.

Theres also no point blaming the district council as they only have so many staff and if the number of planning applications doubles, they need twice the number of officers.

Ive never seen so many applications coming for property extensions, for example, and these things take time to process. The council has got some good officers but they can only do so much.

Cllr Arlett is overseeing a revision of the joint Henley and Harpsden neighbourhood plan, which names the sites where about 500 homes should go to meet Government targets by 2027. It came into effect after passing a referendum two years ago.

That housing figure will have to increase by about 350 as the district council is updating its own local plan to run to 2033 and is increasing the quotas for most towns and villages. This follows the publication of a report in 2014 which claimed too few homes were being built in Oxfordshire.

The neighbourhood plans validity has also been cast into doubt by a planning inspector who allowed an application for 95 homes at Thames Farm, off Reading Road near Shiplake, despite the site not being earmarked for development.

The inspector argued that the district council had failed to secure enough immediately available housing land to meet the next three years demand, rendering neighbourhood plans across South Oxfordshire legally invalid.

The authority sought a judicial review of the decision, claiming it had a supply of just over four years but High Court judges sided with the inspector.

Other inspectors have since concluded that the council does, in fact, have a three-year land supply but there are still concerns that the inspectors decision could set a precedent for future rulings.

Councillor Arlett, a member of Henley Town Councils ruling Henley Residents Group, says: The district council needs the power to buy really cheap plots and build genuinely affordable homes on them  thats how you increase your numbers.

I guarantee that most sites that come forward under the new neighbourhood plan will be farmland and the council should be able to snap them up.

Youd fill the new units pretty quickly as I gather there are about 3,800 people on South Oxfordshires housing list.

Theres a shortage for people on lower incomes while the bigger properties are waiting to be sold. Thats something Theresa May could take meaningful action on and I think anyone with half an ounce of sense would support it.

Mrs May and Mr Javids new targets would be based on various factors including house prices and wages as well as the number of key workers such as doctors, nurses, teachers and police officers living locally. Quotas could be higher for areas deemed less affordable.

Mr Javid said: We have a housing crisis in this country and need a housing revolution. The new rules will no longer allow Nimby councils that dont want to build the homes their community needs to fudge the numbers.

We are going to be breathing down your necks day and night to make sure youre actually delivering on these numbers. At the moment theres no comeback or sanction and that has got to change.

The Local Government Association says there are more than 420,000 unbuilt homes with planning permission in England and Wales, up from 365,000 last year, yet councils are approving nine out of 10 applications and the number of approvals has increased to 321,000 from 205,000.

Martin Tett, the Conservative leader of Buckinghamshire County Council, says councils need stronger compulsory purchase rights and should be able to charge developers council tax for every unbuilt home once planning permission expires, generally after three years.

But Henley MP John Howell, who introduced neighbourhood plans under the 2011 Localism Act, says the Governments proposals would speed up the planning process by standardising the way in which housing need is assessed.

At the moment, planning authorities choose their own methods and this may be challenged by developers, which he says wastes time and taxpayers money through repeated planning appeals.

Mr Howell says: The revised planning policy framework is about building more high-quality, well-designed homes more quickly and in places where people actually want to live.

We need clearer expectations on local authorities and developers to deliver their commitment to unlock land, fulfil planning permissions and provide essential infrastructure.

We do not need local authorities becoming property developers and confusing their roles as the planning authority and as builders of new houses. This is what housing associations were set up to achieve and they are funded by local government to do just this.

We do not want councils bearing down on communities to compulsorily purchase land. A standardised approach to assessing housing need will establish a level playing field and give us a much clearer, more transparent understanding of the challenge we face.

One of the biggest shifts is a change in culture towards a focus on the number of homes delivered rather than on processes such as planning permissions.

As it becomes easier to make plans more streamlined and strategic, this culture change will encourage local authorities to work together to meet their communities needs. Areas will be able to agree their land supply position annually, reducing the need for costly planning appeals involving speculative applications.

The importance of protections of neighbourhood plans needs to be stressed. We are also giving local authorities the tools to make the most of existing developed land, with an even stronger drive for increasing density, particularly in areas where need is high. This means supporting those councils that wish to build upwards, but not at the expense of quality.

Developers must also step up to help us close the gap between planning permissions granted and homes built. In doing so, it is vital that developers know what contributions they are expected to make towards affordable housing and essential infrastructure and that local authorities can hold them to account.

However, we all know of instances of developers making such promises but later claiming that they cannot afford them.

In truth, the current complex and uncertain system of developer contributions makes it too easy for them to do just that and it puts off new entrants to the market. That is not good enough, which is why we propose major reforms to developer contributions.

The district council says the average time between permission being granted and housing being delivered in South Oxfordshire is 477 days.

It estimates that 1,257 dwellings on 331 sites are yet to be built despite have permission. Another 4,507 have been granted outline permission.

A council spokesman says: We are committed to maintaining the right to determine planning applications, as we believe it is an essential part of local democracy.

The special measures for planning authorities have been in legislation since 2013 and we have continued to exceed government targets for this.

By working with landowners and developers, we do everything we can to encourage housing to be built in a timely fashion.

The time between the granting of planning permission and the delivery of housing varies according to the scale of development.
RESIDENTS have formed a campaign group to stop dangerous driving by students from The Henley College in the surrounding streets.

It follows a crash last week in which a Ford Fiesta driven by a student overturned in Deanfield Road after colliding with two parked cars.

The residents plan to lobby the college, saying the problem has existed for several years and they are worried that someone could be injured or killed. They want staff to monitor the students driving and parking more closely.

They also want regular police patrols, a reduced speed limit and more yellow lines.

Nicola Gordon, who lives in Deanfield Road, began rallying her neighbours after the accident outside her house.

She walks along the road every day, taking her five-year-old daughter Beatrice to Valley Road Primary School and usually has her other daughter Emma, two, with her too.

Mrs Gordon said: Unfortunately, more often than not, the speeding is by students at the college. People have been raising it regularly with the police for a number of years.

What happened last week has brought it back up and something has to be done. When you see the pictures, its quite horrific. Hopefully it will make the people in authority realise something needs to be done.

Mrs Gordon was due to meet college principal Satwant Deol today (Friday).

She said: We need to know what the college is going to do in the immediate future. It can help by doing more of its own policing. We want them to look at that and acknowlege the problems in the road.

Richard Cartland, of Deanfield Road, said: Driving and parking are a problem and they compound each other.

There is no police presence in Henley anymore so there are no penalties for what they are doing.

I am trying to convince the college they need to be responsible for the students inside and outside the college.

I showed the principal the photographs of the incident and she was shocked.

Mr Cartland, who has lived in the street for more than a decade, said the area needed to be monitored by college security staff.

He added: Ive suggested one comes down to Tilebarn Lane and the other goes down the bottom of the road and they communicate by walkie-talkie.

Ninety-eight per cent of the students are fine but its the two per cent letting the rest down. They are not necessarily speeding but its the way they accelerate.

Mike Phelan, also of Deanfield Road, says there have been other crashes involving college students recently and he witnesses students flouting parking laws every day.

In a letter to this weeks Henley Standard, he says: The parking problem is easy to spot but the dangerous driving is another matter altogether.

I was once on the receiving end of threatening behaviour from students after remonstrating with them regarding dangerous driving. Residents witness it daily. Examples are racing at the speed bumps and breaking hard at the last moment to avoid grounding, driving around the speed bumps with near-side wheels on the pavements and at little reduction in speed and multiple wheel-spinning circuits of the roundabouts which leave the smell of burning rubber in the air for some minutes.

All this is often accompanied with shrieks of excitement and in-car stereo system operation at volumes that can be heard 50 yards away.

Without action I fear someone will be killed and it will most likely be a young child who does not understand the danger.

Mr Phelan, who has raised the issue with the colleges chairman of governors Peter Le Conte, Oxfordshire county councillor Stefan Gawrysiak and Henley MP John Howell, has suggested having regular foot patrols in the area by college staff and the police, double yellow lines at all junctions and a 20mph speed limit.

But he says: What do I expect to be done? Absolutely nothing, at least in the short term, because no one has any money for preventative action.

However, there are duties to the public which cannot be ignored forever, so I expect some action soon.

Mark Davies, of Valley Road, says he has also witnessed dangerous and inconsiderate driving by students.

Its an ever-increasing problem, he said. Alongside the driving incidents, we have the problem of litter being left on the ground around parked student cars.

The college appears to do little or nothing to combat the negative effects any of this has on the surrounding community, one that its happy to boast about in its prospectus.

Every day some cars zoom along Valley Road at speeds way over the speed limit, showing no appreciation for the families who live there.

Thank goodness there hasnt been an incident involving any of the children or parents who walk these routes each day on their way to school or nursery at Valley Road or Gillotts.

Neda Mowatt, from Henley, says she was too scared to walk in the area at certain times of the day.

She said: Inconsiderate parking, aggressive driving, overtaking and even donut turns along Deanfield Road are a daily occurrence by certain Henley College students.

It is only a matter of time until a pedestrian is injured from poor driving and the council must consider further traffic-calming measures to slow traffic along this stretch of road.

A college spokeswoman said: The college is liaising with residents and we will fully support any measures to calm traffic and address parking issues.

Last week, the college said it was speaking to the local community about what measures we can put in place to help to minimise any potential risk in future.

It added: We communicate regularly with our students about safety and value our community partnerships, so looking at ways we can engage positively with local residents and the police to ensure road safety is our priority.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19)  Malacanang on Monday finally revealed President Rodrigo Duterte's stand on the controversial divorce bill.

In a press briefing in Camarines Sur, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the President is against the proposed measure.

"Ayaw po sana niya mag-kumento, pero since nagbotohan naman na sa kamara, ang presidente po ay tutol sa divorce," Roque said.

[Translation: He actually didn't want to comment, but since the House has already voted on it, the President is against divorce.]

He added Duterte considered how divorce may affect the children and the distressed spouses.

"Ang sabi po niya, kawawa po 'yung mga anak, at kung magkakaroon ng divorce, mawawalan ng karapatan na magsampa ng kaso 'yung mga asawa na pinabayaan ng mga asawa nila matapos silang mag-divorce," Roque said.

[Translation: He said the children will suffer, the spouse will lose his or her right to file a case after the divorce.]

As a presidential candidate in 2016, Duterte said he was against divorce.

The President's marriage with Elizabeth Zimmerman was annulled in 2000. He now lives with his common-law wife, Honeylet Avancena.

The House approved House Bill No. 7303, or the Absolute Divorce Act of 2018, on third and final reading Monday.

Under the bill, once divorce becomes effective, the marriage bonds are cut and the former spouses will have the right to marry another person either by civil or religious ceremony.

The bill also makes sure the divorce process will be affordable and inexpensive, especially for poor litigants and petitioners.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines had also voiced its opposition on the bill, asking lawmakers to consider the "social costs" that go with the easy dissolution of marriage.

The Philippines and the Vatican are the only states that have no divorce laws.

The Family Code provides two ways for couples to separate.

There is legal separation -- which allows spouses to split up, but not to remarry - and annulment, which allows spouses to remarry.

A Social Weather Stations survey last March 10 said one in two respondents believe divorce for spouses who are "irreconcilably separated' should be legalized.

CNN Philippines' Digital Producer Amanda Lingao contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19)  Five employees of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) were killed, while one person remains in critical condition, in the fire that hit the Manila Pavilion hotel and casino on UN Avenue in Manila.

After over 24 hours, the fire was declared out at 10:56 a.m. of Monday.

Bureau of Fire Prevention-National Capital Region (BFP-NCR) Regional Director Senior Superintendent Roel Diaz said the fire started on the ground floor at 9:48 a.m. of Sunday, but they have yet to determine its cause.

The BFP said the ground floor up to the 7th floor were badly damaged by the fire, adding firefighters have yet to inspect the other floors.

"Our initial investigation reveals that it started on the ground level of the casino, as to the cause of fire, that is still the subject of investigation," Manila Fire District Superintendent Jonas Silvano said.

Speaking to reporters Sunday, PAGCOR Communications Director Carmelita Valdez said they would extend help to the families of those who died in the fire.

"Any moment po ay haharapin ni Chairman...'yun pong pamilya ng mga nasawi po, at hinarap na rin po ni Chairman ang lahat ng empleyado ng PAGCOR na naka-assign po dito," she added.

(Translation: The Chairman of PAGCOR is meeting the family of the victims and he has talked to the PAGCOR employees assigned at the Manila Pavilion)

When asked on the cause of death, Valdez said the confirmation would have to come from the hospital.

"Itong hotel ay under renovation ngayon. So ang PAGCOR po e, nagbawas na po kami ng mga operation ho diyan, dahil under renovation po siya," she added.

[Translation: The hotel was under renovation. So PAGCOR reduced operations, because it was under renovation.]

In a statement, the hotel's management said it has taken steps to ensure the safety and security of guests and employees of the Manila Pavilion.

"We will issue a full report once a thorough investigation has been completed," it said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19)  The country isn't offering the International Criminal Court (ICC) any help in its probe on the war against drugs.

This, according to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Monday, who said while the ICC may continue its preliminary investigation, it was "foolhardy" for it expect the government's cooperation

"For its own good, they should drop the case rather than prove to the world na inutil ang hukuman... Good luck on obtaining the cooperation of the Philippine state," he said.

[Translation: For its own good, they should drop the case rather than prove to the world that the court is useless.]

In a statement over the weekend, the ICC said it intends to proceed with its examination on the President even after his directive to withdraw from ICC immediately.

RELATED: ICC review to proceed despite PH withdrawal

The ICC also appealed that the country reconsider its move to withdraw from the Rome Statute, the treaty which formed the ICC.

"The appeal is too late the hero... Hindi dapat nagpasikat yang prosecutor na 'yan," said Roque referring to ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.

[Translation: The appeal is too late the here...That prosecutor should not have put herself in the limelight.]

Roque says Bensouda, in an attempt to refute criticisms that she's only been investigating African nations, launched a preliminary investigation on President Duterte who has since then urged other nations to withdraw from the ICC.

READ: Int'l Criminal Court to begin preliminary examination on PH killings

Malacanang slammed Bensouda's examination saying it violates the principle of complimentarity which states that the ICC can only take jurisdiction over a country when local courts are unwilling and unable to operate.

Roque said, "Once that is violated, of course states will think twice about their continuing membership of the ICC."

CNN Philippines digital producers Ver Marcelo and Chad de Guzman, and senior digital producer Eimor Santos contributed to this report.
Page Content

Against the background of ongoing discussions about the EU's next financial framework, the European Committee of the Regions and the international organisation Rurality-Environment-Development (RED) met at a conference in Brussels on 19 March to talk about funding the integrated development of rural regions. They called on the European institutions to set up an interfund for rural development.

Pointing to the substantial development gap between rural and urban regions, Guillaume Cros (FR/PES), vice-president of the Regional Council of Occitanie and Committee of the Regions rapporteur on the CAP post-2020, called on the EU to harmonise the operating rules of the Structural Funds through the common strategic framework so as to facilitate the planning and management of rural development and encourage integrated and regional approaches.

Gerard Peltre , president of RED and of the European Countryside Movement, noted that it was crucial to recognise the diversity of rural regions and their importance in terms of achieving the EU's territorial cohesion objectives. However, recent figures showed a lack of funding for rural regions, which made it even more urgent to establish a functioning strategic and financial framework  a European Rural Agenda  to support the integrated development of rural regions. "We call for an interfund to be set up to promote the development of rural regions", Mr Peltre announced.

Franz Bogovitch , MEP and vice-president of the European Parliament Intergroup on Rural, Mountainous and Remote Areas (RUMRA) , observed that despite territorial cohesion being mentioned in the Lisbon Treaty, the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) could be used more effectively to reduce inequalities, for instance through an instrument funded under all EU policies.

In their statements and discussions the participants called for a new European political and the financial framework to support territorial cohesion measures that would help all regions while and also supporting integrated sustainable development of rural regions.

The speakers felt that such a framework should be established by implementing a European Rural Agenda and setting up an interfund for rural regions, as a practical response to the budgetary context and the need to optimise the use of funding across all EU policies. These instruments would also address the rural-urban imbalance and strengthen rural-agricultural cooperation. These proposals of the Rurality-Environment-Development and the European Countryside Movement have already been embraced by many European and national players.

Further information:

CoR opinion on The CAP after 2020

Photos available on Flickr

Contact:

Wioletta Wojewodzka

Tel. +32 2 282 22 89
Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA

by Tim Weiner

The 9/11 attack was a systemic failure of the American government, writes Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times reporter Tim Weiner in his distressing chronicle of the first 60 years of the Central Intelligence Agency. It was the Pearl Harbor the CIA was created to prevent. While the agencys triumphs have saved some blood and treasure, he argues, its mistakes have squandered both. Weiner finds that the CIA is replete with promises and failures of agency reform, but each director proved worst than the last.

OSS: The Secret History of Americas First Central Intelligence Agency

by Richard Harris Smith

Any understanding of CIA culture must begin with the establishment of the Office of Strategic Services, an agency set up by Wall Street investor William Wild Bill Donovan at the invitation of Franklin D. Roosevelt at the outset of World War II. Modeled on British intelligence, the OSS collected intelligence information and conducted special operations. Staffed largely by Ivy Leaguers, as well as a number of American Communists and sympathizers, OSS culture was elitist, liberal and patriotic. First published in 1972, and reprinted in 2005, OSS remains an absorbing read.

The Very Best Men: The Daring Early Years of the CIA

by Evan Thomas

Newsweek editor Evan Thomas follows the rise and fall of four key figures of the CIA in the 1950s and 1960s: Frank Wisner, Richard Bissell, Tracy Barnes and Desmond Fitzgerald. These men saw themselves as interventionist in the cause of freedom, but this vision led to running secret armies in Tibet and Laos, the ill-conceived Bay of Pigs invasion and Mafia plots to assassinate Fidel Castro. President John F. Kennedy simply could not understand how people so smart led him to do something so stupid as the Bay of Pigs fiasco. Of course, Kennedy was looking for scapegoats after making a disastrous foreign policy decision.

See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIAs War on Terrorism

by Robert Baer

Former field agent Robert Baer takes the reader through the back streets of the Middle East and Afghanistan to show how the CIA lost its way in the postCold War era. As a 21-year veteran of the CIAs Directorate of Operations, Baer captures the danger of a field operative working in Iraq, Beirut, Khartoum and New Delhi, and the frustration of seeing the CIA become more comfortable waging bureaucratic wars than fighting terrorism. Leaving the CIA in 1997, Baer became increasingly disheartened by such actions as the agencys closing of operations in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia, when it was evident to many that fundamentalist Muslims were gaining strength.

Originally published in the December 2009 issue of American History. To subscribe, click here.
Move over, Columbus. A host of other intrepid explorers lay claim to your mantle.

Humans have been a clever, restless lot ever since our earliest known ancestors roamed the grasslands and forests of prehistoric Africa. Pioneering sorts left the cradle of humankind roughly 60,000 years ago and began to populate the rest of the planet. Some hunted reindeer on the frigid plains of northern Europe and curled up at night around hearths in mammoth-bone huts. Others journeyed eastward along Asias sultry coasts, pressing through mangrove forests, fishing the warm coastal waters of the Indian Ocean and eventually hopping from island to island in small rafts and boats until they reached Australia 50,000 years ago. But North and South America, surrounded by vast oceans and seas, were beyond the reach of even the most intrepid early humans and remained unpopulated thousands of years longer than the other continents.

So who were the brave explorers who first discovered America, and how did they get here? One school of thought among archaeologists is that they were big-game hunters who trekked on foot across a vast land bridge that connected Siberia and Alaska during the last Ice Age and then headed farther south some 13,000 years ago. But recent research suggests that the trekkers may have been johnny-come-latelies who were preceded by daring seafarers who made their way across ice-choked watery expanses in small vessels. Likewise common lore holds that Columbus was the first of the later explorers to reach the Americas. But ancient historical texts indicate that he may have followed in the wake of a doughty array of pathfinders, ranging from medieval Irish monks to Polynesian fisherman.

On the pages that follow, we reveal what modern archaeologists and historians have discovered about seven groups of explorers reputed to be part of Americas ultimate advance guard.

Siberian Hunters

North America was a forbidding land during the last Ice Age. Ice sheets towered three miles high over Canada, and vast icy tongues poked southward into the United States. But one corner of the far north escaped this fate. Where the cold and tempestuous waters of the Bering Sea now flow, a vast expanse of land known as Beringia linked Asia with Alaska. This land bridge received little snow and remained a grassy refuge, attracting reindeer, horses, steppe bison and woolly mammoths. Some archaeologists theorize that big-game hunters from Siberia ventured into Beringia sometime between 28,000 and 20,000 BC. Then, as the ice that gripped North America began to melt 15,000 years ago, they followed a narrow corridor south through Alaska and western Canada and became the first Americans.

The migrants would have been deadly and efficient hunters, clothed in finely tailored animal hide robes and equipped with short-range spears, who trapped woolly mammoths and other prey in swamps or box canyons. They also had to be wary of becoming prey themselves because prides of now extinct American lions25 percent larger than todays African lionstalked the grasses, while lion-sized scimitar cats, with large serrated steak knifelike teeth, waited in the shadows. The regions most formidable predatorthe giant short-faced bear weighed a muscular 1,500 pounds and stood 5 feet 6 inches at the shoulder, dwarfing a modern grizzly. Built for short-distance speed, it effortlessly crushed the bones of its prey with what Canadian paleontologist Richard Harrington once called its viselike jaws.

Distinctive stone spear points that are roughly 13,000 years old were unearthed near Clovis, N.M., in the 1930s, and several sites have since been excavated in North and Central America where similar spear points were found among mammoth remains. Some researchers theorize that the hunters associated with those sites, who have come to be known as Clovis people, were part of a prehistoric migration that stretched from Beringia southward all the way to Tierra del Fuego in Chile. If true, the Siberians and their descendants would have traversed the longest expanse of land ever settled by a migratory group of humans, an accomplishment not to be equaled, in the view of French archaeologist Francois Bordes, until man lands on a planet belonging to another star.

French and Spanish Beachcombers

Around 23,000 abandoned Europes icy heartland for BC, bands of horse hunters more clement coasts in southern France and northern Spain. They huddled together at night around flickering campfires, whittled bone beads and other ornaments, and painted designs on their bodies. In the daylight, they devised new ways of making a livingfishing the sea, gathering shellfish from the shores and harpooning seals and other marine mammals. On the walls of one cave, they celebrated their new coastal life, depicting seabirds and deep-sea fish such as halibut.

Could these Stone Age beachcombers have crossed the Atlantic Ocean 18,000 years ago in search of a new land? Two prominent archaeologists theorize that they did. Their stone weapons and bone tools bear an eerie resemblance to those of the Clovis people. The two cultures share many unique behaviors, note archaeologists Dennis Stanford of the Smithsonian Institution and Bruce Bradley of the University of Exeter in England. Indeed the degree of similarity is astounding.

But how could Stone Age Europeans cross the open Atlantic long before galleons and caravels? They didnt, say the theorys defenders. Some 18,000 years ago, a 1,500-mile-long ice bridge connected Western Europe to Newfoundland. Hunters could have nudged along this ice bridge in small skin boats, hunting seals migrating near the southern edges. Like the later Eskimos, they could have hauled their boats onto the ice at night, warmed themselves by burning seal oil in basins chopped from the ice and quenched their thirst by melting ice.

The theory is far from watertight. At least 5,000 years separate the European fishers from the Clovis people, suggesting that the American Indians did not descend from this group. Moreover, little if any proof exists that Ice Age French and Spanish beachcombers passed on their genes to American Indians

Japanese Fishermen

Few modern adventurers would paddle a small boat into the heavy currents and frigid waters of the Siberian coast, but Stone Age mariners from Asia may have done just that to reach the Americas. Some archaeologists theorize that seafarers dressed in waterproof salmon-skin parkas set off northward from Japan as early as 16,000 years ago, during one of the coldest periods in the earths history. Dodging icebergs and violent storms, they gradually explored the northern rim of the Pacific Ocean, leaving a trail of distinctive barbed dart heads designed to lodge in the flesh of marine prey as they hopped from island to island and landed in California at least 11,000 years ago.

What could have lured ancient Japanese seafarers on such a voyage, where a single error of judgment and a capsizing boat would have led to swift death? Researchers point to three possible answers. Such mariners may have naturally gravitated toward the kelp highwaya nearly continuous band of underwater forest that stretches from coastal Japan to Alaska and south to the Baja Peninsula. Kelp forests abound in seafood delicacies, from ling cod and rockfish to mussels and abalone. Moreover, the lush ecosystems are homes to sea otters, which possess the densest and warmest fur on earththe very thing to insulate a human mariner from the bitter Arctic cold.

Early Japanese explorers could also have deduced that warmer waters lay somewhere ahead. Each year in the late fall, pods of barnacle-encrusted gray whales departed from the Siberian coast on one of earths most impressive mammalian migrations, northeast to Alaska and south as far as the Baja Peninsula, where they gave birth to their calves. Six months later, the pods reappeared in Siberian waters with healthy calves in tow. While ancient Asian mariners could not have known the whales exact route or destination, they could have inferred that more hospitable waters lay within paddling range.

Such early explorers may also have been drawn to northern waters by their own innate curiosity. There must always have been this incredible awe and wonder that there was no one there along the coast, says University of Oregon archaeologist Jon Erlandson. And then, there would have been the sense of whats around the next point of land, and the next?

Irish Monks

One of the most popular books in all Europe during the Middle Ages was The Voyages of Brendan. First set down on paper by an Irish monk residing in Germany, the tale chronicled a mysterious journey taken by an Irish monk, St. Brendan, in the sixth century AD. Brendan, who is reputed to have performed many miraclesincluding raising the deadrecruited 14 trustworthy monks, built a curragh, small boat made of ox hides, and set sail toward the summer solstice. After 40 days, St. Brendan and his companions sighted an island very rocky and steep. When they drew near it, they saw its cliffs upright like a wall, and many streams of water rushing down into the sea from the summit of the island.

Medieval scholars have long considered The Voyages of Brendan to be a fictional romance. But some maverick researchers theorize that St. Brendan, a real historical person, did indeed cross the Atlantic Ocean, where he landed on the rocky shores of Newfoundland. Medieval Irish monks, they point out, were inveterate travelers who sought out solitude for their prayers and devotions. Indeed, some ancient Norse documents state that Irish monks sailed to Iceland before the Vikings, and abandoned it only after Viking families began arriving in numbers and staking out farms.

Could a crew of sixth-century monks have journeyed to the New World in a small oxhide boat? To test the theory, a modern British explorer, Tim Severin, reconstructed a traditional Irish curragh. He stitched together 49 ox hides into a large cover, which he then stretched over a long banana-shaped wooden frame. To make the vessel waterproof, he rubbed animal fat on the leather and pitch on the seams. Then he and three companions set out to replicate St. Brendans voyage. It was a harrowing experience. Our boat had no keel beneath her to hold her steady, writes Severin in The Brendan Voyage. If one of the tumbling wave crests caught her wrong-footed, she would be sent spinning upside down, and her crew tipped into the water, where there was no hope of rescue. But Severin and his colleagues persevered, sailing all the way from Dingle, Ireland, to Newfoundland.

Even so, archaeologists have uncovered very little hard proof that St. Brendan or any other medieval Irish sailor reached the Americas. During the 1980s, Harvard University zoologist Barry Fell claimed to have discovered two medieval Irish inscriptions on stones in West Virginia. These, he said, told the biblical story of Christs birtha suitable subject for wandering monks. Fell also reported finding what appeared to be giant Celtic stone memorials in New England and New York. Archaeologists and linguists today dismiss these claims as fanciful nonsense.

Chinese Monks

In the early years of the sixth century Buddhist monk obtained an audience with the Chinese AD, an aged Emperor Wu Ti at his imperial court. The monk, Hui Shen, had a strange story to tell. Forty years earlier, he and four companions had departed China to carry the teachings of Buddha to new lands. The five men voyaged to a wealthy, civilized country some 6,000 miles to the east of the Middle Kingdom. There, said Hui Shen, the natives produced bark paper and bark cloth and possessed a system of writing. When the king [there] goes abroad, averred the monk, he is preceded and followed by drummers and trumpeters. Hui Shen called this mysterious land Fusang.

Imperial scribes recorded the monks story, and later Chinese scholars threaded the account into their official histories. Today, historians debate the location of Fusang. One theory suggests that the mysterious land was Central America, for the Maya did indeed write in hieroglyphs and fabricate both bark paper and cloth. Moreover, the five monks could conceivably have voyaged all the way to the Americas. Chinese shipwrights began constructing oceangoing sailing ships known as junks by at least the second century AD, and such vessels were capable of crossing the Pacific, as a crew of five young Chinese-born men demonstrated in 1955, when they sailed a Chinese junk from Taiwan all the way to San Francisco.

Hard evidence of these Chinese explorers remains exceedingly slim. On occasion, people living along North Americas west coast have reportedly stumbled upon ancient Chinese artifacts. During an 1872 gold rush in British Columbia, miners dug about 30 old brass Chinese coins from a deeply buried seam along a creek bed. In recent years, recreational divers have raised what appear to be two ancient Chinese urns of an unknown date from the seafloor off western Vancouver Island. Its possible these are mementos of Hui Shens great voyage. But they could just as easily be goods carried to the New World by 19th-century Chinese immigrants and merchants. The jury is still firmly out.

Viking Merchants

Pop culture has long portrayed the Vikings as blood- thirsty raiders who ransacked Northern Europe for slaves, plunder and pleasure. Many historians, however, now see the Vikings in a far more sympathetic lightas farmers and merchants who struggled to make ends meet in their rugged Scandinavian homeland. While some Viking chieftains lined their pockets by pillaging coastal villages in Britain and elsewhere, others chose a more difficult path to prosperity. They set out across the storm-tossed North Sea in large wooden ships known as knarrs, scouring the horizon for new lands and commodities. In this way, the Vikings reached Iceland in the ninth century and Greenland in the 10th century.

Greenlands remote Viking settlements needed timber for building ships and fueling furnaces that smelted iron. They also had to stockpile profitable trade goods such as walrus ivory to pay the steep tithes collected by the Catholic Church and the hefty taxes imposed by the Norwegian crown. To make their fortunes, some young chieftains began sailing westward, first to the tundra shores of the Canadian Arctic and then southward to Newfoundland, a place they called Vinland. At a site known today as LAnse aux Meadows, a Viking chief perhaps Leif Eriksson himselfand 70 to 90 of his followers founded the first known European settlement in the Americas around the year 1000 AD.

According to archaeologists, LAnse aux Meadows was not a typical Viking village. It did not lie in a sheltered fiord, and its residents did not farm the land or tend livestock. Instead, the village lay on an exposed bay and its inhabitants dined on wild gamemainly seals and whales. It had few, if any, women, and its men toiled at just a few key industries. Carpenters planed and trimmed planks of wood and made rope from the roots of spruce trees. Smiths smelted small amounts of irononly a few pounds at a timeby heating local bog ore in a furnace. From the red-hot metal, they hammered out hundreds of nails. Birgitta Wallace, a senior archaeologist emerita at Parks Canada, believes that all this industry went into the making of small boats, less than 26 feet longideal for scouting forays along the coast.

Indeed, Wallace now suggests that LAnse aux Meadows served mainly as a base for Viking explorers who combed the Atlantic shores for a few years in search of valuable resources, and then returned to their Greenland homes. Present-day North Americans have a hard time grappling with the thought that the Norse gave up Vinland almost as soon as they found it, writes Wallace in a recent paper. But she believes they had good reason. The Greenland colony was too small to splinter off a daughter colony in Vinland, she concludes. Besides the Norse were outnumbered by thousands of Native people already in Vinland, people with whom they had already fallen into conflict.

Polynesian Sailors

Ancient Polynesia was not only a tropical paradise, but also a launch site for some of the worlds greatest explorers. Nearly 1,000 years ago, expert mariners from Samoa and other islands set out against the prevailing winds of the South Pacific in great sailing canoeseither large outriggers or big double-hulled canoes capable of holding some 50 people. Without compasses, maps or sextants to guide them, they pushed eastward, discovering the lush islands of Hawaii, 2,600 miles away. Two centuries later, they landed on Easter Island, 2,180 miles west of Chile.

Did some Polynesians make it all the way to the Americas? They certainly had the wherewithal. The islanders provisioned their sailing canoes with all theyd need for life in a new landchickens and pigs, and baskets of yams, taro, breadfruit and coconuts. Some of this distinctive cargo has turned up in Chile, where archaeologists recently found 620-year-old chicken bones containing Polynesian DNA. Moreover archaeologists have noted similarities between the styles of sewn-plank canoes and fishhooks used by early American Indians in California and those employed by the Polynesians. Perhaps they exchanged technologies.

With a strong tailwind, a Polynesian canoe could cover as much as 150 miles a day. But the Polynesians headed into the prevailing winds when they crossed eastward. Crews had to outfit their vessels with movable triangular sails made of woven leaves, which allowed them to edge forward into the wind, just as modern yachts do. Moreover, Polynesian mariners could plot courses by relying on celestial navigation, steering toward the rising or setting points of the sun and stars. On cloudy days, they could gauge direction from subtle clues such as the direction of the ocean swell.

Still, it took a mighty leap of faith for dozens of Polynesians to strike off in pursuit of a new land. What prompted them to take such risks? Some believe that Polynesian laws of inheritance triggered this migration. In many ruling Polynesian families, the eldest son inherited everything when the chief died. So ambitious younger sons may have had to set out to find a new island to colonize and rule. Or the motives of these ancient explorers may be more mysterious still. Maybe they had a call from the gods to go out and do this, says Simon Fraser University archaeologist David Burley. Who knows?

Heather Pringles most recent book, The Master Plan, details how Nazis distorted science to make the case for Aryan superiority.

Originally published in the December 2009 issue of American History. To subscribe, click here.
Invading Mexico: Americas Continental Dream and the Mexican War, 1846-1848

by Joseph Wheelan

In 1846, two xenophobic nations, the United States and Mexico, went to war over a border dispute. The war yielded more than 500,000 square miles of new territory to the victorious United States. Texas, California and the New Mexico Territory (now Arizona and New Mexico) were added, nearly doubling the size of the United States, while reducing Mexicos territory by two-fifths. Veteran journalist Joseph Wheelan narrates in splendid detail the history of what he calls the modern war in American history. Most Americans celebrated the war as a moral victory over a backward nation, but the defeat left Mexico with a wounded national pride and a heightened distrust of the United States.

Intervention!: The United States and the Mexican Revolution, 1913-1917

by John S.D. Eisenhower

Historian John S.D. Eisenhower, grandson of the former president, tells the story of President Woodrow Wilsons fateful decision to intervene in the Mexican Revolution in 1913. Wilson ordered a force of 1,200 marines to seize Veracruz and put a stop to arms shipments from Cuba. Surprisingly, one of the few Mexican leaders who did not denounce the intervention was Pancho Villa. In 1916, however, when Villa and his 500-member army raided the border town of Columbus, N.M.leaving seven Americans dead Wilson ordered an expedition into Mexico to capture Villa. Within a few months, the forces had to withdraw. Wilson had learned the hard way that Mexican politics and border disputes were not easily resolved.

Cutting for Sign: One Mans Journey Along the U.S.-Mexican Border

by William Langewiesche

Commercial pilot and Atlantic Monthly correspondent William Langewiesche explores a 1,951-mile border that is neither marked by natural barrier nor physical construct, but nonetheless remains the most potent political demarcation of our time. Langewiesche documents the way the border works. In response to an American living in Mexico who advocates open borders, he says, The boundary acts as a filter crossed by the energetic and the brave. If the border is a myth, it is a useful one. In haunting detail he tells the story of the border through the eyes of undocumented workers, border guards, environmental activists, drug enforcement officers, Mexican human rights advocates and American ranchers.

The U.S. and Mexico: The Bear and the Porcupine

by Jeffrey Davidow

Former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico under President George W. Bush, Jeffrey Davidow offers a highly readable memoir of his years there. Having coined the term the bear [United States] and the porcupine [Mexico], he finds ignorance and arrogance on both sides. At the beginning of their administrations, Bush and Mexican President Vincente Fox believed that issues dividing their two countries could be resolved. While Bush believed that Reagans immigration amnesty in 1986 had failed, he hoped that progress could be made on other issues. Davidow observes that both presidents were committed to action. Both were naive and[unaware] of the limits of their power.

Originally published in the October 2009 issue of American History. To subscribe, click here.
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On 22 March Dimitris Avramopoulos, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, will discuss progress of the European Union's migration agenda with local and regional politicians, many of whom host refugees and new arrivals from the Middle East and North Africa. The migration debate kicks off the European Committee of the Regions' plenary session in Brussels that will also focus on the EU's possible enlargement to the Western Balkans. Johannes Hahn, the EU's Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiation, will participate in the debate.

Migration in Europe: EU must show more unity and give more support to local authorities (22 March)

The European Union's efforts to work with cities and regions in Greece, Italy and other border countries remain inadequate, an opinion drafted by Dimitrios Kalogeropoulos (EL/EPP) argues. He draws particular attention on the intense pressure on islands, and calls for exploring the possibility of "transferring responsibility for examining asylum applications from national to EU level". The CoR adopted an opinion on the European Agenda on Migration in 2015. Since then, it has adopted recommendations for reform of the common European asylum system , legal migration , and the integration of immigrants.

Before the opinion is adopted, Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos , two-time mayor of Athens and former member of the CoR, will discuss the state of the EU migration agenda with CoR members. Laura Thompson , Deputy Director-General of the International Organisation for Migration, Anila Noor, a refugee and member of the European Migrant Advisory Board, and Elisabeth Bartke from the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry, will also join the debate on migration trends, experiences of refugees, and efforts to integrate new arrivals in Europe.

The need for local reform: EU enlargement to the Western Balkans (22 March)

European Commissioner Johannes Hahn will discuss the progress of Western Balkan countries have made towards EU membership and the importance of local and regional government reform. These are also the principal themes of an opinion drafted by Franz Schausberger (AT/EPP), representative of Salzburg. The draft focuses on readying local and public administrations as "absolutely essential" for the success of integration. Around 70% of EU legislation requires action by regions and cities. The opinion warns of "a shift towards more autocratic forms of government and centralisation" and says that EU "must be stronger and more stable" as a result of enlargement to the Western Balkans.

The future EU budget and cohesion policy (23 March)

EU local leaders will discuss their position on the EU long term budget after 2020 with the European Parliament's co-rapporteur, Jan Olbrycht (EPP/PL). The CoR is working to shape the future EU cohesion policy highlighting the 'cost of non-cohesion', with the opinion by Mieczysaw Struk (PL/EPP), Marshal of Pomerania. The CoR is also focused on improving the impact of the European Social Fund  the EU's main instrument to support employment, education and social inclusion policies  with proposals included in the opinion prepared by the President of the Umbria Region and Chair of the CoR PES Group, Catiuscia Marini. How to support structural reforms in the context of the forthcoming Eurozone's reform will be the challenge addressed by the opinion prepared by Olga Zrihen (BE/PES), member of the Parliament of Wallonia.

Participatory democracy: reform of the European Citizens' Initiative (23 March)

CoR members will debate the European Commission's proposal to reform the European Citizen's Initiative, a transnational tool of participatory democracy created in 2012 to allow one million EU citizens to participate directly in the development of EU policies. After six years of existence and only a few successful ECIs leading to EU legislation action, the instrument has been increasingly criticised for being too restrictive and burdensome for campaigners. In an opinion prepared by Luc Van den Brande, Brande (BE/EPP), Member of the Management Board of the Flanders-Europe Liaison Agency, the CoR welcomes major improvement to the ECI's usability, but argues that the Commission missed a great opportunity to transform it into an effective EU agenda-setting tool in the hands of citizens

Other opinions to be adopted:

Practical information:

Where : Paul Henri Spaak building  Hemicycle, European Parliament

When : 22 March, 2.30pm-9pm  23 March, 9am-1pm

See the plenary's agenda & documents

Watch the plenary streamed live on the CoR's website

Contact: PresseCdr@cor.europa.eu
Their 2005 classic gets a live airing in October.

Kele Okereke & Co have announced an autumn run Europe focusing on Silent Alarm, their 2005 debut album, which from thunderous start ('Like Eating Glass') to barnstorming finish ('Compliments') rates as one of the all-time great British indie rock records. The Dublin stop-off is on October 22 in the 3Arena with tickets on sale next Monday.

The first time we danced like eejits to it was at the start of 2006 when the chaps played a gig in Whelan's that confirmed them as an equally righteous live band. This is what Phil Udell had to say about the night in Hot Press:

This is Bloc Partys first show of the year and surely the last time for a while that theyll be playing somewhere where the stage is so close to the back wall. They know it too, approaching it with an energy and vitality that suggests they cant wait to get started.

Looks like its going to be quite a year. Kele Okerekes comment may come as an almost unheard aside rather than a bold proclamation, yet the truth of his statement is undeniable.

This is Bloc Partys first show of the year and surely the last time for a while that theyll be playing somewhere where the stage is so close to the back wall. They know it too, approaching it with an energy and vitality that suggests they cant wait to get started. Sweetly, theyve brought some friends along for the ride.

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Red Jetson couldnt be more of a different proposition than the headliners. Where the latter deal in short sharp bursts of melody, Red Jetson head down the wall of sound route, producing huge Mogwai-style washes of guitar which they channel into quite nifty songs. Their vocalist adopts an Ian Curtis style stance at the mic stand and they make very little attempt to communicate with the audience. However, Whelans loves them and studiously cool facade gives way to wide grins as they depart.

Bloc Party start grinning the moment they walk on stage and dont give up for the whole night. They may be the most achingly hip name to drop at the moment but it doesnt seem to have gone to their heads. And the thing is, they really are that good. Yes theyve taken that hard edged early 80s sound that suddenly seems to be in vogue (Gang Of Four rear their head yet again) but their own identity is undiminished.

Okereke is a mesmerising front man, charming and charismatic, his colleagues quieter but musically on the button and the songs  well, if this set makes up their debut album then few are going to be able to match it. An evening that promised much and delivered in every way.
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Citizen engagement is critical to the success of , according to Gartner, Inc. Smart city initiatives are no longer about optimized traffic patterns, parking management, efficient lighting and improvements to public works.

"The way forward today is a community-driven, bottom-up approach where citizens are an integral part of designing and developing smart cities, and not a top-down policy with city leaders focusing on technology platforms alone," said Bettina Tratz-Ryan research vice president at Gartner.

For smart citizens the focus is not just about the use of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and smart machines, but the enhancement of services and experience. Therefore, citizen-government dialogue is a key component that will ensure that the right issues are tackled.

To keep pace with the changing needs of citizens, and the development of new business, cities are now striving to become not just smart, but also innovative. Machine learning and chatbots are being used to engage citizens or assets with their environment. Cities are building business and technology policies to assess the opportunities offered by potentially disruptive technologies like AI for elderly care, autonomous driving or delivery bots. In addition, there are emerging use cases for blockchain for transactions and in record keeping.

"As data analytics and insights become increasingly valuable because of the extensive analytics and learning, data algorithms will become the essential element to create user-focused services,' said Ms Traz-Ryan.

What Does This Mean for Government CIOs?

"Changes in citizen mindsets mean that governments must change their mindsets," said Ms. Traz-Ryan. "Government CIOs today need to look at creating innovation strategies to attract new industries and develop digital skills. They need to look at changing their spatial planning, road infrastructure, data and service management."

Gartner analysts recommend CIOs in local government to:

Identify and prioritize: CIOs need to understand the problems that directly impact citizens and apply technology to solve these problems. For instance, they must align data and information gathered through AI and machine learning to match the specific requirements of citizens and the business.

Be mindful: CIOs need to be mindful of the digital divide and pay equal attention to the issues of citizens with fewer IT skills. Incorporating technologies such as natural-language-powered virtual personal assistants is a step in this direction.

Develop Transparency: CIOs need to create open data strategies guaranteeing access to all interested parties in a city. Open data portals allow industries and universities  as well as interested citizens  unencumbered access.

Use Measurements ad KPIs to Explain the Progress of Smart City to Stakeholders

"The key to CIO success is building objectives by developing key performance indicators (KPIs) that detect stakeholder priorities and measure success and impact. The United Arab Emirates, especially Dubai, is a perfect example of how incorporating these guidelines help in the execution of the of the smart city framework," said Ms Tratz-Ryan.

By 2020, two-third of all smart city execution strategies will incorporate KPIs to visualize the impact of mobility-related urban services.

"Business strategies must clearly focus on the development of a seamless citizen service experience through digital access to information and government services. While preparing for the World Expo 2020, the Dubai government is focusing on creating thought leadership by implementing the most innovative technologies that create new modes of transportation (Hyperloop), energy generation (in conjunction with Masdar), or health and safety experiences," added Ms Tratz-Ryan.

Gartner clients can get more information from the report "New Business and Technology Priorities in Smart City Require CIOs to Change."

Source: https://www.albawaba.com/business/pr/gartner-citizen-engagement-critical-success-smart-cities-1098954
Berkshire Money Management founder and CEO Allen Harris has released his first book.

Biz Briefs: Berkshire Money Management Founder Allen Harris Publishes First Book

Written in stone

Berkshire Money Management founder and CEO Allen Harris has released his first book, written especially for business owners in the midst of transition. "Build It, Sell It, Profit," published by Advantage in February, as a longtime labor of love and valuable insight into preparing business owners who are looking to reap the benefits of their hard work.



"Build It, Sell It, Profit" is written for all business owners, including those who know what they need to do, but who are trying to navigate where to begin in the process. The book is about increasing an owner's income while making the business a better candidate for sale  either in two years or 10.



The book is an accessible culmination of Harris's expertise and anecdotes detailing why it's critical for business owners to have a proper valuation of their business well before they decide to sell. It is also a valuable tool to guide readers and clients on how to structure their business, while it is still theirs, which will dramatically increase an owner's income. For a limited time, Berkshire Money Management is offering valuation for non-client business owners online. The book is also available through the BMM link.

Liquor license

John Andrews Farmhouse Restaurant in South Egremont has received a new liquor license permitting wine, beer and spirit service once again. Still under the ownership of longtime Chef-owner Dan Smith, the restaurant recently reincorporated and changed its holding company name to Dan Smith, Inc.



After several weeks of a B.Y.O.B policy for guests during this recent transition, John Andrews Farmhouse is again fully licensed to serve alcohol. Patrons can enjoy a wide selection of alcoholic beverages from local craft cocktails, cider and beer to an extensive wine list as recognized by the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.



In addition to its seasonal dinner menu, John Andrews Farmhouse offers a casual bar menu. The bar menu, which includes a local burger, mac & cheese and fried chicken, is available along with the dinner menu in the dining rooms and on the patio in season. Special weekly menus include Giovedi, a three-course Italian prix fixe menu every Thursday, featuring a different region of Italy each week for $30 per person. Meatloaf Mondays, a prix fixe menu featuring spinach salad followed by succulent housemade pork meatloaf, mashed potatoes and broccoli served with a mustard pan sauce, is priced at $24 per person and will continue through April 1.

Entry to Entrepreneurship



Students in the program listen to an instructor in 2015. This year's students will present their business plans on April 11.

BerkShares will host an event to hear students from the Entry to Entrepreneurship business planning program present their business plans to the public from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, at Dewey Hall, 91 Main St. Following the presentations, BerkShares will award each student 50 BerkShares in seed money and audience members will be invited to ask questions of the students and join a conversation about business opportunities in the Berkshires.



This is the fourth consecutive year that BerkShares has offered Entry to Entrepreneurship. Developed with the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network's Berkshire Regional Office and hosted by Berkshire Community College's South County Center, the 10-week program is taught by members of the local business community and others volunteer their time as mentors, advisors, and business plan reviewers. Students are introduced to multiple voices and perspectives from throughout the local economy while also learning the fundamentals of business. This year's students range in age from 17 to 33.

Housing help

The Housing Ministries of New England has made a $15,000 grant to the Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire to fund predevelopment work on a property at 910 Main St. in Great Barrington, which CDCSB is exploring as a possible affordable housing site. If proven feasible, the project will add a significant number of new affordable apartments in Great Barrington.



HMNE promotes the housing and social needs of low- and moderate-income individuals and families through advocacy and support for quality affordable housing. This grant program is focused on maintaining and expanding the supply of quality housing through innovative practices in the low- and moderate-income housing market.



CDCSB is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating job opportunities, promoting economic development, and building low-moderate income housing in south Berkshire County. In collaboration with other like-minded organizations, the CDCSB has built more than 60 housing units and leveraged over $19 million in private and public funding.

Nonprofit nominations

The Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires is launching an annual awards program to recognize people who work tirelessly in the nonprofit sector to serve the Berkshire community. The NPC will present the first Berkshire Nonprofit Awards breakfast on Tuesday, May 22, from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Country Club of Pittsfield.



Nominations are being solicited from across the Berkshires in seven categories: Executive Leadership, Board Member, Super Staffer, Unsung Hero, Volunteer, Rising Star and Lifetime Achievement. Finalists and winners will be selected by a committee of business leaders. The nomination form is available online; the deadline for submissions is March 31.



Founded in 2016, the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires serves as a clearinghouse for information, helping nonprofits connect, learn and grow. The NPC has more than 70 members.
Terror the Direct Result of Incitement

The Fellowship | March 19, 2018 Embed from Getty Images

In two separate terror attacks since Friday  one in Jerusalems Old City, and one in the West Bank  three young Israelis had their lives brutally taken from them. And, writes Ynet News Ron Ben-Yishai, these two instances of violence share one thing in common  Palestinian incitement:

The car ramming terror attack in the Samaria on Friday, which claimed the lives of an IDF officer and soldier, is the direct result of a campaign of incitement coming out of Gaza, as well as political, social and economic unrest among Palestinians in Judea and Samaria.

For a few days now that Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been calling from their headquarters in the strip for a day of rage in Gaza and Judea and Samaria. The reason for this day of rage  100 days to US President Donald Trumps declaration of Jerusalem as Israels capital.

Hamas has been trying for a while now to leverage different events on the ground to incite violence and undermine the stability both on the Gaza border and in Judea and Samaria in the hopes this would help it escape its diplomatic isolation and its inability to deal with the social and economic distress of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where it rules.

By inciting unrest and calling for rioting and terror attacks, Hamas is trying to threaten both the Palestinian Authority and Israel, to pressure them to change their policies towards it and capitulate to its demands
Imperial Valley News Center

Deputy Secretary Sullivan to host the 2018 Annual International Women of Courage Awards Ceremony, with Remarks by First Lady Melania Trump

Washington, DC - Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan will present the 2018 Secretary of States International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award, with remarks to be provided by First Lady Melania Trump, in honor of 10 extraordinary women during an official ceremony from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, March 21, at the U.S. Department of State.

First established in March 2007, this annual award honors women around the world who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in acting to bring positive change to their societies, often at great personal risk and sacrifice. To date, under the IWOC program, the U.S. Department of State has recognized over 120 women from more than 65 countries who have worked to advocate for and promote human rights, the advancement of the status of women, peace, and government transparency around the world.

The names and bios of the recipients of the 2018 award will be announced on Monday, March 19.

The ceremony will be open to the press and streamed live on https://www.state.gov .
Governor Brown to Attend Maddy Institute Reception, Legislative Conference

Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. will attend the 2018 Big 5 Reception for the Beverly Legislative Intern Scholar Program hosted by the Maddy Institute and later give remarks at the California Labor Federation and State Building and Construction Trades Council of California's 2018 Joint Legislative Conference tomorrow in Sacramento.

Monday, March 19, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. at The California Museum, 1020 O St, Sacramento
The Travelodge chief executive has warned that soaring business rates and stifling taxes are putting job creation in the hospitality sector at risk.

Peter Gowers told the Press Association that a string of costs facing businesses could result in "unintended consequences".

He said: "The Government is putting rocks in our rucksack, with the National Living Wage, business rates, the Apprenticeship Levy and pensions changes.

"It's loading costs on to businesses and they need to be careful of unintended consequences.

"The hospitality sector has created thousands of jobs over the past few years, don't choke it off."

The hospitality sector generates 130bn in revenue for the UK economy, but parts of it are creaking under severe cost pressures.

Casual dining firms such as Byron, Prezzo and Jamie's Italian have shut large swathes of their store estates recently, with all citing soaring costs.

Business rates in particular have been a bugbear for bricks and mortar firms, with billions added to bills following a highly criticised revaluation last year.

Despite cost pressures, Travelodge booked a 6.6 per cent increase in revenue to 637.1m last year, with operating profit nudging up 2.3m to 112.4m.

Mr Gowers said: "New hotels are driving sales and more business travellers are choosing budget hotels because the quality has rocketed and they are in good locations now.

"For example, we have one in the City near the Gherkin, not where you'd normally expect a Travelodge to be.

"People on a night out at a gig or concert are also able to afford staying at a Travelodge rather than travelling home, that's helped our sales too."

The group plans to open 100 more hotels over the next five years, creating 2,500 jobs.

The expansion and solid results mark a continued turnaround from when Travelodge went through a painful restructuring in 2012.

It saw GoldenTree Asset Management, Avenue Capital and Goldman Sachs take control of the company via a debt-for-equity swap from Dubai International Capital.

The trio have invested 150m since then and "remain supportive", Mr Gowers said.

While the group is now on a secure financial footing, Brexit is looming large and posing a threat to its workers.

A total of 30 per cent of Travelodge's 12,000-strong workforce is composed of EU nationals and, with the Government committed to exiting the single market and ending freedom of movement, Mr Gowers is taking matters into his own hands.

He said: "The Government is in danger of letting events overtake them - hotels, schools, care homes, restaurants all rely on EU workers.

"We'd like a guest worker programme eventually, but we can't wait, so we're helping those employees that are eligible with the cost and process of applying for permanent residency in the UK."

According to figures from recruiter Manpower, 24 per cent of all staff in the hospitality sector come from the EU and Travelodge is pulling out all the stops to retain them in anticipation of a shrinking labour market.

"We've 'in-sourced' housekeepers and scrapped zero hours contracts as a way to protect our labour force and allow them to step up the career ladder," the chief executive said.

Recruitment will be on the agenda again this year with Travelodge set to open 20 new hotels across the UK, creating 550 new jobs and taking its total number of properties to 578.

PA
Britain must follow Brussels rules on aerospace after Brexit to protect the industry, a House of Commons committee has said.

Aligning, harmonising and participating in the European Unions supply chains and its watchdog is the best way forward for the sector, according to MPs.

Crashing out of the bloc without a deal would be highly costly and disruptive for UK aerospace and aviation, the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee warned.

Customs checks for the industry, which has highly complex supply chains across Europe, must be kept to an absolute minimum, the committee said.

We find that the competitiveness of UK aerospace could be adversely affected by any additional delays and bureaucracy encountered at the UK-EU border, given the prevalence of cross-border just-in-time supply chains in the sector, its report said.

The Government should seek to secure as near frictionless trade as possible between the UK and EU for the aerospace sector after Brexit, with the minimum amount of customs procedures.

Around 114,000 people throughout the country are directly employed in the industry, with Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Bombardier, GKN and Leonardo Helicopters among the largest companies.

The Government has said it wants to remain part of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulatory regime.

If that cannot be secured, transition arrangements lasting more than two years separate to the wider economic implementation period would need to be agreed, the committee said.

MPs warned a no deal exit from EASA would harm the industry in the UK and have serious adverse impacts in the EU and globally.

The Government should now rule out leaving EASA to ensure the UK aerospace industry has the best possible chance of success post-Brexit, the report said.

The committee called for the Government to seek a deal on immigration that allows the sector to continue to recruit the skilled workers it needs.

It also found there is no trade-off between close harmonisation with the EU and access to international markets in the industry after Brexit.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures 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 UK news in pictures 27 July 2021 A view of one of two areas now being used at a warehouse facility in Dover, Kent, for boats used by people thought to be migrants. PA UK news in pictures 26 July 2021 A woman is helped by Border Force officers as a group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, onboard a Border Force vessel, following a small boat incident in the Channel PA UK news in pictures 25 July 2021 Vehicles drive through deep water on a flooded road in Nine Elms, London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 24 July 2021 Utilities workers inspect a 15x20ft sinkhole on Green Lane, Liverpool, which is suspected to have been caused by ruptured water main PA UK news in pictures 23 July 2021 Children interact with Mega Please Draw Freely by artist Ei Arakawa inside the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern in London, part of UNIQLO Tate Play the gallery's new free programme of art-inspired activities for families PA UK news in pictures 22 July 2021 Festivalgoers in the campsite at the Latitude festival in Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk PA UK news in pictures 21 July 2021 A man walks past an artwork by Will Blood on the end of a property in Bedminster, Bristol, as the 75 murals project reaches the halfway point and various graffiti pieces are sprayed onto walls and buildings across the city over the Summer PA UK news in pictures 20 July 2021 People during morning prayer during Eid ul-Adha, or Festival of Sacrifice, in Southall Park, Uxbridge, London PA UK news in pictures 19 July 2021 Commuters, some not wearing facemasks, at Westminster Underground station, at 08:38 in London after the final legal Coronavirus restrictions were lifted in England PA UK news in pictures 18 July 2021 A view of spectators by the 2nd green during day four of The Open at The Royal St George's Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 July 2021 Cyclists ride over the Hammersmith Bridge in London. The bridge was closed last year after cracks in it worsened during a heatwave Getty UK news in pictures 16 July 2021 The sun rises behind the Sefton Park Palm House, in Sefton Park, Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 15 July 2021 Sir Nicholas Serota watches a short film about sea monsters as he opens a 7.6 million, 360 immersive dome at Devonport's Market Hall in Plymouth, which is the first of its type to be built in Europe PA UK news in pictures 14 July 2021 Heidi Street, playing a gothic character, looks at a brain suspended in glass at the worlds first attraction dedicated to the author of Frankenstein inside the Mary Shelleys House of Frankenstein experience, located in a Georgian terraced house in Bath, as it prepares to open to the public on 19 July PA UK news in pictures 13 July 2021 Rehearsals are held in a car park in Glasgow for a parade scene ahead of filming for what is thought to be the new Indiana Jones 5 movie starring Harrison Ford PA UK news in pictures 12 July 2021 A local resident puts love hearts and slogans on the plastic that covers offensive graffiti on the vandalised mural of Manchester United striker and England player Marcus Rashford on the wall of a cafe on Copson Street, Withington in Manchester Getty Images UK news in pictures 11 July 2021 England's Bukayo Saka with manager Gareth Southgate after the match Pool via Reuters

The Government must reach a firm agreement in the coming weeks transition arrangements to be clear about future relations between the UK and EU as soon as possible, the committee urged.

The Labour Partys Rachel Reeves, who chairs the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee, said alignment, harmonisation and participation in EU rule is the best way forward.

She said: The aerospace sector is one of the most productive and fastest growing in the UK, but this success is highly dependent on participation in European and global supply chains.

The health of the industry relies on components moving quickly across borders with delays of even a few hours having a significant impact on costs. Given this, the Government must ensure custom procedures are kept to an absolute minimum after we leave the EU.

In a truly global industry, membership of EASA gives the UK access to markets across the world through internationally recognised safety standards. Leaving would be completely counter-productive and leave the aerospace industry facing total chaos.

The committee has now examined the impact of Brexit on three key sectors of the UK economy, the automotive and civil nuclear sector and now aerospace and the lessons are similar each time: the best way forward for jobs and businesses lies in alignment, harmonisation and participation in EU supply chains and regulatory bodies.

PA
Footage has emerged which claims to show the horrific conditions endured by 500,000 chickens that lay eggs for the UKs largest egg producer and supermarkets.

Around 140 million eggs are laid each year at Walston Poultry Farm, prompting undercover investigators to obtain covert footage.

Investigators claim to have discovered the farm, which supplies eggs for Noble Foods Big & Fresh, breached animal welfare laws.

In the footage, chickens can be seen in cages stacked seven high (SWNS)

In footage taken at the farm in Blandford Forum, Dorset, chickens can be seen in cages stacked seven high and locked in sheds.

Big & Fresh, a brand of eggs from caged birds, is sold in most of the UKs leading supermarkets, including Tesco and Asda.

Noble Foods said it has launched an internal investigation and audit.

Animal Equality, a leading international animal protection organisation, released the footage after obtaining it by placing hidden cameras at the farm.

Footage proves Noble farm is in breach of the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007, Animal Equality charity claims (SWNS)

They left one camera running for four days, and in that time the hens were checked only once.

Animal welfare law states that birds have to be checked at least once a day and inspections should be sufficiently thorough to detect illness and injury of individual hens, and special attention should be paid to bodily condition.

In the footage, dead hens can be seen lying in cages, and one dead bird was photographed in the same place for two consecutive days.

The footage proves that Noble farm is in breach of the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007, the charity claim.

One dead bird was photographed in the same place for two consecutive days (SWNS)

Dr Toni Shephard, the UK director of Animal Equality, said: The pitiless practice of locking hens inside crowded cages inevitably leads to the frail, featherless birds and high mortality that we found on this farm.

But the failure to even check on these poor, helpless hens once a day  as the law requires  shows complete disregard for them as living, feeling animals with fundamental needs.

Consumers paying a premium for Happy Eggs will be horrified to learn they are indirectly supporting these cruel cages used on Noble Foods other farms. It is time for Noble to go cage-free across all of their brands.

We wanted to show the conditions inside a typical caged hen farm.

We know eggs in supermarkets will say from caged hens but for most consumers that doesnt draw up the images to mind of what the practice looks like.

They dont picture the severity of the suffering.

The images will be shocking to people, to see just how crowded those cages are and how severely the animals suffer from feather loss and the number of dead animals.

For me, its the scale of the operation that is so shocking.

There can be half a million birds on one farm but to drive past it you would have no idea, theres no windows, no indication that these huge metal sheds contain living animals.

Caging animals for their entire lives without fresh air, without daylight, never even standing on solid ground, that has got to be the most cruel form of farming that is currently practised in Britain.

Im very pleased the different agencies have committed to inspecting the farm, including Dorset trading standards and the British Lion code.

They have both said they will be investigating the farm after getting our evidence, so we would certainly like to make sure the farm complies with at least the basic protection that farm animals have, to be inspected at least once a day.

Its going in the right direction, but too slowly for the animals that are suffering in these conditions.

In the footage, dead hens can be seen lying in cages (SWNS)

A spokesperson for Noble Foods said: Noble Foods takes the welfare of poultry on farms supplying the company very seriously.

The egg industry and its customers require companies to be stringently checked by regular independent auditing procedures including spot checks via unannounced visits.

All sites supplying Noble Foods are fully compliant with UK Government and European regulations on welfare of poultry.

Having seen the report produced by Animal Equality, relating to our contract producer Walston Poultry with whom we have a long-standing relationship, we have immediately launched an internal investigation and audit of the site highlighted.

Separately, the farm will be visited, without notice, by the British Egg Industry Council responsible for the Lion Code of Practice, the officially approved scheme requiring egg producers to maintain the highest possible welfare standards and environmental controls.

Our investigation into this matter is underway and Noble Foods remains committed and vigilant in demanding the highest standards from all its suppliers.

Walston Poultry Farm did not respond to a request for comment.

According to their website, Walston supply eggs as far afield as the Falkland Islands and customers include national retailers.

SWNS
A Cirque du Soleil performer has died after falling on to the stage during a show in Florida.

Yann Arnaud, 38, was taking part in a performance involving aerial straps on Saturday when he fell. He died in hospital several hours later.

The aerialist had been performing in the spectacle for 15 years, and was described by the groups President, Daniel Lamarre, as someone who was loved by all of those who had the fortune to know him.

Mr Lamarre said the Cirque du Soleil family was in shock and devastated by the tragedy.

He added: In the weeks to come, we will concentrate our energy on supporting Yanns family and all of our employees, particularly the VOLTA team, while we go through this difficult time together.

The company said it was working with local authorities to investigate what had gone wrong. It has cancelled two shows scheduled for Tampa on Sunday.
I was sold as a debt. I wished I was dead, says Sara*, an Albanian woman in her twenties. When I came here it was a relief, but Im terrified to go back. Im scared Ill go through the same thing.

Wearing immaculately applied make-up and speaking near perfect English, Sara appears very together. But as she recounts events from her past it becomes clear her life has been far from stable.

She didnt plan to come to Britain. She had hopes of becoming a lawyer in her home country. Due to a string of incidents in which she was subjected to manipulation and exploitation by a number of men, however, she was prevented from doing so.

It started when she was 13 and her teacher tried to rape her. She subsequently became a source of shame to her family. Her uncle wanted to kill her, blaming her for seducing the man  despite the fact that he was more than twice her age. She and her parents had to move away from their home city to get away from the family.

Despite her ordeal, which she says made her suicidal at some points, Sara went on to complete a bachelors degree and started a flourishing career working as a trainee solicitor for large financial companies. But when her father told her several years later that she was to have an arranged marriage, she felt she had to comply.

I didnt want to get engaged, says Sara. I always thought it was better to have a career and then get married after. But when my father arranged this engagement I thought I had to accept it, just to make clear that I wasnt bringing more shame on the family.

Shortly after the engagement, her fiance said they should move to Italy, saying they would be economically better off there. This had never been her plan, but  again  she felt she must comply in order to make up for the supposed shame she had brought on herself before.

She managed to transfer her job to offices in Italy, and began preparing for a new life there. But the optimism was short-lived.

I believed we were going there to have a better life, but the happiness in Italy only lasted for two weeks, she says, looking down. I was meant to transfer to the Italian office in January after Christmas. But it never happened

This was because Saras fiance sold her as debt he owed to a criminal gang.

He sold me. I wished I was dead. The way he said it: Id rather your life than mine. Now when I remember I just feel like I want to punch him. He wanted to save his life, so he sold mine. He owed them money so he sold me as his debt.

In that moment I couldnt think properly. I was in shock. Now I think back I think how couldnt I notice? I lived with him for two weeks and I didnt see it.

All hope of a normal life was dashed for Sara when she found herself forced into exploitation. She was sold to a gang and used as a sex slave.

We were locked in a house in Milan from November 2014 to July 2016, Sara recalls. We were controlled by the men. I tried to escape a few times but didnt have luck. They were very controlling. I was never allowed to go out. I was locked in a room. And of course I never saw any of the money, Sara recalls.

Sara found reason to be hopeful again when she struck up a close friendship with a new woman who was brought into the brothel. As they were both Spanish and English speakers, they were able to communicate without the men knowing what they were saying. The pair planned to escape.

But before they had the chance, the gang decided to leave the country to escape from police. Sara and her friend were bundled into a car with them. Thats when she discovered she was pregnant, because she began having a miscarriage.

They took us to France to escape police. We were in a car and thats when I had the miscarriage. I had heavy bleeding, she says, visibly distressed by the memory.

My friend fought with the men to get help for me. They hit her because she tried to make them send me to hospital. She was bruised. They didnt want to send me because they thought I would escape.

They eventually got a midwife to come. I dont know who she was. But they brought a lady to the house to give me painkillers.

The women used this as an opportunity. They told the nurse their situation. She wanted to help them. As she went to speak to the men to tell them what medicine Sara needed, they were able to open the door and escape.

Modern Slavery in the UK Show all 13 1 /13 Modern Slavery in the UK Modern Slavery in the UK NCA has launched a touring photographic exhibition which aims to portray the signs of slavery and exploitation. Entitled Invisible People, the exhibition will tour the country as part of the National Crime Agencys campaign to raise awareness of modern slavery and human trafficking. National Crime Agency Modern Slavery in the UK Child trafficking Child trafficking for sexual exploitation Traffickers use grooming techniques to gain the trust of a child, family or community. The children are recruited, transported and then sold for sex, often returning to their homes immediately afterwards, only to be picked up by the same people again. This is happening here in the UK, to migrant and British-born children. Spot the signs of child trafficking: Often, children wont be sure which country, city or town theyre in. They may be orphaned or living apart from their family, in unregulated private foster care, or in substandard accommodation. They may possess unaccounted-for money or goods or repeatedly have new, unexplained injuries. National Crime Agency Modern Slavery in the UK Agriculture Some workers in the farming sector, harvesting grains or root vegetables, tending livestock or fruit picking, are being exploited every day in the UK. Victims of this crime in the agricultural sector are often Eastern European men and women, who were promised a job by traffickers, or they could be individuals on the fringes of society, homeless or destitute. Through threats, violence, coercion or forced drug and alcohol dependency, theyre enslaved, working for little or no money, living in squalid conditions having had their identity documents taken from them. Spot the signs of exploitative labour in agriculture: Agricultural slaves often have their wages paid into the same bank account, meaning an illegal gangmaster is likely collecting all their wages. Exploited agriculture workers often dont have suitable protective equipment, working instead in cheap sports clothing and trainers, and dont have a different change of clothes from day-to-day. National Crime Agency Modern Slavery in the UK Food processing Polish or Slovakian men are brought to the UK with the offer of employment and, after arrival, gangmasters seize documents, opening multiple bank and utility accounts in their names  but refuse to handover access to the accounts or bank cards. Hours are long and the work is gruelling and dangerous. Workers are abused and are controlled by threats of harm to their families at home. Spot the signs: Those exploited wear inappropriate clothes and often no safety gear  despite working with dangerous and life-threatening equipment. They may often have untreated injuries and be refused medical attention, and will live and work in agricultural outhouses. National Crime Agency Modern Slavery in the UK Construction Labour-intensive sectors like construction, where temporary and irregular work are common, are high-risk sectors for forced labour. With new homes, offices and buildings being constructed or upgraded in great quantity, labour exploitation is the second most common type of modern slavery, after sexual exploitation. Spot the signs of exploitative labour in construction: Exploited workers are often not provided with protective clothing or equipment, and may show signs of abuse or carry old untreated injuries. Slave workers are also likely to work extremely long work hours for six or seven days a week without any leave. Photographer Rory Carnegie, said: I wanted this image to communicate that despite being forced to live, eat, wash and sleep  where theyre working, in cramped and unhygienic conditions, that there is a human instinct to domesticate. I wanted to show how there is still hope and dignity in the most squalid and difficult of circumstances. National Crime Agency Modern Slavery in the UK Maritime In the tough maritime industry young men, often Filipino or Indian, Eastern European or African, are promised a better life, but instead find themselves in a cycle of debt and exploitation. Unable to read, they are offered a job, given papers to sign and begin working on a trial-basis, only to be told they have failed and owe money, and have to work more to settle the debt. They may be forced to work for long hours in intense, hazardous and difficult conditions. Photographer Rory Carnegie, said: In the 80s, Chris Killip published a series of images called In Flagrante, and these images were at the forefront of my mind while composing this shot. I wanted to show the utter desperation of these men - how passed their limit they are. The broken floats and the entire decaying environment around him, I saw as a metaphor for his existence. Rory Carnegie/National Crime Agency Modern Slavery in the UK Forced prostitution Each year, women from across Eastern Europe and West Africa are lured to the UK by the dream of a better life. Whether by fake migration services or unscrupulous individuals who befriend and then betray them, women fall into a dark spiral of sexual exploitation and forced, unpaid prostitution, unable to escape. Photographer Rory Carnegie, said: What I really wanted for this image, was to depict how women are used as commodities, the complete control slavery has over them  the helplessness of having to sit and wait for man after man, until no more men arrive. I wanted the image to show how lonely and eventually numbing that experience is, and for that ugliness to be contrasted against the bright blue of the wig  a fancy dress item that we would usually associate with a fun event  but here is used as a disguise, perhaps of her own identity to herself - to further emphasise how unjust the situation is. NCA Modern Slavery in the UK Cannabis farming The cannabis industry hides a dark secret in the house next door. Gangs bring young boys to the UK from countries like Vietnam and deliver them to a house where, once in, they wont be able to leave. Forced to tend cannabis plants that fill specially rigged houses, the boys are often locked in and forced to work, sleep and eat in one confined and dirty room. The chemicals used on the cannabis are poisonous, and often victims dont know where they are or how to get help if they do escape. The eyes, ears and compassion of the local community are essential. Spot the signs: Aside from the strong and prolonged smell of cannabis, have you noticed a house that looks unusual? Are the windows covered or usual entry points blocked? Buildings might be over-heated  in very cold weather is the roof without frost, because the house is being kept warm to grow plants National Crime Agency Modern Slavery in the UK Agriculture Some workers in the farming sector, harvesting grains or root vegetables, tending livestock or fruit picking, are being exploited every day in the UK. Victims of this crime in the agricultural sector are often Eastern European men and women, who were promised a job by traffickers, or they could be individuals on the fringes of society, homeless or destitute. Through threats, violence, coercion or forced drug and alcohol dependency, theyre enslaved, working for little or no money, living in squalid conditions having had their identity documents taken from them. Spot the signs of exploitative labour in agriculture: Agricultural slaves often have their wages paid into the same bank account, meaning an illegal gangmaster is likely collecting all their wages. Exploited agriculture workers often dont have suitable protective equipment, working instead in cheap sports clothing and trainers, and dont have a different change of clothes from day-to-day National Crime Agency Modern Slavery in the UK Forced prostitution Spot the signs of forced prostitution: Victims of this type of crime might appear withdrawn or scared, avoid eye contact, and be untrusting. Poor English language skills could indicate exploitation because it suggests someone else must be arranging the work. A brothel is likely to be an average house on a normal looking street, but may have curtains which are usually closed and many different men coming and going frequently. National Crime Agency Modern Slavery in the UK Maritime Spot the signs of exploitative labour in the maritime sector: Victims might appear withdrawn or frightened, often unable to answer questions directed at them or speak for themselves,. They might be afraid of authorities like police, immigration or the tax office, and may perceive themselves to be in debt to someone else. They may not have been given proper protective equipment so can suffer illness or injury. Photographer Rory Carnegie, said: Throughout the series of images, I wanted to juxtapose the harshness of the lives of slaves against bright primary colours  colours we traditionally associate with happiness or a feeling of wellbeing  to provoke a reaction. The image, as rich as it is, communicates how completely uncomfortable this person is. I wanted to show how his body is not his own, and how he has no right to avoid hardship, avoid the ice, or wear better shoes, he is utterly controlled. Rory Carnegie/National Crime Agency Modern Slavery in the UK Food processing Photographer Rory Carnegie, said: This image communicates utter exhaustion and dejection. We can see how dire his situation is. He has no protective gear on, and we can see the extreme tiredness that leads him to a place of anxiety and distraction, where he doesnt care about whether hes operating machinery safely, or putting himself at risk. National Crime Agency Modern Slavery in the UK The exhibition comprises a series of large, freestanding cubes displaying images capturing snapshots of life within different types of modern slavery - in agriculture, construction, maritime, cannabis farming and food processing, child trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced prostitution. Each image comes with written commentary describing what the viewer is seeing, and information about signs which may indicate someone is a victim. National Crime Agency

I have no idea what happened after that. I was still bleeding. We crossed the river and somehow got to Calais in France. We stayed there for around two days, says Sara.

On our way we met a guy. He saw me with blood everywhere and my friend with bruising everywhere. We gave him 300 and he helped us to get in a lorry.

We hid in it from there to London. It was so scary. The first thing they said was try not to even breathe. Its so dangerous.

After a perilous journey cramped in the vehicle, the women were dropped off on the streets of Dagenham. They were picked up by police and taken to a safe house  where potential victims of slavery are taken before they are referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), the UKs official framework for identifying victims of human trafficking.

Sara arrived in the UK in July 2016. A year later, she received a positive decision from the NRM, which after looking into her situation recognised her as a victim of sex trafficking.

But her claim for asylum has since been rejected by the Home Office, who claimed she had parents to go back to in Albania and that her country had womens shelters that can offer her support.

Recommended Police failure to tackle modern slavery laid bare

Sara, who is now trying to appeal the Home Offices decision, says the idea of being sent back to Albania terrifies her, explaining that she is no longer in touch with her family and she fears both she and them would be at risk if she went back.

I havent spoken to my family since I left Albania. Im scared my fiance has found out that I escaped from the gang and want to punish me and my family if I return, she says.

Ive been through a lot. For 13 years of my life Ive been hiding from everyone, trying not to be seen. Im so tired. Going home will be like returning to the same point, and Im scared Ill go through the same thing.

She adds that Albania doesnt offer women adequate protection against abuse, saying that even after she was abused by her teacher as a child, the support wasnt there.

In Albania they dont give you protection. They have some charities for trafficking and domestic abuse, but they only keep you there for two or three days, when you have bruising or any symptoms or scars on your face and body, she explains.

They dont give you counselling or anything. After the incident with my teacher I went through a lot. I tried to kill myself twice. They didnt offer the protection I have here.

I still have nightmares about what happened to me. Sometimes I get the feeling that someone is inside the house. I try to avoid things that make me think about what Ive been through. But I have a dream where someone is following me.

I dont sleep until 5 or 6am, every night its the same, because Im afraid of what will happen in the night.

 Modern slavery in the UK

Sara is now being supported by a small charity, which asked to remain anonymous to protect her identify. It offers help and advice to victims of modern slavery and trafficking. Forty per cent of the people the charity supports are Albanian, and the vast majority of these are women who have been exploited as sex slaves.

More Albanian adults are referred as potential victims of trafficking than any other nationality. Last year alone, 567 Albanian adults were referred over trafficking concerns, of which 80 per cent  a total of 455 cases  related to sexual exploitation.

Human trafficking took hold in Albania following the collapse of communism in 1990, and the country has since become known as a source nation for people being kidnapped, smuggled and then sold.

Yet a disproportionately high number of Albanian women recognised as victims of trafficking by the NRM are not granted the right to stay in the UK, which can have a damaging affect on their mental health, according to the chief executive of the charity.

That length of uncertainty and lack of knowledge about whats going to be their future means that their mental health continues to deteriorate, the charity worker tells The Independent.

They try to do the best that they can to remain positive, but they have absolutely no idea what the future holds for them and many of them are absolutely petrified of going home, because they might be tortured, thrown out of home of left destitute on the streets.

They get no closure. Yes, theyve been recognised as victims of trafficking, but that almost isnt important to them. The important thing is whether they are going to be safe from here on out.

She adds that there is a lack of recognition and acknowledgement that discretionary leave, which gives the victims at least 12 months in the UK, would would offer a certain amount of security and allow them to think about the future.

Without that, the uncertainty causes a lot of mental health issues. Our counsellors say that these women cant start to process the trauma theyve been through because theyre so caught up in dealing with the here and now of am I going to be able to be safe? They dont know what the future holds for them.

A Home Office spokesperson said: Modern slavery and human trafficking are abhorrent crimes, which this Government is working to tackle. The UK has some of the toughest modern slavery laws in the world and the Modern Slavery Act, introduced by Theresa May in 2015, has given law enforcement agencies the tools they need to tackle these crimes.

We have regular engagement with the Albanian government over how to tackle modern slavery and we are looking at opportunities for investment through our Modern Slavery Fund to help Albania tackle the problem at source. We also work jointly with the Albanian community in the UK to understand how we can stamp out this terrible crime.

Additionally, the UK has a proud history of granting asylum to those who need our protection and every claim is assessed on its individual merits.

*Name changed to protect identity
Newsnight has denied claims it doctored an image of Jeremy Corbyn to make him look more Russian.

The BBC Two programme has been fiercely criticised and accused of extreme bias for using an image that critics on social media claimed had been photoshopped.

Guardian columnist Owen Jones appeared on the show to discuss Labours response to the Salisbury spy poisoning and claimed the Labour leader had been made to look like a Soviet stooge.

The media framing has been a disgrace and I have to say that includes your own programme, the prominent left-wing journalist told presenter Evan Davis on Friday.

Yesterday the background of your programme you had Jeremy Corbyn dressed up against the Kremlin skyline, dressed up as a Soviet stooge. You even photoshopped his hat to look more Russian.

People should complain to the BBC about that kind of thing.

Mr Corbyn was apparently depicted wearing a Russian Bolshevik cap against a backdrop of Moscows Red Square while Ayesha Hazarika, former special advisor to Ed Milliband, and Corbyn ally Chris Williamson MP, were interviewed about the Governments response to the nerve agent attack.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures 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. 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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 UK news in pictures 27 July 2021 A view of one of two areas now being used at a warehouse facility in Dover, Kent, for boats used by people thought to be migrants. PA UK news in pictures 26 July 2021 A woman is helped by Border Force officers as a group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, onboard a Border Force vessel, following a small boat incident in the Channel PA

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with military grade Novichok nerve agent on 4 March.

Newsnight acting editor Jess Brammar denied the hat had been altered.

Newsnight didnt photoshop a hat, she wrote on Twitter.

Our (excellent, hardworking) graphics team explained the image has had the contrast increased and been colour treated, usual treatment for screen graphics as they need more contrast to work through the screens.

If you look you can see its same hat in silhouette.

Apparently (forgive me for passing on tech details I dont understand first-hand) some detail might also have been lost with it going through the screen and then being filmed back through a camera, again the standard effect on images on that big back panel.

And finally, the Russia background was a rehash of one Newsnight used a few weeks ago, for a story about Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary.

Mr Jones responded to the tweets, saying the TV programme had picked an image of Mr Corbyn that was as Leninesque as possible.

The photo of Williamson is in a suit and his photo remains clear, he said.

There is no shortage of photos of Corbyn in a suit. A photo was selected, which was as Leninesque as possible in combination with a red Kremlin background.

Mr Corbyn has been criticised by MPs from both Labour and Conservative benches for urging the government look for hard evidence of Russian involvement in the Salisbury poisoning.

Mr Jones has since urged people not to criticise Mr Davis for the image. He tweeted: Please dont pile in on @EvanHD for @BBCNewsnights outrageous photoshopping of Jeremy Corbyn as a Russian stooge: hes always been a really reasonable guy, and its letting Newsnight editors who are responsible off the hook.

A representative for the BBC did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Additional reporting from agencies
The Foreign Secretary has warned the Russian government that it is not fooling anyone with its increasingly absurd denials of culpability for use of a nerve agent on British soil.

Arriving at a meeting with EU foreign affairs ministers in Brussels on Monday morning Boris Johnson said Vladimir Putins regime was trying to conceal the needle of truth in a haystack of lies and obfuscation.

Mr Johnson will brief the 27 other EU foreign ministers on the 4 March incident, in a meeting which EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said would first and foremost focus on the Salisbury attack among other issues.

Recommended Russia expels 23 British diplomats as diplomatic spat intensifies

The ministers are expected to issue a joint statement on the incident later this morning after discussions.

The Foreign Secretary said he had been heartened by support for the UK and that Britain was acting in punctilious accordance with our obligations under the treaty on chemical weapons  in contrast, he said, to Russia.

Officials from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons are arriving in the UK today to take samples of the nerve agent used in the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, he confirmed. The British government says the substance is Novichok, a Russian-developed weapon, but Russia has denied have any stockpiles of it.

Mr Johnson told reporters on the doorstep of the summit: The Russian denials grow increasingly absurd. At one time they say they never made Novichok, at another they say they did make Novichok but all the stocks have been destroyed, and then again they say that they made Novichok and all the stocks have been destroyed but some of them have mysteriously escaped to Sweden, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the United States, or even the United Kingdom.

I think what people can see is that this is a classic Russia strategy of trying to conceal the needle of truth in a haystack of lies and obfuscation. What really strikes me talking to European friends and partners today is that 12 years after the assassination of Alexander Litvinenko in London theyre not fooling anybody anymore.

There is scarcely a country around the table here in Brussels that has not been affected by some kind of malign of disruptive Russian behaviours. That is why I think the strength and resolve of our European friends is so striking today.

Reacting to the Foreign Secretarys comments a spokesperson for the Kremlin said allegations that Russia was involved in the poisoning were slanderous, groundless, and difficult to explain. The spokesperson added that the UK would have to provide evidence or apologise.

In a potential foretaste of the discussion on the issue, Spanish foreign minister Alfonso Dastis told reporters as he arrived: We think now the time is for an extended examination of all the elements involved with the participation of the OPCW. We are definitely going to keep the issue under consideration in the context of the EU, well see. When asked, he confirmed that Spain gave its full support to Britain.

Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Scene of attack Members of the emergency services in hazard suits fix the tent over the bench where Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury in March 2018. Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Victim - Sergei Skripal The retired Russian colonel and former double agent for MI6 was in a critical condition in hospital for more than two months after being exposed to novichok in Salisbury. He was given refuge in the UK after being jailed in Moscow for treason. Mr Skripal came to Britain as part of a high-profile spy swap in 2010 in which four men were exchanged for ten Russian "sleeper agents" in the US. In this image he is speaking to his lawyer from behind bars in Moscow in 2006. AP Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Victim - Yulia Skripal Yulia Skripal was struck down by a novichok poison alongside her father Sergei. Facebook Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Scene of attack A police officer stands guard outside a branch of the Italian chain restaurant Zizzi where the pair dined at before falling ill. It was boarded off whilst investigators worked on the building and later found traces of the chemical weapon within it. AFP/Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Scene of attack Large areas of central Salisbury were cordoned off by police following the discovery of the Skripals. Traces of nerve agent were also found in The Mill pub. PA Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Victim - Nick Bailey Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, rushed to the aid of the Russian ex-spy and his daughter who were targeted with a nerve agent. He was hospitalized after aiding them and didn't leave until three weeks after the attack. Wiltshire Police/Rex Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation - Skripals home Police believe they were poisoned at home, and detectives found the highest concentration of novichok on the front door of Mr Skripals house. Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Theresa May visits scene of attack Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May spokes with Wiltshire Police's Chief Constable Kier Pritchard near where the Skripal's were found. Britain expelled 23 Russian diplomats over the nerve agent poisoning and suspended high-level contacts, including for the World Cup on March 14. Theresa May told parliament that Russia had failed to respond to her demand for an explanation on how a Soviet-designed chemical, Novichok, was used in Salisbury. AFP/Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Skripal days before attack Sergei Skripal days before he was exposed to Novichok, that has left him fighting for life. ITV News Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation - military involvement British soldiers were deployed soon after the attack to help a counter-terrorism investigation into the nerve agent attack. One of the places they were asked to help out with was Skripal's home and it's surrounding. They were asked to remove a vehicle connected to the agent attack in Salisbury, from a residential street in Gillingham. AFP/Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation Personnel in protective coveralls and breathing equipment cover an ambulance with a tarpaulin at the Salisbury District Hospital. AFP/Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation The investigation extended to the grave of Sergei Skripal's son Alexander in London Road cemetery. Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Police investigation The Counter Terrorism Policing Network requested assistance from the military to remove a number of vehicles and objects from Salisbury. EPA Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Home Secretary visits scene of attack Home Secretary Amber Rudd visited the scene of the nerve agent attack at the Maltings shopping centre on 9 March. Getty Skripal attack aftermath  in pictures Yulia Skripal speaks for the first time Yulia Skripal, speaking for the first time, said she felt lucky to have survived the nerve agent attack in Salisbury which left her fighting for life. Ms Skripal said her life had been turned upside down by the assassination attempt. But the Russian national added she hoped to return to her homeland one day, despite the Kremlin being blamed for the attack. Reuters

EU foreign affairs chief Ms Mogherini said: We have a particularly intense agenda today with the ministers. First and foremost well hear from Boris Johnson for a debrief on Salisbury.

I would expect that well say something in the course of the morning so youll hear a renewed EU position in that respect. What is absolutely clear is our full solidarity with the United Kingdom and our extreme concern about what has happened, that is extremely unacceptable.
The ex-leader of Theresa Mays Downing Street policy board has said he will not back her Brexit deal if it creates a hard border in Ireland.

George Freeman MP warned that time is running out to resolve the issue which he said is a red line for himself and other Conservative backbenchers.

Brexit Secretary David Davis arrived in Brussels on Monday morning where he is expected to try and hammer out an agreement on the rules governing the transition period after the UK leaves the EU.

If an agreement is reached it could be signed off at the end of the week at a summit, though European Council President Donald Tusk is set to make any transition deal conditional on the UK addressing the Irish border issue.

Mid-Norfolk MP Mr Freeman spoke out after a committee report last week branded Ms Mays current plans to allay the need for a border as blue sky thinking.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4s Westminster Hour, he said commitments Ms May had already made as part of her negotiating position are "irreconcilable" with Europe's expectations.

Emphasising that the border issue is a "red line" for him and other Tories, he added: "I would find it very difficult to vote for a Brexit that puts a border back between the north and south in Ireland and creates a cliff edge for investment next spring."

 Jean Claude Juncker calls for more clarity from Theresa May over Brexit

Ms May has both vowed to leave the EUs customs union and also maintain no border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

But EU negotiators have said the two positions are irreconcilable, with the only way to ensure there is no border, being for the UK, or at least Northern Ireland, to stay in full regulatory alignment with Brussels by remaining in the customs union.

Ms Mays current legislative programme has been delayed because Tory rebels are pushing an amendment to the Trade Bill that could force her to stay in the customs union, while Tory whips are unsure they can beat it.

When asked if a forced vote to stay in the customs union could solve the issue, Mr Freeman said accepted that doing so could also anger Brexiteer Tories.

He said: If colleagues in the House push on the customs union too quickly it'll be seen as a last stand to stop Brexit.

But if this isn't sorted in six to nine months it'll be very different.

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Show all 8 1 /8 The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Post-Brexit immigration workers sorting radishes on a production line at a farm in Norfolk. One possible post-Brexit immigration scheme could struggle to channel workers towards less attractive roles - while another may heighten the risk of labour exploitation, a new report warns. PA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Customs union A key point in the negotiations remains Britain's access to, or withdrawal from, the EU customs union. Since the referendum there has been hot debate over the meaning of Brexit: would it entail a full withdrawal from the existing agreement, known as hard Brexit, or the soft version in which we would remain part of a common customs area for most goods, as Turkey does? No 10 has so far insisted that Brexit means Brexit and that Britain will be leaving the customs union, but may be inclined to change its position once the potential risks to the UKs economic outlook become clearer. Alamy The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Northern Ireland-Irish border Though progress was made last year, there has still been no solid agreement on whether there should be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To ensure borderless travel on the island, the countries must be in regulatory alignment and therefore adhere to the same rules as the customs union. In December, the Conservative Partys coalition partners, the DUP, refused a draft agreement that would place the UK/EU border in the Irish Sea due to its potential to undermine the union. May has promised that would not be the case and has suggested that a specific solution would need to be found. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Transition period Despite protests from a small number of Conservative MPs, the Government and the EU are largely in agreement that a transitional period is needed after Brexit. The talks, however, have reached an impasse. Though May has agreed that the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget until 2021, the PM wants to be able to select which laws made during this time the UK will have to adhere to. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must adopt all of the laws passed during the transition, without any input from British ministers or MEPs. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Rights of EU citizens living the UK The Prime Minister has promised EU citizens already living in the UK the right to live and work here after Brexit, but the rights of those who arrive after Brexit day remains unclear. May insists that those who arrive during the transition period should not be allowed to stay, whereas the EU believe the cut-off point should be later. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreement (with the EU) Despite this being a key issue in negotiations, the Government has yet to lay out exactly what it wants from a trade deal with the EU. Infighting within the Cabinet has prevented a solid position from being reached, with some MPs content that "no deal is better than a bad deal" while others rally behind single market access. The EU has already confirmed that access to the single market would be impossible without the UK remaining in the customs union. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreements (internationally) The Government has already begun trying to woo foreign leaders into prospective trade agreements, with various high profile state visits to China, India and Canada for May, and the now infamous invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit London. However the UK cannot make trade agreements with another country while it is still a member of the EU, and the potential loss of trade with the world's major powers is a source of anxiety for the PM. The EU has said the UK cannot secure trade deals during the transition period. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Financial services Banks in the UK will be hit hard regardless of the Brexit outcome. The EU has refused to give British banks passporting rights to trade within the EU, dashing hopes of a special City deal. However according to new reports Germany has suggested allowing trade on the condition that the UK continues paying into the EU budget even after the transition period. Getty

Mr Davis is in Brussels to thrash out details of transition arrangements that would come into force when Britain leaves in March 2019, with his EU counterpart Michel Barnier.

The Brexit Secretary has said he can "live with" an implementation period of under two years if it helps to secure an early deal.

The Prime Minister will head to Brussels on Thursday for a meeting of the European Council where she is hoping a deal on the arrangements will be signed off.

Britain had hoped the Council would herald the start of substantive trade talks as well, but Mr Tusk has said they cannot begin until the UK agrees the draft text of the divorce agreement  which is being delayed by a failure to set out how the UK can both ensure there is no border in Ireland and leave the customs union.

 People crossing Irish border after Brexit would have to register in advance, according to new plan being studied by Theresa May

The Common Northern Ireland Select Committee warned last week that Ms Mays pledge of no hard border in Ireland after Brexit can only be achieved if the UK remains fully aligned with EU rules for the foreseeable future.

A report published by the group said there is no evidence of the technical solution promised by Ms May, to allow Northern Ireland to break free from the customs union and single market without the return of border posts and checks.

It said the Governments existing proposals were blue sky thinking which would be impossible to implement before Brexit day, now just one year away.

Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn has promised to keep the UK in "a customs union" with the EU, which he says would allow the UK to keep no border with the Republic of Ireland.
A senior Liberal Democrat has admitted there is a risk the party will fall into irrelevance after Brexit, if its appeal does not extend to bread-and-butter issues beyond opposition to leaving the EU.

Alistair Carmichael, the partys chief whip and a former Secretary of State for Scotland, added that it needed to break out of the silos of the 52 and the 48.

He was asked whether, having positioned themselves as Ukip for Remainers, as it was put by a commentator earlier this week, the Lib Dems might suffer after March 2019 when the UK is set to exit the bloc.

He told The Independent: Thats a risk, shall we say, and I think its a risk to which we are all alive.

Thats why if you look at what we have done in the last few weeks, if you saw the way Vince Cable responded to Carillion  the collapse  if you saw the education policy that Layla Moran has published as our education spokesperson in the last few weeks, then you can see that the antidote to that risk is for us to construct an agenda that is radical and relevant on the bread-and-butter issues.

He added: Ukip for Remainers is  pithy, but its somebody else defining us. Its for us as a party to define our own position and to remind people that theres more to being a Liberal Democrat than being pro-European.

Following the collapse of government contractor Carillion, Mr Cable argued against bailing out the company, saying shareholders and creditors should bear the cost of failure rather than taxpayers.

In his spring conference speech last weekend, he said leaving the EU borders on extreme recklessness and complained that only our Liberal Democrat team  are making that argument in Parliament.

In Southport, Mr Cable  who wrested back his Twickenham seat last summer, having lost it in 2015  did branch out into bread-and-butter topics like education and the NHS, particularly mental health.

He also pledged a dedicated NHS and social care tax to support the countrys most popular institution.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures 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 UK news in pictures 27 July 2021 A view of one of two areas now being used at a warehouse facility in Dover, Kent, for boats used by people thought to be migrants. PA UK news in pictures 26 July 2021 A woman is helped by Border Force officers as a group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, onboard a Border Force vessel, following a small boat incident in the Channel PA UK news in pictures 25 July 2021 Vehicles drive through deep water on a flooded road in Nine Elms, London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 24 July 2021 Utilities workers inspect a 15x20ft sinkhole on Green Lane, Liverpool, which is suspected to have been caused by ruptured water main PA UK news in pictures 23 July 2021 Children interact with Mega Please Draw Freely by artist Ei Arakawa inside the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern in London, part of UNIQLO Tate Play the gallery's new free programme of art-inspired activities for families PA UK news in pictures 22 July 2021 Festivalgoers in the campsite at the Latitude festival in Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk PA

The partys opposition to Conservative custodianship of these services is not new, but at the beginning of March only 7 per cent of voters told YouGov they would back the Lib Dems if a general election were held the next day  down one point from June last year.

With opinion polls showing the country still split down the middle on Brexit, according to analysis by election guru John Curtice, Mr Carmichael agreed that focussing a flagship policy on only half the electorate possibly does hamper the Lib Dems, on one view.

Speaking at a launch event for the partys local election campaign in Camden, north London, he added: That is, Im afraid, the consequence of living in a divided society, which we still are 18 months-plus on from the referendum.

We do need to break out of the silos of the 52 and the 48, but that issue remains the dominant one and you have to be upfront, in my view, with the people about where you stand on it.

Even amongst those who voted to leave, there are quite a significant number of people who still want to see us in the customs union and the single market.
 Close Michel Barnier has said there has been a 'decisive step' towards the UK's withdrawal from the European Union

Brexit Secretary David Davis has hailed a "significant step" in negotiations as the EU and the UK agreed the terms of a transition period after Britain leaves the bloc.

Speaking alongside his EU counterpart Michel Barnier in Brussels, Mr Davis said the Britain would be allowed to sign its own trade deals during the transition but conceded that it would allow full free movement rights for EU citizens who arrive during the period.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also won support from EU leaders on a visit to Brussels after accusing Russia of breaching international law by secretly stockpiling a deadly nerve agent used in the Salisbury attack.

It comes as international inspectors arrived in the UK to examine samples used in the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, which ministers believe contain a Russian-made agent known as Novichok.

See below for live updates
White farmers in South Africa claim they are being targeted in a series of brutal attacks over land that are being overlooked by police and implicitly encouraged by the countrys parliament.

Activist groups promoting the rights of white people in the country claim there have been 90 recorded attacks in 2018 so far, with one farmer murdered every five days on average.

There is no official data supporting the idea that white farmers are more likely to be victims of attacks in South Africa, and the government strongly denies white people are being deliberately targeted and says farm murders are part of South Africas wider violent crime problem.

But the sheer brutality of the reported attacks  and the growing anger of a community in South Africa that believes it is being persecuted  are increasingly raising concerns.

The Independent spoke to a woman who described how she was gang raped by three men who invaded her family home, and a man whose brother was gunned down at the age of 21 and said he believed race to be a factor in the killing.

Last month the South African parliament passed a motion saying it will consider amending the constitution to allow the government to seize farmland without providing compensation  a move which the white nationalist lobbying group AfriForum, claims projected and exacerbated the view that attacking white farmers is justified.

Speaking this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa said his government would not support or allow violent land grabs against white-owned farms, of the kind which led to Zimbabwes economic collapse 20 years ago, calling this anarchy. But observers say his ANC party is playing a dangerous game in a bid to win voters from the more extreme Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, which sees land redistribution as an acceptable way to right historic colonial wrongs.

If I cry, my own people tell me I am a coward, Gabriel Stols, 35, told The Independent. If I hate, people tell me I am from apartheid and if I get mad, they say I am a racist.

Mr Stols lives in Bloemfontein, the judicial capital of South Africa. His younger brother, Kyle, 21, was shot dead by four assailants on the Hatari Game Breeders farm near the city last October.

Every night, when I go to sleep and I close my eyes, I can see my brothers brown eyes. The night when I saw his dead body and I looked into his eyes I could still see the fear he had before he was murdered.

Amid reports of farmers being tortured for hours by home invaders, Mr Stols said it was a relief for me and my family that my brother was shot and he died quickly.

What is happening to us is torture, it is slaughter, it is brutal  it is revenge, he contends. The world doesnt know what is happening in South Africa.

Kyle Stols was shot dead by four assailants in October (Gabriel Stols)

Hannetjie Ludik, 56, lives on a farm near the city of Pretoria. She wanted to waive her right to anonymity for this story.

Four days before Christmas last year, she and her husband woke up after they heard noises in the night.

We found three men in our house armed with guns, they got in the back door with a crowbar, she said. They started walking through our house taking all of our food.

One man took 2,500 rand (roughly 1,500) and kissed me on the cheek and said thank you. Another man with a balaclava came back and tied my husbands hands and feet and threw a blanket over him and showed me to go with him  I knew what would happen next.

Outside the house he said to me that he wanted sex, he took his gun and said that he will shoot me if I refused. I decided to live for my children and grandchildren and said that he must do what he wanted to.

Then he raped me, and I thought it was over. Then the next man came in and raped me and then the third man did the same.

Hannetjie Ludik and her husband were robbed four days before Christmas last year (Hannetjie Ludik)

No one has been arrested over the robbery of Ms Ludiks property or her rape. Similarly, no one has been charged with the murder of Kyle Stols.

The police told me they are still waiting for forensics and it has been five months, Mr Stols said. We have got no information from the police  to them it is like it never happened.

When The Independent contacted the police regarding the two incidents they failed to provide any comment despite repeated phone calls and emails.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. 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Last months motion in parliament over land redistribution was proposed by the firebrand leader of the EFF, Julius Malema, who has gained notoriety for his outspoken views towards South Africas white population and has previously been convicted of hate speech for singing the apartheid-era struggle song Shoot the Boer  boer is Dutch for farmer.

Mr Malema has described land seizures as teaching whites a lesson, and wants ownership to closer reflect South Africas population, where 80.2 per cent of people describe themselves as black African, 8.4 per cent white and 8.8 per cent as coloured.

Julius Malema founded the EFF in 2013

According to official data, black South Africans directly own just 1.2 per cent of the countrys rural land. White South Africans own 23.6 per cent, while the remainder is held by private enterprises. A survey by City Press in 2017 suggested that, when those private enterprises are taken into account, the arable land owned by white people rises to 73 per cent.

Many South Africans agree that redistribution is needed to ensure a rebalancing of post-apartheid society, but there are real fears that some are responding to Mr Malemas inflammatory statements and taking the law into their own hands.

Land distribution is something that our party agrees with, as we agree that injustices were made in the past and many people lost their land, Reverend Kenneth Meshoe, the president of the African Christian Democratic Party, told The Independent.

Where we disagree is when the EFF and the ANC want to expropriate land without compensation and the EFFs talk of taking land from the whites. People like Malema who are promoting hate speech should not be allowed.

Last week, Australias interior minister insulted South Africa by suggesting white farmers in the country could be given fast-track visas to Australia on humanitarian grounds because they need help from a civilised country like ours.

Peter Dutton said white farmers deserve special attention due to the horrific circumstances they face.

In rejecting Mr Duttons concerns  and expressing disappointment that he raised them in the media rather than through diplomatic channels  South Africas foreign ministry insisted that the safety of white farmers would not be at risk from any land redistribution measures.

That threat does not exist, it said. There is no reason for any government in the world to suspect that a section of South Africans is under danger from their own democratically elected government.
Bush and grass fires sweeping across Australias south-east destroyed homes, killed cattle and forced hundreds to flee on Sunday as dry, hot winds fanned the flames.

No deaths or serious injuries were reported as of Sunday afternoon.

The fires, believed to have been sparked by lightning on Saturday, were raging out of control across the state of Victorias rural south-west.

Weve been watching the weather now for a while. Weve been 30 or 40 days without rain, so we knew we had a dry landscape ... we were ready in Victoria for what was a hot, dry and windy event, said emergency management commissioner, Craig Lapsley.

About 280 firefighters were battling the blazes while 22,000 homes were without power after the high winds brought down trees, Mr Lapsley said. About a dozen homes were destroyed.

In the northern city of Darwin, about 25,000 homes were also without power after a tropical cyclone felled trees. No deaths were reported.

Some roads in Victoria were closed on Sunday with residents told to stay in their homes as it was too dangerous to risk being caught by the flames in the open or to navigate the roads in the thick smoke.

The winds were expected to ease on Sunday evening, Bureau of Meteorology Victoria senior forecaster Peter Newham told Reuters.

The bureau issued fire weather warnings for Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and the eastern state of New South Wales which sweltered in temperatures of up to 41C on Sunday.

Bush fires are a common and deadly threat in Australias hot, dry summers, fuelled by highly flammable eucalyptus.

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

In January, hundreds of holidaymakers had to be rescued in a boat evacuation from the beaches of the Royal National Park south of Sydney, when they became trapped by bush fires.

The 2009 Black Saturday bush fires in Victoria killed 173 people and injured more than 400.

Reuters
Vladimir Putin has dismissed claims Russia was involved in the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal as nonsense.

Speaking as he was re-elected president of the Federation, the Russian leader claimed Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia would have died instantly if they had been attacked with a nerve-agent.

He also claimed more people would have been affected as he announced he learnt about the tragedy from the media.

The first thing that comes to my mind is that should it really be a warfare agent, people would have died instantly. It is an obvious fact, he said.

Russia does not possess such agents. We have destroyed all our chemical arsenals under control of international observers.

However, Mr Putin did say he would be ready to work with British authorities to investigate the poisoning.

It comes after Boris Johnson accused Russia of stockpiling the nerve agent Novichok for a decade in breach of international rules.

The Foreign Secretary said he had information demonstrating that Moscow has not only continued to accrue chemical weapons, but had been exploring how they can be used for targeted assassinations for the last 10 years.

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

Moscow mocked the UK in the wake of the incident earlier in the month, claiming the UKs response had fuelled an increase in support for Mr Putin in the election.

Mr Putin secured a fourth term that will see him retain office for another six years amid claims of electoral fraud.

Inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) are due to arrive in the UK on Monday to test samples of the chemical used in the Salisbury attack but the results are expected to take at least two weeks.

The team from The Hague will use international laboratories to carry out tests on the nerve agent.

Mr Johnson will travel to Brussels to brief foreign ministers from across the European Union at a meeting on Monday on the attempted assassinations before holding talks with Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg.

Labour has faced intense criticism for its response to the attack after leaving open the possibility that Russia was being framed.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the Salisbury incident is highly likely to have been a state execution, and President Putin is responsible for the attack whether directly or through negligence.

Russias ambassador to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, suggested the nerve agent may have come from the Porton Down laboratory, which is about eight miles from Salisbury.

Sweden and the Czech Republic denied Russian suggestions they may have been the source of the nerve agent.

The national security council will meet early next week to discuss Moscows tit-for-tat response to the UKs expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats.

Additional reporting by agencies
A British woman killed fighting with an all-female Kurdish militia in Syria has been hailed as incredibly principled, brave, determined and committed by her devastated father.

Anna Campbell is believed to have been killed by a Turkish air strike in Afrin on 15 March, days before the city was seized by Recep Tayyip Erdogans forces.

She is the first British woman killed while volunteering with anti-Isis forces, following the deaths of seven men from the UK.

Friends of the 26-year-old, from Lewes in East Sussex, said she begged commanders of the Kurdish Womens Protection Units (YPJ) to send her to the front against Turkey.

A spokesperson for the YPJ said she could not "accept the Turkish state's attack" and insisted on fighting in Afrin.

"Despite great difficulties, she was determined to be on the side of her comrades," a statement said. "She arrived in Afrin with unshakeable determination. She participated on the frontlines, along with her comrades-in-arms. On 15 March, when [Turkish forces] engaged in aerial attacks, together with three of her comrades, she joined the immortal martyrs."

The YPG quoted Ms Campbell comparing Turkish forces with Isis, saying both groups "share the same mentality".

In a video recorded before heading to the front, Ms Campbell said she was "excited to go and join so many brave friends" and fight in the memory of those previously killed.

Ms Campbells father said she wanted to create a better world.

"I told her of course that she was putting her life in danger, which she knew full well she was doing, Dirk Campbell told the BBC.

In retrospect I think that I probably should have done more to dissuade her [from going to Syria] but I also knew that she would never have forgiven me if I had actively prevented her from going.

Ms Campbell joined the YPJ to support its fight against Isis in May last year and later insisted on joining her comrades fighting against Turkey in Afrin.

Her father said commanders tried to stop her going to the frontline, amid accusations of indiscriminate bombardment and war crimes, but she died her blonde hair black to blend in and persuaded them to let her go.

Mr Campbell said the death of his "incredibly principled, brave, determined, committe" daughter had left him in pieces.

"She was determined to live in a way that made a difference to the world and she was determined to act on that and do whatever it took," he added.

"She was prepared to put her life on the lineit was the most important thing in life for her."

Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures Show all 9 1 /9 Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures Smoke billows following a Turkish airstrike on a village in the Afrin district, on 28 January, 2018. Turkey launched operation "Olive Branch" on January 20 against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia in Afrin, supporting Syrian opposition fighters with ground troops and air strikes AFP Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures Smoke billows from surrounding villages during the Turkish military operation against the Kurdish enclave on 28 January, 2018 AFP/Getty Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures Twenty-year old Kifah al-Moussa, a Syrian Arab woman living among the Kurds of Afrin province, was working on a chicken farm in the village of Maryameen when a Turkish aircraft bombed the building at midday on 21 January, wounding her in the chest. When she recovered consciousness, she found eight people from one family lying dead around her Yara Ismail Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures Mohamed Hussein, a 58-year-old Kurdish farmer, lies in the Afrin hospital, wounded in the head and eye after his home was bombed by Turkish aircraft on the second night of the attack Yara Ismail Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures Syrian Kurds sit on benches overlooking a street in Afrin, on 28 January, 2018. Above is a memorial to martyrs who died in the fight against Isis AFP/Getty Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures Smoke is seen rising on the Syrian side of the border, at Hassa, near Hatay, southern Turkey as Turkish jet fighters hit People's Protection Unit (YPG) positions, on 28 January, 2018 AFP/Getty Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures A Turkish made T-155 Firtina (Storm) howitzer is dispatched to the border at Hassa near Hatay, southern Turkey, on 28 January, 2018 AFP/Getty Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures A Turkish soldier waves a flag on Mount Barsaya, northeast of Afrin, on 28 January, 2018 Reuters Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army fighters are seen in Barsaya mountain, northeast of Afrin, on 28 January, 2018 Reuters

Mark Campbell, co-chair of the Kurdistan Solidarity Campaign, said Ms Campbell seemed to have more humanity in her little finger than the whole of the international community.

"She is an inspiration and a hero, he added, saying she was killed alongside two Kurdish women in Turkish air strikes.

The Internationalist Commune of Rojava, a Kurdish group based in Northern Syria, said Ms Campbell was given the Kurdish war name Helin Qerecox.

We will always remember her brave and unbreakable spirit of resistance, a spokesperson said.

Ms Campbell voiced a video released by the group to coincide with the G20 summit in Hamburg in June.

In it, she described member states as a world of patriarchal oppression, of spying and brutal exploitation.

"Our quest for a different world brought us to the liberated territories of the Middle East, Ms Campbell said.

"The revolution in Rojava [northern Syria] today embodies the spirit of resistance against their malicious worldpart of the worldwide fight of the oppressed against the reign of state, capital and patriarchy.

 Footage reportedly shows Turkey-backed Syrian fighters celebrating in Afrin

A vigil to remember the bravery and courage of Anna Campbell was planned at the historic Cliffe Bridge in Lewes at 6pm on Monday.

The YPJ is an all-female brigade of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) which has around 50,000 troops fighting in northern Syria.

On Sunday, Turkey's President said his forces and Syrian rebel allies had raised their flags in the centre of Afrin, nearly two months after launching an offensive on the Kurdish-held territory.

The advance into northern Syria has sparked diplomatic tensions and protests around the world but Mr Erdogan has insisted Turkey is entitled to push Kurdish militias Ankara views as terrorist groups back from its border.

It came days after the YPG announced the death of an American volunteer, Jake Klipsch, as the result of an unfortunate accident while cleaning his weapon in Raqqa.

Ms Campbell is believed to be the eighth British volunteer killed while embedded with the Kurdish YPG in Syria

Oliver Hall and Jac Holmes, both 24, were killed within weeks of each other while clearing mines in Isis former capital of Raqqa late last year.

Jac Holmes, a 24-year-old YPG volunteer from Bournemouth, has died in Raqqa (Instagram)

Mehmet Aksoy, a 32-year-old filmmaker, was also killed in an Isis ambush during the battle to retake the city in September.

Luke Rutter, 22, died in the Raqqa offensive in July and 20-year-old Ryan Lock was killed in the advance in December 2016.

Dean Evans, 22, died while fighting to retake the city of Manbij from Isis in July 2016 and former Royal Marine Konstandinos Erik Scurfield, 25, was killed in battle in 2015.

Two British men who travelled to Syria to fight against Isis  Aidan James and James Matthews  have been charged with terror offences after returning to Britain.

The YPG is considered a terrorist organisation by the Turkish government and is battling to retain territory taken from Isis in northern Syria amid a huge air and ground advance by Ankara-backed forces.

The dozens of British volunteers believed to be fighting for the group are vastly outnumbered by around 850 extremists who travelled from the UK to join Isis.

Around half have returned to Britain and an unknown number have been killed amid the destruction of Isis former caliphate in Iraq and Syria.

The UK advises against all travel to Syria and we are unable to provide any consular assistance there, a spokesperson for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said.

It is extremely difficult to confirm the status and whereabouts of British nationals in Syria and anybody who travels to Syria against our advice is putting themselves at considerable risk, particularly if they travel to join an armed group.

We urge strongly against any participation in this kind of activity.
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Last week I had the pleasure of accompanying a group of 39 Astronomy Magazine readers to Costa Rica for our 2018 Southern Sky Star Party. What a wonderful trip it was. In conjunction with our travel partner, TravelQuest, and its leader Aram Kaprielian, we were able to see great treasures of the southern sky that cant be viewed from the north. The Southern Cross, the Coal Sack, the Carina Nebula, the Large Magellanic Cloud, and deep-sky gems in Centaurus, Scorpius, and Sagittarius, held us transfixed. The group spent March 917, 2018, in the country, experiencing a brief in and out transport through San Jose before planting ourselves along the Gulf of Nicoya near the town of Puntarenas. Our resort had 25 rustic cabins and a central dining facility, a nice setup in the midst of a 1,000-acre plantation with much in the way of planted crops, horses, cattle, monkeys, a salt evaporation flat, sugar cane, mango trees, and all the exotic creatures you could imagine. Our hosts Jorge  our local guide  and TravelQuests Cody Carter did a magnificent job of managing the experience. In the end, our group spotted 88 species of birds!

I highly recommend Costa Rica to the magazines readers. This trip will likely repeat next year, and, as my old friend Bart Bok used to say, All the good stuffs in the Southern Hemisphere. That may have been a bit of an exaggeration, but not a big one.

I enjoyed meeting many new folks, gave two talks, and we had great fun under the stars, pointing out all manner of deep-sky objects with laser pointers.

The sad moments of the week of course came with the shocking news of Stephen Hawkings demise.

But we will carry on in Costa Rica, and look forward to seeing you for this great experience next year!
Shruti Bhatnagar was among five candidates for at-large county council seats in Montgomery County in California who failed to reach the required threshold to receive matching county funds. The Indian American candidate said her attorney is working with the state board to resolve the matter. (shrutibhatnagar.com photo)
Demonstrators protest the deportation of immigrants on March 1 in Chicago, Illinois. The demonstrators, who wore blue triangles during the protest, observed 11 minutes of silence to recognize the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, of which more than 7,000 Indian American undocumented young people are currently protected from immediate deportation via DACA. The triangles were symbolic of those that foreign prisoners had attached to their clothing while being held in concentration camps in Nazi Germany. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Punjab Cabinet Minister Manpreet Singh pays tribute to former Chief Minister Beant Singh in Chandigarh Aug. 31, 2017, on the anniversary of his death. A Chandigarh court has sentenced Jagtar Singh Tara to life in prison for his involvement in the death of Beant Singh. (IANS photo)
March 18, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Media coverage of and political reactions to Donald Trumps announcement of a summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have been based on the assumption that it cannot succeed, because Kim will reject the idea of denuclearization. But the full report by South Korean president Moon Jae-ins national security adviser on the meeting with Kim last weekcovered by South Koreas Yonhap news agency but not covered in U.S. news mediamakes it clear that Kim will present Trump with a plan for complete denuclearization linked to the normalization of relations between the US and North Korea, or the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The report by Chung Eui-yong on a dinner hosted by Kim Jong UN for the 10-member South Korean delegation on March 5, said the North Korea leader had affirmed his commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and said he would have no reason to possess nuclear weapons should the safety of its regime be guaranteed and military threats against North Korea removed. Chung reported that Kim expressed his willingness to discuss ways to realize the denuclearization of the peninsula and normalize [U.S.-DPRK] bilateral ties.

But in what may be the most important finding in the report, Chung added, What we must especially pay attention to is the fact that [Kim Jong UN] has clearly stated that the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was an instruction of his predecessor and that there has been no change to such an instruction.

The South Korean national security advisers report directly contradicts the firmly held belief among US national security and political elites that Kim Jong UN would never give up the DPRKs nuclear weapons. As Colin Kahl, former Pentagon official and adviser to Barack Obama, commented in response to the summit announcement, It Is simply inconceivable that he will accept full denuclearization at this point.

But Kahls dismissal of the possibility of any agreement at the summit assumes, without saying so, a continuation of the steadfast refusal of the Bush and Obama administrations for the United States to offer any incentive to North Korean in the form of a new peace treaty with North Korea and full normalization of diplomatic and economic relations.

That pattern of US policy is one side of the still-unknown story of the politics of the North Korean issue The other side of the story is North Koreas effort to use its nuclear and missile assets as bargaining chips get the United States to strike a deal that would change the US stance of enmity toward North Korea.

The Cold War background of the issue is that DPRK had demanded that the United States military command in South Korea stop its annual Team Spirit exercises with South Korean forces, which began in 1976 and involved nuclear-capable US planes. The Americans knew those exercises scared the North Koreans because, as Leon V. Sigal recalled in his authoritative account of U.S.-North Korean nuclear negotiations, Disarming Strangers, the United States had made explicit nuclear threats against the DPRK on seven occasions.

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But the end of the Cold War in 1991 presented an even more threatening situation. When the Soviet Union collapsed, and Russia disengaged from former Soviet bloc allies, North Korea suddenly suffered the equivalent of a 40 percent reduction in imports, and its industrial base imploded. The rigidly state-controlled economy was thrown into chaos.

Meanwhile, the unfavorable economic and military balance with South Korea had continued to grow in the final two decades of the Cold War. Whereas per capita GDP for the two Koreas had been virtually identical up to the mid-1970s, they had diverged dramatically by 1990, when per capita GDP in the South, which had more than twice the population of the North, was already four times greater than that of North Korea.

Furthermore, the North had been unable to invest in replacing its military technology, so had to make do with antiquated tanks, air defense systems and aircraft from the 1950s and 1960s, while South Korea had continued to receive the latest technology from the United States. And after serious economic crisis gripped the North, a large proportion of its ground forces had to be diverted to economic productions tasks, including harvesting, construction and mining. Those realities made it increasingly clear to military analysts that the Korean Peoples Army (KPA) no longer even had the capability to carry out an operation in South Korea for longer than a few weeks.

Finally, the Kim regime now found itself in the uncomfortable situation of being far more dependent on China for economic assistance than ever before. Faced with this powerful combination of threatening developments, DPRK founder Kim Il-Sung embarked immediately after the Cold War on a radically new security strategy: to use North Koreas incipient nuclear and missile programs to draw the United States into a broader agreement that would establish a normal diplomatic relationship. The first move in that long strategic game came in January 1992, when the ruling Korean Workers Party Secretary Kim Young Sun revealed a startling new DPRK posture toward the United States in meetings with Undersecretary of State Arnold Kanter in New York. Sun told Kanter that Kim Il Sung wanted to establish cooperative relations with Washington and was prepared to accept a long-term US military presence on the Korean Peninsula as a hedge against Chinese or Russian influence.

In 1994, the DPRK negotiated the agreed framework with the Clinton administration, committing to the dismantling of its plutonium reactor in return for much more proliferation-proof light water reactors and a US commitment to normalize political and economic relations with Pyongyang. But neither of those commitments was to be achieved immediately, and the US news media and Congress were for the most part hostile to the central trade-off in the agreement. When the North Koreas social and economic situation deteriorated even more seriously in the second half of the 1990s after being hit by serious floods and famine, the CIA issued reports suggesting the imminent collapse of the regime. So Clinton administration officials believed there was no need to move toward normalization of relations.

After Kim IL Sungs death in mid-1994, however, his son Kim Jong IL pushed his fathers strategy even more energetically. He carried out the DPRKs first long-range missile test in 1998 to jolt the Clinton administration into diplomatic action on a follow-up agreement to the agreed framework. But then he made a series of dramatic diplomatic moves, beginning with the negotiation of a moratorium on long-range missile tests with the US in 1998 and continuing with the dispatch of a personal envoy, Marshall Jo Myong Rok, to Washington to meet Bill Clinton himself in October 2000.

JO arrived with a commitment to give up the DPRKs ICBM program as well as its nuclear weapons as part of a large deal with the United States. At the White House meeting, JO handed Clinton a letter from Kim inviting him to visit Pyongyang. Then he told Clinton, If you come to Pyongyang, Kim Jong IL will guarantee that he will satisfy all your security concerns.

Clinton quickly dispatched a delegation led by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to Pyongyang, where Kim Jong IL provided detailed answers to US questions on a missile accord. He also informed Albright that the DPRK had changed its view about the US military presence in South Korea, and that it now believed that the US played a stabilizing role on the peninsula. He suggested that some within the North Korean army had expressed opposition to that view, and that would be resolved only if the US and DPRK normalized their relations.

Although Clinton was prepared to go to Pyongyang to sign an agreement, he didnt go, and the Bush administration then reversed the initial moves toward a diplomatic settlement with North Korea initiated by Clinton. Over the next decade, North Korea began to amass a nuclear arsenal and made major strides in developing its ICBM.

But when former President Clinton visited Pyongyang in 2009 to obtain the release of two American journalists, Kim Jong IL underlined the point that things could have been different. A memo on the meeting between Clinton and Kim that was among the Clinton emails published by WikiLeaks in October 2016, quoted Kim Jong IL as saying, [I]f the Democrats had won in 2000 the situation in bilateral relations would not have reached such a point. Rather, all agreements would have been implemented, the DPRK would have had light water reactors, and the United States would have had a new friend in Northeast Asia in a complex world.

US political and security elites have long accepted the idea that Washington has only two choices: either acceptance of a nuclear-armed North Korea or maximum pressure at the risk of war. But as the South Koreans have now been able to confirm, that view is dead wrong. Kim Jong UN is still committed to the original vision of a deal with the Americans for denuclearization that his father had tried to realize before this death in 2011. The real question is whether the Trump administration and the broader US political system are capable of taking advantage of that opportunity.

Gareth Porter, an investigative historian and journalist specializing in US national security policy, received the UK-based Gellhorn Prize for journalism for 2011 for articles on the U.S. war in Afghanistan. His new book is Manufactured Crisis: the Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare. He can be contacted at porter.gareth50@gmail.com.
UK Scientists Refused Government Pressure To Say Nerve Agent Was Made By Russia Boris Johnson Attempt to Refute My Sources on Porton Down the Most Hilarious Fail By Craig Murray March 18, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has issued a statement to refute my report from well-placed FCO sources that the British government continually re-uses the phrase of a type developed by Russia because its own scientists refused government pressure to say the nerve agent was made by Russia, and as getting even agreement to of a type developed by was bloody, the government has to stick to precisely that rather odd choice of phrase. This is the official British Government statement: We have no idea what Mr Murray is referring to. The Prime Minister told MPs on Monday that world leading experts at Porton Down had positively identified this chemical agent. It is clear that it is a military grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia. None of that is in any doubt. Which is perhaps the most hilarious fail in the history of refutation. The BBC sprung that statement on me during a live interview on Radio 5 last night. They also sprung on me a statement by the Israeli Embassy and were attempting to lead me into accusing Israel of the attack. But even the BBC interviewer, Stephen Nolan, was flummoxed by the rubbish he had been given from the FCO. Here is an extract from that part of the interview: Stephen Nolan: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office have said to us tonight: We have no idea what Mr Murray is referring to. The Prime Minister told MPs on Monday that world leading experts at Porton Down had positively identified this chemical agent. It is clear that it is a military grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia. None of that is in any doubt. Well, youve already covered that Craig and you are zoning in on the fact that they are saying developed by Russia, they are unable to say whether its made  well they are not saying whether it was actually manufactured in Russia or the source of it or whether it was from Russia, right? Craig Murray Yes, exactly. No-one doubts that the Russians had the idea of making these things first, and worked on developing the idea. It has always been doubted up till now that they really succeeded. The Iranians succeeded under OPCW supervision some time ago and the chemical formulae were published to the whole world twenty years ago. So many states could have done it. The of a type developed by Russia thing means nothing, undoubtedly. You can hear the whole interview here beginning about 5 minutes in. First Recorded Successful Novichok Synthesis was in 2016  By Iran, in Cooperation with the OPCW By Craig Murray The line that novichoks can only be produced by Russia is now proven to be a complete lie. As I previously proved by referencing their publications, in 2013 the OPCW scientific advisory committee note the evidence was sparse that novichoks had ever been successfully produced, and that was still the line being published by Porton Down in 2016. You can find the hard evidence of all that here. I have now been sent the vital information that in late 2016, Iranian scientists set out to study whether novichoks really could be produced from commercially available ingredients. Iran succeeded in synthesising a number of novichoks. Iran did this in full cooperation with the OPCW and immediately reported the results to the OPCW so they could be added to the chemical weapons database. Never Miss Another Story Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter This makes complete nonsense of the Theresa Mays of a type developed by Russia line, used to parliament and the UN Security Council. This explains why Porton Down have refused to cave in to governmental pressure to say the nerve agent was Russian. If Iran can make a novichok, so can a significant number of states. While Iran acted absolutely responsibly in cooperating with the OPCW, there are a handful of rogue states operating outwith the rule of international law, like Israel and North Korea, which refuse to ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention, join the OPCW or destroy their chemical weapons stocks. Russia has cooperated in the OPCW destruction of all its chemical weapons stocks, completed last year, which included regular OPCW inspection of all the sites alleged to have been in the original novichok programme. Why nobody is even looking at the rogue states outwith the OPCW is a genuine puzzle. Extraordinarily, only yesterday the Guardian was still carrying an article which claimed only the Russian state could make a novichok. Despite the lying propaganda regurgitated by virtually every corporate and state journalist, in truth is it is now proven beyond dispute that of a type developed by Russia has zero evidential value and is a politicians weasel phrase designed deliberately to mislead the public. The public should ask why. On Not Being Refuted By Craig Murray Several million people have now read my articles on the lack of evidence of Russian government guilt for the Salisbury attack. Thats over 300,000 unique visitors on this little blog alone so far, and it has been repeated on hundreds of sites all over the internet. My own tweets on the subject have been retweeted over 12,500 times and received 8 million impressions. I know that journalists from every mainstream media outlet you can mention have seen the material, because of numerous tweets from them none of which address any of the facts, but instead call me a Conspiracy nutter or variants of that, some very rude. Yet what I wrote has not been refuted. It would be very easy to refute were it not true. The government would just have to say Porton Down have stated that they have definitely identified the nerve agent as made in Russia. They have not said that. Most extraordinarily, not one mainstream media journalist has asked a minister the question: You keep using this phrase the nerve agent is of a type developed by Russia. Are you able to confirm it was actually made in Russia? . There is no excuse for this. Literally hundreds of mainstream media journalists have slavishly reproduced the propaganda phrase of a type developed by Russia without a single one of them every querying this rather odd wording, or why it is the government always uses that precise wording again and again and again. It goes without saying that not a single mainstream media journalist has reported that fact either that until recently Porton Down believed that novichoks had probably never actually been synthesised successfully and that the OPCW has never banned them on the grounds that there was no evidence of their physical existence. Finally I wish to repeat these important facts: 1) Israel has major undeclared stocks of chemical weapons

2) Israel is one of a handful of countries, including North Korea, not to ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention and commit to destroy its chemical weapons

3) Israel is not a member of the OPCW and refuses to declare its chemical weapon stocks to the OPCW. These are also facts you will never, ever see reported in mainstream media and entirely predictably the corporate lickspittles of the mainstream media have been out in force on socal media justifying their refusal to act on any of the information I have given on the grounds I am an anti-semite. A more extreme example of using any criticism of Israel to allege anti-semitism is hard to conceive. The contribution of Jewish people to human development in fields including science, literature, music, art and commerce has been simply magnificent and utterly disproportionate to their numbers. The genocidal policy of Israel towards the Palestinians these last seventy years, and its rogue state status as regard chemical and nuclear wmds is a completely different question, for which I in no way blame the generality of Jewish people. In fact my position on this is the opposite of a BDS position. I actually want Israel to join OPCW, be a full member and cooperate in the destruction of its chemical weapon stocks. I think I might now have a vodka. Of a type developed by Russia. Made in Warrington. Craig Murray is an author, broadcaster and human rights activist. He was British Ambassador to Uzbekistan from August 2002 to October 2004 and Rector of the University of Dundee from 2007 to 2010. https://www.craigmurray.org.uk The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of Information Clearing House. Join the Discussion It is not necessary for ICH readers to register before placing a comment. We ask that you treat others with respect. Take a moment to read the following - Comment Policy - What Or Who is Information Clearing House and Purpose and Intent of this website: It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section.
Rattlesnakes have a terrible reputation. Here were I live, in Florida, we have the biggest rattlesnakes on the planet, the Eastern Diamondback (Crotalus adamanteus). They are huge and can reach well over 2m (6ft) in length and weigh up to 15kg (30lbs). The Eastern Diamondbacks venom is not the most potent out there, but they can deliver *a lot* of it. So, yes, it is a formidable creature. But it is also a gentle creature and truly very shy one.

Eastern Diamonbacks are also a stunningly beautiful creatures. I confess that I absolutely love them.

For all their reputation for nastiness, Eastern Diamonbacks will never ever attack you if they can avoid it. I have seen a lot of these snakes on my hikes, I have manipulated them (with a hook), and I have seen my German Shepherd come nose to nose with one (literally) and that Eastern Diamondback did not strike. Why? Because these snakes will do everything they can to avoid having to bite you.

First and foremost, they hide. Really well. You can stand right next to a large Eastern Diamondback and never notice it. You can walk right by, and it wont move, or rattle its tail, and you will never know that it was there. Camouflage is their first line of defense.

Furthermore, if given the chance, the Eastern Diamondback will retreat and hide.

Finally, when cornered a lot of them try what is called a dry bite: they do bite you, but deliver no venom. Why? Because you are not prey, so what would be the point of envenomating you? The Eastern Diamondback does not want you dead, it wants you to let it live!

I was once told by a park ranger in Arizona that the profile of a typical rattlesnake bite victim is: white, male, with tattoos and the famous last words hold my beer and watch this!.

Because that is exactly what I see happening before my horrified eyes.

Russia is the Eastern Diamondback desperately trying to do all it can to avoid to have to strike. The West is the drunk idiot full of hubris, arrogance and a very mistaken sense of invulnerability saying hold my beer and watch this!.

Keep in mind that in a confrontation with a drunken human the Eastern Diamondback is most unlikely to survive. And it knows that, and that is why it does everything it can to avoid such a confrontation in the first place. But if cornered or attacked the Diamondback will strike. Hard. Want to see what such a strike looks like? Like this:

But thats for normal, sober, people. When you are drunk your attitude is hold my beer and watch this! you know that you can handle that snake.

They are all at it right now. May, Trump, Macron and Merkel, of course, but also the their sycophantic presstitutes and the herds of zombified followers. They all believe in their invulnerability and superiority.

The terrifying truth is that these folks have NO IDEA whom they are dealing with nor do they understand the consequences of pushing Russia too hard. Oh, in theory they do (yeah, yeah, Napoleon, Hitler, we know!). But in their guts, they feel safe, superior and just cant conceive that they can die and their entire society simply disappear.

I suggest that they carefully ponder the following.

So there you have it, directly from Putin: if the AngloZionist plan is to eliminate Russia (whether physically or otherwise), then the Russian people have no need for such a world. Consider these words as the Russian version of a very loud, almost desperate, rattle.

And look at how they are all trying to see how far they can safely push Russia.

I wonder if that Russian rattle will be loud enough to stop the West before it is too late.

I am not so sure.
Home Search ICH By Finian Cunningham March 18, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Its just too much of a coincidence. The dramatic ramping up of Cold War-like hostility towards Russia by Britain and its NATO allies dovetails with major military setback for these same powers in Syria. The plausible connection is this: the attempted smearing of Russia over the apparent poison-assassination plot in Britain is being used by Britain and the United States to push their desired military intervention in Syria to topple the Assad government. Both scenarios involve staged provocations employing chemical weapons. Less coincidence; more synchronicity. In Britain, the apparent poisoning of a former Russian spy living in exile with a nerve agent is being sensationally blamed on Moscow. Moscow has rejected official British allegations that its state agents were responsible for the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the southern English town of Salisbury on March 4. Britain, Syria... Synchronizing Provocations to Beat Russia Where's the evidence for the alleged Soviet-era "Novichok" nerve agent that the British authorities claim to have detected? And indeed where exactly are the Skripal father and daughter, reportedly confined to hospital intensive care? Strangely, their condition remains unknown and unreported. Prime Minister Theresa May's dramatic announcement in the House of Commons this week blaming Russia for attempted murder and then expulsion of "Russian spies" from Britain, followed by an unprecedented joint statement of "solidarity" from the leaders of Britain, the US, France and Germany  all suggests a choreographed script to impugn Moscow as an international pariah. There's an embarrassing lack of hard evidence or credible logic to make the British claims stand up. It's all sound and fury signifying nothing, as Shakespeare would say. But the wider, unspoken significance may be the huge strategic loss unfolding for Britain and its NATO allies in Syria. For the past month, the Syrian state forces and its Russian ally have been closing in on the last-remaining stronghold of the Western-backed militants occupying the suburb of Eastern Ghouta near the capital Damascus. These militant groups  some of whom like al-Nusra Front are internationally proscribed terrorist organizations  have been holding Eastern Ghouta under a reign of terror for the past six years. The imminent routing of the militants by the Syrian army will mark the final nail in the coffin for the regime-change war which Washington, London and Paris have been waging covertly through their proxies. Today, Western news media can no longer conceal the fact that tens of thousands of civilians are being liberated from terrorist-besieged Eastern Ghouta, just as they were previously in other cities like Aleppo and Homs. In desperation to salvage their regime-change plot, the US and its NATO allies have recently begun threatening to intervene militarily in Syria. The recurring pretext is the alleged use of chemical weapons by Syrian state forces. Earlier this week, American ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley warned that the US would unilaterally order military strikes against the Syrian "regime" on the basis that chemical weapons are allegedly being used against civilians. She said: "We warn any nation that is determined to impose its will through chemical attacks and human suffering, most especially the outlaw Syrian regime, the United States is prepared to act if we must." The British and French have made similar warnings of "striking" Syria over chemical weapons. What is really animating the NATO powers is that their criminal covert war in Syria for regime change is collapsing from the combined military power of the Syrian army and its allies, Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. The fortitude of the Syrian people to withstand seven years of Western-imposed barbarity is also an essential resistance. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov slammed Haley's remarks about unilateral American military intervention in Syria as unlawful and unacceptable. "May we remind you that any use of force against Damascus based on far-fetched pretexts is unacceptable," he said. Separately, Russia's top military commander, General Valery Gerasimov, also rebuked the Americans for their proposed military escalation in Syria. He said that any US military strikes would be met with decisive counter-force. Washington and its British and French allies are intensely chafed by the fact that Russia is thwarting their imperialist scheming in Syria. Russia's veto power at the UN Security Council is particularly vexing to this rogue cabal who have tried every which way to extract a mandate from the council as a legalistic cover for military intervention in Syria  in the same way they did for overthrowing the government of Libya in 2011. This is where the chemical-weapon incident in Britain comes into play. The media campaign mounted by the British government is aimed at undermining Russia's moral and legal authority. In drumming up support this week, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson wrote a revealing opinion piece in The Washington Post. Johnson vilified Russian President Vladimir Putin for "reckless defiance of essential international rules." Which is rather nauseating coming from a pompous politician whose country has been illegally blowing up countries and killing millions of innocents for decades, most recently in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and Yemen, to mention a few. Anyway, here's the revealer. Johnson accused Russia of "immense efforts to conceal the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime in Syria". Then he goes on: "How much easier does it become for a state to deploy chemical weapons when its government has already sought to hide their use by others? I would draw a connection between Putin's indulgence of Assad's atrocities in Syria and the Russian state's evident willingness to employ a chemical weapon on British soil." Never mind that there is no evidence that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons. Damascus has repeatedly and unequivocally stated that it has not used these munitions; that its stockpile was verifiably destroyed under the Convention on Chemical Weapons back in 2014. The groups that have most probably used toxic substances against civilians in Syria are the NATO-sponsored terrorist proxies who have sought to stage "false flag" provocations as pretexts for military intervention by Washington and its allies. The American and British assertion that Russia has "concealed" the use of chemical weapons by Syrian government forces is an obscene distortion of reality  a lie concocted by the very sponsors of false flags to enable their criminal regime-change machinations. Ironically, the same provocation with chemical weapons is apparently being orchestrated in Britain. Assertion, allegation, innuendo, media saturation, bombast and barefaced lies are again employed to denigrate and demonize. The audacious thing is how the "dramas" are being synchronized in two different countries. Smearing and undermining Russia with alleged chemical-weapon attacks in Britain is being parlayed to over-ride Russia and the UN Security Council with regard to Syria. Taken together, the provocations in Britain and Syria are being engineered to give Washington and its NATO accomplices a license to kill in even greater numbers in Syria for their regime-change objective. Finian Cunningham has written extensively on international affairs, with articles published in several languages. He is a Masters graduate in Agricultural Chemistry and worked as a scientific editor for the Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, England, before pursuing a career in newspaper journalism. He is also a musician and songwriter. For nearly 20 years, he worked as an editor and writer in major news media organisations, including The Mirror, Irish Times and Independent. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of Information Clearing House. ===== Join the Discussion It is not necessary for ICH readers to register before placing a comment. We ask that you treat others with respect. Take a moment to read the following - Comment Policy - What Or Who is Information Clearing House and Purpose and Intent of this website: It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section. Search Information Clearing House === Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Your support has kept ICH free on the Web since 2002. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load.
Home Search ICH The Pimps, Whores and Johns of the Military Industrial Empire By Philip A Farruggio March 18, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - We have regressed as a nation, as a culture, so quickly that even the 60s , 70s and 80s look like the good old days and they werent. This Military Industrial Empire is run by the Pimps. They push their Whores, the political system and the mainstream media, out into the streets of our great nation, where they proposition the Johns, the majority of our populace. The biggest Lie that they con the Johns with is that we are a Democracy, and that their vote matters. Of course, what they fail to inform the Johns of is that only the Two Party/One Party system is what counts. The second biggest Lie is that we live in a Free Enterprise system where any John can rise to the top of the economic ladder with both hard work and diligence. Then the Lie continues by saying that people have a right to earn as much as they can, and that The rich pay all the taxes and deserve a break. Tell that to the millions of Johns at the gas pump each day, by asking them to look at how much of each gallon of gas goes for taxes. You channel surf on the boob tube and see what the so called News channels are covering. The Democratic leaning channels (CNN and MSNBC to name a few) are all over this Russia gate, ready to fan the fires of a new Cold War. Hours and hours of this, and let me ask you this, was what was leaked by whomever during the 2016 campaign actual TRUTH? If so, then who in the hell cares who leaked it! When you go to the right wing Republican leaning channels, they continually defend this Reality Star President and his far right Think tank regressive policies and plans to continually aid the Less than 1 % of us. Of course, the Whores of media, as well as the elected Whores, will bang the drum for more military spending and more of the Big Stick mentality worldwide which is already bankrupting our cities and destroying our moral compass! How shrewd are the Masters of Empire  for generations! They need to suck the blood out of countless countries while doing the same to our own working stiffs. They make sure that the banking system gets its pound of flesh from we who work their machine. Then they make sure that Joe and Joan Q. John are so drained both physically and emotionally from just trying to stay above water financially. Then, who has time to do what real democracies allow: Protest to demand change! They dont want our Amerikan Johns to remember the words of Ben Franklin: Dissent is the lifeblood of democracy. No, they want them to sit back and wait for the next election to vote for Twiddle Dee or Twiddle Dum from the two party scam. Of course, the great rallying and unifying force is FEAR, and no fear is greater than that of an enemy destroying us. So, they give the Johns the new fears: The North Koreans ready to attack us with nukes, the Russians ready to dismantle our democracy, or the old reliable one of the terrorists coming to our homeland. Well, lets dispel those three: A) If North Korea did not feel frightened of our Pimps scheming to encircle them or nuke them first; B) If we did not use our CIA to undermine Russias elections going back to the early 90s with Yeltsin; C) if we never invaded and occupied Iraq there would never have been any sort of crazy jihadists making waves now. Walt Kelleys Pogo comic strip had the greatest line: We have met the enemy and he be us! Philip A Farruggio is a son and grandson of Brooklyn , NYC longshoremen. He has been a free lance columnist since 2001, with over 300 of his work posted on sites like Consortium News, Information Clearing House, Global Research, Nation of Change, World News Trust, Op Ed News, Dissident Voice, Counterpunch, Activist Post, Sleuth Journal, Truthout and many others. His blog can be read in full on World News Trust., whereupon he writes a great deal on the need to cut military spending drastically and send the savings back to save our cities. Philip has a internet interview show,  Its the Empire Stupid with producer Chuck Gregory, and can be reached at paf1222@bellsouth.net. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of Information Clearing House. ===== Join the Discussion It is not necessary for ICH readers to register before placing a comment. We ask that you treat others with respect. Take a moment to read the following - Comment Policy - What Or Who is Information Clearing House and Purpose and Intent of this website: It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section. Search Information Clearing House === Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Your support has kept ICH free on the Web since 2002. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load.
March 18, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Nothing about the Laredo Processing Centers physical appearance immediately suggests it is run by a multimillion-dollar, for-profit prison corporation. Located just off the highway, about 5 miles from the Rio Grande, the drab one-story building, with its chain-link fencing and razor wire, is sandwiched between Rubens Paint and Body Shop and Martinez Wrecker Services.

If not for the sign outside, the immigrant detention center could easily be mistaken for a well-guarded junkyard. For the people locked inside, who sleep in open areas crammed with bodies  if they are not being held in isolation  days consist of head counts, the echoing voices of shouting guards, and a lot of waiting. If youre lucky, you have the money to make short calls home and a loved one to pick up the phone.

For Safaa Al Shakarchi, this was life for more than a year. Along with his wife, Zinah, and their two small children  2-year-old Sidrah and 6-year-old Yousif  Safaa crossed the bridge linking Reynosa, Mexico, to McAllen, Texas, on January 14, 2017. Nearly six months had passed since the family was expelled from their adopted home in the United Arab Emirates. Zinah and Safaa had been building a life in the Gulf nation since 2009, when a militia commander in Baghdad shot Zinah and murdered her colleague, prompting her to flee Iraq.

In the months that followed the expulsion, the familys unwelcome odyssey brought them to six countries, through multiple times zones, and across numerous borders. They endured detention at the hands of Mexican authorities, including officials who beat Safaa as his children watched, and navigated some of the most treacherous cartel-controlled territory in the Western Hemisphere.

It was not the life they had planned, but the family was at the mercy of forces beyond their control. Passports in hand, the Shakarchis presented themselves before U.S. immigration officials in Texas. Invoking a right enshrined in both U.S. and international law, they applied for asylum. While his wife and children were eventually permitted to enter the country to begin the asylum process, Safaa was not. After a long and difficult experience, he ultimately found himself locked up in Laredo, accused of no crime, with deportation orders but no country willing to accept him.

We met in a harshly lit, depressing waiting room furnished with plastic furniture, accessed via a darkened hallway. The walls were painted a yellowish beige and featured Corrections Corporation of America promotional posters highlighting the CCA Way and posters urging detainees to report sexual abuse.

There was nobody else in the room when the lock on the heavy metal door clicked. A short guard in a shabby, two-tone blue uniform, carrying a set of jingling keys and a squawking radio, pushed it open and Safaa walked in. Of medium height and build, dressed in a dark blue prison jumpsuit with salt-and-pepper hair, he stood tall as he entered the visiting area, moving briskly over the tile floor.

When we first spoke by phone, Safaa was in the midst of his second hunger strike, part of an effort to force the U.S. government to resolve his case. He told me that he had lost 22 pounds and that his guards had forcibly placed him in isolation for his protests, in a frigid cell where air conditioning blasted over his bed. Later that night, his wife told me Safaa had started eating again. Guards had come into his cell, she said, telling him that if he did not eat, he would be sent to another facility where he would be force-fed.

Safaa took his seat across from me, folded his hands on the plastic table, and smiled politely. Physically, at least, he seemed to be relatively fine. But then he began to speak. His voice was so small, so depleted, that I could barely hear it. Im tired of crying, Safaa said, leaning forward. No sooner had our conversation begun than the guard who had opened the door walked over to us. Excuse me, sir, he said to me. Give us a minute. Safaa looked at the guard, looked at me, then got up from the table.

The door closed behind the two men. The only sound was the radios crackling and the voices carrying down the hall where they had disappeared. Minutes later, Safaa returned. When I asked why he had been removed, he shrugged. Maybe they wanted to turn on a recording device, he suggested. Mostly, that was just the nature of being locked up  guards make decisions, give you little or no explanation, and you have to comply. They are bad, Safaa said. They are very fucking bad.

The interview was scheduled for 45 minutes. Before we began, I told Safaa that I had spoken with Zinah, that she sent her love, and that she wanted him to be strong. He winced at the mention of his family. We went over, again, the chronology of events that landed him Laredo. He showed me the folder where he kept the documents he had gathered along the way, a sparse collection of government papers that did little to convey what his family had been through.

As we spoke, Safaa talked again and again of the dehumanizing nature of his confinement. I want them to respect me. Im a human. I have kids, he said. In conversations on the phone, Yousif, who is now 7, would ask his father why he wouldnt come home, and if it was because he didnt love him anymore. What do I tell him? Safaa asked.

More than anything, Safaa explained, he wanted to go home and do the things dads do. I have to take him to the mall, he said of his little boy. I have to sit on the floor and play with him. Those moments are important, Safaa stressed, and he was missing out on all of them.

For Safaa, the reason behind his continued detention was plain to see. The guards, the facility itself, all of it was about turning a profit. They keep us here for business, Safaa said. He said it was a scheme unparalleled in its cruel design, calling it the first dirty business in the world.

The door to the visiting room opened and the guard informed us that we had just a few minutes remaining. As we were packing up, I noticed a piece of paper colored red, white, and blue poking out of Safaas breast pocket. It was his prison identification document. He had colored it like an American flag. Because really, I love America, Safaa said, smiling. At the same time, he added, America kill me.

The subject line of the email read: Urgent need help please.

Zinah Al Shakarchi sent it to the Intercept tips address at 5:30 a.m. on January 7. She described how her husband was in detention, on hunger strike, and how she had reached out to every legal organization she could find to no avail. She described how her young son was in a bad psychic condition, crying all the time and trying to hurt himself.

He think if he will hurt himself, his father will come to see him, she wrote.

When we first spoke two days later, Zinah described how her family had ended up in their situation. In the weeks that followed, we spoke frequently as Zinah navigated the complexities of U.S. immigration law. Throughout the process, she provided every piece of paper she could find to corroborate her familys account, including government records from Mexico, the United States, and Canada, where she and her two young children are currently living.

The narrative that emerged from those conversations and documents reveals how a man who has never been accused, charged, or convicted of a crime in the U.S. nonetheless found himself in indefinite detention on American soil  and the remarkable lengths his family went to in order to get him back.

he story begins more than seven years ago, in Baghdad.

As part of a quality-control team with the Ministry of Trade, Zinah inspected food coming into the country before it was transferred to local retailers. In June 2009, she was inspecting a container of sugar when she detected the smell of gasoline. She informed her manager that the shipment could not be approved.

While her decision might seem straightforward enough, little in Baghdad, by that time, was that simple. In the years since the U.S. invasion, an array of armed groups had filled the power vacuum left by Saddam Hussein, grappling for money and territorial control. Later that day, fighters linked to the Jaysh al-Mahdi militia showed up at Zinahs receiving area demanding that she let the sugar shipment through. The fighters shouted, pointing out to Zinah that she was a woman. Zinah was unfazed. The receiving area was her domain, and if she said a shipment wasnt going through, it wasnt going through. She yelled back, telling the fighters to leave.

The commander told Zinah that she would suffer the rest of her life for the decision she made that day. You will see, crazy woman, he said.

That afternoon, as Zinah was leaving work, the militia made good on its threat. At first, she said, she didnt feel the gunshot. Then she noticed the blood pumping from her right arm. The wound was shallow, and Zinah managed to flee the scene and make it to a hospital. The terror, however, had not subsided. When she returned to the office two days later to check in with friends and colleagues, Zinah encountered the distressed father of one her co-workers  his daughter, a woman named Jenan, had not returned from work the previous day.

Jenan had been kidnapped from the receiving area the day after Zinahs confrontation with the militia. Her body, bearing evidence of torture, was found in a garbage bin the following day. In the aftermath of the murder, Zinah said her manager encouraged her to take an extended leave of absence, reminding her that she was an unmarried virgin, and that the men she was up against were capable of anything.

Hiding out and nursing her injury, Zinah was visited by her second cousin Safaa. For six years, Safaa had been living in the UAE, and like Zinah, his life had been touched by violence. In 2003, after a series of clashes with powerful figures in the Baath party, Safaa said he had helped prevent the kidnapping of a Christian neighbors daughters by Saddams sadistic son Uday. He soon fled the country.

In 2006, while Safaa was in the UAE, Iraqi militants kidnapped his first wife, who was an employee with the Ministry of Defense and the daughter of an Iraqi general working with U.S. forces at the time. She escaped her captors by throwing herself out of a moving vehicle. Safaa said the brush with death left the mother of his first three children with long-lasting psychological scars. In 2009, she asked for a divorce and subsequently moved to the U.S. with the children.

During his visit in Baghdad, Safaa listened as Zinah explained what had happened with the sugar shipment. When he returned home that night, he found himself unable to sleep. His mind turned to his ex-wife, what she had endured, and the toll it had taken. Zinah would not stand down, he reasoned, no matter the threat. Unfortunately, neither would the militia. When Safaa awoke the next morning, he made a decision. He called his office in Abu Dhabi and said he needed a few more days in Baghdad. He then headed back to Zinahs home and asked her to marry him.

Zinah was surprised. She asked Safaa if he was asking because he was afraid for her. No, he said, it was because she was a brave woman. Zinah liked the answer. A week later, the pair were married at Zinahs home, her arm still bandaged, and soon after, they left to start a life together in the Emirates.

Its a love story, Zinah told me, quietly laughing as she remembered those early days  nothing like the hell the family was living through now.

The years that followed were happy and stable, Zinah said. Safaa had a solid job as a maintenance manager in Abu Dhabi with some 300 employees under his supervision. Zinah eventually found work as a medical lab technician.

Once or twice a year, Zinah would return to Iraq to renew her leave from work. Each time, it seemed the situation on the ground had only gotten worse. During one visit, Zinah came home to find her friends were disappearing and the honest people were being killed. When she arranged plans for a visit in 2013, a friend informed her that the militia commander she confronted had only grown in power  and he had not forgotten the woman who yelled at him in front of his men.

Safaa, too, experienced his share of troubles in visits to Iraq, including a 2012 run-in with al Hakeem militia members that led to a beating and death threats. When Safaa returned the following year, those threats persisted. He was told that if he ever returned, he would be killed.

In February 2016, the Shakarchis planned a 20-day visit to their home country. Safaas sister was getting married, and skipping her ceremony was out of the question. Four days after arriving in Iraq, Safaa walked outside to find an envelope on his car. Inside was a bullet. The message was clear: Leave Iraq now, or die.

The family flew out the next day. After so many weeks preparing for the wedding, they didnt even have the time to say goodbye to their family and friends. It was the last time the family set foot in Iraq.

Leaving forever was difficult, but life was good in the UAE. Then, in the summer of 2016, everything came crashing down.

It was the holy month of Ramadan and the Shakarchis were five minutes away from breaking their fast when the phone rang. The voice on the other end of the line belonged to an official from the Criminal Investigation Department in Abu Dhabi. They wanted Safaa to come to their office, with his passport.

The call wasnt exactly a surprise. The Shakarchis are Shia, and in recent years, the UAE has systematically expelled thousands of Shia Muslims from numerous countries  including Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. During his 13 years in the UAE, Safaa had done what he could to ward off potential displacement. He stopped going to the mosque and bought alcohol with his credit card in hopes of sending a message to the UAEs formidable surveillance state that he was not religious. All that mattered to him, he later said, was his family, his job, and fishing sometime in the sea in the end of the week.

Safaa knew he was fighting an uphill battle. Three years earlier, his brother had been expelled from the UAE, so when Safaa visited the CID office, he left his passport behind. The office canceled Safaas visa electronically nonetheless, invalidating the familys legal status in the country. They were given 24 hours to leave. The timing was terrible. Sidrah was in the hospital at the time, suffering from a severe asthma attack. According to the Shakarchis, the doctor overseeing Sidrahs care pushed back on the expulsion. Then the doctor herself got a phone call from the government: If she didnt release the girl, she would be expelled as well.

Forced to pay a fine for their delayed departure, Safaa and Zinah had no idea what to do. Iraq was obviously a no-go. Not only were there pre-existing threats, but just days before the family was expelled, the Islamic State launched a massive, coordinated bomb attack in Safaas old neighborhood  hundreds of people were killed. Ultimately, the family decided to fly to Georgia, in Eastern Europe, where as Iraqi citizens they could stay for 30 days. After nearly three weeks, the Shakarchis flew to Malaysia, which was also offering 30-day stays for Iraqis from the Gulf. From Malaysia, they flew to Japan, and from there, to Mexico City, where they had valid tourist visas. The Shakarchis landed in Mexico City on August 28, 2016.

Immediately after their plane touched down, Zinah and Safaa said, Mexican immigration officials confiscated their phones and passports, telling them they could not enter the country because Safaa had previously applied for a U.S. visa. The family protested, asking why, if they were not permitted to enter the country, had the government granted them tourist visas? For six days, they waited in the airport. All the while, 3-year-old Sidrah, who had been pulled out of her medical treatment early, became increasingly ill.

During their search of the Shakarchis belongings, the Mexican officials had failed to uncover a cellphone tucked away in a bag that contained Sidrahs diapers and baby supplies. Safaa used the phone to snap a series of photos of the room where they were being held. Connecting to airport Wi-Fi, Zinah sent the photos to her brother, who in turn got the images to an Iraqi consular official in Mexico City, who began asking questions of his Mexican counterparts.

That night, Mexican authorities approached Safaa, demanding that he turn over the phone and explaining that he needed to come with them. It was nearly midnight and Safaa was afraid  hed heard about kidnappings in Mexico and people who disappeared and never came back. He refused to go. The officials punched him and kicked him as his children looked on. The beating aggravated an old back injury, leaving Safaa paralyzed with pain on the airport floor.

A doctor was called to the scene, Safaa was given an injection, and the family was relocated to an off-site immigration detention center in Mexico City, where they remained for nearly two weeks, until the arrival of a group of English-speaking human rights workers. Throughout the ordeal, Zinah had pleaded with Mexican officials, telling them her daughters asthma was worsening and that she needed medical care.

The human rights workers agreed the Shakarchis detention was unlawful, and that Sidrah urgently needed medical attention. The following day, they returned with a doctor and a lawyer. The Shakarchis were told that if they signed paperwork applying for refugee status with Mexicos Commission for Refugee Assistance, known as COMAR, they could be released. They did so and were soon moved to a facility run by a resettlement organization in Mexico City.

In the four months that followed, the family was provided temporary shelter by the organization as they applied for asylum in Mexico. Without authorization to work, Safaa and Zinah became desperate. In November, the family received a letter from Mexican immigration authorities, written in Spanish and laden with legal jargon, indicating that while COMAR considered them refugees, their petition to regularize their immigration status on the basis of family bonds was inadmissible. They had until early January to figure out what to do. Homelessness in Mexico was not an option, so they decided to fly north, to the city of Reynosa.

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Situated across the border from Texas, in the state of Tamaulipas, Reynosa is among the most dangerous cities in Mexico, a place where kidnappings for ransom are common, organized crime reigns, and murders go unsolved. The Shakarchis were aware of the risks they faced when they landed at the airport on January 14, 2017. They grabbed a taxi and asked the driver to take them straight to the U.S. port of entry. Two hundred pesos, he said. The family agreed. Pulling up to the bridge, the driver informed Safaa that the fee would actually be $200  about 20 times the initial price.

It was either that, the driver said, or Ill take you to someone else. Terrified, Safaa paid the money and the family began their walk to the border.

All through 2016, as the Shakarchi family searched for a place to live, a storm of anti-immigrant sentiment was swirling around the world. In the U.S., the movement was embodied by Donald Trumps successful presidential bid. Trumps vows to restore law and order were a hit with the people tasked with securing the border and maintaining the nations sprawling immigration enforcement apparatus. Ironically, they also appeared to embolden some potentially unlawful activity. A month after his election, the Washington Post reported a dramatic rise in asylum-seekers turned away at the southern border without cause  those claims were later amplified in multiple human rights reports and are now the subject of a major class-action lawsuit.

This was the political context Safaa, Zinah, and their children were walking into as they crossed the bridge into McAllen. As it happened, though, they werent turned away at the border. Instead, Safaa ultimately landed at the Laredo Processing Center. Zinah and the kids, meanwhile, were placed in the South Texas Family Residential Center, a behemoth facility in Dilley, Texas, set up by the Obama administration to house mothers and children during a surge of Central Americans to the U.S. Both facilities are operated by CoreCivic, formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America, the nations second-largest private prison corporation.

When a person comes to the U.S. seeking asylum, the first step in the process generally involves a conversation with a Customs and Border Protection officer, who will ask the individual if they fear being returned to their home country. If the answer is yes, the individual will then receive a credible fear interview. Typically administered by an asylum officer with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the interview is intended to more concretely determine whether a person has a credible fear of being persecuted or tortured upon return to their home country. If the individual passes that interview, the case will then go before a judge, who will determine whether or not to grant asylum.

The duration of the asylum process can vary, and in the past, asylum-seekers were often released as their cases moved through the system. Under Trump, however, the number of asylum-seekers granted parole has fallen dramatically.

The Shakarchis both passed their credible fear interviews. While Zinah had no complaints about the conditions at the center in Dilley, detention was difficult. It took time just to figure out where Safaa was being held. When she finally reached him by telephone, she was in tears. Just be patient, Safaa said, telling his wife they would be reunited soon.

Zinah and the children were released on parole after 12 days in detention, their case still open. They traveled to Dallas, where Safaas brother lives. He helped them find a cheap apartment and a car to get around. Based on conversations with U.S. officials at the border, Zinah expected her husband would be a couple of weeks behind her in his release.

Yet those weeks turned into months. The little news Zinah received about Safaas situation was not good. According to the family, Immigration and Customs Enforcement denied Safaa parole in April because he could not prove that he was not a flight risk. An ICE supervisor also denied a $25,000 bond recommendation from one of his subordinates, the family says, because of Safaas nationality and religion.

On July 26, 2017, after more than seven months in detention, Safaa had his asylum hearing before an immigration judge. In years past, Laredo detainees would have their immigration hearings via teleconference with a judge in San Antonio. That changed following Trumps inauguration. Under the new administration, a surge of judges was sent to the border in one- to two-week stints. Laredo set up face-to-face immigration hearings, overseen by a security guard, in March.

The increased number of judges was designed to churn through the tide of purportedly dangerous migrants streaming across the border that Trump had warned about on the campaign trail. But after Trump was elected, Border Patrol apprehensions, the metric the government uses to gauge the flow of illegal border crossings, dropped to levels not seen since the 1970s, leaving so-called detail judges in many courts with little to do.

In October, while Safaa was still in detention, a pair of reporters from the Marshall Project and This American Life visited the court and found the disarray there was beyond anything else seen in the wake of Trumps surge in judges. The joint report, published in January, also highlighted the work of Paola Marielle Tostado, a 25-year-old immigration attorney, two years out of law school, who was described as a real Texas highway rider lawyer from Brownsville who announced her presence with a scarlet dress and 4-inch spike heels.

The Shakarchis hired Tostado to represent Safaa. Their aim was asylum and preventing Safaas deportation to Iraq. It did not go well

he detail judge in Safaas hearing was Glen R. Baker. Appointed by the Obama administration in 2014, Baker normally presides over the Kansas City immigration court. According to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, or TRAC, a research center at Syracuse University, from 2012 through 2017, Baker had an asylum denial rate of 71.3 percent, placing him above the national average of 52.8 percent.

According to audio obtained by The Intercept, the hearing was initially attended by Safaa, Tostado, Baker, and a guard watching over the proceedings. The hearing was also facilitated by an Arabic translator who teleconferenced in. The addition of the translator, whose dialect was Egyptian, seemed to complicate the conversation, rather than improve it. The audio connection was poor, and after a garbled translation of one of his answers about life under Saddam Hussein, Safaa volunteered to answer questions in his limited English.

If Im not understand English, they can translate, Safaa said. Baker agreed.

Geographically, Safaas story placed him apart from the asylum cases Baker normally handles. In recent years, TRAC data shows, just 1.2 percent of asylum-seekers appearing before Baker came from a Middle Eastern country. Is Abu Dhabi a city or a country? Baker asked Safaa. It is the capital, Safaa replied.

Safaa answered a series of questions from Tostado, explaining the 14-year saga that brought him from Baghdad to Laredo. In addition to Safaas repeated visits to Iraq, Baker homed in on a line of questioning related to the Shakarchis time in Mexico. Tostado had noted that while they were in Mexico, the family had applied for asylum and been granted refugee status. In Mexico, when youre a refugee, you cannot work, she explained, pointing to Mexican documents the Shakarchis had received, so they applied for work authorization and that was denied.

By that point, a lawyer for the government, ICE attorney Emmanuel Garcia, had arrived. Garcia agreed the materials in question showed that the family had been approved as refugees, and that the Mexican government was already telling them, You have refugee status. If you want to obtain a different legal status in this country, all you have to do is apply for humanitarian reasons. The problem, he speculated, was that whatever they were applying was maybe perhaps not the right application or not the correct type of relief that they should have sought from the government.

For Baker, the point was critical. If the Shakarchis were granted status in another country, then they were barred from asylum in the U.S. Safaa and Tostado argued that the family did file for an adjustment in their status that would allow them to work in Mexico. Safaa said the process was supposed to take two weeks, but he waited two months and heard nothing. Eventually, it got to the point where the family could no longer stay in the shelter, nor could they work and feed their children, thus prompting them to make the trip to the U.S.

None of that mattered in the view of the court. Safaas opportunity for asylum collapsed, leaving a withholding of removal to Iraq as his only hope for a positive outcome.

After a brutal cross-examination by the ICE attorney, during which Safaa appeared unable to follow many of the questions, Baker announced his decision, which was about as far from the Shakarchis hopes as it could get. He dismissed Safaas asylum claim on account of the familys status in Mexico and his conclusion that Safaa did not fit into any of the five protected groups that qualify for asylum under U.S. law. Similarly, he concluded, the United Nations convention against torture did not apply in Safaas case. Now, your wife may have a claim, I dont think she has a claim for asylum because she was granted relief in Mexico, but she may have a claim for withholding of removal, he told Safaa.

Critically, Baker added, withholding of removal applications are singular. She has her application, you have yours, and if she is granted relief, it doesnt help your case. The judge ordered Safaa to be deported to either Mexico or Iraq. He informed the family that they had the right to appeal but added that the process would likely mean at least five more months in detention. I do not have authority to let you out in the meantime, while you wait for your appeal to be decided, because youre classified as an arriving alien, he said.

The immigration law of the United States does not encompass all treatment that society regards as unfair, unjust, or even unlawful or unconstitutional, Baker went on to say. I know this isnt the outcome that you were hoping for, but Ive done my best to apply the law to your case, and I believe its the correct decision

Good luck to you, sir, the judge told Safaa. Good luck to you, maam, he said to Zinah. Thats all for today.

Safaa was returned to detention. On August 13, the Shakarchis say they submitted a request to ICE for an appeal document and other materials related to his case. On August 25, the day the appeal needed to be filed, ICE responded, the family says, asking what documents Safaa required.

In the end, no appeal was filed.

It seemed there was nowhere in the world the Shakarchis could be together, and that the most powerful government on the planet was bent on keeping it that way.

Day after day, Safaa was tormented by the idea that he would be sent to a war zone, a place he hadnt lived for more than a decade, that he wouldnt be able to see his children grow up, and that it was all because he came to the U.S. looking for help. To him, it felt like an unfathomably cruel punishment for an eminently understandable act.

Safaa bonded with the men in his hall, who came from all over the world. He thought a lot about private prisons, calculating how much money the whole operation must be making. But mostly, he slept. It was the only way to turn off the world around him. As time went on, his thoughts grew darker. Sitting across the table in the Laredo detention center, he told me he had no doubt that he would be killed if he were sent back to Iraq. But even that, he said, would be preferable to the unending limbo he had found himself in.

The meetings with ICE were particularly difficult, Safaa said, full of raised expectations and dashed hopes. They just lie, lie, lie, he said.

With their attorney gone and their savings dwindling, Zinah took it upon herself to become Safaas primary advocate and made understanding his options her full-time job  this on top of raising two young children on her own in a country she did not know.

From outside the detention center walls, she struggled with the faceless bureaucrats who kept Safaa locked up. She would call his deportation officer over and over, pressing him to find a resolution in the case. She contacted every legal organization she could find. It seemed nobody had the time or the resources to help. In a country where the immigration court backlog includes more than 650,000 cases, its not difficult to understand why.

Zinah read about a lawsuit known as Hamama v. Adducci that seemed promising at first. The case has its roots in Trumps ban on travelers coming to the U.S. from seven Muslim-majority nations, which initially included Iraq. In years past, the U.S. government struggled to deport people to Iraq, in part because of the countrys refusal to issue the necessary travel documents. That changed with the travel ban.

Following negotiations with the administration, the Iraqi government agreed in March to begin accepting deported citizens in exchange for removal from Trumps list. Three months later, ICE launched a series of operations targeting Iraqis with prior removal orders. A total of 234 Iraqis were arrested; more than 1,210 others became official targets for deportation.

The Iraqis in ICEs crosshairs had, for the most part, been living in the U.S. for years under government supervision and included a significant number of Iraqi Christians. The sweeps prompted a class-action lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, with the organization arguing its clients be permitted to have their cases heard before an immigration judge, on the grounds that their swift deportation would expose them to persecution, torture, and possible death upon their return to Iraq.

Hamama v. Adducci was filed in Michigan because much of ICEs enforcement efforts were concentrated there. The case took on national significance in July, when U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith issued a nationwide stay of removal temporarily protecting Iraqis swept up in ICEs operations. According to Margo Schlanger, a former Department of Homeland Security chief of civil rights and civil liberties who is now a professor at University of Michigan Law School and an attorney on the Hamama suit, Safaa just barely missed the deadline to be included in the class-action suit.

Still, she added, his case could raise important questions in the ongoing litigation.

Both the Shakarchis and Tostado said ICEs efforts to deport Safaa to Iraq were hampered by Iraqs refusal to accept him. The reason why is unclear. Despite receiving a detailed list of questions, the only comment ICE would make to me about Safaas case was to confirm that he was being detained. The Iraqi embassy did not respond to repeated requests for clarification; whether ICE made any headway in negotiations with Mexican government is similarly uncertain. In recent filings in the Hamama case, however, government witnesses argued that ICEs only impediment to deporting people to Iraq was Goldsmiths current injunction. Safaa was not protected by the injunction, meaning that if the governments representations to the court were accurate, ICE should have had no trouble deporting him, but that didnt happen.

Schlanger said Safaas case speaks to a deeper murkiness around the ICE-Iraq relationship and the breakthrough deal the administration reached to remove Iraq from Trumps list. The agreement that theyre talking about, this breakthrough, whenever we try to pin it down, the government refuses to disclose any of the terms, Schlanger said. We dont really know who they can remove, how many they can remove, under what conditions they can remove them  we just dont know.

That Safaas case could prompt changes or new disclosures in the Hamama litigation was of little use to Zinah. The lawsuit offered no protections for Safaa, and that was all that mattered to her.

Feeling she had exhausted all of her options, Zinah decided to take the children to Canada. She hoped doing so might provide the Americans with a viable location for Safaas deportation, but it also meant abandoning her open asylum case in the U.S. along the way.

She booked a flight to Boston, and from there she and the kids traveled to Plattsburgh, New York. Following a route thats become popular among asylum-seekers since Trumps inauguration, Zinah and the children crossed the border into Quebec on August 14 and applied for asylum.

The family first stayed in a cluster of tents shared with other asylum-seekers, many of them Haitians, who had also left the U.S. Shortly after arriving, Zinah suffered an asthma attack and was hospitalized. The family was eventually moved into a shelter and later an apartment. They were provided a lawyer and financial assistance. Yousif was enrolled in school and Sidrah in day care.

In October, a week before her court hearing on her asylum case, Zinah learned that her file had been transferred to Toronto. Once again, she packed up the kids. This time, they landed in Mississauga, a Toronto suburb. With the help of an Arabic Facebook group, made up of many similarly displaced Iraqis, Zinah found a basement apartment and a car to drive. In general, Zinah said, the Canadians seemed more accommodating and friendly than their American counterparts. It is more kind, she said.

A fan of American movies, Zinah once told me her life felt like one, albeit a more agonizing and never-ending film than shed ever care to see. For her, the whole ordeal simply did not make sense. Safaa had done nothing wrong, she would tell me, and yet he was being punished so severely. Its not human, she said. Its not American.

On at least the second point, Zinah seemed somewhat mistaken.

The Shakarchis lay much of the blame for what happened on Tostado, their former attorney, for failing to mount a vigorous defense and disappearing on them once Safaas hearing was through. She kill me, Safaa said of her representation. She just take the money and give me deportation and gone, he said. I call, call, call her and she not answer.

In a phone call in January, Tostado told me she met with Safaa more than 10 times before his hearing, though she declined to go into much detail about the case. Consistent with the Shakarchis claims that she was unresponsive, Tostados office did not respond to repeated emails and phone calls for further comment and clarifications following that initial conversation.

It was true that Tostado appeared outmatched by ICEs more experienced attorney, at least in the recordings that I obtained. It was also true that she seemed to vanish when the family was in desperate need of ongoing representation. But to pin the entire outcome on her would be to miss the bigger picture of what families like the Shakarchis are up against, and to see Safaas case as something inconsistent with U.S. practices would be a mistake.

Roughly 70 percent of ICEs detention facilities are run by private companies. By law, the agency is required to meet a quota of 34,000 detention beds filled each day. Under Trump, ICE has sought to bump that number up to 51,000  a more than tenfold increase from the roughly 5,000 immigrants detained daily in 1994. Unfortunately for families like the Shakarchis, the system that funnels people into these centers is functional only in the sense that it continues to persist. It is a system in which people routinely wait months, or even years, before learning whether they will be able to resume their lives again, and where legal representation is not a given. As Baker, the judge, pointed out, it is not a system concerned with the messy and often unfair realities of human lives. It is a system of laws and, as it turns out, the laws in the U.S. are quite harsh. Often, the best a family can hope for is a bit of luck.

One day, after a series of phone calls failed to connect her with a live human being, Zinah decided she had had enough. She wrote an email to Safaas deportation officer. Zoo animals were given better treatment than her family had received, she told him. To Zinahs surprise, when she called the detention center later that day, ICE told her that it was giving the Iraqi embassy one more week to make a determination. If the embassy failed to do so, there was a chance Safaa would be released.

Zinahs hopes were soaring when, two days later, Safaa received an envelope from the Executive Office of Immigration Review, or EOIR, the branch of the Justice Department that oversees the nations immigration courts. Obtaining a full record of Safaas hearing had become a focus for both of us. The Shakarchis hoped it would show that their case was mishandled. I wanted to confirm exactly what was said in the proceeding, though I had my doubts about whether it would make a difference in Safaas situation. We both filed freedom of information requests with the EOIR.

After weeks of waiting, Safaa opened the envelope only to find a set of papers the family already had. For Zinah, it was another demoralizing blow. The horror movie of their lives seemed to be rolling on. Days later, she texted to see if there was any news on my efforts to obtain the file. There wasnt, but before I could reply, another message from Zinah came through.

They let Safaa go, it read.

t was gray, overcast, and dribbling rain when Safaa landed in New York City. He wore a black fleece, a puffy winter coat, and blue jeans. His luggage was minimal, just a rolling suitcase and a small bag. The same things he carried when he, Zinah, and the kids crossed the Mexican border into the U.S. more than one year ago.

Standing outside LaGuardia Airport waiting for a taxi, Safaa spoke on his cellphone. Earlier in the day, Zinah had connected with a network of American activists working along the U.S. border with Canada, who had offered to put Safaa in touch with a driver he could trust once he got into town. The driver was now on the other end of the line. Safaa explained that he would be arriving late. It didnt matter, the driver said, whatever time you get in, Ill be there. Just call.

The decision had come suddenly and without explanation, Safaa explained, as we settled into a cab bound for the bus station.

On the morning of February 20, he was told that his case manager wanted to speak to him. He changed clothes and met with the manager, who informed him that ICE had requested a meeting. What do they want? Safaa asked. I dont know, his case manager replied. The conversation with ICE began with the normal pleasantries  How are you? Hows your health?  then, Safaa recalled, the officials told him, We have a surprise for you.

Safaas first response to the news that he was being released was denial. He had lost hope in the days leading up to the meeting. I will not go from this place, he had told himself. I will die here. He was trying to learn to forget the outside world. Excuse me, sir. I dont want any more lie, Safaa told the officials. Im tired. It was no lie, the officials explained. Safaa broke down. I couldnt catch myself, he said.

At that point, things moved quickly. Over the next two hours, Safaa packed his belongings and said goodbye to the men he had befriended inside. It had been one year, one month, one week exactly. During that time, he and a handful of others had become the longest-running detainees in Laredo. There was a perception that they would never be let out.

Once word spread among the 76 other detainees that he was leaving, Safaa said, there was an explosion of cheering, laughter, and hugs. Inside, we are like family, he said. Any time anyone got out, even if it was through deportation, there was a sense of relief and celebration. The reason, he explained, is because to enter the detention center is to see ones life come to a stop. When they go out, Safaa said, it starts again.

Safaa was given a bus ticket to Dallas, where his brother lives. He spent the following two days in tearful phone conversations with family members across the world, confirming that, yes, in fact, he was free. The terms of his release were laid out in a two-page DHS Order of Supervision form. The document explained that, because he had not been deported in the time prescribed by the law, he was being released under the condition that he attended routine ICE check-ins. It added that he could not leave the state of Texas for more than 48 hours without providing notification to ICE.

When Safaa arrived in Dallas, his older brother, whom he considers a father figure, implored him to stay longer. It had been years since they had seen each other. But for Safaa, the road ahead was clear. I want to be with my wife and my kids, he told me as the cab pulled out of the airport. I want to be with my kids as a father; this is my last job in the life.

Safaa was beaming as the taxi made its way into Manhattan, under the shadow of high-rise buildings disappearing into the storm clouds above. Am I dreaming? he asked. He seemed an entirely different person from the man I met in Laredo. He couldnt stop grinning. His voice had returned. Passing through the Queens Midtown tunnel, Safaa marveled at his wifes resiliency and tenacity over the last year. She work like a lawyer, he said, a broad smile spreading across his face. She knows everything.

Back in the Emirates, Safaa explained, Zinah didnt pump gas into the car. Now, Safaa said, she could not only refuel a vehicle, she could drive it in the snow and navigate the complexities of immigration law in multiple countries. Now, really, she knows many things, Safaa said. God made me far away from her to make her stronger in life, he added with a laugh.

The plan Safaa and Zinah concocted was not without risk. There were recent reports of Border Patrol agents stepping up searches on northbound buses and trains. Safaas intentions could not be shaken though. He approached the bus kiosk in Manhattan. One way or round trip? the attendant asked.

One way, Safaa replied.

His destination was Plattsburgh, the same border city that Zinah and the children had passed through months earlier. If he was nervous about the voyage ahead, he wouldnt admit it, and he certainly wouldnt show it. Standing outside the bus terminal, the lights of Midtown coloring his face, Safaa pulled out a cigarette and placed it between his lips. He tilted his head back with a grin. One year, one month, one week, he said. No cigarette.

undreds of miles away, in Mississauga, Zinah waited anxiously.

I cant believe it! she had exclaimed over the phone on the day Safaa was released. Hes in the bus station, she said. My heart right now is pumping too much. She called it the happiest day in all of my life.

Safaa delivered the news of his release by video call from the bus and spoke with his children, but Zinah had decided not to tell them of the Canada plan. They had already been through so much, she couldnt bear disappointing them again. And so Zinah waited and prayed. She had long planned to renew their wedding vows if ever they were reunited. Now, it seemed, that day was coming.

It was well after dark when Safaa made it out of the U.S. He was surrounded by other migrants, many of them Africans, also seeking sanctuary in Canada. As is customary on the border, Canadian officials had informed Safaa that if he crossed the line, he would be in violation of Canadian law and arrested. I not have another choice, Safaa said, and crossed. Welcome, he was told.

My heart is dancing, Zinah wrote in a text message early the next morning. Safaa had made it to Quebec, she explained, and would get to Mississauga in the wee hours of the morning. What Zinah didnt know was that Safaa was already in a cab, making his way to her as fast as he could. For Zinah, the hours were dragging like never before. Time is not moving, she said in a text. Then, at 12:43 a.m., she sent a series of photos. The first was Zinah sliding a wedding band onto Safaas finger. The second was Zinah resting her head on Safaas chest. The final photo, a glowing image of Safaa holding Sidrah and Yousif in his arms, included a caption. Finally, it said. We did it.
By Paul Craig Roberts

March 18, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Have Washington and its British vassal set a stage for testing whether Russia has the stomach for war?

How else do we interpret the announcement by General Sergey Rudskoy, chief of the Operational Directorate of the Russian General Staff, that we have reliable information at our disposal that US instructors have trained a number of militant groups

Also: https://southfront.org/u-s-deploys-naval-strike-groups-for-attacks-on-syria-trains-militants-for-false-flag-chemical-attacks/

And: http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/03/17/555774/US-training-Syria-militants-for-false-flag-chemical-attacks-Russian-cmdr

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Dont expect to hear anything about this in the totally discredited Western presstitute media, which is a propaganda ministry for war.

The Russian government must be kicking itself that it again failed to finish the job in Syria and instead permitted Washington to expand its Syrian presence, arm and train its mercenaries, provide chemical weapons, and assemble its fleet to attack Syrian forces in order to prevent their reconquest of Syrian territory.

The question before us is: If the information that General Rudskoy cited is correct, what will Russia do? Will Russia use its missile defences and air superiority to shoot down the US missiles and aircraft, or will Russia accept the attack and again denounce the illegality of Washingtons action and protest to the UN?

If Russia accepts the attack, Washington will push harder. Sooner or later Russia will be unable to accept another push, and war will break out.

If war breaks out, will it be a limited conventional war or will Washington use the excuse to launch nuclear ICBMs against Russia? These questions must be going through the minds of Russias leadership. Russia faces the grave danger that Washingtons Fifth Column inside Russia, the Atlanticist Integrationists, those Russians in the political and business leadership who believe Russia must be, at all costs, integrated into the Western world, will lock the government in indecision and expose Russia to a nuclear first strike.

So far Russia has continued to defeat itself by playing according to the rules of diplomacy and international law despite the obvious fact that Washington has no respect for either. During the past week, Washingtons British vassal, a country of no military or political significance, demonstrated total contempt for Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. In other words, the insult to Russia came from a mere vassal state of Washingtons empire. An alleged poisoning by an alleged Russian nerve gas, the very existence of which is doubted by US and UK experts, of an inconsequential former spy and his daughter has been blamed, without a shred of evidence, on Russia by the British prime minister, defense minister, and foreign minister.

The British prime minister violated law and agreements to which Britain is partner by giving Russia 24 hours to respond to an accusation for which no evidence was provided. Law and the agreements require that the country making an accusation share the evidence with the accused country, which has 10 days to assess the evidence and reply. The British government refused to abide by the agreement to which it is partner. Moreover, the British foreign minister Boris Johnson personally accused Russias President Putin of ordering the attempted murder of the inconsequential spy. For more information on the former spy and his lack of consequence and the absurdity of the orchestrated event, see recent postings on my website.

Not content with the unprecedented insult to Russia and its President, the British defense minister of a country that has no capability whatsoever of defending itself against Russia, even with its liege lords help, said in response to Russias rejection of the unsupported-by-any-evidence charge that Russia should shut up and go away.

This was too much for the Russian Ministry of Defense. General Igor Konashenkov replied:

The rhetoric of an uncouth shrew demonstrated by the Head of the British Ministry of Defense makes his utter intellectual impotence perfectly evident. All this confirms not only the nullity of all accusations towards Russia we have been hearing from London for the last several years but also that the accusers themselves are nonentities.

The Great Britain has long turned not only into a cozy nest for defectors from all over the world but also into a hub for all sorts of fake news-producing agencies: from the British Syrian Observatory for Human Rights to the created by a British intelligence officer pseudo-Syrian White Helmets.

As to boorish words of the British Defense Minister regarding Russia , it seems that in the absence of the real results of professional activity, rudeness is the only weapon remaining in the arsenal of the Her Majestys Military.

Note the total dismissal of Great Britain by the Russian Ministry of Defence as a military and political power. From the Russian militarys standpoint Washingtons British vassal state is a total nonentity. This suggests that the Russian military is focused on Washington and is unlikely to tolerate Washingtons agents in Russian government and business circles if they attempt to leave Russia exposed by indecision.

Perhaps the Russians will decide it is past time for them to demonstrate their superior military capabilities, and they will take out not only the US missiles and airplanes but also the fleets from which the attack is launched while putting their nuclear forces on high alert. What then would Washington do? Can a government composed of bullies drunk on hubris come to a sensible decision, or would people so arrogant as to think themselves exceptional and indispensable condemn the world, including the plants, animals, birds, and all creatures who have no idea of the murderous lunatics that rule the Western world, to death?

There is no greater threat to life on earth than Washington. Constraining Washingtons determination to destroy life on earth is the greatest challenge humanity has faced. If we fail, we all die, every one of us and all creatures.

Despite Russias military superiority, the humanity of the Russian government places it at a disadvantage as there is no concern for humanity in Washington.
Just recently the Rothschild organ The Economist depicted the Russian president Putin as a dangerous octopus.

The idea was not original at all. Russia has been the favored target of this denigrating comparison for more than a century.

The Guardian, no less anti-Russian than the Economist, now follows suit.

The Steve Bell Guardian cartoon, just like the Economist cover, demonstrates a lack of creativity and originality. The spider cartoon is an obvious rip-off from a anti-Russian Nazi campaign:

The archive description of the poster notes:

In early 1935, the Nazis unleashed an anti-Bolshevik campaign which it initiated with a series of traveling exhibits on the dangers of world Communism. This poster comes from the exhibit in Karlsruhe, the capital city of the German state of Baden. But its imagery is found in almost all of the posters of this exhibit. Here Bolshevism is represented as a huge red spider, whose head is the familiar grinning skull topped with the red star. Sitting in the Soviet Union, the legs of the spider can still reach out to threaten the entire world.

The Guardian rip-off of Josef Goebbels' Nazi propaganda even copied the red star associated with communist ideology. How stupid - Putin and today's Russia are as capitalistic as it gets.

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Plagiarizing others to foment anti-Russian sentiment is standard Guardian business. Its most fervent and stupid anti-Russian writer, Luke Harding, had to publicly apologize for stealing whole passages from the Exile, a Russian magazine in English language edited by Mark Ames, Yasha Levine and Matt Taibbi. For a good laugh watch this Real News interview on Harding's book "Collusion" in which Aaron Mate takes Harding apart.

One wonders how much the Economist, the Guardian and other anti-Russian outlets, writers and cartoon artists get from the $160 million fund the Obama administration budgeted to "counter an uptick in Russian propaganda". Taking such money would not be unusual. This 2015 Guardian report on a European Union anti-Russian propaganda fund was, for example, written by the U.S. government's RFE/RL propaganda outlet. A U.S. government propaganda write up about a EU propaganda fund ends up as content on the Guardian site. Hey - why not? Even original Guardian content rarely ventures off from the official line.

Who by the way might have financed the anti-Russian spy series Strike Back which now replays on live TV as the Skripal Novichok drama?

The enormous amount of money from the dozens of officials and unofficial slush funds surely creates a lot of the anti-Russian noise. But for all the taxpayer money spent on the issue can we please ask for better than a warmed up Nazi campaign?
Former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, has shared a testimony as to how he was almost killed yesterday.

According to Reno, he was almost knocked down by a car yesterday. read his piece below;

At about 7:32PM on Sunday the 18th of March, 2018, I should have died. I had just returned from Washington DC. I was too focused on composing a thank you email to my hostess and I missed my stop on the air train. I got out at Westfield Road station in front of the rental car center of San Francisco Intl Airport and I was crossing the road to get to the other side so I could take the next train in the opposite direction.

I was at fault. The pedestrian crossing light was red, but I crossed anyway without looking. How the oncoming car did not hit me remains a mystery. It was meant to hit me. It missed me by milliseconds. I believed I was going to die. But the strangest thing was that my life did not flash in front of me in an instant as they say. What I recall was this sense of calm. Of acceptance of what was surely to come. I was not afraid. I believed there was no escaping death at that instance.

Have I lost my sense of fear? Because even immediately after the event, I still was unafraid. There was no fear or aftershock. There is still no fear or aftershock hours after the incidence. Right now I am still analyzing why I was not afraid.

Whether it was an angel that gave me wings to run or whether my sub conscious took over, I dont know. What I know is that I give the God and Father of my Lord and Saviour Jesus thanks for being alive today.

I know my Redeemer lives! If I keep this to myself, I am robbing someone out there from knowing that God exists. He delivered me today and since He does not love me more than you, he will also deliver you from the premature death the enemy has orchestrated for you if you believe in Him and believe Him.

Source  Misspetite
Few days after he marked his 61st birthday, Fuji musician King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall popularly known as K1 De Ultimate has revealed his discontent with the present state of Yoruba music.

He was speaking as part of a panel that discussed the evolution of traditional Yoruba music at the 2018 Ariya Repete Roundtable Discourse. The event which held at Park Inn by Radisson in Abeokuta, sought to create a panacea to discuss the successes recorded and threats to Fuji and Juju genres of Yoruba music.

K1, while answering a question posed to him by the event moderator, Jide Taiwo of TheNetng who wanted to find out what K1 thought of dearth of fresh talents in his field, said:

I am not happy. How can I be happy when the very language is being threatened? Most Nigerian parents nowadays do not allow their children to speak the Yoruba language. Of course it will affect the music and thats what were seeing now. Present day musicians are not making effective use of the language in their music. Nigerians often call their own mother tongue vernacular. Its a worrying development, not something to be proud of.

As if to buttress his point, the keynote speaker at the event Dr. Kola Adesina of the Department of Mass Communication, Crescent University Abeokuta, made it known that according to UNESCO; Yoruba is one of the five thousand languages that are facing the danger of being extinct in less than fifty years. He said A method used to check if this is correct is by attempting to speak the language continuously for ten minutes, without interjecting with foreign words like but, when, because and so on. How many people can do this?

Upon discovering this revelation by Dr. Kola Adesina, the audience made up of music lovers, media practitioners and other musicians such as Wale Thompson and Taiye Currency  attempted to communicate only in Yoruba language for the rest of the event.

The Ariya Repete Roundtable Discourse is a precursor to the annual Ariya Repete talent hunt that seeks to find out young talents in the Fuji and Juju genres. Auditions has started on March 13 in Ado-Ekiti, Sango-Ota and across eight cities in Nigeria.

Source  NET
A Nigerian man of God based in Lusaka, Zambia identified as Prophet Andrew Ejimadu is now the talk of the town after he made his church members to lick his shoes to get miracles and blessings.

Prophet Ejimadu who is also known as Seer 1 is about one of the most popular and respected men of God in the eastern African country and many see him as one capable of having direct communication with God.

But the recent antics of Ejimadu who is the founder and General Overseer of Christ Freedom Ministries, where he told the people to kiss his shoes for miracles and healing has divided opinion with many saying he is not a real man of God.

The 39-year-old Prophet Ejimadu posted photos at a crusade he held where the incident happened on the churchs Facebook page with the words:

I have blessed your legs. I have washed your feet. First thing tomorrow morning, if you type Amen and share this post, someone will call you and your feet will carry you there to pick a special gift. Many people will miss this. Try it.

In July 2016, the Imo State born Prophet Ejimadu was also in the news for the wrong reasons when he and his younger brother, Cleopas Ejimadu, were arrested by the Zambian police for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl who had gone to their residence in the lbex Hill area in Lusaka, for spiritual counseling.

Source  Akpraise
Punch

Troops of the Nigerian Army have arrested 18 herdsmen in the Kwata Sule, Mbayer, Yandev and Kaambee areas of Benue State, who were caught grazing their cows on farmlands, an act which is against the states anti-open grazing law.

Vanguard

BENIN-CITYEDO State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has explained that it was due to its concern for the well-being and security of lives of people of the state that motivated its sponsor of a bill for the prohibition of open grazing in the state.

The Sun

The Buhari Support Organisation has called on Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to adopt Political Diplomacy and carefully listen to the wise counsel of President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo worldwide, Chief John Nnia Nwodo.

Thisday

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, has accused the Northern Muslim elite of using religion to hold onto power to the detriment of their people and the larger society.

Guardian

The Department of State Services (DSS) said it has arrested some suspects who engage in gunrunning, kidnapping and armed banditry operating in Plateau, Nasarawa, Taraba and Benue states.

Daily Times

President Muhammadu Buhari, has ordered the deployment of officials of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp (NSCDC) to secure secondary schools in the northeast zone of the country.

Daily Trust

More reactions have continued to trail the meeting held between former President Olusegun Obasanjos Coalition for Nigeria Movement and ex-Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, among others. The leaders of National Intervention Movement (NIM) and other political parties also attended the meeting.

Tribune

THE Presidency has given reasons why President Muhammadu Buhari cannot declare his ambition in next years presidential election, saying that it is an attempt to prevent opponents from sabotaging the country.

Leadership

Barely four days after the leadership of the National Assembly met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa to discuss some burning national issues, including the 2018 Appropriation Bill, the two chambers of the federal legislature are divided over the passage of the budget.

The Nation
Nollywood actress, Lola Margaret, who is now an ex-convict because of her incident with the US Police over alleged fraud case she was involved in.

According to Nollyzone, The actress who was arrested over a strong surveillance was placed on her account after huge sums were being withdrawn consistently before she was napped.

Hints has it that the actress has since been released and deported back to Nigeria and considering the gravity of her actions, the actress has decided to relocate to Ibadan from Lagos where she formerly resided.

Currently the actress is maintaining a low profile as she is yet to attend any public function as she hopes to rebrand herself and stage a strong come back to the industry.

Source: Naijaloaded
New generation pop stars have been advised to always seek permission before sampling decades old work of arts that were done by older artistes.

This was the submission of juju icon King Sunny Ades manager, Clement Ige who was speaking at Goldbergs Ariya Repete Roundtable Discourse in Abeokuta.

Ige, who has worked with KSA for nearly forty years and is also an Executive Director at Culture FM, Ondo identified a number of issues wiht the new generation artistes that have become a menace threatening the growth of traditional Yoruba music.

They use English language to speak Yoruba. Like the young man who sang makole marale: how do you build house before buying a land? he asked.

He also added. Many of them dont give credit to the original composer of the song they adopt. They just sing it without seeking permission. Thats a copyright infringement. Its not done in developed societies.

Till today Small Doctor didnt get our permission before and after singing ijo ti mojo lana, ti won npariwo, oni nko, ola nko.

And many of them are guilty of this. The Davido that used Sunnys lyrics in his song didnt even get it right and thats because he didnt ask for permission; if he did we would have corrected him.

What is Kuluso ewe, agbagba ewe? The line is actually Seleru agbo, agbara agbo. I know because I co-wrote the song!

The panel was to discuss the evolution of Yoruba traditional music and its influence on modern pop music and it featured musicians such as K1 De Ultimate, Sir Shina Peters, Lekan Babalola and a host of others.

It is a precursor to the annual Ariya Repete talent hunt that seeks to find out young talents in the Fuji and Juju genres. Auditions for talents on March 13 in Ado-Ekiti, Sango Ota and other places across eight cities in Nigeria.

Source: Naijaloaded
London, UK - March 19, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Artificial Intelligence expert speakers from a range of industries will be arriving at the Olympia National, London in just under 5 weeks on the 18-19th April. The AI Expo Global, the leading AI thought leadership conference and exhibition, already has over 12,000 attendees registered and is set to be perfect for business leaders wishing to implement the latest AI trends, strategies and innovations.

Get to know some of the AI thought leaders and experts below, expect thought provoking content that will support artificial intelligence implementation and monetisation techniques.

1. Michael Malinsky, Co-Founder & CEO from WUNDER2 Cosmetic, the first beauty brand to launch an Amazon Alexa Skill. Co-founder and CEO, Michael Malinksy says: "as a business, we are fascinated with the rapid integration of AI into peoples' lives. We think the level of adoption will exceed many peoples' expectations and create fluid recommendation experiences using AI technology found in Google Home, Alexa, and the recently launched Apple HomePod - it is something we are absolutely developing already." He will be presenting a case study on the 18th of April at 16.15 at the AI Expo Global on 'influencing the new wave of marketing'. Find out how to create truly one-to-one marketing experiences, lower costs, man hours whilst bridging the gap between data and personalised customer experience from a world leading brand.

2. Dr. Frauke Neuser, Associate Director Scientific Communications from Procter & Gamble, who developed the innovative AI-infused 'Olay Skin Advisor', a web-based technology platform that utilises AI to help women learn more about their skin, what it needs and the skincare products to aid their skin type. Hear from Dr. Frauke Neuser on the 19th of April at the AI conference in London. Her keynote 'skincare gets smart with AI' is sure to impress and demonstrate innovative AI strategies to develop more of a personalised approach to marketing.

3. Simon Thompson, Head of Practice for Big Data and Customer Experience from BT Research. Learn how to 'drive value from Enterprise AI' from Simon Thompson during the AI event on the 18th April. He will also be speaking in a panel discussion about the 'application of deep learning in the enterprise' alongside market intelligence firm, Tractica. BT currently uses AI to visualise their networks, anticipate needs and see where spares are located at their exchanges, ensuring an overall consistent customer experience.

4. Helene Alunni-Botteri, Senior Vice President, Innovation Group from Wells Fargo will be speaking on the subject of financial chatbots, as Wells Fargo strive to strengthen their digital offerings to provide a more personalised customer service. Helene Alunni-Botteri will also be joining a panel which aims to 'examine AI uses in banking and financial services' at 11.45 on the 19th of April, alongside AI thoughts leaders from HSBC, RBS and BIMA.

5. Peter Hamley, Global Head, External Innovation, Drug Discovery Platforms from the French drug maker Sanofi, who are leading the way with AI and machine learning to transform drug discovery. Sanofi are using artificial intelligence techniques to beat the flu by teaming up with Massachusetts-based Berg. Peter will be delivering a keynote on 'how AI can transform the discovery of drugs' on the 19th April at 12.30 and will be participating in a panel on how 'AI is transforming Healthcare' at 12.45. The panel will also have leaders from Diabetes.co.uk, NHS England and Rethink IoT, who are experts in wireless, video and IoT technology.

6. Dougie Anscombe-Stephen, Digital Innovation Lead from London Luton Airport, who has previously worked for the Ministry of Defence, SEE, Nielsen & GSK has lots of experience in delivering transformation excellence in technology and business strategy. Now working for London Luton Airport, his role compromises of two pillars: Operational Technology Transformation and Passenger Experience, ensuring the best-in-class technology and experience introduced for both customers and partners alike. Join Dougie Anscombe-Stephen at 16.00 within the Enterprise conference track on the 18th April as he talks about the customer ecosystem and how to enhance it with AI.

The conference will explore the impact of artificial intelligence across a wide selection of industries including: finance, insurance, healthcare, energy, utilities, government, public sector, marketing, advertising, retail, travel, sports, human resources, recruitment and many more. Topics include but are not limited to: Robo Advisors, Insurance chatbots, preliminary & automated diagnosis, virtual nursing assistants, predictive technology approaches within the energy sector, the significance & application of AI domestically and internationally customer engagement through chatbot usage, facial recognition techniques within the beauty industry and AI usage for recruitment.

Paid attendees can explore the co-located exhibition hall, the VIP networking delegate area, the networking app, the networking party, recordings & presentations post event and lots of live keynotes, panels and case studies across the entire AI ecosystem. Ultimate pass holders can even gain access to the whole IoT and Blockchain ecosystem in addition. Free passes are also available.

Click here to register for your free or paid pass to the Global 2018 event on the 18-19 April in London.

Early bird rate ends Friday 16th March so if you are looking for full conference and networking access, you can save up to 250 on your conference and networking pass (Gold/Ultimate) when you book by the 16th of March.

You can find out more about the World Series 2018 and register for each event here:

AI Expo Global - 18-19th April 2018, Olympia, London

AI Expo Europe - 27-28th June 2018, RAI, Amsterdam

AI Expo North America - 28-29th November 2018, Santa Clara, Silicon Valley

Notes for Editors:

Cityline: London/UK

About AI Expo

The AI Expo World Series (https://www.ai-expo.net/) hosts top level content and discussion introducing and exploring the latest innovations in the AI arena. Taking to London, Amsterdam and Santa Clara, delegates are invited to attend keynotes, panels and case studies, as well as explore the exhibition hall and network with c-level executives and thought leaders. It brings together key industries including Automotive, Enterprise, Consumer, Marketing, HR & Recruitment, Finance, Insurance, Public Sector, Government, Industrial, Healthcare, Developer and Education.

For speaking, sponsorship and exhibitor enquiries please contact the team at enquiries@ai-expo.net or call on +44 (0) 117 980 9020.

Contact:

AI Expo

Anna Fry

Marketing Executive

+44117 980 9020

anna@ai-expo.net

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The Ames Main Street Farmers Market is a local market that has been a staple of downtown Ames for the past eight years. The market 
NEWS

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Renault holds expansion of its plant in Romania, 15,000 jobs cancelled at global level "Putting capacity growth projects planned in Morocco and Romania on hold" - is one of the measures included in the draft plan of Renault Group Mai mult

Romania is a net importer of electricity in 2020 as well Romania imported an amount of electricity of almost 796 GWh in the first month of this year, by more than 36% above what it exported Mai mult

Shareholders of Galati steel plant promise investments of one billion euros GFG Alliance has committed to invest one billion euros to upgrade Galati steel plant in order to reduce emissions and increase production. Another EUR 1 Mai mult

Top 3 reasons why young people leave Romania Lack of trust in authorities, corruption and low living standards are the main reasons why young people leave Romania. The data is part of a Mai mult

IMM Invest Romania  program implementing rules have been published The Ministry of Public Finance announces that it has issued the methodological norms for the implementation of the Program for supporting small and medium-sized enterprises Mai mult

Pollution import and car park expansion: comparisons with the other EU states Romania is the EU country with the fewest cars in terms of the number of inhabitants, according to data recently published by Eurostat. We appear Mai mult

Laura Codruta Kovesi remains alone in the race for European Chief Prosecutor French Prosecutor Jean-Francois Bohnert will be appointed as head of the European Financial Prosecutor's Office, a position for which he was heard on Thursday, 11 Mai mult
Prime Tele Power Solutions Lahore Jobs 2018 Managers

Latest Prime Tele Power Solutions Management Posts Lahore 2021 Prime Tele Power Solutions Private Limited Lahore, Pakistan required applications from experienced candidates for the posts of Deputy Manager (Planning and Development) and Civil Engineer.

How to Apply on Prime Tele Power Solutions 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.
Suleman Roshan Medical College Medical Jobs

Latest Suleman Roshan Medical College Medical Posts Tando Adam 2021 Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professor and Demonstrators / Lecturers are required in Suleman Roshan Medical College in Tando Adam Sindh Pakistan.

How to Apply on Suleman Roshan Medical College 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.



Company Address: Principal, Suleman Roshan Medical College Tando Adam

Telephone: 0300-323 1300

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.
An Australian lawyer, who also practices law in Vanuatu, intimidated a veteran court reporter, making false allegations about his conduct. The incident took place outside the Magistrate Court, where the lawyer and one other woman were facing charges of extortion.
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Say Ahh - Think Mouth, Think Health message from one world celebrant of the World Oral Health Day today. (Webb photo).
The US District Court for the Middle of Pennsylvania [official website] on Monday dismissed [opinion, PDF] the lawsuit brought by Pennsylvania Republican legislators seeking to throw out the new electoral map [JURIST reports] designed by the state Supreme Court. Also on Monday, the US Supreme Court [official website] denied [order, PDF] a separate appeal from the original Pennsylvania Supreme Court case that resulted in the new congressional map.

The District Court dismissed the suit for lack of standing, finding that there has been no specific injury suffered either by the two state senators or the eight federal congressman who brought the claim to the court. In the complaint, Majority Leader Jake Corman and Government Committee Chair Michael Folmer [official websites] claimed that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court usurped the General Assembly in making the new map, which they asserted violates the federal Constitutions Election Clause [Art. I  4 text]. The District Court responded that the two senators cannot represent the whole institution of the General Assembly. The Senators acknowledged that the General Assembly as an institution could not bring the claim forward because of a potential issue preclusion as a result of the lost challenge in January. Since the two senators could not represent the General Assembly, they did not meet the standing necessary to file the alleged usurpation of the General Assembly.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Courts alleged usurpation of the General Assemblys power did not deprive Senator Corman or Senator Fulmar of any rights vested personally in them by the Elections Clause. Any responsibilities afforded the State Legislative Plaintiffs by nature of their respective leadership positions in the Pennsylvania Senate derive from state law. Their claimed injury thus does not emanate from the federal Elections Clause.

The court also found that the federal congressman similarly lacked standing to challenge the Pennsylvania Supreme Courts ruling. After noting that the federal congressman asserted an injury based on potentially wasted campaign resources, the court found that, [a]t bottom, the Federal Congressional Plaintiffs injuries are traceable only to the courts decision to invalidate the 2011 Map and its mandate that a new map be adopted  acts that the Plaintiffs concede are undoubtedly within the state courts authority. Finding therefore that none of the plaintiffs had standing to assert the claims before it, the District Court dismissed the action.

The Supreme Court also rebuffed [order, PDF] Republican challengers of the states new district map. Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and House Speaker Mike Turzai [official bios] had asked the Supreme Court to stay [JURIST report] the Pennsylvania Supreme Courts order setting aside the states 2011 congressional district map. The Supreme Court order dismisses the petition without explanation, although it does note that Justice Samuel Alito referred the case to the whole court for consideration, a departure from his earlier denial [JURIST report] of a substantially similar request.
The US Supreme Court [official website] on Monday granted certiorari [order list, PDF] in Nielsen v. Preap [docket; cert. petition, PDF] to rule on the mandatory detention of noncitizens who are released from criminal custody.

The question before the court is whether, a criminal alien becomes exempt from mandatory detention under 8 USC  1226(c) [materials] if, after the alien is released from criminal custody, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) [official website] does not take him into immigration custody immediately.

Under  1226(c), DHS can take into custody any alien that has committed a specified offense and, when the alien is released, without regard to whether the alien is released on parole, supervised release, or probation, and without regard to whether the alien may be arrested or imprisoned again for the same offense.

In late 2013, the respondents to this case brought a putative class action in federal district court, arguing that despite committing a specified predicated offense under  1226(c), they were exempt from mandatory detention under the law because DHS did not immediately take them into custody when released. The court found:

a class consisting of all aliens in California who are or will be subjected to mandatory detention under 8 USC section 1226(c) and who were not or will not have been taken into custody by the government immediately upon their release from criminal custody for a Section 1226(c)(1) offense.

Both the district court and the appeals court found in favor of the respondents, holding that they were exempt from mandatory detention because they were not taken into DHS custody immediately upon their release and granting a preliminary injunction requiring the government to provide bond hearings to all class members. In ruling so, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit created a circuit split that the court will have to resolve.
Political prisoner, activist, journalist, hymn-writer, emerging think tanker, aspiring novelist, hanger on of academia, parliamentary candidate for North West Durham, Shadow Leader of the Opposition, Speedboat, proudly banned from Twitter so officially more dangerous than the Taliban, eagerly awaiting the second (or possibly third) attempt to murder me.
Nwolfe35 said: And the Republicans do the same. What neither side seems to do is consistently fight for the rights of the individual. Click to expand...

I wont argue with that very much. We need to just call it what it is, the establishment. But, imo, I would much rather take my chances with today's Republicans than todays Democrats. The evangelicals are becoming less, the libertarians are building within the GOP, and at least they are not wanting to stop freedom of speech and encouraging civil disobedience every time they lose. At least the GOP is not encouraging a new slave class called undocumented workers. So, if you add up the scoreboard, the Democrat party is the worst of the lot. We need term limits to end the establishment in reality or this nation is heading for a civil war. We need to make it a law that once you become an elected official your investments go into a blind trust and you may not make any type of investments while your serving in your elected position.
PORTLAND, Ore.  After a recall order from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on chia seeds donated to food banks last week, Oregon Food Bank has announced additional recalls. According to the FDA, the chia seeds were contaminated with rodent droppings.

63,825 pounds of pumpkin seeds and 1,219 pounds of nutritional yeast will also be recalled. While there have been no reports of illness or contamination with these products, the Oregon Food Bank said that these were part of the same donation as the contaminated chia seeds.

The food bank fears possible contamination with Listeria species for the pumpkin seeds and nutritional yeast that accompanied the recalled chia seeds. The recall of these additional products comes out of an abundance of caution, according to the Oregon Food Bank.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious infections in the very young, elderly, or those with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals can suffer flu-like symptoms. The bacteria can also be harmful to pregnant women and their fetuses.

The Josephine County Food Bank and all of their partner agencies are following suitdisposing of any of these products that they may have received. The Oregon Food Bank asks that anyone who received these products between November 1, 2017 and March 16, 2018 should dispose of them immediately.

The pumpkin seeds were distributed in one-pound plastic ply film bags with a twist-type closure, re-sealable pouch, or in a Kale Joy bag (pictured).

CLICK HERE for our previous story on the contaminated chia seeds, and which local food banks were affected.
BlackBerry Ltd. is launching a new way to enhance the security of commonly used Microsoft cloud and mobility software in response to increased customer awareness of the need to protect sensitive information. Chief executive John Chen speaks at the BlackBerry Ltd. annual meeting in Waterloo, Ont., on June 23, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
FILE - In this Jan.18 2018 file photo, designer Kim Jones, centre, accepts applause as he walks with models Kate Moss, right, and Naomi Campbell after his Louis Vuitton men's Fall-Winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris. Christian Dior Couture announced Monday March 19, 2018 the appointment of Kim Jones as Artistic Director of Dior Homme for the Ready-to-Wear and Accessory collections. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, file)
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a rally near the Kremlin in Moscow, Sunday, March 18, 2018. An exit poll suggests that Vladimir Putin has handily won a fourth term as Russia's president, adding six more years in the Kremlin for the man who has led the world's largest country for all of the 21st century. (AP Photo/Denis Tyrin)
A woman shouts against the murder of councilwoman and human rights activist Marielle Franco in the Mare Complex slum of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, March 18, 2018. Franco's murder came just a month after the government put the military in charge of security in Rio, which is experiencing a sharp spike in violence less than two years after hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
In this July 13, 2017 photo, migrants stand on the deck of the Spanish NGO's Proactiva Open Arms vessel at harbor at Porto Empedocle in the southern Italian island of Sicily. The Italian news agency ANSA says the NGOAos migrant rescue ship has been put under sequester by prosecutorsAo orders, Sunday, March 18, 2018, in Pozzallo port, Sicily, where, a day earlier, the vessel brought 216 migrants it had rescued last week in the Mediterranean north of Libya. (Montana/ANSA via AP)
EUGENE, Ore.  Chris Skinner has been named Eugenes next police chief and is slated to begin April 30.

City Manager Jon Ruiz said Skinners leadership abilities and experience will make him an effective police chief.

Chris is known for building relationships, using innovative approaches, and leading by example, Ruiz said. He has an authentic and inclusive leadership style, and weve heard from people across the northwest that he is an experienced and well-respected law enforcement professional. I am confident he will lead our police department with fairness and compassion in a way that builds trust within EPD and with the community.

Skinner will receive an annual salary of $153,171. As Eugenes police chief he will be responsible for the police departments 190 sworn officers and 140 civilian employees. The department has an operational budget of over $50 million.

Skinner has been chief of police in Richland, Wash., since 2011 and has 27 years of police and public safety experience. He began his public safety career in the Benton County Sheriffs Office in Oregon.

While in the Hillsboro Police Department from 2001 to 2011, Skinner moved up the ranks from police lieutenant to commander and deputy chief.

Skinner was named the top candidate after a nationwide search and a three-day interview process last week. That process included four panels of 25 community members and a youth panel, a community forum attended by about 85 people, and input collected in person and online.

"What really sealed the deal was when the community and organization said 'yes, he is the right person for us.' So really my decision was pretty east after listening to all of that feedback," Ruiz said.

The City of Eugene and its police department has a longstanding tradition of excellence and Im honored and excited to be selected as the next chief of police, Skinner said. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of Eugene and I truly look forward to working with the department and the entire community.
ALBERT LEA, Minn.  Two people are facing charges after what authorities are describing as a possible drunk driving crash early Saturday morning.

The Freeborn County Sheriffs Office says it was called to the intersection of U.S. Highway 65 and 19th Street just after 2 am. Deputies were told a car had struck a railroad crossing pole. The vehicle was empty when deputies arrived at the scene.

It appears the car was heading east on 19th Street and took the curve too fast to stop. The front of the vehicle hit the pole and the front airbags were activated.

Deputies say they searched the area near the crash and found 20-year-old Donte Love of Albert Lea. They believe Love is the driver of the crashed car and was taken to Mayo Clinic Health Systems in Albert Lea for evaluation of what are described as minor injuries.

Charges of driving after suspension and leaving the scene of a crash are pending against Love. The Sheriffs Office says he may also be charged with DWI when the results of a blood test get back. 20-year-old Skyler Tovar of Albert Lea is identified as a passenger in the car and is charged with underage consumption of alcohol. All these charges are misdemeanors.
MASON CITY, Iowa  A man is facing a felony criminal mischief charge after police say he broke out multiple windows of a rental house.

Tyler Thompson, 21, is being held in the Cerro Gordo County Jail on $5,000 bond after he was involved in an argument Sunday at 3:55 p.m. in the 200 block of 7th St. NE.

Police say Thompson had been staying at the residence and during a dispute he broke the glass out of multiple windows. Police say he fled the scene as officers arrived.

This also goes above and beyond standard wear and tears on a house, the criminal complaint states.

An estimate to fix the damage is $1,738.
ROCHESTER, Minn.  An Elgin company is the 2017 Donor of the Year for Channel One Regional Food Bank.

Wescott Agri Products has been donating fresh produce to Channel One for more than 25 years.

Channel One Regional Food Bank is so grateful for our long-standing partnership with Wescott Agri Products, says Channel One Executive Director Virginia Merritt. Their generous support and amazing donations throughout the years have provided Channel One clients with fresh produce that they otherwise may not have access to.

Channel One provides food assistance to over 100,000 people in southeast Minnesota and La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Over the years Channel One has played an important role by providing a conduit between the food producers and those that have nutritional needs, says Fred Wescott, President of Wescott Agri Products. This has resulted in better market opportunities for agricultural producers by facilitating the utilization of less than perfect products that are as nutritionally sound as those found in retail stores. Channel One has made a win for all in their effort to help feed those in need. Wescott Orchard and the Mississippi Valley Growers are proud to accept the Donor of the Year Award for such an important cause.
DODGE COUNTY, Minn.  Grief counselors are available Monday as Hayfield Community Schools mourned the death of a 10-year-old student.

We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of one of our students. Our crisis management team met yesterday to make preparations for today. We are providing comfort rooms for our students and staff. These rooms will be staffed by counselors, counselors from Dodge County, and our area clergy, the school said Monday on Facebook.

Deputies were called to a residence in Hayfield around 11:30 a.m. for a child who was found unresponsive in bed. The child was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities say there was no obvious trauma to the child, who had no history of medical problems. An autopsy is planned to determine the cause of death.
Finalists have been named by the Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Cattlemens Association for the Best Burger in Iowa contest and a location in Kossuth County made the list.

The Wrangling Grace Cafe in Bancroft is one of 10 finalists after nearly 9,200 nominations were received. The number of votes each restaurant received determined the 2018 Top Ten restaurants.

Nominations were taken from Monday, Feb. 12 to March 12.

All the restaurants making the cut will be visited by anonymous judges who will evaluate the burgers based on taste, appearance and proper doneness.

The winner will be announced May 1.
MASON CITY, Iowa - This summer, thousands of people are expected to head to Mason City for a huge fireworks show.

The "Pyrotechnics Guild International" is having its convention in Mason City from August 4th through the 10th at the North Iowa Events Center. This year's theme is thunder and fire according to the PGI website. When Isaac Lightbody helped work for a food vendor during the fireworks show the last time the show was in town and he says its good news that they're coming again to give Mason City an economic boost.

Financially I would say its got to able a good thing there had to be nearly 1,000 people there I never met anyone local when I was working inside, Lightbody said.

Visit Mason City says that 100 million in tourism dollars came in the year RAGBRAI and the PGI convention came in 2014.

A bigger announcement on the event is scheduled Friday.
ROCHESTER, Minn.  A man accused of stealing a police car is going to prison.

24-year-old Travers Davel McDaniel of Rochester was arrested in mid-September 2017. Rochester police say an officer stopped to check a suspicious vehicle and got out of his car to help a woman who said she had car trouble. Police say thats when McDaniel jumped in the squad car and drove off.

Officers say McDaniel headed toward Slattery Park, where he crashed, and he was eventually caught by a police K9 unit.

McDaniel pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Charges of theft of a firearm, theft of a motor vehicle, and fleeing a peace officer were dismissed.

McDaniel was sentenced Monday to five years in Minnesota state prison, with credit for 159 days already served, and must pay $6,445.02 in restitution.
Francesco Canepa

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Germany and Argentina want to uphold a pledge to keep international trade free at a summit of the worlds 20 largest economies in Buenos Aires this week, the countries finance ministers said on Sunday.

A multi-decade-old international consensus over trade has come under threat from U.S. President Donald Trumps protectionist stance, which includes plans to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum.

But representatives from Europes largest economy, Germany, and host country Argentina will stand by free trade at a G20 summit on March 19-20, where they will insist on reaffirming the language of the groups previous gathering.

This stressed the crucial role of the rules-based international trading system.

We aim to reach an agreement in terms of maintaining the wording of the Hamburg communique (about) sustaining the benefits of free trade, Argentinas Treasury Minister Nicolas Dujovne said.

His words were echoed by Germanys new Social Democratic finance minister Olaf Scholz, who was speaking alongside him at a press conference after a bilateral meeting.

Their comments confirm a draft of the communique exclusively seen by Reuters last week.

Speaking to reporters earlier, Scholz had also warned that protectionism could harm future economic prospects and said Germany would continue talks to dissuade the United States from imposing planned punitive tariffs.

Speaking to a German TV channel, Germany Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, who is responsible for trade, cautioned it was unclear if differences between Washington and Brussels could be resolved by the end of the week.

The U.S. tariffs are due to take effect on March 23.

In Buenos Aires, Scholz also pledged to invest more in Germanys public infrastructure - something Germanys European partners have long called for in hopes it would help stimulate the regions economy as a whole.

Germany is a very strong economy and the new government will invest a lot to... increase the investment in the public infrastructure, which is part of the debate we have all over the world, Scholz said.

This marked a departure from his predecessor, austerity champion Wolfgang Schaeuble.

Reporting by Francesco Canepa; Additional reporting By Gernot Heller in Buenos Aires and Andrea Shalal in Berlin; Editing by Andrea Ricci
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China has selected American-trained economist Yi Gang to become the countrys new central bank governor, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Sunday, citing unnamed people with knowledge of the matter.

The WSJ said the nomination of Yi, who is currently deputy to incumbent central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan was reviewed by the nearly 3,000 delegates attending the National Peoples Congress on Sunday afternoon.

It said his appointment to the top post at the Peoples Bank of China was set to be approved when the legislature reconvenes on Monday morning.

Zhou, the countrys longest-serving central bank head, said in October that he was likely to retire soon and sources with ties to the leadership had told Reuters that he was likely to do so around the time of the annual session of parliament.

Reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Susan Fenton
Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress, facing yet another government shutdown deadline at midnight on Friday, will try this week to approve a massive spending bill that would end lawmakers nettlesome budget infighting, at least through Sept. 30.

Republican leaders in the House of Representatives hope to unveil soon the product of long negotiations over a $1 trillion spending bill. It would fund all of the federal governments activities, except for the gigantic mandatory entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare, which do not have to be renewed annually.

The Republican-controlled Congress was supposed to have completed this work by Sept. 30, 2017, the start of fiscal 2018, but it has not done that. Instead, the government has been running on a series of short-term, stopgap funding measures.

As of Sunday, negotiators were still trying to put the finishing touches on a longer-term bill. Its progress has been slowed by partisan flashpoints between Republicans and Democrats, including immigration policy.

Failure to pass this major spending bill by the end of Friday would leave Congress with two options: force federal agencies to suspend operations ranging from national park lands to medical research due to a lack of funds; or pass another in a series of stopgap bills.

In January, Washington was plunged into partial shutdown mode for a weekend because of disagreements on a stopgap bill.

Some conservative Republicans are likely to vote against the major bill, which could push budget deficits for fiscal 2018 to more than $800 billion. That would give Democrats leverage to make demands to win their votes needed for passage.

Democrats are resisting President Donald Trumps call for money to start building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and to hire more immigration enforcement agents.

Republicans want to insert gun-related measures, including one to provide new grants for school safety programs and one to tighten background checks on gun purchases. Both fall far short of what gun control advocates want.

Republicans regularly push for anti-abortion initiatives in spending bills, and this years is no different.

Negotiators were also seeking to fund new infrastructure projects. There also was a fight underway over the costly New York-to-New Jersey Gateway Program railroad tunnel project, which Trump opposes.

If Congress does manage to pass its omnibus spending bill by Friday, that would not end budget infighting for good.

Lawmakers would then have until Sept. 30 to pass a dozen separate spending bills for fiscal 2019, which begins on Oct. 1, or resume their game of blaming each other for possibly causing shutdowns.

Reporting by Richard Cowan; editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Jonathan Oatis
Vladimir Soldatkin, Gleb Stolyarov

KEMEROVO, Russia (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin won a landslide re-election victory on Sunday, extending his rule over the worlds largest country for another six years at a time when his ties with the West are on a hostile trajectory.

Putins thumping victory will extend his total time in office to nearly a quarter of a century, until 2024, by which time he will be 71. Only Soviet dictator Josef Stalin ruled for longer. Putin has promised to use his new term to beef up Russias defenses against the West and to raise living standards.

In a widely-expected result, an exit poll by pollster VTsIOM showed Putin, who has already dominated the political landscape for the last 18 years, had won 73.9 percent of the vote. Backed by state TV, the ruling party, and credited with an approval rating around 80 percent, his victory was never in doubt.

None of the seven candidates who ran against him posed a threat, and opposition leader Alexei Navalny was barred from running. Critics alleged that officials had compelled people to come to the polls to ensure that voter boredom at the one-sided contest did not lead to a low turnout.

Russias Central Election Commission recognized that there were some irregularities, but were likely to dismiss wider criticism and declare the overall result legitimate.

Putin loyalists said the result was a vindication of his tough stance towards the West.

I think that in the United States and Britain theyve understood they cannot influence our elections, Igor Morozov, a member of the upper house of parliament, said on state television. Our citizens understand what sort of situation Russian finds itself in today.

The immediate question is if and when opponents like Navalny organize protests, citing widespread fraud, and how large and sustained those protests will be. A senior opposition politician has warned they could descend into street clashes if police crack down too hard on demonstrators.

The longer-term question is whether Putin will soften his anti-Western rhetoric now the election is won.

HOSTILE RELATIONS

Putins bellicose language reached a crescendo before the election in a state-of-the-nation speech when he unveiled new nuclear weapons, saying they could hit almost any point in the world and evade a U.S.-built missile shield.

At odds with the West over Syria, Ukraine, allegations of Russian election meddling and cyber attacks, and the poisoning in Britain of a former Russian spy and his daughter, relations between Moscow and the West are at a post Cold War low.

Putin, 65, has been in power, either as president or prime minister, since 2000.

Allies laud the former KGB agent as a father-of-the-nation figure who has restored national pride and expanded Moscows global clout with interventions in Syria and Ukraine.

Critics accuse him of overseeing a corrupt authoritarian system and of illegally annexing Ukraines Crimea in 2014, a move that isolated Russia internationally.

Western sanctions on Russia imposed over Crimea and Moscows backing of a pro-Russian separatist uprising in eastern Ukraine remain in place and have damaged the Russian economy, which only rebounded last year after a prolonged downturn.

Britain and Russia are also locked in a diplomatic dispute over the spy poisoning incident, and Washington is eyeing new sanctions on Moscow over allegations it interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, something Russia flatly denies.

Officials and analysts say there is little agreement among Putins top policymakers on an economic strategy for his new term.

How long Putin wants to stay in power is uncertain.

The constitution limits the president to two successive terms, obliging him to step down at the end of his new mandate  as he did in 2008 after serving two four-year terms. The presidential term was extended from four to six years, starting in 2012.

Although Putin has six years to consider a possible successor, uncertainty about his long-term future is a potential source of instability in a fractious ruling elite that only he can keep in check.

Kremlin insiders say Putin has selected no heir apparent, and that any names being circulated are the product of speculation, not knowledge of Putins thinking.

The longer he stays in power, the harder it will be to exit, said Andrei Kolesnikov, senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center, a think tank. How can he abandon such a complicated system, which is essentially his personal project?

Additional reporting by Reuters reporters; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Christian Lowe
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican U.S. Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he expects President Donald Trump to pull out of the Iran nuclear agreement in May.

The Iran deal will be another issue thats coming up in May, and right now it doesnt feel like its gonna be extended, Corker told CBS Face the Nation in an interview broadcast Sunday.

I think the president likely will move away from it unless my, our European counterparts really come together on a framework. And it doesnt feel to me that they are, he said.

Britain, France and Germany have proposed fresh EU sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missiles program and its role in Syrias war in a bid to persuade Washington to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, according to a confidential document seen by Reuters.

The proposal is part of an EU strategy to save the accord signed by world powers that curbs Tehrans ability to develop nuclear weapons, namely by showing U.S. President Donald Trump there are other ways to counter Iranian power abroad.

Trump delivered an ultimatum to the European signatories on Jan. 12. It said they must agree to fix the terrible flaws of the Iran nuclear deal, which was agreed under his predecessor Barack Obama, or he would refuse to extend U.S. sanctions relief on Iran. U.S. sanctions will resume unless Trump issues fresh waivers to suspend them on May 12.

Asked if he believed Trump would pull out on May 12, the deadline for the president to issue a new waiver to suspend Iran sanctions as part of the deal, Corker responded, I do. I do.

Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Jonathan Landay; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe
(Kitco News) - A U.S. town has become the first to ban bitcoin mining after residents complained of skyrocketing electricity bills.

A small town of Plattsburgh, New York, said last week that it is slapping an 18-month moratorium on cryptocurrency mining to protect and enhance the City's natural, historic, cultural and electrical resources.

The city councils vote was unanimous and the fine for ignoring the ban will be up to $1,000 per day.

Plattsburgh, which has a population of nearly 20,000 people, used to be able to brag about cheap power, which it gets from the St Lawrence River.

But, in December and January, the town used up more than the 104 megawatt-hours of hydro allotted to it per month, which forced Plattsburgh to buy expensive power from the open market.

The decision to ban bitcoin mining was made after a public hearing was called by Plattsburghs residents complaining of a surge in their electricity bills.

Ive been hearing a lot of complaints that electric bills have gone up by $100 or $200, Plattsburgh mayor Colin Read told Motherboard. You can understand why people are upset.

Prior to this, residents paid about 4.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. This is very cheap in comparison to 10 cents per kilowatt-hour  an average of what the rest of the country pays.

Plattsburgh also gave a price incentive for industrial purposes, which allowed enterprises to use the power only at 2 cents per kilowatt-hour.

According to a Motherboard report, Coinmint has its biggest bitcoin mining center in Plattsburgh, which used about ten percent of the towns total power supply in January and February.

Local officials have pledged to work with residents to figure out the new rules governing bitcoin mining within the next 18 months.

The ban comes as more information is being revealed about how energy-consuming bitcoin mining really is.

The latest report from Digiconomist said that one transaction by bitcoin miners uses as much electricity as it takes to power 27 houses.

Over the weekend, bitcoin prices struggled to stay above $8,000, with the digital currency last trading at $8,408 after dropping to $7,318 earlier on Sunday, according to Kitco.com's aggregated charts.

The fall below $8,000 would be really concerning for bitcoin miners after a study, conducted by Fundstrat Global Advisors, revealed that at prices below $8,000 bitcoin miners will not make a profit.

For the analysis, Fundstrat assumed the cost of electricity to be at six cents per kilowatt-hour. Bitcoin currently trades essentially at the break-even cost of mining a bitcoin, currently at $8,038 based on a mining model developed by our data science team, the study said.
(Kitco News) - Gold fever has hit Pennsylvania following news that the FBI, following a tip from a treasure hunting group, scoured the state land over the weekend looking for lost civil war gold bullion.

According to reports, dozens of federal agents and members of the treasure-hunting group Finders Keepers were trekking through the forest near Dents Run, four hours northeast of Pittsburg, looking for up to one ton of gold thought to be lost 155 years ago.

Of course, what would a good gold legend story be without a bit of mystery? The FBI would not confirm what its agents were doing on state land. According to news reports, the FBI has only said that it was conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity.

Local lore has said that a shipment of 26 or 52 gold bars (depending on who is telling the story), weighing more than 739 troy ounces each, went missing in the state, just before the Battle of Gettysburg. The bullion was traveling from West Virginia on its way to U.S. Mint in Philadelphia. The shipment was supposed to be used to pay Union soldiers.

With gold currently hovering around $1,313 an ounce, the lost bullion would be worth more than $50 million.

Dennis Parada, owner of Finders Keepers, said that he had been warned by government agents to keep quiet. In a post on his website, he has said that the government is stopping him from finding or even talking about the lost gold.

We believe that we found the gold at the Dents Run site and that the state is doing everything that they can to stop us from telling our story, Parada said in a written statement. We found a bullet shell, knifes, animal traps, zinc mason jar lid, tin cans, bones (human or animal), whiskey bottle, camp fire pit, and alot more that the state now has and wont return. They say that they dont have the time or the money to go treasure hunting but if we can show them the gold then they will look into it. (sic)

While Finders Keepers believes there is gold in them thar hills, historians have said that it is unlikely the legends of lost gold are true.

Stories of lost gold have captured the attention of treasure hunters around the world. In 2015 hunters descended on Walbrzych, Poland after it was revealed that two people found evidence of what they believed to be a lost Nazi train. According to the 70-year old rumors, a train laden with gold and treasures looted by Nazis was lost somewhere in the region.

The search for the lost Nazi ghost train failed; the images of what appeared to be a train on radar images were actually a natural rock formation. However, it wasnt a total bust as the region saw tourism increase by 44%, bringing in more than $200 million.
(Kitco News) - Hecla Mining Co. (NYSE: HL) has agreed to buy all outstanding shares of Klondex Mines Ltd. (NYSE American: KLDX; TSX: KDX), allowing Hecla to bump up production with the addition of the Fire Creek, Midas and Hollister mines in Nevada, the companies reported Monday.

Klondex's Canadian assets will be spun out to existing shareholders. The value of Heclas acquisition of Klondex was put at $462 million, with the deal to include a mix of cash and shares of Hecla stock and a newly formed company -- Klondex Canada.

Klondexs shareholders will receive $2.47 per share in cash or shares of Hecla, which represents a 59% premium to Klondexs 30-day volume-weighted average price as of Friday, the companies reported.

Opportunities to acquire significant land packages along Nevadas prolific gold trends are very rare, said Phillips S. Baker, Jr., Heclas president and chief executive officer. Rarer still are for these land packages to have the highest-grade mines in the U.S., and this transaction is consistent with Heclas strategy of owning large prospective land packages with mines where we can improve costs, grow reserves and expand production.

The deal allows Hecla to use excess cash balances to gain approximately 162,000 gold-equivalent ounces of production per year, Baker added. Hecla already has gold and silver mines in Alaska, Quebec, Nevada, Mexico and Idaho.

Paul Huet, Klondexs president and CEO, said his companys board of directors unanimously recommends approval of the deal by Klondex shareholders. He said the transaction delivers premium value and a clear pathway to develop and optimize the Nevada mining assets and create further value in the future.

The transaction will require approval by two-thirds of Klondex shareholders, with the companies reporting that a special meeting of Klondex shareholders is planned for June. If approved, the transaction is expected to close yet in the second quarter. The agreement includes a $21 million termination fee payable to Klondex or Hecla, under certain circumstances.

Meanwhile, some members of Klondexs board and management team will continue on at Klondex Canada. Hecla will subscribe for $7 million of common shares of New Klondex in exchange for a 13.46% equity interest, based on a pre-investment Klondex Canada valuation of $45 million, the companies said. Klondex Canada intends to make an application to list its shares on the TSX Venture Exchange.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia called the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers a flawed agreement on Monday, on the eve of a meeting between the Saudi Crown Prince and U.S. President Donald Trump who have both been highly critical of Iran.

Our view of the nuclear deal is that its a flawed agreement, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters in Washington.

The meeting between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, or MbS as he known in Western circles  and Trump, comes at a time when Riyadh and Washington have been strengthening their relationship after tensions under the previous U.S. administration.

Saudi state news agency SPA said the Crown Prince left for the United States on Monday to begin the visit, which is also expected to include meetings with business leaders and stops in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston.

It is Mohammed bin Salmans first visit to the United States since becoming heir apparent.

The ambitious young prince, has embarked on reforms to modernize deeply conservative Saudi Arabia.

He visited Britain earlier this month on his first foreign tour since his rise as part of efforts to persuade Western allies that shock reforms have made his country, the worlds top oil exporter, a better place to invest and a more tolerant society.

He will meet Trump on Tuesday at the White House.

In his meetings with business and industry leaders, the prince is aiming to cultivate investments and political support. Several dozen Saudi chief executives are expected to join him in touting investment opportunities in the kingdom.

Any visit to the New York Stock Exchange will be watched closely by investors because of the potentially lucrative listing of up to 5 percent of Saudi Aramco expected later this year.

Sources close to the process said the kingdom is increasingly looking to just float the oil giant locally as plans for an initial public offering on an international exchange such as New York or London appear to be receding.

Prince Mohammed has won Western plaudits for seeking to ease Saudi Arabias reliance on oil, tackle chronic corruption and transform the Sunni Muslim kingdom.

But the severity and secrecy of an anti-corruption crackdown

last November, after Prince Mohammed was named heir to the throne, has unnerved some investors.

The crown prince is also likely to reiterate to Washington the view of Saudi Arabia that its regional arch-rival, Iran, should not be trusted given its nuclear program.

Under a deal reached with major powers including the United States in 2015, Tehran curbed its enrichment of uranium for nuclear fuel, a process that can also yield atomic bombs, in exchange for a removal of tough international sanctions.

Trump delivered an ultimatum to the European powers on Jan. 12, saying they must agree to fix the terrible flaws of the Iran nuclear deal or he would refuse to extend U.S. sanctions relief on Iran that it calls for.
GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States nominee to lead the United Nations migration agency denied on Monday that he was anti-Islam while acknowledging a controversy over some of his social media posts and retweets in the past.

I have never shown discrimination against anybody or anything, period, other than if they need help. If they need help I always help them, said Ken Isaacs, currently vice-president of Samaritans Purse, a Christian aid organization.

Isaacs is one of three candidates bidding to head the International Organization for Migration, the U.N. body whose role includes coordinating aid for Muslim Rohingya people fleeing Myanmar and tracking thousands of Africans trying to migrate to Europe.

Last month the Washington Post said it had found tweets, social media posts and radio appearances by Isaacs which the newspaper said included disparaging remarks about Muslims.

First I would point out that the bio at the top says retweets are not endorsements. I have retweeted many things to stimulate conversation, Isaacs said at a briefing arranged by the U.S. mission in Geneva.

I can see that theres some controversy about that, he said.

He said he had worked in Sudan, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Bangladesh, and officials that he had met from U.N. member countries could tell immediately that he did not harbor any prejudice.

They feel satisfied, after talking to me for a minute or two and hearing who I am, what I talk about, where my heart is, that question just goes to bits, he said.

The job is traditionally filled by an American, but the stakes have been raised by U.S. President Donald Trumps policies, which have frequently caused diplomatic storms, and by IOMs induction into the United Nations in 2016, which has raised its profile and caused friction with the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR.

He embodies what the United States believes, said Jennifer Arangio, senior director of the U.S. National Security Council, sitting alongside Isaacs.

Isaacs declined to take a position on Trumps plan for a wall along the Mexican border or on the situation of Palestinian refugees. He also declined to say whether he believed that climate change, a major driver of migration, was caused by humans.

Whether or do or whether I dont does not take away from the fact that climate disasters happen, he said. Im not a climatologist, Im not going to jump into that discussion.
Johnson Architecture donates new facility design for Little Ponderosa Zoo and Rescue





Artist rendering of the new Little Ponderosa Zoo and Rescue by Johnson Architecture



CLINTON, TN - After a devastating fire last December, plans to rebuild the Little Ponderosa Zoo and Rescue started quickly since the surviving animals and new rescues would need a permanent home. Knoxville-based Johnson Architecture volunteered to donate its time to design a new structure for the nonprofit organization.

Little Ponderosa Zoo and Rescue is such a valuable part of our community, and we wanted to give back in their time of need and thank them for all that they do to provide a loving home for rescue animals, said Daryl Johnson, president of Johnson Architecture.



The new design recently was revealed to the organizations donors, sponsors and supporters.



The facility, which will be built on the foundation of the former structure in Clinton, Tennessee, will feature 5,600 square feet of interior space; a 1,700-square-foot mezzanine; front and rear porches; and 4,200 square feet of open-air, covered storage. It will include a bird aviary, reptile viewing area and eight stalls to house a variety of animals.



A primary goal of this design was to improve the living space for the animals to provide safety and enrichment, Johnson said. By providing top-notch facilities, Little Ponderosa Zoo will continue to give its animals a great quality of life. The new design also makes it easier for people to interact with the animals.



Johnson Architecture has extensive experience designing animal handling facilities and exhibits, including projects at Zoo Knoxville, Chattanooga Zoo and Rowan Nature & Learning Center in Salisbury, North Carolina.



A wooden quilt square, commonly found in East Tennessee barn architecture, will hang above the back door on the facilitys exterior to memorialize the animals that perished in the fire. The quilt square also will include the names of the animals.



Johnson Architecture has been such an important partner in this project, said James Cox, owner and director of Little Ponderosa Zoo and Rescue. We could not do this without them and are so grateful for such a generous contribution. When Johnson Architecture suggested the wooden quilt square, we were all on board. Its the perfect way to remind us that the spirit of those animals survives every day in all of the work that we do.



Construction is scheduled to begin March 19. Please visit www.littleponderosazoo.com to donate to the rebuilding efforts.



Founded in 1994 by Daryl Johnson, AIA, Johnson Architecture is a design firm that provides architecture, planning and full in-house interior design services for facilities of all types. Johnson Architecture has designed various sized projects for numerous purposes, including commercial, educational, healthcare, residential, restaurant, tourism and spiritual. Notable clients include Blackberry Farm, Clayton Homes, Cornerstone of Recovery, First Presbyterian Church, Knoxvilles Community Development Corporation, Maryville City Schools, Maryville College, RT Lodge, South College and Zoo Knoxville.
Violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill, left, performs with violist Lee Soo-min during a press conference held at Munho Art Hall in Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap



By Yun Suh-young



Just over a year and three months since the release of his last album, "British Viola," American violist of Korean descent Richard Yongjae O'Neill released his ninth album, "Duo," on Monday, a rare move for a violist as the instrument is not popular in the classical genre.



"One of the greatest gifts in my career has been the luxury of having the ability to make albums in a time when that's increasingly difficult," O'Neill said in a press conference held in Seoul, Monday, for the his release of the album and to promote his upcoming recital "Duo" on March 31 at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul.



"Albums are so important because performance is great but it's contained within the room. With albums, there's something special about capturing the magic of music forever. I feel lucky because Universal Music has been very generous with their resources with me. I believe it's my mission that when I pass, (when) people remember me, they can hear a full spectrum of me -- of who I am as an artist."



In his new album, O'Neill collaborates with three artists -- violinist Zia Hyunsu Shin, cellist Mun Tae-guk, and fellow violist Lee Soo-min -- performing a duet with each of them. All three are good friends and colleagues of O'Neill and have collaborated with him on various occasions. They will also join him for the March 31 concert, along with the DITTO chamber orchestra.



In the concert, O'Neill will perform Beethoven with Mun, George Benjamin with Lee and Mozart with Shin, as in the album. Bach and Schubert will be additions to the concert that are not on the album.



When asked why he tried the duet format with strings this time, O'Neill said, "they're in the same string family."



"Duo is more virtuosic for the composer because it's sort of like solo writing. Solo composition for any instrument is very difficult. Duo is similar in the sense that even if you divide, it gives you very little range, less means. So it's a very soloistic album because everyone can hear everyone else's voice very clearly. Viola is sort of in the middle of everything," he said.



But the difference in duets as opposed to solo performances is in the drama, says O'Neill.



"Soloist is like an actor delivering a monologue. But most stage drama you see has to have at least two characters. Drama often takes two," he said.



"I think this album is a really great example because if there are two people, you get to know both people. Tae-guk is one of my great friends and colleagues who I've seen blossom over the years. Soo-min has a beautiful, gorgeous sound and a lot of experience with contemporary music which I admire. Zia, I've known for the longest -- over a decade -- and I've seen her become a fully mature artist from a student. An album like this, for listeners, they can get to know us better individually as well as together."



The future of viola is bright, he said.



"Viola is no longer an instrument made fun of and ridiculed. There are a lot of great soloists and great music written and performed and I'm proud to be part of that. As violists -- ask any violist -- we don't choose the instrument to conquer the world."



O'Neill is a philanthropist and an active giver who is always thankful about life.



"My life, I feel, it's such a great gift and music matters more than ever to me. Direct, honest communication is so essential and celebrating beauty, in the world of a lot of ugliness, and sharing this is important. I view myself not as a violist but as a musician and it's my duty. Whatever music requires me to do, I must do," he said, his voice trembling with emotion.


By Jhoo Dong-chan





Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon said Friday he will meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin next week at a meeting of the Group of 20 finance chiefs in Argentina, to discuss the U.S. government's plan to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.



"The government is taking every possible measure to deal with the U.S. government's tariff plan," Kim said in a radio interview.



Kim flew to Buenos Aires later in the day to attend the Group of 20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.



On the sidelines of the event, Kim plans to sit down with Mnuchin and ask the U.S. government to exempt Korea from the steep tariffs. Earlier this month U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order imposing a 25 percent levy on all steel imports and a 10 percent levy on aluminum imports, but No. 1 and No. 4 steel-providers Canada and Mexico were exempted. Korea is the third-largest steel exporter to the United States.



The tariffs are scheduled to take effect March 23.



However, Kim remained cautious about Seoul taking retaliatory action against U.S. products.



"It is inappropriate to mention them (retaliatory measures) now," he said.



"Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong is also now visiting Washington to discuss the issue. The government will consider domestic solutions if Korea fails to get an exemption from the tariffs. Korea and the U.S. are bound to a free trade agreement. Retaliatory measures should be considered within the bigger picture."



Nomura, Japan's largest investment and securities group, said Korea's small- and medium-sized steelmakers are expected to be hit harder than their larger counterparts, while Japanese firms will probably sustain minor damage.



Seoul has already sent the trade minister as a special envoy to the U.S., Tuesday, to discuss possible solutions, a move following President Trump's announcement that exempts Canada and Mexico from the steel tariffs. Trump also mentioned the possibility of excluding other allies, backtracking from an earlier "no-exceptions" stance.



Market observers say Kim will stress Korean steelmakers' contribution to the U.S. economy through investments.



According to the ministry, Korean steelmakers have invested $5.7 billion in the U.S., which has created about 33,000 new jobs there. The country is also America's third-largest steel source.



China also strongly opposed the Trump administration's decision, denouncing the move while it will "firmly defend its legitimate rights and interests," according to the country's Ministry of Commerce.




Korea should take lessons from Canada, Mexico



By Kim Jae-kyoung



South Korea should strengthen its diplomacy to local actors outside Washington to cut a win-win deal from Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) renegotiations and steel tariff talks, U.S. trade experts said Sunday.



They said direct negotiations with Washington are important but recommended more efforts to help local stakeholders better understand the potential impact of protectionist measures to get Trump to take a fresh look at bilateral trade issues.



They suggested Korea take a cue from Canada and Mexico, both of which were exempted from the Trump administration's hefty tariffs on steel and aluminum. The duties imposition will come into force this Friday.



"It's important to remember that emphasis should not only be placed on Washington," Troy Stangarone, senior director at the Korea Economic Institute (KEI) based in Washington, told The Korea Times.



Stangarone, who is in charge of congressional and trade affairs, pointed out Canada and Mexico have been reaching out to governors and local officials around the U.S. because they have significant stakes in the overall relationship.



"If a member of Congress' or governor's constituents think the KORUS FTA or the U.S.-Korea alliance is important, they will too," he said.



When Trump originally considered terminating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the secretary of agriculture showed him a map of the areas likely to be negatively impacted by a withdrawal from NAFTA and the districts he had won in the campaign.



This is why Canada and Mexico have engaged in extensive public diplomacy to ensure the mutually beneficial relationship between the U.S. and its NAFTA partners is understood.



"While there has been talk of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convincing him to renegotiate instead, it was likely this understanding that Trump would have been hurting his own voters if he withdrew from NAFTA that persuaded him to renegotiate instead," he said.



When it comes to the KORUS FTA, similar to NAFTA, there is a broader relationship that is of interest to governors, mayors and businesses.



"In the U.S., local politics matters in a way that it doesn't in other countries, so public diplomacy and explaining the importance of the U.S.-Korea relationship to local actors is an important part of ensuring stability in the relationship," he said.



Mauro Guillen, director of the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, echoed the view, saying the only possible response is to inform the U.S. of the consequences of protectionism.



"South Korean officials should continue to talk to their U.S. counterparts and explain why protectionism is not a good option for the long run. I see no other way of dealing with this problem," he said.



The advice came after Seoul and Washington have failed to iron out differences over key issues, including exempting Korea from the U.S. steel tariff list, in their third round of KORUS FTA renegotiations that ended Friday in Washington, D.C.



Trump is increasing pressure on Moon to get a better trade deal by threatening to remove U.S. troops from South Korea unless ongoing trade talks pan out smoothly. The fourth round of FTA renegotiations is due soon.



Antonio Fatas, a Singapore-based economics professor at global business school INSEAD, said for successful negotiation, it is important to understand what the Trump administration really wants.



"Trump's views are inconsistent and changing. It seems the best strategy for Korea is to understand the thinking process of the Trump administration and use it to obtain concessions in some of these decisions," he said.



He suggested Korea use North Korea's nuclear program as leverage.



"What does South Korea have that Trump might want? Help with North Korea. It is unclear what South Korea can offer but this is the one button it can try to push," he said.



In addition to diplomatic efforts, experts said the Moon administration should also seek ways to reduce trade deficits with the U.S. to get the upper hand in FTA talks.



"Korea needs to reduce trade surpluses against the U.S.," said Sohn Sung-won, an economics professor at California State University-Channel Islands.



"The best way is to increase trade in both directions. This means Korea would have to import more from the U.S."




Sweden's Minister of Foreign Affairs Margot Wallstrom / Reuters



Sweden has consistently worked on behalf of the United States to request the release of three Americans detained in North Korea, a White House official said Sunday.

CNN reported that the issue of the detainees was discussed in depth during last week's meetings in Stockholm between top North Korean and Swedish diplomats.

"Sweden is our protecting power, so they naturally make these requests for us, and have been doing so," the National Security Council official told Yonhap on background.

Sweden serves as an intermediary between the U.S. and North Korea as the two do not have diplomatic relations with each other.

The three American detainees -- Kim Dong-chul, Tony Kim and Kim Hak-song -- have been accused of espionage or "hostile acts."












President Moon Jae-in speaks with Japanese Prime Minister on the phone on March 16 to discuss the latest developments with North Korea. / Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo



Japan is stepping up efforts to join talks with North Korea after stressing the importance of sanctions over dialogue for Pyongyang's denuclearization.



Some diplomatic sources say Tokyo's abrupt shift in its North Korea policy is to avoid being left behind, as the other five stakeholders of the Korean Peninsula including the U.S., China and Russia, have thrown their support behind inter-Korean reconciliation.



Other sources say Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is trying to divert public attention amid a mounting scandal involving his wife and the sale of state-owned land.



Japan had remained skeptical about dialogue with North Korea despite a series of reconciliatory steps between the two Koreas since January, such as the announcement on March 6 of a planned summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.



Japan was then surprised when U.S. President Trump on March 9 accepted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's offer to meet and said they would hold a summit by the end of May.



Trump's decision triggered Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's decision to hold an unexpected summit between the two leaders in April.



The sources said Abe's treatment of National Intelligence Service director Suh Hoon was a possible sign he was beginning to take dialogue with North Korea seriously and was seeking the South's cooperation.



Abe was previously criticized in Seoul for not being courteous to the presidential envoy and other South Korean officials when he had them sit in lower chairs than his own.



Suh was one of Moon's envoys to North Korea from March 5 to 6 and briefed Abe in Tokyo on March 13 about his Pyongyang trip after visiting the White House.



During his phone call with Moon on March 16, Abe agreed to work together to resolve pending issues between North Korea and Japan, especially regarding the issue of Japanese nationals kidnapped by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s.



The two leaders also agreed on working-level discussions to arrange Moon's possible visit to Japan as well as their meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the earliest possible date.





Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, right, talks with National Intelligence Service director Suh Hoon, one of President Moon Jae-in's envoys to North Korea, during Suh's visit to Tokyo on March 13. / Yonhap



Meanwhile, South Korea and the U.S. have been pushing to cooperate for their historic summits in April and May.



Moon had a separate phone call with Trump on March 16, during which they stressed the importance of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, according to Moon's chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan.



"The President said it is the most important goal and process in order to secure peace in the world, let alone the Peninsula," Yoon said.



Moon and Trump expressed "cautious optimism" over recent developments and emphasized that "a brighter future is available for North Korea if it chooses the correct path."



The White House noted the two leaders' resolve to make sure the North upholds its stated commitment to denuclearization.



"Both leaders affirmed the importance of learning from the mistakes of the past, and pledged continued, close coordination to maintain maximum pressure on the North Korean regime," it said, referring to economic and diplomatic sanctions on the North.



"The two leaders agreed concrete actions, not words, will be the key to achieving permanent denuclearization of the peninsula, and President Trump reiterated his intention to meet with North Korean Kim Jong-un by the end of May."





Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, left, and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono shake hands in Washington, D.C., on March 16.

/ Yonhap




Defense Minister Song Young-moo shakes hands with U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Scott Swift after a meeting at the ministry in Yongsan, central Seoul, March 8. / Yonhap



By Choi Ha-young



South Korea and the United States will start their annual military exercises, Friday, but they will be kept low-key in consideration of revived diplomacy with North Korea, military sources said Monday.



The Foal Eagle exercise will start April 1 for a one-month run, while the Key Resolve drills will begin Friday. The schedule will be officially announced today



The sources emphasized that the combined exercises will take place "on the level of previous years," but U.S. strategic assets including nuclear-powered submarines and B-1B bombers are not expected to show up. Last year, the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson took part in the exercise.



The duration of the Foal Eagle exercise is likely to be reduced to one month, compared to two months last year. Key Resolve will be conducted for two weeks, as it was last year. As a part of Foal Eagle, the two allies will carry out the Ssangyong (double dragon) exercise, a marine landing drill in case of war.



The allies plan to keep the Ssangyong exercise out of the public eye, so as not to hamper the ongoing diplomacy, according to local media reports. The North normally reacts angrily to the exercise.



Defense Minister Song Young-moo earlier hinted at a smaller scale of the combined drills. "You need not send strategic weapons  such as nuclear-powered submarines  this time while serving as commander," Song jokingly said in a meeting with U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Scott Swift, March 8.



The exercises are normally held from around late February to early March. However, President Donald Trump accepted President Moon Jae-in's request to delay them until the ends the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympics, which finished Sunday.



The resumption of the combined drills shows the allies' efforts to keep up pressure on the North though negotiations are underway behind the scenes. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he "understands the routine joint military exercises between the South Korea and the United States must continue," in a meeting with the South's National Security Office director Chung Eui-yong.



The combined exercises will be a key bargaining chip in the planned nuclear negotiations, according to Sejong Institute Senior Research Fellow Cheong Seong-chang.



"If North Korea's Kim was not prepared to accept the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of his nuclear programs, he would not have proposed a summit with President Trump," Cheong said in a report.



"In exchange for the nuclear renunciation, Kim may demand the halt of the combined military exercises, as well as a peace treaty and the withdrawal of economic sanctions."








By Jung Min-ho







A firefighter is under investigation after allegedly trying to rape a woman on Jeju Island last week, police said Monday.







According to Jeju Dongbu Police Station, the firefighter, 29, injured the woman, in her 20s, during the attempted rape at a beach at 10:30 p.m. on March 11.







The victim, whose identity is being withheld, said she suffered injuries to her arms and legs as she fought back.







She escaped and told a friend what happened. The two later reported it to the police, who apprehended the firefighter at a guesthouse at around 00:35 a.m. on March 12.







The firefighter, who is based in Pohang in North Gyeongsang Province, had gone to the island for a holiday and was staying at the same guesthouse as the alleged victim.







He reportedly confessed to police, saying he was drunk at the time.


Former President Lee Myung-bak / Yonhap



By Lee Kyung-min

The prosecution sought an arrest warrant for former President Lee Myung-bak, Monday, as it claimed he was highly likely to destroy evidence given his continued denial of the corruption allegations including bribery in the amount of 11 billion won ($10.5 million).

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office requested the Seoul Central District Court to issue the warrant, the validity of which will be determined after a judge holds a hearing to question Lee and review the prosecution's charges as early as Thursday.

The request came three days after the team leading the investigation conducted an official briefing for Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il, Friday, seeking direction for the ongoing investigation into Lee.

The request was widely expected given the volume of evidence connected to a series of allegations, the gravity of which requires Lee's detention, given that a bribery conviction involving 11 billion won would carry a minimum prison term of 10 years and a maximum of life.

Moon's predecessor Kim Soo-nam approved the questioning of former President Park Geun-hye after giving her seven days notice.

The prosecution is expected to indict Park in a speedy manner to minimize any unintended consequences in the lead-up to the June local elections.

The head of the team will likely hold a press conference on the day of the indictment, a common practice in high-profile cases, which prosecutors fear might fuel politicization of the issue and subsequent polarization of public opinion.

The prosecution is also reluctant to let Lee's indictment overshadow the inter-Korean summit slated for late April, which the Moon administration expects to be a historic event for the two Koreas.

Lee continues to deny most of the charges, saying he had no knowledge of or involvement in the allegations. Everything, he maintains, was managed and carried out by "working-level" officials, a move to claim plausible deniability by clearly distancing himself from culpability. Lee only admitted receiving $100,000 from the National Intelligence Service through an aide.

The prosecution focused on questioning him about allegations involving DAS, an auto parts company ostensibly owned by his elder brother Lee Sang-eun. This substantiates a considerable part of the allegations hinging on proving Lee was the real owner of the firm.

Prosecutors suspect Samsung Group paid $5 million (6 billion won) as a retainer to the U.S. law firm Akin Gump, of which Samsung was a major client, in return for a presidential pardon for group Chairman Lee Kun-hee in 2009, which they say constitutes bribery.

The U.S. firm helped DAS recover 14 billion won in what could have been a failed investment, unlike 5,500 other investors who lost a combined 100 billion won in a stock-rigging scandal in 2001.

Prosecutors believe Lee operated a slush fund worth at least 30 billion won using DAS money, and tried to hand over shares of the firm from his elder brother to his son Lee Si-hyung.

Four earlier investigations conducted both by the prosecution and a special counsel-led team cleared Lee of allegations involving DAS, a conclusion that fanned public distrust in the country's justice system.

The controversy surrounding DAS re-emerged in 2013 when Lee Si-hyung became a senior-executive at the firm only four years after beginning his career there, with help from his father. Lee attempted to further consolidate his grip on the firm by interfering in company management including financial issues.

The prosecution secured evidence including statements from a former DAS CEO who unexpectedly reversed an earlier statement and confessed that Lee Myung-bak was the owner.

Lee's aide who managed his financial assets also said the ex-president owned land in Dogok-dong, southern Seoul, the sales proceeds of which were funneled into DAS, further corroborating the allegations, according to prosecutors.

Former first lady Kim Yoon-ok, prosecutors said, spent 400 million won using a DAS corporate card between the mid-1990s and late 2007, shortly before Lee won the presidency, evidence they believe substantiates Lee was the owner of DAS. Kim used the card in local department stores and overseas duty free shops.
The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) chief Hong Joon-pyo speaks at a party meeting, Monday, to discuss campaign strategies for the June 13 local elections. / Yonhap



By Park Ji-won



The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) is struggling to find its candidate for the Seoul mayoral race, the biggest battlefield in the June 13 local elections.



Last week, former Government Legislation Minister Lee Seog-yeon turned down an offer from LKP Chairman Hong Joon-pyo to run in the mayoral election as the LKP candidate.



Before Lee, Hong reached out to Hong Jung-wook, ex-lawmaker and chairman of Herald Corp. and former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon with an offer for the party ticket, but they refused to accept it.



Na Kyung-won, a four-term lawmaker, is also rumored to have been courted by Hong for the Seoul mayoral race, but she is reportedly showing little interest.



Lee, who once led a prominent conservative civic group, had been considered one of the strongest contenders against incumbent Mayor Park Won-soon, a former lawyer and civic activist. Park was elected in 2011, and is preparing for a bid for a third term as mayor.



The LKP is planning to look for other candidates, such as Kim Byeong-joon, former presidential chief of staff for policy. However, it is likely a difficult challenge for the LKP as the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is already in an advantageous position nominating several promising candidates.



So far, Kim Jeong-kee, former Shanghai consul general, declared to run for the bid.



Critics cast doubt on Hong Joon-pyo's leadership of the LKP pointing out all the proposals made by Hong have been declined. Some say the candidates decided not to run for the bid because they weren't able to see a vision for the party's future.



Meanwhile, the DPK is shaping up in the local election by securing at least three promising mayor candidates.



Seoul mayor Park Won-soon, who is leading in the polls, will announce his bid around mid-April after other contenders finalize their applications. If Park wins the bid, it will be his third term to govern the capital city.



A four-term lawmaker Park Young-sun announced her bid to run in the party's primary Sunday. Woo Sang-ho, a three-term lawmaker, also announced his run for the seat.


By Kim Bo-eun











Security chiefs of Seoul, Washington and Tokyo met to hold talks on the denuclearization of North Korea, and its leader Kim Jong-un's summits with his South Korean and U.S. counterparts in the coming months.







The meetings of South Korea's Chung Eui-young, Japan's Shotaro Yachi and the U.S.'s Herbert McMaster took place on Saturday and Sunday (local time) in San Francisco







"The Participants of the meetings agreed it was important not to repeat past failures," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said Monday, referring to previous missteps in getting progress on North Korea's dismantlement of its nuclear program.







"They pledged to continue close cooperation in the coming weeks."







The leaders of North and South Korea will meet in late April and the Pyonyang-Washington summit will take place in May.







The security chiefs of the three countries met for the first time since the two summits were agreed upon.







The meetings between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and U.S. President Donald Trump were arranged after the North Korean leader met with South Korean envoys in Pyongyang, March 5. In that meeting, he stated the regime's willingness to give up its nuclear weapons under certain circumstances and to hold talks with Washington on the matter.







In the meantime, Moon is pushing for a meeting with Trump in between the two summits.







The security chiefs' meeting, which was not disclosed to the press, is likely to have discussed the possibility of a Seoul-Washington summit.






By Michael Bergmann





The U.S. president's "leadership will be praised by South and North Koreans, and people of the world who wish for peace."



I really enjoyed this statement by South Korea's president, and am convinced now even more that Moon Jae-in is, to say it in Trump's language, the "stable genius" who will make Korea "great again." The sentence is a masterpiece in diplomacy, just subtle enough for its purpose, in psychology and in the Asian discipline of the not completely unselfish humbleness to bend low to succeed.



This is what "engagement" is all about. Moon is engaging Trump for his policy of engagement with North Korea. Diplomacy starts with an understanding of what the other side really desires the most, and proceeds with a willingness to give it as long as it doesn't cost too much. Moon knows what the American leader and the North Korean dictator desire the most: Both need recognition, the former for psychological, the latter for political reasons.



As a hobby writer and citizen of the free world, I have the right to some humor. But President Moon should and will be serious about it: Praise Trump as a great leader of a great country! Stabilize Kim's ego as a normal leader of a normal country! Diplomacy is not about truth, but about what is useful to make others believe.



I am no cynic. Diplomacy is not a goal, just a tool to achieve what we really believe in. And for this, South Korea's president needs and has, not the praise, but the support of all the people in the world who believe in peace, freedom and humanity.



Giving Kim Jong-un the recognition he desires might not be as cheap as praising Trump, but the price seems calculable.



The 1987 summit between West-German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and East-German leader Erich Honecker in Bonn was criticized as a "victory for Honecker" by conservative West-German media. But what victory? Honecker's main focus was on protocol and formal attention shown to him in comparison to (other) visiting heads of state  how many escorts on motorbikes, for example, would accompany his limousine. Kohl honored him with 17 out of 21 for a full state visit. What a victory!



Are our handshakes and friendly faces a triumph for the human-rights perpetrators? But has any victim ever been saved by escalating the conflict? Reducing the mutual threats is obviously no evil trick. But it will deprive the North Korean regime, as it deprived the East German rulers, of their main justification for all their poor records on human rights, freedom and prosperity. It didn't take long till the East Germans held their leaders directly responsible.



West Germany never abandoned its core values and principles. Moon is wise enough not to do so either. If his multiple-engagement policy is successful, South Korea's president can praise whomever he wants, there will be no doubt who alone could take and who did take this grand initiative.





Michael Bergmann (bergmann2473@yahoo.de) is a teacher in Seoul.


By Niall Ferguson





I am a middle-class Scotsman, so at school I played rugby. One day, a new scholarship boy arrived at the Glasgow Academy. He was tall for his age, and his working-class roots had given him an aptitude for verbal and physical violence. He walked with a swagger we looked upon with awe. This magnificent specimen's only defect was that he knew not a single rule of rugby.



In the course of his first appearance in the school's colors, however, he swiftly proved this ignorance was no handicap. So large was he, and so aggressive, that all we had to do was give him the ball and point him in the right direction. He broke rule after rule. He passed forward. He tackled high. He tackled off the ball. For all of this, he was penalized. It didn't matter. Every time he got the ball, he scored. I can still remember the sight of him rampaging towards the other side's try line, utterly unstoppable.



I learned an important lesson that day: while the rules may apply to us all, they do not constrain us all equally.



I have been reminded of my old school friend by the latest antics of U.S. President Donald Trump. Over the past week _ indeed, over the past year _ Trump has broken one political rule after another. "When I signed up to be a conservative," an eminent Washington think tanker said recently to me, "I thought conservatism stood for free trade, fiscal responsibility and personal character." He might have added firmness towards dictators.



In fairness to Trump, he is not the first Republican president to impose tariffs on imports, to run a very large budget deficit and to agree to meet a communist tyrant. Both Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford imposed tariffs in the name of national security. Both Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush ran substantial fiscal deficits. And if Trump goes to Pyongyang, there will be an unmistakable echo of Nixon's famous trip to Beijing in 1972.



Nevertheless, there is a near-universal consensus among political commentators that Trump is breaking all the rules. By announcing tariffs on steel and aluminum, he will not only hurt all those sectors of the U.S. economy that depend on those imports, but also risks plunging the world into a protectionist trade war, destroying the liberal international order.



By agreeing to meet the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, he is falling into a trap other presidents were prudent enough to avoid, for Kim will claim a diplomatic victory _ "See! The dotard treats me as an equal!" _ and then cheat on any deal, as his father did in the 1990s.



To seasoned observers of Washington life, this really is a shocking way to run an administration. Most shocking of all is not so much the policy as the way it gets made. Gary Cohn's departure last week as Trump's chief economic adviser was just one of the latest in a succession of exits from the White House. This is not the way it's supposed to work. By year two of any administration, the adults are supposed to have taken charge.



Yet these commentators increasingly remind me of the rugby referees of my schooldays, blowing their whistles in impotent exasperation as the tallest player on the field ran amok.



To give Trump his due, he is capable of self-mockery. His speech at the recent Gridiron Club dinner might equally well have been delivered by Alec Baldwin, whose career has been invigorated by his Trump impersonation on "Saturday Night Live."



"I won't rule out direct talks with Kim Jong-un," Trump said, "I just won't. As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, that's his problem not mine."



Here is a man who glories in breaking the rules, because that is how he rules.



Notice, too, that in the middle of this comedy routine, Trump revealed exactly what he was planning to do with North Korea. "By the way," he told his audience, "a couple days ago they said, We would like to talk,' and I said, So would we, but you have to de-nuke, you have to de-nuke.' So let's see what happens ... We will be meeting and we'll see if anything positive happens." Not a single news outlet got the joke that this wasn't a joke. Not until Thursday, when the South Koreans announced that Trump really had agreed to meet Little Rocket Man did the penny drop. So much for fake news. He gave them real news _ and they all missed it.



Of course, this could all end in just the kind of train-wreck plus dumpster-fire predicted ad nauseam by the president's critics. But consider, if you dare, what a future historian might one day write: "President Trump had no experience in foreign affairs, but he soon grasped how disastrously his predecessor had bungled the North Korean nuclear threat. He applied sustained pressure on Pyongyang, directly through new U.N.-mandated sanctions, and indirectly by menacing China with threats of military action or a trade war.



"In March 2018, he stepped up the pressure by announcing new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. These tariffs would have hurt America's allies more than China, but Beijing got the message. Xi Jinping was well aware a trade war directed by the U.S. against China would hurt China much more than the U.S., potentially reducing Chinese exports to America by as much as 20 percent.



"The president's critics were stunned by the subsequent U.S.-North Korean Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, signed in Pyongyang in 2019, and utterly dumbfounded by the 2020 Chinese-American Trade Agreement, which committed China to eliminate the bilateral trade deficit by the end of his second presidential term."



Could it happen? I know it seems fanciful _ and will be dismissed by some readers as an indefensible defense of a rule-breaking ruler. But, as I said, Nixon imposed a 10 per cent tariff on nearly all imports in August 1971. He went to Beijing in February 1972. And he won a landslide victory in November of that same year.



Rules are there to be broken, in diplomacy as much as in rugby.



Niall Ferguson is the Milbank Family senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford. Copyright belongs to the South China Morning Post.




City should bring to light cause of malfunction



Seoul's pioneer light railway system running 11 kilometers from Ui-dong to Sinseol-dong in northern Seoul stopped, for the third time in just six months since its September opening, for nearly two hours from Saturday noon due to a technical failure.



The frequent malfunctioning of the Ui LRT is not only causing unrest among citizens, mostly living in the northern districts of the city, but also casting a dark cloud over the construction projects of seven more urban light rails in the capital area.



Seoul's first-ever light rail system had many problems from the very start, including the miscalculated ridership prediction. Only about 70,000 people use it a day on average, about half the predicted 130,000. The successive accidents sharply cut the number of passengers, amid worries it may follow the fate of the nearby Uijeongbu U Line that went bankrupt last June.



The gravity of the situation is plain for all to see in that both the Seoul city administration with supervisory responsibility and the private operator still have no idea what caused them.



At present, one engineer operates the Ui LRT, but it is to be run unmanned from September, one year after the start of the operation, raising concerns about safety.



First of all, the municipal government should roll up its sleeves to bring to light the causes of the operational failures to relieve citizens' uneasiness. It also needs to look into possible problems in the operational and maintenance system of the line, constructed by a consortium led by POSCO.



The Ui LRT was a darling of residents' expectations before its opening because it reduces the 50-minute commute to about 20 minutes, but the series of accidents have made it a cause for concern. The city administration should take every possible measure to normalize it as soon as possible.






By John Burton





Will Moon Jae-in become the second Korean president to win a Nobel Peace Prize after Kim Dae-jung? If the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un comes off successfully, he could well be an award recipient. It would also be an example of how "Korea passing" has suddenly become "Korea asserting."



Moon has done an extraordinary job of rescuing Seoul from being sidelined in the escalating tensions between the U.S. and North Korea, and assuming instead a central role in finding a way out of a looming conflict.



He displayed deftness in responding to Kim Jong-un's olive branch at the beginning of the year by inviting North Korea to participate in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. He has since undertaken the much more difficult task of keeping momentum toward a peaceful resolution of the nuclear crisis going once the Olympic Games ended.



Moon has not only promoted continued inter-Korean diplomacy, but has managed to bridge the divide between Washington and Pyongyang by serving as a mediator. Imagine Park Geun-hye trying to play that role if she was still in power.



He has achieved all this despite initial skepticism. His conservative critics attacked him for rolling out the red carpet for North Korea and by saying that the PyeongChang Olympics turned into the Pyongyang Olympics. Many analysts thought that the Olympics would represent only a temporary pause in escalating tensions.



By conducting shuttle diplomacy between Pyongyang and Washington, Moon's top aides laid the groundwork for the Trump-Kim summit. This effort has since been aided by secret contacts between the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, South Korea's National Intelligence Service and the former head of North Korea's Reconnaissance General Bureau, according to The New York Times.



The danger for Moon, however, is that playing an intermediary role leaves him vulnerable if things go wrong in the coming weeks. The knifes are already being sharpened in Washington in case he fails. Moon's U. S. critics suggest that he has misled Trump to agreeing to hold a summit with Kim, for which the U.S. president is unprepared, by suggesting that Pyongyang is ready to talk about denuclearization.



"It is in South Korea's interest to put the best spin on whatever happened in Pyongyang [when Moon's team met Kim], given Seoul's fears about the ongoing drumbeat from the White House about using military strikes against North Korea and President Moon Jae-in's desire to be in the driver's seat on Korean Peninsula affairs," said Jung H. Park, the new Korea chair at the Brookings Institute, who has emerged as one of Moon's biggest naysayers in Washington.



"It's possible that they took whatever nuggets they extracted from Kim, spit-shined and polished them, and presented Kim's offers on a velvet pillow  along with a good dose of flattery ('Your maximum pressure campaign is working, Mr. Trump')  to try to get the United States on the engagement track," she added.



This fits in with a broader narrative being promoted by the U.S. foreign policy establishment that Trump is being played for a fool by both Koreas, buttressed by the moralistic argument once expressed by former Vice President Dick Cheney that "We don't negotiate with evil, we defeat it." There is much talk that Trump is giving legitimacy and prestige to Kim by sitting down and talking to him without getting anything in return.



A greater threat to the summit that is not much discussed in Washington is that Kim may not have expected Trump to accept his invitation. This has put the North Korean leader on the back foot and has left him as ill-prepared as Trump. This may explain why Pyongyang has yet to publicly comment on the possible meeting.



The herd mentality of the U.S. media and pundits in focusing on what could go wrong at a Trump-Kim summit is overshadowing the Moon-Kim summit that is planned to occur in the next few weeks. The inattention being paid to that meeting is a reminder that it is still "Korea passing" when it comes to the conversation in Washington.



The Moon-Kim summit is likely to be crucial in resolving some of the issues surrounding the Trump-Kim summit. Information that Moon gleams from that meeting could provide useful advice to Trump as he prepares for his summit.



Moon should take advantage of the fact Trump, having accepted the Kim summit in a blaze of publicity, will not want to be seen losing face if the talks collapse. Seoul should be ready to suggest its own ideas on making the Trump-Kim summit a success as its pushes back against the Washington hardliners on North Korea.



If he succeeds, no one can keep accusing Moon of peddling "Moonshine" when it comes to his North Korea policy.





John Burton (johnburtonft@yahoo.com), a former Korea correspondent for The Financial Times, is now a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and consultant.


An eye doctor examines an elderly patient at a medical facility in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, Saturday. In cooperation with Vision Care, POSCO Daewoo, POSCO's trading and resource development arm, organized the volunteer program from March 9-17, for people suffering from eye-related ailments in the central Asian country. / Courtesy of POSCO Daewoo
By Jhoo Dong-chan







LG Electronics said Friday it has decided to retain its incumbent CEO Jo Seong-jin for another three years.







At the company's annual shareholders' meeting at its offices on Yeouido, Seoul, LG said it had reappointed Jo and expanded maximum incentives for executives by 50 percent.







"LG Electronics will focus on profitability this year. We will also make efforts to secure future growth engines in artificial intelligence, big data and the internet of things," LG Electronics CFO Jung Do-hyun said during the meeting.







"The company will establish a future system for technology fusion and integration."







Market observers say Jo's reappointment was attributed to the company's good performance during his first term.







Joining the nation's No.2 tech giant in 1976, Jo came under the spotlight after he became LG Electronics' first CEO to only have a high school diploma.







According to LG Electronics, the company had 60 trillion won sales ($56 billion) last year, a record high. Following its strong sales, the company's stock price also reached 100,000 won, nearly double from a year ago.







"LG Electronics paid 4.5 billion won to its executives last year," Jung said.







"Increasing the wages of executives is also very important for the company's success."


By Jhoo Dong-chan



The lobby group representing the interests of automakers here is calling on GM Korea to reduce its labor costs if it wants to stay afloat.



The Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA) said Monday the debt-ridden carmaker's labor costs-to-sales ratio is too high, compared to its domestic rival carmaker, Renault Samsung.



According to the KAMA study, GM Korea workers are on average 8.6 years older than Renault Samsung workers. Their average length of service is also 6.8 years longer than Renault Samsung workers.



GM Korea also pays an average wage of 86.7 million won ($80,929) per worker, 21.2 million won higher than Renault Samsung's 65.5 million won. The ailing carmaker's labor costs-to-sales ratio is also 11.4 percent, more than double Renault Samsung's 4.4 percent.



In the study, the KAMA highlighted Renault Samsung's efforts in burden sharing when the carmaker experienced a decline in production, domestic sales and exports in 2011.



During the 2012 management and labor negotiations, Renault Samsung workers accepted the company's demands to freeze their wages while working overtime. Also, management and workers frequently had lunch meetings to discuss improving the carmaker's production capacity.



As part of improving the carmaker's productivity, Renault Samsung decided to slash the salary step to introduce annual pay while implementing peak wages.



The single salary step is one of GM Korea's chronic reasons for their high production costs, the study said.



"GM Korea's poor sales are attributed to the Detroit headquarters' decision to withdraw its Chevrolet operations from Europe and Russia. But it wasn't the major reason," the KAMA said.



"The major reason was GM Korea's high production costs, falling short of the global automobile industry's standards. GM Korea's current production structure is just unsustainable."



The KAMA claimed in the study that GM Korea workers' demands have often jeopardized the company's management rights.



"Management has a right in human resources. But GM Korea's union workers have frequently interfered excessively in the company's decision-making process in hirings and layoffs," it said.



Top financial think tank Woori Financial Research Institute also said the ailing carmaker needs to downsize its production facilities to improve its operations.



It said GM Korea needs to reduce annual fixed costs by 900 billion won ($844 million) to salvage itself. Apart from its plan to convert its debt into equity, it also needs an immediate financial injection worth 1 trillion won, it added.



Denouncing GM Korea's head office in Detroit as "irresponsible," however, union workers claim GM is attempting to pass the buck to Korean workers for its poor management.



"The profit-obsessed foreign capital has only blamed workers for its deficits and the shutdown of the Gunsan factory in Korea," they said.



"GM should withdraw its plans for restructuring, which include the shutdown of the Gunsan factory, and immediately allocate a new vehicle model to the Korea operation."


Korea Development Bank Chairman Lee Dong-gull, left, talks with Kumho Tire's union leaders at the tiremaker's factory in Gwangju, Monday. / Yonhap



Creditors plan to sell struggling tiremaker to China's Doublestar



By Park Jae-hyuk



Kumho Tire's creditors and labor union have reaffirmed their differences over the foreign acquisition of the financially troubled company during a meeting between Korea Development Bank (KDB) Chairman Lee Dong-gull and the tiremaker's union leaders at the company's factory in Gwangju, Monday.



Lee representing Kumho Tire's creditors tried to urge the union members to agree to the creditors' plan to sell the Korean company to China's Doublestar Tire.



It was the first time the head of the main creditor has met the union leaders since KDB announced its plan.



The two sides, however, failed to reach an agreement in the 90-minute meeting.



"We have tried our best for the survival of Kumho Tire, which has a decisive effect on the local economy, subcontractors and small retailers," Lee said before the meeting. "I want to resolve the union's suspicions, so as to achieve a good result."



He has maintained his stance, saying court receivership will be the only alternative to foreign acquisition.



"Unless the creditors withdraw the Doublestar Plan, we will not meet them again," one of the union leaders told reporters after the meeting.



The labor union has decided to stage a five-day strike starting today.



According to Kumho Tire's union, it will stage eight-hour temporary walkouts from Tuesday to Saturday at the company's factories in Gwangju and Gokseong County in South Jeolla Province. The union members will also hold a rally in Gwangju, Saturday.



The workers staged a temporary walkout on March 9 and a strike last Wednesday.



Against this backdrop, the conflict between Kumho Tire's union workers and non-union workers has escalated.



During a press conference held in front of Kumho Asiana's headquarters building in downtown Seoul a few hours before the meeting between the KDB chairman and the union leaders, 1,500 non-union workers said they support the foreign acquisition.



"We must avoid court receivership that will lead to liquidation," a representative of the non-union workers said. "Attracting foreign capital is the only way to normalize our company, so the union should enter negotiations to draft a self-rescue plan."



Kumho Tire's union has claimed the acquisition could become a repeat of the sale of SsangYong Motor to China's Shanghai Automotive Industry in 2004.



The sale was criticized as the Chinese company allegedly took over SsangYong's core technologies while not investing enough to strengthen the Korean carmaker's competitiveness.



Doublestar Chairman Chai Yongsen, however, dismissed the union's worries during a meeting with Korean reporters at its head office in Qingdao last week.



The Chinese businessman guaranteed Kumho Tire's independent management and Doublestar's investment in Korean factories.



However, he was reluctant to mention job security of the workers.


Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to New York

Governments preventing publication of Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper during state of emergency

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

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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

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
Brussels Airlines resumes regular flights to Yerevan

Belgian airline Brussels Airlines has received permits from the General Directorate of Civil Aviation under the Government of the Republic of Armenia for regular flights on the Brussels-Yerevan-Brussels route, since June 2. In the period from 2 June to 2 July, as well as from 29 August to 27 October, flights will be operated at a frequency of one flight per week, and from 3-28 August flights will be carried out with a frequency of 2 flights per week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays. It should be reminded that Sergey Avetisyan, head of the Main Department of Civil Aviation under the Government of the Republic of Armenia, on 28 February, 2018, received a delegation led by Herman Carpentier, Vice-President of Brussels Airline. The issue of the operation of the Brussels-Yerevan-Brussels route by the airline was discussed at the meeting.
Rome, March 19 - Pope Francis has said young people must never accept corruption in a new book, excerpts of which have been released ahead of its publication in Italy on Tuesday. "The corrupt are the order of the day," the pope says in the book-interview with Thomas Leoncini entitled 'Dio e Giovane' (God is Young). "But the young must not accept corruption as if it were a sin like others, they must never get used to corruption, because what we let pass today will be repeated tomorrow, until it will become a habit for us and we too will become an indispensable cog".
Ragusa, March 19 - Prosecutors in Catania have seized a ship operated by the Spanish NGO ProActiva Open Arms engaged in migrant search and rescue operations in the central Mediterranean. The vessel is currently berthed at Pozzallo after it disembarked 218 migrants on Saturday, having refused to hand them over to the Libyan authorities following two days of diplomatic negotiations. Three people have been placed under investigation, the captain, the on-board coordinator and the Spanish head of the NGO, for alleged criminal association for illegal immigration purposes. The probe centres on the events leading up to the ship's arrival in Pozzallo on Saturday. ProActiva Open Arms claims its actions were dictated exclusively by need as part of an operation to save lives at sea. However, prosecutors say there was a specific plan to bring the migrants to Italy in violation of the law and international agreements, as demonstrated by the last rescue operation involving four countries (Italy, Malta, Spain and Libya). Four days ago the NGO intervened on behalf of 218 migrants in an operation contested by the Libyan coastguard on grounds it was conducted in its area of competence. The coastguard then asked to take charge of the migrants but the NGO refused. The Italian coastguard says coordination "fell to the Libyan coastguard" and that the NGO was aware of this, but continued to resist and 'won'. "Despite the proximity of Malta" the ship then headed towards Italy pending indications from the Spanish authorities", the coastguard continued. However, prosecutors claim it deliberately sent no request to the Spanish authorities and continued north, in violation of the rules, so it could berth in Italy. On entering Italian territorial waters, the ship received permission to berth at Pozzallo, where it arrived on Saturday. It will remain under seizure pending the decision of the preliminary investigations judge. (ANSAmed).
Haykaz Vardanyan: They want taxes to be paid for a land that cannot be cultivated

The resident of Nerkin Karmiraghbyur, Haykaz Vardanyan, was surprised when he was asked to pay the land tax. "They want taxes to be paid for the land which one cannot cultivate," he said. And there are a lot of such land: 4000 hectares of vineyards, which remain uncultivated because of Azerbaijan's target. The man who has participated in the defense of the Homeland is ready to pay any tax if there is an opportunity to cultivate the land. If he could use the land he would have a permanent means of living. Now he lives on the account of his son who sends money to him. "My son works in Russia, he sends money, so we live." The majority of the residents of Nerkin Karmiraghbyur get income from land because few are engaged in cattle breeding. The villagers have not complained about the rise in prices yet. "It did not affect winter season, we still have everything from summer." But the effect will be felt when spring works begin. "We need to buy diesel oil to to start the spring sowing, cultivate the land; and its price has risen." The resident of Nerkin Karmiraghbyur follows the political developments but does not want to talk about it. When is their voice heard? In response to a question on rising the concerns with the help of MPs he said joikng "Do we have such..." Haykaz Vardanyan has hosted one of the village teachers who worked for the "Teach Armenia" program. His daughter, Narine, also teaches in Artsakh with the same program.
Rome, March 19 - 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Luigi Di Maio told the anti-establishment group's Senators on Monday that "we are the linchpin of the (new) parliamentary term". The meeting was called to ratify Danilo Toninelli's nomination as M5S whip in the Upper House. The M5S is the biggest single party after getting over 32% of the vote in this month's general election although the centre-right coalition as a whole got more - around 37%. Neither has enough seats for a majority in parliament.
Rome, March 19 - Rome prosecutors are investigating a deadly attack on an Italo-Egyptian girl in Nottingham last month. Mariam Moustafa, an 18-year-old girl who was born and grew up in Ostia near Rome, moved with her family to the English city in the hope of becoming an engineer four years ago. She was allegedly attacked by a group of local girl bullies and died after three weeks in a coma. Prosecutors will view CCTV footage of the attack, which allegedly started at a bus stop and continued on the bus. The prosecutors' European warrant will also try to establish if the attack was racially motivated. According to media reports, the bullies shouted "Black Rose" at Moustafa before attacking her, and the family home had been the target of an alleged racist attack. "She was the victim of a racist attack," her father told reporters. Prosecutors are also looking into the fact that Moustafa was sent home after being treated after the attack only to return to hospital allegedly suffering from a brain haemorrhage the day after. The Italian embassy in London is following the case.
Rome, March 19 - Outgoing Democratic Party (PD) Lower House whip Ettore Rosato reiterated on Monday that he was against the centre-left group supporting a government led by the 5-Star Movement (M5S) or the centre right, but added that he thought it a good idea to ask party members what they think. "I don't agree with the idea of forming a government with the 5 Stars, but it could be useful to consult the members on important decisions, including on the possibility of forming a government," Rosato told RAI radio. Most PD bigwigs have said the PD should be in the opposition after its dreadful showing in the March 4 general election, which failed to produce a clear winner.
Rome, March 19 - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will never sell the Fiat brand, CEO Sergio Marchionne said Monday, answering a question on the possible sale to a South Korean group. "The Koreans are interested in everything but we've never spoken to them," he said. Marchionne added: "Fiat has a great future, but very specialised. "It can stay in Europe with the 500 marque".
Hayk Alumyan: We will appeal to the ECHR on your recent illegalities (video)

Advocate Hayk Alumyan said that an illegal decision had been made on the case of the incident taken place in front of Surik Khachatryan's house who was the former governer of Syunik region. "According to the decision of the investigator Avetik Budaghyan was the attacker, but the assessment should be given by the court, not the investigator". The lawyer requested the Prosecutor General. "We will appeal to the ECHR on your recent illegalities, and do not hope that we will stop fighting as long as the perpetrators are not punished." Hayk Alumyan noted that Avetik Budaghyan's father, Emil Budaghyan, had no procedural status in the case and was deprived of the right to obtain facts and to file a complaint. Advocate Hayk Alumyan was also deprived of the opportunity to challenge procedural decisions. "The situation has become even worse. We rely only on the European Court. As a result of these mistakes, our chances to succeed in the ECHR are growing." It should be reminded that as a result of the operative-invastigative actions taken by the RA NSS bodies on July 3, residents of Kapan Garen Romik Atajanyan, Henrikh Shahen Avagyan and Ara Emil Budaghyan, who were suspected of attempting assassination against Surik Khachatryan, governor of Syunik region, and his companions on May 20, at 6:15 pm. It should be noted that Ara Budaghyan is the brother of the injured Colonel Artak Budaghyan and Avetik Budaghyan, killed near the governor's house. As to the case of Vahan Shirkhanyan, Hayk Alumyan mentioned that the trial was being delayed. "It becomes more and more evident that it is difficult or impossible to expect a fair decision in this case." Hayk Alumyan noted that the European Court had made a decision in the case of Vahan Shirkhanyan to conduct a quick trial, but the case was still delayed in Armenia. It should be noted that former Deputy Defense Minister is suspected of participating in criminal cooperation created by Arthur Vardanyan and acting in his favor.
A woman walking across an Arizona road was hit and killed by a self-driving car from Uber Technologies Inc. on Sunday  probably the first pedestrian fatality for the fast-growing movement toward driverless vehicles.

Tempe police said Elaine Herzberg, 49, was struck by an Uber test vehicle operating in autonomous mode. In response, Uber halted its driverless operations in San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Toronto and the Phoenix area and said it is assisting in the investigation. Our hearts go out to the victims family, the company said in a statement.

The death is likely to slow the deployment of driverless vehicles in Arizona, one of the most welcoming states for the industry, and elsewhere as policymakers monitor the investigation and assess public reaction. Driverless vehicle regulations have been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives but are stalled in the Senate over safety concerns.

This is going to focus a lot of attention on how companies are approaching their systems, their technologies, and their management of tragedies, said Bryant Walker Smith, a driverless vehicle expert at the University of South Carolina School of Law.

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John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog in Santa Monica, a longtime critic of liberal driverless vehicle regulations, called for a national moratorium on robot car testing on public roads until the accident is analyzed.

Arizona has been the wild west of robot car testing with virtually no regulations in place, Simpson said in a statement. Thats why Uber and Waymo test there. When theres no sheriff in town, people get killed.

Arizona has few laws restricting the use of driverless vehicles. It doesnt require remote operators for the vehicles, for instance, and allows driverless trucks on the road.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey greeted Uber to his state with great enthusiasm in late 2016. At the time, Californias Department of Motor Vehicles had just revoked Uber car registrations after the company refused to apply for required state permits for its driverless cars. Uber loaded its driverless-equipped Volvos onto trailer trucks bound for Arizona.

Arizona welcomes Uber self-driving cars with open arms and wide-open roads. While California puts the brakes on innovation and change with more bureaucracy and more regulation, Arizona is paving the way for new technology and new businesses, Ducey said at the time.

On Monday, the governors office expressed condolences for Herzbergs family and said public safety is our top priority.

In February, California issued a set of revised regulations that will allow robot cars with no human driver to operate on public roads through a permit system that begins April 2. The regulations also pave the way for driverless ride-hailing companies to begin picking up paying passengers.

In a prepared statement Monday, the California DMV said it takes the safe operation of our autonomous vehicle permit holders very seriously. We are aware of the Uber crash in Arizona, but we have not been briefed on the details of the crash at this time. We plan to follow up with Uber to get more information.

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As self-driving cars roll out in pilot programs around the world, the chances of a pedestrian death have increased. Experts have wondered what effect deadly crashes would have on the industry.

Were within the phase of autonomous vehicles where were still learning how good they are. Whenever you release a new technology, theres a whole bunch of unanticipated situations, said Arun Sundararajan, a professor at New York Universitys business school.

Driverless cars are supposed to eliminate some of the risks of human error, particularly because their sensors are always paying attention to their surroundings. They dont drink, do drugs, check text messages, get tired or get distracted by misbehaving children. Annual traffic fatalities in the U.S. are fast approaching 40,000, with driver error to blame in more than 90% of them.

But there isnt enough experience with driverless vehicles yet to know all their weaknesses and whether theyre safer than human drivers and if so by how much. Nidhi Kalra, co-director of the Center for Decision Making Under Uncertainty at the research group Rand Corp., recently told The Times that robot cars have proved less likely to get into minor crashes than human drivers. But when it comes to injuries and fatalities, we wont be able to know until weve had hundreds of millions or billions of miles of driving history.

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Whether policymakers allow enough robot cars on the road to accumulate that kind of experience depends in part on how Uber and other driverless vehicle companies handle fatalities, Smith said.

Today there are going to be 100 people who are going to die on the roads in the United States, principally caused by human error, he said. The general public is going to connect with the issue through stories, not through hard evidence.

Ubers prime ride-hailing competitor in the U.S., Lyft, has said it plans to seek permits to operate robot taxis in San Francisco, although no date has been set. Lyft did not return requests for comment on Sundays fatality.

Waymo, the driverless vehicle technology arm of Googles Alphabet, in January received permits to begin offering robot taxi service in Arizona. Waymo has been running driverless vehicle tests in and around Phoenix for months and had planned to begin a full-scale robot taxi service within the next several weeks. Waymo did not respond to a request for comment.

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Uber has had minor incidents in the past. A self-driving Uber car ran a red light in San Francisco while the company operated in the city without regulatory approval. The California DMV eventually forced Uber to pull the cars from the road.

The most widely reported fatality involving self-drive technology occurred in 2016, when a man driving a Tesla Model S in Florida was decapitated when his Autopilot system failed to detect a semi-truck crossing in front of it.

Teslas Autopilot system, however, is not yet considered fully driverless. After the Florida crash, the company updated Autopilot to shorten the time a driver could go hands-free before grabbing the steering wheel again.

Tesla plans to issue software to enable driverless operation later this year. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

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The National Transportation Safety Board is opening an investigation into the Uber death and is sending a small team of investigators to Tempe, spokesman Eric Weiss said.

Bloomberg contributed to this report.

Bloomberg and Los Angeles Times staff writer Lauren Raab contributed to this report.

UPDATES:

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3:20 p.m.: This article was updated with reaction and analysis.

10:25 a.m.: This article was updated throughout with additional details.

This article was originally published at 10:15 a.m.
Sneaky Pete, the Amazon drama series starring Giovanni Ribisi, is relocating to California from the New York area due to the California tax incentive program that has approved $9.2 million for the shows third season.

The California Film Commission said Monday that Sneaky Pete is expected to spend more than $53 million in qualified expenditures for its upcoming season and will employ nearly 250 cast members, 220 crew and 2,510 extras. Qualified expenditures dont include star salaries or other above-the-line expenses.

Sneaky Pete, which is a Sony Pictures Television production, was created by actor Bryan Cranston and David Shore. Its first two seasons were set in upstate New York and filmed in New York City and in the surrounding suburbs.

The show is the 13th series to relocate to California under the states expanded tax credit program that went into effect in 2015, and is the third show to move from the New York area following Showtimes The Affair and Netflixs The OA.

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Other shows to recently relocate production to California include Foxs Lucifer and FXs Legion, both of which had shot in Vancouver.

The $9.2 million in tax credits allocated to Sneaky Pete is part of the California Film Commissions latest TV application period, which was open only to relocating series and recurring series already accepted into the program.

The period also includes the third season of NBCs This Is Us, which has been approved for $11.4 million in tax credits.

david.ng@latimes.com

@DavidNgLAT
The high-stakes antitrust showdown over AT&T Inc.s planned $85-billion purchase of Time Warner Inc. began in a Washington courtroom Monday as both sides sparred over key issues that signaled their legal strategies.

Opening arguments will take place Wednesday in a trial that U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said could last six to eight weeks. Thats twice as long as originally estimated when the Justice Department sued last fall to halt the deal out of concerns it would squelch competition and raise consumer prices.



For the record: An earlier version of this post incorrectly spelled the last name of U.S. District Judge Richard Leon.

Each side will have 30 witnesses, with AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson and Time Warner Chief Executive Jeff Bewkes expected to testify. Leon said Monday that hed allow extra witnesses if necessary because the case is too important to try to stick to a rigid timetable.

AT&Ts lead attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, took aim Monday at thousands of pages of emails from AT&T employees that the Justice Department wants to submit as evidence of potential competitive harms of the deal.

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Petrocelli argued that the government was asserting too broad a view of what is considered a business record. As an example, he cited 18 documents produced by a lower-level AT&T employee whom Petrocelli described as one young man who just came out of business school.

He had absolutely nothing to do with the decision to acquire Time Warner, Petrocelli said.

But Justice Department attorney Eric D. Welsh said many of the emails and other documents from AT&T employees are relevant to the case. He said they include some very startling statements.

Were not talking about someone who was just hired off the streets, he said. Some of them are from top AT&T executives.

Leon indicated he would be cautious about assuming that documents produced by lower-level employees reflected the views of top executives.

AT&T and the Justice Department also clashed over documents containing confidential business information. AT&T, Time Warner and other companies in the media industry are concerned about releasing such information in open court.

Welsh complained that AT&T had designated millions of pages of documents as confidential, including news releases that had been issued to the public. Petrocelli countered that the Justice Department was challenging AT&Ts confidentiality designations while not raising concerns about such designations from competing companies that oppose the merger.

The Justice Department proposed allowing Leon to close the court to the public in some instances to hear testimony about confidential information. But Leon appeared skeptical about the need for much of the confidential information.

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Theres a natural desire  to paint with a broad brush  everything is confidential, he said, urging both sides to cull the confidential claims.

Leon added that trying cases of this magnitude in closed court was inconsistent with the U.S. justice system.

Were not in the secret-forum business, he said.

The Justice Department has sued to block AT&Ts proposed purchase of Time Warner, whose media empire includes HBO, CNN, TNT, and Hollywoods largest movie and TV studio, Warner Bros.

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AT&T, which purchased DirecTV three years ago, already is the nations largest pay-TV provider with more than 25 million customer homes. The company also has more than 100 million customers for mobile service, an increasingly important market as younger Americans prefer to watch programming on their phones.

The government alleged that AT&T would use its expanded size to freeze out new TV entrants and raise prices for customers.

To reduce the clout AT&T would get from Time Warners extensive assets, federal antitrust officials demanded the company sell some Time Warner networks or DirecTV in exchange for approval of the purchase.

AT&T refused, setting up one of the biggest antitrust showdowns in years.

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The Dallas company argued that prices would go down if the deal is approved. AT&T also noted that the purchase of Time Warner is a vertical merger, meaning the two companies do not directly compete in their primary business.

The Justice Department hasnt successfully blocked a vertical merger in nearly 50 years.

Such deals are different from horizontal mergers, which involve companies that primarily compete directly. Those deals remove competitors from the marketplace and are more frequently blocked.

AT&T said that in 2011, the Justice Department allowed a major media vertical merger when it approved Philadelphia cable-TV giant Comcast Corp.s acquisition of NBCUniversal.

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The Justice Department wants to highlight statements made by AT&T and DirecTV about the dangers to competition posed by that merger.

But Petrocelli argued Monday that comments made by DirecTV before it was acquired by AT&T in 2015 are not relevant now.

So much has happened at warp speed to change the landscape of the industry, Petrocelli said.

Leon said there were similarities and differences between the two mergers.

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The government said that the AT&T-Time Warner transaction is three times larger than the Comcast/NBCUniversal deal. And although the Justice Department under the Obama administration imposed conditions on the Comcast-NBCUniversal deal, the Trump administration antitrust chief, Makan Delrahim, has criticized the approach.

jim.puzzanghera@latimes.com

Twitter: @JimPuzzanghera

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UPDATES:

1:50 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details from the hearing.

This article originally was published at 11:30 a.m.
Nearly 20000 Iranians to visit Armenia (video)

The New Year holidays of our neighbor country, Iran begin tomorrow. Iranians are on tour on Novruz, many come to Armenia, says Iranian expert Tigran Davudyan. "Only this month, 20,000 Iranians are coming to Armenia." Novruz means a new day and is considered one of the oldest holidays in the world. Traditionally, two weeks before the celebration, wheat is sown on the plate; and tables are decorated with its sprouts, which in Iranian is called khavtsin, as it is necessary to have seven products, which begin with the letter S. The Iranians celebrate Novruz at home, in a family environment, and then visit ther relatives. Novruz lasts for two weeks. Iranian women entrepreneur Hale Edemandy has been living in Armenia for more than a year now, and her children study at one of Armenia's universities. "Nature in Armenia is good and cultures are similar. We feel very welcome here. " Hale Edemandy is pleased with the Armenians, she says they are warm-hearted and hospitable. When asked why the Iranians prefer to spend their holidays in Armenia, Hale Edemandy asnwered "In Armenia it is cheaper, unlike Azerbaijan or Turkey. Armenia is more interested in middle class, who do not have money for the plane but can come to Armenia by their own car ".
Facebook Inc.s stock tumbled Monday after the social media company accused a data analytics firm used by the Trump campaign of exploiting ill-gotten data belonging to unwitting Facebook users.

Shares of Facebook sank 6.7% to $172.69 around 9:50 a.m. Pacific time.

On Friday, a Facebook executive said in a blog post that the Menlo Park, Calif., company was suspending data analytics firm Strategic Communication Laboratories and its affiliate Cambridge Analytica.

Facebook said the two companies had failed to delete user data it had acquired in 2015 in violation of the platforms rules. The user data came from a personality prediction app built by a University of Cambridge psychology professor and was intended to be used only for academic research.

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Instead, the professor passed that data on to a third party  Cambridge Analytica  in violation of Facebooks platform policies, according to Facebook.

The company said the data collection accessed information of the 270,000 people who had downloaded the app, along with more limited information about their friends.

A whistleblower and other reported sources pushed back on that number, with Christopher Wylie, a departed co-founder of Cambridge Analytica, saying that the professor was able to collect data from 50 million Facebook users without their permission, largely by mining the friends of those who had downloaded the app.

Wylie said Facebook sent a letter in August 2016 demanding that the data be destroyed but never verified that it was.

In an interview Monday on NBCs Today, Wylie said Cambridge Analytica aimed to explore mental vulnerabilities of people. He said the firm works on creating a web of disinformation online so people start going down the rabbit hole of clicking on blogs, websites, etc., that make them think things are happening that may not be.

The allegations were first reported by the New York Times and the British newspaper the Observer.

Over the weekend, U.S. lawmakers called for more information on how Facebook let this happen. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) demanded that Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Massachusetts Atty. Gen. Maura Healey said her office was launching an investigation.

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Although the company is facing heat now, Brian Wieser, senior research analyst at Pivotal Research Group, said in a note to clients Monday that there will be no near-term tangible impact on Facebooks business.

In his note, Wieser said there are enhanced risks for the company, including potential regulatory concerns down the road. But, he said, we dont think advertisers will suddenly change the trajectory of their spending growth on the platform.

However, Pivotal Research Group maintains a sell rating on Facebooks stock because the firm thinks there are limits to the companys growth relative to the size of the overall advertising economy, Wiesers note said.

The Associated Press was used in compiling this report.

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samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

Twitter: @smasunaga

UPDATES:

10 a.m.: This article was updated to include a more recent stock price and comments from Christopher Wylies interview on NBCs Today.

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9:20 a.m.: This article was updated to include a more recent stock price and comments from analyst Brian Wiesers note to clients.

This article was originally published at 8:50 a.m.
SpaceX has entered into preliminary negotiations with the Port of Los Angeles for a lease that would expand the Hawthorne space companys port facilities to manufacture large commercial transportation vehicles.

Port and company officials would not comment on what exactly would be built on the 18-acre site on Terminal Island, but public documents suggest that it will involve rockets or spacecraft.



For the record: A previous version of this story listed the expected height for SpaceXs BFR system as more than 500 feet tall. It is expected to be more than 340 feet tall.

SpaceX, which currently makes its rockets in Hawthorne, has plans to make a huge next-generation spaceship and rocket system known as BFR. The reusable spaceship and booster, which will measure more than 340 feet tall when stacked, is intended to eventually replace SpaceXs workhorse Falcon 9 rocket and its new Falcon Heavy heavy-lift rocket, which flew for the first time last month.

The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners, which oversees port management and operations, voted last week to approve California Environmental Quality Act regulations necessary for the board to later vote on a lease for the proposed project.

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The project seeks a 10-year lease, with options for up to two 10-year lease extensions or renewals, and would involve construction and operation of a facility at Berth 240, according to the meeting agenda. The meeting documents stated that the facility needed to be close to the water because the finished vessels would be transported for testing and delivery via water due to their size.

In addition to research and development of transportation vessels and general manufacturing procedures such as welding, painting and assembly operations, the lease would also accommodate recovery operations undertaken by SpaceX to bring to shore vehicles returning from space that are retrieved by an autonomous drone ship offshore.

SpaceX spokeswoman Eva Behrend confirmed in a statement Monday that the company was in preliminary discussions with the port about the potential of leasing additional land for operations.

SpaceX currently leases 8.1 acres at the Port of L.A.. The company, whose full name is Space Exploration Technologies Corp., uses that space for recovery of its Dragon capsules and first-stage boosters, which arrive via droneships. SpaceX moves its rockets between facilities via trucks.

Christopher Cannon, director of environmental management for the Port of L.A., said during a presentation at Thursdays Harbor Commissioners meeting that the proposed projects site is located at the former Southwest Marine Shipyard.

First developed for shipbuilding in 1918 and acquired by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. four years later, the shipyard churned out about 40 Navy destroyers and employed 6,000 people during the height of production during World War II, according to the Los Angeles Conservancy.

None of the sites historic buildings would be altered or used in the proposed project, Cannon said during the meeting. He noted that the site, which has been idle for a long time, has been used for filming. Construction would take 16 to 18 months and would include up to four above-ground storage tanks. Cannon did not elaborate on the use for the tanks.

samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

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Twitter: @smasunaga
A group of former students defrauded by for-profit colleges is alleging in court that the Education Department illegally obtained and used their Social Security data to limit their student loan relief.

The Education Department announced in December that it will start granting some former students at the now-defunct Corinthian Colleges only partial federal student loan forgiveness, in part to save taxpayers money. The agency said it will use students earnings data to determine how much of their loans to forgive.

Some students have already received notices from the department that only 50% or less of their loan will be wiped out.

A motion filed by several former Corinthian students over the weekend alleges that the Education Department obtained the earnings figures from the Social Security Administration in violation of several laws as well as the Constitution. Attorneys with the Project on Predatory Student Lending at Harvard University representing the students say the agency should have turned to the students for their data and should have notified them of its actions in order to give them a chance to react.

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The department has secretly and illegally coopted Social Security data to try to argue for something less than the complete cancellation and refund that these borrowers are due, attorney Joshua Rovenger said.

The motion, filed in federal court in California, is asking that the notices of partial relief be rescinded. The filing is part of a larger suit against the department.

The Education Department declined to comment on pending litigation.

The Social Security Administration did not reply to requests for comment.

The Obama administration went hard after for-profit colleges accused of fraud, closing down Corinthian and other major chains and tightening regulations for those schools. The administration also spent $550 million to fully forgive student loans for tens of thousands of students.

The Education Department began to crack down on Corinthian in 2014, restricting its access to federal student aid after concerns that the for-profit chain of colleges was falsifying the job placement rates of its graduates. Corinthian  which was based in Santa Ana and operated schools under its Everest, Heald and WyoTech brands  then sold off a majority of its schools to a nonprofit student loan servicer. A year later, Corinthian abruptly closed its remaining campuses and filed for bankruptcy protection.

The Trump administration has had a friendlier stance toward the for-profit industry.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, an advocate of for-profit schools, froze the regulations put in place by the Obama administration. Her office also has been assisting a suspended accrediting agency that oversees for-profit schools in trying to come back to life.

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DeVos government ethics forms showed she has investments in companies connected to the industry, according to the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.

DeVos has said the Obama regulations were unfair and is writing new ones. She has said her new system of partial loan forgiveness will be fairer to students and taxpayers.

Student advocates have argued that the formula based on students earnings does not take into account whether Corinthian graduates are employed in the fields of their study or are simply working other jobs.

Tens of thousands of students are currently waiting for the agency to decide their cases.

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Times staff writer Samantha Masunaga contributed to this report.
Michael Ferro retired from the board of Tronc Inc. on Monday, ahead of the newspaper chains $500-million sale of the Los Angeles Times and other California assets and hours before sexual misconduct allegations against him were made public.

The change was announced Monday shortly before Fortune magazine published an article about two women who allege that Ferro made unwanted sexual advances in 2013 and 2016, before he became Troncs chairman.

Michael Ferro has had no claims filed against him while leading Tronc as chairman, Tronc said in a statement. Further, we are aware of no claims filed against Mr. Ferro throughout his career. As Mr. Ferro has retired after leading a financial turnaround of Tronc, we wish him well in his private life and will have no further comment.

Fortune said it contacted Ferro last week with details of the womens accounts and that he declined to be interviewed.

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Ferros retirement was effective immediately, the company said Monday morning. Justin Dearborn, chief executive officer of Tronc, was named to succeed Ferro as chairman of the company, which also owns the Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News and other major daily newspapers.

I want to thank everyone who worked so hard over the last two years creating great journalism, strengthening the companys financial position and delivering significant value for shareholders, Ferro, 51, said in a news release Monday.

While Ferro is stepping down from the Tronc board, he will continue as a paid management consultant to the company, a result of a deal struck in December. Ferro received his first $5-million annual fee, which was paid in advance on Jan. 1, according to financial statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The agreement is in effect for two-plus more years and allows the company to leverage Mr. Ferros advisory services at the companys discretion, Tronc spokeswoman Marisa Kollias said in an email Monday. The agreement contains a covenant that restricts Ferro from running or working with certain other daily print newspaper businesses without Troncs approval.

By resigning from the companys board, Ferro is giving up 450,000 Tronc shares worth about $7.2 million based on prices Monday. According to a filing with the SEC last year, the company promised him a grant of that many shares, but the shares do not begin to vest until August.

Two companies Ferro controls, Merrick Media and Merrick Venture Management, already own more than 9 million Tronc shares, worth $144.8 million based on Mondays stock price of about $16. Ferro acquired most of those shares for just $8.50 apiece.

In recent weeks, Ferro has discussed with his fellow board members and the management team his desire to retire as chairman in connection with the closing of the Times transaction, the company said in the news release.

Last month, Tronc agreed to sell the Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune and other California-based assets to Los Angeles biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong for $500 million in cash. Soon-Shiong, Troncs second-largest shareholder, also will assume $90 million of pension liabilities tied to the California properties.

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The deal is expected to close within weeks. The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice cleared the transaction of anti-competitive concerns ahead of the normal 30-day waiting period earlier this month.

Ferro, a technology entrepreneur who previously led the investor group that owned the Chicago Sun-Times, became the largest shareholder and chairman of Tribune Publishing in February 2016, and the corporate name was changed to Tronc shortly thereafter.

Soon-Shiongs Nant Capital, a Culver City technology firm, became Troncs second-largest shareholder in June 2016, and that investment helped Tronc fend off a hostile takeover bid from Gannett, whose last offer was $864 million for the company.

A longtime business partner to Ferro, Dearborn was appointed chief executive of Tronc in February 2016 after leading Merge Healthcare as its chief executive.

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Times staff writer James Rufus Koren contributed to this report. The Associated Press was used in compiling this report.

rchannick@chicagotribune.com

UPDATES:

3:35 p.m.: This article was updated with publication of the Fortune article and a statement from Tronc.

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12:15 p.m.: This article was updated with details of Ferros exit agreement.

10:45 a.m.: This article was updated with additional financial information.

This article was originally published at 7:15 a.m.
With each comment, like and share, users provide Facebook with a deeply personal window into their lives.

The result of that voluntary behavior? Advertisers looking to finely target their pitches can glean someones hobbies, what they like to eat and even what makes them happy or sad  propelling Facebooks ad revenue to $40 billion last year.

This trove of rich information is now at the center of a rapidly growing controversy involving one of President Trumps campaign consultants, Cambridge Analytica, which reportedly took the advertising playbook and exploited it in a bid to influence swing voters.

Former employees accuse the firm, owned by the conservative billionaire Robert Mercer and previously headed by Trumps former chief strategist Steve Bannon, of taking advantage of ill-gotten data belonging to millions of unwitting Facebook users. News of the breach was met with calls over the weekend for stricter scrutiny of the company.

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Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) demanded that Mark Zuckerberg, Facebooks chief executive, appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Maura Healey, attorney general for Massachusetts, said her office was launching an investigation. And the head of a British parliamentary inquiry into fake news called on Facebook to testify before his panel again, this time with Zuckerberg.

The accusations raise tough questions about Facebooks ability to protect user information at a time when its already embroiled in a scandal over Russian meddling during the 2016 presidential campaign and under pressure to adhere to new European Union privacy rules.

They also highlight the power and breadth of the data Facebook holds over its 2 billion users. Whether used to sway voters or sell more detergent, the information harvested by the worlds biggest social network is proving to be both vital and exploitable regardless of whos wielding it.

The data set assembled on people by Facebook is unrivaled, said Scott Galloway, a professor of marketing at New York University Stern School of Business and author of The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google. The bad news is, people are discovering this can be used as a weapon. The worse news is that people are learning how to detonate it.

The controversy began late Friday when Facebooks vice president and deputy general counsel, Paul Grewal, announced in a blog post that the social network was suspending Strategic Communication Laboratories and its affiliate, Cambridge Analytica.

Facebook said the companies failed to delete user data they had acquired in 2015 in violation of the platforms rules. The data were supplied by a University of Cambridge psychology professor, Aleksandr Kogan, who built an app that was supposed to collect details on Facebook users for academic research. Kogan was not supposed to pass that information to a third party for commercial purposes under Facebook guidelines.

Facebook said the data collection was contained to 270,000 people who downloaded Kogans app as well as limited information about their friends.

But a whistleblower and other reported sources contend the scope of the data collection was significantly larger. Christopher Wylie, a departed co-founder of Cambridge Analytica, said Kogan harvested data from 50 million Facebook users without their permission, largely by mining friends of the people who downloaded his app.

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The allegations were first reported by the New York Times and the British newspaper the Observer, whose stories about the breach were preempted hours earlier by Facebooks announcement of the suspensions.

Wylie, who described Cambridge Analytica as a weapon designed to wage a culture war in the U.S., said Facebook wasnt particularly adamant about censuring his former company. He said the only effort made by the social network was sending a letter in August 2016 demanding that the data Kogan supplied be destroyed. He said Facebook never verified whether the data had been deleted.

Facebook, which also suspended Wylie, did not respond to a request for comment.

As recently as last month, Cambridge Analytica told a British parliamentary hearing that it never had or used Facebook data. But in a statement Saturday, Cambridge Analytica admitted receiving user information from Kogan and then deleting it after learning it violated Facebooks rules. The firm added it never used any of the data for Trumps 2016 campaign when it was hired as a consultant.

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Cambridge Analytica reportedly needed Facebooks data for its so-called psychographic profiling, which combines data collected online to glean a better understanding of voters personalities in order to tailor ads to them.

In many ways, its not unlike what Facebook can do for advertisers and a growing number of political campaigns willing to pay and play by Facebooks rules. By micro-targeting users down to what charities they donate to, what device they play video games on and where they stand on the political spectrum, Facebook says its reach is expertly tailored to its clients needs.

That kind of granular data helped increase Facebooks advertising revenue last year by 49%. Advertising accounted for more than 98% of Facebooks total revenue in 2017, according to company filings.

None of that would be possible without hundreds of millions of users willingly sharing enough details about themselves to be categorized by advertisers.

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That business model is now under threat within the European Union, where the General Data Protection Regulation set to be introduced in May will prohibit companies like Facebook from leveraging user information on subjects such as race and politics without consent.

Facebook is adamant that the Cambridge Analytica controversy does not amount to a security breach. An admission would further sour the companys reputation in Europe for lax privacy standards. Theres also a risk of running afoul of the Federal Trade Commission.

Platforms like Facebook need to be very, very careful with data, and they will come under more scrutiny by the government going forward, said Rich Raddon, co-founder of Zefr, a Los Angeles start-up that helps brands target YouTube content for advertising. In Europe we are seeing a reaction to these platforms leveraging personal identifiable information.

Raddon said by virtue of its size Facebook will be heavily scrutinized by lawmakers for how it analyzes personal data. But smaller firms like Cambridge Analytica can fly under the radar doing virtually the same thing.

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Facebook says it has beefed up its review of third-party apps like Kogans, which tap into the social networks fire hose of data. That includes requiring developers to first justify the data theyre looking to collect and how theyre going to use it, said Grewal, the Facebook attorney.

Experts say Facebook will increasingly diminish access to the most valuable data to third parties like app developers as it strives to protect its own ad business and reduce security risks like those exposed by Kogan, Cambridge Analytica and Russian operatives tasked with sowing discord in American society.

Facebooks business model is actually focused on not giving third parties data about its users, said Aviv Ovadya, chief technologist at the Center for Social Media Responsibility. If it owns the data, and you can only target people through its platform, then you must spend money on its platform. Facebook also wants people to be as comfortable as possible giving them data, so they want to ensure that the data is protected from being used in problematic ways.

Facebooks critics now say devoting attention to those who exploit the platform, such as Russian trolls, is shortsighted. More attention should be directed at the social network itself, which provides the tools for exploitation, they say. Kogan, for instance, didnt break any rules when he accessed information from millions of users without their consent. He only broke the rules when he shared that information for commercial gain.

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The data that Facebook leaked to Cambridge Analytica is the same data Facebook retains on everyone and sells targeting services around. The problem is not shady Russian researchers; its Facebooks core business model of collect, store, analyze, exploit, Maciej Ceglowski, a prominent San Francisco web developer and leader of grassroots activist group Tech Solidarity, wrote in a tweet Saturday.

david.pierson@latimes.com

Follow me @dhpierson on Twitter

UPDATES:

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3:55 p.m.: This article was updated with details about calls for investigations into the matter.

This article was originally published at 1:10 p.m.
Name of restaurant: Mimimyunga, the Korean pronunciation of four Chinese characters that translate to house of noodles with beautiful taste. (Linguistically, it is more or less equivalent to San Gabriels Tasty Noodle House.)

The concept: A Japanese-style kakesoba restaurant specializing in fresh soba noodles served in broth. You can get your noodles hot or cold, with a wide variety of toppings, including beef, sweet shrimp, mackerel, mountain yam or a handsome selection of tempura. You can also supplement your noodles with Japanese appetizers, donburi or roll sushi.

The restaurant is on the third floor of the California Market building, across the way from the recently opened Square Mixx food court. Its a little hard to find, even if youre looking, accessible by stairs or elevator from the California Market garage.

The story: This is the first stateside outpost of a popular Korean mini-chain. The original location, in the fashionable Garosu-gil in South Korea, has generated long lines and steady acclaim since opening in 2012. Restaurateurs Chris Wonbo Kim and Joonhyun Paek brought Mimimyunga to Koreatown, where its been operating since mid-October 2017, with Kim, Eden Lim and Soojin Lim overseeing the menu and running the kitchen.

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What you should eat: The noodles, of course. Mimimyunga churns out some of the best soba you can get in this city, and certainly between Little Osaka and Little Tokyo. Its fresh and slippery, with a satisfying bite. For optimal texture, the cold broth is the way to go. Toppings are heavily customizable and all quite good. Sweet shrimp and uni are a sure thing, as are grilled mackerel and thin-sliced beef. The tempura is all fantastic, whether fishcake, burdock root, shrimp or eel. Every bowl comes with half a soft-boiled egg, but consider ordering a whole one on top. Its soft and supple with a bright, creamy, orange-yellow yolk.

Pro tip: The portions arent dainty, but if youre feeling famished, you can ask for additional servings of noodles to go with your broth. The first refill is on the house. The second, should you need it, is just $2.

Where you are: Mimiyunga is the most attractive business in the complex, with a casual dining room decked out in smooth blond wood. Floor-to-ceiling windows let in plenty of natural light, and theres some patio seating as well. You order at the register and seat yourself. Service is informal and friendly.

Who else is there: A steady stream of Korean and Korean American diners getting their fix of soba. The hidden location means no one finds this place without being told, but it has developed a strong Koreatown following.

Uh-oh: This is a specialty shop, so the other items arent quite on par with the soba. The donburi and sushi arent tragic, but theyre less consistent and noteworthy than the noodles.

What youre drinking: There isnt any alcohol, but you can get hot tea or grab one of the sodas or assorted Asian soft drinks from the mini fridge next to the register.

Appropriate for: Lunch or a casual, booze-free dinner. Its open every day from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., so head over whenever youre in the mood for soba.

Info: 450 S. Western Ave., (on the third floor), Koreatown, (213) 389-3464, mimimyunga.com

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USC names retired aerospace executive Wanda Austin as acting president, announces Nikias departure By Harriet Ryan USC appointed a retired aerospace executive as interim president and laid out a detailed plan for selecting a permanent leader Tuesday, ending speculation about whether outgoing President C.L. Max Nikias might remain in the post. Nikias, embattled over his administrations handling of a campus gynecologist accused of sexually abusing patients, relinquished his duties after a meeting of USCs board. The trustees tapped one of their own, Wanda Austin, an alumna and former president of the Aerospace Corp., to temporarily run the university. The trustees also approved the formation of a search committee and the hiring of firm Isaacson, Miller to coordinate the selection of a successor. A second search company, Heidrick & Struggles, will also advise trustees. Read More Facebook

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Ex-student sues elite Brentwood School after teacher is charged with sexually abusing him By Richard Winton A former student sued the elite Brentwood School on Monday in the wake of a female teacher being charged with repeatedly having sex with the minor, alleging that other faculty members encouraged the unlawful behavior and failed to report it to authorities. The lawsuit accuses the private school, whose students include the children of many of Hollywoods elite and L.A.s powerful, of acting negligently and allowing Aimee Palmitessa to abuse and batter the teenager sexually. The suit alleges that the student was abused in summer 2017 after one of the schools counselors offered words of encouragement to the then-17-year-old, identified in the suit as only John Doe, to engage in an illegal relationship with the teacher. Read More Facebook

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Civil jury vindicates fired Montebello school executives in whistleblower case By Howard Blume The Montebello school district is in dire straits  at risk of insolvency and under apparent criminal investigation. An outside audit in July found some teachers earning more than $200,000 a year, as well as improper raises, excess paid vacation time and inappropriate overtime, sick leave and car allowances. Fixing the district and pinpointing blame could take time. Read More Facebook

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L.A. schools fall short on safety measures, new report warns By Howard Blume After the mass shooting at Floridas Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February, Los Angeles school officials reassured parents that much had been done to keep local schools safe. California had tougher gun laws, after all, and the school district paid close attention to students mental health. But a new report issued Monday by a panel convened to take a close look offers some cause for concern, flagging inconsistent campus safety measures, thinly spread mental health staff and inadequate coordination between the school district and other public agencies. With the stakes this high, we must strive to do better, said L.A. City Atty. Mike Feuer, who assembled the panel. Read More Facebook

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L.A. school district says more are graduating, but rate may not show it By Howard Blume The L.A. Unified School District has hopes of continuing its winning streak this year with another record graduation rate, but the official numbers may not show it. A senior district administrator warned the board Tuesday that graduation rates were likely to decline 2% to 3% across the state, even though L.A. Unified is likely doing better than ever in producing graduates, he said. The issue is that the state will now count high school students who transfer to adult school as dropouts, said Oscar Lafarga, who heads the districts office of data and accountability. Previously, schools treated these students as though they had simply enrolled in another high school, he said. Read More Facebook

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Betsy DeVos to California: Not so fast on that federal education plan By Joy Resmovits Education Secretary Betsy DeVos (Erik Lesser / European Pressphoto Agency) In April, Californias top education officials breathed a sigh of relief. After months of debate and back-and-forth with Betsy DeVos staff, they had finalized a plan to satisfy a major education law that aims to make sure all students get a decent education. The state focused on aligning its plan to fulfill the requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act with Californias Local Control Funding Formula, which gives extra money to districts to help students who come from low-income families, are in the foster system or are English learners. But this week, DeVos team said not so fast. Jason Botel, the U.S. Department of Educations principal deputy assistant secretary, sent California education officials a letter asking for more information in such areas as measuring student progress, graduation rates and English learners. In an unsigned statement, the California Department of Education declared itself surprised and disappointed because officials thought  after a meeting with federal officials in Washington  that they were on the right track to get approval. Now the Every Student Succeeds Act plan will be up for discussion once again at the July meeting of the State Board of Education. The U.S. Department of Education has already approved most state plans. Every Student Succeeds is the Obama administrations 2015 replacement for the No Child Left Behind Act. Facebook

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L.A. school board sets a new goal: prepare every grad to be eligible to apply for Cal State or UC By Sonali Kohli Last month, Los Angeles school board president proposed a spate of highly ambitious mandates aimed at ensuring that every district graduate be eligible to apply to one of the states public four-year universities by 2023. By the time the L.A. Unified school board unanimously approved the resolution Tuesday, the original language had been watered down. The goal is no longer that in five years 100% of students meet the long list of benchmarks, which include not just college eligibility for graduates but first-grade reading proficiency and English fluency by sixth grade for all students who enter the district in kindergarten or first grade speaking another language. The original college-readiness goal, for example, called for 100% of all high school students to be eligible to apply to one of the states four-year universities. Now the goal seems to offer more wiggle room: Prepare all high school graduates to be eligible to apply to a California four-year university. Read More Facebook

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We have been hurt. More women say they were mistreated by USC gynecologist By Richard Winton USC student Anika Narayanan says she vividly recalls her first appointment with Dr. George Tyndall at the campus health center, alleging that he made several explicit comments during an examination she felt was inappropriate and invasive. When she came back for a second visit in 2016 after a nonconsensual sexual encounter, he allegedly chastised her, she said in a civil lawsuit and at a press conference Tuesday. He asked me if I had forgotten to use a condom again,  said Narayanan, 21. At one point, she said, Tyndall asked if I did a lot of doggy style,  she said. Read More Facebook

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L.A. Unified gives inspector general brief contract extension By Howard Blume The Los Angeles school board on Tuesday extended the contract of Ken Bramlett, its inspector general, by three months, though his job is far from secure and questions remain about the future direction of his watchdog office. Board members also unanimously promoted Vivian Ekchian, who had been the runner-up for the superintendents job, to deputy superintendent  the districts No. 2 position. Both moves had elements of peacemaking between different factions on the board. Read More Facebook

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USCs handling of complaints about campus gynecologist is being investigated by federal government By Harriet Ryan The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday that it has launched an investigation into how the University of Southern California handled misconduct complaints against a campus gynecologist, the latest fallout in a scandal that has prompted the resignation of USCs president, two law enforcement investigations and dozens of lawsuits. In revealing the inquiry by the departments Office of Civil Rights, officials rebuked USC for what they alleged was improper withholding of information about Dr. George Tyndall during a previous federal investigation. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who has been criticized for taking a less vigorous approach to examining sexual misconduct than predecessors, called for a systemic examination of USC and urged administrators to fully cooperate. Read More Facebook

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Judge to sentence woman and her boyfriend for the murder of an 8-year-old that led to L.A. child welfare reforms By Marisa Gerber A woman and her boyfriend are expected to be sentenced Thursday for the torture and murder of an 8-year-old boy whose killing in 2013 provoked public outrage, prompted sweeping reform of Los Angeles Countys child welfare system, and led to unprecedented criminal charges against social workers who handled the childs case. Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, 34, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole for her role in the death of her son, Gabriel. A jury decided last year that her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, 37, should be executed. When paramedics arrived at the boys Palmdale home in May 2013, Gabriel had slipped out of consciousness. He had a fractured skull, broken ribs, burned skin, missing teeth and BB pellets embedded in his groin. A paramedic would later testify that every inch of the boys small body had been abused. Read More Facebook

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L.A. Unifieds spending out of step with similar school systems, task force says By Howard Blume The Los Angeles school district is out of step with similar school systems, spending more on teachers pay and health benefits and less on activities that could enhance student learning, according to a new report by an outside task force. The L.A. Unified School District Advisory Task Force did not make specific recommendations, but instead posed a series of questions it said the district needs to answer to make sure its funding is aimed at providing a full opportunity for all students to succeed. What were trying to say is: Lets put the data on the table. Lets look at the truth. Lets be transparent and here are the numbers, said task force member Renata Simril. This is not to say that  we should cut teachers salaries. Read More Facebook

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Top USC medical school official feared dean was doing drugs and alerted administration, he testifies By Paul Pringle A former vice dean of USCs Keck School of Medicine testified Tuesday that he feared the schools then-dean, Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito, could be doing drugs and expressed concerns about his general well-being to the universitys No. 2 administrator before Puliafito abruptly left his job in 2016. Dr. Henri Fords testimony at a hearing of the state Medical Board marks the first suggestion that any USC administrator had suspicions about Puliafitos possible drug use before he stepped down. A Times investigation in 2017 found Puliafito led a secret second life of using illegal drugs with a circle of young criminals and addicts. Puliafito testified about his behavior at the hearing Tuesday, saying he took drugs with one young woman on a weekly basis. Ford said that he decided to alert USC Provost Michael Quick after receiving reports in early 2016 that Puliafito was partying in hotels with people of questionable reputation, and that he came to worry about his mental stability. Read More Facebook

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Why L.A. Unified may face financial crisis even with a giant surplus this year By Jessica Calefati With more than half a billion dollars socked away for next school year, the Los Angeles Unified School District hardly seems just two years from financial ruin. Its a scenario that is especially tough to swallow if youre a low-wage worker seeking a raise or a teacher who wants smaller classes. But budget documents show that todays $548-million surplus cannot be sustained  and that even basic services face steep, seemingly unavoidable cuts because of massive problems barreling the districts way. Theres a disconnect between the rosy short-term picture and what we know is coming, said board member Kelly Gonez. Read More Facebook

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We have failed: Top USC officials try to reassure students amid gynecologist scandal By Joy Resmovits Top administrators at USC are reaching out to students in the wake of misconduct allegations against the universitys longtime gynecologist, acknowledging failings and vowing reforms as they try to address growing outrage over the revelations. Several USC deans have sent out messages trying to reassure students and faculty that the university is committed to changing. We have failed, wrote Jack H. Knott, dean of USCs Sol Price School of Public Policy, in a May 24 letter. What happened is antithetical to everything we know is right. Read More Facebook

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Rick Caruso is named chair of USCs trustees, vows swift investigation of gynecologist scandal By Thomas Curwen The University of Southern Californias board of trustees has elected mall magnate Rick Caruso to be the new chair of the board, giving fresh leadership as the university navigates a widening scandal involving a longtime campus gynecologist. The move marks the latest effort by USC to address the case, which has sparked a criminal investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and dozens of civil lawsuits. More than 400 people have contacted a hotline that the university established for patients to make reports about their experience with Dr. George Tyndall. In his first act as chairman, Caruso announced that the white-shoe L.A. law firm OMelveny & Myers would conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the gynecologists conduct and reporting failures at the clinic. He set an ambitious timeline for the review, pledging it would conclude before students return for the fall semester. Read More Facebook

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UC Berkeley students persistence helps win more liberal rules for in-state tuition By Teresa Watanabe Ifechukwu Okeke thought shed be a shoo-in for in-state tuition when she was admitted to UC Berkeley for fall 2016. She had moved to the United States from Nigeria in 2012 to go to Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga. By the time she got her acceptance to transfer to UC to study molecular and cell biology, she had lived in California four years. She had a California drivers license, bank account and rental records as proof. UC Berkeley, however, ruled she was a nonresident  which meant she would have to pay nearly $27,000 more. Read More Facebook

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State medical board calls former County-USC doctor a sexual predator, suspends his license By Matt Hamilton A UCLA cardiologist has been temporarily stripped of his medical license after state regulators described him as a sexual predator who assaulted three female colleagues when he was working and training at L.A. County-USC Medical Center. Read More Facebook

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Global California 2030' aims to get more students learning more languages By Joy Resmovits Tom Torlakson (Andrew Seng / Associated Press) Outgoing state Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson on Wednesday announced a new statewide effort to encourage students to learn more languages. Called Global California 2030, its goal is to help more students become fluent in multiple tongues. Torlakson said that by 2030, he wants half of the states 6.2 million K-12 students to participate in classes or programs that lead to proficiency in two or more languages. By 2040, he wants three out of four students to be proficient enough to earn the State Seal of Biliteracy. Torlakson announced the initiative at Cahuenga Elementary School, which offers a dual-language immersion program in English and Korean. Californias public school students speak more than 60 languages at home, and 40% come to school with knowledge of a language other than English. Torlakson called his plan a call to action that invites parents, legislators, educators and community members to pool resources to expand language offerings in schools and get more bilingual teachers trained. He said the state already is working with Mexico and Spain to expand a teacher-exchange program. Fluency, the plan argues, can help students succeed economically  and language acquisition can help their overall critical thinking. The initiative builds on Proposition 58, a ballot initiative passed in 2016 that undid an earlier requirement that English learners be taught in English-immersion classes unless their parents signed waivers. Torlakson recently visited Mexico and met with that countrys education secretary. They later signed a pact to increase collaboration, particularly in language education. This [Global California 2030] is great follow-through on Toms part and very important, Patricia Gandara, a UCLA education professor who hosted the Mexico meeting, said in an email. It hands over a plan to move forward in an area in which California has a unique advantage, but must seize the opportunity. Facebook

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Jury convicts man of murder in 2015 slaying of UCLA student found inside her burning apartment By Marisa Gerber A jury on Tuesday convicted a man in the 2015 slaying of a UCLA student found dead inside her burning apartment  a gruesome stabbing case that led to a fierce rebuke of the police response amid concerns that the killing could have been prevented. The panel deliberated for about six hours before finding Alberto Medina, 24, guilty of murder, arson, burglary and animal cruelty. On Sept. 21, 2015, firefighters found the charred body of Andrea DelVesco inside her apartment after responding to the complex a block from campus. The 21-year-old student  an Austin, Texas, native known to her sorority sisters as a fearless giver who befriended others with ease  was stabbed at least 19 times, authorities said. Read More Facebook

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LAPD begins sweeping criminal probe of former USC gynecologist while urging patients to come forward By Adam Elmahrek The Los Angeles Police Department said Tuesday it is investigating 52 complaints of misconduct filed by former patients of USCs longtime campus gynecologist as detectives launch a sweeping criminal probe into the scandal that has rocked the university. LAPD detectives also made an appeal for other patients who feel mistreated to come forward, noting that thousands of students were examined by Dr. George Tyndall during his nearly 30-year career at USC. More than 410 people have contacted a university hotline about the physician since The Times revealed the allegations this month. Tyndalls behavior and practices appear to go beyond the norms of the medical profession and gynecological examinations, said Asst. Chief Beatrice Girmala. We sincerely realize that victims may have difficulty recounting such details to investigators. We are empathetic and ready to listen. Read More Facebook

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At L.A.'s only school for the deaf, parents want leaders who speak the same language By Anna M. Phillips Ever since her son was 6 months old, Juliet Hidalgo has been bringing him to the Marlton School, a low-slung building in Baldwin Hills that for generations has been a second home for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Los Angeles. Marlton staff taught Hidalgos brother and sister, both of whom are deaf. The school was where her deaf son learned to make the signs for milk and food. Hidalgo had planned to enroll her daughter, taking advantage of a popular program that allows hearing children to learn American Sign Language alongside their deaf siblings. But after more than a decade of involvement, she and other family members are considering withdrawing their children. They are not alone. Read More Facebook

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Fueled by unlimited donations, independent groups play their biggest role yet in a California primary for governor By Ryan Menezes An unprecedented amount of money from wealthy donors, unions and corporations is flowing into the California governors race, giving independent groups  unrestricted by contribution limits  a greater say in picking the states chief executive than ever before. The groups have already spent more than $26 million through Thursday, the most ever spent by noncandidate committees in a gubernatorial primary, according to a Times analysis of campaign finance reports. California elections have always been expensive, and the future is even more expensive, said Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College and a former state Republican leader. The stakes are very real. Read More Facebook

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2 hurt in Indiana middle school shooting; suspect in custody, authorities say By Associated Press Authorities say two victims in a shooting at a suburban Indianapolis school are being taken to a hospital and the lone suspect is in custody. Bryant Orem, a spokesman for the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office, said in a news release that the victims in Friday mornings attack at Noblesville West Middle School are being taken to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis and their families have been notified. He says no other information is available about the victims. Orem said the suspect is believed to have acted alone and was taken into custody. No additional information about the suspect was made public. Read More Facebook

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For new L.A. schools chief Austin Beutner, some key unions are giving no honeymoon period By Howard Blume In the less than two weeks since Austin Beutner took charge of Los Angeles schools, unions representing teachers and administrators have staged a job action and a protest. Theyve made it clear that they will not give the new superintendent the traditional honeymoon period, and they are bashing him for his wealth and lack of experience running either a school or a school district. Beutner is a billionaire investment banker with zero qualifications, local teachers union President Alex Caputo-Pearl told members in a phone alert urging them to participate in a Thursday afternoon rally in Grand Park. The board is saying that billionaires who made their money blowing institutions up and making money off it know best  not the education professionals who have dedicated our careers to working with students. Read More Facebook

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Pressure grows on Board of Trustees amid USC gynecologist scandal By Paul Pringle USCs large and powerful Board of Trustees is coming under growing pressure to provide a stronger hand as the university faces a crisis over misconduct allegations against the campus longtime gynecologist that has prompted calls for President C.L. Max Nikias to step down. Allegations that Dr. George Tyndall mistreated students during his nearly 30 years at USC have roiled the campus, with about 300 people coming forward to make reports to the university and the Los Angeles Police Department launching a criminal investigation. USC is already beginning to face what is expected to be costly litigation by women who say they were victimized by the physician. So far, the trustees to whom Nikias reports have expressed sympathy for the women who have come forward and launched an independent investigation while also publicly backing the president. Read More Facebook

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UC regents approve leaner budget for Janet Napolitano By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents on Thursday unanimously approved a leaner, more transparent budget for President Janet Napolitano, moving to address political criticism over the systems central office operations. The $876.4-million budget for 2018-19 reflects spending cuts of 2%, including reductions in staffing, travel and such systemwide programs as public service law fellowships, carbon neutrality and food security. Napolitano shifted $30 million to campuses for housing needs and $10 million to UC Riverside to support its five-year-old medical school. She also permanently redirected $8.5 million annually to help enroll more California students, as required by the state. Read More Facebook

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USCs Academic Senate calls on university president to resign after a series of scandals By Matt Hamilton The body that represents USCs faculty called on President C.L. Max Nikias to resign Wednesday in the wake of relevations that the universitys longtime gynecologist faced years of accusations of misconduct by students and colleagues at the campus health clinic. The Academic Senate took the vote late Wednesday afternoon after a fiery town hall meeting attended by more than 100 faculty members, many of whom voiced outrage over Nikias and the Board of Trustees leadership. The vote came a day after the trustees executive committee stood firmly behind Nikias, saying it has full confidence in his leadership, ethics and values. At the town hall meeting, Senate President Paul Rosenbloom said he did not think Nikias or Provost Michael Quick committed wrongdoing but that the university president deserved criticism for a lack of transparency. Read More Facebook

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Californias public universities on the way to getting a big longed-for boost in funding By Teresa Watanabe The University of California and California State University systems are poised to get major funding boosts that will help them enroll thousands of additional state students and eliminate the need for tuition increases in the coming school year. A key Assembly budget panel on Wednesday approved $117.5 million in new funds for the UC. A Senate panel approved a similar sum last week. The same committees recently approved even more funding for the Cal State system. Read More Facebook

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UC regents to scrutinize Janet Napolitanos office budget in a step toward stronger oversight By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents this week plan to scrutinize the budget of President Janet Napolitano, whose office came under political fire last year for questionable spending and murky accounting. Regents will vote on the proposed $876.4-million budget for 2018-19 during their two-day meeting, which starts Wednesday, at UC San Francisco. They also will discuss state funding, financial aid, online education and transfer student policies. Board Chairman George Kieffer said regents are stepping up to exert stronger oversight of the presidents office after a blistering state audit last year found financial problems including an unreported $175 million budget reserve. Read More Facebook

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State legislative panels approve major funding boost for Cal State By Teresa Watanabe Cal State students protest against a tuition increase outside the chancellors office (Irfan Khan) After months of intensive lobbying, Cal State University has convinced two key legislative panels to approve funding to enroll nearly 11,000 more students, hire more faculty and expand housing aid to those without shelter this fall. An Assembly budget panel on Tuesday approved $215.7 million more for Cal State, adding to Gov. Jerry Browns proposed $92.1 million general fund increase. A Senate budget panel approved a similar increase last week. The extra funding  which went beyond Cal States own request to the Legislature of $171 million  is still subject to final budget negotiations with Brown. But the actions by the Senate and Assembly panels amount to a demand from Democrats that the governor hike higher education spending. Cal State University is the workhorse undergraduate university serving hundreds of thousands of Californians, said Assemblyman Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), who heads the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance. We need more graduates for the California workforce and higher education is the ticket to the middle class. Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White hailed the actions, but said it was too soon to celebrate. The CSU has a singular focus on helping students earn high-quality degrees sooner, and the entire university community has rallied to reinforce that message to our states lawmakers, he said in a statement. The actions taken thus far by the Assembly and Senate are promising and show that our message is being received, but there is still work to be done. Funding for the University of California was not taken up Tuesday as originally scheduled. McCarty would not comment on sticking points but said he was confident that a resolution would be reached this week. Were looking to provide resources above whats in the governors budget, but negotiations are ongoing, he said in an interview. State per-student funding is not what it once was, leaving both Cal State and the UC in a tough financial squeeze. Both systems raised tuition last year after a six-year freeze on higher costs. For this year, Cal State had asked for funding to enroll an additional 3,621 students, but both the Senate and Assembly panels approved three times that amount. Cal State, the largest public university system in the nation, turned away 32,000 eligible students last year because its campuses werent able to accommodate them. The panels asked that at least $50 million of the extra funding be used to hire more tenure-track faculty to help boost graduation rates. The Assembly panel also approved one-time funding of $5 million to ease hunger on campuses and $14 million for rapid rehousing pilot projects at three campuses, offering needy students rental support and short-term case management. Other items approved include $5 million to support the CSU Long Beach Shark Labs research on sharks and beach safety and $2 million for equal employment opportunity practices. This post has been updated to include comments from Assemblyman Kevin McCarty and Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White. Facebook

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Faculty members call for USC president to step down: He has lost the moral authority to lead By Matt Hamilton Two hundred USC professors on Tuesday demanded the resignation of university President C. L. Max Nikias, saying he had lost the moral authority to lead in the wake of revelations that a campus gynecologist was kept on staff for decades despite repeated complaints of misconduct. Read More Facebook

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Gun battle, negotiations lasted 15 minutes before Texas school shooter was apprehended, sheriff says By Molly Hennessy-Fiske Minutes after a school shooter opened fire in an art class last week, killing 10 people and wounding 13, including a local police officer, fellow officers returned fire in a protracted gun battle before isolating the suspect, the local sheriff said Monday. Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset praised first responders as well as Santa Fe Police Officer John Barnes, who was working as a resource officer at the school the day of the shooting. Their actions, he said, prevented the attack from spreading to other classrooms and potentially claiming additional victims. As officials continue to probe last Fridays shooting at Santa Fe High School, students are worried about returning to the scene of the attack when classes resume next week. Read More Facebook

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6 women sue USC, alleging they were victimized by campus gynecologist By Richard Winton Six women filed civil lawsuits Monday alleging that a longtime gynecologist at the University of Southern California sexually victimized them under the pretext of medical care and that USC failed to address complaints from clinic staff about the doctors behavior. One woman alleged Dr. George Tyndall forced his entire ungloved hand into her vagina during an appointment in 2003 while making vulgar remarks about her genitalia, according to one of the lawsuits. Another woman alleged that Tyndall groped her breasts in a 2008 visit and that later he falsely told her she likely had AIDS. A third woman accused the doctor of grazing his ungloved fingers over her nude body and leering at her during a purported skin exam, the lawsuit states. The wave of litigation comes as USC continues to grapple with the scandal, which legal experts said could prove costly to the university as scores of former patients come forward about their experiences with the gynecologist. Read More Facebook

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Fatalities reported in Texas high school shooting; suspect arrested, officials say By Associated Press Houston-area media citing unnamed law enforcement officials are reporting that there are fatalities following a shooting at a local high school Friday morning. Television station KHOU and the Houston Chronicle are citing unnamed federal, county and police officials following the shooting at Santa Fe High School, which went on lockdown around 8 a.m. The Associated Press has not been able to confirm the reports. The school district has confirmed an unspecified number of injuries but said it wouldnt immediately release further details. Assistant Principal Cris Richardson said a suspect has been arrested and secured. Read More Facebook

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This student followed the new L.A. schools chief on his first-day tour L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner is greeted by Van Nuys High School principal Yolanda Gardea. (Melissa Barales-Lopez) Melissa Barales-Lopez, a senior at Garfield High School followed Supt. Austin Beutner on his first day on the job, as he toured a variety of programs around the Los Angeles Unified School District. Heres what she took from the experience. LAUSD students and staff alike are looking for a personal champion, someone who will address and improve the difficulties afflicting their education.  What LAUSD students need is someone whos willing to listen and learn, someone who can understand the current issues affecting their schools and act to efficiently amend them, someone who can unlock the full potential of LAUSD students and enable them to reach their goals. During the entirety of his first day, superintendent Austin Beutner did indeed demonstrate a willingness to learn. Posing questions to teachers and students, Beutner engaged with the student communities he encountered to gain a better comprehension of the minutiae and nuances that distinguish each school inside an overwhelmingly large district. From inquiries about Grand View Boulevard Elementary Schools dual language program to questions regarding the services of LAUSDs after-school program, Beyond the Bell, Beutner revealed he has a lot to learn about the system. But, Beutner also showcased a willingness to tackle challenges head-on on his first day. Read More Facebook

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USC let a gynecologist continue treating students despite years of misconduct allegations By Matt Hamilton For nearly 30 years, the University of Southern Californias student health clinic had one full-time gynecologist: Dr. George Tyndall. Tall and garrulous with distinctive jet black hair, he treated tens of thousands of female students, many of them teenagers seeing a gynecologist for the first time. Few who lay down on Tyndalls exam table at the Engemann Student Health Center knew that he had been accused repeatedly of misconduct toward young patients. The complaints began in the 1990s, when co-workers alleged he was improperly photographing students genitals. In the years that followed, patients and nursing staff accused him again and again of creepy behavior, including touching women inappropriately during pelvic exams and making sexually suggestive remarks about their bodies. Read More Facebook

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Cal State trustees to discuss Browns latest budget proposal, which they say still falls $171 million short By Joy Resmovits Just how much money does California State University need to serve its students? In recent years, this question has been front and center for the nations largest public university system. Cal States leaders say that to keep their campuses quality from slipping, they need much more money than the state is giving them. This year, theyre also at odds with Gov. Jerry Brown on the question of whether any extra money should come in one-time bursts or be ongoing. Read More Facebook

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On his first day as L.A. schools chief, Beutner plans a day of visits across the district By Howard Blume L.A. Unifieds new superintendent, Austin Beutner, will kick off his first day of work on Tuesday with a choreographed tour of the nations second-largest school district, from the San Fernando Valley to Carson. His day is scheduled to begin at 5:15 a.m. at a school bus depot and end more than 12 hours later at a parent meeting at Garfield High School. Along the way, Beutner is expected to be joined by school district administrators, L.A. Unified board members and the vice president of the union that represents school bus drivers. Though he will be covering a lot of ground, Beutners tour has him skipping Tuesdays school board meeting, when board members are expected to discuss labor negotiations in closed session. Read More Facebook

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Cal State trustees to discuss Browns latest budget proposal, which they say still falls $171 million short By Joy Resmovits Just how much money does California State University need to serve its students? In recent years, this question has been front and center for the nations largest public university system. Cal States leaders say that to keep their campuses quality from slipping, they need much more money than the state is giving them. This year, theyre also at odds with Gov. Jerry Brown on the question of whether any extra money should come in one-time bursts or be ongoing. Read More Facebook

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Why a handful of rich charter school supporters are spending millions to elect Antonio Villaraigosa as governor By Ryan Menezes California voters have seen a barrage of sunny television ads in recent weeks touting former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosas record on finances, crime and education, aired by Families & Teachers for Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor 2018. But the group is, in fact, largely funded by a handful of wealthy charter-school supporters. Together they have spent more than $13 million in less than a month to boost Villaraigosas chances in the June 5 primary  at a time when his fundraising and poll numbers are lagging. Reed Hastings, the founder of Netflix, jump-started the group with a $7-million check, by far the largest donation to support any candidate in the election. Their efforts are part of a broader proxy war among Democrats between teachers unions  longtime stalwarts of the party  and those who argue that the groups have failed low-income and minority schoolchildren. Read More Facebook

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Talking schools with L.A. Unifieds new superintendent By Anna M. Phillips Al Seib / Los Angeles Times ( Incoming L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner talks to students at Belmont High School.) Austin Beutner, who officially starts Tuesday as the new superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, is taking on a famously difficult job at a particularly difficult time. The school board is divided and did not back him unanimously. The nations second-largest school district has deep-seated problems, including declining enrollment, lagging academic achievement and rising pension and healthcare costs that eat away at its budget. The 58-year-old former investment banker and former L.A. Times publisher has years of experience in the financial world but none as an educator. Earlier this week, he sat down with the Times education team to discuss the challenges facing the district, which has about 60,000 employees and 500,000 students in traditional public schools. He did not talk about his plans  saying repeatedly, stay tuned  but he spoke in broad terms about his mindset in approaching the tough decisions ahead. Read More Facebook

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Suspect detained, authorities search campus after reports of armed man at Palmdale high school By James Queally One person has been detained after a report of an armed man at a Palmdale high school sparked a massive law enforcement response Friday morning. The suspect was spotted at 7:05 a.m. on the campus of Highland High School in Palmdale, according to Sheriffs Department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida. The person was detained in a nearby parking lot, according to Nishida, who did not know whether that person was an adult or juvenile. Deputies at the scene are clearing the school methodically, and students will be transported home via school buses once the campus is deemed safe, Nishida said. Read More Facebook

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The education of Bertha Perez: How a UC Merced custodians disenchantment led to a political awakening By Robin Abcarian Its the third day of a three-day strike, and UC Merced custodian Bertha Perez is taking a break from a picket line at the universitys unremarkable entrance, an intersection with stop lights. Photos from other UC campuses this week have shown big crowds of striking service workers  members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees  marching and chanting pro-labor slogans as they try to force the University of California back to the negotiating table. But here, at UC Merced, whose handful of big buildings rise from a flat expanse of farmland, the picket line is tiny, maybe two dozen workers and a few students. Its not a big-city-style show of force. Then again, a union sympathizer is banging relentlessly on a snare drum, so its noisier than youd expect. Read More Facebook

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Ref Rodriguez resigns from teacher credentialing commission By Howard Blume Ref Rodriguez appears during a court appearance. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles school board member Ref Rodriguez has resigned from the states Commission on Teacher Credentialing, which oversees the integrity and quality of Californias teachers. Rodriguez faces felony and misdemeanor charges for political money laundering. Separately, his former employer, a charter school organization, has accused him of improperly authorizing checks to a nonprofit under his control. Rodriguez has denied wrongdoing. Rodriguezs resignation from the state body was effective May 4, days after he cast a crucial vote as part of a narrow majority that voted to authorize contract negotiations with Austin Beutner to become superintendent of the L.A. Unified School District. Beutners first official day on the job is Tuesday. Rodriguez remains in his $125,000-a-year position on the Los Angeles Board of Education. The mission of the state body is to ensure integrity, relevance, and high quality in the preparation, certification, and discipline of Californias teachers. Critics had questioned Rodriguezs continued service on the commission, given that teachers can be suspended from work if they face criminal charges. They also can lose their jobs for lapses in personal behavior, such as excessive drinking, with the potential to affect their performance. Police in Pasadena arrested Rodriguez on a Friday afternoon in March for public drunkenness. He was not charged in the incident and has apologized. The state commission reviews teacher discipline cases and can take action to remove a teachers credential to work in a California classroom. The commission has 15 members. Rodriguezs departure was disclosed in a one-sentence announcement on the agencys website. Facebook

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School board members request for restraining order against blogger is rejected By Priscella Vega An Orange County Superior Court judge on Wednesday denied a school board members petition for a permanent restraining order against a Huntington Beach blogger. Attorney Jeffrey W. Shields filed the petition on behalf of Ocean View School District trustee Gina Clayton-Tarvin, 46, who alleged in court documents that Charles Keeler Johnson, 56, has threatened her on social media and at school board meetings, causing her to fear for my own safety and for that of my immediate family members. Johnson, who goes by Chuck and publishes HBSledgehammer.com, said the trustee tried to stifle his freedom of speech. He also contended that Clayton-Tarvin took his blog posts and Facebook comments too seriously and out of context, saying anyone who is afraid of metaphors has serious issues. Read More Facebook

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Deal with workers averts one-day strike that could have shut down L.A. schools By Howard Blume Los Angeles school district and union officials announced a contract agreement Tuesday night that averted a one-day strike planned for next week. The pact, which runs through June 2020, removes one labor problem from the desk of incoming Supt. Austin Beutner  whose first day on the job would have coincided with the strike. Plenty of other challenges remain. Read More Facebook

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UC labor strike expands with show of support from more unions By Teresa Watanabe Fong Chuu is a registered nurse who has assisted with countless liver transplants, kidney surgeries and gastric bypasses during 34 years at UCLA. Working with her are scrub technicians who sterilize equipment, hand medical instruments to the surgeon and dress patient wounds. They are a team, Chuu says, which is why she walked off her job Tuesday in support of those technicians and other members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299. The 25,000 member AFSCME local, the University of Californias largest employee union, launched a three-day strike Monday. Read More Facebook

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We are humans too: Voices of UCLAs striking custodians, hospital aides and imaging technicians By Joy Resmovits Demonstrators parade in front of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) This week, thousands of UC employees are staging a three-day strike for better pay and working conditions. On Monday, more than 20,000 custodians, cooks, lab technicians, nurse aides and other members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 walked off their jobs. By Tuesday, two more unions joined in sympathy strikes. The union and UC reached a bargaining impasse last year. The university has said it wont meet the workers demands. The strikers said they wanted better pay, more equity in the allocation of work, stable healthcare premiums and an end to the universitys use of contract workers. These are their stories. Read More Facebook

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Massive UC workers strike disrupts dining, classes and medical services By Joy Resmovits A massive labor strike across the University of California on Monday forced medical centers to reschedule more than 12,000 surgeries, cancer treatments and appointments, and campuses to cancel some classes and limit dining services. More than 20,000 members of UCs largest employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, walked off their jobs on the first day of a three-day strike. They include custodians, gardeners, cooks, truck drivers, lab technicians and nurse aides. Two altercations involving protesters and people driving near the rallies were reported at UCLA and UC Santa Cruz. At UCLA, police took a man into custody Monday after he drove his vehicle into a crowd, hitting three staff members. They were treated for minor injuries at the scene and released, said Lt. Kevin Kilgore of the UCLA Police Department. Read More Facebook

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Sen. Kamala Harris to skip UC Berkeley commencement in support of striking workers By Teresa Watanabe Sen. Kamala Harris (Chris Dekmas) California Sen. Kamala Harris has canceled plans to deliver UC Berkeleys commencement address this weekend in support of UC workers who are on strike over wages and health benefits. Due to the ongoing labor dispute, Sen. Harris regretfully cannot attend and speak at this years commencement ceremony at UC Berkeley, said a statement from Harris office issued Monday. She wishes the graduates and their families a joyous commencement weekend and success for the future. They are bright young leaders and our country is counting on them. UCs largest employee union, the 25,000-member American Federation of County, State and Municipal Employees Local 3299, launched a three-day strike Monday and had earlier called for a speakers boycott. The union and university reached a bargaining impasse last year and subsequent mediation efforts have failed to produce an agreement. The union is asking for a multiyear contract with a 6% annual pay increase while the university is offering 3% annual increases over four years. UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ will deliver the keynote address instead, the university announced. About 5,800 students are expected to participate in the ceremony Saturday. Facebook

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School mural depicting Trumps bloody, severed head sparks controversy By Gary Warth A Chula Vista school mural that depicts the bloody, severed head of President Trump on a spear sparked a controversy that prompted officials to cover it and issue a response distancing themselves from the work. The statement also said the artist will alter the painting. We understand that there was a mural painted at the event this past weekend that does not align with our schools philosophy of non-violence, read the statement from MAAC Community Charter School director Tommy Ramirez. We have been in communication with the artist  who has agreed to modify the artwork  to better align with the schools philosophy. Read More Facebook

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New blackface incident at Cal Poly prompts calls for state investigation By Kim Christensen Cal Poly San Luis Obispo officials have asked the state attorney generals office to investigate after a new photo of a white student in blackface surfaced on a fraternity groups private Snapchat. I am outraged, Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong said in a video address Friday to the campus. These vile and absolutely unacceptable acts cannot continue. We must not allow these acts to define us as an institution. Armstrong said the latest photo was intended to imitate an incident last month in which a white member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity was photographed at a party wearing blackface. Read More Facebook

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More than 50,000 UC workers set to strike this week but campuses will remain open By Teresa Watanabe More than 50,000 workers across the University of California are set to strike this week, causing potential disruptions to surgery schedules, food preparation and campus maintenance. The systems 10 campuses and five medical centers are to remain open, with classes scheduled as planned. UCs largest employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, plans to begin a three-day strike Monday involving 25,000 workers, including custodians, gardeners, cooks, truck drivers, lab technicians and nurse aides. Read More Facebook

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New L.A. schools chief Beutner pledges to listen, learn and take action By Howard Blume New Los Angeles schools Supt. Austin Beutner proved Wednesday that hes a quick learner even without an education background. Like countless public officials before him, he appeared at an important event  his first speech and news conference  with a photogenic background of students. His message  that he would put those students first  seemed heartfelt if hardly original. Nor was it a huge surprise that he pledged to push cooperatively but unflinchingly to improve the districts academic performance and stabilize its finances. As an introduction, Beutner, a former investment banker who made a fortune on Wall Street, offered little flash, but that was partly the point. Read More Facebook

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In a school lockdown, one student takes stock of the stressful scene (Phalaen Chang) At the beginning of lunch one day late last month, Duarte High School, Northview Middle School, and California School of the Arts-San Gabriel Valley were advised by the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department to go into lockdown mode due to police activity in the immediate area. Phalaen Chang, a junior at the California School of the Arts, wrote a series of notes on her iPhone while she sat in a room with her classmates. By the time the lockdown ended an hour later, she wrote, she knew which of her friends would hold open the door for others, be the ones calming others down, be the ones barricading the doors. She knew that all of them have the potential to be such strong people. Read More Facebook

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Tale as old as time: L.A. Unified superintendent pick follows a historical pattern of outside-the-box choices By Joy Resmovits Navy Vice Adm. David L. Brewer III, superintendent from 2006-2008. (L.A. Times file photo) L.A. Unified has long gone back and forth between picking insiders and outsiders to run the nations second largest school district. The choice of Austin Beutner, announced Tuesday, places the district squarely back in the outsider camp  months after a consummate insider, Supt. Michelle King, announced that she had cancer and would not return to the job. Check out this timeline of former L.A. superintendents to see how the school board members have changed their minds, sometimes favoring leaders who come from the world of education and sometimes executives from elsewhere, recruited to shock the system into change. At one point, the district hired someone from the military  retired Navy Vice Adm. David L. Brewer III, who served as superintendent from 2006-2008. In hiring Brewer, board members had opted for a non-educator  largely because they sought a fresh thinker, unwedded to the bureaucracy, unafraid to make bold, even unorthodox moves, reads a 2008 Times story. Facebook

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Austin Beutner named superintendent of Los Angeles schools By Howard Blume Austin Beutner, a philanthropist and former investment banker, on Tuesday was named superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nations second-largest school system. His selection was the biggest move yet by a Los Angeles school board majority elected with major support from charter school advocates. The decision came after lengthy public testimony, most of it in support of the other remaining finalist, interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian, who is well known within the school system. Beutner, 58, has no background leading a school or school district. Less than 2 years ago, a school board with a very different balance of power named Michelle King, a former teacher who rose through the district throughout her career, to L.A. Unifieds top job. Read More Facebook

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Hearing delay gives both sides more time in Ref Rodriguezs potential trial By Howard Blume Ref Rodriguez and his attorneys will have more time to prepare their defense against charges of political money laundering, a judge ruled Monday. The preliminary hearing in the case had been scheduled to begin May 9, but that date will now be pushed back to July 23 per the ruling from L.A. Superior Court Judge Deborah S. Brazil. Rodriguez, 46, faces three felony charges of conspiracy, perjury and procuring and offering a false or forged instrument, as well as 25 misdemeanor counts related to the alleged campaign money laundering. Read More Facebook

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L.A. school board poised to name Beutner as superintendent By Howard Blume The Los Angeles Board of Education is poised to select philanthropist and former investment banker Austin Beutner to be the next superintendent of the nations second-largest school system. Barring a last-minute development, the only mystery is whether Beutner emerges with four or five votes from the boards seven members. Terms of his contract already have been under discussion, according to sources close to the process who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak. The selection of Beutner, 58, who has no experience managing a school or a school district, would be a signal that the board majority that took control nearly a year ago wants to rely on business management skills instead of insider educational expertise. Read More Facebook

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Teacher walkouts in Arizona and Colorado continue national debate on money for schools By Michael Livingston Following the lead of teachers who walked off the job in other states in recent weeks, thousands of teachers and their supporters took to the streets in Arizona and Colorado for the second day in a row to demand better pay and more funding for education. Read More Facebook

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Three decades before the #MeToo movement, UC San Diego led the way against sexual assault By Teresa Watanabe When Nancy Wahlig first started her fight against sexual assault, one company was marketing a capsule for women to stash in their bras and then smash to release a vile odor. Because of the very nature of society, the only person who can prevent rape is the woman herself, read a 1981 advertisement for the Repulse rape deterrent. Ideas about how to prevent sexual violence have come a long way since then, and Wahlig has helped lead that evolution on college campuses. In 1988, she started UC San Diegos Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC), the first stand-alone program at the University of California. Today, she remains the systems most senior specialist. Read More Facebook

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Andres Alonso withdraws from consideration for L.A. schools job By Howard Blume Andres Alonso, believed to be one of three remaining finalists to lead the Los Angeles school system, has withdrawn from consideration. The remaining known candidates in the confidential search are former investment banker Austin Beutner and interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian. Alonso, 60, announced his decision on Twitter on Thursday night, saying he had notified the L.A. Unified School District on Monday. The exit of Alonso, the former Baltimore schools chief, seems to solidify the front-runner status of Beutner, who also was a former L.A. Times publisher and a Los Angeles deputy mayor. He held each of those positions for about a year. Read More Facebook

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Heres why the apparent increase in autism spectrum disorders may be good for U.S. children By Karen Kaplan The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among American children continues to rise, new government data suggest. And that may be a good thing. Among 11 sites across the U.S. where records of 8-year-olds are scrutinized in detail, 1 in 59 kids was deemed to have ASD in 2014. Thats up from 1 in 68 in 2012. Normally, health officials would prefer to see less of a disease, not more of it. But in this case, the higher number is probably a sign that more children of color who are on the autism spectrum are being recognized as such and getting services to help them, according to a report published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read More Facebook

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UC shelves tuition increase for now, in hopes of getting more state funding By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents will not vote on a tuition increase next month, shelving the plan for now in hopes that state lawmakers will come through with more funding. Raising tuition is always a last resort and one we take very seriously, UC President Janet Napolitano said Thursday in a statement. We will continue to advocate with our students who are doing a tremendous job of educating legislators about the necessity of adequately funding the university to ensure UC remains a world-class institution and engine of economic growth for our state. Last week, Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White said the 23-campus system no longer would consider a plan to raise tuition for the 2018-19 academic year. But unlike Cal State, UC officials have not taken a tuition increase off the table entirely. Read More Facebook

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A chemical spill, unchecked eyewash stations, poor training: Audit details Cal States lax lab safety By Joy Resmovits In May 2016, two bottles tumbled off a poorly supported shelf and broke, leading to a chemical spill in a Sacramento State University lab. The liquid got onto one students legs and soaked anothers feet. Five employees cleaned up the mess, even though no one knew for sure what it was and whether it was dangerous. They called fellow employee Kim Harrington, their union representative, to let her know what happened. Read More Facebook

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After blackface incident, minority students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo say they dont feel welcome By Hailey Branson-Potts Aaliyah Ramos was walking through the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus last year when a prospective student approached her. Ramos was the only black person, the young woman said, that she and her mother had seen that day. They asked about the quality of education and the diversity of the student body. Ramos, a mechanical engineering student, didnt want to sugarcoat the truth: Cal Poly long has been predominantly white. But she told the young woman  who also was black  that she didnt want to discourage her from applying, because that wouldnt help with diversity at a school where only 0.7% of students are African American  the lowest percentage of any university in the California State system. Read More Facebook

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El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills wins the 2018 U.S. Academic Decathlon By Carlos Lozano El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills has won the 2018 U.S. Academic Decathlon, officials said. The winner was announced early Saturday at a ceremony in Frisco, Texas. More than 600 students from the U.S., Canada, China and the United Kingdom gathered there over the last three days to compete in the 37th annual U.S. Academic Decathlon. Congratulations to El Camino Real Charter High School for another impressive victory, said Vivian Ekchian, interim superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Your academic stamina and competitive spirit to win is remarkable. The entire L.A. Unified family is so proud of you. Read More Facebook

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Anticipation mounts as L.A. school board meets over superintendent selection By Howard Blume L.A. schools superintendent candidate Andres Alonso got an endorsement Friday, but Austin Beutner and Vivian Ekchian also have supporters. (Elizabeth Malby) The Los Angeles Board of Education is reconvening in closed session Friday at noon as anticipation mounts about the choice of the next leader of the nations second-largest school system. The presumed front-runner is former investment banker and philanthropist Austin Beutner, but interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian and former Baltimore Supt. Andres Alonso also are in the running. Most district insiders appear to be rooting for Ekchian, who has spent her entire career in education within the school system. After her 10 years as a teacher, her roles have included head of human resources, chief labor negotiator and regional administrator for campuses in the west San Fernando Valley. Shes managed the district since September, when then-Supt. Michelle King went on medical leave and chose Ekchian to fill in for her. King, who is battling cancer, never returned and announced her retirement in January. Numerous influential civic leaders have urged  and pressured  the board to select Beutner. Also lending their weight have been advocates for charter schools, which are independently operated, growing in number and competing for students with district-operated campuses. Four of the seven board members  enough to control the outcome  were elected with major financial support from charter supporters. Beutner has two ongoing connections with the L.A. Unified School District. The first is his leadership of an outside task force that is making recommendations on how to improve the school system. The second is his charity, Vision to Learn, which supplies glasses to low-income students. The charity and the school system are in a dispute at the moment over who is responsible for delays in providing services to students as part of a $6 million contract, half of which is paid for by L.A. Unified. Unlike Ekchian and Buetner, Alonso, who currently teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, has no deep-seated local constituency, but the prospect of his selection has generated some excitement. While in Baltimore, Alonso was recognized for pushing for progress at low-performing schools, and for being willing to take strong action. While in Baltimore, he also weathered a test-score cheating scandal and occasionally rocky relations with the teachers union. But by the time he resigned, after six years, he and union leaders seemed to be working together without rancor. Leaders of some community groups have split from the pro-Beutner camp. They worry that Beutners approach to confronting the districts financial problems could shut out their voices or involve severe economic cutbacks that would undermine programs that are helping students. Some prefer Ekchian; some Alonso. Theyve been reluctant to speak out publicly because theyll have to work with whoever is selected, but they have tried to get the ear of board members. On Friday morning, one leader of a community group decided to come out in favor of Alonso. L.A. Unified has the opportunity to bring in an instructional leader of color with a history of success, said Alberto Retana, president and chief executive of Community Coalition, which works on behalf of low-income students and families in South Los Angeles. If we have a shot at that, we should go for it  because its in the best interests of our kids and of our community. Retana said his statement was not meant to criticize Beutner or Ekchian but to alert board members that there also is community support for Alonso. Facebook

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Cal State leader shelves proposed tuition hike: Its the right thing to do, but its not without risk By Joy Resmovits Cal State, the nations largest public university system, will no longer consider a plan to raise tuition for the 2018-19 academic year, Chancellor Timothy P. White announced Friday. The decision is a bet that Sacramento will come through in the end. If Cal State loses that bet, it could mean cuts to campus programs. White said in an interview that Californias economy is strong enough that families should not be shouldering the burden of higher college costs. Read More Facebook

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L.A. students to participate in national walkout activities on Friday By Joy Resmovits (Los Angeles Times) Students are taking to the streets again Friday to protest gun violence on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting. Starting at 10 a.m., students at many schools will spend 13 seconds honoring the 13 people  12 students and one teacher  killed on that day in Littleton, Colo. After that, theyll participate in a host of different activities. Within L.A. Unified, one school is having an open-mic event for students to talk about school violence, and lawmakers are visiting campuses to hear students thoughts. According to a central hub for organizing the protests  written by the students of Ridgefield High School in Connecticut  the walkouts are intended to drive the political change necessary to curb school violence. The day is also a time for students to interact on an elevated platform they have never had before, the site states. It is a day of discourse and thoughtful sharing. Bringing together communities and students to get a national discussion rolling. Organizers have suggested using the event to convey the importance of curbing gun violence to legislators. They are encouraging students to push legislation that would ban assault weapons and tighten up rules around who can buy guns and how. Over 2,500 schools nationwide are expected to participate. In L.A., some students  at campuses including Eagle Rock High School, the Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts and Bravo Medical Magnet  plan to walk out. Students from various schools expect to join area marches, including those in Santa Monica and Huntington Park. Other schools are hosting career days and voter registration drives. At 1 p.m., students plan to start a rally in front of L.A. Unified headquarters. For the record: An earlier version of this article stated that 12 teachers and one student were killed in the Columbine shooting. The opposite is true: twelve students and one teacher died. Facebook

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Stabbing of popular student devastates South El Monte High School; teen friend suspected in slaying By Sonali Kohli When administrators at South El Monte High School called Jeremy Sanchezs parents to say he never showed up for class Wednesday, his father began to worry. It was unusual for the 17-year-old junior to miss school, so his father filed a missing persons report and assembled two of Jeremys close friends to look for the popular student-athlete. Their search took them to a scenic stretch of the San Gabriel River Trail, where one of the friends  a 16-year-old boy  made a tragic discovery. Among the bushes in the riverbed near Thienes Avenue and Parkway Drive was Jeremys body, punctured with stab wounds, according to Lt. John Corina of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. Read More Facebook

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Racist fliers spark outrage at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo By Alene Tchekmedyian Soon after Neal MacDougall arrived on the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus Tuesday, the professor noticed university police standing outside a restroom near his office. A racial slur against African Americans had been scrawled in red marker on a stall wall. Later, he discovered a series of racist fliers pinned up next to his door. Someone had also slashed posters hed hung outside his office supporting students in the country illegally. The discovery was the latest controversy on the prestigious campus  which the president said is less than 55% white  that MacDougall said demonstrates a culture of racism at the university. Last week, photographs emerged of white fraternity members, including one in blackface, flashing gang signs. Read More Facebook

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The superintendent waiting game, paying for L.A.'s College Promise, Princetons slave history: Whats new in education By Joy Resmovits Acting LAUSD superintendent Vivian Ekchian is a finalist for the permanent job. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) In and around Los Angeles: The L.A. Unified school board spent 10 hours interviewing and discussing candidates for superintendent. When they adjourned after 10 p.m., they said they would reconvene on Friday. Who is paying for Mayor Eric Garcettis much-touted College Promise, a program that promises two years of community college for LAUSD grads? In California: The Legislature is considering a proposal that would boost K-12 education funding for black students. When the cost of living is taken into account, California has the highest rate of child poverty. Nationwide: The families of two children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School are suing Alex Jones and Infowars for saying the school massacre never occurred. Princeton will name two spaces  an arch and a garden  after slaves who lived or worked on the campus. Facebook

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L.A. school board meets privately with finalists and debates choice for school district leader By Howard Blume The Los Angeles Board of Education adjourned late Tuesday after spending more than 10 hours interviewing candidates and trying to reach a decision on who would be the next leader of the nations second-largest school system. When the meeting finally recessed at 10:11 p.m., a spokesman announced only that the school board would reconvene Friday at noon. Going into the days meetings, there were apparently four finalists, according to sources who could not be named because they were unauthorized to speak. Read More Facebook

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Two Sandy Hook families sue Alex Jones and Infowars for saying the school massacre never happened By David Altimari Families of two children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School have filed lawsuits in Texas against controversial radio host Alex Jones for continually claiming the massacre never happened. Neil Heslin, the father of Jesse Lewis, and Leonard Pozner and Veronique De La Rosa, whose son Noah Pozner died in the massacre, filed separate lawsuits late Monday in Travis County, Texas. The lawsuits allege that Jones defamed the parents by constantly calling them crisis actors and insisting the shooting was a false flag operation; they also claim Jones accusations have led to death threats against the Sandy Hook families by Jones followers. Read More Facebook

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Beutner emerges as a top pick for L.A. schools superintendent amid last-minute jockeying By Howard Blume Austin Beutner has emerged as a leading contender to run the Los Angeles school district, with backers saying he is smart enough and tough enough to confront its financial and academic struggles. Though he does not have a background in education, the former investment banker has in the last year examined some of the districts intractable problems, serving as co-chair of an outside task force with the support of then-Supt. Michelle King. Sources inside and outside the school district said Beutner appears to have more support on the seven-member board than other finalists, and his name could come up for a vote as early as Tuesday. Read More Facebook

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Challenge at Chicago school construction site: Watch for 38,000 unmarked graves By Nereida Moreno A 15-year effort to build a school in Chicagos Dunning neighborhood is underway with an unusual complication: Construction workers are taking careful steps to avoid disturbing human remains that may lie beneath the soil. The $70-million school is to be built on the grounds of a former Cook County Poor House, where an estimated 38,000 people were buried in unmarked graves. Among the dead are residents who were too poor to afford funeral costs, unclaimed bodies and patients from the countys insane asylum. There can be and there have been bodies found all over the place, said Barry Fleig, a genealogist and cemetery researcher who began investigating the site in 1989. Its a spooky, scary place. Read More Facebook

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Oklahoma teacher walkout winds down despite lawmakers failure to meet demands By Washington Post Oklahomas largest teachers union has announced an end to a walkout that has drawn thousands of educators out of classrooms and to the state Capitol demanding greater investment in the states schools, which have endured the nations steepest funding cuts. The announcement Thursday from the Oklahoma Education Assn. does not necessarily end the protests at the Capitol, as teachers not affiliated with the union vowed to stay longer. Instead of a walkout, the union and school districts across the state have said they plan to send delegations of teachers to Oklahoma City to keep the pressure on lawmakers. Teachers and their supporters have also promised to push education issues to the forefront of November elections, when the state chooses a new governor. As school districts begin to reopen, the protests may lose steam. The Legislature is not in session Friday, and observers are waiting to see what happens Monday, when lawmakers return. Read More Facebook

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Most Californians are worried about school shooting threats and oppose arming teachers, survey finds By Joy Resmovits Hamilton High School student Aiyana Dabriel holds a sign during a March 14 walkout in support of the Parkland shooting victims. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Most Californians are worried that a school shooting like the one that occurred in Parkland, Fla., in February could shed blood closer to home, a new survey found. Some 73% percent of adults and 82% of public school parents said they were very concerned or somewhat concerned about school shootings. The Public Policy Institute of California surveyed 1,704 adults in the state by phone just after the March for Our Lives protest against gun violence. Latino and black respondents were significantly more likely to be concerned about school violence than white or Asian respondents, the institute found. Two-thirds of adults and public school parents said they opposed letting more educators carry weapons in school. The response differed across party lines, with 86% of Democrats and 69% of independents voicing their opposition, while 60% percent of Republicans said they would support a measure to arm educators. The poll, which had a margin of error of 3.2% in either direction, also asked Californians about school funding, educational issues in the governors race and the impact of immigration enforcement on students. You can find the full results here. Facebook

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Californias largest virtual charter school network agrees to contract with its teachers By Anna M. Phillips Nearly four years after teachers at Californias largest online charter school voted to unionize, they have reached a deal to increase pay and create job protections, according to a spokesman for the California Teachers Assn. The contract, which is still tentative and subject to ratification, is a victory for the teachers union. Although charter schools are publicly funded, most are privately managed and their employees arent protected by labor contracts. Under the terms of the contract  the result of years of negotiation and legal wrangling  approximately 500 teachers working for California Virtual Academies will no longer be at-will employees who can be dismissed for almost any reason. Their average salary will rise to just over $45,000, according to union estimates, a figure that remains far below the norm for traditional public school teachers. Still, it is an improvement over the previous average of $38,000. The accord also places a limit on the number of students each teacher is responsible for monitoring in online homeroom classes. Were very satisfied with the gains we made, said teacher Brianna Carroll, president of California Virtual Educators United. I think were going to see some extraordinary changes in our schools. According to Carroll, teachers at California Virtual Academies  better known as CAVA  had grown frustrated with the organizations foot-dragging and were making preparations to go on strike when CAVAs leadership agreed to the deal. CAVA and K12, the Virginia-based for-profit company linked to its schools, did not immediately respond to an email Tuesday asking for comment. The network currently operates nine virtual charter schools across California. In 2016, the charter network agreed to pay $8.5 million to settle claims of false advertising, misleading parents and inadequate instruction. The state attorney generals office had also accused K12 of controlling the charters for its own financial benefit. Neither CAVA nor K12 admitted to wrongdoing in the settlement. A year later, the state imposed a $2-million fine on CAVA after an audit found that it had misspent public funds. The network disputed the findings. Facebook

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School board approves a new formula for funding high-need schools By Sonali Kohli L.A. schools will soon get more money if they are located in neighborhoods with such problems as high levels of gun violence and asthma. The Los Angeles Unified school board voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt a new formula to determine how to dole out some funding to schools, based not only on the characteristics of the student populations but on the traumas that affect the communities around campuses. The new formula will be applied to $25 million in funding next fiscal year and about $263 million annually in future years  a small part of the districts $7.5 billion annual budget. Read More Facebook

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Protesters demand Ref Rodriguez resignation outside school board meeting By Sonali Kohli Students, parents, teachers and UTLA marching outside the board meeting chanting "Ref resign" pic.twitter.com/W0LRWZSIXY  Sonali Kohli  (@Sonali_Kohli) April 10, 2018 A few dozen parents, students and teachers marched outside the Los Angeles Unified School Board meeting Tuesday, some calling for board member Ref Rodriguez to resign the week after news broke that he was taken into custody on suspicion of being drunk in public at a Pasadena bar and restaurant. Rodriguez was not cited or charged in that incident, but was held for more than five and a half hours before being released. The school board member faces felony and misdemeanor charges for political money laundering. He is accused of getting more than two dozen people people to donate to his campaign for his school board seat with the understanding that he would reimburse them. He stepped down from his post as school board president after he was charged last fall, but he did not give up his seat on the board. He has pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of conspiracy, perjury, and procuring and offering a false or forged instrument, as well as 25 misdemeanor counts related to the alleged campaign money laundering. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May. He cant give his full focus to our students, said Rebecca LaFond, a Highland Park parent whose three children marched with her as she chanted, Ref resign. One daughter marched in front of her, using a drum stick to hit the bottom of a gallon-size empty water jug. Our kids deserve someone who has the utmost ethical standards representing them, LaFond said. The protests continued into the board meeting, where some addressed Rodriguez directly, calling on him to step down during public comment portions of the meeting. Rodriguez, through his chief of staff, declined to comment. Some parents outside the board meeting did not know about the charges against Rodriguez but came out to protest the possibility of sharing their school campuses with charter schools. Protesters also oppose colocation  not all of the parents are here to ask Ref Rodriguez to step down pic.twitter.com/1Co8zQ9zSi  Sonali Kohli  (@Sonali_Kohli) April 10, 2018 Cynthia Martinez said her son, who goes to Christopher Dena Elementary School in Boyle Heights, has been bullied in the past by students from a charter school sharing the campus. She said she didnt know who Rodriguez was. Some parents and teachers are worried about losing computer labs, robotics rooms and fitness centers if they are required to share their campus with charter schools, said Ilse Escobar, a parent community organizer for United Teachers Los Angeles. The issues of Rodriguez and colocation are related, Escobar said. Rodriguez is part of a majority on the school board elected with financial backing from charter school supporters, and many parents, she said, feel that the school board is compromised if he is a part of it. Staff reporter Howard Blume contributed to this post. Facebook

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Delaine Eastin tries to gain momentum in the California governors race, one voter at a time By Seema Mehta Delaine Eastin was a sophomore in high school when a drama teacher urged her to try out for a part in The Man Who Came to Dinner. She hesitated until he told her: This is a metaphor for your whole life. If you never try out, you will never get the part. Eastin auditioned and won the role. Decades later, the advice sticks with the former state schools chief, this time in her unlikely run for governor. Despite calls for more women in leadership roles in state politics following sexual misconduct allegations in Sacramento, Eastin has been largely overlooked in the race, lagging far behind her Democratic rivals in fundraising and the polls. Read More Facebook

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Arizona high court rejects in-state tuition for DACA recipients By Associated Press Young immigrants granted deferred deportation status under a program started by President Obama are not eligible for lower in-state college tuition, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Monday. The unanimous ruling will affect at least 2,000 students attending the states largest community college district and hundreds more at other colleges and the states three public universities. The Maricopa County Community Colleges District and state universities said they would begin raising tuition immediately for the coming school year. Read More Facebook

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New York high school students injured when bus strikes overpass By Associated Press A charter bus carrying teenagers returning from a spring break trip Sunday night struck a bridge overpass on Long Island, seriously injuring six passengers and mangling the entire length of the top of the bus. The crash happened shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday on the Southern State Parkway in Lakeview, according to New York State Police. One of the six injured passengers had very serious injuries, said State Police Maj. David Candelaria. Thirty-seven other passengers suffered minor injuries. Read More Facebook

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Some good news for California in national student test scores By Joy Resmovits National test scores for fourth- and eighth-graders were generally flat from 2015, but eighth-grade reading scores showed some improvement. Every two years, the nations fourth- and eighth-graders are tested in math and reading  and newly released results from last years tests give California at least a little reason to be pleased. The 2017 results  out Monday night  were mostly flat nationwide compared with 2015, though the average score in eighth-grade reading went up. But while that improvement largely came from the increased scores of the highest-performing students, California eighth-graders showed some reading progress from the lowest levels to the highest. Read More Facebook

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Under state control, Inglewood school districts financial picture worsened By Anna M. Phillips When Eugenio Villa agreed to return to the Inglewood schools for a second tour last summer, he knew the district remained one of Californias most troubled. Inglewood Unified had been nearly insolvent when it was taken over by the state Department of Education in 2012. Six years later, its enrollment was still declining. Its school buildings were tired  some edging into decrepitude. Its test scores and graduation rates were still below the state average. And the public was out of patience. Still, Villa, who had signed back on as the districts chief business official, was shocked at what he found when he arrived in June 2017. Two years earlier, he had left the school system on what he thought was firm ground. Read More Facebook

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Charter school group drops two lawsuits against L.A. Unified By Howard Blume A charter schools advocacy group last week announced that it would end two long-running lawsuits in which it was seeking more classroom space and construction money from the Los Angeles school district. The decision, the California Charter Schools Assn. said, reflects better relations between charter schools and the L.A. Unified School District. But the move also suggests that the litigation, which already contributed to significant gains for area charters, was unlikely to produce much more. It takes time, money and effort to litigate, said Ricardo Soto, general counsel for the charter group. Maybe its better to see if we can find the time and opportunity for collaboration. Read More Facebook

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L.A. school board member Ref Rodriguez is arrested on suspicion of public intoxication By Richard Winton Los Angeles school board member Ref Rodriguez was arrested recently on suspicion of being drunk in public at a Pasadena restaurant, the latest trouble for an elected official who faces political money-laundering charges. Pasadena police took Rodriguez into custody on March 16, according to city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian. Officers arrested Rodriguez at about 4:30 p.m. at the Yard House restaurant and bar at the Paseo Mall and held him in jail for more than five-and-a-half hours. Rodriguez was ultimately released without being cited or charged, Derderian told The Times. Other details about the arrest were not available, she 
University of California President Janet Napolitano said Monday that the public university system should open its doors more widely by guaranteeing admission to all qualified state community college students.

She said she also has asked campus chancellors to work toward raising the four-year graduation rate to 70% from the current 64%. Getting more students to graduate more quickly, she said, would make room to enroll an additional 32,000 undergraduates  the equivalent of another UC campus  by 2030.

This would be a major leap for the University of California, Napolitano said at a forum sponsored by Town Hall Los Angeles marking the 150th anniversary of the UC system. Knowing how transformative a UC education can be  for the individual, for the society at large  its incumbent upon us to help more Californians become part of the opportunity story of the UC.

The UC system is widely regarded as the nations top public research university system, with 270,000 students at 10 campuses, five medical centers and three national laboratories.

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In recent years, Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature have pressured UC campuses to increase enrollment of California residents and transfer students. Brown is withholding $50 million in state funding until UC meets several demands, including enrolling one transfer student for every two freshmen not only systemwide but also at eight of the nine undergraduate campuses. UC Santa Cruz and UC Riverside have yet to meet the ratio.

Some UC campuses already offer an admission guarantee to transfer applicants from community colleges. Pasadena City College, for instance, has reached agreements with UC campuses in Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz to guarantee admission for its students who take prescribed courses with a minimum GPA  generally ranging from 2.8 at Merced to 3.4 at Irvine, according to PCCs website.

The UC Academic Senate also has developed a road map of courses needed to enter 21 popular majors at the UC  a move aimed in part at helping transfer applicants avoid wasting time and money on unnecessary classes. Overall, UC campuses have boosted the number of transfer students accepted by 6,000 between 2013 and 2017.

But, Napolitano said, the university can and should do more. She told the audience Monday that she hoped that an admission guarantee for all qualified students from all community colleges could be in place for fall 2019 after careful planning with the Academic Senate and community college officials to make sure we get it right. Academic leaders, for instance, would need to set eligibility standards, including what type of courses potential transfer students would have to take and what grades they would need to get in them.

We will not diminish UCs academic quality or our students ability to succeed by forcing a one-size-fits-all educational model, Napolitano said.

Shane White, chairman of the UC Academic Senate, said any admission guarantee must be linked to academic preparation. If we can incentivize and reward better preparation and better-qualified students, you bet its a good idea, he said.

Community college students would not be guaranteed admission to a particular campus. To keep the number of transfer students manageable and in proper proportion to freshmen, White said, faculty leaders could adjust course requirements and minimum GPAs.

Napolitano said the state also must do its part to widen access for Californians by reinvesting in the university system. UC campuses have enrolled an additional 90,000 students since 2000, she said, but state funding has remained flat. As a result, officials say, UC per-student spending has declined by 31% between fall 2000 and fall 2017.

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The University of California is an institution worth investing in  and worth fighting for, Napolitano said. UC is special  a daring public experiment thats become a priceless public good.

teresa.watanabe@latimes.com

UPDATES:

7:17 p.m.: This article was updated with additional information and comments from University of California President Janet Napolitano.

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This article was originally published at 1:30 p.m.
Bitcoin isnt issued by the government nor can it be deposited in a bank. So should it be subject to the same federal banking rules as traditional paper and coin currency?

It is a question that federal authorities have been grappling with ever since digital currency took off a decade ago, one that will now be heard in a San Diego courtroom with the indictment of Morgan Rockcoons.

The 30-year-old was the target of an undercover sting that depicted him as being a prolific bitcoin trader who exchanged bitcoin for a butane hash oil manufacturer without complying with anti-money-laundering banking rules. He is charged with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and money laundering.

The case has reenergized the debate over how the virtual currency marketplace is regulated and whether such criminal prosecutions can stand up in court. Most cases have, but judges in a few prosecutions have taken provocative positions that bitcoin is not currency, suggesting that the debate is far from over.

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Despite the recent surge in attention, bitcoin remains new and novel, said Brian Klein, a Los Angeles attorney who has become an expert in cryptocurrency law and has clients across the country. Bitcoin has captured the imagination of a lot of people. Its an exciting field to be involved in. Theres still a lot of new legal ground to be plowed.

A bitcoin prosecution has not yet been tested in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Could the Rockcoons case break any new legal ground?

On his Twitter account, an outspoken Rockcoons characterizes the case as the insane Federal Government hell bent on banning Bitcoin use, and has put himself in the role of bitcoin defender.

This case will basically make Bitcoin use a crime, something I will NOT allow as CEO of Bitcoin inc, Rockcoons told the Union-Tribune in a Twitter message when asked about the case. Its my fiduciary responsibility to protect all Bitcoin users, Bitcoin developers and Bitcoin companies using the Bitcoin network world wide, so I will fight these made up bogus charges all the way to the Supreme Court if I must.

Bitcoins are the most popular kind of digital currency, defined succinctly by the website Lifewire as electricity converted into long strings of code that have money value. You cant hold bitcoin like a dollar bill, but the long code has value and is kept in a virtual wallet to be held on to as an investment or to be used to buy goods. Some major retailers accept bitcoin but it hasnt caught on as pioneers had hoped.

Its anonymity also makes it the currency of choice for the dark web, which hosts a massive underground marketplace for criminal activities including child porn, drug sales, identity theft and murder for hire.

The law surrounding how bitcoin can be exchanged is found in guidance from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the arm of the U.S. Treasury Department that works to combat money laundering with regulations.

In 2013, FinCEN announced that virtual currency was no different than standard currency when it comes to following the Bank Secrecy Act. The guidance requires people in the business of exchanging bitcoin for traditional or other type of currency to register with FinCEN and follow other anti-money laundering measures as banks do, including knowing the identity of the customer and reporting any transactions over $10,000. Many states also require money transmittal businesses to be licensed.

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It is a general-intent crime, meaning its a felony for someone to run an unlicensed bitcoin business whether or not there is knowledge of the licensing requirement.

The law, as the Justice Department interprets it, provides almost unfettered prosecutorial discretion, making it a relatively easy criminal charge to bring and secure a conviction, Klein, the bitcoin attorney, points out in an essay on CoinCenter.org, a nonprofit research and advocacy group. And because the courts so far have appeared to line up behind the DOJs interpretation, it can be a very difficult charge to defend.

The prosecution of Charlie Shrem was the first of its kind, and made bitcoin enthusiasts nervous. The young bitcoin entrepreneur had started an exchange business that allowed users to buy bitcoins and make purchases with bitcoin for a fee, giving temporary credit to customers to make the deals go faster. In 2014, he was charged with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, as well as conspiring to launder money to help customers of Silk Road  the massive criminal online marketplace  make purchases with bitcoin.

He pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting unlicensed money transmission and was sentenced to two years in prison.

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Others have followed in his footsteps.

But bitcoin advocates point to two court rulings in particular that indicate the legal issues surrounding bitcoin arent settled.

In 2016, a Miami-Dade County judge ruled that bitcoin is not actually money, not backed by any government or bank, not tangible wealth and cannot be hidden under a mattress like cash or gold. She threw out Florida charges against Michell Espinoza, who had been accused of selling bitcoin to undercover detectives who told him they were going to buy stolen credit card numbers with it.

About six months later in New York, a federal magistrate judge recommended that charges be thrown out against Richard Petix, who conducted more than 100 bitcoin transactions with customers, including with an undercover agent.

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The judge likened bitcoin to Beanie Babies or Pokemon trading cards  a commodity that has value exclusively to the extent that people at any given time choose privately to assign them value. The judge noted the absence of a nexus to other criminal activity, as seen in other cases.

Prosecutors argued against the judges recommendation, and the issue ended up being moot when Petix pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and lying to investigators about an unrelated issue connected to a prior child pornography conviction.

Neither opinion set legal precedent in terms of federal law.

Linking bitcoin exchange to other criminal conduct, such as money laundering, seems to be key in these cases, experts say.

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Rockcoons caught the attention of U.S. Homeland Security investigatators in 2015 on the website LocalBitcoins.com, which advertised him as a prolific seller in San Diego, according to a search warrant affidavit. The website matches exchangers with customers.

An agent went undercover in 2016 and posed as a drug manufacturer who extracts THC from marijuana to make butane hash oil. He asked for help buying bitcoin and asked to do the transactions anonymously. Though anti-money-laundering requirements require money transmitters to take down the personal information of clients and to report transactions $10,000 and above, Rockcoons did neither  despite acknowledging he was familiar with such regulations, according to an affidavit filed in court.

The agent mailed $14,500 cash to Rockcoons in a FedEx package and Rockcoons gave him 9.998 bitcoins while taking a $5,300 service fee, the affidavit states.

In a text message, Rockcoons later allegedly boasted: Im a professional money manager and mover of funds without personal identifying information attached to the funds or equity. This is my speciality (sic), the affidavit states.

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Rockcoons declined to be interviewed for this story, referring questions to his attorney, but in interviews with other publications he disputed the facts as presented in the court records.

He told Bitcoin magazine that the undercover agent indicated the hash oil equipment he would be purchasing was for medical use, which is legal in California. He also accused investigators of trying to entrap him.

I asked for only less than $10,000, they sent me $14500 (or) refused to send anything and then I sent under $10,000 (worth of bitcoin) to follow the law, he told the magazine.

He said he was living in a tent in the Mendocino National Forest at the time of the transaction and working on a voice-operated bitcoin wallet.

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I was living like a mountain man, so I didnt really need money but eventually I needed to buy food so I decided to sell some coin; when someone asked me to buy some I usually just always turn it down but I needed cash to eat, he told the magazine.

Agents found him at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas when he was arrested on Feb. 9.

Davis writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
A woman who fell to her death while rock climbing in the Cleveland National Forest Saturday has been identified as a 33-year-old Montclair resident.

Joy Welling was killed when she fell about 200 feet from a waterfall near the Blue Jay campground, Orange County officials said.

Fire officials responded to an emergency call around 12:30 p.m. Saturday after a man called authorities to report that his climbing partner had fallen. The man was uninjured.

OCFA Helicopter during yesterdays hoist operations on the Cleveland National Forest taken from the bottom of the fall. pic.twitter.com/bx2PSxWEgk  OCFA PIO (@OCFA_PIO) March 18, 2018

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sarah.parvini@latimes.com

For more California news follow me on Twitter: @sarahparvini

City News Service contributed to this report.
Gor Vardanyan: It was a terrorist attack (video)

Advisor to the mayor of Yerevan Gor Vardanyan continues to insist that he prevented, when applying violence towards a female member of the Council, a terrorist attack during the session of the Yerevan council of Elders. "There is no concept of women, men or children in terrorism. If a person allows himself/herself to behave like that in public places or in state bodies, then the concept of a man, woman, child remains excluded," Gor Vardanyan said to "A1 +". On that day a clash took place between the members of Yerkir Tsirani and Republican faction. The women of the Yerkir Tsirani faction brought sewage water from the Nubarashen community, trying to draw attention to the problem that had not been resolved for years in the community. "If you watch the videos well, I do not pull their hair, I just wanted to remove them from the hall," said Vaspurakan Martirosyan, a participant of the incident. Deputy Mayor of Yerevan Davit Ohanyan added "I have seen a person who has gone too far trying to act in an unbalanced state; the law enforcement officers will asses the action. I just tried to prevent it." A criminal case was initiated on hooliganism and beatings. While a criminal case would be initiated, the mayor's advisor Gor Vardanyan gave an explanation to the law enforcement agencies on February 13. "I am one of the people who find that a legal process should be given to this case." However, he has not been summoned for questioning yet. The two sides submitted a report to the police on the occasion of the Yerevan City Council sitting.
A Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy shot and killed a 40-year-old man Sunday who authorities said walked toward him and another deputy while carrying two 12-inch kitchen knives.

The shooting occurred about 9 a.m. when deputies responded to a call about a burglary in progress in the 900 block of Durfee Avenue in South El Monte, said Lt. John Corina with the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. The owner of a commercial building had called authorities after seeing people trespassing on the boarded-up property.

When deputies arrived, they saw a man standing on the sidewalk across from the building with a backpack. As the two deputies approached the man, he dropped his backpack and started walking away from them, Corina said.

The deputies called out at the man to stop, but he kept walking and began to cross the street. Once the man got to the middle of the street, Corina said, he turned around and started toward the deputies, who saw that he was carrying two knives, one in each hand.

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With their guns drawn, the deputies ordered him to stop.

He didnt stop, and thats when the shooting occurred, Corina said, adding that just one deputy opened fire.

The man, who was not named, was struck twice and collapsed in the street, where paramedics pronounced him dead. Authorities recovered the knives.

Investigators dont believe the man was involved in the trespassing incident at the commercial building.

We dont really know what his role in all this was, Corina said.

The Los Angeles County district attorneys office is reviewing the incident, as is customary with deputy-involved shootings.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek
A street vendor was beaten while preparing to sell fruit in South Los Angeles on Sunday morning, according to a GoFundMe page set up by his stepson.

A group of seven people  six men and one woman  robbed Pedro Daniel Reyes and three other vendors at 31st and San Pedro streets around 5 a.m., the Los Angeles Police Department said.

Reyes gave them his money, his stepson wrote on GoFundMe, but they still brutally beat him.

His entire face was fractured, his jaw broken in three, his throat cut, and several teeth knocked out, he said, adding that Reyes has no health insurance.

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A surveillance camera at a building across the street captured the attack. The video shows four men, most wearing hoodies, casually turning onto 31st Street at around 5:11 a.m. and approaching the three street vendors who were setting up on the sidewalk on the north side of the road. One man keeps watch while another lookout stands across the street.

The men leave, but return followed by a silver car and a black SUV that park in the middle of the street. A female driver and a man exit the silver car while another man steps out of the SUV.

The surveillance footage shows one of the men punching a vendor. Two others start beating a second vendor. One hooded man runs over and helps two others hitting a third vendor, who rushes into the street but falls and lies on the ground, apparently unconscious.

Detectives who reviewed the video shortly after 10 a.m. Monday said the investigation is ongoing. They have not determined a motive for the attack.

Witness Carlos Salas told the detectives he didnt see much because it happened so fast.

I thought it was something from a movie [scene], he said.

The 50-year-old had come to the area to buy bicycle parts from one of the vendors.

Residents said their neighborhood  which is lined with industrial buildings to the north and homes to the south  is quiet and there are rarely any problems.

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Reyes was scheduled to have surgery Monday, according to the GoFundMe page.

His stepson described the Oaxaca, Mexico native as a hard worker who split his time working as a roofer and a fruit vendor.

Doctors say his recovery will take at least six months and he will have to be fed with a straw, his stepson wrote. I know he wouldnt want to ask for help, but I know he will really need it.

sarah.parvini@latimes.com

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Twitter: @sarahparvini

ruben.vives@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATvives

UPDATES:

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11:50 a.m.: This article was updated with information from surveillance footage.

10:15 a.m.: This article was updated with more details about the attack.

8:15 a.m.: This article was updated with details about the attack.

This article was originally published at 6:35 a.m.
A 51-year-old man was found dead Sunday morning after a fire ripped through a home in Wilmington, authorities said.

About 5:15 a.m., firefighters were called to 1025 E. Robidoux St., where they found fire burning in a single-family home, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Nearly 40 firefighters put out the flames in about 40 minutes.

The man, identified by coroners officials as Manuel Ysais of Wilmington, was found dead in the home.

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Coroners officials will determine his case of death, while investigators are looking into what caused the blaze.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek
A storm system moving toward Southern California will bring a long period of steady rain across the region this week and could trigger debris flows in recent burn areas, forecasters said.

The storm is expected to drop 2 to 4 inches of rain along the coast and in the valleys in Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and 4 to 6 inches in the mountains between Tuesday afternoon and Thursday morning, said Todd Hall, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. South-facing slopes could see up to 8 inches in some areas.

Its a type of system were not used to in Southern California, Hall said, warning commuters about potential roadway flooding and traffic impacts in Malibu and Topanga Canyon. I think some of our infrastructure will struggle to handle it.

Rainfall rates could exceed a half-inch per hour, which is enough to cause mudflows and flash flooding.

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It could hit the Thomas burn area. We could see it in the La Tuna burn area as well, Hall said.

A significant storm system still on track to bring rain to #SoCal Tue-Thu! Flash flooding possible in many areas, flooding& debris flows possible near recent burn areas. #CAstorm #Cawx pic.twitter.com/fNIvBrc489  NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) March 18, 2018

Authorities in Santa Barbara County are on alert and warned residents below the Thomas, Sherpa, Whittier and Alamo fires to be ready to evacuate this week.

Rob Lewin, director of the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management, said in a statement that this weeks deluge will be the most powerful storm since Jan. 9, when mudslides swept through Montecito, killing 21 people and destroying homes.

Parts of the Southland last week experienced rain-related complications. A mudslide closed Topanga Canyon Boulevard through the Santa Monica Mountains from Thursday through Saturday.

Topanga Cyn Blvd (SR-27) is OPEN between PCH & Grandview Dr.! One last boulder from earlier today and how the roadway looks now @LHSLASD @CHPWestValley pic.twitter.com/5C8RUy29I0  Caltrans District 7 (@CaltransDist7) March 18, 2018

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

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Twitter: @AleneTchek
After dropping hints for days and huddling with powerful political consultants, actress Cynthia Nixon announced Monday that she will run for governor, all but guaranteeing a spirited election season for New Yorkers.

The former Sex and the City star began her campaign in cinematic fashion  posting a video showing Nixon dropping her child off at school and riding the subway, all with a link to a donation page. Nixon emphasized her lifelong ties to New York and her involvement with the public school system.

I love New York. Ive never wanted to live anywhere else, but something has to change, she said. We want our government to work again on healthcare, ending mass incarceration, fixing our broken subway. We are sick of politicians who care more about headlines and power than they do about us.

In recent days, Nixon had appeared to be seriously testing the waters of a potential run, prompting a war of words between the states two biggest political leaders  New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo  and a symbolic show of force by the governor.

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She was in talks with Bill Hyers and Rebecca Katz, two veteran political consultants for De Blasio, according to local news reports. And she was spotted on the streets of Soho with a camera crew and Matt McLaughlin, a media strategist who has produced campaign ads for De Blasio.

Nixons wife, Christine Marinoni, also resigned as senior advisor for community partnerships at the New York City Department of Education two weeks ago, a department spokesperson said.

But in taking on Cuomo, a Democrat, Nixon faces a tough primary against a two-term governor with almost universal name recognition in the state and a $30-million war chest. If elected, she would become New Yorks first female governor, and the first to come out as gay.

Nixon has repeatedly discussed public education as a possible motivator for a gubernatorial run, telling NBCs Today Show last August that it was a main reason other people wanted her to run. Nixon has long been active with the Alliance for Quality Education, a union-backed group that advocates for high-quality public education regardless of ZIP Code.

I love New York, and today I'm announcing my candidacy for governor. Join us: https://t.co/9DwsxWW8xX pic.twitter.com/kYTvx6GZiD  Cynthia Nixon (@CynthiaNixon) March 19, 2018

In the campaign video released Monday, she said she is a proud public school graduate and a prouder public school parent, but that the states leaders have let its residents down, allowing it to become the most unequal state in the entire country.

Nixon has also been a longtime friend of De Blasio, for whom she campaigned in 2013 and at whose inauguration she spoke. De Blasio and Cuomo have a long-running feud, including over mayoral control of public schools, a millionaires tax to pay for universal pre-kindergarten and blame for the citys transit mess.

Asked on a conference call with reporters about a possible challenge by Nixon earlier this month, Cuomo chuckled and said it was probably either the mayor of New York or Vladimir Putin who was behind it.

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De Blasio told reporters he wouldnt go into private conversations with a friend, but said that whatever she does, its her own choice. He added that he has real political differences with the governor.

Nixon will likely challenge Cuomo from the left, observers said.

While Cuomo has presided over significant progressive victories, including the legalization of same-sex marriage, gun restrictions, a $15 minimum wage and a ban on fracking, he has been criticized by the progressive Working Families Party over his cooperation with a group of independent Democrats in the New York Legislature and the Republicans with whom they caucus.

The Working Families Party has not announced who it will endorse in the governors race.

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In recent days, Cuomo appears to have been shoring up his support on the left.

The governor secured the endorsement of Elton John and his husband and the National Organization for Women, adding to the endorsement hes already received from 1199 SEIU, one of the states most powerful unions. And he assumed a symbolic position at a protest against gun violence, lying down next to Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.

Hes clearly out there in combat mode, longtime political communications consultant George Arzt said. I think you can expect  a really brass-knuckles campaign.

Ken Sunshine, a public relations consultant and a friend of Cuomos, said he didnt see how Nixon could credibly challenge Cuomo from the left.

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With his unparalleled success as a progressive governor who has set the standard on gay marriage, guns, fracking and the minimum wage, Im not sure what the issues are that would distinguish anybody running against him in a primary, Sunshine said.

A poll released Monday morning by Siena College found that, if the primary were to be held today, Cuomo would trounce Nixon among registered Democratic voters, 66% to 19%.

Steven Greenberg, who led the poll, said in an interview before Nixons announcement that he didnt find that result surprising.

You have somebody whos been the governor of New York for eight years and is universally known versus someone who is an actress and is unknown to the majority of the electorate, Greenberg said.

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He added that while Cuomo has sparred with some of the progressive leadership in New York, he still polls high among self-identified liberal voters.

All that being said, the primary is still six months away, Greenberg cautioned. Nixon could raise a considerable amount of money and run a strong campaign. Cuomo could be dogged by negative campaign ads linking him to his former top aide, Joseph Percoco, who was recently convicted of corruption and bribery charges.

A poll is nothing more than a snapshot in time. This is a snapshot in mid-March for a race  in September, Greenberg said. Thats many political lifetimes away.

nina.agrawal@latimes.com

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Twitter: @AgrawalNina
You could say Ana Maldonado goes out of her way to get to Portland Community Colleges new DREAM Center.

First she walks, then takes light rail, then a bus. That brings her to the PCC campus closest to her house. There she meets another student, Ignacio Garcia, and they carpool to another PCC campus one more hour away.

Why does Maldonado  an immigrant recipient of DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program  go to all this trouble?

To learn how to use my voice, she explained. Ive never felt so much support before as I do this year because of the DREAM Center.

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The DREAM Center appears to be the first of its kind at any institution of higher education in Oregon. When it opened Jan. 22, it arrived on a wave of support in the Pacific Northwest but amid roiling waters nationally over the Obama administration program that shielded young immigrants from deportation.

PCC President Mark Mitsui said the center reflected the wishes and philosophy of the PCC Board of Directors, which in December 2016 declared the school a sanctuary institution.

It certainly is consistent with our values, our mission as an institution, and you can even argue that it is embedded within the historic mission of community colleges, Mitsui said.

The center is simple  the sparsely decorated Room 101 of Building 2 of the PCC Rock Creek campus. It features cubicles, a school clock and a bank of computers underneath a large banner, DREAMers Resource Center, festooned with two monarch butterflies.

The beautiful insects have been a symbol of immigrants for decades due to their ability to migrate across the U.S.-Mexico border, and they have often been adopted by Dreamers. Its not lost on some that the monarchs are being reviewed for addition to the list of federally protected endangered species.

One recent day at the center, Maldonado joined fellow DACA recipients Garcia and Keidy Caballero and talked about the challenges they face. DACAs fate is uncertain. President Trump moved to end its protections by March 5, but a federal judge has stayed that move. Efforts to protect Dreamers legislatively have stalled in Congress.

As Maldonado, Garcia and Caballero spoke, their words were often weighted with an emotion that contrasted with peals of laughter and lively discussions coming from several students working with mentors. There was obvious camaraderie, and language see-sawed between guttural English and mellifluous Spanish.

Garcia said his sense of having to struggle harder than other students started on his first day at the college, during new student orientation.

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Garcia said he was brusquely told to just fill out your FAFSA, a financial aid form.

But Im not able to submit my FAFSA, he said. They didnt know what DACA was. I had to explain it to them.

Led by coordinator Jhoana Monroy and Multicultural Center coordinator Liliana Luna, the center offers legal services, assists with DACA paperwork and provides a host of services, including career and academic counseling.

Portland has sometimes been called Americas whitest big city, but that doesnt mean there isnt broad support for Dreamers here.

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In the Pacific Northwest, the center is a dot on a timeline of sanctuary declarations that have pushed back against the Trump administrations anti-immigrant policies. With 90,000 students and four campuses, PCC is the largest institution of higher education in Oregon.

Many polls show that overwhelming majorities of Americans support Dreamers staying put. Thats a clear mandate, says PCC President Mitsui.

Still, the continuing political limbo has Luna, who calls herself DACA-mented, feeling a weariness that surpasses even droopy-eyelid college standards.

Liliana Luna helps run the center for Dreamers at Portland Community Colleges Rock Creek campus. (Thacher Schmid / For The Times )

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I cannot explain to you how exhausted I feel, she said. Physically, mentally, emotionally.

While Maldonado hopes to someday be a teacher, Garcia a computer scientist and Caballero a nurse, Luna is in a masters program to become a therapist helping Spanish-speaking immigrants.

Brought by her parents on a plane at age 15 to the U.S. to escape cartels in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, Luna cried the whole way here, she said. She still wonders what happened to her beloved box of Barbie dolls since she heard the home was taken over by a cartel.

Shes finely tuned then to what she calls a constant battle, a constant attack that DACA recipients struggle with.

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I was having a conversation with students [at the center] about how a lot of us might go through depression or anxiety without knowing about it, Luna said.

Asked about the possibility of immigration agents raiding the center, which also serves DACA recipients families, Luna shared a thought that invokes her violence-filled past in Mexico  I remember seeing a lot of my friends dying  and her adopted countrys horrific pattern of school shootings.

What I am more concerned about is racist people that are going to come and shoot us, Luna said. DACA recipients are very visible, she said. I do feel that were targets to a lot of people.

Shes already been a target for ridicule. After she appeared in a local news story about the center, Luna received a stream of offensive, racist threats and was reported to immigration authorities even though shes a legal resident, thanks to DACA.

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Luna shared screenshots that included racist caricatures showing Trump holding up a puppet with stereotypically Mexican features. She received messages like this one: Ms. Luna. You know its illegal to be here. You have to apply. Also you know Muslims follow a cause to take over and kill. Right?

Such violent thoughts seem far away from the suburban Rock Creek campus. Its a peaceful place, a stones throw from farm fields and nurseries, in which the regions history of migrant farmworkers is echoed in many students chestnut brown hair and the campus centers Farm Cafe.

College officials say they have no statistics on how many students are in DACA. Luna estimates the group numbers 300 to 400 among the colleges 90,000 students and maybe 200 at the Rock Creek campus.

There are about 689,000 DACA recipients nationwide. The Migration Policy Institute, an independent think tank, estimates that about 10,000 Oregon residents are in the program.

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DACA recipients overwhelmingly hail from Mexico and Central America, a group that includes Garcia, Caballero and Maldonado.

All three say they cherish their roots in Mesoamerica, but feel some sense of distance. Caballero hasnt been back to her native Honduras since she was brought here 12 years ago. Maldonado hasnt been back to Mexico since she was brought here nine years ago. Garcia went back to Mexico just once, he said, to visit a sick grandmother.

That trip to Oaxaca, his first in 17 years, showed just how American the bespectacled computer science student has become  culturally if not legally. Occasionally, he said, he couldnt understand his grandmothers indigenous Zapotec, or family members speedy, slang-filled Spanish.

Now, the new center, Garcia said, offers like, kind of a family. Another way to understand it: Consider the R in the DREAM acronym (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors), first coined for the original bipartisan congressional bill in 2001: relief.

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It was just nice to see people that looked like me, Garcia said of his first visit after the centers opening. I didnt have to explain what DACA was. I didnt have to explain my struggle, because they already knew, because theyve gone through it. And that was like the [first] moment when I felt like I belonged to PCC, like I mattered.

Schmid is a special correspondent.
They do it in San Francisco. They do it in Florida, Nebraska and Tennessee. They elect their public defenders. Why not in Los Angeles County?

In calmer times, this question might be of interest mostly to academics. It has taken on new urgency now, however, as L.A. County deputy public defenders rebel against the appointment of their interim leader, Nicole Davis Tinkham, because of her lack of experience in criminal law. They plan to protest outside downtowns Clara Shortridge Foltz courthouse on Monday, the 54th anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Gideon vs. Wainwright, which recognized that the 6th Amendment right to counsel  regardless of the defendants ability to pay  applies in any criminal case, whether state or federal, felony or misdemeanor.

L.A. County doesnt need an elected public defender. It needs its office to be audited, examined, shaken up and set right.

Deputy public defenders take their role as guardians of the 6th Amendment seriously. What they lack in pay and resources compared to private-sector lawyers they make up for in a sense of mission to serve the indigent and to push back against a culture of over-criminalization, excessive punishment and racially selective prosecution.

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The Board of Supervisors already had been through several interim department leaders when it picked Tinkham in January to serve for six months while it continued to search for a permanent public defender. The appointment has been taken by many in the criminal defense world as an attack on the independence of the Public Defenders Office and a disruption in the careful constitutional balance of power in the criminal justice system.

But theres a certain structural imbalance already, isnt there? The other players are elected, and because of that, they enjoy a measure of independence in carrying out their duties as they see fit. We elect the district attorney, who prosecutes criminal cases. We elect the sheriff, who polices much of the county and locks up accused and convicted criminals. We even elect the judges. But the public defender is an appointee. How come? Why is San Francisco the only county in California to elect a public defender?

Maybe the best answer is that its San Francisco. Small, compact and notoriously liberal, its a city in which voters are at least as vested in who represents criminal defendants as who prosecutes them.

L.A. is liberal too, of course, but not as consistently so. We have been the birthplace of many tough-on-crime measures. Like other counties, we elect our district attorney to represent us in court and to protect us from lawbreakers. If we pick a lousy lawyer, we suffer the consequences, at least in theory. Guilty people are acquitted, or perhaps charges are never brought. Crime proliferates. If need be, we make a change, ousting the D.A. at election time and picking a replacement.

Public defenders are different. They dont represent The People. They are lawyers in a more traditional sense, representing individuals accused of crimes. They are employed by us, but they dont work for us. They work for the people who our lawyer, the district attorney, is trying to convict.

If L.A. were going through one of its fear-of-crime waves, voters who want to crack down on crime might, if they elected the public defender, find themselves in the perverse position of choosing the least effective defense lawyer for indigent people accused of crimes.

The Board of Supervisors has to deal with a different set of tensions. Its goal is not necessarily the most acquittals or convictions, but rather an office that represents its clients in a way that at least meets constitutional standards. Its job in one sense is to butt out and let the lawyers do their work as they see fit, while standing ready to butt in when things arent working and changes are in order. By butting in with the appointment of Tinkham, its trying to make up for many years of deference. Or, if you prefer, neglect.

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Its hard to imagine that things would be better if L.A. voters were in charge. Their job is to make a decision once every four years, without ordering management audits or assessing the quality of representation. Voters are better at neglect than the Board of Supervisors. L.A. County doesnt need an elected public defender. It needs its office to be audited, examined, shaken up and set right.

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Despite another hot and dry year with less than four inches of rain in the Los Angeles area, we are back to our water-wasting ways. Two years ago, Californians were using 24% less water compared with 2013. This year, were hardly conserving at all  just 1%.

Clearly, our earlier successes were more behavioral than structural. If lawn removal and new efficient fixtures and appliances had saved all that water, we wouldnt be seeing this momentous backslide. Meanwhile, our sources of imported water  from the Delta, the Colorado River, and the Los Angeles aqueduct  have all been revealed as vulnerable to politics, drought, climate change and crumbling concrete in recent years.

Currently, only 1% to 2% of the citys water supply comes from recycled water, but that could supply roughly 40%.

Los Angeles sorely needs to transform its water infrastructure. In a proactive move, Mayor Eric Garcetti and the city of Los Angeles this month released the Resilient Los Angeles plan, which outlines 96 steps to strengthen the city. Among the smartest moves: reduce our reliance on imported water from the current 85% to less than 50% by 2035.

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Right now, if an earthquake severed our connection to the L.A. Aqueduct, the State Water Project or the Colorado River Aqueduct, we would quickly be in dire straits. With a local supply portfolio  balanced between recycled water, captured stormwater, and groundwater  the city will survive catastrophes. Pumping less water from faraway sources has environmental benefits too. Moving water across the state uses huge amounts of energy. Leaving more water in the Delta, Owens Valley and the Colorado River watershed would reduce ecological impacts and the carbon footprint of our water supplies.

The bigger question is could Los Angeles become entirely water self-sufficient by 2050? Even as we face climate change and population growth? The answer is yes, but it will require a modern, integrated approach to water management.

Currently, only 1% to 2% of the citys water supply comes from recycled water, but that could supply roughly 40%. All the wastewater going to the Terminal Island Treatment Plant gets recycled, but thats not the case at the Tillman, Glendale or Hyperion treatment plants. Those three dump treated wastewater into the L.A. River and Santa Monica Bay.

If all the treatment plants were upgraded, their recycled water could be injected or filtered into our local groundwater basins. This highly treated wastewater could be pumped directly to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Powers drinking water filtration plant for distribution to customers  providing the state establishes regulations for direct potable reuse  within a decade.

Stormwater is another local source we havent adequately tapped. Based on a DWP study, urban runoff can provide an additional 58,000 acre-feet of water, or about 11% of current annual use. But the potential is there for much more: In an average rainfall year, 270,000 acre-feet per year of stormwater ends up flowing down the L.A. River into the ocean. Funding for green stormwater infrastructure could come from the L.A. County Safe Clean Water Measure, which is expected to be on the ballot this November.

The final piece of the puzzle is our local groundwater basins. If Los Angeles can improve rainwater absorption with green streets and alleys, infiltration basins, biofilters and other nature-based solutions, local aquifers can provide approximately 114,000 acre-feet per year. An essential first step is already underway: the remediation of the San Fernando Valley aquifer. Our primary local aquifer, it became so contaminated with industrial chemicals that its a Superfund site. But the city, with support from the state, has begun a $600-million project to clean it up. By cleaning the groundwater, DWP could provide residents and businesses with up to 20% of local water supply.

If we tally all those sources  recycled wastewater, captured stormwater and new groundwater  Los Angeles has about 372,000 acre-feet of local water that it could bring online by 2050. Thats still not quite enough for a population likely to be 4.5 million.

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The mayors plan uses a consumption rate goal of 98 gallons per capita per day. To achieve complete water self-sufficiency, Angelenos would need to decrease consumption to approximately 75 gallons per capita per day. Numerous Australian, Southeast Asian and Western European cities have managed that. For Los Angeles to join them, all properties within the city will need to replace turf with native, climate-appropriate landscapes. Residents will need to use water-efficient washing machines and dishwashers. Commercial properties will need to install water-efficient cooling technologies. Also, DWP customers should get individual smart meters that provide real-time consumption information.

Going local on water wont be easy and it wont be cheap. But it can be done. The city managed similar transformation once before when  in the span of a decade  it rebuilt the Hyperion Treatment Plant, replaced miles of old sewer lines and stopped dumping sewage sludge to clean up Santa Monica Bay. If that history can repeat itself, the benefits for Angelenos and distant ecosystems are enormous.

Marc Gold is associate vice chancellor of environment and sustainability at UCLA and the leader of the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge.

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Ten years ago this week, Bear Stearns, the high-flying Wall Street investment bank, collapsed after years of reckless risk-taking and regulatory neglect. Its stunning failure blindsided the public officials charged with safeguarding our financial system and marked the moment when the simmering financial crisis burst into full public view. Before the crisis passed, millions lost their homes and jobs, communities across the country were devastated and trillions of dollars of wealth were wiped away.

The anniversary of Bears demise might have gone unnoticed but for the disturbing push by the banking industry to undo a number of the reforms enacted in the wake of the crisis.

Bears failure shouldnt have come as a surprise to regulators. It was wildly overleveraged, with only $1 in equity for every $38 in debt, meaning a drop in asset values of less than 3% would wipe out the firm. The firm was knee deep in subprime mortgages  originating loans, bundling mortgages into securities and bundling those securities into other securities. To sustain itself, Bear was borrowing up to $70 billion in the overnight markets, loans that had to be renewed each day. If those loans were pulled, the firm would collapse  they were and it did.

Congress is doing its part to destabilize the system again.

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On March 11, 2008, just three days before the firms meltdown, Christopher Cox, chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, expressed comfort about the capital cushions at the big investment banks, including Bear. His calming words were consistent with the repeated assurances given by Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulsen and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke that the woes in the subprime mortgage market did not threaten the overall economy.

How could it be that the people trusted with protecting the public from Wall Street excesses could be so oblivious?

In the three decades leading up to the 2008 financial meltdown, Wall Street had successfully pushed a deregulatory agenda. Congress and successive administrations stripped away key safeguards and constrained the budgets and powers of regulators. By the 2000s, men like Cox who favored a light touch sat atop key oversight agencies. Critical areas with trillions of dollars at risk, such as over-the-counter derivatives and overnight borrowings  like the ones that brought down Bear  were kept hidden from view. Simply put, as Wall Street piled risk on top of risk, the sentries abandoned their posts.

When the economy crashed, the federal government bailed out the banks and implemented stricter rules under the auspices of the Dodd-Frank reform law. But after nearly a decade of systemic stability, an expanding economy and record bank profits, Washington is poised to repeat the same old mistakes.

The people appointed by President Trump to head financial regulatory agencies  Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin, Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton and Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair J. Christopher Giancarlo  have one trait in common: their lifetime service in and fealty to the financial industry. The one person heading a key regulatory body who is not from the financial sector, Mick Mulvaney at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has made no secret of his contempt for that agency. These appointees have already made clear their intentions to reduce oversight and retreat on enforcement.

Congress is also doing its part to destabilize the system again. Just this week, Senate Republicans joined with a rump group of Democrats to pass legislation rolling back important post-crisis protections. Among other things, the bill would lessen oversight of 25 of the nations 38 biggest banks; exempt a slew of financial institutions from reporting mortgage lending data; weaken prohibitions against steering borrowers into higher-cost loans; and reduce the frequency of stress tests on the nations biggest banks from semi-annually to as little as once every three years.

But this legislation is almost certainly not the end of the story. Buttressed by over $3 billion in lobbying and campaign spending since 2008, the recidivist banks are unlikely to settle for half-measures in their renewed quest for deregulation.

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The only missing ingredient for another crisis is Wall Street excess  as sure to come as the sun is to rise.

Happy 10th Anniversary, America.

Phil Angelides, former California state treasurer, was chairman of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, which conducted the nations official inquiry into the 2008 financial crisis.

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It will be some time before we can evaluate the evidence that prompted the inspector general of the Department of Justice to conclude that Andrew McCabe, the deputy director of the FBI, had exhibited a lack of candor about his role in authorizing two FBI officials to speak to the media.

On its face, it is a serious charge brought by one highly respected professional  Michael Horowitz, the inspector general of the DOJ  against another  McCabe, who denies it adamantly.

It seems likely in the end that the evidence will seem ambiguous and allow conflicting interpretations. Nothing in McCabes distinguished career suggests he would tell a bald lie; nothing in Horowitzs suggests he would concoct a smear.

But even if McCabes transgression turns out to have been clear-cut, it wont matter.

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It wont matter because the inspector generals conclusion, and the Office of Professional Responsibilitys subsequent recommendation that McCabe be fired, doesnt justify the pre-cooked decision of Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions to sack McCabe on Friday, just hours before McCabes pension for 21 years of service to the country was due to vest.

That wasnt unlucky timing; it was the whole point of a politicized and vindictive campaign against the FBI and McCabe run from the top, and it represents a radical departure from conventional practice. It also makes the firing a naked political hit.

Compare McCabes fate with that of John Yoo, co-author of the George W. Bush administration torture memos. Yoo was at least as controversial on the left as McCabe has come to be on the right. At the final stage of the internal review of his actions, Yoo was permitted several months to file a long brief in his own defense, and the department took six months before it issued a 69-page opinion rejecting its own finding against him and reducing the recommended punishment.

The McCabe railroading, grotesque in itself, heightens the stakes of the Mueller investigation.

McCabe, by contrast, was not even permitted to see the inspector generals final report, or the evidence on which it was based, until a week ago. He was given only four days to review it and prepare a response. He delivered it Thursday, the same day the president had his press secretary announce to the world that McCabe is by most accounts a bad actor. About 24 hours later, the axe fell.

The whole affair capped a year-plus of venomous Trump tweets about McCabe, including bratty schoolboy taunts about whether he would get to keep his pension and one calling his wife a loser.

More offensive still, Trump the petty dictator took again to the tweet-waves after the firing to call it a great day for the hard-working men and women of the FBI  A great day for Democracy.

Rarely has Trump seemed so villainous, and so small.

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McCabe figures to come out of the episode changed but intact. He likely will get his pension or the equivalent, one way or another, either through the gambit of working a few more days for the federal government (he already has an offer from a Wisconsin House member) or through some private-funding mechanism. And he has signaled, perhaps surprisingly, that he intends to publicly take the fight to the president.

But even if the blow against McCabe is softened, Trump, abetted by Sessions (whose own job is on the line), has gained a greater foothold in his campaign to undermine the independence of federal law enforcement. This episode is terrifying because it suggests that Trump is making headway in his efforts to demonize the DOJ and FBI, which he seeks to make his vassal force. In his world view, scalping McCabe serves as the kind of win that emboldens him to try more of the same.

McCabes firing offense concerned media reports about the FBI investigation of Hilary Clinton, which makes it all the more suspect because, as others have noted, the coverage was negative and hurt Clinton. (Its hard to believe Trump and Co. took umbrage at it.) Both McCabe and the Trump camp have been quick to connect the sacking to something else: the inquiry by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.

McCabe wrote in his statement that the administrations campaign against the FBI only highlights the importance of the Special Counsels work. And he said he believes that he was singled out both as retribution for his corroboration of the account of former FBI Director James Comey and to make him a less effective witness in an eventual trial or impeachment proceeding.

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Trump has drawn the connection even more expressly. First, his personal lawyer put out an obviously orchestrated statement Saturday urging Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein to follow the brilliant and courageous example of Sessions et al., in firing McCabe and shut down the Mueller investigation. And in a tweet salvo Sunday, Trump went strongly on the offensive, calling out Mueller by name for the first time and trashing the inquiry from multiple directions.

The McCabe railroading, grotesque in itself, heightens the stakes of the Mueller investigation. It represents the most intense strike yet in Trumps overall assault on independent, apolitical law enforcement, an indispensable feature of our democracy. It now seems clear that the lovers of justice and the rule of law are at war with a vicious band of villains. And it is at this point an unresolved and furious fight.

Harry Litman, a former U.S. attorney and deputy assistant attorney general, teaches at the UC San Diego school of political science. Twitter: @harrylitman

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Taron Margaryan answers Alain Simonyan's question (video)

During the questionnaire of today's council session, the member of the Yelk faction Alain Simonyan asked the Mayor if the municipality took into account the reaction of a number of non-governmental organizations and journalists, as a result of which the journalists would continue to work from the same hall. He reminded that after the well-known history of sewerage, the municipality decided to restrict the work of journalists, providing them with a special area of work. Mr. Margaryan did not agree with the phrase "restrict the work of journalists". He noted that they were required to ensure transparency prescribed by law and that they would respect the law. "When you were not in the hall, a journalist was sitting in a journalist on Ani Simonyan's place, and after after receiving a remark she/he got up. Mr Simonyan, tomorrow they may sit on your place, on the place of our other collegues. And you can protest against that," said the Mayor, praising the area for journalists. Alen Simonyan mentioned that he saw only a journalist and a cleaner in that area working today.
John Mitchell, Richard Nixons felonious attorney general, reportedly had some advice for civil rights leaders worried about Nixons campaign rhetoric. Dont watch what we say, Mitchell said. Watch what we do.

President Trumps lawyers have offered a variation of that advice in implying that Americans should discount recent tweets in which the president assailed Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III.

On Saturday Trump tweeted: The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime. It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT!

Factual errors aside (and there are many of them), that tweet broke ominous new ground in mentioning Mueller by name. Trump did it again Sunday in a tweet asking: Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? (Trump apparently wasnt counting Mueller himself in his tally.)

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Mueller has now joined dismissed deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe in Trumps Twitter Hall of Shame. Even if McCabe behaved improperly, as the Justice Departments inspector general concluded, his firing by Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions is being viewed in light of Trumps animus toward McCabe. (In an op-ed column in the Los Angeles Times, Harry Litman describes McCabes dismissal as a naked political hit.)

Its hard not to see Trumps Mueller tweets as evidence that he may (again) be thinking of removing the special counsel. But late on Sunday, Trump lawyer Ty Cobb issued a statement saying, the White House yet again confirms that the president is not considering or discussing the firing of the Special Counsel, Robert Mueller. On Monday, White House spokesman Hogan Gidley chimed in, telling reporters that there are no conversations or discussions about removing Mueller.

Watch what we do, not what he tweets is not a reassuring message. Nor does it provide cover for those Republicans in Congress who cant bring themselves to warn Trump publicly to leave Mueller alone.

To be fair, a few Republican are speaking up. The ailing Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) tweeted: Special Counsel Mueller has served our country with honesty and integrity. Its critical he be allowed to complete a thorough investigation into Russias interference in the 2016 election  unimpeded.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) warned Trump over the weekend that firing Mueller would be the beginning of the end of his presidency. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan authorized a much less muscular statement saying that Mr. Mueller and his team should be able to do their job.

But other influential Republicans  including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy  kept their counsel. And McConnell seems to be clinging to his view that there is no urgent need for Congress to pass legislation providing for judicial review of any decision to dismiss the special counsel.

Such passivity only encourages Trump to malign and menace Mueller and his investigation  and at some point words might lead to action. The New York Times reported on Sunday that Trumps decision to name-check Mueller was the act of a president who ultimately trusts only his own instincts, and now believes he has settled into the job enough to rely on them rather than the people who advise him.

That may include the lawyers who are telling him that it would be folly to try to engineer Muellers dismissal. Thats why the entire Republican leadership in Congress needs to make it clear to the newly emboldened Trump that he will pay a price if tweets turn into deeds.

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To the editor: The firing of FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe after repeated attacks on him by President Trump is a worrying sign of the erosion of the rule of law. (McCabe firing isnt likely to end Trumps war with the Justice Department and FBI, March 17)

If McCabes firing turns out to have more to do with his interview with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III about whether it was Trump or James Comey who lied, than his alleged false statements under oath about investigations involving Hillary Clinton, then it is really an attempt by the president to obstruct justice.

The handling of the Clinton investigation was also used by Trump as a pretext to fire Comey, the former FBI director, before the president admitted that wasnt the real reason.

Trump lawyer John Dowds calling for an end to the special counsels investigation makes it hard to believe there is no connection between the firing and Muellers work. The special counsel investigation must be allowed to follow the facts wherever they lead; ending it because of fears about what might be uncovered is completely unacceptable.

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David Bendall, Aliso Viejo

..

To the editor: Why was McCabe fired?

He claims in effect that there was a plot in the White House to single him out for the role he played in the aftermath of Comeys firing. The other view is that the Justice Department inspector general investigated McCabe for mishandling the Clinton email investigation and for lying, and it recommended his termination. McCabes boss, Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, followed that recommendation Friday.

Which version is more probably true?

If the White House thought that Mueller could use McCabe as a witness against Trump, the last thing it would want to do would be to retaliate against McCabe for past deeds by causing him to delay collecting his pension and thereby turn an objective witness into an enemy with a score to settle.

It seems more reasonable that McCabe was fired because of the inspector generals report.

Bill Gravlin, Rancho Palos Verdes

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..

To the editor: Every working man and woman and everyone with a sense of fairness must be furious at the cruel treatment of Andrew McCabe.

I suspect that many of them are voters with memories that cant and wont be that easy to dismiss.

Sheldon Willens, Los Angeles

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The Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide another case testing the Trump administrations power to arrest and jail immigrants facing deportation, including longtime lawful residents who committed minor offenses years ago.

The justices will review a class-action ruling from California that held that immigrants who were released after serving time in local and state jails may not be detained later by federal immigration agents for possible deportation and held indefinitely without a hearing, if they pose no danger to the public and are not likely to flee.

Administration lawyers appealed the ruling of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that federal law calls for mandatory detention for all noncitizens who face possible deportation because of a criminal record.

They said the 9th Circuits approach would lead to a gap in custody and frustrate the [governments] ability to remove deportable criminal aliens from the United States. And they placed part of the blame on state and local jurisdictions [that] do not always cooperate with federal efforts to arrest immigrants who are leaving jails.

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The case, to be heard in the fall, sets up another clash between sanctuary cities and counties and federal immigration agents who seek to detain and deport immigrants who have criminal records.

In deciding the case, the 9th Circuit said that more 30,000 non-citizens are held every day in the United States in prison-like conditions while they challenge the governments efforts to deport them. The judges said the mandatory-detention rule covers those with a broad range of crimes on their records, from violent felonies to simple drug possession. And it applies to longtime, lawful residents who have lived and worked in the United States for decades, they said.

The lead plaintiff in the challenge to this provision, Mony Preap, was born in a Cambodian refugee camp and has been a lawful permanent resident since 1981. He was convicted on two counts of marijuana possession in 2006, a misdemeanor offense. Agents of the Department of Homeland Security took him into custody in 2013 under the disputed part of the immigration law, which says the DHS shall take into custody any alien who was convicted of a deportable offense when the alien is released.

Preap joined a class-action suit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union to challenge the governments view that he was subject to mandatory detention seven years after his release. A federal judge in San Francisco and the 9th Circuit agreed with the challengers and said the phrase when the alien is released referred only to the time of their release. Because Preap had been released years earlier, he was not subject to mandatory detention in 2013 for the past offenses, the appeals court said.

We therefore hold that the mandatory detention provision  applies only to those criminal aliens who are detained promptly after their release from criminal custody, not to those detained long after, wrote Judge Jacqueline Nguyen.

The Supreme Court kept the governments appeal on hold while it decided a related case. In Jennings vs. Rodriguez, the court ruled last month that federal law did not give jailed immigrants a right to a bail hearing after six months in custody. However, the justices sent that case back to the 9th Circuit to rule on whether indefinite detention without a hearing violated the Constitution.

The new case, Nielsen vs. Preap, concerns a part of the same immigration law but focuses on a different group of lawful immigrants who had served jail time for a criminal offense.

Lawyers for Preap and the other plaintiffs in the case had urged the court to turn down the administrations appeal. Instead of focusing mandatory detention on high-risk individuals who are coming out of criminal custody, the governments expansive interpretation would sweep up individuals who have been living peaceably in the community for more than a decade and pose neither a danger nor a flight risk, they said.

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They cited a second plaintiff, Eduardo Vega Padilla, who came to the United States as a toddler and has been a lawful permanent resident since 1966. He was convicted of drug possession in 1997 and for keeping an unloaded pistol in a shed behind his house. He served six months in jail, but was arrested 11 years later under the mandatory-detention provision of the federal law. Padilla was later released on bond because he posed no flight risk.

Preap was released after winning his fight against deportation.

But the Supreme Court said it would hear the case of Neilsen vs. Preap in the fall to decide whether federal law requires mandatory detention for all non-citizens who have past crimes that could trigger their deportation.

Major questions before the Supreme Court this year 

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david.savage@latimes.com

Twitter: DavidGSavage

UPDATES:

1:05 p.m.: The article was updated throughout with additional details and background.

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The article was originally published at 8:30 a.m.
Allies balk at Trump administration bid to block Chinese firm from cutting-edge telecom markets By David S. Cloud Britain and Germany are balking at the Trump administrations call for a ban on equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, threatening a global U.S. campaign to thwart Chinas involvement in future mobile networks. Both countries are expected to limit Huawei and other Chinese companies from providing core components including routers. But other types of Chinese equipment for next-generation, high-speed communications could still be installed on British and German networks, officials and analysts say. The U.S. push to ban Huawei has provoked a global dispute in recent weeks, with senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, publicly urging NATO allies in Europe to exclude the company and warning that the United States might limit its military presence in countries that did not do so. Read More Facebook

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Confucius Institutes: Do they improve U.S.-China ties or harbor spies? By Don Lee Hanging red lanterns welcome visitors to the University of Marylands Confucius Institute, the oldest of about 100 Chinese language and cultural centers that have popped up over the last 15 years on American campuses, subsidized by millions of dollars from Chinas central government. But last fall, when four U.S. Senate investigators walked into the Confucius offices in Maryland and spent hours questioning staff, they werent looking for an educational exchange. The committee has been seeking detailed information from the university about the program, including contracts, email exchanges and financial arrangements that school administrators have kept under wraps since it started in 2004. American colleges once viewed these jointly funded institutes as an economical way to expand their language offerings  one that could also bring warmer ties with China and, importantly, an influx of Chinese international students paying full tuition. Read More Facebook

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U.S. policy toward China shifts from engagement to confrontation By David S. Cloud For decades, China had no closer American friend than Dianne Feinstein. As San Francisco mayor in the 1970s, she forged a sister-city relationship with Shanghai, the first between American and Chinese communities. As U.S. senator, she dined with Chinese leaders at Mao Tse-tungs old Beijing residence. And in the 1990s, she championed a trade policy change that opened a floodgate of Western investment into China. Today the Democratic senator sees China as a growing threat, joining a broad array of Trump administration officials, national security strategists and business executives who once favored engagement with Beijing and now advocate a confrontational approach instead. Read More Facebook

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Mnuchins attempt to calm markets backfires as Trump takes another shot at the Federal Reserve By Jim Puzzanghera An attempt by Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin to calm plunging financial markets backfired Monday, further rattling investors with new fears about whether major U.S. banks have enough cash on top of worries about interest rates, political instability in Washington and a slowing global economy. Adding to the volatile mix was a fresh attack on the Federal Reserve by President Trump, who declared that the central bank was the U.S. economys only problem and that it didnt have a feel for the market. The Fed is like a powerful golfer who cant score because he has no touch -- he cant putt! Trump said on Twitter. Read More Facebook

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He speaks to Democratic hearts. But is Beto ORourke a serious White House contender? By Mark Z. Barabak Hes a failed U.S. Senate candidate with an undistinguished congressional record who, for the moment, is a blazing-hot 2020 presidential prospect  despite the fact that he may not run and faces long odds if he does. Beto ORourke suggests the will-he-or-wont-he speculation is something he himself cant quite fathom. I think thats a great question, he responded in a Dallas Morning News interview when asked whether his unsuccessful November Senate bid merited a promotion to the White House. I ask that question myself. Read More Facebook

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Russian disinformation teams targeted Robert S. Mueller III, says report prepared for Senate By Craig Timberg, Tony Romm, Elizabeth Dwoskin Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. (Associated Press) Months after President Trump took office, Russias disinformation teams trained their sites on a new target: special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Having worked to help get Trump into the White House, they now worked to neutralize the biggest threat to his staying there. The Russian operatives unloaded on Mueller through fake accounts on Facebook, Twitter and beyond, falsely claiming that the former FBI director was corrupt and that the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election were crackpot conspiracies. One post on Instagram  which emerged as an especially potent weapon in the Russian social media arsenal  claimed that Mueller had worked in the past with radical Islamic groups. Such tactics exemplified how Russian teams ranged nimbly across social media platforms in a shrewd online influence operation aimed squarely at American voters. The effort started earlier than commonly understood and lasted longer while relying on the strengths of different sites to manipulate distinct slices of the electorate, according to a pair of comprehensive new reports prepared for the Senate Intelligence Committee and released Monday. Read more Timberg, Romm and Dwoskin report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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President Trump announces Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff By Associated Press President Trump says budget director Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff, replacing John F. Kelly in the new year. I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018 Facebook

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It aint over when its over: In Michigan, Wisconsin and elsewhere, losers seek to undermine election results By Mark Z. Barabak Democrat Gavin Newsom has yet to become California governor, but already a candidate for state Republican Party chairman is promoting a recall effort. In Michigan and Wisconsin, GOP lawmakers have rushed through legislation to thwart their incoming Democratic governors and hamper others in the opposing party from doing the jobs voters chose them to do. In Congress, GOP leaders have echoed President Trump and sought to undermine the legitimacy of Democrats strong midterm performance, raising unsubstantiated allegations of fraud and political malfeasance. Read More Facebook

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New CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger says she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera On her first full day leading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Kathy Kraninger said she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney, the controversial acting director whom she replaced in the powerful regulatory position. To underscore that point, the former White House aide said she would even reconsider a Mulvaney action that critics saw as a gratuitous jab at Democrats who championed the agencys creation: changing its name to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Kraningers declaration during a meeting with reporters Tuesday addressed one of the main criticisms of her selection. She is considered a protege of Mulvaney, her boss at the White House Office of Management and Budget who has executed a dramatic, industry-friendly shift at the watchdog agency. Read More Facebook

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Trumps pick for chief of staff, Nick Ayers, out of running By Associated Press Nick Ayers, right, with Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, at the funeral service for George H.W. Bush on Dec. 3. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Associated Press) President Trumps top pick to replace John F. Kelly as chief of staff, Nick Ayers, is no longer expected to fill that role. Thats according to a White House official who is not authorized to discuss the personnel issue by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Ayers is Vice President Mike Pences chief of staff. The official says that Trump and Ayers could not agree on Ayers length of service. The father of young children, Ayers had agreed to serve in an interim capacity though the spring, but Trump wanted a two-year commitment. The official says that Ayers will instead assist the president from outside the administration. Trump announced Saturday that Kelly would be departing the White House around the end of the year. Thank you @realDonaldTrump, @VP, and my great colleagues for the honor to serve our Nation at The White House. I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause.  #Georgia  Nick Ayers (@nick_ayers) December 9, 2018 Facebook

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U.S. hiring slows to 155,000 jobs, unemployment rate holds at 3.7% By Jim Puzzanghera Job growth slowed significantly in November but still was solid, indicating the economy remains in good shape but not expanding so quickly that it will lead to sharply higher interest rates. U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs last month, well below analyst expectations and a steep decline from Octobers strong 237,000 figure, the Labor Department reported Friday. Still, monthly job gains are averaging 206,000 this year, the best since 2015. Even the slower pace of 170,000 over the last three months is close to last years average of 182,000 and well above the amount needed to keep up with population growth. Read More Facebook

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Trump is expected to pick State Department spokeswoman for U.N. ambassador By Associated Press Heather Nauert at a briefing at the State Department on Aug. 9, 2017. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump is expected to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Two administration officials confirmed Trumps plans. A Republican congressional aide said the president was expected to announce his decision by tweet on Friday morning. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly before Trumps announcement. Trump has previously said Nauert was under serious consideration to replace Nikki Haley, who announced in October that she would step down at the end of this year. Trump has been known to change course on staffing decisions in the past. Nauert was a reporter for Fox News Channel before she became State Department spokeswoman under former Secretary Rex Tillerson. Facebook

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Senate confirms new consumer financial protection chief: Kathy Kraninger, protege of industry-friendly Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera The Senate, in a party-line vote Thursday, confirmed White House aide Kathy Kraninger to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and experts predicted a continuation of the industry-friendly shift it has taken since President Trump installed an acting director last year. Kraninger is a protege of acting director and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney, an outspoken critic of the agency that was created in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis to prevent predatory lending and other abuses that led to it. Democrats and consumer advocates have denounced him for sharply departing from the aggressive watchdog role the bureau had pursued under its first director, Obama-appointee Richard Cordray, including scaling back enforcement and moving to reassess tough new rules on payday loans and narrow the definition of abusive practices by banks and other firms. Read More Facebook

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Shutdown postponed by two weeks under plan approved by Congress By Erik Wasson Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), shown at the Capitol on Tuesday, says President Trumps border wall is a waste of money. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Congress passed a two-week stopgap spending bill that will delay the chance of a partial government shutdown until Dec. 22 as lawmakers and President Donald Trump negotiate over his demands to pay for a wall on the southern border. The House and Senate passed the measure Thursday without dissent, and Trump has indicated hell sign the bill before the current shutdown deadline of midnight Friday. Negotiations were delayed by memorial services this week for former President George H.W. Bush. The temporary measure gives Democrats and Republicans more time to find a resolution to their biggest hurdle: funding a wall on the U.S. Mexico border wall. Trump says he wants $5 billion for parts of a concrete wall on the southern border and is willing to shut down the government if he doesnt get it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has said Democrats will provide no more than $1.6 billion for border security, because the wall is a waste of money. The presidents demands for wall funding from Congress come after he said during the campaign that Mexico would pay for it. This week he said on Twitter that a $25 billion border wall would pay for itself in two months, without providing evidence. Most of the U.S. governments $1.2 trillion discretionary budget has been appropriated already by Congress for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. Departments at a risk of a partial shutdown late this month include the departments of State, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Treasury and Homeland Security. Talks to resolve the differences have been on hold since a meeting among Trump, Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California originally slated for Dec. 4 was postponed due to Bush memorial events. The three are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter. Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama told reporters the rest of the seven-bill spending package being negotiated is basically done. Shelby in recent weeks had tried to broker a compromise in which Trumps $5 billion request would be split over two years, but Schumer has rejected that. Some Democrats have been willing to trade border wall funding for deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants. Pelosi ruled out such a deal in remarks to reporters Thursday. The stopgap government funding measure also would extend the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides subsidized coverage for homes in flood-prone areas, to Dec. 21. Facebook

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Bipartisan Senate group wants to formally blame Saudi crown prince for journalists killing By Karoun Demirjian Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. (Associated Press) A bipartisan group of senators filed a resolution Wednesday condemning Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, directly challenging President Trump to do the same. This resolution -- without equivocation -- definitively states that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia was complicit in the murder of Mr. [Jamal] Khashoggi and has been a wrecking ball to the region jeopardizing our national security interests on multiple fronts, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement accompanying the release of the resolution. It will be up to Saudi Arabia as to how to deal with this matter. But it is up to the United States to firmly stand for who we are and what we believe. The resolution put forward by Graham and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who are expected to lead the Judiciary Committee together next year, comes just one day after CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed leading senators about the details of the agencys assessment that Mohammed ordered and monitored the killing and dismemberment of Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Senators emerged from that closed-door briefing furious not only with Saudi Arabia, but Trump as well for dismissing the heft of the CIAs findings. You have to be willfully blind not to come to the conclusion that this was orchestrated and organized by people under the command of MBS and that he was intricately involved in the demise of Mr. Khashoggi, Graham said following the briefing, referring to Mohammed by his initials. He added that Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, who briefed senators last week, were at best being good soldiers and at worst were in the pocket of Saudi Arabia for presenting the evidence of Mohammeds involvement as inconclusive. The release of the resolution condemning Mohammed also comes as the Senate is preparing to move ahead with debate on a resolution to curtail U.S. support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. Though the Yemen resolution does not directly address Khashoggis murder, its popularity is a sign of how strained the United States patience with Saudi Arabia is on multiple fronts, including its role in worsening the civilian cost of the war in Yemen, cited by the United Nations as the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Last week, the Senate voted 63 to 37 to advance the Yemen resolution past an opening procedural hurdle. But Graham and Feinsteins resolution on the crown prince has the potential of drawing broader support, especially from Republicans, who are deeply divided about how fiercely to punish Saudi Arabia over Khashoggis killing. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has been an outspoken advocate for human rights and is seen as one of the more influential foreign policy voices in the GOP, did not vote for the Yemen resolution last week or sign on to a bipartisan measure last month to sanction Saudi officials and cease weapons transfers to the kingdom. But he is an original co-sponsor of the resolution condemning Mohammed over Khashoggis death. So is Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who represents the other end of the GOP spectrum in terms of recent Saudi-related votes and endorsements. Young was an initial co-sponsor of the bill Graham wrote with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to sanction Saudi officials deemed responsible for Khashoggis killing and stop the sale of anything but exclusively defensive weapons to the kingdom until it ceased hostilities in Yemen. Young also voted to advance the Yemen resolution  something Graham did as well, though Graham has signaled he will not be lending any similar support to the measure, fearing it may establish a precedent of invoking the War Powers Act too broadly. Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are listed as original co-sponsors of the resolution condemning Mohammed, which also urges Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Houthi rebels to end the Yemen war, work out a political solution to its standoff with Qatar and release political prisoners. But how much sway the resolution has probably comes down to how forcefully the administration decides to heed it -- and thus far, Trump has not shown any interest in condemning the crown prince the way the senators hope he will. Demirjian reports for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Los Angeles County offices and U.S. Postal Service closed Wednesday in honor of George H.W. Bush By Brian Park The Honor Guard carries the casket of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush following his funeral on Dec. 5 in Washington, DC. (Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images) The U.S. Postal Service will suspend regular mail delivery Wednesday, which President Trump has declared a national day of mourning in honor of former President George H.W. Bush. All retail postal outlets will be closed, and package delivery will be limited. In Los Angeles, all nonessential county departments, offices and libraries will be closed for the day, L.A. County officials said. The Los Angeles County Library said no overdue fines will be assessed for books, and due dates will be moved forward one week. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health offices also are closed Wednesday. The Sheriffs Department, Fire Department, clinics and hospitals will continue to operate, the county said. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health clinics are being operated with reduced staffing, and the department asked patients to confirm or reschedule any appointments. All county courts and the disaster recovery centers for the Woolsey fire in Malibu and Agoura Hills will remain open. Larger federal government operations will be closed Wednesday. To honor the life and legacy of President Bush, the Postal Service will observe the National Day of Mourning. Learn how Postal operations will be affected. https://t.co/Mffch7bPCh pic.twitter.com/vG46BsIOpm  U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) December 4, 2018 L.A. County offices and libraries will be closed tomorrow (Dec 5) in observance of the #NationalDayOfMourning for President George H. W. Bush.



The Countys Disaster Recovery Centers in Malibu & Agoura Hills will remain open from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. pic.twitter.com/Sv1J7GoJ7T  Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) December 4, 2018 @LAPublicHealth offices will be closed tomorrow December 5 in observance of the national Day of Mourning for President George H. W. Bush. Essential Services including clinics and other services will remain open: https://t.co/tZGoGGHRlg pic.twitter.com/ypXsV6vlYY  LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) December 4, 2018 Facebook

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to skip 2020 White House race, sources say By Associated Press Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick speaks during an interview in Boston on Dec. 15, 2014. (Elise Amendola / Associated Press) Former Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts will soon announce he wont launch a 2020 presidential campaign, according to three sources familiar with his plans. They did not say why the Democrat decided against a run. A formal announcement was delayed as the country observed a day of mourning for President George H.W. Bush, one source said. News of Patricks plans was first reported by Politico. Patrick, 62, served two terms as governor, from 2007 to 2015, was assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Clinton administration and since leaving the governors office has been a managing director for Bain Capital. Patrick traveled the country in support of Democratic candidates in the recent midterm election. Earlier this year, some of Patricks supporters and close advisors started the Reason to Believe political action committee, a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing a positive, progressive vision for our nation in 2018 and 2020. Reason to Believe PAC had been holding meetups across the country, including in early presidential primary states. While Patrick is opting against a 2020 run, dozens of Democrats are considering jumping in, including nearly a half-dozen members of the Senate, several House members, and other Massachusetts politicians. On Tuesday, Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels and a vocal critic of President Trump, said in a statement that he would run. Patrick had previously expressed some concerns about breaking through if he sought the nomination, telling David Axelrod, a former advisor to President Obama, that he wasnt sure he could stand out in such a large field. Its hard to see how you even get noticed in such a big, broad field without being shrill, sensational or a celebrity, and Im none of those things and Im never going to be any of those things, Patrick said in a September interview with Axelrod. Facebook

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Former Trump adviser Roger Stone invokes 5th Amendment right and wont testify before Senate Judiciary Committee By Associated Press Roger Stone in 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Roger Stone, an associate of President Trump, says he wont provide testimony or documents to the Senate Judiciary Committee. An attorney for Stone said in a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committees top Democrat, that Stone was invoking his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to produce documents or appear for an interview. Stone has been entangled in investigations by Congress and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III about whether Trump aides had advance knowledge of Democratic emails published by WikiLeaks during the 2016 election. Stone has not been charged and has said he had no knowledge of the timing or specifics of WikiLeaks plans. In the letter to Feinstein, Stone said the committees requests were far too overbroad, far too overreaching and far too wide-ranging. Facebook

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Watch live: Vice President Pence and lawmakers honor George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol before he lies in state Facebook

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Rebuilding crumbling infrastructure has bipartisan support. But who gets to pay for it? By Jim Puzzanghera The grades for major U.S. infrastructure would give any parent indigestion if they were on a childs report card. Roads: D; bridges: C+; dams: D; ports: C+: railways: B; airports: D; schools: D+; public transit: D-. The nations overall grade: D+, which translates to being in fair to poor condition and mostly below standards with significant deterioration and a strong risk of failure, according to an evaluation last year by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Read More Facebook

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Trump calls former lawyer Michael Cohen a weak person who is lying By Associated Press President Trump says his former lawyer Michael Cohen is lying to get a reduced sentence. The president is reacting to Cohens guilty plea Thursday to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump real estate project in Russia. During a surprise court hearing, Cohen admitted to lying in testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen in his guilty plea said he made the false statements to be consistent with Trumps political message. Cohens lawyer says he continues to cooperate with special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation into Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates. Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Mark Z. Barabak When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Sarah D. Wire When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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Michael Cohen, President Trumps ex-lawyer, pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Trump real estate project in Russia By Associated Press Michael Cohen, President Trumps former personal lawyer, pursued a Russian real estate project on candidate Trumps behalf well into the 2016 campaign, he said Thursday while pleading guilty to lying to Congress. Cohen had previously said that the project was abandoned in January 2016, but he now admits he continued to pursue a deal and says he updated Trump and members of his family about the negotiations, according to a new court document. Read More Facebook

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James Comey says acting Atty. Gen. Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer By John Wagner Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker speaks at the Justice Department in Washington on Nov. 14. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Former FBI Director James B. Comey apparently isnt too impressed with the mental prowess of President Trumps acting attorney general. Matthew Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, Comey said during a radio interview on Monday night in which he sized up the man Trump installed this month to replace ousted Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. Comey was asked by WGBH News in Boston if he thinks Whitaker could derail the investigation of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Whitaker has spoken critically of the probe, and Trump  as recently as Tuesday  continues to call it a witch hunt. I think its a worry, but to my mind not a serious worry, Comey said. The institution is too strong, and [Whitaker], frankly, is not strong enough to have that kind of impact. He may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, but he can see his future and knows that if he acted in an extralegal way, he would go down in history for the wrong reasons, and Im sure he doesnt want that, added Comey, who was fired by Trump last year and later wrote a book that portrays the president as an ego-driven congenital liar. Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney in Iowa, was Sessions chief of staff before being picked by Trump to lead the Justice Department. Trump has called Whitaker a very smart man. Earlier this year, Trump called Comey an untruthful slime ball. Wagner writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Interior Department watchdog clears Zinke in investigation of Utah national monument By Juliet Eilperin Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, third from the left, and Gov. Jerry Brown tour fire damage in Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 14. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The Interior Departments Office of Inspector General has cleared Secretary Ryan Zinke in a probe of whether he redrew boundaries of a national monument in Utah to aid the financial interests of a Republican state lawmaker and stalwart supporter of President Trump. In a Nov. 21 letter to Zinkes deputy, David Bernhardt, Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall wrote that her office found no evidence that the secretary or his aides changed the boundaries of Utahs Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in an effort to help former Utah state representative Mike Noel, who serves as executive director of the Kane County Water Conservancy District. Last December, Trump shrank the monument, first established by President Clinton in 1996, by 46% based on Zinkes recommendation. Noel owns 40 acres that had been surrounded by the monument, but now lies outside its boundaries. The new boundaries also would make it easier to construct the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline, which would deliver water to sites in Kane County that include Noels property. Earlier this year, the Interior Department had proposed selling off 120 acres of federal land from the former monument that lay adjacent to some of Noels land holdings, but later reversed the plan. We found no evidence that Noel influenced the DOIs proposed revisions to the [monuments] boundaries, that Zinke or other DOI staff involved in the project were aware of Noels financial interest in the revised boundaries, or that they gave Noel any preferential treatment in the resulting proposed boundaries, Kendall wrote. Neither the Interior Department nor the inspector generals office would release the actual investigative report. In the letter, Kendall writes that her office will provide the report to Congress no sooner than 31 days from Nov. 21, when it is provided it to Zinkes office. The Associated Press first reported the inspector generals conclusions Monday night, but did not provide details from the report itself. Noel emailed Zinke about the effort to alter Grand Staircase-Escalante, according to emails released by Interior under the Freedom of Informational Act. But those emails do not make references to Noels land holdings. Noel also pushed to rename a Utah highway in honor of Trump, but abandoned that effort in March after some of his fellow Republicans objected to the idea. Noel did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. The inspector generals office still has at least two ongoing probes of the secretary, including one focused on his real estate dealings in Whitefish, Mont., and another regarding his decision to deny a permit to two Connecticut tribes who were hoping to jointly run a casino after MGM Resorts International lobbied against it. Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift welcomed the watchdogs conclusions. The report shows exactly what the secretarys office has known all along  that the monument boundaries were adjusted in accordance with all rules, regulations and laws, she said in an email. This report is also the latest example of opponents and special interest groups ginning up fake and misleading stories, only to be proven false after expensive and time consuming inquiries by the IGs office. But Kendalls spokeswoman, Nancy DiPaolo, defended the inquiry, even though she said the report has not been publicly released and we will not be speaking specifically about the matter at this time. The OIG opens investigations based on credible allegations and reports our findings objectively and independently, DiPaolo added. Any time or resources spent investigating conduct or activity that may be a violation of law, regulation or policy is a service to the public, Congress and the Department. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement that he still intended to investigate the way Zinke and his colleague redrew the boundaries for Grand Staircase-Escalante and another Utah national monument, Bears Ears, next year. I have great respect for the inspector general, and I accept these findings, but Secretary Zinke should have known the people he listened to while destroying our national monuments had disqualifying conflicts of interest, he said. Should I chair the Natural Resources Committee in the next Congress, the process he and President Trump used to destroy Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante will be front and center in our oversight and investigations efforts. We need to know why they ignored overwhelming public expressions of support for both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, why they ignored Native American tribes throughout their decision-making, and why they removed protections on parcels of land with known mineral deposits. Eilperin and Rein report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump advisor Larry Kudlow says China must do more to end trade war By Jim Puzzanghera Larry Kudlow, President Trumps top economic advisor, said Tuesday that Chinas response to U.S. efforts to rework the two economic superpowers trade relationship has been extremely disappointing but the planned meeting this weekend between the nations leaders is an opportunity for a breakthrough. They have to do more. They must do more, Larry Kudlow, director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters ahead of a Saturday dinner between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 Summit in Argentina. I think the president is exactly right  to show strong backbone when prior administrations did not, to break through these Chinese walls, Kudlow said. Theyre so resistant to change. We have to protect the country. We have to protect our technology, our inventiveness, our innovation. Read More Facebook

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Watch live: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds a media briefing amid tensions at the border By Los Angeles Times Staff Facebook

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Democrat TJ Cox grabs lead over Republican David Valadao in nations last remaining undecided House race By Maya Sweedler Democrat TJ Cox slipped past Republican incumbent David Valadao on Monday to take the lead in the countrys sole remaining undecided congressional race, positioning Democrats to pick up their seventh House seat in California and 40th nationwide. Cox, who trailed by nearly 4,400 votes on election night, has steadily gained as ballot counting continues nearly three weeks after the Nov. 6 election, a pattern consistent with the states recent voting history. On Monday, he pulled ahead by 438 votes after Kern County updated its results. Read More Facebook

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Former CIA director Michael Hayden hospitalized after suffering a stroke By Deanna Paul Then-CIA Director Michael Hayden testifies before a Senate committee in 2008. (Saul Loeb / Getty Images) Former CIA Director and retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke, his family said Friday. He is receiving expert medical care for which the family is grateful, according to a statement issued by his namesake organization. The General and his family greatly appreciate the warm wishes and prayers of his friends, colleagues, and supporters. Hayden, 73, served as director of the CIA and National Security Agency during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. He retired from the CIA in 2009. Hayden has been a vocal critic of Donald Trumps campaign and presidency. Earlier this year, after Trump decided to revoke the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan, Hayden was one of several former intelligence leaders who signed a statement in opposition. Criticizing the president for crossing a line, he quickly became one of the individuals whose security clearance Trump threatened to review. Deanna Paul writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump tells troops hes thankful for what hes done for the U.S. and rails against courts and migrants By Associated Press President Trump talks with troops via teleconference from his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Thanksgiving. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump used his Thanksgiving Day call to troops deployed overseas to pat himself on the back and air grievances about the courts, trade and migrants heading to the U.S.-Mexico border. Trumps call, made from his opulent private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., struck an unusually political tone as he spoke with members of all five branches of the military to wish them happy holidays. Its a disgrace, Trump said of judges who have blocked his attempts to overhaul U.S. immigration law, as he linked his efforts to secure the border with military missions overseas. Trump later threatened to close the U.S. border with Mexico for an undisclosed period of time if his administration determines Mexico has lost control on its side. The call was a uniquely Trump blend of boasting, peppered questions and off-the-cuff observations as his comments veered from venting about slights to praising troops  You really are our heroes, he said  as club waiters worked to set Thanksgiving dinner tables on the outdoor terrace behind him. It was yet another show of how Trump has dramatically transformed the presidency, erasing the traditional divisions between domestic policy and military matters and efforts to keep the troops clear of politics. You probably see over the news whats happening on our southern border, Trump told one Air Force brigadier general stationed at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, adding: I dont have to even ask you. I know what you want to do, you want to make sure that you know who were letting in. Later, Trump asked a U.S. Coast Guard commander about trade, which he noted was a very big subject for him personally. Weve been taken advantage of for many, many years by bad trade deals, Trump told the commander, who sheepishly replied, Mr. President, from our perspective on the water  we dont see any issues in terms of trade right now. And throughout, Trump congratulated himself, telling the officers that the country is doing exceptionally well on his watch. I hope that youll take solace in knowing that all of the American families you hold so close to your heart are all doing well, he said. The nations doing well economically, better than anybody in the world. He later told reporters, Nobodys done more for the military than me. Indeed, asked what he was thankful for this Thanksgiving, Trump cited his great family as well as himself. I made a tremendous difference in this country, he said. Facebook

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Trump contradicts CIA assessment that Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi killing By Josh Dawsey | Washington Post (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump on Thursday contradicted the CIAs assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting that the agency had feelings but did not firmly place blame for the death. Trump, in defiant remarks to reporters from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, defended his continued support for Mohammed in the face of a CIA assessment that the crown prince had ordered the killing. He denies it vehemently, Trump said. He said his own conclusion was that maybe he did, maybe he didnt. I hate the crime .... I hate the cover-up. I will tell you this: The crown prince hates it more than I do, Trump said. Asked who should be held accountable for the death of Khashoggi, who was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, Trump refused to place blame. Maybe the world should be held accountable because the world is a very, very vicious place, the president said. He also seemed to suggest that all U.S. allies were guilty of the same behavior, declaring that if the others were held to the standard that critics have held Saudi Arabia to in recent days, we wouldnt be able to have anyone for an ally. Trumps remarks came after he held a conference call with U.S. military officers overseas, during which he repeatedly praised his administration and sought to draw the officers into discussions of domestic policy. Facebook

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Former FBI Director James Comey gets subpoena from House Republicans By Bloomberg Former FBI Director James B. Comey said he has received a subpoena from House Republicans, according to a Twitter post on Thursday. Bloomberg News reported last week that Comey would be receiving a subpoena alongside former Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch as part of continuing probes into their handling of investigations into Hillary Clinton and Russian election meddling, according to a top House Democrat. Happy Thanksgiving. Got a subpoena from House Republicans. Im still happy to sit in the light and answer all questions. But I will resist a closed door thing because Ive seen enough of their selective leaking and distortion. Lets have a hearing and invite everyone to see.  James Comey (@Comey) November 22, 2018 Read More Facebook

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Republican David Valadaos lead slips to 447 votes over Democrat TJ Cox in still-undecided Central Valley House race By Mark Z. Barabak Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), right, finds himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox. (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) On election night, it looked like Rep. David Valadao had survived a close shave and was destined to return to Washington for his fourth term. But on Wednesday, when Fresno County announced its latest vote totals, the Hanford Republican found himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox, with his lead in the Central Valley district shrunken to 447 votes. Thousands remain to be counted. Valadao, a repeated Democratic target, finished election night with a lead of nearly 4,440 votes. Cox, an engineer and a business owner who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2006, has steadily gained ground in the 21st Congressional District ever since. The trend is consistent with historic patterns showing Republicans in California tend to vote early and Democrats later, meaning their mail ballots continue to stream in past election day. Under California law, ballots postmarked up to midnight on Nov. 6 will be counted. Democrats have already picked up six House seats in California. They ousted Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, Mimi Walters, Steve Knight and Jeff Denham and won the seats of retiring Reps. Ed Royce and Darrell Issa. All six represented districts that backed Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016. Valadao was the seventh California Republican in a district Clinton won, though his previous successes  he last won reelection by a 14-point margin  suggested his ouster was a longer shot for Democrats. If Cox prevails, it would give Democrats a 40-seat gain nationwide, far more than the 23 seats needed to take control when Congress reconvenes in January. Facebook

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Trump says no new punishments against Saudi Arabia in Jamal Khashoggi murder By Eli Stokols In this Oct. 25 photo, candles are lit in front of a photo of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Lefteris Pitarakis) President Trump made it clear on Tuesday that he does not intend to punish Saudi Arabia or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an American resident killed by Saudi officials in Turkey in October. In a remarkable statement replete with exclamation points, Trump cast doubt on the CIAs reported conclusions that it has a high degree of confidence that the crown prince ordered Khashoggis murder and sent his closest allies to Saudi Arabias consulate in Istanbul to carry it out. Read MoreThis article has been updated with staff. Facebook

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Sixteen House Democrats vow to oppose Nancy Pelosi as next speaker By Mike DeBonis | Washington Post House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Sixteen House Democrats said Monday that they will vote to deny Rep. Nancy Pelosi another stint as House speaker, a show of defiance that puts her opponents on the cusp of forcing a seismic leadership shake-up as their party prepares to take the majority. Their pledge to oppose Pelosi (D-San Francisco), both in an internal caucus election and a Jan. 3 floor vote, delivered in a letter sent to Democratic colleagues, comes as Pelosi has marshaled a legion of supporters on and off Capitol Hill to make her case. But her opponents said Monday they are convinced it is time to select a new leader. We are thankful to Leader Pelosi for her years of service to our Country and to our Caucus, they wrote. However, we also recognize that in this recent election, Democrats ran on and won on a message of change. Pelosi has expressed complete confidence that she will retake the speakers gavel in January  eight years after she lost it following massive Republican gains in the 2010 midterms and 16 years after she was first elevated to the top Democratic leadership post in the House. Come on in, the waters fine, she said Friday about a potential leadership challenge. The signers might not be able to force Pelosi out themselves. The size of the Democratic majority remains in flux, but Democrats have already won 232 seats, according to the Associated Press, with five races still undecided. All those races have Republican incumbents, but the Democratic challenger is ahead in only one of them. If the leads hold in the uncalled races, Democrats would have won 233 seats, a 16-seat majority. That means Pelosi could lose as many as 15 Democratic votes when she stands for election as speaker on Jan. 3. Read More Facebook

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Democratic senators sue over Whitakers appointment as acting attorney general By Associated Press Acting U.S. Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) Three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. The suit, filed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, argues that Whitakers appointment violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker was chief of staff to Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and was elevated to the top job after Sessions was ousted by President Trump on Nov. 7. The Constitutions Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm all principal officials before they can serve in their office. The Justice Department released a legal opinion last week that said Whitakers appointment would not violate the clause because he is serving in an acting capacity. The opinion concluded that Whitaker, even without Senate confirmation, may serve in an acting capacity because he has been at the department for more than a year at a sufficiently senior pay level. President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nations top law enforcement official, Blumenthal said in a statement. The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called constitutional nobody and thwarting every senators constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts. The lawsuit comes days after a Washington lawyer challenged Whitakers appointment in a pending Supreme Court case dealing with gun rights. The attorney, Thomas Goldstein, asked the high court to find that Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and replace him with Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Rosenstein, the second-ranking Justice Department official, has been confirmed by the Senate and had been overseeing special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker is now overseeing the investigation. The Justice Department issued a statement Monday defending Whitakers appointment as lawful and said it comports with the Appointments Clause, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and legal precedent. There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent. Facebook

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Gov. Rick Scott says Sen. Bill Nelson concedes Florida Senate race By Associated Press Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott speaks with his wife, Ann, by his side at an election watch party in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 7. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas Republican Gov. Rick Scott says incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson called him to concede defeat in their extremely tight race. Scott issued a statement Sunday saying Nelson graciously conceded their Senate race shortly after the states recount ended. The final results show Scott defeated Nelson by just over 10,000 votes out of 8 million cast. Nelson is scheduled to release a videotaped statement later Sunday. The defeat ends Nelsons lengthy political career. The three-term incumbent was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000. Before that he served six terms in the U.S. House and as state treasurer and insurance commissioner for six years. Scott spent more than $60 million of his own money on ads that portrayed Nelson as out-of-touch and ineffective. Nelson responded by questioning Scotts ethics and saying he would be under the sway of President Trump. Facebook

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Orange County goes blue, as Democrats complete historic sweep of its seven congressional seats By Michael Finnegan Gil Cisneros defeated Republican Young Kim on Saturday in the last of Orange Countys undecided House races, giving Democrats a clean sweep of the states six most fiercely fought congressional contests and marking an epochal shift in a region long synonymous with political conservatism. With Cisneros victory, Democrats will constitute the entirety of Orange Countys seven-member congressional delegation, the first time since the 1930s that the birthplace of Richard Nixon, home of John Wayne and spiritual center of the Republican Party will have no GOP representative in the House. Sitting back in the 1960s, I would never have believed this would happen, said Stuart K. Spencer, a party strategist who spent more than half a century ushering Republicans, including President Reagan, into office. Read More Facebook

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Going, going ... with midterm wipeout, California Republican Party drifts closer to irrelevance By Michael Finnegan For a party in freefall the last two decades, California Republicans learned that its possible to plunge even further. The GOP not only lost every statewide office in the midterm election  again, in blowout fashion  but Democrats reestablished their supermajority in Sacramento, allowing them to legislate however they see fit After major defeats in Orange County and the Central Valley, two longtime strongholds, Republicans will have a significantly smaller footprint on Capitol Hill. (Democrats hold both Senate seats.) When the vote-counting is finished, the GOP may not even have enough lawmakers in Californias 53-member House delegation to field a nine-person softball team. Read More Facebook

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Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter says she will support Rep. Nancy Pelosi for speaker By Maya Sweedler Democratic Rep.-elect Katie Porter is congratulated by volunteers at her campaign headquarters in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter said she plans to support Rep. Nancy Pelosis bid for speaker of the House and will make campaign finance reform her top priority when she enters the chamber in January. Im going to continue to have conversations, but so far I feel like Leader Pelosi is definitely making the things that were a priority to the families that elected me her priorities, including announcing her support for campaign finance reform and anti-corruption as HR1, Porter said in her first public appearance since being declared the winner in Californias 45th Congressional District on Thursday evening. It means a lot to me that she is a Californian. She understands our state, Porter added. When we talk about environmental protections, this is a person who understands as a Californian how fragile our environment is and whats at risk in things like drilling off our coasts. Porter, a law professor at UC Irvine, defeated two-term Republican Rep. Mimi Walters. The 45th District, covering inland Orange County, has never been represented by a Democrat. Porter became the third Democrat to claim a Republican-held seat in Orange County, following the victories of Harley Rouda in the 48th District and Mike Levin in the 49th. A fourth, Gil Cisneros, is running slightly ahead of his Republican opponent in the race for the open seat in the 39th District, which extends into Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Porter attributed the massive political shift in the county, for decades a conservative stronghold, to increased levels of political engagement. Folks here care about education, they care about the environment, they believe climate change is real, they want healthcare that protects preexisting conditions, they want a tax system that doesnt punish California, they want our schools and places of worship to be safe from gun violence, she said. Those are the issues we campaigned on, and to the extent that Donald Trump and Mimi Walters were on the wrong side of those issues, the voters have made clear what direction they want us to go. Porter was flying back from the East Coast when her race was called, she said. She turned on her phone to find 167 text messages from friends and supporters. Among them was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who was one of Porters teachers in law school and with whom she has remained close. The pair spoke via FaceTime this morning, she said. Facebook

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Bitter battle for Senate seat in Florida goes to hand recount By Associated Press Employees look through damaged ballots during a recount Thursday in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas acrimonious battle for the U.S. Senate headed Thursday to a legally required hand recount after an initial review by ballot-counting machines showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson separated by less than 13,000 votes. But the highly watched contest for governor between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum appeared to be over, with a machine recount showing DeSantis with a large enough advantage over Gillum to avoid a hand recount in that race. Gillum, who conceded the contest on election night only to retract his concession later, said in a statement that it is not over until every legally casted vote is counted. The recount so far has been fraught with problems. One large Democratic stronghold in South Florida was unable to finish its machine recount by the Thursday deadline due to machines breaking down. A federal judge rejected a request to extend the recount deadline. We gave a heroic effort, said Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. If the county had three or four more hours, it would have made the deadline to recount ballots in the Senate race, she said. Meanwhile, election officials in another urban county in the Tampa Bay area decided against turning in the results of their machine recount, which came up with 846 fewer votes than originally counted. Media in South Florida reported that Broward County finished its machine recount but missed the deadline by a few minutes. Counties were ordered last weekend to do a machine recount of three statewide races because the margins were so tight. The next stage is a manual review of ballots that were not counted by machines to see whether there is a way to figure out voter intent. Scott called on Nelson to end the recount battle. Its time for Nelson to respect the will of the voters and graciously bring this process to an end rather than proceed with yet another count of the votes  which will yield the same result and bring more embarrassment to the state that we both love and have served, the governor said in a statement. The recount has triggered multiple lawsuits, many of them filed by Nelson and Democrats. The legal battles drew the ire of U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker, who slammed the state for repeatedly failing to anticipate election problems. He also said the state law on recounts appears to violate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that decided the presidency in 2000. We have been the laughingstock of the world, election after election, and we chose not to fix this, Walker said during a morning hearing. Walker vented his anger at state lawmakers and Palm Beach County officials, saying they should have made sure they had enough equipment in place to handle this kind of a recount. But he said he could not extend the recount deadline because he did not know when Palm Beach County would finish its work. This court must be able to craft a remedy with knowledge that it will not prove futile, Walker wrote in his ruling turning down the request from Democrats. It cannot do so on this record. This court does not and will not fashion a remedy in the dark. The overarching problem was created by the Florida Legislature, which Walker said passed a recount law that appears to run afoul of the 2000 Bush vs. Gore decision by locking in procedures that do not allow for potential problems. A total of six election-related lawsuits are pending in federal court in Tallahassee as well at least one lawsuit filed in state court. Walker also ordered that voters be given until 5 p.m. Saturday to show a valid identification and fix their ballots if they have not been counted due to mismatched signatures. Republicans appealed the ruling, but an appeals court turned down the request. State officials testified that nearly 4,000 mailed-in ballots were set aside because local officials decided the signatures on the envelopes did not match the signatures on file. If those voters can prove their identity, their votes will be counted and included in final official returns due from each county by noon Sunday. Walker was asked by Democrats to require local officials to provide a list of people whose ballots were rejected. But the judge appointed by President Obama refused the request, calling it inappropriate. Under state law, a hand review is required with races that have a margin of 0.25 percentage points or less. A state website put the unofficial results showing Scott ahead of Nelson by 0.15 percentage points. The margin between DeSantis and Gillum was at 0.41 points. The margin between Scott and Nelson had not changed much in the last few days, conceded Marc Elias, an attorney working for Nelsons campaign. But he said that he expected the vote tally to shrink due to the hand recount and the ruling on signatures. The developments fueled frustrations among Democrats and Republicans alike. Democrats want state officials to do whatever it takes to make sure every eligible vote is counted. Republicans, including President Trump, have argued without evidence that voter fraud threatens to steal races from the GOP. Facebook

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Democrat Gil Cisneros pulls ahead of Republican Young Kim as more votes are tallied in Orange and San Bernardino counties By Michael Finnegan Congressional candidate Gil Cisneros (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Democrat Gil Cisneros pulled ahead of Republican Young Kim in one of Californias undecided congressional races Thursday, an ominous sign for a GOP already reeling from its loss of four House seats in the state. In updated vote counts released by the registrars for Orange and San Bernardino counties, Kim fell 941 votes behind Cisneros in the contest to succeed Republican Rep. Ed Royce in Californias 39th Congressional District. The 39th straddles Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange counties. In another unresolved House race, Democrat Katie Porter pulled further ahead of Republican incumbent Mimi Walters in the 45th District, which includes Mission Viejo, Tustin, Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita and Laguna Hills. Porter, a consumer attorney and UC Irvine law professor, is now 6,203 votes ahead. The Nov. 6 midterm election has been devastating to Republicans in California. If Cisneros and Porter win, the party will have lost six of its 14 House seats in the state, essentially a wipeout in every contest that both parties spent heavily to win. The three Republicans already bounced from Congress are Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa, Steve Knight of Palmdale and Jeff Denham of Turlock in the San Joaquin Valley. Democrat Mike Levin won the seat of retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista in the fourth district flipped so far. Facebook

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Florida Senate race likely headed to second recount By Associated Press A Palm Beach County Sheriffs deputy walks past boxes of ballots before a recount on Nov. 15 in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee) Unofficial Florida election results show that the governors race seems to be settled after a machine recount but the U.S. Senate race is likely headed to a hand recount. Republican Ron DeSantis is virtually assured of winning the nationally watched governors race over Democrat Andrew Gillum. Florida finished a machine recount Thursday that showed Gillum without enough votes to force a manual recount. Unofficial results posted on a state website show the margin between U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Rick Scott is still thin enough to trigger a second review. State law requires a hand recount of races with a margin of 0.25 percentage point or less. Counties have until Sunday to inspect the ballots that did not record a vote when put through the machines. Those ballots are re-examined to see whether the voter skipped the race or marked the ballot in a way that the machines cannot read but can be deciphered. The election will be certified Tuesday. Read More Facebook

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Pelosi says she has the votes to become the next House speaker By John Wagner Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference in Washington on Nov. 14. (Susan Walsh) House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi insisted Thursday that she has the votes to become the chambers speaker despite solid opposition from more than a dozen Democrats who want fresh leadership when the party takes control next year. I have overwhelming support in my caucus to be speaker of the House, the San Francisco lawmaker told reporters. I happen to think at this point, Im the best person for that. A vote within the Democratic caucus is scheduled for Nov. 28. The full House votes on Jan. 3 to elect a new speaker. During her remarks, Pelosi touted the size of the Democratic victory in the midterms, which she called almost a tsunami. With a few races still to be decided, Democrats are poised to pick up close to 40 seats in the chamber. Pelosi called that the biggest victory for the Democrats since 1974, when the Watergate babies came in. Pelosis comments come as she faces solid opposition from at least 17 Democrats, setting the stage for a battle over who will ascend to one of the most powerful positions in Washington. After a campaign in which some Democrats prevailed in competitive districts by promising to oppose her, a coalition of incumbents and newly elected members has denied her a smooth path to the speakership. The defections, if they stand, would leave Pelosi, who has led the Democrats for more than 15 years, several votes short of the 218 she would need when the full House votes for speaker Jan. 3. However, no Democrat has stepped forward to run against her for a job she held from 2007 through 2010. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) told reporters Wednesday that shes being encouraged to stand for speaker if Pelosi doesnt have the votes. In an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday, she said she has been overwhelmed by the support from many of her colleagues for her possible entry into the race for House speaker. Over the last 12 hours, Ive been overwhelmed by the amount of support Ive received, Fudge said, adding that there are probably closer to 30" Democrats who have privately signaled that they are willing to oppose Pelosi. Things could change rapidly, Fudge said. Fudge, 66, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said she is building a diverse coalition as she mulls a speaker run, talking with allies in the caucus, moderate Democrats and newly elected members. To this point, Pelosi has enjoyed the strong backing of the Congressional Black Caucus. On Thursday, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), one of its members, wrote a letter to colleagues praising her insight, fortitude and strategic thinking and urging support for her speakership bid. Former Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., an African American who is contemplating a 2020 presidential bid, also voiced support for Pelosi, praising her in a tweet as an architect of the recent midterm success. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a leader of the resistance to Pelosi, said during an interview on CNN on Thursday that Fudge is the kind of new leader that we need in this party. Shes in touch with middle America. She understands what the American people want. Shes a next-generation leader that people will look to and say, Thats the future of our party, thats the future of our country, and thats exactly the kind of leader that I want to see as our next speaker. Wagner reports for the Washington Post. The Posts Robert Costa, Erica Werner, Mike DeBonis, Paul Kane and Elise Viebeck contributed to this report. Facebook

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GOP Rep. Jeff Denham concedes to Democrat Josh Harder in Central Valley race By Maya Sweedler Rep. Jeff Denham (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) Republican Rep. Jeff Denham has conceded to Democrat Josh Harder in the race to represent Californias 10th Congressional District in the San Joaquin Valley. It has been an absolute honor to serve our community and represent the Central Valley in Congress over the past eight years, the 51-year-old congressman said. The enormity of the responsibility was never lost on me. My wife Sonia and I look forward to starting the next chapter of our lives. Harder said he had spoken with Denham and the two were committed to a productive transition. Denham, an Air Force veteran, previously represented the region in the state Senate for eight years and founded a company specializing in plastic packaging used in agriculture. While a member of Congress, he sat on the Transportation and Infrastructure, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture committees. First-time candidate Harder was born and raised in the district. After graduating from Stanford University, he served as vice president of a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Since moving back, he has been teaching at Modesto Junior College. Denhams House seat is one of four in California that Republicans lost in the Nov. 6 election, with two contests in Orange County still undecided as of Thursday morning. Jeff Denham called me this morning and we had a very productive conversation. I'm honored that I've been chosen to serve our community in Congress, and we're both looking forward to a productive transition that best serves the people of District 10.  Josh Harder (@JoshHarder) November 14, 2018 Facebook

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Democrat Katie Porter now nearly 3,800 votes ahead of GOP Rep. Mimi Walters By Maya Sweedler Rep. Mimi Walters thanks all of her supporters as she watches election results in Irvine on Nov. 7, 2018. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press) Democrat Katie Porter opened a 3,797-vote lead Wednesday over Republican Rep. Mimi Walters in Orange Countys 45th Congressional District. In the neighboring 39th, Democrat Gil Cisneros has nearly tied the race against Republican Young Kim. Cisneros now trails Kim by a razor-thin margin of 122 votes. The 39th District straddles Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties; Wednesdays updated ballot counts came from the latter two. There are more than 202,000 ballots left to count in Orange County, which includes parts of seven congressional districts. The 45th is entirely in inland Orange County. In California, the ballots counted first tend to lean Republican and those tallied later skew Democratic. In the Central Valleys 21st Congressional District, Democratic challenger TJ Cox has pulled within 2 percentage points of Rep. David Valadao, who is serving his third term. The Associated Press had projected a win for Valadao on election night, but his 4,839-vote advantage has shrunk to 2,090. Back in CA-21, Valadao (R) wins a batch of ballots from his stronghold in Kings Co., but by a considerably smaller margin (14 points) than his previous ~30-point margin in the county. We're moving to Lean R from Likely R; today a bit scary for Valadao.https://t.co/WqJVUVkqGW  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 15, 2018 A spokesman for Valadao told the Fresno Bee that the changes were expected and that [s]tatistically, David Valadao has won this race. Democrats in California have already flipped four House seats, defeating three Republican incumbents and claiming an open seat previously held by the GOP. Reps. Steve Knight of Palmdale, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Jeff Denham of Turlock have already lost their races, and retiring Rep. Darrell Issas San Diego County seat was claimed by Democrat Mike Levin. Facebook

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Trump aide departs West Wing after rebuke from Melania Trump By Associated Press First Lady Melania Trump. (Alain Jocard / AFP-Getty Images) Deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel is leaving the White House, one day after First Lady Melania Trumps office issued an extraordinary statement calling for her dismissal. No replacement was named. Aides said Ricardel clashed with the first ladys staff over her visit to Africa last month. Yet it is highly unusual for a first lady or her office to weigh in on personnel matters, especially the presidents national security staff. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Ricardel would have a new role in the administration. On Tuesday, Stephanie Grisham, the first ladys spokeswoman, released a statement saying, It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House. President Trumps White House has set records for administration turnover. Ricardel was the third person to hold the post under Trump. An ally of national security advisor John Bolton, Ricardel began her service in the Trump administration as associate director in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, then moved to the Commerce Department last year. Bolton brought her into the West Wing shortly after taking the job in April. He is traveling in Asia this week alongside Vice President Mike Pence. Facebook

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Race for House Minority Leader is Kevin McCarthys to lose By Associated Press (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is running to take over next years shrunken caucus in closed-door elections that will set the tone for the new Congress. The race for minority leader is McCarthys to lose Wednesday. But the California Republican, who is an ally of President Trump, must fend off a challenge from conservative Jim Jordan of Ohio. Jordan is a leader of the House Freedom Caucus. The two encountered questions and finger-pointing during a private meeting with lawmakers Tuesday night as the GOP sorted through the midterm defeat that put Democrats in the majority next year. Elections Wednesday will also determine party leadership in the Senate. Voting for the biggest race, Nancy Pelosis bid to return as the Democrats nominee for speaker, is later this month. Read More Facebook

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Melania Trump calls for the firing of deputy national security advisor By Justin Sink First Lady Melania Trump arrives at the Chateau de Versailles outside Paris on Nov. 11. (Alain Jocard / AFP/Getty Images ) First Lady Melania Trumps office said she wants Mira Ricardel, the deputy national security advisor, ousted from the White House. It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House, Trumps spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement in response to a question about reports the first lady had sought Ricardels removal. Ricardel is the top deputy to national security advisor John Bolton. She drew the first ladys wrath after threatening to withhold National Security Council resources during Melania Trumps trip to Africa last month unless Ricardel was included in her entourage, one person familiar with the matter said. Grishams statement comes as several media outlets have reported that President Trump is considering a broader shakeup of his administration, including ousting Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Sink and Jacobs report for Bloomberg. Read More Facebook

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CNN sues Trump over the suspension of Jim Acostas White House press credentials By Jim Puzzanghera CNN said Tuesday that it is suing President Trump and other administration officials over the decision to suspend the White House press credentials of correspondent Jim Acosta after a conflict at a news conference last week. The suit, to be filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, escalates an ongoing battle between Trump and the cable news outlet that he frequently accuses of disseminating fake news for its aggressive coverage of him and his administration. The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acostas 1st Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their 5th Amendment rights to due process, CNN said in a written statement. If left unchallenged, the actions of the White House would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials. Read More Facebook

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Maxine Waters to take aim at Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank as new head of House Financial Services Committee By Jim Puzzanghera Rep. Maxine Waters plans to zero in on two big banks  Wells Fargo & Co. and Deutsche Bank  when she becomes head of the powerful House Financial Services Committee. The Los Angeles congresswoman, now the committees top Democrat, is widely expected to gain the gavel after her party won control of the House in last weeks elections. While Waters has outlined a wide-ranging agenda, she said her focus on bank oversight will target two large institutions she has been tangling with for a while  including one, Deutsche Bank, that spills into her bitter feud with President Trump. With Trump in the White House, I know that our fight for Americas consumers and investors will continue to be challenging. But I am more than up to that fight, Waters wrote in a letter last week to her Democratic colleagues on the committee that was obtained by The Times. Read More Facebook

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Heres how a controversial voting system will decide a congressional race in Maine By Kurtis Lee For the first time in U.S. history, a controversial voting system known as ranked choice is being used to decide a federal election. Its happening in Maine, which adopted the system in 2016. Rather than marking a single candidate, each voter ranks them all, assigning a first-place vote, a second-place vote and so on down the ballot. Read More Facebook

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ACLU files suit to stop Trumps new asylum limits By Associated Press A group of Central American migrants march to the office of the U.N.'s humans rights body in Mexico City on Nov. 8. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press) The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a legal challenge to President Trumps order denying asylum to migrants if they cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco and argues the new rules are against the law. Attorney Lee Gelernt said the regulations will put families in danger. The suit seeks to declare the regulations invalid and wants a judge to stop the rules from going into effect while the litigation is pending. The new rules were spurred in part by caravans of Central American migrants slowly moving north on foot, but officials say they will apply to anyone caught crossing illegally. Officials say about 70,000 people who enter the country illegally claim asylum. The order invoked the same national security powers Trump used to push through his travel ban. Read More Facebook

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Trump on new acting AG: I dont know Matt Whitaker By Associated Press President Trump talks with reporters before departing for France on the South Lawn of the White House on Nov. 9. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump is moving to distance himself from Matthew Whitaker as he faces criticism over his choice for acting attorney general. Trump told reporters Friday that I dont know Matt Whitaker and said he didnt speak with Whitaker about special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker has made public comments critical of Muellers investigation, and critics have called on Whitaker to recuse himself from oversight of the inquiry. Under former Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, the investigation was overseen by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Of the scrutiny Whitaker is facing, Trump said: Its a shame that no matter who I put in they go after. He also called Whitaker a very highly respected man. Whitaker was Sessions chief of staff before Trump made him Sessions interim replacement. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg out of hospital after fall By Associated Press The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is home after being released from the hospital. She had been admitted for treatment and observation after fracturing three ribs in a fall. The court said Ginsburg was released Friday. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg says she is doing well and working from home. The court had previously said the justice fell in her office at the court on Wednesday evening and went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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Gun-control activist Lucy McBath defeats GOP Rep. Karen Handel in Georgia By Associated Press Lucy McBath speaks during a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Nov. 2 at Morehouse College in Atlanta. (Alyssa Pointer / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Democratic gun-control activist Lucy McBath has defeated Republican Rep. Karen Handel of Georgia in a suburban congressional district long considered safe for the GOP. Handel had to seek reelection after winning her seat last year in a close special election race against Democrat Jon Ossoff. McBath became an advocate for stricter gun laws after her son, Jordan Davis, was fatally shot at a Florida gas station in 2012 by a man angry over loud music the teenager and his friends were playing in a car. McBaths margin of victory was narrow enough for Handel to have requested a recount. The Associated Press declared McBath the winner Thursday after Handel conceded. Handel conceded in a statement Thursday morning, stating that after reviewing all of the election data, its clear she came up a bit short in Tuesdays vote. Handel congratulated McBath, offering good thoughts and much prayer for the journey that lies ahead for her. McBath, who is African American, declared victory Wednesday. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized after fracturing 3 ribs in fall By Associated Press Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fractured three ribs in a fall in her office at the court and is in the hospital. The court says the justice went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. The court says the fall occurred Wednesday evening. Ginsburg was admitted to the hospital for treatment and observation after tests showed she fractured three ribs. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She has had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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White House suspends press pass of CNNs Jim Acosta after heated exchange with Trump By Associated Press The White House on Wednesday suspended the press pass of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after he and President Trump had a heated confrontation during a news conference. They began sparring after Acosta asked Trump about the caravan of migrants heading from Latin America to the southern U.S. border. When Acosta tried to follow up with another question, Trump said, Thats enough! and a female White House aide unsuccessfully tried to grab the microphone from Acosta. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement accusing Acosta of placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern, calling it absolutely unacceptable. The interaction between Acosta and the intern was brief, and Acosta appeared to brush her arm as she reached for the microphone and he tried to hold onto it. Pardon me, maam, he told her. Acosta tweeted that Sanders statement that he put his hands on the aide was a lie. CNN said in a statement that the White House revoked Acostas press pass in retaliation for his challenging questions Wednesday, and the network accused Sanders of lying about Acostas actions. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporters colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question. President Trump has given the press more access than any President in history.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Contrary to CNNs assertions there is no greater demonstration of the Presidents support for a free press than the event he held today. Only they would attack the President for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters...  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 As a result of todays incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Sanders provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened. This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better, CNN said. Jim Acosta has our full support. Journalists assigned to cover the White House apply for passes that allow them daily access to press areas in the West Wing. White House staffers decide whether journalists are eligible, though the Secret Service determines whether their applications are approved. Facebook

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Trump spars with reporters at post-election news briefing, ordering several to sit down By Associated Press  President Trump assails CNNs Jim Acosta at a White House news conference. President Trump sparred with reporters at his post-election news conference, ordering several to sit down and telling another hes a rude, terrible person. He told another reporter hes not a fan of yours, either. The presidents mood turned sour Wednesday after reporters pressed him on why he referred to a migrant caravan making its way to the U.S. on foot through Mexico as an invasion. Trump ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric against the caravan in the final days of the midterm elections. Trump was also pressed on why his campaign aired an ad featuring a Mexican immigrant convicted of killing American police officers and linking the mans actions to the caravan. Several television networks pulled the ad after airing it or declined to air it at all. Facebook

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Im living one hour at a time at this point By Christine Mai-Duc Republican congressional candidate Young Kim and gubernatorial candidate John Cox campaign in Rowland Heights. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Republican congressional candidate Young Kim greeted gubernatorial candidate John Coxs giant campaign bus, the words HELP IS ON THE WAY emblazoned across it, as it rolled into the parking lot outside her Rowland Heights field office. Standing beside Cox on Saturday, Kim predicted that a string of GOP victories Tuesday would start with voters repealing the gas tax hike. Can you imagine Gavin Newsom being our governor? Can you imagine Gil Cisneros being your representative? Kim asked the crowd, to loud boos and cries of Nooo! The former state assemblywoman who worked for retiring Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) is vying for his seat with Democrat Gil Cisneros. She led the crowd in chants of Enough is enough! and, though short-lived, Drain the swamp! Ive served you in Sacramento and Ive seen dysfunction personally, Kim continued. We cannot continue that route. She urged her supporters to stay and help make phone calls or walk neighborhoods. Lets get out there  the 72 hours is really critical. Its all going to come down to a few votes, it could be your vote, she said pointing to her left, then pivoting right, it could be your vote. So dont sit back and do nothing. Every night I go to sleep thinking, OK, how many more votes can I get or how many more people can I call tomorrow? Kim said. It can be physically exhausting but Im mentally, emotionally very energized. She listed off her events so far that day  and the next one she was heading to. Thats just what I can remember, she said. Im living one hour at a time at this point. Kims campaign invited press to two of her events on Saturday. After she was whisked away to her next event  a high tea fundraiser in Walnut, a couple dozen volunteers remained. John Freeman, a statewide field manager for the state Republican Party, tried to pump them up. This is the Super Bowl. Were not in an NFL stadium, were not getting paid millions of dollars, but you know what? Freeman said. Were walking on the field right now. This is that high-stakes-level game. Facebook

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Its going to be tough out there Democratic candidate Katie Porter speaks to volunteers in Mission Viejo. Jon Bauman, Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na, is in the background. (Victoria Kim / Los Angeles Times ) Judging from the cheers in the crowd, about half those assembled at Katie Porters campaign headquarters in Mission Viejo Sunday morning were old enough to remember 70s rock n roll star Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na. Jon Bauman, as Bowzer is known off stage, said it was her position on senior issues including retirement and social security that has him out supporting Porter over her opponent, incumbent Rep. Mimi Walters. I want you to make sure every phone is called and every door is knocked, he told the crowd of about 80 volunteers. There has never been a more important election. Both Bauman and his nephew, California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman, were interrupted by yells from Trump supporters coming from an adjoining hillside. We love Trump, the voice cried out. We love him too, he makes great fodder, the younger Bauman retorted, before introducing Porter. Porter, a UC Irvine law professor and first-time candidate, acknowledged the uphill battle some of her canvassers might face in this more conservative end of the long-red Orange County district. I know its going to be tough out there, she said, motioning to the hillside. But she said the attacks meant the other side viewed her campaign as a significant threat. This election is going to be close, she said. If we dont fight all the way to the finish line, until 8 oclock on Tuesday, this could slip away. Bowzer then took to a keyboard piano to lead the crowd in a reworded rendition of the song Good Night Sweetheart: Good night, Mimi Walters, he crooned. A woman in a black tank top, jeans and flip flops holding a cup of coffee later joined the crowd with her two sons, 17 and 14, the younger one wearing a Trump 2016 T-shirt. She declined to give her name, saying she was concerned about being attacked, but said she lived up the hill and said she had been the one yelling. She said she was encouraging her sons to talk to people on both sides and make up their own minds. We need to have a government that runs the way government teachers are telling kids its supposed to be run, said the woman, a retired registered dental assistant who voted early for Mimi Walters. Referring to Democrats, she said: Theyve had control over all these years and Californias gone to crap. Among those canvassing was Stacie Campbell, 37, who was at the launch with her husband Jerome and three children, the youngest of whom was 2 months old. Campbell, a Mission Viejo resident who runs a business, had never canvassed or volunteered for campaigns before, and her husband is a French citizen and unable to vote. She said they had been talking to their children  the older ones are 5 and 2  about the presidency and the government since Trumps election. Together, they worked on homemade Katie Porter lawn signs and put them up around town. This is the first time its felt like a big deal and there isnt a president up for election, she said. Because her city is a mix of conservatives and liberals  her next-door neighbor is an NRA-supporting Republican  she the race felt m
President Trump vowed Monday to end the scourge of drug addiction in America, even as his administration continues to push significant cuts to healthcare assistance used to combat addiction.

Failure is not an option, Trump said in a meandering speech at Manchester Community College in New Hampshire, the state with the first presidential primary and one he has long used to highlight the drug problem devastating communities nationwide. Addiction is not our future.

Although Trump once again spoke extensively about expanding the federal death penalty for drug dealers, his administration released a three-page list of proposals before his speech that ruled out any change to existing federal law, suggesting instead that the Justice Department would take a more aggressive stance toward those offenders already eligible to be put to death based on other capital offenses, such as drug-related murders.

Trumps proposal also included an initiative to cut prescriptions for opioids by one-third over the next three years.

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The proposal lacks details on federal spending, however. That, and the administrations separate proposals for major cuts to Medicaid, the chief source of funds for people seeking treatment for drug addiction, are causing advocates to question the presidents commitment.

Im not sure we can really call this a plan, said Dr. Andrew Kolodny, co-director of Opioid Policy Research at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.

Its more like a platform. Its a list of ideas about addressing the opioid crisis, some of which are helpful, some which sound like a step backward, he continued. But what we still dont have from the administration is a plan of action.

Kolodny said the administration needs to make a long-term commitment to therapy, on the order of $6 billion a year for the next decade, so that people suffering from addiction can have immediate treatment options that will dissuade them from an easy $20 fix.

Administration officials have shifted questions about funding to Congress, which has yet to coalesce on how to address the epidemic, much less how to pay for a plan.

Congress has appropriated some additional money in recent years, including $6 billion over two years in the most recent spending bill. Yet public health advocates and others, including some Republican state officials, say the aid has been woefully inadequate.

Kellyanne Conway, a Trump advisor who has been working on the issue, told reporters aboard Air Force One that Trump wants $13 billion.

Trumps pledge won qualified support from at least some Democrats.

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I support many of the policies that the President put forward in a draft plan prior to his speech, much of which was recommended by the Presidents opioid commission last year. Whats been missing is follow through, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) said in a statement. We need the President to commit to providing the resources necessary to win this fight.

With characteristic hyperbole, the president told firefighters at a Manchester, N.H., station that handles opioid-related emergencies, Were getting a big response in Congress. A lot of money is coming in.

When congressional Republicans proposed a multiyear, $45-billion increase in opioid spending in their 2017 bill to roll back the Affordable Care Act, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, dismissed the money as akin to spitting in the ocean, especially because the bill also would have cut Medicaid significantly. Kasich has been among the most aggressive governors in tackling the opioid crisis and opposing Medicaid cuts.

Trump has spoken extensively about the toll of drug use, as a candidate and as president. At least 64,000 people died of drug overdoses in 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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On Monday, he called to the stage the parents of a New Hampshire man  whom Trump called a great, great boy -- who died of an overdose to discuss the pain of losing him.

Were going to solve it with brains, were going to solve it with resolve and were going to solve it with toughness, Trump pledged.

But like other issues Trump has dubbed a priority, from the economy to infrastructure, his attention to the opioid crisis has often been overshadowed by his proclivity to lash out at perceived opponents and shake up his staff; those who have been let go include his first health secretary.

The president made news over the weekend on Twitter, not by previewing his anti-drug policy but by attacking special counsel Robert S. Mueller, for the first time by name, prompting bipartisan concern that he would attempt to fire Mueller. Even as Trump prepared to depart for New Hampshire, he raised the political temperature by tweeting of Muellers probe, A total WITCH HUNT with massive conflicts of interest!

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In the midst of Mondays speech, Trump headed off on several tangents  calling out Democrats over immigration issues, pledging to lower drug prices for non-narcotic prescription drugs and previewing a proposal to lift more hurdles for terminally ill patients to try experimental treatments.

Several of the proposals in the White House opioid plan have been championed by anti-drug advocates for some time, including more resources for research into non-addictive pain therapies.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a moderate Republican whose administration has developed one of the nations most comprehensive responses to the opioid crisis, said at the National Governors Assn. winter meeting last month that the federal government is uniquely positioned to help develop non-opioid alternatives.

As states build databases to track opioid prescriptions and identify physicians and others who may be overprescribing medications, state officials say the federal government could help coordinate these efforts. Playing that role appears to be what the Trump administration is proposing.

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But the administrations proposals to cut hundreds of billions of dollars in federal assistance to state Medicaid programs  made again in the White Houses fiscal year 2018 budget proposal  would threaten much of the progress that states have made in recent years to confront the opioid epidemic, according to state officials, physicians groups and public health advocates.

The Medicaid expansion made possible by the 2010 Affordable Care Act has played a critical role in helping states on the front lines of the crisis  including New Hampshire and much of New England as well as Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky  to build up systems to treat patients suffering from opioid addictions.

Trumps calls to increase law enforcement efforts have received much of the attention, but its unclear what specific changes he would make.

In recent weeks he has most prominently called for executing drug traffickers. On Monday, he said he had spoken to leaders of unnamed countries who claimed to eliminate their drug problems through the death penalty.

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Take a look at some of these countries where they dont play games, Trump said. They dont have a drug problem.

The proposal released late Sunday calls for a federal death penalty for drug traffickers  not street-level dealers  where appropriate under current law. The administration is seeking actual changes in other laws, however, by adding stiffer mandatory minimum sentences for more categories of drug traffickers.

Many treatment advocates criticized the emphasis on law enforcement. Locking people away for having a disease has not worked, said Dr. Yngvild Olsen, an addiction medicine physician and medical director for an outpatient addiction treatment center in Baltimore.

But John P. Walters, who served as drug czar under President George W. Bush, said enforcement and interdiction, particularly efforts aimed at high-level traffickers, are key to breaking up supply networks.

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If you dont stop that poison, you cant stop that dying, said Walters, chief operating officer of the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank.

Still, Walters agrees with other specialists that the Trump administration has been slow to tackle the problem.

Theyve had problems finding a real plan and strategy living up to the presidents statements, he said.

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noah.bierman@latimes.com

Twitter: @noahbierman

noam.levey@latimes.com

Twitter: @NoamLevey

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UPDATES:

1:00 p.m.: This article was updated with additional quotes from Trumps appearance and reaction to his remarks.

The article was originally published at 11:45 a.m.
President Trump plans to push ahead with a controversial call for the death penalty for some drug dealers as part of a larger initiative to fight opioid abuse, a senior White House official said Sunday.

But in a conference call with reporters, a senior administration official declined to provide any examples of circumstances under which convicted drug traffickers would face capital punishment, other than saying appropriate parameters would be established. The official referred further questions to the Justice Department.

Some details of the plan are to be unveiled during Trumps scheduled visit Monday to New Hampshire, which has been hit hard by the opioid crisis. It will be Trumps first visit as president to the state, which ranks third nationwide in the rate of drug overdose deaths.

The death-penalty element of Trumps drug plan has been criticized by public health experts and others who point out that many of the people addicted to opioids were hooked initially by legally prescribed drugs.

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Trump floated the death-penalty plan this month at a White House gathering focusing on opioid abuse, saying drug traffickers are killing hundreds and hundreds of people.

The president has at times expressed admiration for countries with draconian penalties for trafficking drugs. Trump has praised Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who presided over a drug war that has left thousands of people dead and has drawn heavy criticism from human rights groups and many Western governments.

The president has been criticized for touting penal solutions to the opioid crisis rather than emphasizing the public-health component. White House officials, however, said the plan to be unveiled in New Hampshire will stress education and prevention, halting the flow of illegal drugs, and bolstering treatment and recovery.

Few specifics were provided about the initiative, but the White House officials said it would include a nationwide goal of reducing opioid prescriptions being filled by one-third within three years.

The White House officials said no backing was envisioned for so-called safe injection sites, which a few cities have adopted or are considering as a means of preventing overdose deaths.

Some pain-management professionals have argued that across-the-board cuts in prescriptions could leave some chronically or terminally ill patients in unnecessary agony.

Cutting back on prescriptions could also lead people who have become dependent on pain killers to shift to illegal drugs, such as heroin, or others, such as fentanyl, which already accounts for a significant number of overdoses.

Opioid abuse has reached crisis proportions in recent years, with the death rate from overdoses continuing to rise. In 2016, about 64,000 people died from all drug overdoses across the country, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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The fastest increase has come in overdoses from synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, which accounted for about 20,000 deaths in 2016, according to the CDC.

Deaths attributed to heroin overdoses have also increased rapidly in the last several years. Fatal overdoses from prescription opioids increased rapidly from 2002 to 2011, but have leveled off since then. Each of those categories accounted for roughly 15,000 deaths in 2016, according to the CDC.

The administrations stated commitment to tackling the problem has not been coupled with concrete funding plans. Instead, the White House has sought deep cuts to the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The new plan appeared in some ways reminiscent of the presidents much-ballyhooed infrastructure plan unveiled this year, which called mainly for state and private funding for major projects.

New Hampshire is friendlier political territory for Trump than California, which he visited last week. The New England states voters supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, but narrowly.

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Some in the state were offended last year when Trump described the state as a drug-infested den. That characterization emerged in news reports about a conversation the president had with Mexicos President Enrique Pena Nieto last August, in which Trump complained vociferously about illicit drugs flooding across the United States southern border.

laura.king@latimes.com

@laurakingLAT
We now have the full picture of how the California primary will appear 77 days from now. The race for governor has 28 candidates.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein will need to worry about outgoing Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, and not one of the unknown GOP candidates on the ballot.

And despite high hopes, Democrats may see their chances evaporate in two of the contests where they were poised to capture Republican territory.

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THE MIDTERM

-- Here are five things to know about the crucial California House races.

-- In the 39th and 49th congressional districts, there are 36 candidates who filed to be on the ballot, continuing another trend of high interest in the midterm election. The list doesnt include Phil Janowicz, who dropped out of the race to replace Rep. Ed Royce hours before the deadline, citing concern over the top-two primary shutting Democrats out of the general election.

-- In another race that has Democrats worried about a shutout, three top congressional Democrats who represent Orange County split with the state party, endorsing Harley Rouda instead of Hans Keirstead, who got the California Democratic Party nod.

-- Antelope Valley Democrats got to hear from a trio of candidates seeking to oust GOP Rep. Steve Knight at a debate last week. To the degree there was a difference between Bryan Caforio, Katie Hill and Jess Phoenix, it was a rhetorical one. Caforio came out swinging at the Trump administration, Phoenix brought a performers flair, and Hill struck a more measured tone.

-- Plus, none of the top three candidates would commit to backing Pelosi to stay on as Democratic leader.

TOP-TWO CAUSES HEARTBURN

Why are Democrats worried? That would be Californias top-two primary system, approved by voters in 2010 as backers said it would force political moderation.

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As John Myers explains, the California primary thats now less than three months away promises to be the systems most important test, and possibly its most controversial. Although Democrats have largely consolidated their power behind just a few formidable candidates in statewide contests, local races with a multitude of candidates could allow Republicans to quell the anti-Trump fervor in at least four congressional districts that Democrats otherwise are poised to capture.

Well be tracking it all this primary season via our Essential Politics news feed on California politics. Make sure to sign up for breaking news alerts to be the first to know whats happening.

A LOOK AT HOW VILLARAIGOSA MADE HIS MONEY

Throughout the governors race, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has positioned himself as a champion of the poor and minorities who have been left behind in the economic recovery. But over the course of his career, he has benefited personally and politically from industries that critics argue prey upon these communities, Seema Mehta reports.

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NATIONAL POLITICS LIGHTNING ROUND

If you thought the firing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the disputed account over how it was done would be the most interesting story out of the Trump White House at the close of the week, well, keep reading.

Andrew McCabe, who had been the No. 2 at the FBI, was fired just before his retirement.

The Associated Press reported that McCabe, like ousted director James B. Comey, kept personal memos of his conversations with President Trump.

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Sunday, the president expressed doubts concerning whether McCabe had indeed documented details about their conversations. Trump tweeted that McCabe never took notes when he was with me and added that the memos were probably written at a later date to help his own agenda.

Can we call them Fake Memos? the president asked.

Its the third week in a row weve needed to update our handy chart of everyone who has left the Trump administration.

Its time to end the Russia investigation, one of the presidents personal lawyers said Saturday.

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Trump is seeking more than $20 million in damages from Stormy Daniels, according to court papers filed Friday by his attorneys. The filings say the porn actress has breached her confidentiality agreement at least 20 times.

Republicans caught a break in the Nevada Senate race.

Trump to call for the death penalty for some opioid dealers, but the White House wont say how it would be applied.

Longtime Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) died last week at 88.

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Get the latest about whats happening in the nations capital on Essential Washington.

SHIFTING THE HEALTHCARE DEBATE

The debate over single-payer healthcare consumed the state Capitol for much of the last year. Now a coalition of labor unions, health advocates and immigrant groups are aiming to redirect the focus to a patchwork of policies meant to build on the Affordable Care Act.

Melanie Mason reports their top priorities include expanding Medi-Cal to adults who are in the country illegally and boosting subsidies to those purchasing insurance in the Covered California marketplace. Supporters say such steps could lay the groundwork for single-payer in the future.

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CALIFORNIA WATER WARS

The Trump administration is pushing forward with a colossal public works project in Northern California  heightening the towering Shasta Dam to the equivalent of nearly two stories.

The problem is that California is dead set against the plan, and state law prohibits the 602-foot New Deal-era structure from getting any taller.

Sarah D. Wire and Evan Halper detail whats in the plan, which promises a big payoff for water interests with close ties to the administration and has the backing of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

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POLITICAL ROAD MAP: THE RAINY-DAY FUNDS FINE PRINT

As lawmakers in Sacramento begin work on a new California budget, theyre discovering that as much as $1 billion in extra spending will be required if they embrace Gov. Jerry Browns plan for stashing away surplus tax dollars.

That spending, writes John Myers in his Sunday column, is in the fine print in Proposition 2, the 2014 rainy-day fund approved by voters. The Legislatures analysts say theres an alternative that could save more  if lawmakers are willing to challenge the governor.

TODAYS ESSENTIALS

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-- Mark Z. Barabak takes a look at Libby Schaaf, from a place where there is zero danger of seeming too anti-Trump in a city where he received less than 5% of the vote, and how she has positioned herself for even grander designs, if so inclined.

-- The chairman of the California Democratic Party has asked the secretary of state to reject Tony Mendozas ballot designation as state senator, saying it is misleading because Mendoza resigned from the Senate last month under threat of expulsion over sexual harassment allegations.

-- Democratic lawmakers unveiled details of a plan to add major state subsidies for new affordable housing and infrastructure.

-- Alarmed that the fledgling legal marijuana industry is being undercut by the black market, California considers lower taxes on pot for three years to allow licensed sellers to get on their feet.

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-- Californias antiabortion pregnancy centers want the Supreme Court to overturn the state notice law.

-- In defiance of Trump, California became a sanctuary state. This Orange County city may want out.

LOGISTICS

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California may appear to Democrats as an electoral oasis, a sea of newly turned-blue political maps that could quench their thirst for control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Or the oasis could be nothing more than a mirage, disappearing in the haze of the states unbridled primary election rules. In places where antipathy for President Trump is now sky-high, a poor showing by Democrats on election day would be stunning.

Its really through the looking glass, but Democrats could be shut out of these races, strategist Katie Merrill said.

For the third consecutive election cycle, state and congressional races on Californias primary ballot will feature large pools of candidates no longer subdivided by partisan labels. Only the two contenders with the most votes in each race advance to a showdown in November, even those from the same party. The rest go home.

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The top-two primary has maximized voter choice while minimizing the power of parties and interest groups to foresee the eventual outcome. Voters have the power  and sometimes the burden  of sorting through what can be lists filled with dozens of names.

Its such a loose and open system that it can produce quirky results, said Eric McGhee, a researcher at the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California.

The top-two primary was crafted in the dark of a winter night in 2009, a concession by Democrats in the California Legislature to a single Republican lawmaker in exchange for his support of a state budget package. When it appeared on the ballot the following spring as Proposition 14, the only leader embracing it was Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who insisted the top-two primary would discourage extreme partisanship while encouraging candidates to embrace the kind of centrist platform he believed voters were demanding.

It will force them to appeal to a broader number of voters, Schwarzenegger said in a 2010 video. It will free legislators from their ideological straight-jackets, so they can meet in the middle and get things done.

Track the California races that could flip the House 

But McGhee, one of the states foremost experts on the top-two primary, has found only a few traces of political moderation since 2010 and then only among Democrats who won. In a lengthy study published last fall, he and political scientist Boris Shor wrote that California created so many changes almost simultaneously  new primary rules, independent political redistricting, longer legislative term limits  that pinpointing the effect of each is practically impossible.

If institutional reform is a potential lever in the American democratic system, these reforms amount to grabbing the lever and pulling as hard as possible, the researchers wrote.

Where were GOP candidates on Tuesday? Not with Trump 

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The California primary thats now less than three months away promises to be the systems most important test, and possibly its most controversial. Although Democrats have largely consolidated their power behind just a few formidable candidates in statewide contests, local races with a multitude of candidates could allow Republicans to quell the anti-Trump fervor in at least four congressional districts that Democrats otherwise are well poised to capture.

The top-two primary math is showing us there need to be fewer Democrats in those races, said Merrill, whose Fight Back California political action committee is betting the bank on the seven Republican districts won by Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Recent polling by Merrills PAC found significant potential for GOP candidates in Southern Californias hottest races to finish first and second  even though a plurality of those surveyed said they would definitely vote Democratic. That includes seats being vacated by Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) and Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) and the reelection effort of embattled Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa).

Analysts also have pointed out the possibility for dispersed Democratic support in large fields of candidates running in GOP congressional districts representing the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada foothills. The nonpartisan California Target Book now counts 60 Democrats running in the 14 districts currently represented by Republicans.

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Merrill said her group prefers to spend its money solely against Republicans but may have to help at least one Democrat stand out in some of those crowded primary contests. Were going to have to shift our focus, she said.

The challenges are not limited to Democrats. Republicans face a similar problem in a San Diego County Assembly district where six GOP candidates could squander a dominance thats kept Democrats out of the November election since 2010.

Republican candidates were overrepresented too in the 2016 U.S. Senate race. The primary rules allowed two prominent Democrats to advance to the final election, the first single-party Senate election since California began direct election of its senators in 1914.

That dynamic could return in some of the most important statewide races in 2018  as a small number of well-funded Democrats are competing against a GOP field thats too big and too obscure. The intraparty battle between Sen. Dianne Feinstein and state Senate leader Kevin de Leon is an especially weak spot for Republicans and could leave GOP voters with little reason to even show up for the June 5 primary.

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California has not historically had strong party machines and bosses found in other states, but has plenty of experience with trying to circumvent restricted primaries.

Until 1959 Democrats and Republicans frequently were cross-filing for elected office  placing a candidate under more than one party and thus increasing their chances of making it to the November general election.

In 1996 voters enacted a blanket primary similar to the current method in that it placed all candidates on a single ballot. It differed in that the top vote-getter from each party was still guaranteed a spot in the fall election  ostensibly better for the parties than what they have now, but challenged in court by California Democrats who didnt want outsiders anointing their standard-bearer. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed, declaring the blanket primary unconstitutional in 2000.

The rules approved by voters in 2010s Proposition 14 were crafted specifically to avoid such legal challenges. But the current system based on the raw vote has almost erased the names of minor parties come November. And it scrapped what some believe would have been an important fail-safe in the event of same-party fall faceoffs: a provision to allow write-in candidates.

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Top-two primaries were envisioned by self-proclaimed reformers to be as much about voters as politicians. But McGhee said voters havent really changed, largely still making choices based on the D, R or other party designation listed on the ballot.

Voters dont follow politics closely, and so they use shortcuts, McGhee said.

A party designation doesnt always help when shared by so many candidates in a single race. When they have few real policy differences, everyone gets a thin spread of votes.

That possibility has prompted some of this years hopefuls to step aside. Two Democrats recently decided to abandon their efforts in the open-seat race for the 39th Congressional District: community college trustee Jay Chen and chemistry professor Phil Janowicz. Chen was later praised for his selfless actions that will help ensure that Orange County voters and activists have the opportunity to vote for a Democrat this November in a statement by the leader of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

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And yet the departure of two men seems to have hardly moved the needle; there are still nine Democrats running on June 5.

The top-two primary doesnt work in a two-party environment, Merrill said. It just doesnt.

john.myers@latimes.com

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Al-Bahrani was among a group of four Bahrainis whose boat came under attack and sank while on route to Iran.



(AhlulBayt News Agency) - Bahrains religious scholars or the Ulama are calling for mass participation in the symbolic funeral of Hassan al-Bahrani whose body was recovered in Iranian territorial waters after nearly one month of being lost at sea.



Al-Bahrani was among a group of four Bahrainis whose boat came under attack and sank while on route to Iran.



Although Manama denied any knowledge of the incident, the four men were wanted by its security apparatus.



Al-Bahranis body is due to be laid to rest in the Iranian city of Qom on Monday. The Ulama have also called for mourners to attend the funeral.



We also hold the oppressive regime fully responsible for all that has been done and for what our oppressed people are being subjected to, the Ulama said in a statement.







/257
When Mayor Libby Schaaf delivered her most recent State of the City address, she moved the event from Oaklands City Hall to a location rife with symbolism, the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California.

It was a way of sending a message, about openness and inclusion, that was characteristic of a mayor known more for the quiet details of policy planning than the clenched-fist politics of this urban liberal hotbed.

What followed a few weeks later, tipping off the community to an impending federal immigration raid, was an even more emphatic statement.

The results were swift: condemnation by the nations attorney general and its chief immigration enforcement officer, a dressing-down from President Trump and Schaafs overnight transformation  depending how one views it  into a left-wing heroine and brave face of resistance, or the law-breaking, mollycoddling embodiment of left coast lunacy.

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Schaaf sees it more simply: I would describe myself as a mayor.

Mayors are connected to their communities, she said. They do what they believe is in the best interest of their communities, irregardless of political ideology, and they do whats best in the interest of their communities, sometimes, without regard to what might feel popular.

Actually, there is zero danger of seeming too anti-Trump in a city where he received less than 5% of the vote, or in much of the rest of the state, for that matter; if anything, Schaaf had been viewed as too passive by the presidents more combustible critics.

Now, she has not only cemented her prospects for a second term in November  Schaaf faces just token opposition  but positioned herself for even grander designs, if so inclined.

In California, being the mayor that stood up to Donald Trump is as good as it gets, said Jim Ross, a Democratic campaign consultant who lives in Oakland and has both supported Schaaf but also worked in political opposition.

When you get called out by the president of the United States, that is a badge of honor that every other statewide Democrat would sell their fundraising list to have, agreed Sonoma States David McCuan, who has tracked Oakland politics since growing up decades ago in nearby Richmond.

Even so, there are some here who both loathe Trump and his immigration policies and criticize Schaaf for her brazen act, fearing retribution from a president with a lavish history of payback.

I wish shed simply made that notification quietly, said Joe Tuman, one of more than a dozen candidates who ran against Schaaf for mayor. Because shes in [Trumps] gun sights, rhetorically speaking, Oakland is in his gun sights.

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Noel Gallo, a councilman who represents a large immigrant population in the citys Fruitvale district, fears his constituents  many of whom are in the country illegally  will be the ones who pay a price. The city of Oakland does need federal support for many services, Gallo said. I dont want to get into a fight with Trump at that level.

Nor, Schaaf responded, does she. She sat at a corner table in her City Hall office, the rainy morning brightened by a cheerful bouquet from a well-wisher, and made her case with lawyerly precision.

The immigration raid, she asserted, was aimed not at hardened criminals but at residents who, save for their undocumented status, were upstanding residents.

Quiet warnings issued through community leaders hadnt worked, Schaaf said  I had tried going through those informal channels  so she issued a public alarm to ensure the information about rights, responsibilities and resources was spread widely.

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Not, as critics have charged, to act as a gang lookout, but to avoid panic.

Instead, political bedlam ensued.

In California, being the mayor that stood up to Donald Trump is as good as it gets. Jim Ross, Democratic campaign consultant

Schaaf, 52, is about as thoroughly Oakland as they come; a scrappy localist, she calls herself.

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She was born here and began her civic engagement at age 5, wearing a sandwich board to help her mother raise money for the Oakland Symphony. She played Cinderella and Raggedy Ann at Childrens Fairyland, an amusement park on the shore of downtown Lake Merritt, interned at the zoo and has lived in the city her whole life, save for attending college in Florida and law school in Los Angeles.

As a young attorney, she served on three commissions and the boards of several nonprofits before being hired at City Hall, first as chief of staff to the council president, then as a top aide to then-Mayor Jerry Brown. In 2010, she was elected to the City Council and four years later, with Browns blessing, emerged from the field of 14 candidates to become mayor.

The job is a tough one, historically more akin to a minefield than a pathway to higher office. Brown used eight years hunkering down to reinvent himself and help shed his flaky image. But for most recent mayors, their time in City Hall ended badly.

That is because for all of its advantages  a vibrant cultural scene, strong sense of community, lovely climate and abundant natural beauty  Oakland has long suffered.

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It is a highly segregated city, and has been for generations, with a vast disparity between life in the mostly white, affluent hills and the disadvantaged flats, where black and brown residents have faced some of the worst ravages of urban America: drugs, crime, a dearth of jobs and opportunity, toxic relations between police and minorities.

Recent years have seen a considerably lower crime rate, a building boom and greater prosperity, as a flood of tech wealth has washed over the Bay Area.

But the uneven spread of that abundance has produced its own set of issues. Soaring rents have contributed to a growing homeless problem and complaints that Oakland, historically an affordable alternative to San Francisco, is pricing out its middle class, just as that city has done.

You have the juxtaposition of Google zillionaires and the hipster-tech types opposite communities that have faced decades of flight, systematic unemployment and a lack of investment, said McCuan, who heads the political science department at Sonoma State.

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On top of those challenges, Schaaf has faced a police sex abuse scandal and the deadliest fire in city history, in which 36 young people crammed into the Ghost Ship, a warehouse-turned-artist-collective and party site, were killed.

Compared to those awful episodes, Schaaf suggested, a verbal lashing from Trump is nothing. A little surreal, she said of her newfound celebrity, but Ive tried very hard not to let it distract me.

She has avoided social media and its vitriol, left the front office to deal with the public outcry  more than 1,000 phone calls, almost all critical and most from outside the Bay Area  and refused invitations to go on national television and mud-wrestle with the president. (Not that she seems particularly suited to the endeavor.)

She predictably waved aside talk of higher office, saying she was 1,000% focused on being reelected mayor, and professed not to worry about any personal consequences, even though the White House ominously warned the Justice Department was looking into the matter.

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She has, however, retained outside counsel  a pro bono attorney, Schaaf emphasized, at no cost to the city.

And yes, the mayor allowed, she has some concern that Oakland may be made an example and punished by Trump and his administration, so others wont follow her defiant lead.

But shes undeterred. At the end of the day, she said, I believe that Im speaking for the values of the people that I represent and that we would not be cowed by a bully.

mark.barabak@latimes.com

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Survivors of the Feb. 14 shooting in Parkland, Fla. are set to march on the nations capital this Saturday to call on legislators to enact gun reform legislation as similar protests are held in solidarity around the country.

While the survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School will march into Washington, residents in Burbank will take to the Chandler Bike Path for their own March for Our Lives event.

The march will begin at 9 a.m. near the Mariposa Street portion of the path and head toward Buena Vista Street, according to an online listing for the event. The march is expected to conclude around 2 p.m.

andy.nguyen@latimes.com

Twitter: @Andy_Truc
Here are words that strike fear into the hearts of parents around the world: Mom and Dad, Im going to spend spring break in [fill in the name of a destination that is not your home address] with [fill in the name of your childs peers you kind of know], and were going to be staying in [fill in the name of a skeevy-sounding hotel or the home of someones first cousin once removed].

Youve worked to make your child independent, to help him or her develop critical thinking skills, to encourage a spirit of adventure.

What could go wrong?

Oh, maybe something like this, heard by my sister in a frantic phone call from daughter No. 4 on spring break: Mom, I need money to get [name of best friend] out of jail.

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That was a U.S. destination. The complexities multiply if its a foreign destination. Here are some topics you and your child (and really, any traveler who wants to be well informed) need to consider before taking the trip abroad:

 Safety of the destination. Before agreeing to a students trip, please consult the State Departments country-specific information at lat.ms/statecountryinfo.

The State Department this year revamped the way it characterizes a destinations safety. Each country has a numerical rating. A 1 rating is exercise normal caution and 4 is do not travel.

Peru, for instance, is a 1. But dont stop reading there.

Read on and youll come across this important bit of information: Peru is now enforcing its regulation that U.S. citizens must possess a passport valid for at least six months beyond the date of arrival to Peru. If your passport does not meet this requirement, you may be refused boarding by the airline at your point of origin or while transferring planes.

If travelers dont have that much time on their document, they may be refused entry and returned to the United States.

Also, take a look at the interactive maps, said Michelle Bernier-Toth, acting deputy assistant secretary for Overseas Citizens Services. Those will come in handy for such destinations as Mexico, where the maps contain gradations of risk.

 Emergency steps just in case. Start with this, which is also part of the State Departments pages: If your child is going abroad, make sure he or she has the embassy and/or consulate information (address, phone, web) with him, Bernier-Toth said. If trouble finds him or her (lost passport, for instance), your kid may need a helping hand. Remember, though, that an embassy or consulate can help in many but not all situations. If your traveler has a visa issue, State may not be able to help. And it notes with firmness that it cannot get U.S. citizens out of jail.

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Make sure the traveler has the proper documentation, especially if the destination requires a visa. The State Departments country information tells you whether you need one; for more info, consult the countrys embassy page.

 A communications plan. Discuss when you will hear from your child, and settle on how (Apps such as WhatsApp? Skype? Text?), Bernier-Toth said.

Also discuss enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP, at step.state.gov. Maybe letting the State Department know where you are feels too Big Brother-ish. OK, maybe it is. But if your child doesnt check in, you can turn to State for help because it will have the itinerary.

The enrollee also will receive updates on current alerts or concerns. A parent can enroll too and receive that same information, Bernier-Toth said.

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 The perils of drugs and alcohol. Recreational marijuana may be legal in California but its not in every state, and its definitely not in many foreign countries.

Heres a chilling line from States country information on Indonesia, chosen at random: If you are convicted of possession, use, or trafficking of illegal drugs in Indonesia, you can expect heavy fines and long jail sentences, including the death penalty. Heavy fine indeed.

As for alcohol, it is, perhaps, a vain hope that no alcohol will pass your childs lips, but could there be a designated sober person if your student is traveling in a group? There have been concerns about tainted alcohol being served in Mexico, and someone needs to keep his or her wits about them, regardless of the destination.

 Insurance. Please. We strongly encourage travelers of any age  to obtain both medical travel insurance and evacuation insurance, Bernier-Toth said.

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Travel comparison site Squaremouth notes that spring breakers can buy themselves 24-hour assistance with a policy.

As with all insurance, there are exclusions, and a recent statement from Squaremouth included these sobering words: Its no secret that many college students will be drinking alcohol while on their vacation, especially if their destinations drinking age is lower than it is at home.

If a traveler needs emergency medical treatment while on their spring break trip, travel insurance will cover them, unless theyre intoxicated. If their medical notes indicate that they were drinking past the legal limit, the claim will be denied.

So cheers. We dont mean to ruin anyones fun. Just know where and when to draw the lines, keep in touch with home and take an extra credit card (hidden in your possessions) with quite a bit of credit on it and maybe a cash advance feature just in case you need, you know, bail money for your best friend.

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Have a travel dilemma or inquiry? Write to travel@latimes.com. We regret we cannot answer every inquiry.

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel
Harrahs, one of the oldest names in Nevada gaming, is celebrating its 80th anniversary with a makeover of some of its guest rooms at its resort on the Las Vegas Strip.

Harrahs Las Vegas has pumped $140 million into a transformation of the Valley Tower. More than 1,600 rooms and suites now feature cream-colored decor with dark wood accents. The contrasting new furnishings include fabrics in shades of blue and purple.

Renovated rooms in the Valley Tower at Harrahs Las Vegas now feature new furniture and decor. (Caesars Entertainment )

The hotel has more than 2,500 rooms and suites in the renovated Valley Tower and the classic Mardi Gras Tower. It houses six restaurants, four bars, a pool area, spa and salon.

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The face-lift makes Harrahs an even better value than it was before. Rates on the hotels reservations page showed prices less than $100 for a renovated room with a king-sized bed on select dates in early April.

Valley Tower rooms over Mothers Day weekend (May 11 to 13) were available starting at $159. (Remember to add on a $35 daily resort fee.)

The renovated Presidential Suite in Harrahs Valley Tower features a luxurious living room and a premium bathroom with a walk-in shower. (Caesars Entertainment )

Harrahs has undergone a lot of changes over its eight decades. Founder Bill Harrah opened his first bingo parlors in downtown Reno in 1937 and 1938. They would eventually grow into the current Harrahs Reno hotel and casino. In the mid-1950s, he bought several clubs in Stateline, Nev., that would eventually be branded as Harrahs Lake Tahoe.

What would eventually become Harrahs Las Vegas began in 1973 as the Holiday Casino. It was renamed in 1992.

A couple of bingo clubs in Reno, Nev., seen in a photo from the 1950s, launched the career of Bill Harrah, whose name now appears on hotel-casinos in Reno, Las Vegas and Stateline, Nev. (UNLV Libraries Special Collections )

What hasnt changed? The hotels two 32-foot-high statues of jesters covered in gold leaf remain on the outside, and the popular photo backdrop The Greenbacks sculpture of two gawdy gamblers is still there on the inside.

ALSO

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Palazzo and Venetian now have highest daily resort fees in Las Vegas

Legends in Concert is Vegas longest-running show. Now it has some new tribute characters

New escape rom in Las Vegas is based on Saw horror films

travel@latimes.com

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@latimestravel
A senior North Korean diplomat handling North American affairs was heading to Finland on Sunday for talks with representatives from the U.S. and South Korea.

Choe Kang Ils trip comes ahead of a possible meeting between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

South Koreas Yonhap news agency said Choe was seen at a Beijing airport Sunday before boarding a flight to Finland. The report cited unnamed diplomatic sources in Seoul as saying Choe would take part in a meeting with former U.S. diplomats, including former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Kathleen Stephens, and South Korean security experts.

South Koreas Foreign Ministry said the gathering would be similar to the so-called Track II dialogue that has involved North Korean officials and former U.S. officials and experts. It gave no further details.

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Choe was in the delegation North Korea sent to last months Winter Olympics in South Korea.

On Saturday, Swedens foreign minister concluded three days of talks in Stockholm with her North Korean counterpart, saying they discussed the opportunities and challenges for continued diplomatic efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the Koreas security dispute.

Sweden has been rumored as a possible site for a U.S.-North Korea summit, though a truce village on the South Korean side of the demilitarized zone between the Koreas is seen as more likely.

Trump has agreed to meet Kim by May. So far, North Korea has yet to comment publicly on what it hopes to gain from the talks.

Senior South Korean officials who traveled to the North Korean capital of Pyongyang this month and met with Kim say he is willing to discuss the Norths nuclear weapons program.
Southeast Asian leaders and Australias prime minister on Sunday called for North Korea to end its nuclear program and urged United Nations member states to fully implement sanctions against the country.

Leaders at the first summit of the Assn. of Southeast Asian Nations to be held in Australia issued a joint statement with the host country that also called for non-militarization and a code of conduct in the contested waters of the South China Sea, where China has become increasingly assertive.

ASEAN leaders also said they were working to provide humanitarian assistance for the continuing crisis involving Muslim Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Myanmars leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, addressed the matter comprehensively in meetings Sunday.

The ASEAN-Australia joint statement urged North Korea to immediately and fully comply with its obligations under all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions, and called on all countries to implement sanctions.

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Turnbull went further at a closing news conference, saying ASEAN and Australia had affirmed their commitment to respond strongly over the grave concerns we share about North Koreas reckless and illegal nuclear missile programs.

President Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who are planning to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in spring, pledged last week to maintain maximum pressure on Kims authoritarian regime and seek action to force him to give up his nuclear weapons.

Singapores prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, the current chairman of ASEAN, said the bloc had been encouraged by negotiations for the summits and had noted reports of North Koreas commitment to denuclearization and its pledge to refrain from further nuclear missile tests during this period.

On territorial conflicts with China, which like Australia is not a member of ASEAN, the statement said, We emphasize the importance of non-militarization and the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities and avoid actions that may complicate the situation.

China and the five neighbors that have conflicting territorial claims over the South China Sea  which include four ASEAN members  plan to negotiate a code of conduct for the busy waterway aimed at reducing the risks of armed confrontations in the contested areas.

Lee said ASEAN policy meant it was not able to intervene and to force an outcome over the Rohingya crisis, in which more than 700,000 refugees have fled to neighboring Bangladesh amid a Myanmar military campaign that the U.N. has called ethnic cleansing.

But Lee said the matter was a cause of concern for all of ASEAN, whose members would be anxious if there is any instability or any trouble in fellow member countries.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said Saturday that the crisis was no longer solely a domestic issue for Myanmar, with fleeing Rohingya potential targets for terrorist radicalization.

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The members of ASEAN are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
A day after his not-at-all-surprising landslide win in Russias presidential election, Vladimir Putin slipped comfortably into a favored role on Monday: that of the magnanimous victor.

In an ornate conference room deep inside the Kremlin, with golden draperies as a backdrop, the 65-year-old leader, now set to remain in power until at least 2024, personally welcomed those he had vanquished in Sundays balloting, treating them with elaborate politesse.

Lets hear what you have to say, please, he told them.

But the Kremlin-distributed video of the meeting, shown on state television, cut away before their responses could be heard.

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In his moment of triumph, Putin, whose aggressive style is popular with his compatriots, made it clear that he planned to use his latest electoral mandate  his largest yet, by the official count  to impose his will, both at home and on the international stage.

The Central Election Commission said Monday that with virtually all the ballots counted, Putin won nearly 77% of the vote. Only one of Putins seven challengers, Pavel Grudinin, broke into double digits, garnering 11.9% of the vote, the commission said.

With nonstop government appeals before Sundays election for citizens to do their civic duty and cast a ballot, turnout was recorded at 67%, almost exactly matching a Kremlin forecast.

Putins showing was almost certainly bolstered by his main rival, Alexei Navalny, being prevented from running because of a 2013 fraud conviction Navalny says was politically motivated, and, according to government critics, because brazen ballot-stuffing was ignored.

Russias relations with the West may be at post-Cold War lows, but after his win, Putins rhetoric on international relations was carefully affable. Moscow, he said, will seek to develop constructive relations with adversary and ally alike.

We will do all we can to solve all disputes  using political and diplomatic means, he said at the Kremlin gathering of the defeated candidates, according to Russian news agencies.

Even as Putin spoke, however, European allies were expressing solidarity with Britain over the brazen poisoning this month of a former Russian spy who was living in the quiet English provincial city of Salisbury. Prime Minister Theresa May and others have placed the blame on Russia.

At a news conference in Brussels on Monday, the North Atlantic Treaty Organizations secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, flanked by British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, denounced what he called the Kremlins longtime pattern of reckless behavior.

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But Putin was nonchalant about the accusation that Moscow had used a military-grade nerve agent to try to assassinate turncoat Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, 66, and his visiting daughter, Yulia, 33.

It would be rubbish, drivel, nonsense, for Russia to embark on such an escapade on the eve of a presidential election, the president told reporters after results pointed to an overwhelming victory.

Putin also employed barbed sarcasm to deflect speculation that he might try to remain in power beyond this six-year term, which will already make him Russias longest-serving leader since the Soviet-era dictatorship of Josef Stalin.

Asked whether he planned to change the constitution so he could run again, he said he wasnt considering any constitutional reforms right now. A reporter then asked if he would run in 2030, which would be constitutionally permissible after skipping a term.

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What, am I going to sit here until Im 100 years old? Putin said.

He also seemingly dismissed his own boast, made weeks earlier in a bellicose state of the nation speech, that Russia was developing a new generation of nuclear weapons that could outwit any Western defenses. On Monday, Putin declared that his government has no intention of engaging in some kind of arms race.

Relatively few world leaders have reached out to congratulate Putin for his win, although French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday wished him and the Russian people success in modernization efforts, the Elysee Palace said.

President Trump has sometimes rushed to congratulate authoritarian leaders on their electoral victories. But the White House, struggling under the cloud of the special counsels investigation stemming from Russias interference in the 2016 vote, was circumspect about Putins win.

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White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said Trump was aware of Putins victory, and said no phone call between the two leaders was scheduled. Asked if the Trump administration considered the vote free and fair, Gidley replied: Were not surprised by the outcome.

Putins ties with Washington are awkward because Trumps past fulsome praise of him has raised questions about his policies toward Russia.

Some analysts said Putin has little incentive to improve overall ties with the West, because he was well served politically by an image of him standing firm against Russias enemies.

In foreign affairs, I think President Putin and the Kremlin will be consistent in their hard-line resurgent foreign policy, said Roman Osharov, an analyst with the British think tank Chatham House. The challenges are the same  sanctions, isolation  but he sees himself as having a mandate, even if there are costs.

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The Russian government sees its involvement in Syria  a robust military intervention that turned the civil wars tide in favor of its client, Syrian President Bashar Assad  as a success. From that perspective, Putin managed to get the United States to deal with him on the Syria crisis even amid Western efforts to punish Moscow for its aggression in Ukraine, which included the 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Russia, which in recent years has staged a concerted campaign of election meddling in the United States as well as Western Europe, is also unlikely to be deterred in its efforts to interfere with future elections, analysts said.

We should expect election hacking everywhere, all the time now, said Anders Aslund, a senior fellow with the Washington-based Atlantic Council. Putin is trying to split the Western alliance as much as possible, and its great success has been the utilization of high tech.

While a stagnant economy could engender popular discontent, Putin is buoyed by a splintered opposition that analysts said was unlikely to challenge him at a national level.

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That discord was on clear display on social media, where Navalny quarreled with Ksenia Sobchak, whose presidential campaign he called a Kremlin project.

Olga Oliker, the director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said that historically, the Russian opposition isnt able to get its act together, and isnt able to consolidate.

In that case, it doesnt matter how many people win city council elections in Russian cities, she said. They might be able to do something in local politics. But if it doesnt move beyond that, thats not a threat to the regime at all.

Going forward, some observers said, the Russian leaders main asset may be a proven commodity: unpredictability.

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Putins great strength is to surprise us, Aslund said. We shouldnt think about what to expect, except the unexpected.

Special correspondent Ayres reported from Moscow and Times staff writer King from Washington.

laura.king@latimes.com

@laurakingLAT
A source at Damascus Police Command said that a rocket shell fired by terrorist organizations positioned in Eastern Ghouta landed on civilians houses in al-Hajibia area in al-Shaghour neighborhood, claiming the lives of a woman and her daughter.



(AhlulBayt News Agency) - A woman and her daughter were martyred and three other civilians were injured due to terrorist attacks with shells on the residential neighborhood of Damascus.



A source at Damascus Police Command said that a rocket shell fired by terrorist organizations positioned in Eastern Ghouta landed on civilians houses in al-Hajibia area in al-Shaghour neighborhood, claiming the lives of a woman and her daughter.



Two other civilians were injured and material damage was caused to properties as a result of a terrorist attack with a rocket shell on al-Dwilia neighborhood.



Another shell landed on St. Josef Church in the same neighborhood, causing the injury of a civilian and material damage to the Church.



Meanwhile in Jaramana, a source at Damascus Countryside Police Command said that a shell fall in al-Homsi neighborhood in the city, which caused only material damage.







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Louis Mackerley was 7 years old when he was last seen June 7, 1984, between Fourth and Gordon streets in Allentown.

Robert Keck was 16 when he disappeared June 30, 1979, after leaving home on Coopersburg Road in Upper Saucon Township.

Both remain among 58 people from Pennsylvania who went missing as children and have been sought for more than five years, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The Allentown Police Department formed its cold case team in early 2015, at a time when there were more than 85 unsolved homicides on the books, dating to 1980, Capt. Bill Lake, who supervises the effort, said Wednesday. He spoke in a phone interview along with cold case Detectives Erik Landis and John Brixius.

In the city, we have very few missing children Landis, who handles missing people as well as cold cases along with being a member, with Brixius, of Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martins homicide task force.

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Kids go missing for any number of reasons, but 91 percent in 2017 were runaways, the center said.

They might leave due to arguments with their parents or a girlfriend, or because they dont want to go to school.

It could be anything, Brixius said. But they dont have the resources adult criminals have and often give up and go home.

"We have a lot of juveniles in (the) NCIC (National Crime Information Center database) at any time," Landis said. "Investigations find them or they return home very quickly."

It's difficult with runaways, since they don't want to be found and so they avoid police, the detectives said.

Detectives seek out family members and the missing childs friends, Landis said. Social media  both the childs and family and friends  is checked, but thats hit or miss, Landis said. Cellphones carried by the children who disappear can help police track them down, they said. And forensics are far more advanced than they were years ago  from DNA to data retrieval.

It also helps if people are willing to help, Landis said.

The police have a lot more success if they have cooperation with the family, friends and other members of the public Landis said. Without their cooperation, a lot of these cases are hampered.

After runaways, the percentages drop off in a hurry, with family abductions making up 5 percent of the centers cases and non-family abductions comprising only 1 percent of cases.

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But when times passes, the chance of a child coming home is reduced.

The numbers speak for themselves, Lake said. If theyre gone for five years, its less likely theyll be found.

Having a unit specifically focusing on cold cases means investigators are prepared when new information comes in, Lake said.

In the Mackerley case, as recently as last fall persons were interviewed about the case, Lake said, declining to go into specifics.

In the Keck case, a four-day search was undertaken in 2014 in Pike Township, Berks County, but didnt yield the hoped-for result.

Obviously, when we work a case, we always hope for the best, Lake said.  Our perspective is however long a child is missing, well keep working that case as new information comes in.

What follows are profiles of Pennsylvanias missing children, including some of the 6,500 age-progressed images created by the centers forensic artists.

If you recognize someone, there are contact numbers for authorities on the posters. in the Mackerly case, call Allentown police at 610-437-7721. In the Keck case, call Upper Saucon police at 610-282-3064.

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Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A state police booster group won't seek damages against a rival group that raised money to help the family of wounded Pennsylvania state trooper Seth Kelly.

But the booster group won't drop its lawsuit, either.

The group PSP Strong stopped an effort by Plainfield Township resident Nolan Kemmerer to sell signs to raise money for Kelly. Trooper Kelly was shot during a traffic stop on Nov. 7, 2017, on Route 33 in Plainfield Township.

Nolan Kemmerer made thousands of these #PSPStrong signs to raise money for Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Seth Kelly.

At issue is the use of PSP Strong's name. The group PSP Strong disapproves of the use of the hashtag #PSPStrong on Kemmerer's signs. Kemmerer said he raised $19,000 for Trooper Kelly and could have raised thousands more before PSP Strong shut him down.

PSP Strong President Danielle Petros said she sued because she could be liable for anything Nolan does using her group's name. She said she had to sue or jeopardize losing control of an organization that has raised $1 million.

"I don't want to sue people. I don't want to do that," Petros told lehighvalleylive.com back in February.

According to papers filed Monday in Luzerne County Court, PSP Strong has agreed not to seek in excess of $50,000 in damages against Kemmerer and his company, Rapid Wraps 'N Signs. But PSP Strong continues to seek an injunction preventing Kemmerer from ever using PSP Strong's name or hashtag on his signs.

Kemmerer said in February he made a handshake deal with PSP Strong not to use the name. But he refuses believe PSP Strong has exclusive rights to the PSP Strong name or hashtag, so he refuses to put his agreement in writing.

It's unclear whether PSP Strong will even secure the federal trademark for its name. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office recommends rejecting the PSP Strong trademark because PSP Strong's name closely resembles other trademarks with PSP in them, such as Sony's PlayStation Portable.

But PSP Strong continues to fight for the rights to the name. Its attorney, Thomas J. Kilino, didn't immediately return a call for comment.

While PSP Strong has raised more than seven figures since it was formed in 2014, Kemmerer argues that more of his proceeds go to the beneficiary than PSP Strong.

He ate the cost of the first 1,000 signs he made, then kept money just for the cost of the signs but donated all his labor and proceeds to Kelly's family.

According to an online charity database maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of State, PSP Strong spend $53,101 on fundraising and $6,120 on management services for fiscal year 2015-16. The organization took in $114,361 that year, the site says.

The legal filing on Monday says both sides have agreed to move the case from Luzerne County, where PSP Strong is based, to Northampton County.

"Mr. Kemmerer is pleased that the PSP Strong Association is no longer going after him for $50,000 and he is confident that a judge in Northampton County is not going to order an injunction against him since he has been complying with all requests from the PSP Strong Association from the get go," said Kemmerer's attorney, Andrew Bench.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com

By Tony Rhodin | For lehighvalleylive.com

The Northampton County Sheriff's Department on Friday announced the arrests of 10 fugitives, including 50-year-old Carl Heckman who is accused of trying to run over a police officer. His arrest is detailed here.

The Criminals Warrants Unit conducted warrant sweeps last week leading to six of the arrests, Sgt . George Volpe said. The other four came from the department's partnership with the U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitives Task Force, which includes the Criminal Warrants Unit, Pennsylvania State Police and Pennsylvania probation and parole agents, Volpe added.

The other nine people taken into custody are:

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Jazmyn Morris

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Jazmyn Morris, 37, was arrested without incident in the 2000 block of Stefko Boulevard in Bethlehem, Volpe said. The sheriff's department's Field Operations Unit assisted, he added.

Morris had an active warrant from Nazareth police involving bad checks as well as a bad checks warrant from September 2017 from the Warren County Prosecutor's Office, Volpe said.

Bail on the Northampton County charge was set at $5,000 and was posted last Monday, records show. Warren County put a detainer on her and records say she was extradited Thursday. She is not in jail in New Jersey, records show.

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Charles Dorsey

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Charles Dorsey, 38, was arrested without incident in the 1000 block of Westbury Court in Bethlehem, Volpe said. The Field Operations Unit assisted.

Dorsey was wanted by Northampton County Adult Probation for violating his terms of supervision on a possession of drug paraphernalia charge, Volpe said. Dorsey remained Monday in Northampton County Prison.

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Dylan Deckert

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Dylan Deckert, 21, was arrested without incident in the 200 block of Messigner Street in Bangor, Volpe said. Deckert was wanted by adult probation for violating his supervision on a drug possession charge.

He reained Monday in Northampton County prison.

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Destinee Learn

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Destinee Learn, 20, was arrested without incident along with her boyfriend Dylan Deckert in Bangor, Volpe said. She had an active warrant out of Stroud Regional police charging her with retail theft, drug and paraphernalia possession, Volpe said.

She was also being supervised by adult probation in two separate drug possession cases and Northampton County filed a detainer against her, Volpe said. She remained Monday in Monroe County jail.

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Enrique Oquendo-Pares

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Enrique Oquendo-Pares, 40, was arrested in the 100 block of South Union Street in Easton, Volpe said. Oquendo-Pares had an active warrant out of Bethlehem police charging him with false written statement to purchase, deliver or transfer a firearm, Volpe said. Oquendo-Pares was released on $10,000 unsecured bail, records show.

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Jobi Compton

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Jobi Compton, 30, was arrested without incident in the 1500 block of Second Street in Pen Argyl, Volpe said.

Wilson Borough police had an active arrested warrant charging Compton with simple assault and harassment, Volpe said. The charges were related to a Northampton County protection order. Bail was set at $7,500 and Compton remained jailed on Monday, records show.

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Ross Seagreaves

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Ross Seagreaves, 42, was arrested in the 500 block of North Main Street in Greenwich Township, Warren County, Volpe said. Palmer Township had an active warrant charging Seagreaves with stalking, connected to a Northampton County protection order, Volpe said. Seagreaves also had three contempt warrants tied to the order, Volpe said.

"Seagreaves allegedly harassed and contacted the plaintiff over 20 times daily in violation of the order," Volpe said.

Seagreaves on Monday did not appear to be in jail.

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Teonie Stely

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Teonie Stehly, 25, was arrested in the 800 block of East Moorestown Road in Wind Gap, Volpe said.

She was wanted by state parole after violating conditions of her supervision on a 2013 charge of fleeing police, Vople and records said.

She was found hiding in a bedroom closet, Vople said.

She was released on Monday, prison records show.

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Anthony Sanchez

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Anthony Sanchez, 26, was arrested without incident in the 500 block of Valley Street in Easton, Volpe said.

Sanchez was wanted by county adult probation for violating conditions of his supervision on a charge of fleeing police, Volpe said. Sanchez remained Monday in Northampton County Prison.

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6 fugitives taken into custody in sheriff sweeps

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Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A 25-year employee was nominated to take over as Northampton County's Director of Corrections, according to a news release issued Monday.

James Kostura

James Kostura is the choice of Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure. McClure hopes county council will confirm his nominee in April, the release says.

Former director Daniel Keen lost his job after County Executive John Brown was voted out last year. Keen was appointed in 2014. The prison is now in the hands of interim director Todd Buskirk.

Kostura has served as deputy warden at the prison since 2013, the news release says.

He began his career as a corrections officer in 1993 and later moved up to shift lieutenant then security operations administrator.

Kostura served in the U.S. Navy/Naval Reserves for 20 years as an active duty SEAL officer providing training in anti-terrorism techniques and defensive tactics.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
In Pennsylvania, candidates looking to be elected to their local school board can run as Republicans, Democrats -- or both, if they cross-file. That means submitting nominating petitions to appear on both sides of a primary ballot. Candidates for county judge and magisterial district judge are permitted to cross-file, too.

In New Jersey, state law requires that school board candidates appear on ballots without party affiliation. A few years ago municipalities were given the option of holding school board elections as part of November general elections (instead of separate school elections), and most opted to do so. But school board elections are still nonpartisan affairs.

Is one way better? It's hard to say, especially since a recurring issue in many districts is getting enough qualified people to run to give voters a choice.

Pennsylvania is in the minority in holding partisan school elections. These races may seem nonpartisan to voters because candidates' cross-filing. If someone wins on both tickets in a primary, he or she is virtually assured of election, appearing on both tickets in November.

State Rep. Justin Simmons, a Republican from Lehigh County, is again pushing a bill to end cross-filing in school board elections. Simmons says because board members make consequential decisions -- particularly on taxes and school budgets -- they should be identified as Republicans or Democrats and run as such in primary and general elections.

Many board members and the Pennsylvania School Board Association support cross-filing, saying it makes it easier to get people to run and takes some degree of partisan politics out of the equation.

What do you think? Should school board elections be partisan? If so, should cross-filing be permitted? Have a say in our informal poll, and feel free to join the conversation in the comments section.
Upper Mount Bethel Township Manager Rick Fisher said Monday he will ask township supervisors to ban the use of exploding targets.

The supervisors next meet 7 p.m. March 26 in the municipal building, although any such ordinance would take months to pass, Fisher said.

"I would recommend to the board to enact an ordinance and put an end to exploding targets in Upper Mount Bethel Township," he said.

Fisher has already researched the township's zoning and noise ordinances and said he believed both were violated Sunday night when the alleged shooting of exploding targets at a several-acre township property shook many homes.

The final ruling on any civil action against the property owner would be made by the township zoning officer, Fisher said.

Just before 8 p.m. Sunday, emergency calls came in from Northampton and Warren counties concerned about the explosions. Supervisors Chairman John Bermingham confirmed the blasts were the result of gunfire hitting exploding targets.

Pennsylvania State Police were planning on sending a trooper to the home, but Fisher couldn't confirm that happened. Police had been dispatched there before, Fisher said.

State police at Belfast said they had no information on Monday morning. Fisher and Bermingham said they would follow up Monday with police.

Troopers don't enforce local ordinances, so it would be up to the zoning officer to follow up, since the noise and impact from the explosions affected people beyond the property's borders, Fisher said.

The property is in a rural residential district. Fisher said.

Bermingham said he received complaints from as far away as Hackettstown.

If shooting -- such as at a range -- doesn't disturb neighbors, the township has no reason to act, Bermingham said. But when it becomes a disturbance, action should be taken, he added.

At least one window was reported broken and a older woman reported thinking the noise was her husband having a heart attack and falling upstairs, they said.

Fisher said he researched federal and state law and found no prohibition on municipalities taking legislative action against exploding target use.

Various companies make exploding targets, which go off when hit by a high-velocity round. But they also can easily be made at home, a report from CNN says. The normally contain ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder.

Neither man said he believed banning explosive targets would violate the Second Amendment, since it wouldn't deal with owning guns.

"People have a right not to have their house shook apart by inconsiderate acts," Fisher said.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The massive evacuation operation in Kabul, described Friday by Joe Biden as one of the most difficult in history, has 
Organizations & Institutions Joint UAE-Egypt Economic Committee concludes in Cairo



19.03.2018 05:21:25 - Headed by H.E Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori and Egypt Minister of Trade and Industry



(live-PR.com) - The Joint UAE-Egypt Economic Committee meetings was held recently in Cairo in the presence of H.E. Engr. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy and H.E. Tariq Qabeel, Egypt Minister of Trade and Industry. The two countries reviewed opportunities, challenges and the potential prospects of cooperation in 13 vital sectors including trade, customs, industry, technology, tourism, financial - The Joint UAE-Egypt Economic Committee meetings was held recently in Cairo in the presence of H.E. Engr. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy and H.E. Tariq Qabeel, Egypt Minister of Trade and Industry. The two countries reviewed opportunities, challenges and the potential prospects of cooperation in 13 vital sectors including trade, customs, industry, technology, tourism, financial cooperation, standards and metrology, electricity, renewable energy, transportation, aviation and water resources. The discussions highlighted the strength of the bilateral ties and a common desire to boost it further. It was decided to hold the joint committee meeting as an annual event.



The two sides also discussed the Greater Arab Free Trade Agreement and ways to activate the joint UAE-Egyptian businessmen council. The committee also discussed cooperation in the finance and taxation sectors, as well as possibilities of cooperation in the field of Halal products.



The forum stressed the need to enhance customs cooperation and promote the volume of investments exchange and cooperation in the aviation sector, while strengthening cooperation in water resources management, sustainability and transportation, particularly shipping and ports. They also discussed cooperation in electricity and renewable energy sectors.



The meeting was attended by Juma Mubarak Al Junaibi, UAE Ambassador to Egypt, H.E Eng. Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz Al Shehhi Undersecretary of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Economy, Mohammed Saleh Shalwah, Advisor to the Minister of Economy for the Arab League and the GCC Affairs and Jamal Saif Al Jarwan, Secretary-General of the UAE International Investors Council.



The UAE delegation included H.E. Dr Matar Al Nayadi, UAE Undersecretary of the Energy and Industry, H.E Hameed Mohammed bin Salem, Secretary-General of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry, H.E Abdullah Abdulkader Al-Ma'ini General Director of Emirates Authority for standardization and Metrology (ESMA) and H.E Ibrahim Obaid Al Zaabi, UAE Insurance Authority (IA), as well as representatives from government and private sector organizations.



This forum was preceded by a preparatory meeting of industry experts and senior officials. The UAE side was headed by H.E Eng. Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz Al Shehhi, and the Egyptian side was headed by Saeed Abdullah, First Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for the Commercial agreements sector.



The two sides also held a roundtable meeting, the first of its kind for the chief executive and investors from UAE and Egypt, organized by UAE International Investors Council and the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, with the participation of more than 40 major investors, businessmen, leaders from sectors like renewable energy, agriculture, aviation, Information Technology, telecommunications, tourism and hospitality.



The holding of the committee represents a valuable addition to the balance of the strong partnership between the two countries, a new development level according to clear vision that achieves our common interests, H.E Al Mansoori said.



He added that the UAE and Egypt enjoy a prefect strategic relationship based on political, economic, social and cultural ties, and affirmed the need to unite for the common prosperity and sustainable development of both nations.



H.E Al Mansoori said that Egypt is a strategic trade partner of the UAE in the region, and the UAE is the Egypts top 10 trade partner worldwide. The total volume of non-oil trade exchange between the both countries recorded about USD 3.6 billion in the first nine months of 2017 and touched around USD 4.8 billion at the end of 2016, growing by 11 per cent from the previous year.



H.E added that the UAE recorded total direct investments about USD 6.5 billion, covering strategic economic fields such as telecommunications, tourism, financial and banking sectors, real state, infrastructure and ports, as well as agriculture, trade, food and medicine, and all the sectors vital to sustainable development.



H.E reviewed the opportunities and possibilities offered by the UAE economy in light of its policy of economic diversification and pioneering development policies, and pointed out that in terms of investments, the UAE is the at forefront of Arab nations in terms of the volume of foreign direct investment flow. He also took stock of the countrys efforts to build and promote its capabilities in innovation and consolidating its contribution to the development process.



The current environment is fully conducive to the transition to a new phase of cooperation and partnership between the brotherly countries, realizing our future aspirations for prosperity, H.E added.

H.E Qabeel said that the Joint Economic Committee supports mutual efforts to develop economic and trade relations to more advanced levels and commended the strength of relations between the two sides in various fields.



He also reviewed the developments of the Egyptian economy and the countrys efforts to reinforce its business climate through its investment law, which would significantly improve the investment climate within Egypt.

cooperation, standards and metrology, electricity, renewable energy, transportation, aviation and water resources. The discussions highlighted the strength of the bilateral ties and a common desire to boost it further. It was decided to hold the joint committee meeting as an annual event.The two sides also discussed the Greater Arab Free Trade Agreement and ways to activate the joint UAE-Egyptian businessmen council. The committee also discussed cooperation in the finance and taxation sectors, as well as possibilities of cooperation in the field of Halal products.The forum stressed the need to enhance customs cooperation and promote the volume of investments exchange and cooperation in the aviation sector, while strengthening cooperation in water resources management, sustainability and transportation, particularly shipping and ports. They also discussed cooperation in electricity and renewable energy sectors.The meeting was attended by Juma Mubarak Al Junaibi, UAE Ambassador to Egypt, H.E Eng. Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz Al Shehhi Undersecretary of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Economy, Mohammed Saleh Shalwah, Advisor to the Minister of Economy for the Arab League and the GCC Affairs and Jamal Saif Al Jarwan, Secretary-General of the UAE International Investors Council.The UAE delegation included H.E. Dr Matar Al Nayadi, UAE Undersecretary of the Energy and Industry, H.E Hameed Mohammed bin Salem, Secretary-General of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry, H.E Abdullah Abdulkader Al-Ma'ini General Director of Emirates Authority for standardization and Metrology (ESMA) and H.E Ibrahim Obaid Al Zaabi, UAE Insurance Authority (IA), as well as representatives from government and private sector organizations.This forum was preceded by a preparatory meeting of industry experts and senior officials. The UAE side was headed by H.E Eng. Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz Al Shehhi, and the Egyptian side was headed by Saeed Abdullah, First Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for the Commercial agreements sector.The two sides also held a roundtable meeting, the first of its kind for the chief executive and investors from UAE and Egypt, organized by UAE International Investors Council and the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, with the participation of more than 40 major investors, businessmen, leaders from sectors like renewable energy, agriculture, aviation, Information Technology, telecommunications, tourism and hospitality.The holding of the committee represents a valuable addition to the balance of the strong partnership between the two countries, a new development level according to clear vision that achieves our common interests, H.E Al Mansoori said.He added that the UAE and Egypt enjoy a prefect strategic relationship based on political, economic, social and cultural ties, and affirmed the need to unite for the common prosperity and sustainable development of both nations.H.E Al Mansoori said that Egypt is a strategic trade partner of the UAE in the region, and the UAE is the Egypts top 10 trade partner worldwide. The total volume of non-oil trade exchange between the both countries recorded about USD 3.6 billion in the first nine months of 2017 and touched around USD 4.8 billion at the end of 2016, growing by 11 per cent from the previous year.H.E added that the UAE recorded total direct investments about USD 6.5 billion, covering strategic economic fields such as telecommunications, tourism, financial and banking sectors, real state, infrastructure and ports, as well as agriculture, trade, food and medicine, and all the sectors vital to sustainable development.H.E reviewed the opportunities and possibilities offered by the UAE economy in light of its policy of economic diversification and pioneering development policies, and pointed out that in terms of investments, the UAE is the at forefront of Arab nations in terms of the volume of foreign direct investment flow. He also took stock of the countrys efforts to build and promote its capabilities in innovation and consolidating its contribution to the development process.The current environment is fully conducive to the transition to a new phase of cooperation and partnership between the brotherly countries, realizing our future aspirations for prosperity, H.E added.H.E Qabeel said that the Joint Economic Committee supports mutual efforts to develop economic and trade relations to more advanced levels and commended the strength of relations between the two sides in various fields.He also reviewed the developments of the Egyptian economy and the countrys efforts to reinforce its business climate through its investment law, which would significantly improve the investment climate within Egypt. Contact information:

Orient Planet PR & Marketing Communications



P.O.Box. 500266, Dubai, UAE



Contact Person:

Eyad Zeidan



Phone: 0097144562888

eMail: eMail



Web: http://www.orientplanet.com

Author:

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e-mail

Web: http://www.orientplanet.com

Phone: 0097144562888 19.03.2018 05:21:25 -

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Columbus Energy upbeat after renegotiation of major deals 19-03-2018 13:21



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New Delhi : The YSR Congress and the Telugu Desam Party will pitch for taking up their notices of no-confidence motion against the Modi government when the Lok Sabha meets today amid no signs of a let-up in the deadlock in its proceedings. Y V Subba Reddy of the YSR Congress has written to the Lok Sabha secretariat to put his notice for the motion in the revised list of business for today. The TDP has also moved a notice for a no-confidence motion.

When their notices were not taken up last week, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar had argued that they could not be due to the House being not in order, with members of several parties raising slogans in the Well. With the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and the AIADMK, which have often cooperated with the government on its legislative business, protesting over a host of issues, it remains uncertain if order is restored tomorrow. While the first two weeks of the last phase of the Budget Session have been a virtual washout, the government has managed to get some key bills and the budget passed amid a din through a voice vote without a debate.

The YSR Congress was the first to give a notice last week for a no-trust motion after the Centre made it clear that it would not grant Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh. Not to be outdone by its main rival in the state, the TDP, a longtime BJP ally, then decided to break its ties over the issue and brought a no-confidence motion of its own.

Both parties have been lobbying with opposition parties for support to their respective notices. A no-confidence motion notice has to be supported by at least 50 MPs to be taken up in the House. The government has expressed confidence that the notices, even if they are admitted, will be defeated given its strength in the Lok Sabha. The current strength of the Lok Sabha is 539 and the ruling BJP has 274 members, more than the majority mark of 270, and enjoys the support of several allies. PTI
Fifty years ago, this week, Army Pfc. Edward Lionetta, of Springfield, died in Vietnam while attempting to rescue a person who had fallen into a well. Lionette, a 1966 graduate of the High School of Commerce, worked for the telephone company before joining the Army in June 1965. He had been in Vietnam since November 1965.

From the March 19, 1968 edition of The Springfield Union

Later in the week, Gen. William Westmoreland was recalled from Vietnam to become Army Chief of Staff effective in July. At this point, Westmoreland's top deputy, Army Gen. Creighton Abrams, an Agawam native, was expected to be named U.S. commander of forces in Vietnam. Abrams had not been ruled out as commander by President Lyndon Johnson, who would name Westmoreland's successor.

From the March 24, 1968 edition of The Springfield Union

Ten years later, Springfield Mayor Theodore Dimauro met with Holyoke Mayor Ernest Proulx about alternatives to construction of the Holyoke Mall. Dimauro voiced concerns that the mall would effect the downtown revitalization of Springfield and other cities in the region. There had been talk of an industrial project for the site, but Mayor Proulx would not block the mall without a solid commitment for another project. Ground-breaking for the mall was expected to begin in a couple of weeks.

From the March 22, 1978 edition of The Morning Union

These are some of the headlines you'll see from Page 1 of The Republican and its predecessors over the past fifty years for the week of March 18 - March 24. Each week I'll put together a slideshow of Page 1 images from selected years over the course of that week. We're starting with a look back at one, five, thirty, forty and fifty years ago, with Page 1s from each day of the week for those years.

The slideshow for March 18 - March 24 is embedded at the top of this article.

We'll also find some humor printed out on page one over the years. In 1968 'Dennis The Menace' could be found on the bottom of page one six days a week.

From the March 19, 1968 edition of The Springfield Union

A year ago the body of Army medic Cpl. Jules Hauterman, Jr., was returned to western Massachusetts. Hauterman, a native of Holyoke, was reported Missing In Action in December 1950 during the battle at Chosin Reservoir in Korea.

And from 1968, New York City police clashed with "several thousand hippies" who were protesting the war in Grand Central Station. When the youths started to climb onto the circular information booth in the center of the main hall, about 50 officers were called in.

From the March 23, 1968 edition of The Springfield Union

As you'll find with looking through the slideshow, that while many stories come and go, many of the issues and topics that affected lives in the past, continue to have an impact on our lives today.

Copies of these and other stories can be found in the online archives. The Historic Archive includes stories from 1824 to 1989, and the Newsbank Archive covers 1988 through the present day.
A new planned business in Northampton hopes to entice customers to visit with furry feature: cats.

Keanu Patwari became inspired to open a cafe after a trip to Japan where he visited a cat cafe.

"I thought Northampton would be a perfect place for one," he said.

Aptly named Cat.Fe Northampton, the planned venture is in its early stages.

The cafe will feature coffee, tea and light snacks and serve as a temporary home for cats up for adoption.

Patwari believes the business will be a hit with college students in the Pioneer Valley, many of whom are unable to have a pet due to housing restrictions while in school.

"I would have loved for this to be open while I was in college," the recent University of Massachusetts graduate said.

Patwari said he is currently looking for a location - ideally in or close to downtown Northampton - and hopes to open in 2019.
AMHERST - After voting March 27, Amherst will know whether or not it will move to a town council form of government. In the meantime, and likely long after, the passionate debate will continue.

Two years ago voters approved creation of a Charter Commission to investigate options. In the end, five members of the commission supported a plan to eliminate the Select Board and Town Meeting, replacing them with a 13-member council. Three commission members opposed the plan and one member abstained.

The recommendation will be put to a townwide vote next week.

Commission member Gerry Weiss said the discourse around the proposal "at times is vitriolic. I think it was expected. ... The town has been divided on this topic for years pretty much right down the middle."

Amherst voters previously considered charter changes in 2003 and 2005 that would have replaced the current form of government with a nine-member council and a mayor. Both votes failed.

Weiss, who opposed the current proposal, said, "The charter commission failed to come up with a concept that would help bridge that divide. I take one ninth of the responsibility for that. It's a little odd, maybe it was impossible. All commissioners agreed it was a good goal."

For a very short time, when the notion of a 60-member council was on the table, commission members were unable to proceed in part because consultants advised against it, Weiss said.

In the run-up to the vote, social media has been alive with charges and counter charges. In response to a correction in the Amherst Bulletin, the pro-charter Amherst for All group wrote: "Watch for flying spaghetti over the final two weeks of this campaign, as the antis will throw anything at the AFA wall to see if it sticks!"

The Not This Charter group posed this on Facebook: "The majority on the Charter Commission didn't really want this peculiar structure. It is the result of what philosopher Avitai Margalit has called 'a rotten compromise.'"

The Concentration of Power: A Rotten Compromise Have you ever noticed that the folks urging you to read the proposed... Posted by Not This Charter Amherst MA on Monday, March 12, 2018

Weiss said the town may adopt the new charter thanks in part to parents angered by a Town Meeting vote that shot down a proposal for a new school.

Voters this time last year were asked to spend $32.8 million to build a $67 million school for grades two through six on the site of Wildwood Elementary School. Town Meeting failed to approve the project by the required two-thirds vote, although a townwide vote approved it.

"I understand that upset," Weiss said. "But be careful about throwing away the government because of one vote."

Andy Churchill, Charter Commission chairman, thinks "the school vote was a wake-up call for a lot of people."

"A majority of town voters approved the project," he wrote in an email. "Then a minority of Town Meeting members used a technical vote on the financing to kill it, despite assurances from the Town Manager, Finance Director, Select Board, and Finance Committee that Amherst could afford it. I think that raised a lot of questions about whether our 'representative' Town Meeting actually represents us."

Churchill said Amherst today doesn't have a good system for discussing issues.

"In Town Meeting, we try to get called on, say our piece, and then hear other people speechify from the other side. Then it's time to vote," he said. "In a smaller group like a council, there's the time and the scale needed to actually talk, take input, and work out compromises."

There are plenty of barometers for the support behind the yes and no camps.

Meanwhile, lawn signs throughout town seem to be equally divided.

As of March 9, $15,046 had been donated to Amherst for All, according to a report from Johanna Newman, chairwoman for the group, with the average donation of $66. So far, 228 people have donated.

Three groups raising money in opposing the charter change have raised $10,470. These numbers were filed in December. The latest financial disclosures will be available today.

The Not This Charter Facebook page has 288 likes compared to Amherst For All with 877.

And then there are comments to both sides. Former University of Massachusetts nutrition professor Ken Sammond wrote: "This proposed plan is a power-grab by developers. In ten years you will look at downtown Amherst and regret this choice."

Nick Grabbe, a commission member who supports the change, wrote on the "A Better Amherst" blog: "The leaders of the 'No' campaign, who are mostly Town Meeting members, have been using scare tactics and misleading statements for some time but they have descended to the kind of negative campaigning that you associate with national politics, not with Amherst."

Weiss disagrees. "(Grabbe) seems to think he and the 'yes' campaign are taking the high road and the 'no' campaign alone is guilty of misleading information, a lack of civility and a lack of respect. So, I would like to know what are the examples of misleading information?"

In an email, he listed various statements he believed were misleading, including Amherst For All's assertion that the town has an "occasional government."

"That means that nearly 1300 towns in New England have an occasional government, as well as 48 states," Weiss wrote. "They know we have a full time government; but it plays well with less informed people."

Here is a look at social media:

This charter puts all town government power in one 13-member body, with no checks and balances. #moredemocracynotless #NotThisCharterAmherstMA Posted by Not This Charter Amherst MA on Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Love seeing & hearing the ordinary people who can't devote themselves full-time to politics, talking about Amherst & the Charter https://t.co/tpAeMEnUgd via @YouTube  Laura M Quilter (@lquilter) March 11, 2018
The tow truck driver killed while responding to a crash on Interstate 495 will be laid to rest this week.

Daniel Coady was a lifelong employee of his family's company, Coady's Garage and Towing.

His favorite childhood memories were being in the cab of a truck with his father, Dan Sr., family wrote in his obituary.

"He loved being a tow truck driver as much as he loved being a father. He was a member of the Massachusetts Truckers Association," the obituary states. "When he wasn't working he was googling trucks, volunteering his time fishing abandoned cars out of the river for the Merrimack Valley Clean River Project, or could be found just hanging around the garage talking about towing."

The 41-year-old was a lifelong resident of North Andover. He is survived by his wife Crysi Coady, his sons Paddy and Evan; his sister, Nicole; brother-in-laws Jason Torrey and David Lemay; and stepmother Deborah Coady.

He was hit while responding to a crash in the southbound lanes of Interstate 495 in Andover Wednesday night. In that initial crash, two vehicles collided and no one was injured, Massachusetts State Police said.

Coady was struck by a Pontiac while loading one of the vehicles onto his flatbed.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared deceased. The driver of the vehicle that hit him, Shiina Dionne, was taken to Tufts Medical Center for treatment of serious injuries and another tow truck driver at the scene was treated for minor injuries.

Dionne, a 28-year-old from Lawrence, was arraigned from her hospital bed Friday afternoon. She is charged with operating under the influence, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence, speeding, failure to wear a seatbelt and obstructing a stationary emergency vehicle. She was ordered held on $2,500 cash bail.

Calling hours will be held on Tuesday, March 20, from 4 to 8 p.m. in the Conte Funeral Home, 17 Third Street, North Andover. Relative and friends are kindly invited to attend his service at 10:30 a.m on Wednesday, March 21.

Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame, 3315 Broad St. Chattanooga, Tennessee.
ENFIELD - Police continue to investigate what has been described as a "serious" crime scene at a Route 5 apartment complex.

Police, summoned to the Countrywood Apartments on Gatewood Drive on Sunday morning, remained there Monday morning, according to news reports.

Western Mass News reported a man and woman suffered minor injuries. Police reported, however, a large amount of blood, inconsistent with those injuries, was discovered in a hallway of one of the buildings.

Police Lieutenant Steven Kaselouskas told WWLP they are investigating a "serious crime." It is not, however, considered a homicide, he said.

Connecticut State Police are also investigating. Western Mass News is television partner to The Republican and MassLive.com.
CHICOPEE - A 12-year-old girl who is a former Dupont Middle School student faces felony charges after threatening to shoot teachers and students at the school.

Chicopee Police detectives and the school police resource officer were alerted to an anonymous Snapchat post telling people not to attend school Monday because there would be a shooting, said Michael Wilk, police public information officer.

The threat, posted Sunday, was very specific. The writer claimed to be bullied at the school and had a goal of shooting 23 students and 13 teachers.

Police were able to identify the poster as a girl who lives in Springfield. She had been a student at Dupont Middle School but left nearly a month after moving, Wilk said.

"Our detectives located her last night and she came to our department where she was interviewed and then placed under arrest," Wilk said.

Other agencies are also involved in the investigation, he said.

"We have additional officers at Dupont Middle School today to reassure students, staff and parents that everything is safe," he said.

The charge she is facing is from Chapter 269 S14 which makes it illegal to willfully communicate a threat causing evacuation or serious disruption of a school, even if it is a hoax. Under the law the girl faces imprisonment of at least six months and a fine of up to $50,000, he said.

The girl will be arraigned in Springfield Juvenile Court at a future date.
WESTFIELD - It was a great day for the Irish Sunday, especially the Irish from St. Mary's in Westfield.

Less than a week after Pastor Frank Lawlor announced St. Mary's High School would close this June, 165 supporters of the school showed their pride by marching together in the Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade.

"It was great," said Kim Lamirande, who spearheaded efforts to form a St. Mary's contingent last week. "We had 165 marchers consisting of students, parents and alumni. We received so many cheers and support along the route - people were shouting 'save the saints' and 'keep fighting'."

Following the announcement of the closure March 12, supporters organized and began fighting to save their school. The group found out March 13 that they could march in the parade and quickly filled three buses of marchers, all wearing Saints gear.

Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, agreed to meet with members of the group this Saturday after meeting privately with a member of the school board and receiving emails and letters supporting keeping the 120-year-old school open.

Many of those people were out in force Sunday.

"People made signs of support," Lamirande said. "One little girl had a sign that read 'save our future.' It was so heartwarming."

When the St. Mary's contingent marched in front of the viewing stand at Holyoke City Hall, the entire group stopped walking.

"We stood there, held hands and prayed the Hail Mary," Lamirande said. "It was amazing."

The St. Mary's High School marching contingent followed the Sons of Erin's grand prize winning woodland sprite themed float. Westfield Colleen Mackenzie Hope Rogers and her court -- Catie M. Laraway, Brianna M. Weltlich, Jasmine A. Malochleb and Maddeline L. Frey - waved to crowds along with Westfield parade marshal Joanne MacDonald Miller, Thomas Kane Irish Man of the Year is Peter J. Miller (husband of Joanne), Dorothy Griffin Irish Woman of the Year is Kara B. Herman and Billy Buzzee St. Pat on the Back Award winner Paul Sawyer.

The city's contingent also consisted of state Sen. Donald F. Humason, state Rep. John Velis, Mayor Brian P. Sullivan, members of the City Council, the Westfield Police and Fire Departments, Westfield High School Band, Southwick Fire Department, Westfield State University, the Sons of Erin general members and the auxiliary members.

Many Westfield marchers not walking with St. Mary's showed their support by wearing yellow and green ribbons, including Velis, Sullivan, Sons of Erin marchers and members of the Southwick Fire and Westfield Police and Fire Departments.
SPRINGFIELD - Hampden Superior Court Judge Tina S. Page on Monday found Clifford Ahern guilty of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Page found Ahern, 60, of East Longmeadow, not guilty of armed assault with intent to murder.

Page heard closing arguments in the jury-waived trial first thing Monday morning and delivered her verdict at 2 p.m.

She asked the Probation Department to do a pre-sentence report to aid her in deciding on a sentence and set sentencing for April 10.

Police responded to Ahern's Helen Circle home in East Longmeadow on Nov. 4, 2016, after he allegedly fled a traffic stop where officers attempted to arrest him on a warrant related to a domestic assault charge.

Police officers testified that Ahern rushed at East Longmeadow police Sgt. Steven Manning with a knife.

Page also found Ahern guilty of failure to stop for police; she found him not guilty of resisting arrest.

East Longmeadow Police Sgt. Joseph Dalessio, son of East Longmeadow Police Chief Jeffrey Dalessio, testified Thursday that he shot Ahern because he thought Ahern was stabbing Manning

The shooting left Ahern, 60, paralyzed and in a wheelchair.

In his closing arguments to Page, defense lawyer Lawrence W. Madden said every action taken by Ahern that day was because he feared harm at the hands of the police.

He said, "Either way you look at it there's reasonable doubt."

Assistant District Attorney James M. Forsyth said Ahern rushed at Manning with a knife and attacked him.

Forsyth asked for a sentence of three to five years in state prison. Madden asked for a sentence of probation with no incarceration.
SPRINGFIELD - Luther Lee Williams on Monday was sentenced to nine to 12 years in state prison for shooting a man in the leg on Thanksgiving evening in 2016.

Williams, 39, of Springfield, was found guilty Thursday of armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a firearm, illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of ammunition.

Hampden Superior Court Judge Richard J. Carey sentenced Williams to four years probation to begin after the prison sentence.

Randall Somerville, 32, of Springfield, testified that Williams shot him on Thanksgiving evening in 2016 on Windsor Street near a mutual friend's home. Somerville said Williams shot into the air, then into the ground, then into his leg. Somerville said he has permanent nerve damage to his leg and foot.

Assistant District Attorney Karen J. Bell asked for a sentence of 12 to 15 years in state prison. Defense lawyer Nicholas Horgan asked for a sentence of six to eight years in state prison followed by three years probation.
SPRINGFIELD -- Dyarel Wojtowicz pleaded guilty Monday to involuntary manslaughter in the overdose death of a Ludlow woman.

Wojtowicz, 30, of Springfield, was sentenced to three to five years in state prison plus three years probation by Hampden Superior Court Judge Richard J. Carey.

"At end of the day, Mr. Wojtowicz decided essentially to sell poison for profit. That was his decision," Carey said.

Because Wojtowicz is deaf, Carey said he will recommend to the state Department of Corrections that Wojtowicz be allowed to serve the sentence in the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow.

Kaitlyn M. Leonard, 32, of Ludlow, died at home on March 20, 2015.

Assistant District Attorney Karen J. Bell, in asking for a sentence of four to six years, said Wojtowicz sold the particularly dangerous drug fentanyl to Leonard.

Leonard thought she was buying heroin, and was unaware she was sold all fentanyl mixed with a little cutting agent, Bell said.

Bell said Leonard had problems with addiction in the past, and had a relapse before her death.

Defense lawyer Susan E. Hamilton asked for a sentence of two years to the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow followed by three years probation.

She said Wojtowicz had a very difficult childhood and has been shot twice as an adult due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"He's taken responsibility for his actions. He understands there is a consequence. He is asking for mercy of this court," she said.

Wojtowicz also pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

Kaitlyn Leonard's sister Meagan Leonard told Carey her life will never be the same without her sister, who was her biggest supporter.

Edward Leonard, Kaitlyn Leonard's father, said he believes drug dealers know what they are selling. He said to endure the legal process over the past three years has been very painful.
A teenager found dead on the side of the Massachusetts Turnpike in Grafton Monday morning was identified by school officials as Alexandra Valoras, a junior at Blackstone Valley Regional Technical High School and resident of Grafton.

Her body was discovered before 7 a.m. on the westbound side of the Massachusetts Turnpike near mile marker 99.4, the Worcester County District Attorney's Office said. The area is below the North Street overpass.

A spokesman for Early's office said the death remains under investigation and did not release any further information.

Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick, Superintendent-Director of Blackstone Valley Regional Technical High School, said Valoras was a junior in the engineering program.

He released a statement after her death:

"At this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Alexandra Valoras, Junior in the Engineering Program. We remain in close touch and will provide support according to the family's wishes.

The District's Crisis Response Team immediately assembled on Monday and has been providing services to students and staff. The Crisis Response Team is comprised of school counselors, social workers, nurses, and others, and collaborates closely with Valley Tech administrators. The District is most appreciative of their professionalism and compassion. The District has also received heartwarming offers of support from our sending school districts and others throughout the Blackstone Valley."
A deadline for Puerto Rican evacuees to continue receiving temporary shelter benefits has been extended from March 20 to May 14, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

FEMA is offering temporary shelter benefits for people who fled Puerto Rico after hurricanes devastated the island. The program, originally announced Oct. 30, 2017, offers short-term hotel and motel placements for evacuees while they are displaced.

It has been extended twice amid a slow pace of recovery in Puerto Rico. According to U.S. government statistics, 120 days after Hurricane Maria made landfall on Sept. 20, close to 20 percent of Puerto Rico was still without power, and 12 percent of gas stations had not reopened.

According to FEMA spokesman Daniel Llargues, there were 3,500 Puerto Ricans still living in hotels and motels as of March 16 under the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program.

Massachusetts has seen an influx of Puerto Ricans, since there was already a large Puerto Rican community here before the hurricane. As of Feb. 7, there were 587 Puerto Rican families living in Massachusetts hotels.

The shelter benefit was set to expire March 20. But at the request of the Puerto Rican governor, FEMA decided earlier this month to extend it until May 14.

The benefits will only apply to people living in the hotel as their primary residence. They will not be granted to people who are staying with friends or family.

FEMA will review families' eligibility on April 20. If a survivor's home is habitable and their utilities are working, the survivor will lose benefits. People will also lose benefits if their home repairs are completed by Puerto Rico's housing rebuilding program.

No one can apply for benefits for the first time after March 20. Survivors will not be granted an extension if they have already found another housing solution or if they are not making progress toward finding long-term housing.

Some evacuees may also be eligible for other help from FEMA, such as rental benefits. The transitional shelter program is meant to be temporary bridge until people can find other housing.

Gov. Charlie Baker told The Republican's editorial board recently that the state is working with federal officials to ensure federal benefits continue to be available. "Those folks have gone through hell," Baker said.

Earlier this month, a national coalition of low-income housing advocates criticized FEMA for failing to set up the Disaster Housing Assistance Program for Puerto Rican evacuees, a federal program that provides both rental assistance and other case management services to low-income families. The program still has not been set up, although some people are starting to get rental benefits. Advocates say the rental benefits are based on rental prices in Puerto Rico and are low, particularly given the high cost of housing in Massachusetts.

Diane Yentel, president and CEO of The National Low Income Housing Coalition, said in a statement, "Because of FEMA's inaction, low income survivors are facing predictable and preventable crises in having to choose between living in unhealthy and unsafe homes or paying far too much of their limited incomes on rent, making it harder to meet their other basic needs."
President Donald Trump is not considering firing the special counsel investigating Russian election interference, a top White House lawyer said, after a cascade of Trump tweets revived chatter that the deeply frustrated president may be preparing to get rid of the veteran prosecutor.

In a first for Trump, he jabbed directly at special counsel Robert Mueller by name in weekend tweets that both challenged the investigation's existence and suggested political bias on the part of Mueller's investigators. Trump has long been frustrated by the lengthy and intensifying probe, and insists his 2016 Republican presidential campaign did not collude with Russia to influence the election in his favor.

"The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime," he said in a late Saturday tweet he ended with "WITCH HUNT!"

Likely contributing to Trump's sense of frustration, The New York Times reported last week that Mueller had subpoenaed the Trump Organization for Russia-related documents. Trump had said Mueller would cross a red line with such a step.

"Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans?" he tweeted Sunday.

Some of Mueller's investigators indeed have contributed to Democratic political candidates, but Justice Department policy and federal service law bar discrimination in the hiring of career positions on the basis of political affiliation. Mueller is a Republican.

The tweets revived talk that Trump may, in an attempt to end the investigation, move to have Mueller fired. But White House lawyer Ty Cobb sought late Sunday to tamp down the speculation by saying the president is not contemplating such a move.

"In response to media speculation and related questions being posed to the Administration, the White House yet again confirms that the President is not considering or discussing the firing of the Special Counsel, Robert Mueller."

Deeply frustrated, Trump has fumed to confidants that the Mueller probe is "going to choke the life out of" his presidency if allowed to continue unabated indefinitely, according to an outside adviser who insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations with the president.

Trump has long believed that the entrenched bureaucracy, particularly at the Justice Department and FBI, is out to thwart him. He fumed to one confidant after seeing a promotion for a forthcoming book by James Comey, the FBI director he fired last year, believing Comey will seek to enrich himself by besmirching Trump's reputation. Comey's book, "A Higher Loyalty," topped Amazon.com's best-seller list on Sunday.

The president also has long been torn over how to approach the probe. His legal team, namely Cobb, has counseled Trump to cooperate with Mueller. But some former campaign advisers have urged Trump to be combative, warning that the investigation poses an existential threat to his presidency.

Members of Congress warned Trump to not even think about terminating Mueller.

"If he tried to do that, that would be the beginning of the end of his presidency," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a Trump ally.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., called for the passage of bipartisan bills designed to protect Mueller that have stalled in Congress.

"This president is engaged in desperate and reckless conduct to intimidate his law enforcement agencies of this country and to try and stop the special counsel. That is unacceptable in a democracy," Durbin said.

Trump cannot directly fire Mueller, who can only be dismissed for cause. Any dismissal would have to be carried out by Rod Rosenstein, the Trump-appointed deputy attorney general who has publicly expressed support for Mueller.

Aides and friends say they understand Trump's frustration.

"When he says it's a political witch hunt, I think he's right," said Christopher Ruddy, CEO of the conservative news website Newsmax and a longtime Trump friend.

Marc Short, Trump's congressional liaison, said the frustration is "well-warranted" because "there has been no evidence whatsoever of collusion."

Trump may have felt emboldened after Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe on Friday, something Trump had clamored for out of a belief that McCabe was part of the entrenched, anti-Trump bureaucracy. "A great day for Democracy," Trump tweeted afterward. Trump asserted without elaboration that McCabe knew "all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI!"

The Associated Press later reported that McCabe kept personal memos detailing interactions with Trump that have been provided to Mueller's office and are similar to notes compiled by Comey. Trump sought to cast doubt on their veracity, tweeting Sunday that he spent "very little time" with McCabe "but he never took notes when he was with me."

"I don't believe he made memos except to help his own agenda, probably at a later date. Same with lying James Comey. Can we call them Fake Memos?" Trump tweeted. It wouldn't be unusual for a senior official to make notes soon after meeting with the president.

The contents of McCabe's memos are unknown, but they could help substantiate McCabe's assertion that he was unfairly maligned by a White House he says had declared "war" on the FBI and Mueller's investigation.

Sessions said he dismissed McCabe on the recommendation of FBI disciplinary officials who said McCabe had not been candid with a watchdog office investigation. An upcoming inspector general's report is expected to conclude that McCabe had authorized the release of information to the media and was not forthcoming with the watchdog office as it examined the bureau's handling of an investigation into Clinton's emails.

McCabe has vigorously disputed the allegations and said his credibility came under attack as "part of a larger effort not just to slander me personally" but also the FBI and law enforcement.

Mueller is investigating whether Trump's actions, including Comey's ouster, constitute obstruction of justice.

Graham spoke on CNN's "State of the Union." Durbin appeared on "Fox News Sunday" and Short was interviewed on CBS' "Face the Nation."
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, on Monday declined to weigh in on President Donald Trump's proposal to allow the death penalty for drug traffickers.

"I'd rather see the details on this. I don't know what the limits or the elements of this particular proposal are," Baker said.

Trump, a Republican, spoke about drug addiction during a speech in New Hampshire on Monday. As part of his proposal to lower the rate of opioid deaths, Trump proposed allowing the Department of Justice to prosecute some drug traffickers with the death penalty.

Bloomberg reported that critics of the proposal note that the death penalty is costly, and the president's proposal might be unconstitutional.

Massachusetts does not have the death penalty, so Baker said he sees the question as a federal issue.

Baker noted that he did file legislation that would allow district attorneys to charge drug traffickers with manslaughter if the drug leads to an overdose death. He would also create a mandatory minimum sentence of five years for anyone caught selling drugs that result in death.

"I certainly think there's plenty of evidence a lot of the folks who traffic in these drugs know they're extremely dangerous, in many cases deadly," Baker said. "I think we should try and attack that with the full force of the law."
Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday defended the hiring practices at the Massachusetts Department of Revenue after a Boston Globe story reported that the state's former revenue chief hired several of his neighbors and friends.

The Globe reported that now-Administration and Finance Secretary Mike Heffernan, who used to lead the state revenue department, hired a half dozen of his friends, associates and former colleagues to jobs at the Department of Revenue. The Globe reported that some of them were hired during a hiring freeze.

"Every single one of those people was qualified to do their job," Baker said. "I have full confidence in Secretary Heffernan."

A previous Globe story reported on a friend of Heffernan hired into a data security job who had a background in finance but not technology. The individuals mentioned in the latest Globe story generally had strong private sector backgrounds, but also happened to be neighbors, friends or former colleagues of Heffernan.

Massachusetts Democratic Party Chairman Gus Bickford called for an independent investigation into the administration's hiring practices.

Asked about the story by reporters Monday, Baker pushed back against any notion that the hires were made because of cronyism rather than qualifications.

"Now we're getting to the point we're saying people who aren't from government, aren't in government, never served in government somehow are cronies?" Baker said. "Every one of those people was a highly respected performer in the private sector. Many of them are doing this because they were public spirited and wanted to do public service, and yeah, I have no problem with that."

When a reporter noted that many of the hires were from Heffernan's hometown of Wellesley, Baker responded, "So we're going to outlaw people from Wellesley working in the administration?"

"I don't have a problem with people who are qualified working in our administration. In fact, I think that should be our objective," Baker said. "What I have a problem with are people who aren't qualified."

Heffernan's job title has been corrected.
Gregory Neffinger, a former West Springfield mayor and East Longmeadow town administrator, has joined Scott Lively's 2018 gubernatorial campaign, the Republican hopeful announced this week.

Neffinger will manage Lively's bid to unseat incumbent Gov. Charlie Baker, according to a Friday campaign newsletter sent to supporters.

Lively, a controversial anti-gay pastor and activist, said Neffinger's "first focus" will be on ensuring the campaign has a minimum of 15 percent of Republican delegates for the state party's nominating convention at the DCU Center in Worcester next month.

Neffinger was terminated from his town administrator role in April 2016 amid a scandal surrounding bribery allegations.

He filed a civil lawsuit against East Longmeadow and Town Council Vice President Paul Federici in August 2017 alleging illegal termination and defamation. The suit sought $250,000 for injury to his reputation and $14,333 for lost wages.

The former town administrator alleged in the suit that Federici made statements to a reporter for The Republican "with actual malice, knowing that they were not true and made them with the purpose of injuring the reputation of Neffinger by suggesting that he had committed a crime or other improper act and that Neffinger was under some investigation by the Attorney General's Office or the Federal Bureau of Investigation."

It further contends that Federici told the reporter that Frank Keough offered him a yet-to-be created Town Hall position in exchange for his support of Daniel O'Brien for police chief and Neffinger for permanent town administrator.

Lively, who previously ran as an independent against Baker in 2014, announced his 2018 campaign in December -- a move which he said came in response to the governor's work on Beacon Hill.

Calling Baker a "Republican-in-name-only," Lively contended that he has hurt conservative values, legislated as a "de-facto big government pro-abortion Democrat" and "plundered the treasury of the Republican Party to wage war on conservatives."

Lively runs the church Redemption Gate Mission Society and owns the coffee shop Holy Grounds.

In 2012, the Center for Constitutional Rights filed a "crimes against humanity" lawsuit against the pastor on behalf of Sexual Minorities Uganda for Lively's reported actions in Uganda in support of a controversial law criminalizing homosexuality in that country.

U.S District Court Judge Michael A. Ponsor dismissed the case against Lively in June, ruling it lacked the jurisdiction to proceed in a U.S. court.
MANCHESTER, N.H. -- President Donald Trump unveiled a wide-ranging and controversial plan to address opioid addiction during a Monday stop in New Hampshire -- one of the states hit hardest by prescription drug, heroin and fentanyl-related deaths.

Trump returned to the Granite State for the first time since 2016 to announce a new set of policies aimed at combating the issue, including a contentious measure that could open some drug traffickers up to the death penalty.

The president, who repeatedly pledged to tackle drug abuse at 2016 campaign stops in New Hampshire, said his plan would focus on three main areas: reducing opioid demand, cutting off the supply of drugs and increasing access to treatment services.

Flanked by administration officials, law enforcement officers and those personally impacted by opioid abuse, Trump told a crowd of guests invited to Manchester Community College that "we will defeat this crisis, we will protect our beautiful children."

Trump said his plan, among many things, looks to cut down on the number of legal opioid prescriptions and illegal drugs, expand access to addiction treatment services, launch a new website to help Americans struggling with opioid addictions and equip schools with overdose reversal drugs.

The president's plan also would allow the Department of Justice to seek the death penalty for some drug dealers -- a provision that has drawn criticism from Massachusetts lawmakers and others.

Arguing that drug dealers receive relatively light sentences despite killing "thousands of people in their lifetimes," Trump stressed that it's time the United States "get tough" and go after such individuals.

"If we're not going to get tough on the drug dealers, they'll kill thousands of people and destroy so many peoples' lives," he said. "We are just doing the wrong thing. We have got to get tough. This isn't about nice anymore ... this is about winning a very, very tough problem. If we don't get very tough on these dealers, that's not going to happen folks."

Trump further used the New Hampshire stop to push his controversial immigration policies and to call out places, like Boston and Lawrence, that have opposed his administration's efforts to crack down on "sanctuary cities."

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, however, slammed the president's opioid plan, contending it's "full of broken promises and failed policies."

"Extreme proposals like using the death penalty only perpetuate a harmful stigma associated with opioid use disorders and divert attention from meaningful discussions and progress on expanding access to treatment, recovery and other public health initiatives that are critical to saving lives," Markey said in a statement. "We will not incarcerate or execute our way out of the opioid epidemic. We are still paying the price for one failed War on Drugs, and now President Trump has drawn up battle plans for another."

Opioids, including prescription drugs, heroin and fentanyl, killed more than 42,000 Americans in 2016 -- more than any year on record, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

New Hampshire saw the third highest rate of drug overdose-related deaths among states in 2016, with 39 per 100,000. It trailed West Virginia and Ohio, which saw a respective 52 per 100,000 and 39.1 per 100,000 overdose-related deaths in the same year.

In response to those deaths, Trump launched the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis last March to examine steps lawmakers can take to tackle the issue.

The panel, which included Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, issued its final list of recommendations in November and urged Congress to immediately appropriate funding to implement its proposals.

The commission, among many things, recommended that federal officials:

create an expansive, national multimedia campaign to highlight the dangers of opioid abuse, remove stigma as a barrier to treatment and cast addiction as a "chronic brain disease";

provide better addiction prevention education to students;

and get federal funding support more quickly and effectively to state governments.

It also urged the Trump administration and Congress to "block grant federal funding for opioid-related and (substance use disorder)-related activities to the states."

In addition to convening the commision, the White House named opioid addiction a public health emergency in October. The move drew criticism from Markey and other Democrats, who had urged officials to make the issue a national emergency and allocate new federal resources to response efforts.

Trump last visited the Granite State the night before his 2016 presidential election win, when he held a large rally at SNHU Arena in Manchester.

His Monday visit came as the president faced criticism over his weekend social media comments on Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading an investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election.
The COMESA Secretariat has conducted the 3rd Joint Development Partners Coordination Forum which brought together all its multilateral, bilateral, UN Agencies and other international agencies and countries in implementing regional integration programmes.

The forum was driven by the need to share COMESAs experiences and challenges faced while implementing the regional integration agenda. This will enable the partners to better understand how COMESA works, how thematic policy issues are addressed and how the the programmes could be better supported.

The two days forum seeks to deepen engagement and commitment from the development partners and understand the sectors they focus on. It is also aimed at ensuring coherence in all programmes supported by development partners and to establish stronger links. It will also enable experience-sharing, promote inter-donor transparency and facilitate cooperation.

Speaking at the opening of the meeting held virtually, Secretary General of COMESA, Chileshe Kapwepwe appreciated the continued support, both financial and technical assistance that development partners have provided amid the COVID-19 crisis.

At a time when economic uncertainty reigns in most parts of the world and many national budgets are affected by the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are grateful for your continued support and trust placed in COMESA, and in the work that we do, she said adding that post-COVID-19 crisis demands even stronger collective effort to tackle the challenges posed by a changed environment.

EU Head of Cooperation Mr Arnaud Borchard urged COMESA to be innovative and introduce regional programmes that will be able to respond to the current new normal of living with COVID-19.

He said:

COMESA cannot afford to wait for the pandemic to clear but should instead develop ways and processes that will enhance regional integration despite existing challenges.

Mr Borchard called for enhanced creativity and innovation by the regional economic community, by coming up with programmes that are resilient.

During the pandemic, COMESA has developed and has been implementing the COVID-19 guidelines and an on-line platform for exchange of information on the availability of essential medical supplies and other goods. It has also developed an industrial strategy which focuses on nine priority areas: agro-food, energy, textiles and clothing, leather and leather products, mineral enhancement, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and agro-chemicals, light engineering and blue economy.

Key development partners participating include the European Union, which is the largest contributor, the World Bank, the African Development Bank and other bilateral partners

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Invest Africa, the leading business and investment platform for African markets, and Standard Chartered Private Bank, a leading international private bank for emerging market clients, are pleased to announce a strategic partnership, focused on driving the growth of Standard Chartereds private banking services across the continent.

The new collaboration will involve a programme of targeted business development opportunities in key hubs such as London, Dubai and Cape Town to showcase the banks expertise and thought-leadership in areas like sustainable investing. Standard Chartereds relationship managers, investment advisors and product specialists are also able to leverage Invest Africas global reach, market intelligence and networking opportunities with fellow members.

Karen Taylor, CEO of Invest Africa said, In todays turbulent times, the importance of effective wealth management and succession planning has never been more evident. We look forward to supporting Standard Chartered Private Bank, as a leading private bank of choice across the Continent, to develop its business and find new ways of connecting through our network.

Demir Avigdor, Managing Director, Market Head, Private Banking, Europe and Africa, Standard Chartered Bank commented, Im delighted to announce our partnership with Invest Africa. The relationship shows our commitment to growing our private banking business in Africa and serving our clients in the continent, and supporting the long-term sustainable growth of the region.

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Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the plenary session of the ASEAN-Australia Speicial Summit. (Source: VNA)



He made the appeal while addressing a retreat between leaders of ASEAN and Australia within the framework of the ASEAN - Australia Special Summit in Sydney on March 18th. PM Phuc was one of the four ASEAN leaders invited to deliver a keynote speech at the retreat.

The leader said ASEAN and Australia should make efforts to build open, transparent, inclusive order in the region, and ensure that regional countries observe international law and respect each others interests.

At the same time, they need to maintain economic connectivity and keep doors open to develop prosperously, he stressed, calling on the two sides to firstly effectively implement the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand free trade agreement, soon conclude negations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement.

Attention should be paid to innovations, connectivity promotion, support for businesses and improvement of added values of ASEAN economies and Australia in the global value chain, the PM noted.

He also suggested increasing cooperation programmes targeting people, especially through collaboration in education-training, cultural exchange and people-to-people contacts, so as to create a firm foundation for the ASEAN-Australia relationship in the future.

Pointing to potential risks to regional maritime security, the PM emphasised the need to abide by international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), saying law respect must be a foundation to build trust and preserve regional stability.

Therefore, the protection of regional security and environment, as well as marine scientific research should be taken into account in maritime partnerships, the leader noted.

He applauded efforts made by Vietnam and Australia, along with the EU in co-chairing the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Inter-Sessional Support Group on maritime security for 2018-2020, considering this an active contribution to peace, cooperation and trust building in the region.

Vietnam welcomes initiatives for peace and connectivity between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific in line with international law, he said.

At the retreat, ASEAN and Australia leaders also discussed strategic regional and international matters of shared concern, including the Korean Peninsula and East Sea issues.

Meanwhile, at the plenary session of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit the same day, they compared notes on orientations of the ASEAN-Australia strategic partnership with the centre on collaboration in economy and anti-terrorism.

They committed to enhancing affiliation in building a peaceful and prosperous region for ASEAN citizens.

Australia affirmed its support for ASEANs central role in an open, transparent, inclusive and rules-based regional architecture, while increasing dialogue mechanisms at levels with the ten-member group on strategic regional issues. Such dialogue mechanisms include the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+).

The leaders also agreed to step up trade and investment ties and back the multilateral trade system on the basis of law, along with deepening economic links between ASEAN and Australia.

They pledged to create favourable conditions for businesses, especially small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), support start-ups and promote the digital economy.

ASEAN and Australia reiterated their commitment to pushing negotiations to conclude the RCEP agreement as scheduled.

Regarding affiliation in anti-terrorism, they held that the signing of a memorandum of understanding on anti-terrorism on March 17th is a milestone in the joint combat.

The two sides also consented to step up cooperation in education, training and people-to-people exchange, particularly within the framework of the New Colombo Plan.

On the sidelines of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, PM Phuc met with Cambodian PM Samdech Hun Sen, Thai PM Prayuth Chan-ocha, Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Malaysian PM Najib Razak, Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Long and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

Cambodian PM Samdech Hun Sen and Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi confirmed their participation in the sixth Greater Mekong Sub-region Summit (GMS 6) slated for March 29th - 31st, 2018 in Hanoi.

PM Phuc, his spouse and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation left Sydney on the afternoon of March 18th, concluding their activities within the official visit to Australia and the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit./.
While in autonomous mode with a human backup driver at the wheel, an Uber operated car struck and killed a woman in Tempe, Arizona on either late Sunday or early Monday morning, March 19.

This incident appears to mark the first time an autonomous vehicle has struck and killed a person while on public roads. Uber confirmed the news in a Monday afternoon tweet, in which it said it was fully cooperating with the Tempe Police Department in the investigation.

Our hearts go out to the victims family. Were fully cooperating with @TempePolice and local authorities as they investigate this incident.  Uber Comms (@Uber_Comms) March 19, 2018

--

The New York Times and a local ABC-TV affiliate report the Tempe Police Department says the vehicle was in autonomous mode, had a human safety backup driver and hit a woman as she was crossing the street outside of a crosswalk. The woman has not yet been identified, according to both reports.

In its initial report, the television outlet reported the woman was riding a bike.

An Uber spokesperson told the Times it had suspended testing its self-driving cars on public roads in Tempe, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Toronto, just as it did following a crash last year.

This crash isn't the first one involving a self-driving Uber in Tempe, as one of its driverless SUVs was involved in one in March 2017. In that instance, Tempe police pointed to the car with the actual human driver inside as the culprit and not the self-driving Uber. There were no serious injuries reported in the crash.

At the time, Arizona-based ABC 15 TV reported that a car failed to stop before hitting and rolling the self-driving Volvo SUV. A person was riding in Uber's self-driving Volvo, but police told the television station at the scene they were not sure if the person was controlling the vehicle or not.

Uber first launched its self-driving car program onto public roads in Pittsburgh back in September 2016. In Michigan, Gov. Rick Snyder signed a bill allowing the testing of autonomous vehicles on Michigan roadways in late 2016.
UPDATE: Police ID motorcyclist killed in crash in Livingston County

GREEN OAK TOWNSHIP, MI - One motorcyclist was killed and another critically injured in a crash Sunday, March 18 in Livingston County's Green Oak Township.

The motorcyclists were traveling westbound on Nine Mile Road from Dixboro Road about 1:10 p.m. when they struck the side of a Jeep Cherokee SUV, according to a release from Green Oak Township police.

The Jeep was pulling out from a residential driveway at the time, police said.

A 23-year-old South Lyon man was pronounced dead at the scene and a 23-year-old Taylor man was taken to the University of Michigan hospital with critical injuries.

A third motorcycle leading the group was not involved in the collision, police said. All the motorcyclists were wearing helmets at the time.

The driver of the Jeep, a 63-year-old New Hudson man, was not injured in the incident.

The incident remains under investigation.
HAMBURG TOWNSHIP, MI - A 28-year-old man was killed after his vehicle struck a tree late Thursday, March 15 in Hamburg Township, police said.

The man has been identified as Ian Wright of Hamburg Township, according to Deputy Chief Dariusz Nisenbaum.

Police believe Wright was traveling at a high-rate of speed which played a factor in the crash, Nisembaum said.

Authorities were dispatched about 11:52 p.m. Thursday for a report of a single-vehicle crash on Hamburg Road north of M-36, police said in a news release.

Upon arrival, officers discovered a white 2018 Mercedes Benz that had left the roadway and struck a tree, police said.

After investigating, authorities believe Wright was driving southbound on Hamburg Road and left the roadway near Athlone Drive before striking a tree, police said.

The Hamburg Township Police Department and the Livingston County Sheriff's Office were investigating.

Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact Wallace at 810-222-1179 or at twallace@hamburg.mi.us.

Wright's family has set up a GoFundMe account to assist with funeral costs.

The Hamburg Township Fire Department and Livingston County EMS personnel assisted at the scene of the incident.
State Rep. Ronnie Peterson, D-Ypsilanti

YPSILANTI, MI - State Rep. Ronnie Peterson, D-Ypsilanti, will host a town hall meeting on Michigan's new third-grade reading law on Monday, March 19.

The meeting will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Ypsilanti Township Civic Center, 7200 S. Huron River Drive, Ypsilanti.

Lincoln Consolidated Schools Superintendent Sean McNatt, Ypsilanti Community Schools Superintendent Benjamin Edmondson and Washtenaw Intermediate School District Superintendent Scott Menzel will join Peterson to discuss how the third-grade reading law affects children.

This is the first school year Michigan schools are required to conduct a reading screening for every student in kindergarten through third grade at the start of the school year, and then follow up with testing throughout the year to assess students' progress.

Students whose skills are below grade level are given Individualized Reading Improvement Plans, and parents are expected to commit to certain steps to help their children read at home.

Starting in the 2019-20 school year, third graders who are at least one grade level behind in reading proficiency can be held back, although the law allows for specific exceptions from that requirement.
DETROIT -- Ford plans to continue to expand its presence in Detroit after moving into its refurbished Corktown building later this year, and insiders believe that could mean new life for the long-vacant Michigan Central Station.

The dilapidated train station that for decades was Detroit's largest symbol of blight has seen some repairs in recent years, and it's long been a mystery just how the behemoth office building could be put to use.

Multiple, at times conflicting news reports citing unnamed sources Monday indicated that the Dearborn automaker could be the one to eventually begin filling the historic Michigan Avenue structure.

A Ford spokesman didn't rule out the possibility.

"At this time, Ford is focused on locating our autonomous vehicle and electric vehicle business and strategy teams, including Team Edison, to the Factory in Detroit's historic Corktown neighborhood," said Ford spokesman Said Deep.

"While we anticipate our presence over time will grow as our AV/EV teams begin moving downtown in May, we have nothing further to announce at this time."

Crain's Detroit Business reported earlier Monday that Ford was in discussions with the Moroun family to purchase the building, citing sources familiar with the talks.

But the Detroit News later cited two unnamed sources that said Ford would not purchase the building. Ford could instead become a major tenant, according to that report.

Messages seeking comment from spokespeople for the Moroun family, which owns Michigan Central Station and the Ambassador Bridge, weren't returned Monday.

Ford announced in December 2017 that it would move 220 employees in its autonomous and electric vehicle business and strategy teams to a building known as the Factory, at 1907 Michigan Ave. in Corktown, just down the street from the former train station.

"Returning to Detroit is particularly meaningful because it is where my great-grandfather originally set out to pursue his passion and where we have always called our home," Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford said in the announcement. "We are planting a special piece of our company's future in one of the city's great neighborhoods, because we believe in Detroit, its people and what we can build together."

Ford last year also highlighted a need for innovative ways to create new office space. The automaker moved 1,800 into a former Lord & Taylor department store at Fairlane Mall in March 2017.

Matthew Moroun, son of trucking magnate Manuel (Matty) Moroun, said in July that full renovations of the former train station would ultimately cost more than $100 million.

The building saw a facelift in 2015 with the replacement of 1,050 windows on the massive structure -- a fix the mayor's office negotiated as part of a land transfer deal.

In September 2017, the former train station opened its doors for the first time since the 1980s to host the fourth annual Detroit Homecoming, making an impression by lighting up all of the windows.

The aging structure stood as an eyesore for decades, becoming a major symbol of Detroit's blight problem. There were at times calls for demolishing the building, which stood with no windows for years.

Demolition experts said it would cost between $5 million and $10 million to remove a building of its size, according to Historic Detroit.

Despite its crumbling nature, the site regularly garners attention from curious visitors often snapping photos of the building.

In July 2017, Mayor Mike Duggan was hopeful to see the part of the building transformed into high-end apartments.

"I think if we have the right company that wanted to make their headquarters and had the potential, it could work," he said then. "And obviously, the main floor has enormous opportunity for commercial ventures."

The building opened as a commuter train station in 1914 and later closed in 1988. The elder Moroun, now 90 years old, bought the depot in 1995.
A mistrial was declared for a 28-year-old Detroit man accused of raping a 37-year-old mother, whose 4-year-old son was present, during a home invasion in April 2017.

Gerald D. Day, 28, of Detroit, attempted to commit suicide by overdosing on pills and was hospitalized on the opening day of jury selection for his trial, Grosse Pointe Farms Detective Lt. Rich Rosati told the Detroit Free Press.

Wayne Circuit Court Judge called the mistrial on March 14 because Day, who's also charged with a string of other pending crimes, was "medically unavailable," according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.

A new trial date has been set for July 10. He is listed as being lodged in the Wayne County Jail.

Day previously pleaded guilty to two armed robberies that occurred in 2009 and was sentenced to a minimum of three years in prison.

Other pending cases against Day:

Dec. 20, 2016, in connection with a domestic dispute, Day is charged with first-degree home invasion, unlawful imprisonment, two counts of felony assault, interfering with a crime report and domestic violence.

April 22, 2017, Day was accused of first-degree home invasion, unlawful imprisonment and assault with intent to commit criminal sexual assault, but the charged were dismissed, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. MLive is awaiting response to a request for comment on the dismissal.

April 23, 2017, Day is accused of two first-degree home invasions in Grosse Pointe Farms at addresses on Madison and Lothrop. No trial dates are scheduled.

April 30, 2017, Day is charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle after he's accused of stealing in Grosse Pointe Farms.

July 10, 2017, Day was arrested in his home on Moross in Detroit and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Day was referred for a competency exam that is pending.

Charged in connection with an April 2017 home invasion and sexual assault that occurred in Grosse Pointe Woods. Today Judge Kevin Cox declared a mistrial because the defendant is medically unavailable. The new trial date is July 10, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Cox.

Charged in connection with an April 2017 home invasion and sexual assault that occurred in Grosse Pointe Woods. Today Judge Kevin Cox declared a mistrial because the defendant is medically unavailable. The new trial date is July 10, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Cox.
The University of Michigan is providing Detroit up to $500,000 in resources a year toward initiatives to fight poverty.

Under the four-year agreement, the city will use some of the funds to create a new position, assistant director of economic mobility, through U-M's Poverty Solutions initiative, a program that was unveiled in January.

"This is a unique opportunity for the university to partner with the city of Detroit to find new and innovative ways to boost mobility and reduce poverty, seeking to bring value to Detroiters while also building knowledge about what works in fighting poverty that can be exported to other cities," said Luke Shaefer, director of Poverty Solutions, in a news release.

Priorities of the partnership include:

Removing barriers to employment for city residents, including transportation.

Leveraging U-M resources to enhance Detroit initiatives.

Providing research and analysis to build on current programs and pilot new ones.

Tracking and evaluating progress to measure overall impact of Detroit initiatives.

"We are beginning to make progress in reducing the rate of poverty in Detroit, but still have a long way to go," Mayor Mike Duggan said in a news release. "This partnership between the University of Michigan and the city will be a great help in our efforts to provide pathways out of poverty to our residents who are still struggling."

The partnership also includes the health, workforce, housing and revitalization departments, along with the U-M School of Public Health, Ford School of Public Policy, School of Social Work, Michigan Medicine and Institute for Social Research.

The program is expected to help Detroit analyze short and long-term metrics of economic mobility, which includes: analyzing public information, leveraging local administrative data or generating surveys relevant to Detroiters.

A community health workers program initiative is underway for the Cody-Rouge neighborhood, which is expected to improve the physical and economic well-being of its residents.
Nguyen Tuan Anh (Photo: VNA)

Owning and distributing this high-ranking brand across Japan is entrepreneur Nguyen Tuan Anh. Born in 1983, he is a CEO of NAL Japan, operating in the field of information technology.

The fourth industrial revolution, with information technology as a pillar, is aggressively changing the way businesses do business in the world. This is an important factor for Mamas & Papas to trust a young entrepreneur in the field of information technology as a distributor in Japan.

Before opening the first store at Venus Fort in Odaiba, the busiest shopping district for tourists in Tokyo, Mamas & Papas has flooded online shopping and information portals with information. These are the strengths that Nguyen Anh Tuan brought to Mamas & Papas when conquering the Japanese market.

He shared that besides marketing, online shopping, he also combines with the traditional business model, apart from a shop at Venus Fort in Odaiba, Mamas & Papas will be also present at the Tokyo's most famous trade centres like Roppongi, Ginza. At the same time, Mamas & Papas will also appear in the most popular magazines in Japan such as Baby-mo, Bizmom, Hers, Crea, Baby life and Luxe.

Apart from generations who have settled in Japan before or right after 1975, the young generation, including Nguyen Tuan Anh, is gradually establishing their place in this country.

The year 2018 marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties, and young Vietnamese people have contributed to creating a new milestone in the bilateral relations for the prosperity of the both countries./.
DETROIT, MI - A 34-year-old woman was shot in the chest early Sunday and drove herself to the hospital, Detroit police reported.

The woman, rushed into surgery, was in critical condition.

Circumstances of the shooting were unclear and the perpetrator was unknown.

The woman was hurt about 3 a.m. March 18 in the 6000 block of Outer Drive, on the west side of the city, according to Detroit police.

Police did not specify the hospital, but the listed shooting location is in the same block as Detroit Medical Center Sinai-Grace Hospital.

Further information was not available.

The shooting was one of four non-fatal shootings in the city Saturday night and Sunday morning, according to the Detroit Free Press.
FLINT, MI -- The researcher whose studies first showed Flint's drinking water was contaminated with lead has been subpoenaed to testify by attorneys representing two top state health officials charged with crimes related to the city's water crisis.

Marc Edwards, a Virginia Tech University professor, confirmed he has been called to testify by attorneys for Nick Lyon, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and Dr. Eden Wells, the state's chief medical executive.

Both Lyon and Wells are deep into preliminary examinations in Genesee District Court, and each face potential criminal charges that include involuntary manslaughter for their roles in the water crisis.

Edwards declined to speculate about what he will be asked by attorneys for Lyon and Wells, but his research team at Virginia Tech has previously placed primary blame for Flint water contamination on employees with the state Department of Environmental Quality rather than DHHS.

More than two years ago, the Flint Water Study website, used to communicate news about Flint water research by Virginia Tech, publicly thanked Wells for her help in accessing e-mails that had been withheld from the group previously.

"He (Edwards) has been wanting to participate and add what he knows, which is a lot," said Britt Cobb, an attorney for Lyon, who is scheduled to return to court Friday, March 23, before Judge David Goggins.

Edwards is expected to be called to testify by attorneys for Lyon on Monday, March 26, and to appear at Wells next court appearance on March 27.

Edwards identified Flint drinking water as "very corrosive" and "causing lead contamination in homes" in early September 2015, a time when city and DEQ officials insisted the water met all regulatory standards and was safe to drink.

The professor of civil and environmental engineering used his own water testing, organized by city residents, to show tests by the city and the DEQ under-estimated lead contamination.

Flint Water Study did not blame DHHS for "missing the implications" of a spike in the blood lead levels of Flint children after the city's water source was changed to the Flint River in April 2014, saying the agency was provided "misinformation" by DEQ.

The group said it primarily faulted DHHS for "being overly trusting of DEQ -- which is something that the Governor's Office can also be criticized for."

In addition to Wells, Lyon and two other DHHS employees, four current and former employees of the DEQ are facing criminal charges related to the water crisis.

MLive-The Flint Journal could not immediately reach Steven Tramontin, an attorney for Wells, for comment on the Edwards subpoena, but Cobb said the professor's testimony in that case could be taken out of turn -- before special prosecutor Todd Flood finishes presenting witnesses.

That arrangement would allow Edwards to travel once instead of twice to Flint for the preliminary exams.

Flood has so far used expert testimony from Wayne State University professor Shawn McElmurry and others to make the case that Lyon and Wells bear responsibility for outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease in Genesee County in parts of 2014 and 2015.

At least a dozen people died as a result of the outbreaks, but the public was never told of the surge in Legionnaires' cases until a water emergency was declared here.
GOODRICH, MI -- A watch party has been set for people to cheer on "American Idol" contestant Genavieve Linkowski.

The 19-year-old Atlas Township resident will appear at 8 p.m. Monday, March 19 on the ABC reboot of the singing competition show featuring judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Katy Perry.

Smokin J's Bar B Que Pit, 10230 Hegel Road, is holding a watch party beginning at 7 p.m. Monday night in downtown Goodrich to see if Linkowski receives a ticket to Hollywood, according to the restaurant's Facebook page.

Linkowski was able to land an audition on the show, in part, due to a viral video of the teen singing at the Volunteers of America store in Burton spotted by a casting producer for the show.

She sang Jason Mraz's "I Won't Give Up" for her audition in front of the judges at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee, as parents Craig and Tamara and her nine siblings -- Corinn, Isaac, Joshua, Grace, Amanda Jean, Abraham, Jacob, Hadassah, Adeline -- awaited the results.

Linkowski has felt the support from her parents and siblings along the way, never any jealousy or envy for the attention received of late.

"Whatever she does, she's good at it," Tamara recently told MLive-The Flint Journal. "She's a big help. I always said God knew what he was doing when he gave me her as a first-born."

Linkowski hasn't always been into singing. She picked up the art form when she was 14 years old after watching the movie "Frozen" and hearing the oft-played song "Let It Go" by Idina Menzel.

"I listened to Idina Menzel sing that and I thought 'Oh my gosh, is she going higher? She's going higher, she's going to hit that note,'" Linkowski previously said. "Oh my gosh, how did she do that? How is that humanly possible?"

Having played the piano, harp, violin and focusing on classical music, Linkowski set up a karaoke playlist and began to belt out a variety of songs -- including Celine Dion and Mariah Carey -- setting up a routine and practicing for up to 90 minutes each day.

She's had auditions for the NBC singing competition "The Voice," but Linkowski felt she could be more of herself on "American Idol," in getting to choose her own songs, decide her own wardrobe, and feel more natural in the environment.

"I am about being myself and being true to who I am," she said Monday afternoon at her family's home where Linkowski helps home-school her siblings and sings in a small studio in the garage where she films videos for her YouTube page.

In deciding on the Mraz song for her audition, Linkowski noted the song means a lot to her for personal reasons.

"I love the lyrics to the song because I'm all about sticking it out and making it through hard times together with each other," she said.

Linkowski said she had sacrificed her time to help out her family around the house after her mother recently suffered heart failure.

"That song is totally up that alley."

Dozens of relatives and friends are expected to attend a private watch party at the Linkowski family's Atlas Township home.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A student at Grand Rapids Catholic Central is accused of sexually assaulting two other students.

The 17-year-old suspect is expected to be arraigned Monday, March 19, in Grand Rapids District Court on charges of assault with intent to commit sexual penetration and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Grand Rapids police confirmed that two alleged victims have been identified.

Students reported "allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct by a Catholic Central High School student to administrators" on Friday, March 16, the Diocese of Grand Rapids said in a statement.

School administrators contacted parents of the alleged victims as well as Grand Rapids police.

Police arrested the suspect the same day as the report came in, records showed.

"Catholic Central High School is committed to providing a safe environment for our students and we take all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously," the diocese said.

"It has no place in our school community."
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A decades-old discussion regarding the consolidation of 911 services in Grand Rapids and Kent County has resurfaced.

While merger talks are believed to be in early stages, some city government and public safety officials disagree on the quality of service a singular dispatch center would provide the public.

Members of the Grand Rapids Police Department, in opposition of the move, said it would cause a "significant level of disservice to the residents of Grand Rapids" and could create added risks for police and firefighters by adjusting an "already top-notch system."

"If you can't ensure equal service level, which you can't do, you're potentially messing with the lives of almost 300 officers in Grand Rapids, as well as the firefighters and almost 200,000 residents," said Grand Rapids Police Capt. Geoffrey Collard.

"The dispatch center is our initial clearing house for all calls for public safety; it's the lifeline of our officers and firefighters ... Our ultimate concern is residents won't be served as they expect."

Those in support of at least furthering the discussion, including Grand Rapids Interim City Manager Eric DeLong and Kent County Sheriff Larry Stelma, argue that agencies across the nation have proven that a countywide dispatch center is cost-effective and won't compromise public safety.

Under a consolidated system, DeLong said, emergency units would be dispatched the same way as they are now. Benefits to the move could include improved efficiency, and a potential cost savings of around $700,000 annually.

Timing for the discussion is prime as both centers are in the process of upgrading their radio technology to an 800 MHz frequency system. It's unclear if the new system would require upgraded towers, but updating one center instead of both would be a money-saver.

"I think the community as a whole would be better off with one dispatch center," Stelma said. "It's done across the country and seems to be best practice in many communities. And if it's working in all of these other communities, why wouldn't it work here? I think it would."

Grand Rapids Police Chief David Rahinsky and Fire Chief John Lehman said they would only support a consolidation if they were comfortable that service to residents would not be diminished in any capacity.

Both insisted that they are "very happy" with the city's current dispatch system.

"We have great dispatchers and a great system," Rahinsky said. "So I would really need to see tangible benefits before I supported it. Whether that means the service is at the same level with reduced cost or what have you, we have a very good thing here."

The interim city manager said he too wouldn't endorse a consolidation if it meant a lesser service to the public.

"If we can't assure that, we shouldn't be doing this," DeLong said. "But based on what I've learned to date, I believe we'll be getting the same service package, meaning employee safety and citizen safety would have the same outcomes."

A consolidation would mean Grand Rapids dispatchers would move into the county dispatch center, which would be expanded to fit the additional staffing.

Officials have said all city dispatch staff would be offered jobs at the county, potentially with incentives, though Collard said a large portion of the 45 dispatchers and supervisors have expressed no interest in making the move if offered.

The countywide center would also be expected to add new positions in the event of a consolidation.

Talk of combining the dispatch center inside the Grand Rapids Police Department with the one housed at the Kent County Sheriff's Office is not new. Stelma said the idea was considered "only a matter of time" by many when he joined the sheriff's office in 1972.

Kent County trimmed its emergency call-taking centers from five to two in 2011. The merger allowed the county to dispatch services to Grandville, Kentwood, Lowell and Walker -- a move officials said offered quicker responses for 911 calls.

In 2016, Wyoming reached an agreement with the county as well, leaving only Grand Rapids outside the county's dispatch region.

While the two centers act as backups to each other in case of a catastrophic event or when once facility experiences a call surge, Stelma said a combined center would have more resources in one location, thus reducing the risk of a surge.

Discussions of a possible consolidation picked back up last year between Stelma, DeLong and former City Manager Greg Sundstrom. City police and fire officials and the city commissioners were informed of the talks in February 2018.

DeLong said preliminary discussions were meant to determine if a consolidation was feasible. Once the project was deemed doable, the interim city manager said all stakeholders were brought to the table.

The delayed involvement rubbed some public safety personnel the wrong way, including Michelle Benites, union president for the Grand Rapids dispatch center. Backed by a group of dispatch staff, she spoke against the consolidation during the March 6 city commission meeting.

"We learned 18 hours ago that the interim city manager had been in discussions with the Kent County Sheriff's Office for nine months in regard to consolidating dispatch centers," Benites said. "Neither the police department or dispatch center were included until just recently.

"We believe a significant disservice would be provided to the residents of Grand Rapids by following through with the consolidation."

Third Ward Commissioner Dave Allen said he was disappointed with how the news of a possible consolidation was made public following the commission meeting. He and other city commissioners said they haven't been given much information at this point, making it difficult for them to show support or opposition at this point.

"I can't even base an opinion, I have no information, no study on savings," Allen said. "The way it was done created undue stress."

First Ward Commissioner Jon O'Connor said the city has a "highly-competent dispatch team" and "phenomenal police and fire departments," and that he'd only support the move if all agencies were on board and comfortable that the quality of service wouldn't suffer.

"You get what you pay for and that matters," O'Connor said. "In the event we do discuss a change, the level of service provided would be most important to me. We have got to make sure our police and fire departments are comfortable with this decision if we are going to discuss it further."

After the March 6 meeting, Second Ward Commissioner Ruth Kelly said she met with members of the police and fire departments to hear their concerns. She said she followed up with DeLong after to request more information.

No decisions have been made, DeLong said, and planning remains in the preliminary stages.

Further conversations are being scheduled to incorporate all stakeholders, but Stelma said a decision would need to be made "fairly quickly" if the dispatch centers are to implement the new radio systems by late 2019 as planned.

"It's time to have some serious discussions about it," Stelma said. "I think the community as a whole would be better off with it. It's just a matter of it we want to go through the growing pains now or later.

"There will be angst but, in the end, it'll improve service."
JACKSON, MI - Jackson Public School residents can find out more about an upcoming bond issue at a community meeting tonight.

The informational meeting on the $86.7 million school bond on the May 8 election ballot is 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 19, in the Middle School at Parkside library, 2400 Fourth St.

The ballot language asks for funds for:

Constructing a new elementary school building.

Constructing additions to and remodeling of existing school district buildings, including classroom improvements, swimming pool replacement, roof replacements, lighting and mechanical upgrades, plumbing, safety and security and other infrastructure improvements.

Equipping, furnishing, re-equipping and refurnishing school district buildings and acquiring buses.

Improving and developing sites, including traffic flow, sidewalks, parking lots and drives, structures, athletic fields and playgrounds.

Acquiring and installing technology infrastructure and equipment, including instructional technology.

More information is available at JPS Say Yes on Facebook or by emailing JPS2018yes@gmail.com
JACKSON, MI - A potential $5 million road construction tool that could save Jackson County $125 million over 50 years is being called into question by a statewide construction trade organization.

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners will decide at its 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 20 meeting on the purchase of a Wirtgen 3800 Cold Recycler and associated equipment for $4.1 million to $5.2 million.

The Michigan Infrastructure and Trade Association has formerly encouraged board members to vote it down. MITA represents 600 road construction-related companies throughout Michigan.

"It seems as though the Jackson County Department of Transportation is going a little bit above and beyond just normal upkeep of their current equipment," MITA Vice President Lance Binoniemi said.

"It looks like they're moving in the direction to do all their road construction on their own, rather than putting it out to private businesses to be competitively bid and get the best bang for their buck."

The series of machines grind up old road, add oil emulsion, feed it into a paver and lay down a new road base in one swoop, JCDOT Managing Director Christopher Bolt said. A new base is created, but contractors are needed to add a thin layer of asphalt on top.

The cold recycler is projected to save the county $100,000 per mile of road, Bolt said, paying for itself after 50 miles. The reconstructed base will help keep the roads in better shape for longer, he added.

The board will also vote to approve $7.12 million in bonds Tuesday for the equipment and associated costs, to be paid back by state road funds in future years. If approved, the goal is to have the machine operational by June.

While Bolt said the technology is present and thriving in other states, it's a relatively new venture in Michigan - especially from a public road department.

"If we keep doing what we've been doing, we're never going to catch up. I've calculated frontwards and backwards, and my head hurts," Bolt said. "We have to do something different."

That "something different" shouldn't include investing in this kind of equipment, Binoniemi said, and should instead be put directly into road construction. Private contractors will lose out on jobs if this passes, he added.

"There's no other county in the state that is doing it," Binoniemi said. "I'm not very familiar with the actual technology, but those few companies that I've talked to that are familiar with it, they don't like it. It's a very difficult process."

MITA's letter to the board members questioned how "game changing" the product actually is.

"If this new equipment saved hundreds of millions of dollars - which is the claim that's being made - why isn't it being used everywhere on every construction project?" Binoniemi said.

Pushback from special interest groups has hindered such innovation in the state, Bolt said.

"(I am) very disappointed in the approach MITA has taken on this and other similar initiative around the state in recent months," Bolt said.

While MITA sent a letter to the board, it has not reached out to JCDOT as of Monday, March 19, Bolt said.

"Frankly, it competes with the interests of conventional construction because the roads constructed with this methodology have benefits, including increased longevity, durability and strength," Bolt said.

Bolt hopes the private industry is paying attention to what Jackson County is doing and joins in on the new model.

Contrary to MITA, Bolt believes this is a win-win situation for the taxpayers and private contractors. Spending nearly $10 million a year to patch roads, Bolt's goal is to reduce that to $1 million by 2030 and put the rest into more road construction.

"We're not a construction company and we don't claim to be one," Bolt said. "We need private contractors. This is no way fights against that. It actually supports it."
PAW PAW, MI -- A 15-year-old boy accused of making a credible threat against Paw Paw High School might have followed through with an act of violence Monday had authorities not stopped him.

Van Buren County Sheriff's Deputies and Paw Paw Police investigated the threat Sunday, March 18 and the teen was arrested.

Authorities received a tip Sunday and a search warrant was obtained for the teen's residence in the 100 block of Oak Street in Paw Paw.

Sheriff Daniel Abbott said the teen was found to be in possession of two stolen guns, material to make pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails. He said the teen's family was cooperative during the investigation.

"If it wasn't for family, he might have been able to follow through," Abbott said. "I can't say how grateful we are for the family."

The teen was lodged on multiple charges at the Allegan County Juvenile Home.

School administrators were notified of the threat Sunday and a safety search of the school was conducted.

Paw Paw Public Schools are closed Monday, however, there is no ongoing threat at this time and schools were determined to be safe. School will be held Tuesday, March 20.

Abbott stressed the importance of calling authorities if someone has information about a threat or other crime.

People can call the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office at 269-657-3101 or submit an anonymous tip online on the Sheriff's Department's website.
House in the 100 block of Oak Street in Paw Paw.

UPDATE: The student was in possession of two stolen guns, material to make pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails.

PAW PAW, MI -- A 15-year-old boy accused of making a threat against Paw Paw High School has been arrested.

Van Buren County Sheriff's Deputies and Paw Paw Police investigated the threat Sunday, March 18, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.

During the investigation, deputies determined the threat made by the Paw Paw High School student to be credible.

Deputies said school administrators were notified of the threat. A safety search of the school was conducted and determined to be safe.

A search warrant of the teen's residence in the 100 block of Oak Street was obtained and investigators seized guns and other evidence.

The teen was lodged on multiple charges at the Allegan County Juvenile Home. Pending the teen's arraignment, further details of the charges will be released later.

Paw Paw Public Schools are closed Monday, however, deputies said there is no ongoing threat at this time.
KALAMAZOO, MI -- With his head down and back to his victim's family, Zachary Patten was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for killing a mother of four.

"You are trash," Ofelia Portillo, the victim's mother told Patten during his sentencing in Kalamazoo on Monday, March 19. "I hope you go to hell."

Graciela Portillo-Esparza, 31, was shot dead July 20, 2017, on Tray Lane in Kalamazoo. A jury found Patten, 33, guilty Feb. 12 of first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison with no chance for parole, after less than two hours of deliberation following his trial in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court.

On Monday, Portillo spoke angrily into the microphone in Spanish while family and friends cried behind her. While keeping her eyes fixated on Patten, she spoke to him through an interpretor saying he was "trash" and a "coward." Patten did not give a statement and never turned to face his victim's family and friends who filled half of the courtroom during the sentencing.

"You left my four grandchildren without a mother. My daughter was all they had ... You don't know the harm you've caused us," Portillo said.

Patten admitted to a detective that he had shot Portillo-Esparza, but said he had been aiming for her brother, according to testimony during the trial. The detective, Joseph Paul of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, testified Feb. 8 that Patten told him things had built up over the few months prior to the shooting and he couldn't take it anymore.

Oscar Portillo, the brother of Portillo-Esparza, is the ex-boyfriend of Nichole Hart, Patten's girlfriend.

The murder was premeditated, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Aubrey Koches said Monday. "The defendant heartlessly took the life of another human being. Nothing can ever make this family whole again or undo what this man has done."

In addition to his life sentence, Patten was sentenced by Judge Pamela Lightvoet to 4 to 7 years for two weapons charges. He was ordered to pay over $17,000 in restitution in addition to court fees.

Patten is also facing murder charges in St. Joseph County after he allegedly drove to Constantine area after killing Portilo-Esparza and shot and killed Shane Richardson, the husband of Patten's ex-wife, Kaleena Richardson. Patten is scheduled to stand trial April 24 on felony murder, open murder, first-degree home invasion and felony firearm charges for Richardson's death.
The Vietnam pavilion at the exhibition. (Photo: toquoc.vn)

Together with destinations favored by Russian tourists like Nha Trang, Phan Thiet and Phu Quoc; city tourism products, cultural experience tours, cruise and National Tourism Year 2018 in Ha Long-Quang Ninh are among events being promoted at the exhibition.

With the objective of luring high-end tourists from this market, Vietnam Airlines also introduced the launch of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner scheduled to be put into operation from this March 27th. It one of the significant steps of Vietnams aviation to gradually improve the quality of services and target the higher spending, longer staying customer segment.

Vietnam Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Russia Mr. Ngo Duc Manh, hailed the scale and quality of the Vietnam pavilion at the exhibition and hoped the tourism sector would continue to intensify promotion activities in the market. In 2019, the country is expected to organize Vietnam Year in Russia.

Earlier, on March 12th, a delegation of VNAT and localities visited and worked with the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia.

Russia ranks sixth among the biggest markets sending tourists to Vietnam. In 2017, Vietnam greeted 574,164 Russian tourists, a 32.3% rise from the previous year. With the current growth, the tourism sector expects to receive 1 million travelers from the market in 2020./.
SAGINAW, MI -- An attorney has filed a federal class-action lawsuit against two Saginaw city officials, alleging that an ordinance violates the Fourth Amendment rights of property owners.

Phillip Ellison, a Hemlock-based attorney, file a lawsuit on March 14 in U.S. District Court naming the city's Chief Inspector John Stemple and Clerk Janet Santos.

The lawsuit alleges that language at the bottom of an application to register unoccupied or vacant properties strips property owners of their protections against unreasonable searches and seizures by forcing them to sign them away in order to be compliant with the city law.

The particular part of the language reads:

"I hereby agree that in the event my property becomes dangerous as defined by the City of Saginaw Dangerous Housing Code, I give permission for the City, its agents, employees, or representatives, to enter and board the premises or do whatever necessary to make the property secure and safe."

Ellison said that that paragraph makes the application illegal, for one, because that language is not a part of the ordinance and secondly, because it gives government officials the right to enter someone's property without a warrant.

"Law presumes that the government can't just enter your property," Ellison said.

According to Ellison, a government official would have to file a request for an administrative warrant by presenting an affidavit and evidence to a judge to obtain a warrant.

"The judge might not be convinced and may want to hear from the owner before making a decision," Ellison said. "They can't just walk in and start boarding it up."

The lawsuit arose because James Benjamin, trustee of the Rebekah C. Benjamin Trust and client of Ellison, was ticketed by the city for two vacant or unoccupied properties he failed to register.

Ellison said his client does not have a problem registering the properties but does have a problem signing over his Fourth Amendment rights.

"If the city changes it, we can resolve this without going to court," Ellison said.

The class-action suit will represent anyone who could be, or has been, signing these applications, Ellison said.

"We want to make sure that they don't do this to anyone else," Ellison said.

No money is being sought other than legal fees, Ellison said.

Ellison said Santos and Stemple were named in the complaint because it's the city clerk's responsibility to have the application available and the inspector's job to enforce it.

"She's requiring everyone to use it," he said. "Stemple would authorize inspections and searches."

Stemple and Santos are being represented by O'Neill, Wallace, & Doyle, of Saginaw Township.

Stemple declined to comment on pending litigation. Santos could not be reached for comment.
NASA's Juno spacecraft not only continues to send crucial data and new findings of Jupiter home, but some gorgeous photos that look more like art than the planet itself.

The latest, located at the top of this article, is a close-up view of a storm and clouds in the northern hemisphere of the giant gas planet, the U.S. space agency reports in a news release. NASA says it made the photo around 5:30 a.m. Feb. 7 during Juno's 11th flyby of Jupiter.

At the time of the photo, the space agency says the spacecraft was 7,578 miles from the top of the planet's cloud tops. NASA reports the image is color-enhanced, and was processed by citizen scientist Matt Brealey by using the JunoCam imager.

Back in January of this year, Juno sent an image home of Jupiter that looks more like a painting than the planet's atmosphere.

High Above the Jovian Clouds: This image of colorful, turbulent clouds in #Jupiters northern hemisphere was captured during my latest flyby of the planet https://t.co/zQ6OFl5WLC pic.twitter.com/NWMxnJzGwA  NASA's Juno Mission (@NASAJuno) January 4, 2018

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NASA has been studying Jupiter and the fascinating giant storm wider than our planet closer than ever thanks to its Juno Spacecraft.

The U.S. space agency's Juno spacecraft was launched to unlock Jupiter's secrets to improve the understanding of not only the solar system's origins, but the giant planet's as well. NASA reports that, specifically, Juno's mission will try to determine how much water is in the planet's atmosphere and to measure its composition, temperature, cloud patterns, and map its magnetic and gravity fields.

Some of its accomplishments include offering humanity's first up-close view of Jupiter's Great Red Spot, discovered that the planet's atmosphere has features unlike anything else encountered in the solar system, and that the Great Red Spot storm has been shrinking for years but that as it shrinks it grows taller.

In February of this year, a NASA scientist and leader of the Jupiter-focused Juno mission said the Great Red Spot will really start to disappear in the next "decade or two."

"Juno's principal goal is to understand the origin and evolution of Jupiter. Underneath its dense cloud cover, Jupiter safeguards secrets to the fundamental processes and conditions that governed our solar system during its formation," NASA explains of the Juno Mission.

"As our primary example of a giant planet, Jupiter can also provide critical knowledge for understanding the planetary systems being discovered around other stars."

The Juno spacecraft was launched in August 2011, arrived to Jupiter in July 2016, and will continue to operate with its current budget through July to bring its science orbits up to 12. NASA says the team can propose to extend the mission past July 2018, so the Juno spacecraft might not be done just yet.
Thanks to the European Space Agency, we have a slightly better idea of where and when China's 8.5-ton falling space station will re-enter the atmosphere and crash into Earth.

Although the agency clarifies that "at no time will a precise time/location prediction from ESA be possible" it provides a new estimated timeline and location Tiangong-1 will return to Earth. The ESA's timeline -- posted Thursday, March 15 -- puts the space station's return between March 30 and April 6, and between 43 degrees north and 43 degrees south.

It's important to note that the 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.

In the graphic below, the areas in green are the highest-probable re-entry areas:

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"There is a chance that a small amount of Tiangong-1 debris may survive reentry and impact the ground," U.S. government-funded 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."

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.

Aerospace noted on its website that between 10 to 40 percent of a spacecraft re-entering the Earth's atmosphere is expected to make it through. China's free-falling space station weighs in at a little less than 19,000 pounds.

Reference: here is an illustration of Tiangong-1 by the manufacturer CAST pic.twitter.com/ElrbndsWY4  Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) March 7, 2018

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."

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 Tiangong-1 debris landing.

Even with a higher chance than other regions, the likelihood of a piece of debris hitting someone or something is very unlikely. The interest surrounding the free-falling doomed space station is the fact that scientists and researchers truly can't nail down when and where it will enter.

See below for the Aerospace graphic, which is very similar to the ESA's:

--

In the Aerospace graphic above, 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.
[March 19, 2018] Thai Deputy Prime Minister Reiterates Thailand in the Fast Lane Towards an Advanced Economy Driven by Mega Projects, EEC and Digital Development BANGKOK, March 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak led economic ministers in announcing the government's commitment to transform Thailand's economy into an engine of Southeast Asia's economic growth through three strategies -- investments in megaprojects, development of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), and promotion of digital technological advances. Kobsak Pootrakool, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office, has echoed those sentiments by emphasizing a comprehensive plan to drive economic reform in many areas, including human resources development, business enhancement and efficiency improvement in the public sector. Speaking at the "Thailand Taking off to New Heights" seminar on March 19, Mr. Jatusripitak reiterated that the seminar served as a platform for the Thai government to demonstrate the country's readiness to strengthen its position in the global market. It also enabled the government to announce details of its latest investment policies and goals to transform Thailand into an advanced economy and a regional investment, transport and tourism hub in Southeast Asia. The seminar was held by the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) at IMPACT, Muang Thong Thani, which drew over 3,000 participants, including Thai and foreign investors, representatives from government agencies, and members of the Thai and international press. To support the transformation, the government has introduced three major strategies, including: Development of mega projects to improve physical infrastructure such as the electric train system in Bangkok and suburban areas; new electric trains in other provinces; a dual-track rail system for enhanced transportation across the country, a high-speed rail system connecting with neighboring countries; the expansion of Suvarnabhumi Airport phase 2, Don Mueang International Airport development phase 3, Phuket International Airport development phase 2, Chiang Mai International Airport development phase 1; as well as investments in energy surveys and the construction of natural gas infrastructure and ipelines; Investments in EEC with an aim to create seamless transport and logistic systems linking roads, rails, sea routes and air transport in the EEC and peripheral areas. Projects under this strategy to drive Thailand 4.0 policies include the construction of the Bangkok-Rayong high-speed train system linking three airports, the improvement of U-Tapao International Airport to make it an aviation hub of the region; the development of Laem Chabang Deep-Sea Port and Mab Ta Phut Port Phase 3; and the development of Eastern Economic Corridor of Innovation (EECi); Projects supporting Thailand 4.0 development such as investment in village-level broadband internet. The government's submarine cable network connecting Thailand , Hong Kong and Mainland China will also make Thailand an international gateway for this region. The government supports digital trading and digital transformation in the manufacturing and service sectors. This has also raised private sector awareness and enhanced its ability to embrace digital technology faster. Meanwhile, e-government has been introduced to increase efficiency in public services. Mr. Jatusripitak added that in the past two years the government has implemented various initiatives resulting in significant economic expansion. Thailand has seen impressive economic growth, high export values, more investment applications and increasing numbers of foreign tourists. Moreover, Thailand's competitiveness ranking by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) and World Economic Forum (WEF) has improved. More importantly, Thailand's 2017 ranking in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business improved 20 positions to 26th ranking in one year. Meanwhile, Thailand was ranked 1st in US News' Best Countries to Start a Business and 8th in US News' Best Countries to Invest in. "Under these important strategies, I am confident that in the next 3-4 years Thailand will be significantly transformed," Mr. Jatusripitak said. "In implementing every project, the government encourages participation from members of the private sector, both in local and foreign." Mr. Pootrakool, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office in charge of BOI, said during the panel discussion on "Driving Thailand to the New Future" that the Thai government was committed to economic reform by supporting the adoption of advanced technologies and boosting innovation. The government's economic policies aim at increasing national competitiveness and creating social equality to achieve inclusive growth for Thailand. To that end, an economic reform scheme has been prepared by the government, covering plans to increase people's capability, to empower business sector and to increase efficiency in the public sector. The three major action plans have been outlined as follows: Increasing productivity and efficiency in the major industries in which the country has expertise, strengthening high potential industries of the future, and improving competitiveness through people development; Encouraging partnerships and economic integration in the region, starting from investment in basic infrastructure, and liberalization of trade and services, to achieve sustainable economic growth; Creating an enabling research and innovation ecosystem by improving measures promoting the use of innovation in production, which are crucial to increase national competitiveness. All these ambitions will require close cooperation among a variety of stakeholders, Mr. Pootrakool stressed. "It cannot be achieved without cooperation from all parties concerned, including all companies attending the seminar today," he added. "On behalf of the government I invite all of you to work together and transform the Thai economy by bringing Thailand out of the middle income trap and achieving sustainable economic growth in the future." Ms. Duangjai Asawachintachitr, Secretary General of the Board of Investment, noted that the high number of participants at the seminar indicated great interest in the government's initiatives. As a result, the seminar fulfilled its function as a significant event for the government, including BOI, by providing a platform for officials to explain the government's investment promotion policies and to directly share with participants details of the progress of EEC's development. At the event, a number of key government agencies had exhibitions and participated in providing up-to-date information to investors. They included the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, the Eastern Economic Corridor Office (EECO), Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, and Ministry of Science and Technology, for example. In addition, also on display were exhibitions of local products and innovations funded by government agencies, including the Thailand Research Fund, the Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research, and the National Research Council of Thailand. For more information, please visit https://goo.gl/ncXNxN and www.boi.go.th Press Inquiry: please contact thailandinvestmentyear@gmail.com INVESTMENT SERVICES CENTER

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Fax: +66-(0)2553-8222 View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/thai-deputy-prime-minister-reiterates-thailand-in-the-fast-lane-towards-an-advanced-economy-driven-by-mega-projects-eec-and-digital-development-300615806.html SOURCE Thailand Board of Investment (BOI)

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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
Helping to celebrate music in education, the Travis Brass Quintet gave live performances March 16 at Jackson Academy of Math and Music as well as at Ann Sobrato High School.

The brass quintet is made up of two trumpets, a horn, a trombone and a tuba.

As part of Air Force Public Affairs, they are charged with delivering the Air Force story to communities within the bands seven-state touring region of California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Nevada and Arizona.

As professional musicians, they provide entertaining concerts and wide-ranging educational assistance for music educators and aspiring music students.

The band gave two performances at JAMM and one performance at Ann Sobrato High School. The first performance at JAMM was for primary students in grades Kindergarten through fourth grade. The second performance at JAMM for grades 5-8, included a brief question and answer session with the band members, as did the Sobrato performance for band students.
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.
A prior Fund Spy argued that American Funds parent Capital Groups long-term investment results, fixed-income improvements, and industry leadership ensure its relevancy even as cheap passive options and regulatory changes pressure active managers to cut costs and improve performance.

This Fund Spy focuses on capacity. Capital Groups divide-and-conquer approach to asset management has long enabled it to run massive funds. However, its time for the firm to better specify the funds capacity and explain its reasoning for those limits.
SOUTHINGTON  School officials are asking the town to use a projected self-insurance fund surplus to lessen the impact of mid-year cuts in state aid.

The town pays for general government and school employees medical claims through a self insurance fund.

Education officials proposed a contribution holiday where the district would keep what they usually pay into the self-insurance fund for a period to make up for the loss in state funding.

Sherri Dinello, school finance director, said earlier this month that claims are $800,000 lower than anticipated for the fiscal year. She suggested the contribution holiday as an alternative to layoffs or a furlough days.

Were not sure this is the time to be increasing fund balances for the self insurance fund, she said. Theres a very healthy fund balance right now.

Brian Goralski, school board chairman, said the boards efforts to reduce medical claims have been effective, adding the school district should receive some benefit from the savings.

Due to the cuts in state aid, the town is looking to fill a $2.1 million shortfall in its budget for the current fiscal year. School officials are working on a deficit mitigation plan. Town Hall has instituted spending freezes and other measures to handle their portion of the revenue loss.

Kevin Beaudoin, a member of the self insurance committee and Board of Finance, said the fund has had a rolling surplus of $4 million to $5 million over the past few years. There could be a surplus of around $800,000 this fiscal year, he said.

Hes open to discussing the contribution holiday but wants to make sure claims dont spike in the last few months of the fiscal year. Most claims are made in the latter part of the fiscal year since employees must exhaust deductibles first.

Thats something that might be doable, thats something I was interested in talking about, Beaudoin said.

The town, school board and employees contribute more than $20 million to the self insurance fund annually.

Chris Poulos, a Town Council member and self insurance committee vice chairman, said he wanted to see a specific proposal before making a recommendation to the council, which would have to approve the contribution holiday.

If were going to have a discussion about that proposal, I would like to see the proposal in advance of the meeting scheduled for March 28, he said. Its difficult to consider something on the spot when youre looking at a lot of numbers.

jbuchanan@record-journal.com

203-317-2230

Twitter: @JBuchananRJ
SOUTHINGTON  Hartford HealthCare geriatric specialists can continue a home visit program for town residents with the help of a grant from the Bradley Henry Barnes and Leila Upson Barnes Memorial Trust.

Doctors and pharmacists with the healthcare companys Center for Healthy Aging conduct assessments with seniors, helping them with their medicines, nutrition and other needs to help them live well in their homes.

Susan Sadecki, president and CEO of the Main Street Community Foundation, which oversees the Barnes trust, said Hartford HealthCare received $80,000 in December to continue the work this year. The company has been awarded grants for the program the past two years.

Like many towns in Connecticut, Southingtons elderly population is growing. Sadecki said the Hartford Healthcare program keeps seniors in their home longer by bringing services to them.

Seniors are often on a host of medications, according to Wendy Martinson, Center for Healthy Aging director. Geriatric pharmacists have done assessments on patients taking 10 to 20 different medications. In some cases, the senior is taking medications to treat side effects for drugs theyre no longer on. Not only do the drugs sometimes cause problems when combined, but the number can also present mismanagement issues.

Martinson said pharmacists will review what the senior is taking and write recommendations to their physician. One senior went from 15 medications per day to eight.

Some seniors are skeptical of letting anyone into their homes. Hartford HealthCare has been running education events to familiarize seniors with the in-home service, which can include telemonitoring for those recently released from the hospital.

It still can be a struggle, Sadecki said. There are some seniors living on their own and they dont want anybody in their homes.

Martinson said family members often encourage their loved ones to get an assessment.

Its been slow to get up and moving, however, every story weve been involved with has been very impactful for the family, she said.

Martinson also stressed the importance of geriatric doctors in addition to seniors regular physicians.

Its really just like any other specialty. If you have a heart problem, you go to a cardiologist, she said. As we age, our health really changes.

For more information on the assessments, call the center at 860-929-6829.

jbuchanan@record-journal.com

203-317-2230

Twitter: @JBuchananRJ
By IANS

KOLKATA: Amidst political churning ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday met here and pitched for a non-Congress, non-BJP Federal Front, saying there is a need for a national alternative.

Rao, whose idea of a third front last week was immediately welcomed by Banerjee, flew to Kolkata and drove to the Secretariat for a meeting with the Trinamool Congress chief. He was accompanied by his daughter and MP Kavita and TRS MP K. Keshava Rao.

"We made a good beginning today and we will be able to carry forward from this," Rao, also the Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief, told the media with Banerjee by his side.

He said it won't be a third front and their idea of a new front would be a collective leadership.

"There is definitely going to be a federal front by the people of India. It is not a mere aligning of political parties. It is about unifying the masses, the people of India. There is a need for a political change.

"The Congress and BJP have not worked well for the country. There is a need for an alternative and an alternative agenda. We agreed on to bring a real federal front in the country with a group of like-minded leaders. The other leaders will sit together.

"You know what has happened in this country for the last 71 years. Do you want the same routine model to continue? Will it do any wonders if BJP goes out and Congress comes in? This country needs something wonderful," he said.

"The agenda we propose would be totally different from the present routine model. It would be people's agenda."



ALSO READ: PM Modi's pre-poll promises are only 'dramebazi' and a trick to grab power, says Sonia Gandhi at Congress plenary session

Terming his meeting with Banerjee as the first step towards the inception of the front, KCR, as the leader is popularly known, said the front's formation can be discussed in detail once other like-minded political leaders come to a consensus.

"Today we had a pleasant discussion where we agreed on so many fronts and we are trying to build a real federal front for this country. This will be a like minded group of political leaders. Today was just the beginning. Rest of the things will be made clear when other leaders sit together, discuss and come to a consensus.

"Just we two cannot decide all the things. There are other leaders, friends and like-minded people. We have to talk to all of them. We made a good beginning today and I am confident that we would be able to take it forward. I think this country would flourish," he said.

Echoing Rao, Banerjee termed the meeting as a "good beginning" and hoped the like minded leaders, focused on the development of the county, would eventually come together to form a "strong" federal front.

"This was a good beginning. Politics is a continuous process. The dialogue has been started. Let the leaders talk to each other. All of them would eventually come together to form the front. We want the federal front to be strong. If the states are strong, the Centre would also be strong," Banerjee said.

"We are not in a hurry. Let's approach other political parties also. Politics for bigger objectives takes time. Everything has been discussed in detail. Now we wait for tomorrow, for the future."

ALSO READ: Calls for common opposition front against BJP in 2019 grow after UP and Bihar bypolls

Answering a question on who would be the other stakeholders of the front, Banerjee said: "In politics, the situation sometimes allows everyone to come and work together. I have faith in democracy. It is best to work along with everyone in democracy. We have good relation with all political parties. We will maintain that."

Replying to a question about the BJP's claim that it can face the challenge of all parties, she said such attitude by a party does not look nice in a democratic setup.

"Don't think one party can rule the country. No party should be so proud of their own identity. Everybody has their own regional and national strength. They should respect each other."
By Online Desk

The Parliament witnessed yet another washout after a stormy start on Monday, over the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the YSR Congress Party's no-confidence motion against the Modi government, following its exit from the alliance. The motion was not taken up today as the House Speaker was unable to count support from MPs in favour of the move.

Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have been adjourned until tomorrow.

On Friday, the no-confidence notice was received by the Lok Sabha speaker, Sumitra Mahajan. However, she said the motion cannot be brought to the House if it is not in order and adjourned the House till Monday.

Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu decided to quit the NDA on March 16, days after two Union ministers from the state resigned from the BJP government following the Centre's refusal to grant Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh.

READ HERE | TDP's exit on Andhra Special State issue creates ripples within NDA

HERE ARE UPDATES:

12:30 pm - Y V Subba Reddy of the YSR Congress writes to the Lok Sabha secretariat again to put his notice for the motion in the revised list of business for tomorrow after today's adjournment.

YSRCP MP YV Subba Reddy again writes to Secretary General Lok Sabha to include in list of business for tomorrow 'no confidence motion in the council of ministers'. pic.twitter.com/6fsIhkk10H  ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2018

12:09 pm - The Lok Sabha is adjourned to tomorrow. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned earlier in the day.

The Speaker said she was unable to count support from the MPs for the TDP's no-trust vote against the BJP government because of the uproar.

12:05 pm - Lok Sabha session resumes. Constant booing is heard in the House as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan tries to appeal for order.

READ HERE | Special status to Andhra Pradesh has become a national topic now, says CM Chandrababu Naidu

12:03 pm - "I am in the opposition. Whatever the opposition does, I will do the same," says Farooq Abdullah, National Conference on the no-confidence motion.

12:02 pm - Opposition is ready for discussion on no confidence motion but it seems AIADMK is acting on behest of Central Govt and not letting the house function: Ramgopal Yadav, Samajwadi Party MP

12:00 pm - On one hand, they are saying to bring no-confidence motion.On the other hand, they are creating uproar in Parliament so that motion is not accepted for discussion. They themselves don't know why they are bringing no-confidence motion: Union Minister Jitendra Singh

National Conference President Farooq Abdullah (File | AFP)

12:00 pm - The SAD does not support TDP's no-confidence motion against NDa but backs its demands for special category status for the state of Andhra Pradesh.

We are in favour of special category status to Andhra Pradesh. We are not in favor of no-confidence against the Modi government, we will support the government: Prem Singh Chandumajra, Shiromani Akali Dal #budgetsession pic.twitter.com/WGyCwTOk2R  ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2018

11:45 am - We have been fighting for Telangana cause from the beginning. As a new state, our population is different, so we want to have own set of reservations in the state. Why should India have different laws for different states?: TRS MP AP Jithender Reddy

TRS MP AP Jithender Reddy (ANI Twitter Photo)

11:30 am - TRS MPs protest outside Parliament carrying placards saying "One nation, One law", demanding an increase in the quota of reservation in Telangana.

Telnagana Rashtra Samiti MPs protest. (ANI Twitter Photo)

11:22 am: Chandrababu Naidu: It was TDP and not YSRCP who responded on the Triple Talaq Bill. I told BJP leadership that criminalization of triple talaq was not correct. I was the first to oppose it.



11:20 am - Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu is addressing TDP's minority wing members.

We thought as an NDA member,BJP will do justice to the state, but nothing happened. We waited for four years, but of no use. Even in the last budget justice was not done: Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu pic.twitter.com/Gt2Mdvh1NU  ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2018

11:05 am - Lok Sabha adjourned till 12 pm after uproar in the House. Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day.

10:57 am - Arvind Sawant, Shiv Sena MP says: "We will neither support the Government nor the Opposition, we will abstain."

Arvind Sawant, Shiv Sena MP (ANI Twitter Photo)

10:55 am - TDP MP Siva Prasad wears a sari to highlight the problems faced by middle class women.

(Express photo | Shekhar Yadav)

10:52 am - TDP MPs protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament over special category status to Andhra Pradesh. Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury also joined the protest.

TDP MPs protest (ANI Twitter Photo)

10:52 am - TN Deputy CM O Pannerselvam: "Don't compare their (TDP) issue with Cauvery issue. Tamil Nadu Government will never let the state down. Supreme Court has given six weeks time (for formation of Cauvery management board), so if nothing happens we all will discuss future course of action."

O Pannerselvam (Photo | PTI)

10:50 am - AIADMK protests over the formation of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB)

Delhi: AIADMK MPs protest in Parliament premises over the #Cauvery issue (formation of Cauvery management board) pic.twitter.com/UcUqUW26EA  ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2018

10:45 am - "We are ready to face no-confidence motion as we have support in the House. We are confident": Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar tells ANI

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar (ANI Twitter Photo)

10:40 am - "As far as the Left parties are concerned, we will be supporting the no-confidence motion. People have started expressing their no confidence in Modi Govt, its time Parliament does it too," says Duraisamy Raja, CPI's National Secretary

Duraisamy Raja, CPI National Secretary (ANI Twitter Photo)

10:25 am- Floor test: Parliament secretariat received 3 notices on no-confidence motion, 2 from TDP and 1 from YSRCP. If House is in order and quorum established, Lok Sabha Speaker likely to bring No-Confidence motion after Question Hour. 50 members are needed to establish Quorum. (ANI)

10:15 am - Will the AIADMK support the no-confidence motion against the government?

Senior AIADMK leader and Minister for Fisheries D Jayakumar on Sunday said his party would take a call when the motion came up for voting.

10:10 am - DMK Working President MK Stalin said yesterday: "Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu put pressure on Central government and has gone for no-confidence motion for the welfare of their state. I ask this (AIADMK) Government to support TDP's no-confidence motion."

DMK's MK Stalin (Express File Photo)

10:05 am - TDP MP Thota Narsimham is quoted by ANI: We will move a no-confidence motion, have talked to opposition parties including TMC, Congress and Samajwadi Party. YSRCP is just doing politics, they are not concerned about the welfare of the state.

TDP MP Thota Narsimham (ANI Twitter Photo)

10 am - The Shiv Sena is yet to decide on its stand over the no-confidence motion

Will wait and watch.Will also have to see if Speaker allows the no confidence motion or rejects it. TDP has its own state issues and we welcome them. As of now we have not decided yet on no confidence motion, Uddhav ji will take a call: Sanjay Raut,Shiv Sena #budgetsession pic.twitter.com/mN9eHRI2Uh  ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2018

9:35 am - "We for last four years after our state was bifurcated have been fighting for special category status. Till 2016, BJP and Chandrababu Naidu kept saying that special status will be given. Then suddenly, he colluded with the BJP and he is like a chameleon, he decided against the state": VS Reddy, YSRCP MP

YSRCP MPs continued their protest at the entrance of Parliament House on Monday (March 19 2018) demanding grant of Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/ndXOWnrHkn  Vijayasai Reddy V (@VSReddy_MP) March 19, 2018

9:30 am - TDP MP RM Naidu speaks.

We are going to go move no-confidence motion,gather support of all respective parties in Parliament. It's responsibility of all parties in Parliament to support us. Trying to gather as much support as possible so debate happens, not trying to make the govt fall: RM Naidu, TDP MP pic.twitter.com/LbdfpLAQAd  ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2018

9:20 am - The TDP has issued a whip, directing its party leaders to attend Parliament till the end of the Budget session.

9:00 am - YSR Congress' K Parthsarathi tells ANI: We will continue to move no-confidence motion as long as the debate is taking place and facts are brought to the notice of the nation, and also to pressurize the Centre to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

ALSO READ | AIADMK's spokesperson expelled after offering conditional support to TDP's no-trust motion; says EPS, OPS afraid of BJP

Meanwhile, the opposition is expected to target the government over the Punjab National Bank fraud and the formation of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) as well.

The second phase of the Budget session that started on March 5 has seen continuous disruptions with a series of continuous adjournments.

(With inputs from agencies)
By IANS

AMARAVATI: Taking a U-turn on the issue of special category status to Andhra Pradesh, actor-politician Pawan Kalyan on Monday said the tag was not important.

In an interview to a television channel, the Jana Sena chief said that it doesn't matter whether the state gets the tag of special status or not.

"What is important is the financial help from the central government," he said.

Pawan, younger brother of superstar and Congress leader Chiranjeevi, also ruled out any truck with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) till the state's demands are met.

ALSO READ: Parliament adjourned, TDP-YSRC's no-trust notices against Modi government not taken up

The actor had been targeting Andhra Pradesh's ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ever since it accepted special package from the BJP-led NDA government last year in lieu of the special category status.

Pawan had been addressing a series of meetings to target TDP. He had also described the special package as a "stale laddu".

Last week, he had even threatened to launch an indefinite fast to seek special status.

The u-turn came amid the allegations by the TDP that Pawan has secret understanding with the BJP. TDP president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had criticised the actor for making allegations of corruption against the TDP government instead of targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not fulfilling the promise of special status.

Pawan, however, denied the allegations that BJP is behind him. "I have people behind me," he said.

Denying that he suddenly started making allegations against the TDP government, the actor claimed that he had taken up the matter with Naidu but he did not seem serious about looking into the problem.

Meanwhile, reacting sharply to Pawan's latest remarks on special status, state minister Amarnath Reddy said this proved beyond doubt that he is playing into the hands of the BJP.

Pawan had campaigned for BJP-TDP alliance in 2014 elections. TDP last week pulled out of NDA, accusing BJP of not fulfilling the commitments made to the state, especially granting special category status.
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Mr Yau (right) receives a souvenir from Secretary General of the Council for the Development of Cambodia Sok Chenda Sophea after attending a briefing given by the council.

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau speaks at a lunch hosted by the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce.

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau arrived in Phnom Penh today to meet the local business community and officials.

Leading a delegation of Hong Kong businessmen and professionals, Mr Yau met with the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce to discuss business co-operation opportunities and the local business environment.

The delegation later attended a briefing given by the Council for the Development of Cambodia to learn more about private sector investment policy and the latest investment environment in the country.

Mr Yau and the delegates also met Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak to discuss trade and economic co-operation.

Mr Yau said there is great potential for growth in trade between Hong Kong and Cambodia, noting bilateral trade in goods amounted to US$1.2 billion and increased by an average of 3.1% per year from 2013 to 2017.

He promoted Hong Kong's role as the key link in the Belt & Road Initiative, saying the city is capable of contributing to infrastructure investment as well as financing, and providing the professional and legal services needed to connect the many Belt & Road countries.
THE Zimbabwe National Liberations War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) has recommended the readmission of former war veterans leader Cde Jabulani Sibanda, former Cabinet Ministers Cde Rugare Gumbo and Cde Didymus Mutasa into the association and ruling Zanu-PF party.



Addressing a provincial war veterans meeting at Masvingo Polytechnic on Saturday, ZNLWVA national commissar Cde Francis Nhando said some of its members were wrongly expelled from the party on allegations of belonging to the Gamatox cabal in 2014.



He said these members were supposed to be readmitted into the association and the party.

There are some of our members who were expelled from the party on allegations for belonging to the former Vice President Dr Joice Mujurus Gamatox cabal by Mr Robert Mugabe, the former President. Their crime was of seeing problems in the party ahead of the rest of us, otherwise they did not commit any crime, said Cde Nhando.





At the top of our list, we want former chairman Cde Jabulani Sibanda back in the association and the party. He was instrumental during the partys 2013 general elections and during the One Million Men March held in Harare. We also have Cdes; Gumbo and Mutasa who deserve the same treatment because they are our members, so are Cde Kudakwashe Bhasikiti and Retired Colonel Claudius Makova, he said.





Zanu-PF secretary for war veterans Cde Victor Matemadanda, who was the guest of honour at the meeting, advised the association to write a letter to his office to formalise the mentioned cadres readmission.





We support the readmission of all who were dismissed by former president Mr Robert Mugabe back into the association and the party Zanu-PF. I therefore ask the vice chair of the association to write a letter with the names of those that have to be readmitted. The letter should be copied to the secretary for administration, said Cde Matemadanda.





He said for the first time Zimbabwe had a genuine leader in the person of President Emmerson Mnangwagwa.

We have come here to share with you the character of the new dispensation, as war veterans. For the first time in the history of Zimbabwe, we now have a true leader, President Mnangagwa. There is a vast difference between a leader and a ruler, Mr Mugabe was a ruler and you know how a ruler behaves, he said.





Cde Matemadanda reiterated that Mr Mugabe should apologise to war veterans for disrespecting them and disregarding their role in Zanu-PF politics.





He said Mr Mugabe only believed in himself and wanted his ill-mannered wife, Mrs Grace Mugabe, to lead the country that many sacrificed for during the war of liberation.





Cde Matemadanda urged war veterans to also campaign to be National Assembly members or councillors under the Zanu-PF ticket in the forthcoming harmonised elections expected soon.

He challenged Zanu-PF members to respect war veterans and help each other to campaign vigorously for President Mnangagwa and the party. Herald
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has paid tribute to Vice President General Constantino Chiwenga (Retired), Home Affairs Minister Dr Obert Mpofu and Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda for playing leading roles in burying former President Robert Mugabes dark era and bringing about the new political dispensation.



He said the intervention by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF), then led by Gen Chiwenga (Rtd), greatly aided Zimbabwes return to constitutionalism.



Addressing a bumper crowd at Nabushome Primary School on Friday, the President said the three leaders took brave decisions in their capacities to guide the nation towards a peaceful transition that culminated in Mr Mugabes resignation.





He said Gen Chiwenga (Rtd) in his capacity as ZDF commander understood the responsibility of the

security sector in protecting the constitution.





The security sector found it necessary that the flouting of the constitution by members who were not in the executive was not proper.





The criminals who had surrounded our former President had to be removed in order for this country to go back to constitutionalism, said President Mnangagwa.





He said Dr Mpofu, who is Zanu-PF secretary for administration, guided the party accordingly as the most senior at that time while Adv Mudenda led Parliamentary processes.





There are two men amongst us here that I want you to take note of. There is Obert Mpofu and Speaker of Parliament (Jacob) Mudenda, said Cde Mnangagwa, calling on the two leaders to stand up.

He went on: You see these two men, Mudenda is head of Parliament. When things got bad, in the party we had the Central Committee, which saw thousands of Zimbabwe taking to the streets demanding Mugabe to step down. What they demanded had to happen, but there is a proper way to do things.





Cde Mnangagwa said out of the 300 Central Committee members, 260 met at that time to discuss the state of affairs in the country and Government.





The most senior among them was Obert Mpofu who chaired that meeting, which expelled the entire G40 cabal and those who were insulting us and left pure Zanu-PF cadres, he said.

In Parliament, Mudenda appreciated that the constitution of the country must be protected and defended. He is the man who defended the constitution.





When Parliament decided to go for impeachment, there was an appeal from the former President not to proceed but the Speaker (Mudenda) stood his ground and said I am guided by the law and not wishes of an individual. He could have succumbed to that pressure but he stood by the law, by the constitution and was ready to suffer the consequences of standing by the law.





At the end of the day, Cde Mnangagwa said the former President decided not to face impeachment and resigned. After Mr Mugabe resigned, the President said, the ruling party, Zanu-PF, led by Dr Mpofu resolved to call him back from exile where he had fled for safety after threats to eliminate him following his firing from both Zanu-PF and Government. The party also reinstated him as its Vice President.





In terms of the constitution, the party with a majority in Parliament should nominate the person to assume the Presidency. Again President Mnangagwa said Dr Mpofu led Zanu-PF to nominate him to take up the position of the President of the country.





This is why I am here. I then came and was sworn in on the 24th of November last year. From that day 24th November Zimbabwe is different, Zimbabwe has a vision, it has hope and is united, he said.





We should move forward together as Zimbabwe, a unitary state and not a federation, with one flag and one national anthem. This is the Zimbabwe we know, Zimbabwe we are living and will leave to the next generation.





He dismissed claims that his administration assumed power through a bloody coup saying the entire transition process was peaceful.





No blood was shed, not even a glass was broken. Our people throughout the transition period were peaceful, he said. Chronicle
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has left Harare for Kigali, Rwanda for an Extraordinary Summit of the African Union which is expected to see the signing of the agreement launching the African Continental Free Trade Area.



The President is accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Retired Lieutenant General Sibusiso Moyo, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo, Industry, Commerce and Enterprise Development Minister Dr Mike Bimha and President of the Chiefs Council Chief Fortune Charumbira.



The Continental Free Trade Area is an African market of over US$1.2 billion people with a gross domestic product of US$2.5 trillion.



The Continental Free Trade Area has the potential to boost intra-African trade by 53 percent by eliminating import duties and non-tariff barriers.



It is one of the flagship projects of the first 10-year implementation plan of Agenda 2063 and aims to deepen the integration process.



It is being driven forward along with other key related initiatives such as the single African air transport market and the protocol on free movement of persons and the African passport.

The leaders of Africas 55 countries will are expected to attend the extraordinary summit that will make Africa the largest free trade area created since the formation of the World Trade Organisation.



President Mnangagwa was seen off by the two Vice Presidents Retired General Constantino Chiwenga and Cde Kembo Mohadi, Harare Metropolitan Province Minister Cde Miriam Chikukwa, cabinet ministers, service chiefs and senior government officials.
Ranganawa said when she asked another female crew member if she could share her room, the latter declined saying she was sleeping with Shem and instead encouraged Ranganawa to sleep with Michael. She then decided to sleep on the couch in another room, which had four boys sharing two beds.
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa is today expected to publish the names of individuals and corporates who externalised funds and assets, three days after a top cleric said authorities must start punishing corrupt individuals.



Days after assuming office last November, the President issued a three-month moratorium running from December 1 to February 28 for all those who externalised funds and assets to return them with no questions asked.



When the grace period lapsed, President Mnangagwa extended it earlier this month by two weeks.

Announcing the extension, the President said he would publish the names of those people who ignore his call to return the funds and then the law would take its course.





A statement will be released to inform you how much has come back and how much is in the process of coming back, and how much is still remaining outside, said President Mnangagwa.





We have given them another two weeks, but on the 19th of this month, we will publish those who have not heeded the call and the amounts they owe this country.

Last Friday, the President said nearly $300 million has been brought back by individuals and corporates who took advantage of the moratorium.





We have 1 166 cases of externalisation, now we have three categories, one category has brought in the cash. We thank them, we wont publish their names. They have brought in nearly $300 million, said President Mnangagwa.

He said some of the culprits have come forward to negotiate after they had invested the funds in securing foreign properties to the tune of $680 million.





The naming and shaming of the corporates and individuals comes at a time when a Roman Catholic priest Father Fidelis Mukonori, who brokered negotiations between former President Robert Mugabe and the Zimbabwe Defence Forces last year, said corrupt individuals must be punished.





Addressing a Chief Executive Officers Round Table in Victoria Falls last Friday, Fr Mukonori said perpetrators must be punished to end the vice.





There are some people who stole money for 37 years and have not been punished. Others are saying I can do the same (steal) but the fact of the matter is that those who did it should be punished or hand it over as promised, said Fr Mukonori.





The cleric was making a presentation during a panel discussion on Value system for the cross over-dealing with healing, reconciliation, corruption, entitlement and other imperatives.

Fr Mukonori said corruption is an abuse of the value system and challenged citizens not to accept property or money that does not belong to them.





Value system or moral conscience does not allow one to accept a bribe unless if it (conscience) is corrupted. As citizens we should be moulded by following our value system in line with the 10 commandments, he added. Herald
Father Fidelis Mukonori - the cleric who was at the centre of shepherding long-serving deposed Robert Mugabe's shock departure last November - last week preached a loaded message of reconciliation, saying without it, there is no "true and meaningful development" of Zimbabwe.



While the respected Roman Catholic Church priest did not at all talk about or even refer to 94-year-old Mugabes ouster by his deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, his message interestingly coincides and comes amid apparent escalating tension between the two politicians, with the former venting out and declaring his successor staged a coup at a press conference last week.



It also comes as concerned churches  through the Zimbabwe Amalgamated Churches Council  have sought to intervene and make the heavy weight politicians, who have known each other for over 50 years, find each other.



...absence of the spirit of reconciliation retards a true, meaningful development in our nation. Both victims and perpetrator remain stunted and dwarfed in progress.

Settlement of differences purify the communion in the community, Mukonori said at the just-ended CEOs Africa Round Table conference in Victoria Falls last week.



He said healing...is required by both sides; the victim and the perpetrator.

Restoration of health between two individuals...necessitates the restoration to health...of the nation at large, Mukonori said.



Interestingly, Mukonori  who has shied away from disclosing much about Mugabes November debacle and is said to have known the veteran politician since the 70s  went further to say the perpetrator has admit the wrong doing and face the victim...delayed conflict resolution is delayed justice, which could be viewed as a statement that speaks volumes.





Healing is a value chain of prosperity because a healed citizen is a tried and tested leader locally and nationally, he said, adding he or she can dream prosperity and not nightmare, though scars or injury will remain.



Mukonori went further to say it takes two to reconcile...harmony is essential in our national value system because friendship...restored will lubricate the whole system in our society.



The value system remind one who may have old scars but take that as part of the frailty and fragility which they will resolve never to allow it to happen to their off springs, he said.

He went on to touch on the sense of entitlement as a problem in Zimbabwes society.



To be entitled does not necessarily mean that you have. The problem is how we abuse entitlements, Mukonori said.



As citizens, we are entitled to many privileges but we do not have to exhaust all what we are entitled (to), the man of cloth said, warning that consequently, some of the citizens who may not have similar entitlements...by stealing money, vehicles, company or government properties...



Mnangagwa took power from Mugabe after a military intervention code-named Operation

Restore Legacy, which the army said was targeted at removing criminals surrounding the now ousted leader.



The operation cornered Mugabe, who had ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years, as he went on to face impeachment threats, while he was also fired from ruling Zanu PF  a party which had gloried and endowed him with a one centre of power status.



The nonagenarian buckled under the pressure and tendered his resignation on November 21, 2017.

Mukonori was involved in the whole process.



But Mugabe seems to be bitter with Mnangagwa, which he openly expressed during a press conference he called last week.



During the presser, frustrated Mugabe said he never thought Mnangagwa would turn against him and denounced his successors move to oust him as a coup.



I never thought he whom I had nurtured and brought into government and whose life I worked so hard in prison to save as he was threatened with hanging, that one day he would be the man who would turn against me, Mugabe said during the press interview, his first since his ouster.



Mnangagwa was convicted of sabotage under white minority rule and sentenced to death. But he was spared the noose because it was deemed that he was too young to be hanged when he had committed the crime. Mugabe spoke with anger and passion in his first press briefing, saying he was deeply aggrieved with what transpired.



Today, Emmerson is no longer on my side. Im no longer the president, he is. I called him president the other day and he said, oh no, no, no, please, dont call me president, call me Emmerson. I said I cant call you Emmerson, ok. I said I will call you ED, he said, speaking in a slurred speech.



I hope you will have the views I have shared published.

Mugabe said he was ousted in a military takeover and that Mnangagwa had assumed the presidency illegally.



I dont hate Emmerson, I brought him into government. But he must be proper, he is improper where he is. Illegal, Mugabe said.



We must undo this disgrace, which we have imposed on ourselves. We dont deserve it.

And if he is to correct that illegality, he would want me to discuss with him and we must undo this disgrace which we have imposed on ourselves, we dont deserve it, we dont deserve it, please we dont deserve it, Zimbabwe doesnt deserve it. We want to be a constitutional country.



Yes we may have our shortcomings here and there, but overall we must obey the law, become, constitutional.



People must be chosen to be in government in the proper way. I will discuss, I am willing to discuss, willing to assist in that process, but I must be invited, properly invited for that discussion. Currently, I am isolated and I am glad I have your company, he said, referring to the journalists. Daily News
One COVID Model Suggests

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(Newser)  It's the stuff of legend: A wagon from the Union Army supposedly lost a huge cache of gold bars while en route from Wheeling, West Virginia, to the US Mint in Philadelphia in 1863. More than 150 years later, the FBI is overseeing a dig in a Pennsylvania state forest where the famous loot might be buried, reports the AP. The dig is taking place at Dents Run, about 135 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, though no parties involvedthe FBI, the state, or the treasure-hunting group Finders Keepersare saying much. "I'm sorry, but as of right now all we're allowed to say is 'No Comment,'" a group member tells the Washington Post. "We'll keep you in mind when/if anything changes." Finders Keepers has long insisted that the gold is there, as detailed in this older post on its website, but it says skeptical state officials have never authorized a dig.

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That apparently changed last week as the excavation got underway. Various accounts say the Union wagon train was carrying 26 or 52 gold bars, which would be worth $27 million or $55 million, respectively, today. The Philadelphia Inquirer notes that a Civil War sergeant supposedly claimed that he was the lone survivor of an ambush on the wagon train, and the dig site is about 9 miles from where he said the ambush took place. Historians have been skeptical about the story over the years, but Finders Keepers says it has found artifacts at the site suggesting Union soldiers were there. The group also says metal detectors suggest something is buried there. Whether the lost gold is a tall tale or a genuine treasure should be known soon. (Elsewhere, a fortune in gold might be buried in the Bay Area of California.)
(Newser)  Anthony Butler says he knew he'd get a ticket when a cop pulled him over March 11 for not having a front license plate on his vehicle. What he didn't expect was to lose most of his infant daughter's cremated remains. "Almost all her ashes are gone," Butler tells the Chicago Tribune. "I have nothing else to remember her." Butler's story: He explains to Fox 32 that during the traffic stop, the Will County sheriff's deputy who detained him asked for consent to search the vehicle, and Butler said yes. The officer found a vial containing the ashes of Butler's infant daughter, Mariahwho'd died less than two weeks after she was born in 2014 of a congenital heart defecthanging from his Chevy Blazer's rearview mirror. Butler usually wears the mini-urn around his neck, but he'd placed it in the car earlier that evening to keep it from getting soiled while he did messy car repairs. Here the story gets murky.

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Will County Deputy Chief Thomas Budde says the officer asked Butler if he could field-test a tiny amount of the contents for drugs, and that Butler consented. Butler tells the Tribune he doesn't recall being asked for permission to do so, though he mentions to Fox 32 that the cop "asked me if it was okay to test a small amount." Either way, the deputy carried out the test, and Butler says when he got back to his car, the vial's cap was missing and his daughter's ashes were spread all over the front console. "I had to scrape up what was left," he tells the Tribune. Budde says though the officer "was careful not to spill anything," he was "caught off-guard" because he didn't expect to come across someone's ashes kept in that way. "Losing my daughter once was enough to kill most people," Butler tells Fox 32. "Losing my daughter twiceuncalled for." (Burglars demanded a ransom for a 6-year-old's ashes.)
(Newser)  There was a fourth explosion in Austin on Sunday nighthours after police urged the person behind three package bombs earlier this month to contact them and explain their "message." Officials say two men in their 20s were seriously injured in the blast in the southwest of the city, miles away from where the earlier bombs killed two men from prominent black families and seriously injured an elderly Hispanic woman, the Austin American-Statesman reports. "We're not going to take questions because we simply just dont know anything at this time," Interim Police Chief Brian Manley told reporters, promising there would be a briefing in the morning. Mayor Steve Adler said he would ensure police had all the resources they needed to investigate.

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At a news conference hours before the latest explosion, Manley said the motive or ideology behind the package bombs was unknown and addressed the bomber or bombers, the New York Times reports. "These events in Austin have garnered worldwide attention, and we assure you that we are listening," the chief said. "We want to understand what brought you to this point, and we want to listen to you." Investigators say they believe the same person built the devices used in the first three blasts, one on March 2 and two on March 12. Investigators, who say they are looking for possible links to other package bombings around the country, have received more than 700 tips about suspicious packages over the last week, Reuters reports. Police are offering a $115,000 reward for information. (Read more Austin stories.)
(Newser)  A condemned Missouri inmate faces a potentially "gruesome and painful" execution because of a rare medical condition that compromises the man's veins and causes multiple tumors in his head and throat, his attorney says. Russell "Rusty" Bucklew is scheduled to die by injection Tuesday evening for killing a former girlfriend's new boyfriend in 1996 in eastern Missouri. Bucklew, 49, was moments away from execution in May 2014 when the US Supreme Court halted it amid concerns about Bucklew's medical condition. He suffers from cavernous hemangioma, a rare ailment that causes weakened and malformed blood vessels, as well as blood-filled tumors in his nose and throat, the AP reports.

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Nearly four years later, the condition has worsened, attorney Cheryl Pilate says. The inmate's "rare and severe condition creates a very substantial risk of a gruesome execution, with choking and gagging on blood and the infliction of excruciating pain," Pilate says. A panel of the 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals has already refused to stop the execution. An appeal and stay request are pending before the US Supreme Court. Bucklew's appeals also have suggested that if the execution is carried out, the state should use lethal gas instead of an injection of pentobarbital. Missouri law still lists gas as an option, but the state no longer has a gas chamber and has not used the method since 1965. (Oklahoma plans to be the first state to use nitrogen for executions.)
(Newser)  Saudi Arabia's young crown prince arrives in the US on Monday for a three-week tour. Mohammed bin Salman, seen as his nation's de facto ruler, is expected to receive a warm welcome at the White House on Tuesday from President Trump, but diplomacy is not his only focus. NPR reports that MBS, as he is known, is on what is essentially a "cross-country PR tour" to depict his nation as one in transformation. One crucial component involves him visiting Silicon Valley to meet with execs from Apple, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and other major companies to line up investments and diversify the Saudi economy so it is less reliant on oil, per NPR's Deborah Amos. Some different threads related to the visit:

Women: In a wide-ranging interview with CBS' 60 Minutes, the 32-year-old prince declared that women are "absolutely" equal to men. Among the reforms put in place by MBS: Allowing women to drive and enter sports stadiums.

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Topic No. 1: The dominant issue at the White House talks is expected to be how to counter Iran's growing influence, reports Arab News. Helping in the talks is that the prince "forged close personal relationships" with Trump and Jared Kushner when they visited in May. Also, notes the Wall Street Journal, the Saudis will likely see the switch from Rex Tillerson to Mike Pompeo at the State Department as an "upgrade" more supportive of a confrontational approach with Iran.

The dominant issue at the White House talks is expected to be how to counter Iran's growing influence, reports Arab News. Helping in the talks is that the prince "forged close personal relationships" with Trump and Jared Kushner when they visited in May. Also, notes the Wall Street Journal, the Saudis will likely see the switch from Rex Tillerson to Mike Pompeo at the State Department as an "upgrade" more supportive of a confrontational approach with Iran. Friction over Yemen: As MBS visits, a bipartisan effort is underway in Congress to stop US military support for the Saudi bombing campaign in Yemen, reports the New York Times. The White House and Pentagon are warning this could hurt US-Saudi relations, but critics including Sen. Elizabeth Warren say they want to avoid giving Saudi Arabia a "blank check" in the convoluted fighting.

As MBS visits, a bipartisan effort is underway in Congress to stop US military support for the Saudi bombing campaign in Yemen, reports the New York Times. The White House and Pentagon are warning this could hurt US-Saudi relations, but critics including Sen. Elizabeth Warren say they want to avoid giving Saudi Arabia a "blank check" in the convoluted fighting. The movies: MBS will be meeting with execs at Walt Disney and Universal Pictures when he's in Los Angeles, again looking for investment opportunities as the nation lifts its ban on cinemas.

MBS will be meeting with execs at Walt Disney and Universal Pictures when he's in Los Angeles, again looking for investment opportunities as the nation lifts its ban on cinemas. Criticism: Bloomberg notes that as the prince embarks on his US "charm offensive," his own image has taken a hit of late after he ordered the detention of scores of members of the Saudi business elite. Many reportedly suffered brutal treatment in what has been widely viewed as MBS consolidating his own power.

The prince may also be keeping his mother away from his ailing father , the king. (Read more Saudi Arabia stories.)
(Newser)  When your airline is accused of mishandling pets, it's probably best not to joke about it, but United Airlines again finds itself making headlines barely a week after a dog died in one of its overhead bins. Per People, the latest incident comes courtesy of actor Graham McTavish, who appears in the Starz series Outlander. Just four days after the "tragic accident" on a Houston-to-New-York flight, McTavish says he was flying to the Windy City when he overheard some disturbing humor.

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"Sorry, but my journey with @united today was rubbish," he tweeted late Friday. "Crew on the NOLA/Chicago leg making jokes about dogs in the overhead," followed by what he says was "rude" behavior when it came time for the in-flight meal. "Just makes a bad experience worse guys." He didn't elaborate on what the jokes were. A United rep tells People they're reaching out to McTavish to "get the facts and  investigate with everyone involved." (United accidentally put a dog on a plane to St. Louisand another one in error to Japan.)
(Newser)  Police in Mississippi are investigating a shooting with an especially wrenching twist: The victim is a 13-year-old girl, and the suspect is her 9-year-old brother, who was allegedly angry she wouldn't give him a video game controller, reports the Clarion-Ledger. Both WTVA and WCBI report that the girl died Sunday evening. By the police account, the boy grabbed the gun and shot his sister in the head earlier that afternoon when she wouldn't give up the controller.

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Their mother was in another room at the time, and it wasn't clear how the boy got access to the gun or whether he knew the full consequences of his actions, police said. "Hes just 9," says Monroe County Sheriff Cecil Cantrell. "I assume hes seen this on video games or TV." Authorities were not releasing the family's identity and say the investigation will take time given the unusual circumstances. "This is all new ground for us," says Cantrell. "We don't know yet what kind of charges or if charges will be pressed." (Read more shooting stories.)
(Newser)  The negative headlines keep on coming for Martin Shkreli, even after his seven-year sentence over securities fraud. Newly unredacted court documents show that the 35-year-old thought he'd aced his psychiatric evaluation and hoped it would be made public to show reporters how smart he was, reports CNBC. "I want to watch the press squirm when they see I have a 150 IQ and no overt psychological issues," he wrote in an email from prison in January before receiving the results from psychologist David Salsberg. The doctor, however, found that Shkreli has "generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and unspecified personality disorder," and that his actions were consistent with a "sense of entitlement" and a "narcissistic outlook."

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It's not clear whether the assessment addressed Shkreli's intelligence. But prosecutors made a point to note, "Dr. Salsberg's report does not state that Shkreli has an IQ of 150." One bright spot: Salsberg writes that Shkreli "has gained insight and remorse from recent events and presents with a different outlook and perspective." While prosecutors were quick to seize on the negative parts of the report, they complained that Salsberg provided no evidence for that positive assessment. No word yet on where Shkreli will serve his sentence, but he has asked to do so at a minimum-security facility located within the high-security Camp Canaan in Waymart, Pa, per the New York Post. (The Wu-Tang Clan has a message for Shkreli.)
(Newser)  Jim Carrey is being criticized on social media for a portrait he painted that is believed to be White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. The actor and comedian on Saturday tweeted the painting (see it here) with the caption: "This is the portrait of a so-called Christian whose only purpose in life is to lie for the wicked. Monstrous!" Some Twitter users accused Carrey of shaming because of the unflattering portrait; Fox News described her as painted in a "terrifyingly garish light."

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Others were critical of his use of Christian. A spokeswoman for Carrey confirms it is his painting. But she would not confirm it is Sanders. The White House has not returned a message seeking comment, reports the AP. It's not Carrey's first foray into the world of political art: Business Insider in February rounded up 21 pieces of "politically charged artwork" he's tweeted.

(Read more Jim Carrey stories.)
(Newser)  A grandmother in Queens and her two grandkids are alive today because of an off-duty firefighter's quick thinking. The New York Daily News reports Roben Duge, who's been with the FDNY for five years, had just emerged from the subway on his way home Thursday night, and as he approached his own place, he spotted sooty black smoke coming out of his neighbor's home. He had no gear and no time to get anybut that didn't stop Duge from rushing into the home and yanking out 54-year-old Linda Mitchell, a stroke victim who needs a cane to get around, and the two children, one of whom apparently started the fire by accident in the basement.

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Duge says he was "reacting off instinct," which doesn't surprise his wife, Crystal. "It's just who he is," she says. "He's Superman." Duge said all he could think about was his own three kids as he rushed to save the trapped residents. "The lady could stand up, but she needed assistance walking," he says, per Firehouse.com. "The kids were screaming, scared to death." After he got them to safety, firefighters doused the flames in about 30 minutes. Duge is trying to deflect the praise now coming his way. "We operate in organized chaos and we do put ourselves at risk," he says, but "I believe there's a higher power watching over me when I do put myself in these situations." (Read more heroism stories.)
(Newser)  Think obstruction, not collusion. That's the takeaway of a report in Axios about what it sees as a "huge clue" in Robert Mueller's strategy. In his conversations with President Trump's lawyers, Mueller has been focusing on things that happened after the electionincluding the firing of James Comey and Michael Flynnrather than on things that happened during the runup to the 2016 vote, writes Mike Allen. "That suggests he's looking more at obstruction of justice, things that might have happened in office, than he is at collusion, maybe something that happened during the campaign," Allen said on MSNBC.

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"Both of those stories have a real Russia thread through them," he added. Over the weekend, Trump celebrated the firing of former FBI official Andrew McCabe and for the first time directly criticized Mueller by name in tweets. That prompted a slew of warnings from lawmakers in both parties worried the president may be positioning himself to fire the special counsel. Not so, said Trump attorney Ty Cobb later Sunday. "In response to media speculation and related questions being posed to the Administration, the White House yet again confirms that the President is not considering or discussing the firing of the Special Counsel," Cobb said in a statement, per the Hill. (Read more Robert Mueller stories.)
(Newser)  A DC council member is apologizing after he pushed a conspiracy theory that a wealthy Jewish family controlled the weather. In a story first reported by the Washington Post, Trayon White posted a video to Facebook Friday with the following narration: "Man, it just started snowing out of nowhere this morning, man. Y'all better pay attention to this climate control, man, this climate manipulation. And DC keep talking about, 'We a resilient city.' And that's a model based off the Rothschilds controlling the climate to create natural disasters they can pay for to own the cities, man. Be careful." The criticism began quickly, and White eventually offered a mea culpa: "I work hard everyday to combat racism and prejudices of all kinds," said the African-American lawmaker, before apologizing "to the Jewish community" and adding, "I did not intend to be anti-Semitic."

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The Washington City Paper describes the 33-year-old as an "up-and-coming District pol" but says observers were wondering, "What was he thinking?" White declined to comment on the source of his original comments, but the Post notes that the Rothschilds "are a famous European business dynasty" and the subject of numerous conspiracy theories in the nether regions of the internet. The "resilient city" remark apparently refers to an initiative by another prominent family, the Rockefellers, about which similar conspiracy theories abound. Fellow council member Brianne Nadeau, who's Jewish, took note of White's apology and sounded forgiving about the mess: "It is my sincere hope that my colleague has learned from this experience." (Read more conspiracy theory stories.)
(Newser)  Austin police appear to have no leads after the fourth explosion by someone they're now calling a "serial bomber," but they hope the public can help. Interim Police Chief Brian Manley on Monday asked residents to hand over their home surveillance footage after Sunday night's blast, reports the Austin American-Statesman. "We are clearly dealing with what we expect to be a serial bomber at this point," Manley said, per CNN. The chief confirmed that Sunday's blast involved a tripwire attached to a package left near a residential road. Two men, ages 22 and 23, remain hospitalized but were expected to recover. The first three bombs were left on doorsteps and appeared to target African-American families, while Sunday night's random victims were white.

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Police are working under theory that all four bombs are related, though the latest one showed a higher degree of sophistication with the tripwire. "The device's success, despite significantly different design, further suggests that the bombmaker behind these attacks is an accomplished one, and [is] likely to have received some training, perhaps as a military or police explosive ordnance disposal technician," according to an assessment by global think tank Stratfor Threat Lens. The FBI now has 350 special agents in Austin to help with the investigation, reports NBC News. Local and federal authorities have offered a reward of $100,000, and the state another $15,000. (Read more Austin stories.)
(Newser)  The mother of an American college student reported missing in Bermuda is appealing for the public's help in finding her son, the AP reports. Nineteen-year-old Mark Dombroski is a member of the rugby team at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. Dombroski was competing in an international rugby tournament in Bermuda when he disappeared early Sunday.

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Dombroski was last seen at 1:15am Sunday. Police say government surveillance cameras recorded him walking east away from the bar where he'd been relaxing with the team. Police say alcohol is not believed to have played a role in his disappearance. Lisa Dombroski, speaking in Bermuda on Monday, thanked businesses, residents, and police for their efforts to locate him and says people have been with her family "shoulder to shoulder throughout this ordeal."

(Read more missing teen stories.)
(Newser)  A man who was preparing to reach out to his fellow Iowa high school graduates for their 60th reunion was surprised to find that the entire class of 1958 is still alive. Del Matheson would have been downright shocked had he known the exact odds at the time that all 14 members of the Ringsted High School graduating class were still among the living. According to the Des Moines Register, they are 177 million-to-1.

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All of the dozen-plus members are now between the ages of 77 and 79. To put it in perspective, the odds of being struck by lightning in the US in any given year are about 1 in 700,000. And while Powerball lists the odds of winning its own jackpot at 1 in 292,201,338, Matheson and company still feel like they've won something akin to the lottery. They even joke about who will die first. "It's like a contest," he told the Register. (Read more high school stories.)
(Newser)  The six youngest Turpin children, part of the group of 13 allegedly held captive and, in the case of all but the youngest, tortured for years by their parents, are out of the hospital and in foster homes. Their seven older siblings are living together in a rural home with the family dogs, People reports. A statement from California's Corona Regional Medical Center announced the siblings' release from the hospital, and a source close to the investigation tells CNN the younger children are in two different Riverside County homes because no one home could accommodate all six. But they are in touch frequently, the source says: "The children all talk regularly via Skype. They are all happy to be in another place."

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The older siblings were released from the hospital last week and are living together in a home under state care, ABC News reports. They "want to be known as survivors, not victims," their lawyer says. "They're joyful, warm, considerate. It's not all about them. They want to hear what's going on with you and me and my family. It's just really fun. It's fun to be around them. Of course, they're really full of joy about their life and the things they get to experience right now." David and Louise Turpin, whose children ranged in age from 2 to 29 when the parents were arrested in January, have pleaded not guilty to more than 40 charges including torture, false imprisonment, abuse of a dependent adult, and child abuse. (Read more David Turpin stories.)
Xi Jinping talks with local villagers and cadres at Shibadong Village in Paibi Township of Huayuan County in the Tujia-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Xiangxi, central China's Hunan Province, Nov. 3, 2013. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- As ceremonial music echoed throughout the Great Hall of the People, Xi Jinping took his place on the podium.

The music stopped as he reached a large red-bound copy of the country's Constitution.

The 64-year-old, in a dark suit, placed his left hand on the Constitution, raised his right hand to his temple and made a fist of solidarity.

"I pledge my allegiance to the Constitution," Xi began.

"[To] safeguard the Constitution's authority, fulfill my legal obligations, be loyal to the country and the people, be committed and honest in my duty, accept the people's supervision and work hard for a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful."

He bowed, and the nearly 3,000 National People's Congress (NPC) deputies reacted with a spontaneous burst of thunderous applause.

It was the first time a Chinese president had ever taken such an oath upon assuming office. The ceremony was watched by tens of millions of Chinese on television or on their smartphones.

On Saturday, Xi was unanimously elected as president of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and chairman of the Central Military Commission of the PRC.

Xi first took over the presidency five years ago, pledging to push forward the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and strive for great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

"In face of the mighty trend of the times and earnest expectations of the people for a better life, we cannot have the slightest complacency, or get the slightest slack at work," he said back then.

China has made historic achievements under Xi's leadership. The unanimous vote shows the strong support he enjoys among the people.

Nearly five months ago, Xi was re-elected general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. The Party's 19th National Congress enshrined in the CPC Constitution Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

The thought was added into the country's Constitution at the 13th NPC session as a guiding principle of the state. People have high expectations for the years ahead. The blueprint laid out at the Party congress is being turned into action plan.

"HAPPINESS COMES OUT OF ARDUOUS WORK"

Led by Xi, China is becoming strong.

The size of the economy has expanded to more than 82 trillion yuan (around 13 trillion U.S. dollars) from 54 trillion yuan over the past five years, growing by 7.1 percent a year on average. More than 66 million urban new jobs have been created.

The economy is healthier. Xi's supply-side structural reform worked. Consumption has become a major growth driver, contributing to 58.8 percent of economic growth last year, up from 54.9 percent five years ago. The share of service sector has climbed to 51.6 percent from 45.3 percent.

People live a more comfortable life. More than 68 million people escaped poverty. Personal income increased by 7.4 percent annually on average. Life expectancy reaches 76.7 years, leading developing countries.

The environment improves as strict rules on water, soil and air pollution control have been enforced. A remarkable change: over the five years, the number of heavily-polluted days in major cities was halved.

Xi made this happen through reform. He is regarded as the chief architect. In the five years, more than 1,500 reform measures were issued, affecting economic, political, social, cultural, environmental fields, national defense and Party building. Government red tape was cut. Foreign investment was made easier.

Xi has said happiness comes out of arduous work.

A week after the 19th Party congress, Xi took leading officials to the Party's birthplace in Shanghai and Zhejiang, a "roots-tracing" trip to remind cadres of the Party's original aspiration.

"The CPC seeks happiness for the Chinese people," Xi said in an NPC session panel discussion. "Whatever issues the people are unhappy about or dissatisfied with, we must work hard to solve them."

Xi's deep connection to the people was formed early in his life.

Son of a revolutionary leader, Xi, at the age of 15, joined numerous "educated youth" bidding farewell to urban life and heading to the countryside to learn from peasants.

Xi was sent to a small, isolated village in Shaanxi Province and stayed on for seven years. These formative years taught him the real situation on the ground and shaped his belief in pragmatic approach and the mass line.

In the following decades, Xi rose from the grassroots to the very top. His work experience in the military, a poor rural county, and wealthy coastal regions enriched his leadership skills.

Xi entered the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in 2007 and was elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee in 2012. He has become the core of the CPC Central Committee and the whole Party.

"BITE THE HARDEST BONES"

In Xi's view, for China to achieve the goals in the new era, the Party' s leadership over every area is the key.

To keep the Party clean, he launched an unprecedented anti-corruption campaign, investigating 440 senior officials -- who held provincial or corps level positions or above, among others.

Overall, more than 1.5 million officials were punished.

"If we had not offended hundreds of corrupt officials, we would have offended 1.3 billion Chinese people," Xi said.

While the campaign has built into a crushing tide, Xi said it could not stop.

The action to "take out tigers" and "swat flies" continued after the 19th Party congress. Latest fallen high-ranking officials included former head of cyber-space administration Lu Wei, army generals Zhang Yang and Fang Fenghui, as well as former state councilor Yang Jing.

He also pushed forward the supervisory system reform, strengthening a centralized and unified leadership of the CPC over the graft fight.

Xi has called on officials in charge to "bite the hardest bones and catch the hottest potatoes" to tackle problems.

Xi is in the spotlight at the annual sessions of the NPC and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, commonly known as the "two sessions."

He stressed adherence to a system of CPC-led multiparty cooperation and political consultation, saying it was a new type of party system growing from China's soil and contributed to the political civilization of humanity.

Political advisor and entrepreneur Yu Minhong couldn't agree more. Yu is a member of the China Democratic League (CDL), one of the eight non-communist parties in China. But he is better known as the chairman of New Oriental, a leading education company.

For years, Yu has been helping poor rural students get proper schooling. His proposal for rural teacher pay rises led to government policy change.

Ding Zhongli, chairman of the CDL Central Committee, said the ruling party and the non-communist parties cooperated quite well under the system, working toward a common goal of national development.

Fred Teng, president of the America China Public Affairs Institute, said through the multiparty cooperation system policymakers could draw the best policies and achieve the best results.

While joining lawmakers from Guangdong Province in a panel discussion, Xi highlighted development, talent and innovation.

Guangdong has been at the front-line of the reform and opening-up.

The year 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the drive, which resulted in consistent and fast economic growth for decades.

During an inspection to Jiangsu Province last December, Xi said more emphasis needed to be placed on the economy's quality rather than speed and every industry, every enterprise should follow the change.

China is setting sail toward a modernized economy with Xi at the helm.

"Xi Jinping Thought on Socialist Economy with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" was raised at the Central Economic Work Conference last December.

The Wall Street Journal reported that China had made "Xiconomics" a guiding principle, with a focus on innovation and high-quality growth.

Areas to deepen reform include public institutions, state-owned enterprises, industrial monopolies, property rights protection, taxation, finance, rural development, social security and ecology. A modernized economy is the goal.

At the "two sessions," Xi's speeches touched more fields than economy, from Party building, rule of law, poverty reduction to environmental protection, social governance and military-civilian integration.

Internet tycoon, Tencent chairman Pony Ma said Xi's speeches were so rich that he took six full pages of notes.

"The general secretary said we should make innovation a powerful driver of quality development, and I think it is an insightful remark," he said. "It will be a new opportunity for our innovative enterprises."

Li Shumu, an NPC deputy and a village Party chief in the county of Yinan, Shandong Province, said farmers in his village feel encouraged as Xi has drawn a beautiful blueprint for the countryside.

Air force officer Liu Rui said the armed forces must firmly adhere to Xi's order to make combat capability the fundamental criterion to judge their work.

CONTRIBUTION TO HUMANITY

People are curious about what changes Xi will bring to China and the world.

The three years to 2020 are crucial. China aims to complete building a moderately prosperous society by then. Extreme poverty will be history.

Looking further ahead, China aims to basically achieve modernization by 2035 and build a great modern socialist country by the middle of the century.

Realizing this "Chinese Dream" of national rejuvenation requires policy continuity and hard work.

On top of that, China needs an authoritative, centralized, unified leadership.

With more than 89 million members, the CPC is driving China toward new economic and social advancement, blazing a brand new trail of socialism.

The year 2018 marks the 200th birthday of Karl Marx and the 170th anniversary of the issuance of "The Communist Manifesto."

Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is considered the latest adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context.

A miracle is unfolding -- for the first time in human history, a billion plus people are crossing the threshold of modernization together. Challenges like material shortage and wealth gap will be overcome. People will feel much more fulfilled, happier and safer.

Shen Jilan, 89, is a witness to the profound changes over time.

Born a farmer in rural Shanxi Province, Shen was first elected to the NPC in 1954 and was re-elected for 12 times in a row.

The octogenarian likes to compare her annual commute to the Great Hall of the People over time. In 1954, she spent four days on the back of a donkey, a truck bed and then a train to reach Beijing. Today, the capital is just three hours away by high-speed train.

China is indeed on a high-speed train, one that moves toward the full development of human potential, as envisioned by Karl Marx. This explains China's growing relevance to the world. After all, it is exploring a path to advance humanity.

This year's "two sessions," like the 19th Party congress, attracted worldwide attention.

Analysts credit China's growing influence to the country's system and Xi's charisma.

China is an economic powerhouse for the world. At more than 30 percent, China's annual contribution to world economic growth is bigger than that of the United States, Japan and the eurozone combined.

China accounts for more than 70 percent of poverty reduction worldwide. It sends the largest group of peacekeepers among the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and makes the second largest contribution to the UN peacekeeping budget.

China raised the Belt and Road Initiative and other major proposals to champion global governance, free trade and an open global economy.

On March 9, Xi had a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump. They discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula and bilateral relations. Trump said President Xi was right to insist on a dialogue between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

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, according to Trump.

Xi-style diplomacy is highly praised for building a new type of major country relations and a "community with a shared future for humanity."

Vladimir Petrovsky, a senior researcher at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said a feature of the major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics is that China raised non-confrontational proposals, which did not lead to clashes but contributed to improving the existing international order.

In the past few months, Xi held talks with Trump on bilateral ties, the China-U.S. cooperation on regional and international levels. Key progress has been achieved, consensus reached.

Xi maintained close high-level exchange with Russia, pushing for all-round cooperation in all fields and closer communication and coordination on international affairs.

After the 19th Party congress, Xi received French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Theresa May, and presidents of the Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Gambia and Panama.

He visited Vietnam and Laos. At the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Da Nang, Xi called for an economic globalization that is more open and inclusive, more balanced, more equitable and beneficial to all.

In December, Beijing held the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting, attracting over 600 representatives of nearly 300 political parties and organizations from more than 120 countries. Xi told them that people around the world should be one family, open arms, understand each other and build a community with a shared future.

He has told Chinese diplomats that the CPC considered it a key mission to both work for Chinese people's happiness and make a greater contribution to humanity.

Afghan political analyst Ghulam Dastgir said a community with a shared future was the common pursuit of people around the world and that in pushing for that goal China could create more opportunities for the world and make it thrive.

At the Great Hall of the People, with Xi elected as president, history has opened a new chapter.

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[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]
Xi Jinping (L, front) shakes hands with Li Keqiang at the sixth plenary meeting of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 18, 2018. Li Keqiang was endorsed as Chinese premier Sunday at the ongoing first session of the 13th NPC, the country's national legislature. Nearly 3,000 NPC deputies voted to approve the premiership nomination of Li, by newly-elected President Xi Jinping. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Li Keqiang was endorsed as Chinese premier Sunday at the ongoing first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), the country's national legislature.

Nearly 3,000 NPC deputies voted to approve the premiership nomination of Li, by newly-elected President Xi Jinping.

Li was officially appointed premier after President Xi signed a presidential decree.

Li then took an oath of allegiance to the country's fundamental law.

"I pledge to be allegiant to the Constitution of the PRC, safeguard the Constitution's authority, fulfill my legal obligations, be loyal to the country and the people, be committed and honest in my duty, accept the people's supervision and work for a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful," he said.

This is the second term for him on the post. In 2013, he became the seventh premier since the People's Republic of China (PRC) was founded in 1949.

Li, born in 1955, joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1976 and graduated from Peking University with law and economics degrees.

After working as provincial leaders in Henan and Liaoning provinces, he was elected to the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in 2007 and appointed vice premier in 2008.

He was reelected to the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in 2012 and 2017.

In a government work report delivered on March 5, Li called on the people to rally even closer around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, be enterprising and work hard.

At Sunday's plenary meeting, the deputies also voted to decide on vice chairpersons and members of the Central Military Commission of the PRC, and elect director of the national supervisory commission, president of the Supreme People's Court, procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and members of the 13th NPC Standing Committee.

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[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]
LONDON, March 18 (Xinhua) -- A committee of British MPs called on Sunday for an extension to the Article 50 period which decrees that Britain leaves the European Union (EU) next March.

In a warning, Hilary Benn, chair of the House of Commons' Exiting the European Committee, said that a "no deal" scenario is a significant danger to Britain.

British Prime Minister Theresa May triggered a two-year countdown for leaving the EU when she handed Britain's withdrawal notice to Brussels last March.

The committee said in a report published Sunday that is difficult to see how a Brexit deal covering everything can be negotiated in the time that remains. It said the British government should consider whether a limited extension to the Article 50 period is needed.

According to the MPs, citizens' rights, the Northern Ireland border, a wide range of separation issues and the shape of Britain's future economic relationship with the EU will dominate the months of negotiation between now and October 2018, the deadline set by Britain and the EU.

The report says: "If substantial aspects of the Future Partnership remain to be agreed in October 2018, the government should seek a limited extension to the Article 50 time to ensure that an agreement on the Future EU-UK Partnership is sufficiently detailed and comprehensive."

The committee also recommended that a proposed two-year transition/implementation period should be capable of being extended if this proves necessary.

Committee chairman Benn said: "The government must now come forward with credible, detailed proposals as to how it can operate a 'frictionless border' between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland because at the moment, the Committee is not persuaded that this can be done at the same time as the UK is leaving the single market and the customs union."

Benn said in the past few days the Brexit Secretary David Davis has said he can live with a transition period of under two years if it helps to secure an early deal.

"But even this time could prove to be too short to conclude a comprehensive agreement. Given the modelling we have seen, a no deal scenario is a significant danger to the UK," added Benn.

[ Editor: WPY ]
KHARTOUM, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Khartoum is ready to resume talks with Washington to remove Sudan from the U.S. terror list, semi-official Sudan Media Center (SMC) reported Sunday.

"The government is ready to start the second phase of dialogue with Washington to wipe Sudan off the list of states sponsoring terrorism," Sudanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs Mohamed Abdallah Idris was quoted as saying, without a date set for that.

"The government is working for finalizing dialogue with the U.S. in accordance with proposed frameworks and set priorities," he added.

Idris noted the government's foreign moves are dedicating to prioritizing the removal of Sudan from the U.S. list of states sponsoring terrorism.

Removing Sudan from the terror list and normalizing ties between Khartoum and Washington still remain as a pending issues for debate in the second phase of Sudan-U.S. dialogue.

On Oct. 6, 2017, the U.S. decided to lift sanctions on Sudan in recognition of positive measures by the government of Sudan to stop hostilities in conflict regions, improve humanitarian conditions, and maintain cooperation with the U.S. on regional conflicts and terrorism.

In 1993, Washington listed Sudan on states sponsoring terrorism. In 1997, the U.S. imposed tight economic embargo on Sudan on imports, exports and bank transfers.

[ Editor: WPY ]
TRIPOLI, March 18 (Xinhua) -- UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) held an extensive meeting Sunday with a number of Libyan experts and representatives of government institutions, as well as related families, to cope with the issue of missing persons.

The two-day meeting, under the theme "Knowing the Fate of Missing Persons in Libya: A Condition for Meaningful Reconciliation," aimed at exploring best ways to address this file, the mission said.

"The thematic meeting contributed to mapping the main needs and challenges in working on enforced disappearances in Libya, while also recommending legal, technical and social measures in this regard," the mission added.

It also said that the meeting covered the possibility of establishment of an independent national body on the missing persons in Libya.

"The need for relevant institutions to reach out to the families of missing persons was stressed, to encourage them to register their cases," UNSMIL said. "And more technical and financial support from international organizations are requested, most of which left Libya after 2014."

The Ministry for the Care of Families of Martyrs and Missing Persons reported that at least 2,516 people were missing since the 2011 uprising.

The ministry also said there were 110 reported mass graves, in addition to 5,000 martyrs since 2011.

The Libyan UN-backed government recently opened the first DNA laboratory to trace unidentified bodies in mass graves.

[ Editor: WPY ]
by Xinhua writer Ye Zaiqi

SAN FRANCISCO, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A dozen American high school students posed merrily for a group photo, each holding a painting or drawing to which they put a final touch minutes ago Saturday in a contest on Chinese language and arts in the western U.S. state of California.

The students, from Justin-Siena High School in Napa city of northern California, joined their peers of other schools from various places of San Francisco on the country's west coast for the annual 14th Chinese Language Bridge Cup Contest, which opened here for a two-day event.

Shelby Thomason, an 11th-grade girl from the high school, completed a piece of oil painting of a tree in leafy profusion in the two-hour contest, which she said represented hopes and life for everyone on the planet.

Thomason said she has studied Chinese language for three years and it is a great fun to attend the contest that has drawn over 1,100 children ranging from kindergarten kids to high schoolers from across San Francisco and its neighboring cities and counties.

"I think it's really cool that people from all over California, not just for people like a Chinese background, can come and participate in these kinds of things," she said after the contest.

"Before I took Chinese in high school, I didn't have any idea about the culture or like writing or drawing or anything like arts, it's not really my thing, but it's fun to come for the contest that incorporates different ideas and show what you've learned in school and be a little artistic," said the girl explaining how she started to learn Chinese.

She said it was a bit weird and hard for her to learn Chinese at the beginning because it was the most difficult language in the world.

However, she said the writing of Chinese characters is a form of art, which made her feel different.

An active volleyball player at her school, Thomason said, "While learning Mandarin (standard Chinese), you can do arts and writing, because writing is kind of artistic form and I like that and this contest. It's kind of being fun for me to see different aspects of competition."

"It's amazing to see how unique Chinese culture is and Mandarin the language," she said, trying to explain the meaning of her beautiful Chinese name Tang Shiyu, which means "poetry amid misty rain" in the ancient Chinese Tang Dynasty from the year of 618 to 907.

Juliette Nast, a 12th-grade girl from the same school, shared her similar experience of how she learned Chinese for four years.

She said learning Chinese at the high school is a bold decision.

"I'm going to take French first but then I decided to try something new and take Mandarin," she said.

She said it was a great fun to learn Chinese, and "I have done this competition for the past three years too."

"After my sophomore year, I went to China with my teacher and a few other students. And we went to Beijing and Shanghai, and stayed with my host family and saw a lot of places in China," she recalled her trip to China, which left a very strong impression on her.

Nast said she saw lots of shared bikes on the streets in Beijing. "It's amazing and very convenient for people out there to ride them around in the city."

Nast expressed huge interest in the shared bikes, which her teacher talked about in class as one of the four new "Great Inventions" of China -- along with China's Express Railway, Alipay online payment system, and online shopping, a phenomenon that amazed the whole world as part of China's rapid rise to be the world's second largest economy.

Vivi Li, instructor of world languages of Justin-Siena High School, said one in ten of the students in her school are taking the Chinese course, and showed great passion for Chinese culture.

"It's really unusual for a Catholic school that has only about 650 students on campus in Napa, where there are much smaller Chinese communities than any other places in San Francisco," Li said.

However, she added that her students studying Chinese language expressed tremendous passion for the ongoing contest, which was jointly hosted by the Confucius Institute at San Francisco State University and San Francisco Unified School District.

The students from different language and cultural backgrounds are free to choose a seat for competition from the events ranging from Chinese calligraphy (Brush), Chinese calligraphy (Pen), drawing or painting, Chinese composition, and Chinese poetry recital.

Xie Jiaxin, director of the Confucius Institute, said the contest aims to give a platform for American and overseas Chinese kids to present their Chinese language proficiency and demonstrate their Chinese culture talents.

"We hope the contest will help boost Chinese language teaching in the United States, deepen the understanding of American young people about the Chinese language, culture and history, and create more opportunities for them to improve their bilingual language proficiency oriented toward the 21st century," Xie said.

[ Editor: WPY ]
TAIPEI, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan's famous writer, critic and historian Li Ao died at the age of 83 shortly before 11 a.m. Sunday, according to the Taipei Veterans General Hospital.

Li, who has suffered from brain tumor since July of 2015, died peacefully in the hospital, according to a statement.

He was born in 1935 in Harbin, capital of the northeastern Heilongjiang Province, and was brought up in Beijing until the age of 14. He left for Taiwan with his family in 1949, and then studied history in Taiwan.

In March of 1971, he was imprisoned because of his criticism of the island's ruler, and was freed in November 1976.

Li, widely known for his open and critical comments on political affairs, opposed "Taiwan independence" and was a supporter of China's reunification.

[ Editor: WPY ]
DUBAI, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Irish Minister of State praises education cooperation between Ireland and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), state news agency WAM reported Saturday.

Ireland's Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O'Connor said that the Dublin-based Royal College of Surgeons CSI, has graduated hundreds of 540 Emirati students since 2006.

The report marks St. Patrick's Day, the Irish cultural and religious holiday.

Mitchell O'Conner said there are an estimated 10,000 Irish citizens living in the UAE, the largest Irish expatriate community in the Middle East.

Around 3,000 in the community are teachers, she said, suggesting cooperation between Ireland's Department of Education and the UAE on teacher training and a visit by a UAE delegation to Ireland.

She also said Ireland's own higher educational institutions have succeeded in attracting Emirati students.

A team from University College Dublin, the country's largest university and also one of Europe's top research-intensive universities, is now examining the possibility of extending its operations to the UAE, Mitchell O'Connor added.

Saturday also marked the start of the annual two-day Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai, dubbed the "Davos of education."

Education, along with Innovation and Research and Development, will be a key focus of Ireland's participation in Expo 2020 Dubai, the minister said.

The first world expo on Arab soil will take place from October 2020 to April 2021.

[ Editor: WPY ]
Defense Minister of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak has filed an electronic declaration on property and income for 2017, in which he declared UAH 951,200 of revenues.

In 2017, the minister received UAH 645,280 in wage and UAH 192,000 of fees or other payments on civil transactions from Kharkiv City Council, and UAH 113,919 interest on the deposit in Oschadbank.

His wife, Inna Poltorak, declared income from the sale of real estate in the amount of UAH 825,000, and UAH 67,361 interest on bank deposits.

The minister also has cash in the amount of UAH 306,000, $62,000, bank deposits in Oschadbank in the amount of UAH 697,212 and $20,950, in Ukreximbank for UAH 63,047.

The minister's wife owns cash in the amount of UAH 520,000, $93,000 and deposits UAH 598,362 and EUR 20,151 in banks.

The minister does not own real estate, but rents a room with an area of 41.65 square meters in the hotel complex near the center for providing the official activities of Ministry of Defense and the General Staff of Ukraine, while his wife owns an apartment of 66.7 square meters in Kharkiv acquired in 2016.

According to the e-declaration, neither the defense ministry nor his family members have securities or other intangible assets.
On Monday, March 19, at 12.00, the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency's press center will host the press conference titled "Elections of the National Aviation University's (NAU) Rector: Criminal Deal and Falsification." The participants will include Rector of NAU (2008 - 2015), head of the Department of aircraft engines, candidate for the post of rector of NAU Mykola Kulyk; professor of NAU Ivan Dudnyk; NAU professor Yaroslav Kozachok, journalist Mariana Vasylyeva (8/5a Reitarska Street). Registration requires press accreditation.
The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine (PGO) suspects officials of related companies of Nova Poshta Ltd, a leader in express delivery in Ukraine, of non-payment of taxes in especially large amounts, according to Larysa Sarhan, spokeswoman for Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko.

"According to the State Fiscal Service and the materials of criminal proceedings, officials of a group of related companies used a criminal scheme aimed at providing services to transfer cashless funds to cash and minimizing tax liabilities of client enterprises by forming a fictitious tax credit and holding transactions not secured with commodities, using forged documents of enterprises with signs of fictitiousness, which led to non-payment of taxes in especially large amounts," the report says.

Sarhan noted that Lutsenko had taken personal control of the investigation of criminal proceedings on the abuse of office by officials of Nova Poshta Ltd and other related enterprises on the grounds of criminal offenses envisaged in Part 2, Article 364, Part 3, Article 212 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

She also added that this week the prosecutor general would hear the materials of the proceedings in the presence of lawyers for Nova Poshta representatives.

"If there is no evidence of violation of the law by officials of Nova Poshta Ltd, criminal proceedings will be closed," Sarhan said.

On March 16, the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine conducted searches in Nova Poshta's offices in Kyiv, Poltava, Kharkiv, and Dnipro.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko is grateful to international partners who refused to observe the illegal presidential elections in the occupied Crimea, and expects that the report of the international mission will indicate the illegality of these elections in Crimea.

"I welcome the decision of the OSCE and other international partners not to participate in monitoring illegal elections in the occupied Crimea. And I expect that in the final report of the international mission it will be clearly indicated that the conduct of Russian elections on the territory of the Ukrainian Crimea is illegal," the statement of the Ukrainian president, posted on Monday, reads.
Poroshenko agrees with Kuwait's Emir on possibility of getting Kuwaiti visas by Ukrainians in airport

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has noted that during the negotiations with the Emir of Kuwait, he initiated the expansion of cooperation in the sphere of people-to-people contacts, the presidential website said on Sunday.

"We gave instructions so that Ukrainian citizens can obtain visas right in the airport," the Ukrainian president said about the results of the negotiations with the Emir of Kuwait.

He expressed hope that in a few months progress would be demonstrated in this direction.

"I offered to resolve the issue of electronic visas as well, because there is no visa-free regime in Kuwait. I want this issue to be like this for Ukrainian citizens so that they could visit this wonderful country without any obstacles," Petro Poroshenko said.
Nova Poshta, a leader in express delivery in Ukraine, has said that Ddos attack at its servers are being made from time to time.

"The maximum capacity of attacks reached 40 gigabits. In most cases, these attacks do not lead to a lack of service. Short-term interruptions (worsening) of quality in work are possible. This does not affect the work of the offices and the network," the company told Interfax-Ukraine.

The company said that it is operating as usual. At the moment, the situation is being investigated and a detailed analysis is being conducted.

As reported, on March 16, the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine conducted searches in Nova Poshta's offices in several cities in Ukraine.

Nova Poshta, founded in 2001, is the leader in the local delivery market. The company's network consists of more than 2,350 depots. In 2017, Nova Poshta delivered more than 145 million items.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has discussed ways of intensification of financial and investment cooperation between Ukraine and Kuwait with Managing Director of the Kuwait Investment Authority Farouk A. Bastaki and the leadership of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.

"The parties discussed ways of intensification of financial and investment cooperation between Ukraine and Kuwait, as well as further joint practical steps in this direction," the press service of the president reported on Monday.

Poroshenko informed the meeting participants about the latest changes in the Ukrainian legislation aimed at facilitating the activity of foreign investors. The head of state invited the Kuwaiti business to expand investments in Ukraine and called on Kuwaiti investors to take part in privatization in Ukraine.
Notices of suspicion have not been drawn up after the searches were conducted in the offices and warehouses of Nova Posta and related companies in Kyiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Lviv, Kharkiv and Poltava, through which funds were transferred across Ukraine, Larysa Sarhan, spokeswoman for Ukraine's prosecutor general, reported on her Facebook page on Saturday, March 17.

According to the report, the pretrial investigation is carried out in criminal proceedings on the abuse of office by officials of Nova Posta and other related enterprises who, with the participation of officials of the State Fiscal Service, with the goal of obtaining an undue benefit for Nova Poshta, "covered its [Nova Poshta's] illegal financial services."

According to law enforcement officers, this led to non-receipt of mandatory tax funds and deliberate evasion of taxes and fees (mandatory payments).

The pretrial investigation is conducted in line with criminal offenses provided for by Part 2, Article 364 (abuse of power or office) and Part 3, Article 212 (evasion from payment of taxes, fees) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

On March 16, the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine conducted searches in Nova Poshta's offices in several cities in Ukraine.

Nova Poshta, a leader in express delivery in Ukraine, was founded in 2001. Its network includes over 2,350 depots in Ukraine.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko calls to strengthen the sanctions pressure of the international community on the Russian Federation in connection with the suppression of democratic processes in the Russian Federation itself and political assassinations abroad.

"We call on international partners to step up sanctions pressure on the Kremlin, not only for aggression against Ukraine, but also for a hybrid war against the entire European and Euro-Atlantic community, for political assassinations abroad, and for suppressing democracy in Russia itself," Poroshenko said in his statement in connection with holding illegal elections in Crimea by the occupation administration, published on his official website on Monday morning.

"By joint efforts, our unity and international solidarity, we will ensure the de-occupation of Crimea and the restoration of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, respect for international law!" the Ukrainian president said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin has handed over to the foreign ministers of the European Union a list of more than 140 persons involved in organizing and conducting an illegal election in the annexed Crimea, political director of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Oleksiy Makeyev has said.

"We handed over the list. There are more than 140 people there," he told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mariana Betsa, in turn, told Interfax-Ukraine that the list did not include ordinary citizens who participated in the voting.

"Today we handed over this list in Brussels, during the minister's visit, with a view to further introduction of sanctions against these people... These are, for example, members of electoral commissions and those who are involved in organizing the election. Of course, ordinary citizens were not included," Betsa said.

As reported, Ukraine has decided to draw up a list of persons on whom sanctions may be extended after the Russian presidential election in the annexed Crimea.

"We are talking about personal sanctions for those who take part in the organization of this election or contributed to this election. We are now working on the appropriate list, but we need to go through another verification procedure, but in the near future we will give it to our partners," Klimkin told reporters in Kyiv on March 16.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman has initiated the examination of legitimacy of searches in Nova Poshta LLC.

"Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman instructed the Ministry of Justice, the Business Ombudsman Council, the Ukraine Investment Promotion Office to analyze the cases of searches at the enterprises that took place last week and prepare a meeting of the special commission formed in the framework of monitoring the implementation of the law on business protection "stop masks-show," the report says.

In particular, Groysman pointed out that last week a number of searches among the representatives of Ukrainian business were conducted.

"I want to say that I will defend legal, official business. We need to study out what is happening," the prime minister said.

He stressed it is necessary to draw conclusions on each case.

"In the coming weeks we will hold a meeting to check whether pressure was used (on business)," Groysman said.

As reported, on March 16 representatives of the Prosecutor General's Office conducted about 15 searches at the warehouse and office premises of Nova Poshta LLC in Kyiv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Odesa, Lviv, and Dnipro. In addition, searches were conducted in a number of IT companies in Vinnytsia.
The case over the suspected suicide of Vladyslav Voloshyn, acting director of Mykolaiv International Airport and a former military pilot and veteran of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) in Donbas, has been sent for full investigation to the National Police branch in Mykolaiv region.

A criminal inquiry has been launched on the charge of "premeditated murder," the inquiries will focus on all possible theories and causes which may have led to the tragedy, a spokesperson for the branch wrote on Facebook on Monday.

To ensure a full and unbiased investigation, the case has been entrusted to police investigators in the Mykolaiv region, inquiries are under way, the post said.

"The National Police's main directorate in the Mykolaiv region expresses its sincere condolences to the family of Vladyslav Voloshyn, acting general director of Mykolaiv International Airport, and notes that the branch's chief, third-rank Police General Yuriy Moroz has taken charge of the investigation," the police said.

Meanwhile, Oleksiy Savchenko, head of Mykolaiv Regional Administration, has expressed his indignation at the rumors sparked by Voloshyn's death, and said he was waiting to hear an official position from the relevant authorities.

"Many of those who did not even know Vlad and his work at the enterprise [Mykolaiv airport] have begun spreading all kinds of nonsense about some millions worth of tenders and so on. Some started circulating Vlad's correspondence with, as far as I understand, former managers of Mykolaiv International Airport, who were the ones who messed up," Savchenko wrote on his Facebook page on Monday.

He warned everyone against getting involved in something they did not understand. "There are law enforcement authorities who will investigate what happened objectively and fairly. I am awaiting the official position of the competent authorities and for everyone involved in the incident, all nuances notwithstanding, to be held to account," Savchenko said.

It was reported that Voloshyn died on March 18. He was rushed to a hospital where he died from sustained injuries. "According to his relatives, the man had recently felt depressed and expressed alarming intentions," the police said.
Acting Director of Mykolaiv International Airport Vladyslav Voloshyn, a former military pilot who was fighting in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone in Donbas, committed suicide on Sunday, March 18.

The media liaisons office at Mykolaiv regional police said that a 29-year-old man, acting director of a municipal enterprise, committed suicide in his own apartment in Mykolaiv on March 18 by shooting himself dead. The man and the enterprise were not named in the report.

"The family was at home with the husband. The wife heard a shot from a room. Doctors and the investigative team of the Inhulsky police department arrived at the scene. The victim was urgently hospitalized, but he died in the ambulance hospital due to the injuries sustained," the report says.

Criminal proceedings were opened under Part 1, Article 115 of the Criminal Code (premeditated murder). The investigation is under way.

"According to relatives, the deceased was recently depressed and expressed alarming intentions," the police said.

According to the local NikVesti newspaper and the Prestupnosti.NET portal, the issue concerns Voloshyn, who was a pilot of a Su-25 attack aircraft of the 299th Mykolaiv tactical aviation brigade from 2012 to 2016. In 2014, he performed 33 combat flights and was awarded the Order for Courage. In 2017, he received the Order "People's Hero of Ukraine."

According to the report, the Russian authorities accused Voloshyn of attacking Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, which was shot down over Donbas, but this version was refuted by the investigation of the Dutch prosecutor's office and Ukraine.

In January 2018, Voloshyn became acting director of Mykolaiv International Airport.
KYIV. March 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Nova Poshta group of companies, the leader of express delivery in Ukraine, demands to immediately stop criminal proceedings against it and pressure on business.

According to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent, this was stated by co-founder of the group Viacheslav Klimov during a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine dedicated to searches in the offices of Nova Poshta conducted by the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine on Friday, March 16.

"At the same time, I want to emphasize that we are ready to answer any questions of law enforcers through civilized requests, through meetings, and not in the form of forceful actions, searches and interrogations. Our lawyers, the employees of financial directorates are ready to cooperate and answer any questions, but we want this to be made not in blocked offices, not within eight hours, not in the format of searches, interrogations, and arrests," he said.

According to Klimov, Nova Poshta reminds the authorities and demands them to fulfill the promise to create a financial investigations service that will deprive the appropriate forces of relevant powers and will become an analytical service without force instruments as in the entire civilized world.

"We are sure that the effectiveness of this kind of activity will grow at once, which will influence the budget of our law enforcement bodies. We also demand that the moratorium on inspections, which has recently expired and inspections immediately resumed and became more aggressive, be renewed," Klimov added.
The statement was made by Chairman of the Vietnamese Businesses Association in Russia (VBA), Le Truong Son, during a conference in Moscow to discuss VBA 2017 operations, on March 17.

Delegates at the event stated that, in the past year, Vietnamese businesses in Russia faced numerous difficulties due to the changes in the Russian economy and politics, requiring them to develop towards specialisation and professionalism in order to adapt to the new situation.

In 2017, VBA directly carried out a range of practical activities, including organising several events to share Vietnamese enterprises experiences in operating in Russia and to seek cooperative opportunities for mutual development. It also coordinated with the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia to hold a workshop on promoting trade and investment between Russians Sverdlov Oblast and VBA.

Vietnamese businessmen in the host nation also participated in local events, such as the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum 2017 and a joint forum by both countries ministries held during the official visit to Russia by President Tran Dai Quang last June, to learn experience from Russian partners.

At a meeting on Saturday, the VBA members exchanged promising business directions for Vietnamese enterprises in the near future, focusing on services, retail, food, and promoting the market share of Vietnamese goods, especially those exempted from duty within the free trade framework between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union.

They agreed that Vietnamese businesses should strengthen their solidarity and mutual support to overcome difficulties, while promoting creativity and innovation for business growth. VBA expressed its hope for further support from the Vietnamese Embassy to Russia and other associations in the local Vietnamese communities for stronger development in 2018.
He made the appeal while addressing a retreat between the leaders of ASEAN and Australia, within the framework of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Sydney, on March 18. PM Phuc was one of the four ASEAN leaders invited to deliver a keynote speech at the retreat.

The leader stated that ASEAN and Australia should make efforts to build open, transparent, and inclusive order in the region, and ensure that regional countries observe international law and respect each others interests.

Furthermore, they need to maintain economic connectivity and keep their doors open to develop prosperously, he stressed, calling on the two sides to effectively implement the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand free trade agreement and promptly conclude the negations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement.

Attention should be paid to innovations, connectivity promotion, support for businesses and the improvement of the added values of ASEAN economies and Australia in the global value chain, the PM noted.

He also suggested increasing cooperation programmes targeting people, especially through collaboration in education-training, cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts, in order to create a firm foundation for the ASEAN-Australia relationship in the future.

Pointing out the potential risks to regional maritime security, the PM emphasised the need to abide by international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), saying that respect for the law must be the foundation on which to build trust and preserve regional stability.

Therefore, the protection of regional security and the environment, as well as marine scientific research, should be taken into account in maritime partnerships, the leader noted.

He applauded the efforts made by Vietnam and Australia, along with the EU, in co-chairing the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Inter-Sessional Support Group on maritime security for 2018-2020, considering this an active contribution to peace, cooperation and trust building in the region.

Vietnam welcomes initiatives for peace and connectivity between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific in line with international law, he said.

At the retreat, the ASEAN and Australia leaders also discussed strategic regional and international matters of shared concern, including the Korean Peninsula and East Sea issues.

Meanwhile, at the plenary session of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit on the same day, they compared notes on the orientations of the ASEAN-Australia strategic partnership, with the focus on collaboration in economy and anti-terrorism.

They affirmed their commitment to enhancing their affiliation in building a peaceful and prosperous region for ASEAN citizens.

Australia affirmed its support for ASEANs central role in an open, transparent, inclusive and rules-based regional architecture, while increasing dialogue mechanisms at all levels with the ten-member group on strategic regional issues. Such dialogue mechanisms include the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+).

The leaders also agreed to step up trade and investment ties and back the multilateral trade system on the basis of law, alongside deepening the economic links between ASEAN and Australia.

They pledged to create favourable conditions for businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), support start-ups and promote the digital economy.

ASEAN and Australia reiterated their commitment to pushing negotiations to conclude the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement as scheduled.

Regarding the affiliation in anti-terrorism, they held that the signing of a memorandum of understanding on anti-terrorism on March 17 is a milestone in the joint combat.

The two sides also consented to step up cooperation in education, training and people-to-people exchanges, particularly within the framework of the New Colombo Plan.

On the sidelines of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, PM Phuc met with Cambodian PM Samdech Hun Sen, Thai PM Prayuth Chan-ocha, Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Malaysian PM Najib Razak, Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Long and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

Cambodian PM Samdech Hun Sen and Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi confirmed their participation in the sixth Greater Mekong Sub-region Summit (GMS 6) scheduled for March 29-31, 2018, in Hanoi.
Held by the Kalinga International Foundation (KIF), the event brought together officials and scholars of India and 16 countries, including Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Philippines, and Myanmar.

Participants focused their discussion on how to boost economic, culture, tourism and energy cooperation; maritime and security connection in Indian Ocean  Pacific Ocean; and regional connectivity.

In his opening remark, Minister of Petroleum, Skill Development and Business Dharmendra Pradhan hoped the workshop would help explore common interests of the parties, thus promoting dialogues for their future cooperation.

Meanwhile, KIF Chairman Lalit Mansingh said with the central role in the Act East policy of the Indian Government, the eastern and northeastern regions will become partners of friendly neighbouring eastern nations such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Australia and Japan.

Addressing the seminar, Vietnamese Ambassador Ton Sinh Thanh highlighted the significance of the event as it was organised at the time that India is promoting the implementation of its Act East policy, and economic cooperation between the eastern and northeastern regions with eastern countries.

There is great prospect for cooperation among Indias northeastern regions and eastern nations thanks to similarities in culture; geographical proximity; their traditional ties; their determination to boost economic ties; as well as dynamic development of both ASEAN and India, he stressed.

The diplomat reviewed the ASEAN-India economic cooperation in the last decade, saying that it has reaped remarkable advance.

Two-way trade has doubled, hitting US$76 billion in 2017, he said, expressed his belief that the trade between the two side will continuously develop in the future.

ASEAN is the fourth largest trade partner of India, while India ranks seventh among ASEANs trade partners. The ASEAN-India investment cooperation also witnessed stable growth in recent years. Investment from ASEAN to India hit over US$70 billion in the last 17 years, accounting for over 17 percent of the countrys total foreign direct investment (FDI).

Ambassador Thanh pointed out challenges facing the economic links between the two sides, stressing that the two sides need to make more efforts in improving infrastructure and enhancing links, and work closely to maintain peace, security in the Indian Ocean  Pacific Ocean.
During a meeting with the Vietnamese community in Japan, as part of his working visit to Japan from March 18-25, Nhan updated the participants on the recent achievements of Ho Chi Minh City and highlighted its dynamic development.

Japan is one of the two biggest investors in Vietnam, he said, adding that Ho Chi Minh City is currently the most attractive destination for Japanese investors in all fields.

The southern hub is calling for investments in 127 key projects, including those in building smart hospitals, developing high technologies and infrastructure, and flood prevention, he said.

He affirmed that during his current visit to Japan he aims to learn from Japans experience, as well as collect opinions from Japanese experts and economists, and those from Vietnamese businesses in Japan, towards mapping out development strategies and orientations for Ho Chi Minh City in the future.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong reported on the development of the Vietnamese community in Japan, saying that the number of overseas Vietnamese (OVs) in Japan has increased to nearly 250,000; 2.5 times higher than three years ago.

Many Vietnamese people achieved prominent achievements in the field of invention and innovation, thus contributing to the homelands development as well as the relations between the two countries, he noted.

At the meeting, OVs shared their experience in simplifying investment procedures, thus facilitating Japanese firms operation in Vietnam.

Representatives of young Vietnamese entrepreneurs in Japan said that if Vietnamese firms want to succeed in the Japanese market, they need to consult, learn and apply Japans professional working style.

Nhan is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other officials of the Japanese Government; have working sessions with representatives from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Tokyo and Tsukuba universities, and organisations and enterprises working in the high-tech field.
At a reception for the outgoing diplomat, in Hanoi, on March 19, President Quang expressed his pleasure at the active developments in the Vietnam-UAE ties over the past few years, whilst hailing the UAE as one of Vietnams leading trade and investment partners in the Middle East.

Both sides regularly exchange delegations and work closely together and support each other at international forums, the leader said, stating that the UAE is currently the seventh largest partner of Vietnam, with two-way trade growing impressively and continuously reaching over US$6 billion in each of the past three years.

He lauded the efforts exerted by the ambassador in connecting the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry to organise business forums between the two countries, especially the Vietnam-Dubai Trade Forum in Hanoi last November.

President Quang asked the ambassador to extend his best regards to UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, calling on the diplomat to continue contributing to the development of the sound Vietnam-UAE friendly and cooperative relations in any positions in the future.

Ambassador Khalid Ibrahim Abdulaziz Shohail Al Qahtani conveyed the greetings of the UAE President to President Tran Dai Quang and the Vietnamese people.

Briefing the Vietnamese President on the results of his four-year tenure in Vietnam, the UAE diplomat voiced his gratitude for the huge support offered to him by the Vietnamese ministries and sectors.

He emphasised that the UAE highly appreciates the fine developments of the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries over the past few years, which have made the UAE one of the top ten trade partners of Vietnam.
The MoU was among a series of cooperation documents signed between the two countries relevant ministries and agencies during the ongoing official visit to Australia by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Under the MoU, Vietnam and Australia will prioritise promoting cooperation in four areas, namely policy, governance and testing on professional quality; improving the quality of teachers, curricula development and organising training activities; as well as collaboration among vocational education establishments, experience sharing; and the promotion of student and teacher exchange programmes and scholarships.

On the occasion, Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung had a working session with Assistant Minister for Vocational Education and Skills Karen Andrews.

During the meeting, the Australian official affirmed that Vietnam is becoming an important partner to Australia in international cooperation on vocational education. The two sides acknowledged the potential and opportunities for cooperation in high-quality human resources training, while highlighting that Vietnams priorities are suitable to Australias vocational education and training system. They expressed their wish to further strengthen their cooperation for mutual benefit.

Minister Dung visited several vocational education establishments in New South Wales and attended a round-table seminar on vocational education between the two countries.
In addition to publications providing information on the beautiful and famous landscapes in Vietnam, numerous typical products and services of the country were also showcased at the event.

During the two-day show, Vietnams pavilions attracted more than 1,000 visitors.

The event began the celebrations of the 45th founding anniversary of Vietnam  Canada diplomatic ties.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada Nguyen Duc Hoa expressed his belief that Vietnam would become a more attractive destination for Canadians and enterprises. In 2017, the number of Canadian visitors traveling to Vietnam saw a significant increase compared to the previous year, he added.

Ambassadors of seven ASEAN countries to Canada introduce traditional food at the show. (Photo: VNA)

Notably, at this years show, all of the ASEAN countries organised numerous common activities to provide an overall view of the blocs tourism sector, including the introduction of traditional food and specialities.

The Ottawa Travel and Vacation Show, the 24th of its kind, consisted of over 200 booths from 30 countries and territories around the world. More than 17,000 visitors went to the event.
The train stopped in Chongqing to load cargo including mechanical equipment and industrial materials before heading to Vietnam's Hanoi, crossing the border via Pingxiang Customs in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The return train is expected to carry Vietnamese produce, including tropical fruit, rice, coffee and aquatics as well as electric commodities produced by factories set up by global manufacturers in Vietnam.

The first China-Europe line was launched in 2011 between southwest Chongqing and Duisburg in Germany. Since then, more than 50 train routes have been opened for the China-Europe freight service.

The Chongqing municipal commission of economy and information said in the future, more China-Europe lines would be connected to southeast Asian countries through linking up with the Pan-Asia Railway to reach Thailand, Laos and Singapore.
A multi-decade-old international consensus over trade has come under threat from US President Donald Trump's protectionist stance, which includes plans to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium.

But representatives from Europe's largest economy, Germany, and host country Argentina will stand by free trade at a G20 summit on March 19-20, where they will insist on reaffirming the language of the group's previous gathering.

This stressed "the crucial role of the rules-based international trading system."

"We aim to reach an agreement in terms of maintaining the wording of the Hamburg communique (about) sustaining the benefits of free trade," Argentina's Treasury Minister Nicolas Dujovne said.

His words were echoed by Germany's new Social Democratic finance minister Olaf Scholz, who was speaking alongside him at a press conference after a bilateral meeting.

Speaking to reporters earlier, Scholz had also warned that protectionism could harm future economic prospects and said Germany would continue talks to dissuade the United States from imposing planned punitive tariffs.

Speaking to a German TV channel, Germany Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, who is responsible for trade, cautioned it was unclear if differences between Washington and Brussels could be resolved by the end of the week.

The US tariffs are due to take effect on March 23.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (C) is surrounded by soldiers of Syrian army as he visits a frontline area in Damascus' Eastern Ghouta area, Syria, on March 18, 2018. Bashar al-Assad on Sunday visited a frontline area in Eastern Ghouta area, where the Syrian army is advancing against the rebels, the Syrian presidency media office said. (Xinhua/Syrian Presidency)

DAMASCUS, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday visited a frontline area in Damascus' Eastern Ghouta area, where the Syrian army is advancing against the rebels, the Syrian presidency media office said.

The media office of the Syrian army published two photos, in which Assad appeared surrounded by soldiers with a caption reading "on the frontline in Eastern Ghouta, President Assad is with the heroes of the Syrian army."

The rare visit comes as the Syrian forces are making strides in the battles against various rebel groups in Eastern Ghouta.

State news agency SANA said thousands of people fled areas in Eastern Ghouta on Sunday, the latest in a series of mass evacuation from that rebel stronghold on the eastern rim of Damascus.

The War Media, the media wing of the Syrian army, said the Syrian government forces have so far captured 80 percent of Eastern Ghouta, as the troops captured the town of Saqba on Sunday and are advancing toward Kafar Batna town.

Eastern Ghouta, a 105-square-km agricultural region consisting of several towns and farmlands, poses the last threat to the capital due to its proximity to government-controlled neighborhoods east of Damascus and ongoing mortar attacks that target residential areas in the capital, pushing people over the edge.

Four major rebel groups are currently positioned inside Eastern Ghouta, namely the Islam Army, Failaq al-Rahman, Ahrar al-Sham, and the Levant Liberation Committee, known as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.

The UN humanitarian agencies have sounded the alarm about the worsening humanitarian situation for 400,000 people in that region.

Activists said around 1,000 people have been killed since late last month by the heavy bombardment and military showdown in areas of Eastern Ghouta.
Zhang Ruimin, chairman of the board of directors and CEO of Haier Group, gives a presentation Creating Business Models for the Internet of Things (IoT) era at Harvard University, March 7, 2018. (Photo by Zhang Penghui from Peoples Daily)

The management model of China's top home appliances manufacturer Haier has for the third time been written up in Harvard Business School (HBS) case studies, enriching the global database.

The Haier-proposed model of Win-win Combination between Employee and Order is a successful exploration in the Internet and the Internet of Things (IoT) era, said Zhang Ruimin, chairman of the board of directors and CEO of Haier Group.

Chinese enterprises have transformed from a follower to a leader, or at least a leading path finder in terms of management model, Zhang pointed out.

"Chinese companies have accumulated a lot of advanced models in company management, which I believe will gain more attention from the international academic and business circles in the future," he added.

Haiers Win-win Combination between Employee and Order model makes the company an incubating platform on which the employees will act as makers, entrepreneurs and innovators to meet customized demands from the users.

This model, as an effective way to stimulate the creativity of staff, allows each employee to realize self-fulfillment while maximizing the value of shareholders and customer satisfaction.

This successful trial in the era of IoT made Haier incubating entrepreneur in a Chinese giant onto the case list of the top international business school.

"Though the Haier model is still at the phase of exploration, it has proved to be a successful one. This revolution is unprecedented," said professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter with HBS.

Haier's case came as more "Chinese elements" were incorporated by HBS in recent years. Chinese firms previously only made up a few dozen of the nearly10, 000 cases collected by the school, but provided an increasing number of diversified and classical study cases to the school in recent years, thanks to the rise of the Chinese economy and its global influence.

Besides Haier, other Chinese companies, including Alibaba, Hainan Airlines, Huawei, the China National Cereals, Oils & Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO) and Lenovo have also been selected for their impressive performance and huge influence.

Haier was featured in two case studies of the HBS in 2005 and 2015, respectively. From having no business model to creating business models, Haier now walks in the front row of practice. In the future, more Chinese companies will contribute their experiences to case study of the HBS, Zhang told the People's Daily.

Attendees at the presentation Creating Business Models for the Internet of Things (IoT) era applaud Zhang Ruimin, chairman of the board of directors and CEO of Haier Group at Harvard University, March 7, 2018. (Photo from website of Haier Group)
Visitors to National Museum of China (NMC) no longer need to wait in a long queue before enjoying the exhibitions as it has announced to ditch paper tickets starting from late February, in order to save visitors time.

Visitors wait in long queues in front of National Museum of China during the National Day holiday last year. (Photo from CFP)

Visitors can now enter the museum only by showing their valid certificates including identity card or passport. The decision made NMC the second museum in Beijing to cancel paper tickets after the Palace Museum who also did so last October.

As a museum with the largest construction area in the world, the NMC has adopted a free admission system (special exhibitions excluded) since 2012. But physical tickets are still needed before the visits.

Visitors had complained about the long queuing time spent in collecting their paper entrance tickets, security check and depositing bags.

An employee at NMC disclosed that last year, there was once a 2km-long queue waiting outside for the exhibition A History of the World in 100 Objects, a traveling exhibition curated by the British Museum.

The artworks mainly from the world-renowned National Center for Visual Arts and the Parisian School of Fine Arts are on exhibit at the National Museum of China, Jan. 30, 2018. (Photo from CFP)

The decision came after a number of spectacular exhibitions were introduced by the museum in recent years to enrich public spiritual life and boost cultural exchanges between China and the world.

For instance, the NMC, together with the Louvre Museum and the British Museum, hosted the exhibitions of Invention of Louvre and A History of the World in 100 Objects.

Another exhibition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Russia's October Revolution was also presented to the public under joint efforts of the NMC and the State Historical Museum of Russia, attracting lots of domestic and foreign tourists.

The latest data report says that NMC opened for 312 days in 2017 and received about 8.06 million visitors, an average of 26,000 visitors per day. Among them, 770,000 were foreigners, accounting for 9.5 percent of the total.
The new lineup of China's State Council, nominated by Premier Li Keqiang, was endorsed by lawmakers at the ongoing national legislative session in Beijing on Monday.

Han Zheng, Sun Chunlan, Hu Chunhua and Liu He were endorsed as vice-premiers, with Wei Fenghe, Wang Yong, Wang Yi, Xiao Jie and Zhao Kezhi as state councilors. Xiao Jie was also appointed secretary-general of the State Council.

Lawmakers also endorsed Li's nominations of ministers, governor of the central bank and auditor-general at the seventh plenary meeting of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress.

The following is the list of the newly appointed officials:

-- Wang Yi, minister of foreign affairs;

-- Wei Fenghe, minister of national defense;

-- He Lifeng, head of the National Development and Reform Commission;

-- Chen Baosheng, minister of education;

-- Wang Zhigang, minister of science and technology;

-- Miao Wei, minister of industry and information technology;

-- Bater, head of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission;

-- Zhao Kezhi, minister of public security;

-- Chen Wenqing, minister of state security;

-- Huang Shuxian, minister of civil affairs;

-- Fu Zhenghua, minister of justice;

-- Liu Kun, minister of finance;

-- Zhang Jinan, minister of human resources and social security;

-- Lu Hao, minister of natural resources;

-- Li Ganjie, minister of ecological environment;

-- Wang Menghui, minister of housing and urban-rural development;

-- Li Xiaopeng, minister of transport;

-- E Jingping, minister of water resources;

-- Han Changfu, minister of agriculture and rural affairs;

-- Zhong Shan, minister of commerce;

-- Luo Shugang, minister of culture and tourism;

-- Ma Xiaowei, head of National Health Commission;

-- Sun Shaocheng, minister of veterans affairs;

-- Wang Yupu, minister of emergency management;

-- Yi Gang, governor of the People's Bank of China;

-- Hu Zejun, auditor-general of the National Audit Office.
China does not recognize Bitcoin and other virtual currencies as legitimate tools like paper money, coins and credit cards for retail payment, Zhou Xiaochuan, the governor of the People's Bank of China, told a recent press conference.

Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People's Bank of China, fields questions at a press conference on the sidelines of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China. (Photo by Zhang Qichuan from Peoples Daily Online)

The banking system does not accept it, Zhou said at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress, adding that direct trading between Bitcoin and yuan is not supported by the central bank.

We dont like speculative cryptocurrency products since it is not a good thing to give people an illusion of getting rich overnight, the governor said.

Zhous statement came as Chinese authorities, including the People's Bank of China, have taken a string of steps in recent years to clamp down on cryptocurrency market.

Chinese officials said that Bitcoins downward trend has been accelerated after China ordered a ban on initial coin offerings and continued its crackdown on a series of domestic and foreign trading platforms for digital currencies.

A rapid expansion of the blockchain and distributed ledger may exert a big negative impact on consumers, Zhou warned, adding that it could also bring some unpredictable effects on financial stability and monetary policy transmission.

He pointed out that the development of a digital currency should be a prudent and cautious process, and those promising products also need to be watched, tested and verified before being launched in market.

Any virtual currency, according to him, must focus on convenience, rapidity and low cost in a retail payment system while taking into account security and protection of privacy. They should also not conflict with the current financial order, Zhou added.

A Russian investor posts an online photo of an alleged Bitcoin mine. (Photo: Huanqiu.com)

The central bank is now working with industry insiders to research digital currency and electronic payment, he said, adding that tests will be made if the research project makes certain progress.

A seminar on cryptocurrency was hosted by the bank in January 2016, and a research institute of digital currency under the bank was set up 10 months later.

Warning of the risks in the current cryptocurrency market, Zhou said research in the field now mainly focuses on get-rich quick schemes, which has veered off the original goal of using digital currency for retail payment.

If nobody accepts the technology for payment then the value would be 0, a Morgan Stanley analyst noted in a report released in December.

The financial services firm also said in a previous report that five online merchants out of the worlds top 500 e-commerce merchants accepted Bitcoin in 2016, but that figure shrank to three in 2017.
A new energy bus runs on a road in Beijing, March 3, 2018. (Photo from CFP)

Chinese ministers have made a series of firm commitments to deal with the challenges concerned most by the public, most of which are related to their daily life, during the annual sessions of China's top legislature and top political advisory body.

Setting targets for air pollution control

The gains made in the fight to defend the blue of our skies will be consolidated, said this years report on the work of the government, promising that this year, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions will be cut by 3 percent and a continuous decline in PM2.5 density in key areas will be achieved.

The country will encourage upgrading the steel and other industries to achieve ultra-low emissions, raise standards on the emission of pollutants, and set deadlines for meeting required discharge standards, the report made clear, adding that a special program will be launched to reduce exhaust emissions by diesel trucks that exceed standards.

Huang Runqiu, Vice Minister of Environmental Protection, said that air pollution can never be prevented and controlled once and for all, and there has to be a process to fulfill the mission.

With many responsibilities to shoulder and many challenges to tackle, China still has a long way to go in controlling air pollution, he said, endless energy is needed and sloth is unacceptable.

Increasing residents incomes steadily

The first 24-hour self-service zone for handling national and local taxation affairs in northwest Chinas Gansu province is launched in the provincial capital Lanzhou, Nov. 21, 2017. (Photo from CFP)

China, according to the work report, will steadily increase peoples incomes, appropriately adjust minimum wages, raise the personal income tax threshold, create expense deductions for items like children's education and treatment for serious diseases, appropriately lighten burdens, and encourage people to increase their incomes and achieve prosperity through hard work.

China will reform its personal income tax by combining the scheduler taxation system and the comprehensive taxation system, which is also the worlds most popular mode for imposing taxes on individuals, said Vice Minister of Finance Shi Yaobin.

To raise the personal income tax threshold, the ministry plans to add up some items such as salaries, compensation for personal services, contribution fees and loyalty incomes, and set a new standard with the total figure being taken into consideration.

Offering convenience for primary education

Parents of primary school students who are still at work face difficulties on how to take care of their children who are dismissed from school at 3:30 p.m.

The phenomenon is not only an issue bothering parents, but also a difficulty for the society as well, said the Minister of Education Chen Baosheng.

Chen said the ministry will work with relevant departments to solve some policy-related issues, look for more efforts from the society and strengthen supervision on institutions providing child care services after school.

Perfecting insurance for serious diseases

Parents queue up for pre-registration of their children at a school in Huaian City, east Chinas Jiangsu province. (Photo from CFP)

This year, the country will raise the basic medical insurance and serious disease insurance benefits, according to the government work report, specifying that per capita government subsidies for basic health insurance for rural and non-working urban residents will be increased by 40-yuan(around 6.5 US dollars), half of which will be used for the serious disease insurance scheme.

Li Bin, head of the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), said the country will allocate 22.1-billion-yuan special fund for medical insurance and assistance.

Cervical cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer and other diseases will be categorized as serious diseases for concentrated treatment, Li said.

Meanwhile, the ministry will enlarge the coverage of patients to be cured, and let the new category cover all registered poor population, extremely poor people in the countryside and rural residents entitled to basic living allowances, the minister disclosed.

Optimizing old-age pension schemes

To provide high-quality medical services, a doctor comes to a community-based health care center to do blood tests for the residents in Guangan City, southwest Chinas Sichuan province, April 6, 2017. (Photo by Liao Xiaobing from CFP)

China will continue raising basic pension payments for retirees and basic pension benefits for rural and non-working urban residents, the report said.

The country will take proactive measures to tackle population aging, including developing at-home, community-based, and mutual-aid elderly care, promoting integrated medical and elderly care services, and improving the quality of services at senior care facilities, according to the plan.

Minister of Civil Affairs Huang Shuxian disclosed that the ministry will continue implementing related rules under the pension system for the 13th Five-Year Plan, step up efforts to improve pension scheme, further streamline administration, delegate powers, improve regulation, and strengthen services.

The ministry will move forward to cancel permit application for establishing elderly care institutions and strengthen supervision during and after implementation.

It will also deepen reform on at-home and community-based elderly care, push forward construction of a service system for left-behind elderly people in the countryside, formulate policies and measures to promote the Internet plus elderly care mode, advance intelligent elderly care and encourage integrated medical and elderly care services.

Elderly people receive medical services at an elderly care center in south Chinas Hainan province. (Photo from CFP)
In one minute, two international flights take off from China.

In one minute, 55 foreigners come to China to appreciate Chinese civilization.

In one minute, overseas products worth 23.707 million yuan are imported into China.

In one minute, 272 Chinese go abroad to explore the world.

In one minute, the oversea spending of Chinese tourists reaches $360,700.

In one minute, the China-Europe Railway Express from Shenzhen to Minsk moves 2,000 meters forward.

In one minute, more than 2,300 cellphones made in China are sold across the globe.

In one minute, products worth 29.171 million yuan go global.

In one minute, Chinese oversea investment reaches 1.543 million yuan.

In one minute, Chinese enterprises pay taxes over $57,000 to host countries.

In one minute, China plays its roles in the international community.

In one minute, Chinese dishes spread flavors across the globe.

In one minute, Chinese culture conveys its value.

In one minute, China's innovation provides convenience for people.

In one minute, China's Beidou navigation satellite points out a direction.

In one minute, Beijing Winter Olympics Committee sends an invitation.

Chinese people are willing to build a shared community for mankind with other people and create a brilliant future for all.

China Wonder shines with the world.
German professor Nashan makes a diagnosis for a patient and answers his questions about his health conditions at Anhui Provincial Hospital, Jan. 12, 2018. Nashan used to be president of the European Society for Organ Transplantation, director of the hepatobiliary surgery department and liver and kidney transplant center of the University Hospital Hamburg. (Photo from anhuinews.com)

China has made progress in organ donation and transplant management, and the countrys efforts on the sector are worth learning for Asia and the world as a whole, according to a representative of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Chinas organ transplant is transparent and open, as it reports the annual transplant data to the WHO as required, and publishes its research results on international journals, Jose Nunez, WHO officer in charge of global organ transplantation, said during the Global Practice Ethics Summit held in the Vatican starting from12th March.

The way China does its job has reflected the guiding principles and ethical requirements with Chinese characteristics, the officer said.

The Chinese government is doing better in managing the source of donation and organ transplant, Nunez said. In 2015, China made voluntary donation the only legitimate source of transplanted organs, he added, pointing out that the new donation allocation policy and system is fairer and safer.

At last years summit, Chinese representatives proposed the setup of a special commission under the WHO leadership to supervise organ transplant in WHO member country, said Wang Haibo, head of China's official organ distribution system, who also attended this years summit.

The setup of commission will enhance international collaboration on transplant data management and assist member countries to crack down on organ trading more efficiently, Wang said, adding that the work now moves forward steadily led by the WHO.

Last year, 5,146 Chinese citizens voluntarily donated their organs after death, of which 2,300 people donated their live organs to their relatives, saving, or improving life of more than 16,000 people, according to statistics.

The number of donations per million has reached 3.72 in China, the second place in the world.
Five of the 24 Chinese-made robots that took part in the closing ceremony of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics "dance" alongside human performers on Feb 25. Photo by FENG YONGBIN/CHINA DAILY

Under dazzling lights, 24 robots "danced" in tune to music alongside human performers in an eight-minute, high-tech show during the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in late February.

It was one of the largest live performances of its kind in the world.

The robots that appeared in the show were all made by Siasun Robot and Automation, a typical example of China's growing ranks of manufacturers that are moving up the industry chain.

Siasun, based in Shenyang, Liaoning province, conducts research and development of industrial robot applications, automatic assembly and production lines.

"The biggest difficulty was that the robots were expected to perform a variety of complicated moves and be in sync with the performers, lights and music," said Zhang Lei, who develops mobile robots for Siasun. "We made it happen by using cutting-edge computer vision technology and laser guidance systems."

The technologies used in the show are already helping Chinese factories boost efficiency. They are part of the country's broader push to marshal its high-end manufacturing power, as the world's second-largest economy scrambles to embrace technology and upgrade its sprawling industries.

With significant progress already made, China will breathe new life into Made in China 2025  its ambitious 10-year strategy to upgrade and transform Chinese manufacturing  in the hope of shoring up weaknesses in major equipment manufacturing and become a global manufacturing giant.

China will promote the development of integrated circuits, 5G mobile communications, aircraft engines, new energy vehicles, and new materials, Premier Li Keqiang said this month when delivering the Government Work Report at the opening of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress, the top legislature.

According to Li, the central government will also cultivate globally competitive industrial internet-of-things platforms and set up innovation demonstration zones.

The Made in China 2025 strategy, rolled out in 2015, aims to turn China into a global leader in manufacturing, with increasing investment in research and development as well as application of cutting-edge technologies.

Minister of Industry and Information Technology Miao Wei said the government has completed the top-level design of the grand plan.

"Concrete steps have also been taken in the past two years to implement the strategy, with significant progress in core technologies and overall manufacturing quality," Miao said.

One of the bright spots is the maiden flight of the country's first homegrown large passenger aircraft, the C919. The narrow-body jet underlines the country's ambitious commercial aviation program, and it is set to provide a major impetus to domestic airplane manufacturing.

This year, the C919 will enter the phase of obtaining airworthiness certification in China after achieving a number of milestones in the past year, including the successful flights of two test aircraft, among the six planned in total, according to Wu Guanghui, chief designer of the C919, on the sidelines of the annual NPC session.

"We can deliver the aircraft to China Eastern Airlines in 2021," Wu said.

When it comes to robotics technology, domestic companies have also made strides in both quantity and quality. In 2017, China produced more than 120,000 industrial robots, a surge of 68 percent year-on-year.

More importantly, the country has beefed up its capability to produce reliable speed reducers, servomotors and control panels, which are the three basic building blocks of sophisticated automated machines. The progress reduces China's heavy reliance on foreign suppliers for these key robotic components.

Wang Jiegao, chief engineer of Estun Automation and general manager of subsidiary Estun Robotics, said the company can produce over 100,000 servomotors a year, which can partially help meet robust domestic demand.

The goal of producing quality industrial products is also gaining momentum in the bullet train sector. In recent years, China has built the world's largest high-speed rail network and become a world leader in providing globally competitive high-speed products and services.

By 2020, China Railway Rolling Stock Corp, which manufacturers the country's high-speed trains, is expected to supply new bullet trains with a maximum operating speed of 400 kilometers per hour to markets related to the Belt and Road Initiative.

The new trains will also cut per passenger energy consumption by 10 percent compared with trains that run at 350 km/h.

"Over the past few years, China has demonstrated its competitive edge in high-speed rail technology," said railway expert Wang Mengshu, who is a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

As China furthers its push to upgrade manufacturing, building industrial internet platforms will be on the top of its agenda, according to Qu Xianming, an expert on the National Manufacturing Strategy Advisory Committee.

"Industrial growth will benefit considerably from the strategy, which can catalyze the long-predicted convergence of IT and industry in China," Qu said.

Haier, the country's largest home appliance manufacturer, is already marching ahead in that direction.

The company has built an industrial internet system, or a network of machines with internet-connected sensors and industrial apps, which collect and analyze data from consumers, suppliers and factories.

The system, CosmoPlat, is designed to allow companies to customize products at speed and scale while boosting productivity and cutting costs.

It garnered 320 million users and 3.9 million enterprises last year, covering electronics, textiles, equipment, construction, transportation and chemical engineering. Based on the open platform, Haier has also launched nine internet-based smart factories, with a target of establishing 12 more this year.

"The most important characteristics of the internet era are the zero-distance relationship with consumers," said Zhang Ruimin, chairman and CEO of Haier, highlighting the importance of integrating users and enterprises in the age of new manufacturing.
The poster of the exhibition themed The echo of civilization in Chengdu Museum. (Photo from the official website of Chengdu Museum)

Afghanistan is one of Chinas important neighboring countries. Sitting at the heart of Asia, it has land routes connecting different parts of the continent and used to be a bright pearl of the ancient Silk Road. The long-lasting friendship between China and Afghanistan since ancient times now is the solid foundation of the two-countrys relationship, which never stops moving forward.

In October, 2014, President Ashraf Ghani chose China as the first country for his offi-cial visit shortly after taking office. During talks with President Ashraf Ghani in Beijing, President Xi Jinping stressed that China backed up Afghanistan integrating into regional cooperation and welcomed Afghanistan to actively participate in building the Silk Road Economic Belt.

A photo taken at the forum held by Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan Mar.11, 2018, named "The Chinese Path: Achievements, Challenges and Impacts". Photo from Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan

In a joint statement, the two sides agreed on the importance of the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt on promoting mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Afghanistan and regional connectivity. Afghanistan as a traditional and historical transit route of the ancient Silk Road would work closely with China to jointly build the Silk Road Economic Belt, read the joint statement.

The participation of Afghanistan in the Belt and Road initiative contributes to con-necting development and infrastructure construction of the initiative in South, West and Central Asia.

For our two countries, the friendship is sincere, sustained and concrete. China always supports Afghanistan in safeguarding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as the peaceful reconciliation process featuring "Afghan-led and Afghan-owned" and hopes to see a united, stable, developing and amicable Afghanistan, which is in line with the fundamental interests of the Afghan people as well as the common aspira-tion of regional countries and the international community.

A lecture on Afghan civilization is held in Chengdu Museum, Feb. 11, 2018. (Photo from the offi-cial website of Chengdu Museum)
A worker assembles an Airbus A320 family aircraft on a final assembly line in Tianjin. (Photo by Li Yingqi from Peoples Daily)

Airbus Chinese market has the biggest potential for growth over the next two decades, according to the latest market forecast of Airbus, a worldwide leading aircraft manufacturer.

Airbus established its first assembly and delivery center outside Europe in north Chinas Tianjin in 2008. In 2009, the center delivered the first A320 family aircraft.

Components of A320 family aircraft are shipped to the Tianjin port and assembled there into standard airliners for deliveries. Located in Tianjin, a port city with a free trade zone, convenient logistics, rich resources and favorable policies, the center developed fast.

Production at the center has risen to four aircraft a month. By the end of early January this year, the Tianjin center has assembled and delivered a total of 354 A320 family aircraft.

Having a large market that is growing rapidly and increasingly opening up for cooperation, the Chinese market is of strategic importance to the world leader in aeronautics.

Photo shows the Tianjin center where A320 family aircraft are assembled. (Photo by Li Yingqi from Peoples Daily)

The planes delivered to Chinese airlines by Airbus now account for 20 to 25 percent of its total deliveries globally, which means almost one out of four Airbus planes is delivered to China each year.

A market forecast report released by the company says that China will need more than 6,500 passenger and freight aircraft in the next twenty years, which is 18 percent of the overall demands globally in the same period.

Many factors, such as the rapid economic growth, rising middle-income group, ongoing urbanization and greater connectivity to the global market, keep driving the quick development of civil aviation market in China, and especially that of the world, said George Xu, CEO of Airbus China.

Tianjin was selected because we value the large Chinese market, as well as its importance in radiating the whole Asia, said general manager of Airbus (Tianjin) Final Assembly Co Ltd. The assembled airliners in Tianjin are not only for Chinese customers, but also for airlines in the whole Asia.

Airbus Tianjin center delivered the 8,000th A320 family aircraft to Air China. (Photo by Li Yingqi from Peoples Daily)
Chinas first testing center for autopilot technology is expected to be built in southern Chinas Guangdong province.

A woman experiences Internet of Vehicles on a simulated Formula-1 racing car at the ex-hibition area during the World Intelligence Congress held on June 29, 2017 in Tianjin. (Photo by Gong Xiangjuan from Peoples Daily)

The Economic and Information Commission of Guangdong province recently disclosed that they have already started autopilot testing at local maker Guangzhou Automobile Group, in cooperation with tech giants Huawei, Alibaba and Tencent.

The decision came amid Chinas rapid development in driverless technologies in recent years. Both automobile giants and tech forerunners are now exerting all-out efforts to win a place in the sector of unmanned vehicles.

Baidu tests autopilot car. (Photo from Baidu)

Robin Li, CEO of Chinese technology titan Baidu, said previously that the mass production of the unmanned mini-buses will begin in July, 2018 under its cooperation with the Chinese well-known bus manufacturer King Long.

More models of autopilot vehicles will be released by the company and its partners, he added on the annual Baidu World Conference on Nov. 16, 2017.

Though the autonomous driving technology is maturing, it still needs road tests to verify whether these innovative vehicles can deal with complex road and traffic conditions.

Beijing announced this January that its first enclosed testing field for self-driving vehicles will be established in its Yizhuang economic development zone. Other facilities will be added to the field to help autopilot vehicles recognize road and traffic signs.

The worlds first autopilot tramcar rolls off the production line of CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co., Ltd., on July 28, 2017. The tramcar would be put into trial operations in the southern Chinese city of Foshan. (Photo by Peoples Daily)

Shanghai also issued regulation guideline on autopilot road tests this March, specifying application requirements for tests.

In addition, China is making laws to supervise autopilot road tests. The countrys Minister of Transport Li Xiaopeng disclosed on Feb. 7 that the ministry has been working on technical plans and specifications for autonomous driving.

The ministry will also build testing centers and work with other departments to formulate guiding policies, according to the minister.

Analysts believe that as both central and local authorities are giving priority to the driver-less technologies with an inclusive attitude and far-sighted horizon, a new engine driving economic growth will ultimately be fostered.

An autonomous driving vehicle transports tomatoes at a smart greenhouse in Beijing on Apr. 25, 2017. (Photo by He Yong from Peoples Daily)
China has authorized 15 provincial-level regions to draw ecological red lines for environmental conservation in February, and plans to complete the work in another 16 regions by the end of 2018, Huang Runqiu, Vice Minister of the Environmental Protection Ministry, told a press conference at the ongoing annual sessions of Chinas national legislature and top political advisory body.

Ibexes, a type of wild animal under first class state protection, are playing and looking for food in hills in northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Mar. 3, 2018. (CFP photo)

The 15 provincial-level regions include Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei province, 11 provinces and municipalities along the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in the upper reach of Yellow River.

The zones demarcated by the red lines cover a combined area of 610,000 square kilometers, or about a quarter of the total land area in the 15 provincial regions, according to Huang, also a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

A total of 291 key ecological functional counties on the national list are within the red lines. The protected areas occupy over 40 percent of the total area.

Migratory black-necked cranes are ready to fly north after wintering at the Caohai National Nature Reserve, a plateau wetland in southwest Chinas Guizhou province, Mar. 9, 2018. A good many migratory birds choose to live through winter at the reserve thanks to its well-preserved environment. (CFP photo)

The ecological red lines are set to put areas with special ecological functions under mandatory and rigorous protection.

The protected zones would be ensured not to be ecologically degraded, and their acreage would not be decreased, according to a 2017 policy document. Therefore, large-scale human activity and construction development are banned in the areas covered by the red lines.

China will make sure an overall improvement in the quality of the environment, the country pledged in its 2018 government work report.

With an aim to build a Beautiful China where the skies are blue, the land is green and the waters are clear, the country will reform and improve the system for ecological and environmental regulation and strengthen regulation over the use of natural ecological spaces, the report vowed.

Efforts will be redoubled to protect and restore ecosystems, and finish setting red lines for ecological conservation across the country, it added.

According to the schedule, the remaining 16 provincial-level regions will complete the drawing of their ecological red lines by the end of 2018 under the guidance of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and other departments. Then, a nationwide network of red lines will take shape.

National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has approved a construction plan of a national supervision network with a total investment of 286 million yuan ($45.18 million) to better protect the environment. The construction work has started and is due to complete by the end of 2020.

The platform will integrate satellite remote sensing and ground-based monitoring stations into a surface-to-air monitoring system for data collection, ecological risk assessment or human activity monitoring. Any act that will damage the ecological red lines shall be punished according to related laws and regulations.
China has been frequently applauded by the international society because of its remarkable achievements in anti-corruption campaigns during the past five years. This time, the countrys firm resolution to fight against corruption through major reforms wowed the world again.

Its amazing that China achieved remarkable success on anti-corruption in just a few years, while it remains a major challenge for many countries, said George N. Tzogopoulos, senior research fellow at the Centre International de Formation Europeenne.

Foreign media also hailed that Chinas success in anti-graft campaign is as glorious as its achievements in satisfying the basic needs of the worlds largest population.

Chinas decision to deepen reform of national supervision system and establish new supervisory commissions is making news headlines of the international community in last few days.

The ongoing first session of the 13th National Peoples Congress (NPC), Chinas top legislature, adopted an amendment to the country's Constitution on Mar. 11, officially listing supervisory commissions as a new type of state organs.

In the meantime, a draft supervision law, which paves way for unified anti-graft network led by the Communist Party of China (CPC), is being heard by NPC deputies.

Chinas wisdom to crack down corruption, a hard nut that troubles the entire globe, serves as an important inspiration for the world. After years of studies, foreign experts have found that the power of institution is the most efficient tool to curb corruption.

Chinas major institutional design to authorize the supervisory commissions with legal status will help the country fight the corruption till the end. Through integration and regrouping of national institutions, the new system is designed to supervise all who exercise public power.

The Reuters once said that the CPC, which is good at self-revolution, is able to clear every dead corner in its anti-corruption campaign.

The international community places high attention on Chinas new steps to tackle corruption, and sees higher effectiveness of the countrys anti-graft plans than those of the other countries.

The Western countries have taken a variety of measures to prevent and curb corruption, but graft remains a big issue, and even becomes harder to be detected.

Some developing countries failed to control corruption, but worsened the situation after adopting a Western-style democracy. As a result, the whole world is now eager to find a remedy on how to improve the efficiency of anti-corruption campaigns.

Given such backdrop, Chinas bold reform has shed a new light for the world. Its reform over the national supervisory system, as a big political system reform, has a bearing on the countrys overall situation.

The legislation to eliminate corruption, as well as the establishment of specialized organizations, speak well for Chinas resolution, reflect the flexibility of a major country in adjusting its efforts against challenges, and represents the quality of the CPC to advance with times. Mexican scholar Enrique Dussel once said that he is amazed at the CPCs faith and self-discipline to eliminate corruption.

A powerful party, as a political entity for Chinas national governance, provides a favorable platform for the country to address the challenges emerged in its development, said Zheng Yongnian, director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore.

The director pointed out that the unified leadership of the Party is a major characteristic of Chinas anti-corruption campaigns.

He believes that in addition to the challenge of economic governance, the world is facing more governing crises in social and political aspects, especially in governing political parties.

Political party is the principal organizer of a countrys political and economic activities. Effective political parties will lead effective countries and governments, so that good ideas will be turned into ideal policies and finally translated into reality, according to the professor.

The CPC is a party that always turns good ideas into actions, Zheng said, adding that by establishing a centralized, unified, authoritative and efficient supervisory network, the country can realize an organic unity in deepening reform in all areas, advancing law-based governance and ensuring full and strict governance over the Party.

The world views Chinas anti-corruption campaigns as praiseworthy practical actions. Chinas new actions to reform national supervisory system and set up supervisory commissions will further showcase the countrys creativity and stamina in its efforts to fight corruption.
BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature, decided on the new lineup of the State Council at the seventh plenary meeting of its first session Monday morning.

Chinese leaders including Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan attended the plenary meeting.

Nearly 3,000 NPC deputies voted to endorse vice premiers, state councilors, secretary-general of the State Council, ministers, governor of the central bank, and auditor-general, who were nominated by Premier Li Keqiang.

Among them, Han Zheng, Sun Chunlan, Hu Chunhua and Liu He were endorsed as vice premiers, while Wei Fenghe, Wang Yong, Wang Yi, Xiao Jie and Zhao Kezhi were endorsed as state councilors.

They were officially appointed after President Xi Jinping signed a presidential decree.

Legislators also voted to approve the chairpersons, vice chairpersons and members of eight special committees of the 13th NPC at the meeting.

All of them took oath of allegiance to the Constitution afterwards.
An Egyptian prosecution has ordered the four-day detention pending investigation of a man who climbed to the top of the Great Pyramid of Giza with the intention of committing suicide by jumping off.

The prosecution charged the unnamed worker, who is in his 20s, with endangering himself and others as well as climbing the 4,500-year-old Pyramid of Khufu, which is prohibited by law.

According to the prosecution, the tourism police arrested the man on Saturday after they  with the help of the man's father and sister  were able to talk him out of committing suicide.

Investigators say the man suffered a psychotic break triggered by problems with his neighbours, which sparked his suicidal thoughts.

Egypt has strict rules against scaling pyramids, which is punishable by up to three years in prison.

In February 2016, Egypt's antiquities ministry sent an official notice to the German embassy in Egypt informing them that a German citizen had been banned from visiting Egypt after he scaled a pyramid to shoot a collection of photographs and videos of the Giza Plateau.

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Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has congratulated his Russian counterpart President Vladimir Putin on his re-election on Sunday, wishing him success in office, and wishing the friendly Russian people further progress and prosperity.

"The Egyptian president hailed the strategic relations between Egypt and Russia and the two countries' keenness to strengthen ties that serve the interests of the two friendly nations," according to a statement issued by the presidential spokesman.

Putin won a landslide re-election victory on Sunday, extending his rule over the world's largest country for another six years. Now aged 65, he will be 71 years old by the end of his new term.

He has been in power, either prime minister or president, since 2000, sharing power with close political ally Dmitry Medvedev, who is the current prime minister and served as president from 2008 to 2012.

Ella Pamfilova, head of the Russian Central Election Commission, said on Sunday that with 99 percent of votes counted, Putin was leading with 76.66 percent of the vote, according to state-run media outlet Russia Today (RT). The size of Putin's apparent victory means there will be no need for a second round of voting.

Of Putin's five opponents in the election, none came close to mounting a serious challenge. In second place was Communist Party candidate Pavel Grudinin with 11.8 percent, followed by nationalist candidate Vladimir Zhirinovsky on 5.66 percent.

According to Pamfilova, there had been some "minor and local complaints" regarding electoral procedure, but no major complaints that might call the result into question, said RT.

Following the announcement of the results, Putin attended a huge rally in Moscow, thanking his supporters and answering questions on political topics.

El-Sisi's message of congratulations to Putin comes one week before domestic votes are cast in Egypt's own presidential election, where the Egyptian president looks likely to be returned to power for another four years.

Egypt and Russia have engaged in wide-ranging political, military and economic cooperation in recent years. In December, Putin visited Cairo, holding talks with El-Sisi on a range of regional issues, including the conflicts in Libya and Syria and the search for a solution to the Israel-Palestine issue.

During Putin's visit, Egypt and Russia signed a deal for the start of work on Egypt's first nuclear power station, to be located at Dabaa on the country's Mediterranean coast.

The two leaders also continued discussions on efforts to boost economic ties, including Russian investment in the Suez Canal Economic Zone and the establishment of a Russian free-trade zone.

Putin also said that he would soon be giving the order for the resumption of tourist flights to Egypt, which were stopped after the crash of a Russian commercial flight over the Sinai in 2015, killing all 224 people aboard. Moscow said the crash was due to a terrorist bomb and insisted on improved security procedures at Egyptian airports.

In mid-March this year, Aeroflot, Russia's biggest commercial airline, said it would be resuming flights to Cairo starting on April 11. Egypt's own flagship carrier EgyptAir is due to resume flights to Moscow the same month.



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Egyptian Armed Forces spokesman Tamer El-Refaie has said in a statement that 36 takfiris were killed and 345 were arrested by army and police forces during the last five days of the counterterrorism Operation Sinai 2018, which started on 9 February in Sinai and other parts of the country.

The Arabic word "takfiri" refers to extremist Sunni Muslims who accuse other Muslims and followers of other religions of being infidels, often as a justification for using violence against them.

"One officer and three soldiers were killed during operations, while another three officers, a non-commissioned officer and five soldiers were injured," the spokesman said.

The statement added that six takfiris were killed during a shootout with police forces in the North Sinai capital of El-Arish.

Air forces destroyed 12 targets used as shelter by terrorists and as well as a booby-trapped vehicle whose driver attempted attack a security checkpoint west of El-Arish.

The army has also located and destroyed 17 vehicles, 67 motorbikes, and 93 IEDs, in addition to confiscating large amounts of TNT, plastic explosives, ammunition and firearms.

The operation targets "terrorist and criminal elements and organisations" in northern and central Sinai, as well as parts of the Nile Delta and the Western Desert, the army said at the start of the operation.

The spokesman said that counterterrorism forces from the army, along with police forces and border guards, are continuing combing operations in pursuit of any terrorists or criminal elements.

The border guards, in cooperation with forces tasked with securing the Suez Canal waterway, are continuing their mission to protect navigation and tighten security measures at the crossings leading into the Sinai Peninsula.

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Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi stressed over a phone call with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on Monday that efforts towards Palestinian reconciliation should move forward, Egyptian presidency spokesperson Bassam Rady said in a statement.

El-Sisi told his counterpart that it is necessary to "work on containing any disagreements and to overcome all difficulties that hinder these efforts, in order to achieve the unity and the interests of the brotherly Palestinian people," the statement reads.

A top Egyptian security delegation visited the Palestinian Gaza Strip in late February to follow up on the implementation of a political reconciliation agreement between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah.

Negotiations between the two main Palestinian factions, brokered by Egyptian intelligence, led to the inking of an agreement in October to end the 10-year-old row between the two groups.

However, implementation of the agreement has since suffered setbacks, including an exchange of accusations of non-commitment to the deal brokered by Egypt.

From his side, Abbas expressed his sincere appreciation for Egypt's efforts and stance towards the Palestinian cause, which "reflects the deep and special relations between Egypt and Palestine," Rady added.

Hamas and Fatah agreed to hand over control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing to a unity government as part of the deal.

The Rafah border crossing lies on the border between Egypt's Sinai and the Gaza Strip.

It is the main gateway to the outside world for 1.8 million Palestinians living in Israeli-besieged Gaza, and is the only crossing point not controlled by Israel.

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Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced that he had agreed with Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir during their meeting in Cairo on Monday to boost the common interests of both countries "with all respect to the internal circumstances" of Egypt and Sudan.

In a press conference held at the Egyptian presidential palace on Monday, El-Sisi said the pair discussed Egyptian-Sudanese bilateral relations and agreed to hold a summit meeting between the two later this year in Khartoum.

The Sudanese president arrived Cairo earlier Monday in his first visit to the country since the Sudanese ambassador was recalled from Cairo in February due to heightening tensions between the two nations.



Regarding the of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and its effects on both countries, President El-Sisi asserted during the press conference that he agreed with his Sudanese counterpart that they should work together, along with their "Ethiopian brothers," to achieve "partnership for all without harming any party involved."

From his side, Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir stated that his talks with the Egyptian president covered a variety of issues of mutual interest, adding that there was political will to solve any problem that may arise between the two countries.

Al-Bashir also revealed that the talks with El-Sisi covered ways to boost Egyptian-Sudanese cooperation in electricity and infrastructure development, including projects to develop highway, air and marine transportation.

El-Sisi and Al-Bashir last met in January on the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Ethiopia, where the two leaders agreed to form a quadrilateral committee of the foreign ministers and intelligence heads of both nations.

The committee, which had its first meeting in Cairo last February, aims to "remove any obstacles that could hamper this brotherly relationship, solidarity and unified destiny in the face of mutual challenges."

Last week, Egypt's acting intelligence chief Abbas Kamel visited Sudan where he met with Al-Bashir, Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al-Ghandour, and other Sudanese officials.

Kamel expressed Egypt's determination work towards circumstances that would allow a return to normal relations between the two countries.

Relations between Egypt and Sudan have strained in recent months over Sudan's claims of sovereignty over Egypt's southern Halayeb Triangle region, Sudan's harbouring of members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and other differences related to the construction of the Ethiopian Renaissance dam.

In previous statements, Sudanese FM Ibrahim Al-Ghandour has said the matter of the Halayeb Triangle region would be left to the presidents of Sudan and Egypt to discuss.

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The family and friends of Mariam Moustafa Abdel-Salam, as well as a number of members of the Egyptian community in the UK, are organising a march on Monday at 4 pm local time in the city of Nottingham, demanding that her killers be brought to justice, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.

Abdel-Salam, an 18-year-old Egyptian student at the Central College in Nottingham, died last week from injuries sustained in an attack by a group of women outside a shopping mall in London on 20 February.

Abdel-Salam held both Egyptian and Italian nationalities, according to her family, and sources have told Al-Ahram that the Egyptian and Italian embassies in London are planning to issue a joint statement on the assault.

Egypt's foreign ministry and the embassy in London have been following up on the incident since it took place, while Egypt's prosecutor-general and the immigration ministry are conducting their own investigations.

Immigration and Expatriates Minister Nabila Makram has said that Egypt will insist on obtaining justice for the victim.

Mariam's death has sparked anger at home, with Egyptian MPs criticising the British police for their conduct of the murder investigation and alleging that medical negligence led to her death.

The Egyptian government has said that the medical treatement provided to Abdel-Salam immediately after the attack raises questions. She was initially discharged and the later admitted to hospital again afte her condition deteriorated.

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Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called on Monday for Egyptians to participate in the presidential elections next week, asking them to "make Egypt's voice heard."

In a speech during festivities held on Egyptian Family Day, El-Sisi described the participation of citizens would show the world "how nations are built."

"You are the hope, the hope of this nation, the loyal sons who answer the call of duty," El-Sisi said during the celebration, which was attended by his Sudanese counterpart Omar Al-Bashir.

El-Sisi and Moussa Mostafa Moussa, the head of Ghad Party, are the only two candidates on the ballot in the 2018 presidential elections, which will be held on 26-28 March.

The voter database records some 59 million registered voters, according to the National Elections Authority (NEA).

El-Sisi said he does not doubt the Egyptian people's commitment to their duty in the national elections, describing their participation as one that "would push the country forward towards the future" regardless of political orientation.

El-Sisi's statements come following the conclusion of voting for Egyptians abroad, which took place on 16-18 March.

The president said that Egyptian expats have been an "inspirational model," showing the world an "example of patriotism."

"All my respect, my appreciation, and greetings to those Egyptians," El-Sisi said.

"We overcame the power of evil, we face it now with determination and persistence," El-Sisi said, adding that the Egyptian people have overcome "difficult times."

During the event, El-Sisi also spoke about the nature of Egyptian-Sudanese relations.

"Egypt and Sudan have always been one family that shares the same destiny and path," El-Sisi said, welcoming Al-Bashir and describing him as a dear brother and friend.

El-Sisi expressed Egypt's conviction that the security and stability of Sudan was indivisible from Egypt's own national security.

Al-Bashir also gave a speech saying that the two countries' relationship was one that was "historic and deeply rooted."

"Egypt's accomplishments are a source of pride for us, Egypt's power is of Sudan's power and vice versa," Al-Bashir said.

The Sudanese president added that he has discussed with El-Sisi boosting the historic relationship between the two countries and removing any obstacle to such unity.

Monday's celebration comes hours after the two leaders discussed bilateral relations, where they agreed to hold a presidential summit later this year in Khartoum.

Al-Bashir arrived in Cairo earlier on Monday in his first visit to the country since the Sudanese ambassador to Egypt recalled in February amid heightened tensions between the two nations.

Relations between Egypt and Sudan were strained in recent months over Sudan's claims of sovereignty over Egypt's southern Halayeb Triangle region and its harbouring of members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, as well as other differences related to the construction of the Ethiopian Renaissance dam.

In January, Sudan recalled its ambassador to Cairo for consultations.

However, recent meetings between the countries' presidents and discussions held by top officials through a quadrilateral committee that included the foreign minister and intelligence chiefs of the two countries have eased tensions, with the Sudanese envoy returning in early March to resume his duties.

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Egypt condemned on Monday evening Turkeys capture of the northern Syrian town of Afrin from Kurdish forces, affirming its rejection of any "infringement on Syrian sovereignty."

In an official statement, Egypt's foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid denounced the large-scale displacement of Syrian civilians, as well as the grave humanitarian threats posed by Turkeys seizure of the Syrian city.

"Egypt considers the ongoing breach of Syrian sovereignty unacceptable," Abu Zeid said, adding that the Turkish move increases the complexity of the political scene as it undermines the efforts of political reconciliation and exacerbates the humanitarian crisis in the war torn country.

Abu Zeid affirmed Egypt's support for a political solution in Syria, which he said would preserve the unity of the Syrian state.

"Egypt calls on all regional and international parties to carry out their role in ensuring a commitment to supporting the political solution to the crisis and prevent a worsening of the humanitarian and security situation," the statement said.

The statement by Egypt comes one day after Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition forces seized Afrin from Kurdish forces, nearly two months after the launch of an extensive operation.

Syria has described the move as "illegal invasion, while Turkey has denied that it is invading or occupying Syrian land, saying it is only removing "terrorists" from the border area.

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Related Iraq PM Abadi orders reopening of Kurdish airports for international flights

Iraq agreed to pay the salaries of the Kurdistan region's civil servants and security forces, a spokesman for the government said on Monday.

"The federal finance ministry transferred a cash sum of 317 billion Iraqi dinars ($267 million) to the regional finance ministry," Saad al-Hadithi told Reuters.

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A bomb blast in a four-storey building in the town of Afrin in northwest Syria killed seven civilians and four Free Syrian Army members overnight, state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Monday.

The explosion hit after the Syrian rebels swept into the town with Turkish forces on Sunday, declaring full control after an eight-week campaign to drive out Kurdish YPG forces.

Anadolu said the bomb, which it described as planted by terrorists, exploded as the Syrian fighters conducted a search. It ripped out a hole four metres (4.37 yards) deep and badly damaged other buildings and vehicles, it said.

A spokesman for the Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army rebels said on Sunday they had entered Afrin before dawn, meeting no resistance.

A war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said some YPG fighters defied orders to withdraw, but Turkish forces were in control.

Turkey says the YPG is an extension of the militant PKK group fighting an insurgency inside Turkey, and vowed to crush what it described as a "terror corridor" of YPG-controlled territory along Turkey's southern border with Syria.

It has said its next target would be a Syrian region further east where US forces are stationed alongside the YPG, Washington's ally against Islamic State group in Syria.

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The head of U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon is praising their contribution to peace efforts as the force marks 40 years since its establishment on the frontier with neighboring Israel.

Maj. Gen. Michael Beary, commander of the force known as UNIFIL, said Monday that the mission "works tirelessly to pre-empt a return to conflict" between the two countries.

The force was founded in 1978 after Israel invaded parts of southern Lebanon. Violence has broken out on several occasions since then, including major wars in 1982 and 2006.

The 2006 war was fought between Israel and Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group, and claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people on both sides.

Beary warned that conflict "can start in an instant, can take generations to find a permanent solution."

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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday blamed the Islamist Hamas group for the March 13 bomb attack on the convoy of Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in Gaza, saying it was a "despicable and sinful act."

Hamdallah and Palestinian security chief Majid Faraj were uninjured when a roadside bomb exploded as they entered the Gaza Strip on their way to a ceremony in the enclave that is dominated by the Hamas faction and is a rival of Abbas's Fatah faction.

"We give congratulate the two big brothers (Hamdallah and Faraj) that they are safe after the sinful and despicable attack that was carried out against them by the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip," Abbas said in a speech in Ramallah.

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Russia will remain a difficult partner, said new German foreign minister Heiko Maas, reacting to Russian President Vladimir Putin's re-election on Sunday and questioning its fairness.

The European Union must be able to continue to talk to Russia, despite a host of issues, he said.

"The result of the election in Russia was as unsurprising to us as the circumstances of the election. We can't talk about a fair political competition in all respects as we would understand it," he told reporters, arriving at a monthly meeting of EU foreign ministers.

"Russia will remain a difficult partner. But Russia will also be needed for solutions to the big international conflicts and so we want to remain in dialogue," Maas said.

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said the EU should consider levelling sanctions against Germany's former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder for his vocal support of the Russian government.

"It is important that there are sanctions against those who advance (Russian President Vladimir Putin)'s projects abroad," Klimkin told German daily Bild in an interview published on Monday.

"Gerhard Schroeder is Putin's most important lobbyist worldwide. It should be examined whether the EU can take action."

Klimkin's comments came after a similar call by the Wall Street Journal in an editorial on Friday.

Just weeks after leaving office in 2005, Schroeder -- a close friend of Putin -- became head of the shareholders' committee of Nord Stream which delivers gas to Germany through a Baltic Sea pipeline and is majority-owned by Russia's Gazprom.

Last August, Schroeder again drew fire for accepting a $500,000-a-year pre-tax board job with state-controlled Russian oil giant Rosneft, which is subject to Western sanctions over Moscow's role in the Ukraine conflict.

"I don't think what Schroeder is doing is okay," his successor Angela Merkel said at the time, joining a chorus of public criticism of the centre-left Social Democrat who served from 1998 until Merkel defeated him in 2005.

But her spokesman Steffen Seibert said Monday that Berlin had no plans to seek punitive action against Schroeder.

"The German government, and the chancellor, do not see any reason to pursue considerations of this kind," he said at a news briefing.

The European Union last week extended by a further six months sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian officials over their suspected involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The EU also has individual sanctions in force against Russia over its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

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The Swedish foreign ministry said it would summon Russia's ambassador on Tuesday over Moscow's claim that Sweden could be the source of a nerve toxin used in the Skripal attack in Britain.

Britain accuses Russia of being behind the attack in Salisbury on Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy for the West, and his daughter Yulia, using the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok.

Moscow has poured scorn on the allegations and a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman said on Saturday the most likely source of the agent was Britain itself, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the United States or Sweden.

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom has called that claim "unacceptable and unfounded".

"Russia's ambassador will be summoned to the foreign ministry tomorrow on account of the Russian accusations that Sweden could be a source of the nerve toxin used in the attempted murder in Salisbury," a foreign ministry spokeswoman told Reuters on Monday

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Prime Minister Sherif Ismail broke ground Sunday on the new administrative capitals central business district, set to be built with $3 billion investments, according to a statement from the cabinet.

The project, to be developed by China State Construction Engineering Company (CSEC), is set to be completed within three years, Ismail said.

The business district is financed by a Chinese loan, 15% of which will be paid back by the Ministry of Housings New Urban Communities Authority as a downpayment, Minister of Housing Mostafa Madbouly said.

The remaining 85% of the loan will have a 42-month grace period before the 10-year repayment plan begins.

The new capitals 1.71 square-meter business district consists of 20 towers for residential, commercial, and administrative purposes in addition to services. The district will also include the highest tower in Africa, at a height 385 meters, Madbouly said.

It is an honor for us to launch this project, the biggest in joint project between Egypt and China, Madbouly said, according to a statement from the ministry.

The new business district is set to draw in more foreign direct investments, Ismail said.

Details of the project's design are currently being finalized, Madbouly said.

The Chinese company has been granted access to the plot of land so that it may begin working on the project in cooperation with a number of Egyptian contractors.

In January 2016, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi witnessed in the signing of a number of projects at the new administrative capital between CSEC and the Egyptian Ministry of Housing.

The Chinese ambassador to Cairo expressed his pleasure at hearing of Egypts achievements in the past few years, adding that that Egypt and Chinas relations have improved to reach a comprehensive strategic partnership since President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisis visit in 2014, according to a Housing Ministry statement.

Egypt and China are cooperating on a number of national projects, namely Chinas the Belt and Road project and the Suez Canal Economic Zone.

The CSEC built 90% of Chinas skyscrapers and 50% of skyscrapers worldwide, the companys vice president said at the ceremony.

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Related Independent Egyptian theatre troupe The Storm to perform at Serbian festival

Senior Serbian officials and Arab and African Ambassadors attended on Sunday in Belgrade the Egyptian theatre play The Visit, which is set to participate in the annual Salvjia International Theatre Festival, the Egyptian Embassy in Serbia said in a statement.

The play was performed by the independent Alexandrian theatre company The Storm.

"The presence of a large number of senior Serbian officials, including the assistant foreign minister for security and protocol affairs, the assistant minister of culture and information, and the chiefs of Arab and African diplomatic missions, reflects the interest in learning about the latest developments in Egyptian culture," Egypt's envoy to Belgrade Amr Aljowaily said.

Aljowaily praised The Storm's decision to perform the play in the classical Arabic language, even though the story is a contemporary one, as it facilitated communication with the Arab communities living in Belgrade.

The Alexandrian troupe greeted the audience from Arab countries and students of the Center of Arabic Culture in Belgrade, and made a point of voting in the Egyptian presidential elections at the embassy in Belgrade.

The Egyptian envoy said that the play was included in the activities of Francophonie month in Serbia, which extends throughout March. He added that the play also featured a direct text translation to Serbian, helping it reach the larger Serbian community.

The statement added that the participation in the Slavjia Festival was the result of an initiative by the director of the troupe, engineer Mohammed Algamassy, to apply to the festival, where the evaluation committee selected the Egyptian play, later supported by the embassy and the Ministry of Culture.

"Aljowaily called on other youth teams to do the same by looking for available opportunities for cultural activities in Serbia, stressing that the embassy will support any serious projects in this regard," the statement said.

The play, an adaptation of the Greek writer Lola Anagnuskys book The City, had its troupe approved by Egyptian culture minister Inas Abdel-Dayem last week.

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U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday cwas considering lifting a travel ban on Chad, offering an olive branch to a key ally in the fight against Islamist militant groups in West Africa.

The top US diplomat flew into the Chadian capital N'Djamena on the last day of a truncated tour of Africa with stop-offs in Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Nigeria - all frontline partners against Islamic State group and al Qaeda off-shoots.

It was his first diplomatic visit to the continent where many are still smarting from US President Donald Trumps reported dismissal of states there as shithole countries in January. Trump later denied making the comment.

Tillerson said Chad had made important steps to strengthen control over its security and passports. "These steps I think are going to allow us to begin to normalise the travel relationship with Chad," he told reporters.

A report on Chad's progress was being prepared in Washington and would be reviewed by President Trump next month, Tillerson said. "We have to wait for the final report," he added.

Tillerson, who had met Chad's President Idriss Deby previously while serving as CEO of ExxonMobil, said he was concerned about the presence of Islamic State group-allied militants in the Sahel and called Chad an "important partner".

Trip Cut Short

In September, The Trump White House added Chad - along with North Korea and Venezuela - to a list of countries whose citizens are restricted from travelling to the United States - drawing protests from Chad and others including France which works closely with the Chadian military.

Officials from the US Department of Homeland security said at the time Chad had to failed to send in proof that it had taken a number of security measures.

Chad's President Deby "expressed his incomprehension" about the ban during a meeting with Tillerson on Monday, Foreign Minister Cherif Mahamat Zene said.

Tillerson's entourage earlier said he had been forced to cut short the African tour on Monday to return to deal with urgent work in Washington.

He is due to fly on to Nigeria after Chad, but will spend just a few hours there on Monday evening rather than the overnight visit originally planned. There was no immediate response from Abuja.

"Due to demands in the Secretary's schedule, he is returning to the US one day early after concluding official meetings in Chad and Nigeria," Under Secretary of State Steve Goldstein told reporters.

The Africa tour coincided with several urgent foreign policy developments, including Thursday's announcement that US President Donald Trump will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Tillerson, 65, cancelled some events in Kenya on Saturday, saying he was feeling unwell.

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Gerald Siegel from the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies published an article titled "Does China Matter?" in the American magazine Foreign Affairs in 1999, in which he described China as a small potato in the global economy, a second-rate military power, and politically "insignificant".

Nearly two decades have passed, and China has become ever better despite the pessimism of many westerners. Nobody today can call China a "small potato" or a "second-rate country" economically, militarily or as regards international influence. Instead, it is the American and European countries that used to be looked up to as "lighthouses" that have seen growing problems.

In a global network where nations are more closely connected with each other, their competition is largely reflected in strategic capabilities. The country that is superior in that regard is more likely to make careful plans for the future and take proper steps at times of crisis and challenge.

Western countries today not only face the challenge of internal governance, but also seem incapable and even confused when dealing with international affairs, all because of their poor strategic capability.

A nation's ability to make independent decisions according to its own will and maintain strategic freedom is called strategic capability, which is a basic resource and prerequisite for making big strategies. Without it, any larger strategic thought or plan would be a castle in the air.

The author summarized six strategic capabilities needed by a large country: effective political and social organization, powerful and independent production capacity, the ability to keep up sustainable production, corresponding diplomatic and military capability, cultural innovation, and national continuity through population stability.

Most medium and small countries have defects in strategic capability, so they cannot formulate and implement big strategies. This is well proved by the choices made by Britain and France after the WWII.

During the Suez Crisis in 1956, Britain and France had to pull back from Egypt under American pressure, which meant the effective end of their position as world powers.

However, for a very long time after the WWII, Britain and France had the ambition of formulating a big strategy, including Gaullism and the European Union and Britain-centered Three Circle Diplomacy advocated by Churchill. But they were unable to bring back the past glory.

The main reason was that their national strength fell far short of their national ambition, and the consequence was that most European countries, and the British Empire, had to stay under America's wings in the second half of the 20th century. They couldn't develop any big strategy, and they barely made any efforts to do so.

An important reflection of national strategic capability is whether a country is able to make a strategic plan for the long term and effectively put it into practice and, in particular, whether it can break down the strategic objective into several small objectives for each different stage, and achieve the ultimate objective in the end by reaching the small ones step by step.

In the past few years, China has had the big strategy of paying close attention to national security and long-term development, a reflection of its growing strategic capability.

China has put forth the "two centenary goals" --a strategic objective -- while promoting "Five-year Plans" in an orderly manner. It has also launched a string of international public projects represented by the "Belt and Road" Initiative and is able to push their implementation effectively.

What China is saying and doing today shows a larger vision and a higher level than before, and its wish and ability to act on a global economic and political agenda often surprises the world.

As many Chinese and foreign observers have noted, the increase and even excellence of China's strategic capability is first and foremost reflected in the ability to maintain efficient political and social organization, fundamentally guaranteed by the leadership of the Communist Party of China.

People generally think that the United States attaches more importance to strategic design than other countries and has greater will and capability to implement big strategy, but Brzezinski, who used to be a key decision maker in the American government, has made different observations.

In his book Strategic Vision: America and the Crisis of Global Power, he said China is good at outlining the future with a long-term perspective and policy continuity is its strength, whereas the United States is too focused on current crises, lacks long-term vision, and is trapped in a near-sighted mental state.

In the 1980s when the former Soviet Union and the United States were in confrontation, Brzezinski said American political culture was still characterized by the lack of strategic or geopolitical awareness, and it often put long-term geostrategic issues behind near-term political ones.

Brzezinski's remarks seem like prophecy today. America has remained active in formulating and implementing big strategy in recent years, but both its thoughts and practices display a conservative tendency, and the fundamental reason for that is that its national strategic capability that supports big strategy is weakening.

In light of the six national strategic capabilities mentioned above, the author found that the United States is in many ways badly aspected today.

The most serious problem is that while its economic strategic capability is impaired, the current political institution is unable to resolve challenges quickly due to internal restrictions.

The United States therefore finds itself unable to make big strategic designs to maintain its global hegemony.
BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- China has lodged stern representations with the United States over a Taiwan-related bill, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said over the weekend.

It was reported that U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday signed the bill that encourages visits between the United States and China's Taiwan at all levels.

"We firmly oppose the U.S. side signing the Taiwan Travel Act," spokesperson Lu Kang said.

"As has been pointed out many times by China, the relevant clauses of the act, though not legally binding, severely violate the one-China principle and the three joint communiques between China and the United States," Lu said.

The Taiwan Travel Act sends out very wrong signals to "pro-independence" separatist forces in Taiwan, Lu said, noting that China was strongly opposed to this.

"We urge the U.S. side to correct its mistake, stop pursuing any official ties with Taiwan or improving its current relations with Taiwan in any substantive way, and handle Taiwan-related issues properly and cautiously so as to avoid causing severe damage to China-U.S. relations and cross-Strait peace and stability," Lu said.

"Taiwan is a part of China and issues regarding Taiwan are completely internal affairs of China," said Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense.

Wu stressed that the bill had interfered in the internal affairs of China and injured the environment for the development of relations between the two countries' militaries.

"China demands that the U.S. keep its promises, rectify its wrongs, refrain from implementing relevant clauses of the bill and stop seeking any official contacts, military ties or arms sales with Taiwan, so as to avoid doing serious harm to the China-U.S. relationship, the ties between the two countries' militaries and the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," Wu said.
Veteran politicians and academics across the world hailed Xi Jinping's re-election as China's president, saying big nations need strong leadership.

Xi was elected president by a unanimous vote on Saturday at a session of the 13th National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

Former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said that Xi's credentials during his previous term helped him unsurprisingly win re-election.

"This is not only because we need to have a strong China for global growth, but also to lead the Belt and Road Initiative to support multilateralism.

"I believe big nations need strong leadership at home and abroad," Raffarin said.

Zhiqun Zhu, a professor of political science and international relations at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, said a strong and stable leadership is desirable as China continues to shore up its economy, combat corruption, clean up the environment and handle external challenges.

The vote ensures the continuity of stability at this critical time when China is working toward achieving the Two Centenary Goals, said Robert Kagiri, a senior lecturer at the Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies at the University of Nairobi in Kenya.

This ensures that Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era will be successfully achieved and promoted on the global stage to give an alternative model of governance.

Christopher Bovis, a professor of European and international business law at the University of Hull in the United Kingdom, said President Xi's re-election puts China on a consistent and predictable path of development and international engagement. Consistency is crucial when it comes to the Belt and Road Initiative, because infrastructure projects along the initiative involve decades of investment, construction and operation.

Ivona Ladjevac, head of the regional center for the Belt and Road Initiative at the Institute of International Politics and Economics in Belgrade, Serbia, said Xi's re-election is rooted in his vision of the initiative that will make China more influential on the global stage.

Jon Taylor, professor chair of political science at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, said that with the re-election of Xi, the election of Wang Qishan as vice-president, and the election of other high-ranking officials, Xi now has the ability to form a "dream team" to deal with a host of domestic and foreign challenges facing China.

"I fully expect that Xi and his team will continue to pursue the deepening of economic, political, and social reforms, ramp up what has already been a relentless pursuit of anti-corruption efforts by going after 'tigers and flies' no matter how high they are within the Party and the State, enhance and increase China's global diplomatic and military role, and deepen the rule of law and law-based governance," said Taylor.

Alan Barrell, entrepreneur in residence at the University of Cambridge's Judge Business School, said Xi is well liked internationally.

His commitment on China building a technology-driven economy, its further reform and opening up, and anti-corruption measures are all very important for China's future development. This path of development has significant implications for the international business community and the advancement of scientific development globally.

Bernard Dewit, chairman of the Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, said the overwhelming support Xi got is a good sign for business circles, because stability will prevail and the opening up policy will continue.

Gordon Houlden, director of the China Institute at the University of Alberta in Canada, said: "President Xi's re-election will provide continuity in economic and trade policies, and to allow the president to focus on his signature Belt and Road project and the anti-corruption drive."
The North Korean nuclear crisis has placed Pyongyang under the spotlight of global public opinion, which is basically dominated by information from South Korean, Japanese and Western media. For China and North Korea, the major tests are how to keep the right balance between their divergences over the nuclear issue, how to maintain friendly ties between Beijing and Pyongyang and how to avoid the influence of South Korean, Japanese or Western media.

The Global Times has always firmly supported the Chinese government's appeal for denuclearization on the peninsula while opposing war or chaos. We also believe it is quite necessary to maintain friendly Sino-North Korean relations and minimize the outside world's impact on those ties.

A severe difference between Beijing and Pyongyang over nuclear issues is a reality, but it should not be the whole picture of ties between the two sides.

North Korea is a respectable country. It is highly independent, which is extremely rare in Northeast Asia. Its economic size is not large, but its industrial system is relatively complete, which is not easily achieved. The development of the North Korean economy and society is also not as gloomy as described by the outside world.

Pyongyang has the right to choose its own political system without interventions from the outside world. The Chinese public should particularly understand this. There are huge differences in political systems worldwide. It is unfair to single out North Korea and attack it.

Chinese society should recognize that the argument that China failed to manage North Korea is wrong. It is a statement often hyped by Seoul, Washington and Tokyo. Some Chinese people have also followed suit. Beijing and Pyongyang forged their friendship with blood during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea 1950-53. When China later withdrew its military from North Korea, it also drew back its influence on the country. The nature of the Beijing-Pyongyang relationship is utterly different from the Washington-Seoul alliance, which is comprehensively determined by the US and its troops in South Korea.

China has no ability to manage North Korea. Controlling a neighboring country runs counter to Beijing's long-term foreign policy. China and North Korea treat each other as equals and respect one another.

The divergence between China and North Korea over the nuclear issue is their only major difference. Other so-called conflicts are speculatively created. South Korea, the US and Japan yearn for overall confrontation between the two and so they have been spreading rumors that seek to drive a wedge between Beijing and Pyongyang.

Maintaining friendly relations between China and North Korea is in line with the interests of both sides.

For China, it is conducive to Beijing's peripheral strategy and can make more room for its maneuvering in Northeast Asian affairs.

For North Korea, it would be difficult and dangerous to cope with Seoul, Washington and Tokyo all alone. China's support can defuse many risks.

It is hoped that the Communist Party of China and the Workers' Party of Korea can remain the bedrock of relations between the two countries, making sure that no opportunist can find a market or opportunity to harm Beijing-Pyongyang ties.
Beijing is set to record its biggest improvements in air quality in at least nine years based on average concentration levels of hazardous breathable particles known as PM2.5, according to Reuters. Beijing's victory over smog stands in sharp contrast to New Delhi, where years of governmental efforts only resulted in worse air. Having attained air quality targets in only five years after the country declared war against pollution - cutting PM2.5 concentrations by around 15.8 percent by the end of 2017, China's efficiency astounds the world, as developed countries, such as Britain and the US, took much longer to tackle smog in their history.

China's political system, known for its efficiency, is the key to its triumph over pollution. The country is expected to see tougher curbs on smog in following years. The first session of the 13th National People's Congress approved the reform plan to establish a ministry of ecological environment Saturday, and the Ministry of Environmental Protection will be dismantled.

The completely new state organ, absorbing the duties of compiling and implementing ecological policies, monitoring river, marine and soil pollution as well as regulating nuclear and radiation safety in other departments and ministries, is expected to be more effective and efficient in environmental protection.

The establishment of the ministry will strengthen the central government's executive power. Compared with other major powers, efficiency is an outstanding advantage of China's political system. This is the fundamental reason for the country's impressive achievements in pollution alleviation, the rapid growth of its economy and the staggering speed of its rise.

However, some Westerners are skeptical about China's political system. Such prejudices can only be gradually dispelled by China's future development, especially its low-carbon growth. China's high efficiency in pollution control will eventually help the world understand the superiority of the country's political system.

Despite the fact that Beijing has turned the corner in its battle against smog, it is still too early to celebrate as China's average air quality is still worse than World Health Organization recommendations. Challenges remain. For instance, as the government advocates the switch from using coal to natural gas, soaring gas prices may lead some poverty-stricken residents to freeze in winter. Slashing pollution may also slow the country's industrial production.

Striking a balance between economic growth and environmental protection is essential for China in the next phase of development.

During this process, the country must be confident and stick to its political system, and exploit its advantage of strong executive power to the full so as to realize leapfrog development in environmental protection, which will make both ecological and economic contributions to the world.
China will and should take timely countermeasures against the US and all "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces through diplomatic and military means if US legislation that encourages high-level contact between the US and the island of Taiwan is implemented, Chinese observers said on Sunday.

"The passing of the act is a serious political provocation, as it has crossed the 'red line' and will thoroughly undermine relations," Xu Guangyu, a retired China's People's Liberation Army major general, told the Global Times.

The legislation, known as the Taiwan Travel Act, came into effect on Friday when US President Donald Trump signed the bill.

On Sunday the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council stated that the island will suffer serious consequences if it attempts to act on the US bill.

China said on Saturday that the country "firmly opposes the US side signing the 'Taiwan Travel Act,'" while urging "the US side to correct its mistake, stop pursuing any official ties with Taiwan or improving its current relations with Taiwan in any substantive way, and handle Taiwan-related issues properly and cautiously so as to avoid causing severe damage to China-US relations and cross-Straits peace and stability," according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry website.

China's Anti-Secession Law provides a series of conditions wherein the Taiwan question is solved through non-peaceful means.

If the US were to send any senior officials to Taiwan or make any moves to elevate its relations with the island of Taiwan, China would have no choice but to respond with counter moves that will deeply impact the US, Liu Weidong, a research fellow at the Institute of American Studies of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Time on Sunday.

He believes Beijing will likely stop sending high-ranking officials to Washington and refuse any official exchanges with Washington for a period of time.

If any "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces perceive the US bill as a 'pro-independence' signal, the Chinese army will resume its military probes circling the island and send more military vessels and airplanes to patrol the Straits, Liu said.

US President Donald Trump signed the "Taiwan Travel Act" on Friday, but it would gone into effect on Saturday morning even if Trump had not signed it, Reuters reported.

The bill, which was passed by the US Congress last month, amends US policy to allow visits by officials at all levels. High-level Taiwan officials should be permitted to enter the US to meet US counterparts, said the Reuters report.

The legislation follows a number of provocative moves by the US against China.

US President Donald Trump is seeking to impose tariffs on up to $60 billion of Chinese imports and will target the technology and telecommunications sectors, two people who had discussed the issue with the Trump administration said on Tuesday, according to another report of Reuters.
BEIJING, March 19 (ChinaMil) -- China's four authorities including the Ministry of National Defense, the Chinese Embassy in the United States, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the People's Daily newspaper on March 17th and 18th lodged stern representations with or voiced strong condemnation against the United States over a Taiwan-related bill. They all expressed China's strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the bill.

A website screenshot of the Chinese Embassy in the United States

Chinese Embassy in the U.S.: China firmly oppose the "Taiwan Travel Act"

Commenting on the U.S. signing the "Taiwan Travel Act", the Chinese Embassy in the United States on March 17 expressed China's strong dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to it, saying the bill severely violates the one-China principle.

The relevant clauses of the "Taiwan Travel Act" severely violate the one-China principle, the political foundation of the China-U.S. relationship, and the three joint communiques between China and the U.S. China is strongly dissatisfied with that and firmly opposes it.

China urge the U.S. side to adhere to the one-China policy and honor the commitments it made in the three joint communiques, stop pursuing any official ties with Taiwan or improving its current relations with Taiwan in any substantive way.

A website screenshot of the China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry: "Taiwan Travel Act" sends out very wrong signals to the "pro-independence" separatist forces

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has lodged stern representations with the United States over a Taiwan-related bill on March 17, 2018, saying that the Chinese side firmly oppose the U.S. side signing the "Taiwan Travel Act" and have lodged stern representations with the US side.

As has been pointed out many times by China, the relevant clauses of the act, though not legally binding, severely violated the one-China principle and the three joint communiques between China and the US. The "Taiwan Travel Act" sends out very wrong signals to the "pro-independence" separatist forces in Taiwan.

China is strongly opposed to that. Chinese side urge the US side to correct its mistake, stop pursuing any official ties with Taiwan or improving its current relations with Taiwan in any substantive way, and handle Taiwan-related issues properly and cautiously so as to avoid causing severe damage to the China-US relations and cross-Straits peace and stability.

A website screenshot of China's Ministry of National Defense

Chinese Defense Ministry: U.S. should stop seeking any official contacts, military ties or arms sales with Taiwan

Chinese Military firmly oppose the U.S. side signing the "Taiwan Travel Act", said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, in responding to a Taiwan-related bill on March 17, 2018.

"Taiwan is a part of China and issues regarding Taiwan are completely internal affairs of China," said Senior Colonel Wu Qian.

Wu also stressed that the Taiwan related bill had interfered in the internal affairs of China and injured the environment for the development of relations between the two countries' militaries.

"China demands that the U.S. keep its promises, rectify its wrongs, refrain from implementing relevant clauses of the bill and stop seeking any official contacts, military ties or arms sales with Taiwan, so as to avoid doing serious harm to the China-U.S. relationship, the ties between the two countries' militaries and the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," Wu said.

A website screenshot of China's People's Daily newspaper

People's Daily: Chinese people will never agree!

People's Daily, an official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, published an article titled "To upset the political foundation of China-US relationship is stupid".

The "Taiwan Travel Act" has challenged the bottom line of China. It has severely disrupted the China-US relations and interfered with the situation across the Taiwan Straits. And the Chinese people will never agree on the bill, said the article.
Chinese guided-missile destroyer Haikou of the 27th Chinese naval escort taskforce enters a military port in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, March 18, 2018. (Photo by Liu Xin)

SANYA, March 19 (ChinaMil) -- The 27th Chinese naval escort taskforce consisting of the guided-missile destroyer Haikou, the guided-missile frigate Yueyang and the comprehensive supply ship Qinghaihu has returned to China after completing merchant ships escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia and a port visits to three north African nations.

The three warships arrived at a naval port in Sanya city, south China's island province of Hainan on the morning of March. 18.

The 27th Chinese naval escort taskforce took over the merchant ships escort mission from the 26th Chinese naval escort taskforce on August 23, 2017. In the four-month-long mission period, the taskforce provided escort for 54 merchant ships from China and other countries in 36 batches, rescued five merchant ships chased by pirate boats and expelled a total of 42 suspected pirate boats in 13 escort tasks, ensuring absolute safety for all protected ships, personnel and the taskforce itself.

After completing mission handover with the 28th Chinese naval escort taskforce, the three warships left the Gulf of Aden on December 26, 2017 to embark on their voyage of port visit to Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.

Naval officers lining up on the deck of the guided-missile destroyer Haikou wave to the welcoming crowds when the 27th Chinese naval escort taskforce arrives at a military port in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, March 18, 2018. (Photo by Li Changhuan)
Nonetheless, activists posted videos online showing blatant violations. In a polling station in the republic of Sakha, an official is seen stuffing the ballot box, as genuine voters waited patiently in line to cast their votes. In Dagestan, an observer was beaten after refusing to stop filming ineligible voters. In another video, a young woman is seen stuffing a box while observers are distracted.

The deputy chairman of Russia's Central Election Commission dismissed allegations of irregularities, tweeting: "There is not a single other country in the world that has the level of transparency that we are demonstrating today."

Putin's only credible challenger, blogger and activist Boris Navalny, was barred from running because of a fraud conviction he said was designed to exclude him from electoral politics. Navalny and his supporters said Sunday voters had been bussed in across Russia to the polls.

Facing weak candidates -- some likely encouraged to run by a Kremlin eager to give the election a veneer of competitiveness -- Putin, who has held power since succeeding Boris Yeltsin in 1999, had always been guaranteed victory in an election timed to coincide with the fourth anniversary of the Russian annexation of Crimea.

There were reports of hundreds of ballot violations at polling stations across the country, which Russian election officials downplayed but said they were investigating. Communist candidate Pavel Grudinin was Putin's nearest rival, securing a likely 15.9 percent, according to preliminary results.

According to Russia's election commission, Putin was heading to secure 71.9 percent of the vote, but it was unclear whether voter turnout had reached 70 percent, a Kremlin goal. But Kremlin aides insisted the final result would show it had.

Russians turned up at polling stations Sunday in an election few voters had any doubts about who would emerge the winner. Soon after the polls closed in the enclave of Kaliningrad, preliminary results indicated incumbent President Vladimir Putin had secured victory in an election critics say was stage-managed.

The big question as Russians headed to polling stations was: What percentage of the population would turn out to vote?

Kremlin officials clearly had been determined to produce an outsized vote for Putin as a demonstration of his legitimacy -- and by lunchtime, seven hours before the polls closed, election officials projected the turnout would be 70 percent. Kremlin insiders said before polling day the desired outcome would be 70/70 -- 70 percent of the vote for Putin from a 70 percent turnout.

At 5 p.m. Moscow time, the Central Election Commission declared over half of all Russian adults had already voted, with authorities reporting a higher turnout than the last election in 2012.

Some analysts said the March 4 nerve-agent poisoning on British soil of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, which the British blame on Russia, was timed to engineer a confrontation with the West and boost a patriotic turnout for Putin. That suggestion was vehemently denied in the run-up to the polls by Putin aides, who said Russia was not involved in the nerve-agent attack. Some officials allege the British made up the incident.

Some voters had the rupture in Anglo-Russian relations on their minds. At a polling station at Moscow's School 1520, private business owner Alexei said, "I think the British government has made all of the allegations up. I think that no one has poisoned Skripal. Our country hasn't poisoned anyone."

Across from the school, police milled around to deter any flash protests, which had been promised in the capital but did not materialize. They stood outside the Barbershop School of Moscow with its marketing slogan, "Ideal Place for an Ideal Man."

Most voters encountered by VOA in Moscow said Putin was the ideal candidate. Some voters said they backed him because he had restored Russian strength, transforming the country from being a regional power to a global one.

Putin emphasized in the run-up to the polls that Russia's power had been restored, notably in his annual state of the nation address in which he said the world was now forced to listen to Russia.

Other voters were focused on domestic issues, saying things had improved since the 1990s under Putin's leadership. "Foreign policy is hard for me to understand, and I don't want to go into that," said Galiaya, a mother of two and a businesswoman at School 2123.

"We have voted for Putin," she said, including her 13-year-old daughter who stood smiling by her side. "At the moment, it seems he represents stability without anarchy. I am more afraid of anarchy, instability and war. I don't want either. I think he will stabilize the situation in the country, improve the economy and politics."

But not all voters were as enthusiastic at School 2123. Some who voted for Putin said they did so reluctantly because there was no real alternative. "Of course, I voted for Sobchak," said a pensioner who declined to give his name. He was referring to 37-year-old Ksenia Sobchak, a former socialite and broadcaster, once famous for a raunchy reality television show. She was one of Putin's seven electoral challengers.

"Let the young people start running the country. We don't want another war, and with Sobchak, there won't be a war," he said. The pensioner said he didn't like the way some Russians referred to Putin as "father."

"I have never in my life pronounced the word father.' I was born in 1938, and my father was killed in 1942. I was three years old. I have never had a father." He said he hoped Sobchak, who some Putin critics suspect was encouraged by the Russian president to run, would form a new party after the election.

Elsewhere, the independent monitoring group Golos said there had been reports of voters being pressured to vote. Several villages in Kamchatka and Chukotka reported turnout of 100 percent. The group said it received more than 2,000 alleged violations, including claims ballot boxes had been positioned out of sight of observation cameras.

Sunday's election spanned 11 time zones, starting with the Far East, and ending with the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad, where Friday police arrested several people for trying to organize election boycott rallies. There were other arrests reported in St. Petersburg and Sochi.

Nearly 109 million people were registered to cast ballots. State-owned polling company VCIOM projected a turnout of 71 percent. But the Russian nongovernmental research organization, Levada Center, conducted a survey in December that indicated 58 percent of voters planned to boycott the elections.

Casting his ballot in Moscow Sunday, Putin said "any" result that allowed him to continue as president would be a "success." "I am sure the program I am offering is the right one," he told reporters.

Putin has been in power either as president or prime minister for more than 18 years. He switched between the two roles once to circumvent a law banning him from serving more than two consecutive terms as president.

Now, the question is: What will happen when his new term expires in six years? Will someone else take the helm, or will he change the constitution? Some analysts say the uncertainty could trigger power struggles within the Kremlin, as possible successors jockey and maneuver against each other in case Putin decides to name a successor.


A survey of more than 500 pet owners has revealed that some 25 percent of them have experienced allergic reactions.

Chihuahua owners had the highest rate of allergies, followed by owners of Yorkshire Terriers, Maltese and Poodles. Among cat owners, 35 percent said they had experienced allergies. The symptoms are most prevalent among the owners of Persian, Turkish Angora and domestic short-haired cats.

People who experienced allergic symptoms while living with their pets were found to suffer from other types of allergies, such as food allergies and dermatitis. Between 74 and 80 percent suffered nasal inflammation, while others experienced itchy and watering eyes or rashes on their skin. But only 20 to 35 percent of dog and cat owners visited a doctor to treat their symptoms, with even fewer people being prescribed drugs.

To reduce the risk of allergies, researchers advise pet owners to maintain a clean indoor environment and to keep their pet's fur well groomed.
The military is toning down a handover ceremony for a batch of new F-35A state-of-the-art fighters from the U.S. as an inter-Korean summit looms. The jets, which cost W7.3 trillion, are intended to counter the nuclear and missile threat from North Korea (US$1=W1,067).

The event will be held at the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth, Texas on March 28. Air Force Chief of Staff Lee Wang-keun and Jeon Jei-guk, the chief of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, both abruptly canceled plans to attend.

"Neither can attend the ceremony," a military spokesman said. "Lee must stay in the country to maintain military preparedness while [President Moon Jae-in] is on an overseas trip, and Jeon will accompany the president."

The military will not invite reporters either.
Samsung was ranked 26th on a list of the world's 100 most reputable companies, the company said on Sunday.

The Korean conglomerate scored 73.3 points to climb 44 spots from 70th last year in the annual Global RepTrak 100 rankings released last week by Reputation Institute, the worlds leading provider of reputation measurement and management services.

The rankings are based on a survey of 230,000 people from 15 countries.

"Following the numerous Galaxy Note 7 fires that dotted 2017, not to mention Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong's corruption scandal, [Samsung] had seemingly sullied its reputation beyond repair. Rather than brushing controversy aside, Samsung tackled its crises head-on, issuing public apologies," Forbes wrote. Its advertising campaign during the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang also helped it turn around.

Apple dropped to 58th from 20th, behind Samsung and LG at 41st, due to disappointing sales of the iPhone X, a battery-replacement scandal and tax evasion allegations. Swiss watchmaker Rolex topped the list with a score of 79.3 points for the third consecutive year, followed by Danish toy company LEGO and Google.

The companies' average score fell by 1.4 points from last year, down for the first time since the financial crisis in the late 2000s.


Unemployment is rising, especially among young Koreans, despite the gradual economic recovery in the world economy, and the main culprits seem to be red tape and the rigidity of the country's labor market.

According to OECD statistics announced Friday, youth unemployment in Korea rose from 8.1 percent in 2009 to a record 9.8 percent last year. Yet in the U.S. it fell from 17.6 percent to 10.4 percent over the period and in Japan from 9.2 percent to 5.2 percent, while in Germany and the U.K. it also dropped about four percentage points. Overall, youth unemployment in the OECD fell an average of three percentage points.

One former economics minister here said, "This is what happens when there's not enough effort to reform the labor market, nurture new industries and implement structural reforms."

Major conglomerates that can offer high-quality jobs are tired of red tape and rigid labor regulations at home and move their production abroad. The Federation of Korean Industries compared the employment situation in seven major conglomerates from 2010 to 2016 and found that while local hires grew 8.5 percent or around 20,000 jobs, overseas hires soared 70.5 percent or 150,000 jobs.


North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a congratulatory message on Saturday to Chinese President Xi Jinping on a re-election that many see as blatant power grab.

According to North Korean state media, Kim said he hopes Xi would "achieve greater achievements under his leadership."

But Kim, smarting from China's embrace of international sanctions against his renegade regime, pointedly left out the standard formula "traditional friendly and cooperative ally," as he did when Xi was re-elected to head of the politburo.

The drily worded message was just three sentences long, compared to the customary five.

China's People's Daily still featured Kim's message ahead of those from communist allies Vietnam and Laos, while last year it relegated it to fourth place after Vietnam, Laos and Cuba.
Koreans increasingly resent the elderly, whom they often blame for holding the country back with their political and social views and for their sheer numbers as society ages.

The Internet is flooded with malicious comments about old people, presaging a revolt against the Confucian tradition of respect for elders that has been a cornerstone of Korean society. But the result is that older people feel increasingly marginalized in a society they worked so hard to build after the war.

The National Human Rights Commission produced the first-ever report on the rights of senior citizens this year based on a survey of human rights abuses and attitudes toward the elderly. The commission questioned 1,000 senior citizens over 65 and 500 people between 19 to 64.

It found an alarming proportion of young Koreans are pessimistic about old age. Some 80.9 percent of respondents aged 19 to 39 said society is ageist, and that is why the rights of elderly people are violated. But among old people, only 35.1 percent thought that.

But the main reason is that the young in Korea, as elsewhere in the world, feel that the old hog all the wealth and welfare. Some 56.6 percent of younger respondents worried that a growing employment for older people is robbing young people of their jobs.

Also, 77.1 percent of them feared they will have to shoulder an increasing burden of welfare costs for the elderly, and 80 percent that their pension payments will decline due to the soaring costs of supporting the elderly.

Again the generational conflict was more keenly felt by younger respondents with 81.9 percent, compared to only 44.3 percent of senior citizens.
North Korea is building a monument at the site of its intercontinental ballistic missile launch, satellite pictures show according to the New York Times on Saturday.

The NYT said that the monument is in progress at the launch site of the Hawsong-15, the first ICBM that North Korea claims could reach a target in the continental United States.

North Korea is also denouncing ongoing U.S. and Japanese efforts to strengthen sanctions. The official Korean Central News Agency said Saturday, "The Japanese reactionaries are desperately inciting the atmosphere for sanctions and pressure" and warned Tokyo could end up ostracized on any matters involving the North.

The state-run Rodong Sinmun daily said earlier this month that U.S. sanctions violate North Korea's sovereignty.
Just 36 days!

From:ChinaDaily | 2018-03-19 09:25

Just 36 days! Not months.

Foxconn Industrial Internet Co has broken the IPO ceiling in China and with it the record for the shortest waiting period for regulatory approval.

Never in my nearly 10 years of reporting on China's capital market have I seen any IPO application receiving the regulator's nod that quick. The standard processing time all these years has been several months to several years.

Pray, what's going on? The Shenzhen-based internet and electronics manufacturer is seeking to raise $4.3 billion from the market. Its success in securing the approval quickly has wowed investors, analysts and journalists alike.

Local companies, particularly firms that label themselves as tech unicorns, in need of finance and searching for backers are agog with excitement, and keen to know how Foxconn did it. (The term unicorn was coined by American venture capitalist Aileen Lee to describe a startup valued at $1 billion or more.) Even unlisted small and medium-sized businesses now see themselves listing sooner than later.

Investment bankers are chuffed too as they see more underwriting business opportunities arising from expected IPOs.

Everyone's lauding the China Securities Regulatory Commission for fast-tracking the Foxconn IPO. For, lengthy review and approval procedures were seen inflating IPO costs substantially for companies raising funds.

Not just that. Long waits also meant some companies would miss out on the best times to raise funds. By the time the approval materialized, the market situation may have changed to such an extent that the very rationale for an IPO would be defeated.

So, the quick approval for Foxconn comes as a breath of fresh air, and appears to be in line with the needs of a transitioning big economy that is seeking higher-quality growth from innovation and technological advances.

One expressed need is that the capital market should offer tech companies greater access and easier means to funds so they could enhance their R&D efforts.

Yet, the Foxconn case appears to have raised a few questions among some market people, after the regulator indicated it would like to see more local tech unicorns listing in China.

If $1 billion valuation is a major requirement for a quick IPO approval, will this lead to valuation fraud? Would the regulator be able to prevent such frauds? Is it fair to accord special treatment to only some IPO applicants like tech superstars? Shouldn't there be unified standards for speedy approval? Is the green pass legal in the first place?

The country's lawmakers are still reviewing the amendment that's sought to be made to the Securities Law. The existing laws ban loss-making local companies and firms registered overseas from listing on the local bourses.

The securities regulator will likely seek to address all such concerns and allay related fears before launching IPO reforms. Such reforms will seek to make the system more transparent, rules consistent, the market healthy and efficient, so that truly valuable startups could flourish.
Garbage sorting measures being implemented in city

From:Shine | 2018-03-19 01:29

RESIDENTIAL communities in Jingan, Changning, Fengxian, Songjiang and Chongming districts will finish implementing a garbage sorting plan by the end of this year.

Citywide, the plan will be in place by 2020.

The newly released measures are targeting waste collecting agencies, some of whom have been blamed for mixing sorted garbage.

Residents have complained that while they have actively participated in garbage sorting, their effort is wasted as the transport companies mix the already sorted garbage.

Even if I carefully separate dry and wet garbage and throw them into different bins, they are dumped together by trucks, which is very frustrating, said Anna Lu, a resident in Jingan District.

Under the new measures, wet garbage at residential complexes has to be cleared out daily, while dry trash can be collected and taken away once a week.

The wet garbage has to be transported in enclosed vehicles to avoid odor and leakage.

Only companies with permits to collect dangerous materials will be allowed to collect hazardous medical wastes.

They have to be cleared once every month.

The frequency of recyclable wastes collection will have to be done once in 15 days.

Waste collection companies will have to make their time of collection and transport public. Companies mixing the different types of trash will be punished.

The plan states that the residential communities should properly set up domestic garbage sorting and collection containers, and garbage clearing companies should have separate containers or spots for harmful, dry and recyclable garbage.

There should be containers for kitchen wastes at food production and catering areas.

If they produce waste oil, there should also be specific containers for that.

Property management companies and neighborhood committees will be responsible for guiding the residents about garbage sorting and management.

The treatment capacity of wet garbage in Shanghai is expected to reach 7,000 tons per day by 2020.
Kathmandu, March 19

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Matrika Prasad Yadav had a courtesy meeting with Minister of External Affairs of India Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi on Monday.

During the meeting, the two ministers exchanged views on a range of matters of Nepal-India relations, according to the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi.

Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Yadav conveyed the desire of the Government of Nepal to further consolidate bilateral relations with India and to this end, he stressed on the need of stepping up meaningful economic cooperation on the basis of mutuality of benefits.

On the occasion, External Affairs Minister Swaraj assured of Indias continuous support for Nepals development and prosperity. The External Affairs Minister termed the completion of the processes of various elections in Nepal as important achievement.

Earlier this afternoon, Commerce Minister Yadav met the Minister of Commerce and Industry of India, Suresh Prabhu and discussed about various matters related to bilateral trade, transit and investment.

They also shared views on the importance of the World Trade Organization for countries like Nepal and India as well as on how the like-minded countries can work together to safeguard and strengthen the rule-based multilateral trading system.

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Yadav is on a visit to India at the invitation of the Minister of Commerce and Industry of India in order to participate in the informal meeting of the ministers responsible for the WTO being held in New Delhi from March 19 to 20. The minister reached Delhi earlier this afternoon.

RSS
Jhapa, March 19

Nepals former king Gyanendra Shah is trying to bring all factions of the erstwhile royalist party, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, together, sources say.

According to sources close to the former monarch, Shah, who is currently staying at his own tea estate in Jhapa, met nine different leaders from three different factions of the party on Sunday evening. Shah is learnt to have hosted a tea reception for the leaders from 4 pm to 7 pm.

The leaders who met Shah are: Buddhiman Tamang, Bhaskar Bhadra and Prahlad Thapa from the Kamal Thapa camp. Similarly, from the Pashupati Samsher Rana camp, Rajaram Shrestha, Suresh Acharya and Sagun Lawati were present to take part in the event. Keshav Shrestha, Tara Luintel and Sushma Acharya, all of whom belong to the Prakash Chandra Lohani camp, were also invited.

One of the leaders who were present at the meeting told Onlinekhabar that Shah directed the participants of the meeting to take the initiative to unite the old party. Wherever I go these days, people complain that the party has been divided and it is weak. That is why you need to set a target and move forward, the leader quoted Shah as saying.

During the meeting, members of the three camps are learnt to have severely criticised their respective leaders. The three leaders at the top are do not want to unite because doing so will hurt their ego, the second-rung leaders told Shah. They told the former king that the trio should be removed from power and a new generation of pro-monarchy leaders should take over the party.

The source said that the nine leaders who met Shah will return to Kathmandu and launch a rebellion against Rana, Thapa and Lohani.

RPP leaders say that the former king does not want to lead a quiet life. That is why he wants to relaunch the party. However, it is not clear wheather he wants to dive into active politics.
Top diplomats of S. Korea, U.S., Japan to hold talks in New York U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold trilateral talks with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York this wee...
KABUL: In what appears to be efforts to repair the strained ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the officials of both countries on Saturday agreed that the Taliban should utilise the timely and new peace offer made by Kabul.



Pakistans National Security Adviser (NSA) Lt General Nasser Janjua (retd), who was on one-day visit to Kabul, held meetings with numerous Afghan officials in the Afghan capital.



In a tweet on Sunday, Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah shared details of his meeting with Janjua.



The duo discussed inter-state dialogues for improvement of relations between the two countries, besides support for the Afghan Peace Process.




Lun 19 de marzo de 2018

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has appointed Adam Goldstein, one of the cruise industry's most respected leaders, to serve as vice chairman.

Goldstein, a 30-year RCL veteran, will assume his new post in May, after having served as RCL's president and chief operating officer since 2014.

RCL's chairman and CEO, Richard Fain, said, "Adam has played a pivotal role in our success since he joined the company in 1988. He has exerted a positive influence across the company and provides exemplary leadership in our industry and in the communities we serve. As Adam transitions to his new role, I look forward to working with him to continue to build on these successes."

Goldstein said: "It remains an incredible privilege to work with the men and women of RCL, who help create the memories of a lifetime for our guests, and who know the importance of doing good while we do well. I look forward to focusing my efforts in a few key areas where I can help advance the cause of both RCL and the cruise industry."

In his new role, Goldstein will continue to oversee RCL's global government relations and destination development efforts, and will represent the company in industry associations. Both areas have been a constant focus for Goldstein across a career filled with challenging assignments.

Goldstein began his career with RCL in 1988. He has served in numerous senior roles, including president and CEO of the Royal Caribbean International brand. He led the brand during the introduction of the Oasis- and Freedom-class ships and has been a driver of the company's global expansion.

Goldstein has also played a prominent role in industry affairs. He currently serves as chair of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association and previously served as chair of Cruise Lines International Association (2015-16) and the Travel Industry Association of America (2001, now US Travel).

Goldstein, together with his family, has been deeply involved in concussion awareness issues. He also serves on the Energy Security Leadership Council, the President's Advisory Council of Princeton University and is actively involved with the INSEAD business school, where he received his MBA, as well as Harvard Law School, where he received his J.D.
ABSTRACT

In Bahrain, like the other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, desalination is inevitable to meet the escalating municipal water demands. However, desalination is associated with many environmental effects, which need to be minimized to their lowest possible limits. One of the major environmental concerns of desalination in the Arabian Gulf region is the local and regional effects of the outfall areas on the marine environment. In this study, the outfall area of a government-owned MSF desalination plant is characterized in terms of temperature and salinity. The spatial extent of the plume of the desalination plants effluent is mapped by a field survey conducted during the winter season around the plants outfall area at 25 cm and 1 m below the water surface and at low and high tide. The results of the characterization indicated that the temperature of the brine discharged to the outfall was 37C, higher than the ambient seawater temperature by 16.5C at high tide and 17.5C at low tide, and that the extent of the mixing zone area was found at about 260 m and 1 km from the outfall point at high tide and low tide, respectively. The results also showed that brine thermal discharge is not in compliance with the standard limits (<3C from ambient within 100 m of shoreline) both at high and low tides with differences reaching more than 10C. In terms of salinity, the brine discharged salinity was 56.2 parts per trillion (ppt) compared to an ambient seawater salinity of 43.2 ppt. The maximum salinity measured near the outfall point was 56 ppt at low tide and 51 ppt at high tide, both at 1 m below the surface water column. It is found that the current design structure consisting of two jetties to isolate the desalination plant outfall area from its surroundings is not environmentally sound, as the current surface/inter-tidal outfall location is susceptible to significant increases in salinity and temperature around the outfall area due to the limited flushing it experiences. Therefore, the current design of the outfall area needs to be reviewed to ensure meeting brine discharge regulations and mitigate its impact on the surrounding marine area. The spatial extent of the brine plume can be minimized by building a discharge area further offshore at a sub-tidal location where turbulent flow exists to minimize the spatial extent and intensity of the brine plume. It is recommended that this characterization be extended to all desalination plants in Bahrain, and a regular monitoring program, which should also include selected biological communities and organisms of ecological relevance, be established around the desalination plants outfall areas.

Keywords:

Desalination, Brine, Salinity, Temperature, GCC Countries, Bahrain

1. Introduction

Like the rest of the GCC countries, Bahrain has extremely poor endowment of water resources. It has one of the lowest per capita renewable freshwater resources in the world that continue to decline rapidly due to escalating population growth (Figure 1). Overall per capita renewable freshwater availability in Bahrain has been rapidly declining from about 500 cubic meters per year (m3/yr) in 1970 to about 80 m3/yr in 2010, considerably below the acute water poverty line of 500 m3/yr, where water becomes a major constraint for development impacting the standard of living, health and the environment [1] . However, despite the rapid increase in water demands and the limitation of its conventional freshwater resources, Bahrain has done well in providing drinking water for its rapidly expanding population by resorting to desalination. Per capita desalination capacity share has been increasing from about 11 m3 in 1980 to about 170 in 2010. This share continues to increase with time. In 2012 per capita desalination capacity share in Bahrain was about 180 m3.

Figure 1. Trends of availability of annual per capita renewable freshwater and desalination capacity in Bahrain, 1970-2010.

Desalination technology was introduced in Bahrain in 1975 and has developed very rapidly to counteract the shortage and quality deterioration in groundwater resources and to meet the qualitative requirements for drinking water standards. Figure 2 illustrates the trend in desalination water production to meet municipal water demands in the country. At present, municipal water supply in Bahrain relies mainly on desalinated water, which is used either directly or blended with groundwater, which has significantly positive implication on the quality of the supplied water. The quality of the supplied municipal water meets the Bahrain/GCC high drinking water quality standards in terms of salinity (<500 mg/L) and beyond.

In Bahrain there are five major operating desalination plants, all of which located at the eastern coast of the country (Figure 3). The details of these desalination plants are indicated in Table 1. In 2014, the total desalination capacity was about 870 m3/d (315 Mm3/yr). Like the GCC countries, the current trend in desalination expansion in Bahrain is expected to continue in the future [2] .

The primary desalination process used in Bahrain is the thermal process (64%), namely the Multi-Stage-Flash (MSF) distillation and the Multiple Effect Distillation (MED) technologies. The MSF technology is an established technology and is combined with co-generation of electricity which greatly improves the economics of desalination. It also exhibits significant economies of scale which are critical for large scale production. In addition, MSF plants have a useful life of about 25 years that can be nearly doubled through proper plant maintenance and refurbishment. The MED combined with thermal vapor compression, is more energy-efficient even for smaller desalination plants than MSF, and has been increasing in Bahrain as well as in the Arabian Gulf region in the past few years. On the other hand, Reverse Osmosis (RO) technology, both seawater and brackish water, have been adopted recently for relatively large plant (i.e., Al-Dur Seawater RO).

Figure 2. Trends in municipal water supply and its sources in Bahrain, 1980-2011 (data source: Electricity and Water Authority).

Figure 3. Desalination plants locations in Bahrain.

Table 1. Daily production capacity of desalination plants in Bahrain.

Source: Electricity and Water Authority Data. Note: Al Dur SWRO, owned by EWA, is no more existing as a production facility; currently it is mothballed until a time that EWA may refurbish, upgrade it, or place it by a new plant (plant #6).

However, while Bahrain has been able to meet the rising municipal water demands by the expansion of desalination plants production, this has been associated with enormous costs manifested by Al-Zubari (2014) [3] : 1) the required energy (oil and gas) for desalinated water production (including its opportunity cost and in-situ value); 2) financial and energy/electricity cost of every stage in the operation of the water cycle system (i.e., production, transmission, and distribution); and 3) environmental costs in terms of thermal brine and other waste products discharge by desalination plants and their impacts on the surrounding coastal and marine environment, as well as air pollution by burned fossil fuel and their impacts on human health and the environment.

Depending on the physical and ecological characteristics of the receiving waters, these substances can have a harmful impact on the local environment. Especially vulnerable are areas such as mangroves, salt marshes, coral reefs, or generally, low energy intertidal areas; enclosed seas, such as the Arabian Gulf, have limited water exchange capacities and are generally shallow and less energetic, thus more sensitive to effluent discharges [4] . Discharge of waste products chemicals (i.e., biocides, chlorination, and de-scaling chemicals) can lead to chronic toxicity and small-scale alterations to community structure in marine environments, particularly for corals [5] . Moreover, as desalination effluents has high salinity and denser than seawater, they sink to the seabed and slowly circulates causing harm to sea grasses and other ecosystems on which a large range of aquatic life depend [6] [7] . Changes to salinity can play a significant role in the growth and size of aquatic life and the marine species disturbance [8] .

In light of the current population growth and municipal water consumption trends, expansion in desalination is inevitable to meet the escalating municipal water requirements in Bahrain. Therefore, management efforts have to be made on both the supply and demand sides, to reduce its associated costs to the minimum levels possible. This can be achieved by improving water efficiency (use, supply, recycle, reuse) in the municipal water supply sector to reduce water requirements, and thus reducing desalination production and its associated financial, economic and environmental costs.

Yet, desalination externalities will continue to impact the marine environment and ecology, and will need to be mitigated to the minimum possible levels by technical and technological means. For new desalination plants, basic knowledge of the resulting concentration distributions allows for an impact assessment and design optimization. The concentration distribution depends on the sitting of the outfall, the amount of mixing and the transport capacities of the prevailing currents [9] .

On the other hand, for an existing desalination plant, a typical environmental impact assessment and mitigation procedures would involve outfall site characterization and modeling approach to improve the design of the discharge such that effluent impacts are minimized. Such approach would require the followings steps: the impact of a given desalination plant on the surrounding marine environment is characterized in the vicinity of the brine discharge area; then, the results of the characterization stage are used to calibrate and develop a hydrodynamic simulation model (e.g., CORMIX) for the desalination plant and its surrounding marine environment; once the simulation model is calibrated to satisfactorily represent the existing system of the desalination plant and its surrounding marine area, it is used to investigate the effectiveness of various proposed mitigation options.

Mitigation options can be made either within the desalination plant itself (e.g., to dilute brine with power plant cooling waters [10] , dilute brine with seawater prior to discharge [11] [12] , and development of effective anti-scalants with no biological effects [13] [14] , or at the outfall area, such as submerged discharge via pipeline and nozzle or diffuser further offshore [15] [16] [17] [18] .

In this research, the outfall area of an MSF desalination plant in Bahrain is characterized in terms of temperature and salinity, and the horizontal and vertical extent of the plume of the desalination plants effluent is investigated. Such basic knowledge of the spatial distribution of the salinity and temperature of the effluent is necessary for an environmental impact assessment, hydrodynamic modeling of the outfall area and for evaluating the effectiveness of any proposed mitigation options.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Location and Description of the Desalination Plant

The study was conducted on the outfall area of Sitra Power and Water Station (SPWS). SPWSs Phase I was commissioned in 1975 and was designed to meet the growing demand for electricity and drinking water in Bahrain. Consisting of four sets of boilers, steam turbo generators and two Multi-stage flash (MSF) seawater desalination units, the facility has a design production capacity of 100 Mega Watts (MW) of electricity and 22,725 m3/day (5MGPD) of distilled water. In 1984, phase II of SPWS was commissioned and consisted of a 25 MW gas Turbine with a waste heat recovery boiler, an auxiliary boiler, and a 22,725 m3/day (5MGPD) capacity MSF unit. Phase II, or unit 5 is a self-contained plant with separate support infrastructure including: gas supply, seawater Intake, outfall culvert, and other Auxiliary System. In order to meet further growth in demand for electricity and water, Phase III was commissioned in 1984/85. Phase III consisted of three identical MSF units, each with an installed capacity of 22,725 m3/day (5MGPD) when operated at 90C Top Brine Temperature (TBT), but capable of producing 30,906 m3/day (6.8MGPD) When operated at 110C (TBT).

SPWS has two seawater intakes and four outfall culverts. A flow diagram of the intake and outfall is shown in Figure 4. The outfall area is being constrained by two jetties. These Jetties, shown in Figure 5, were constructed to minimize the spread of brine plumes and thus minimize areas of ecological impacts, and in the case of the north jetty to limit the intrusion of brines into seawater intake areas [19] .

Figure 4. Seawater intake and outfall of SPWS.

Figure 5. Locations of sampling points.

2.2. Field Survey and Data Acquisition

The locations of the sampling points are shown in Figure 5. Overall eighteen sampling points were used to characterize the outfall area of SPWS. The locations of the sampling points were determined using a GPS instrument (Garmin). Temperature (in degree centigrade) and salinity (in total dissolved Solids (TDS)) were measured at these spot sampling points in the field using Marine Water Quality Monitor (YSI) instrument. The design of the sampling points was made in the form of a grid to ensure full coverage of the spatial distribution of the outfall plume between the two barriers. Sampling points X1 to X16 represent the outfall area, while both points X17 (desalination plant feed-water side) and X18 (outfall side) represent the ambient conditions of the area.

The outfall area and its surrounding are relatively shallow and does not exceed 1.5 meters, with some areas appear at the surface during low tide (Figure 6). Hence, it was felt that it is important to investigate the changes in the salinity and temperature during low and high tides. Sampling and measurements were taken at 25 cm and 1 m below the surface of the water column during both high and low tide (1.65 m and 0.96 m, respectively). The sampling for low and high tide was made on the same day (21/02/2013, 08:30 am and 14:42 pm). Table 2 displays the measurement results of the survey during high and low tide at 25 cm and 1m below the surface of water column for the 18 sampling points.

2.3. Spatial Data Representation

Data interpolation and contouring was made using the inverse weighted distance

Table 2. Temperature and Total Dissolved Solids Measurements at high tide and low tide at 25 cm and 1 meter below sea level.

Figure 6. Discharge area of SPWS located at the intertidal zone.

method (power 2) to provide a representative spatial distribution of the salinity and temperature in the field. Surfer (v.8) contouring Software (Golden Software Inc., Golden, Colorado) was used to create the graphical spatial representation of these two variables at 25 cm and 1 m below the water surface for both low and high tides. Moreover, the temperature and salinity difference between the 1m and the 25 cm below the surface water column planes for both low and high tides were also prepared by subtracting the produced maps using the same software.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. Temperature

The ambient temperature of the study area was 20.5C at high tide and was 19.5C at low tide. The temperature of the brine discharged at the outfall was 37C; i.e., the temperature of the brine discharged to the outfall was higher than the ambient temperature by 16.5C at high tide and 17.5C at low tide. (Figure 7 and Figure 8) show the spatial distribution of temperature at 25 cm and 1 meter below the water surface, respectively, for both high and low tide.

The highest temperature value in the surrounding area of the brine discharge occurred, as expected, very close to the mouth of the outfall; the maximum temperature measured near the outfall point at high tide was 30.3C at 1 m below surface water column and was 36.3C at low tide. The relatively high increase in temperature at low tide than at high tide is attributed to the extreme reduction of the water column during low tide restricting mixing. The figures indicate that high temperatures are concentrated toward the discharge point at high tide, while at low tide the high temperatures spread toward the open sea. The extent of the mixing zone area was estimated at about 260 m from the outfall point at high tide, reaching about 1km at low tide.

In the vertical direction, temperatures are higher at 1 m below surface water column than at 25 cm. This is illustrated in Figure 9, which shows the temperature difference between the 1 m and the 25 cm below the surface water column

(a) (b) Figure 7. Observed Temperature at SPWS outfall 25 cm below sea level, in degrees Centigrade: a) High tide; and b) Low tide.

planes. The maximum difference temperature was 5.5C at low tide and 5 at high tide.

The measured temperatures were compared with mixing zone water quality standards of the Kingdom of Bahrain, which states that there should be no direct heat addition within 100 m of shoreline and no thermal alteration, which would cause temperature to deviate from ambient temperature by more than 3C (Environmental Legislative Decree 21 for the year 1996). The survey results showed that brine thermal discharge is not in compliance with the standard limits at high tide and low tide (refer to samples 1, 2, 5, and 6 in Table 2). At low tide, the difference reached more than 10C. It is observed that the impact of the temperature of the brine discharge at low tide is generally more than that at high tide. This is attributed to the relatively shallow area of the discharge zone, where mixing becomes even more restricted at low tide.

3.2. Salinity

The average ambient salinity at high tide and low tide was 43.2 ppt. The brine

(a) (b) Figure 8. Observed Temperature at SPWS outfall 1 m below sea level, in degrees centigrade: a) High tide; and b) low tide.

salinity discharged at the outfall was 56 ppt; i.e., the salinity of the brine discharged to the outfall was higher than the ambient salinity by 13 ppt. Figure 10 and Figure 11 show the spatial distribution of TDS at high and low tide for 25 cm and 1m sampling depths, respectively. The highest TDS value in the surrounding area of the brine discharge occurred very close to the mouth of the outfall, with the maximum salinity measured near the outfall point was 56 ppt at low tide and 51 ppt at high tide, both at 1m below the surface water column. The relatively high increase in the salinity at low tide than at high tide is attributed to the shallow areas of the outfall at during low tide which leads to less mixing and dilution of the brine. The two figures indicate that, as was the case of the temperature, at high tide, the salinity plume is concentrated within the discharge area, while at low tide the salinity plume is spread towards the open sea.

Vertically, the two figures indicate that the salinity of the seawater is higher at 1m below surface water column than at 25 cm. This can be clearly observed in Figure 12, which shows the salinity difference between 1 m and 25 cm below the

(a) (b) Figure 9. Observed Temperature Difference at SPWS outfall between 1 m & 25 cm below sea level, in degrees centigrade a) High tide; and b) Low tide.

surface water column. The maximum difference in salinity at low tide was 7.5 ppt and it was 4.4 ppt at high tide. This difference in salinity at different level is attributed to the brine density is higher than seawater density leading it to sink toward the sea bed.

Bahrain has no regulation for the salinity at the outfall area (i.e., Environmental Legislative Decree 21 for the year 1996), and compliance analysis cannot be made. However, if compared with the standards of other Gulf countries, for example the Emirate of Dubai, where the standard is set to have the salinity not to exceed 5% of the ambient seawater salinity within 100 m from the outfall area, then this criteria has been exceeded at all times.

4. Conclusions and Recommendations

The outfall area of the MSF desalination plant of Sitra Power and Water Station was characterized in terms of the spatial distribution of the brine salinity and

(a) (b) Figure 10. Observed TDS at SPWS outfall 25cm below sea level, in ppt: a) High tide; and b) Low tide.

temperature. The survey results have clearly shown that the current design structure consisting of two jetties to isolate the desalination plant outfall area from its surroundings is not environmentally sound, and is actually contributing to increasing the concentration of the salinity and temperature within the surrounding zone, and making these two parameters exceed the discharge standards.

The current design of the outfall area needs to be reviewed to ensure meeting brine discharge regulations and mitigate its impact on the surrounding marine area. In order to do so, optimized high efficiency mixing designs are needed for the brine discharge as part of a sustainable concentrate management plan. The current surface/inter-tidal location is susceptible to significant increases in salinity and temperature around the outfall area due to the limited flushing it experiences. The spatial extent of the brine plume can be minimized by building a discharge area further offshore at a sub-tidal location where turbulent flow exists to minimize the spatial extent and intensity of the brine plume.

(a) (b) Figure 11. Observed TDS at SPWS outfall 1m below sea level, in ppt: a) High tide; and b) Low tide.

In this research, two indicators, temperature and salinity, were used to characterize and assess the physical changes of the seawater surrounding the outfall area of the Sitra desalination plant. However, it is recommended that other quantifiable indicators characterize the desalination system impact on the marine environment and hence help in the assessment process, such as chemicals used in process and residual chlorine in order to enhance the impact assessment process.

In addition, this field survey was conducted during the winter season, where major differences in temperature occur. It is recommended that a continuous monitoring program of seawater quality, including selected sustainability indicators be designed and implemented to measure these indicators on a regular basis (e.g., monthly or quarterly) in the near field region (NFR) and the regulatory mixing zone (RMZ) to aid in the observation of the outfall region and its modeling. Moreover, such a regular monitoring program is to be complemented

(a) (b) Figure 12. Observed TDS Difference at SPWS outfall between 1m & 25cm below sea level, in ppt: a) High tide; and b) Low tide.

by monitoring of selected biological communities and organisms of ecological relevance and sensitivity to salinity and temperature. Such characterization and impact assessment are recommended to be extended to all desalination plants in Bahrain.

Finally, it is recommended that the results of this characterization are used in the development of a hydrodynamic simulation model (e.g., CORMIX) representing the desalination plant and its surrounding environment, and are used to investigate the effectiveness of various proposed mitigation options to minimize the impact of the outfall area on the marine environment.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Mr. Hassan Juma, Head, Laboratories, Supreme Council for Environment, Kingdom of Bahrain, for his help in collecting and analyzing the marine samples.

Cite this paper

Al-Zubari, W.K., El-Sadek, A.A. and Khadim, M.J. (2018) Characterization of the Outfall Area of a Multi-Stage-Flash Desalination Plant in Bahrain. Journal of Water Resource and Protection, 10, 287-303. https://doi.org/10.4236/jwarp.2018.103017

References
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English French

PRESS RELEASE

EVOLUTION OF GOVERNANCE

Paris La Defense, 18 March 2018 - Nexans' Board of Directors has been informed that the Group's Chief Executive Officer Arnaud Poupart-Lafarge has requested to leave the company as soon as possible due to personal reasons.

The Board of Directors has requested that Arnaud Poupart-Lafarge ensure a transition period until September 30, 2018 at the latest, which he has accepted.

The Board of Directors unanimously recognizes and warmly thanks Arnaud Poupart-Lafarge for his services and leadership in turning around the company and driving its growth since he started in the role in 2014 as well as accepting to support a period of managerial transition.

The Board of Directors, chaired by Georges Chodron de Courcel, in application of the Group succession plan, and in full agreement with Arnaud Poupart-Lafarge, has this day requested Pascal Portevin, in his role as Deputy CEO to expand his responsibilities to support the transition. He will, together with the CEO, drive the implementation of Nexans' "Paced for Growth" strategic plan.

Georges Chodron de Courcel, Nexans Chairman of the Board states, "The Board of Directors and I are fully confident in the ability of Nexans' Management Board to drive the execution of our strategy both during this period of transition and afterwards."

The Board of Directors has decided to launch a recruitment process both internally and externally to fill the role of Chief Executive Officer as soon as possible.

Analysts and investors are welcome to attend a conference call with Arnaud Poupart-Lafarge and Pascal Portevin, arranged on Monday 19 March 2018 at noon (Paris time).

To connect, please dial one of the following numbers and ask for "Nexans Conference Call":

From France: +33 (0) 1 71 23 01 07

From other European countries: +44 1296 480 180

From the United States: +1 718 354 1176

Confirmation code: 207 997 67#

About Nexans

As a global leader in advanced cabling and connectivity solutions, Nexans brings energy to life through an extensive range of best-in-class products and innovative services. For over 120 years, innovation has been the company's hallmark, enabling Nexans to drive a safer, smarter and more efficient future together with its customers.

Today, the Nexans Group is committed to facilitating energy transition and supporting the exponential growth of data by empowering its customers in four main business areas: Building & Territories (including utilities, smart grids, emobility), High Voltage & Projects (covering offshore wind farms, submarine interconnections, land high voltage), Telecom & Data (covering data transmission, telecom networks, hyperscale data centers, LAN), and Industry & Solutions (including renewables, transportation, Oil & Gas, automation, and others).

Corporate Social Responsibility is a guiding principle of Nexans' business activities and internal practices. In 2013 Nexans became the first cable provider to create a Foundation supporting sustainable initiatives bringing access to energy to disadvantaged communities worldwide. The Group's commitment to developing ethical, sustainable and high-quality cables drives its active involvement within several leading industry associations, including Europacable, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), International Cablemakers Federation (ICF) or CIGRE to mention a few.

Nexans employs more than 26,000 people with an industrial footprint in 34 countries and commercial activities worldwide. In 2017, the Group generated 6.4 billion euros in sales.Nexans is listed on Euronext Paris, compartment A.

For more information, please visit: www.nexans.com

Contacts :
PITTSBURGH, March 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 2440 Media offers website design for all types of businesses throughout the US and today marks their 16th year of providing top quality products and internet solutions to both small businesses and individual clients. 2440 Media solutions include their range of standard services as well as bespoke programming and custom applications - all designed to ensure their clients' needs are met.



A summary of 2440 Media's web design services:

High Quality Website Design Unlike Any Other

2440 Media's professional web site design services are available to all customers of all business types. 2440 Media boasts its simple Discovery Process which narrows what a client wants and delivers the perfect design based on the client's preferences without making the client browse through thousands of design ideas and go through the hassle of a never ending revision process. Every client will also have a visualization of how the final website will be even before the website has even started.

2440 Media uses either Drupal or Wordpress to power all of their websites as it is totally customizable and easy to update. With 2440 Media, building a website only requires 3 steps, Discovery, Architecture, and Construction. No hassle, just pure satisfaction.

Mobile Responsive and Optimized

"Most web design companies will tell you that you have to redesign your entire site in order to be mobile friendly, but we know better," 2440 Media claimed. 2440 Media adds a series of programming codes which enables your current site to look great in mobile devices and with any other screen resolutions without breaking the website's design. Images will be auto resized and will look crisp and clear.

Unlimited Website Updating and Support

2440 Media will not leave you hanging after you have your website built. In this day and time, every website is not safe from brute force attacks. Keeping a website up to date is very crucial but is also a tedious job for business owners and individual clients to keep up. It is time consuming and confusing. 2440 Media's solution for this is to offer Unlimited update and support. Forget the stressful "I can do it myself" thing and leave 2440 Media to do it for you. By allowing 2440 Media to take care of the website update and maintenance, every client will be able to free more time and use it in a more profitable way, like perhaps, thinking about the next business expansion.

For the 16 years of service, 2440 Media has been guaranteeing 100% satisfaction for their client's website and maintenance needs.

Youtube URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnRK_ml2IbU

https://www.2440media.com/

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d948acaa-8dbc-4e38-92ff-8fbcb5114388
CHICAGO, IL, March 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- truCrowd, Inc., owner and operator of Regulation CF crowdfunding portal truCrowd.com , announced today that the Company has executed an agreement with Digital Arts Media Network, Inc. (OTCMKTS: DATI ), to sell to the Public Accelerator-Incubator (PAI), an equity stake of up to 39.89% percent in the Company, in an effort to grow the SEC registered, FINRA member crowdfunding portal.

Vincent Petrescu, President of truCrowd, Inc., said, We have strategically aligned the company with DATI in an effort to ramp up the successes weve had so far. We also look to properly take advantage of the surge in those blockchain related projects looking to work within the current framework of the SEC. We believe that by taking responsibility for our own social and cultural output, promoting the appropriate use of Reg. CF portals, we can both support traditional capital formation and Reg CF compliant blockchain related projects.

DATI is a specialized tech accelerator focused primarily on expediting capital formation by providing angel and early-stage investors access to liquidity, faster. As part of DATIs Invest+ program, the Public Accelerator-Incubator has purchased a 19.9% equity stake in truCrowd which will vest over 6 months, with an option to acquire an additional 19.99%. DATI will also provide capital formation services to the Company through its Angels+ program. The deal was made with the anticipation (by both managements) that truCrowd, being 1 of only 38 Reg. CF portals currently registered with FINRA , would be able to better leverage managements long-standing experience in the crowdfunding space, along with the portals current success in meeting clients/issuers capital targets, if a strategic partner could assist with financing, deal flow, business development and execution.

Mr. Petrescu concluded, We see the StartEngine as an example of what truCrowd can accomplish as a starting point with the right strategic alliances. With 87,000 registered users and an estimated valuation of $65M dollars, StartEngine has raised roughly $35M for clients, leveraging a combination of Reg. D, Reg. A+ and Reg. CF. Through our relationship with DATI and the experience its team brings from the public markets, startup community, and venture capital markets, we are confident that we can achieve great success and build truCrowd into a prosperous enterprise.

It is important to note, the parties to the transaction are requesting comments from truCrowds regulatory body prior to consummating the transaction. Accordingly, the parties may be required to eliminate or modify some of the provisions of the transaction prior to the final closing.

ABOUT TruCrowd, Inc. (owner and operator of truCrowd.com)



Located in the heart of the financial district of downtown Chicago, truCrowd is a FINRA member equity crowdfunding portal operating under Regulation Crowdfunding (Title III of JOBS ACT); connecting startups and emerging businesses with non-accredited and accredited investors. Built on the belief that not all businesses and investors are alike, we pride ourselves on delivering a personalized and professional funding experience through industry-leading technology.



Website: https://us.trucrowd.com/

Website: https://us.trucrowd.com/

ABOUT Digital Arts Media Network, Inc.

Digital Arts Media Network, Inc. (OTCMKTS: DATI ) is the first company to utilize the Public Accelerator-Incubator (PAI) model, with the intent to follow the global success of accelerators and incubators around the world, adding niche opportunities to both the microcap and startup communities. As a PAI, Digital Arts Media Network will develop and acquire innovations that solve problems through digital platforms and other electronic applications.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DigitalArtsDATI

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/digital-arts-media-network

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DigitalArtsMediaNetworkDATI/

Medium: https://medium.com/@DigArtsMedNet

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause the Company's actual operating results to be materially different from any historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to statements that explicitly describe these risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements that contain terms such as "believes," "belief," "expects," "expect," "intends," "intend," "anticipate," "anticipates," "plans," "plan," to be uncertain and forward-looking.
NEW YORK, March 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the study published by P&S Market Research, service integration and management market is expected to reach $57.6 billion by 2023, the major factors responsible for the high growth of the market are cost reduction and value enhancement, and service quality enhancement leading to process efficiency. Improvement in service quality leads to smoother flow of end-to-end processes, which include maintaining coordination between the customer organization and service providers and enabling the customer organization to easily switch between the service providers, if needed, to ensure quality. This not only ensures consistent management of services and access to top-notch service technologies but also allows sharing of knowledge and continual improvement in services.



Request to Get the Sample Pages: https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/service-integration-and-management-market/report-sample

The service integration and management market is categorized into technology and business; of which, the business category is projected to witness higher growth during the forecast period. This is because of the increasing investments in governance strategies and procurement activities by many global players. Based on the organization type, large enterprises are expected to continue generating a larger share in the market revenue, as compared to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

On the basis on service, the service integration and management market has been categorized into consulting and implementation; assessment and advisory; and integration and automation. Among these, consulting and implementation services are expected to continue holding the largest share in the market in the coming years. Based on industry, the market is divided into telecom and IT; BFSI; retail and manufacturing; energy and utility; and transportation and logistics, out of which, the telecom and IT industry is expected to continue generating the largest revenue in the market.

Access Report Summary with Detailed TOC on "Service Integration and Management (SIAM) Market" at: https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/service-integration-and-management-market

Europe is expected to continue being the largest service integration and management market in the forthcoming years, on account of the growing need of organizations to adapt their IT system infrastructure to the changing information services environment. Because of the increasing usage of SaaS and IaaS cloud services by the European companies, the demand for multi-supplier management models is also growing in the region.

Lack of flexibility in business models can be viewed as an opportunity for the growth of the service integration and management market. Many organizations face flexibility issues while implementing changes in their process flow, which often generates the need for a flexible multi-supplier management model. At present, many organizations are implementing a stable model, but with the increasing adoption of a dynamic multi-vendor outsourcing model, the multi-supplier management model is expected to have increased prevalence in the near future.

Players in the service integration and management market are aiming at improving the speed and efficiency of new service providers and providing flexibility to their customers for the substitution of uneconomic or poorly performing service providers.

Some of the key players operating in this market are Oracle Corporation, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), HCL Technologies Limited, Infosys Limited, Mindtree Limited, Capgemini SE, and Atos SE.

More Reports by P&S Market Research

AI Market in Agriculture

Geographically, North America is the largest region in the AI market in agriculture with the U.S. alone contributing more than 30% of the revenue to the global market in 2016. The country is also expected to lead the global market during the forecast period. Speech recognition, natural language processing (NLP), and animal facial recognition are some of the applications on which the companies in the U.S. AI industry are focusing.

https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/artificial-intelligence-in-agriculture-market/report-sample

Cyber Security Market

Geographically, the cyber security market is expected to witness the fastest growth in Asia-Pacific, during the forecast period. High value targets in a less secure environment, have made this region a potential target for cyber-criminals. China accounted for the largest share of 31.4% of the APAC cyber security market in 2016. This is mainly attributed to the increased wired and wireless internet usage, rapid computerization, growth of e-commerce, and the rise in the adoption of cloud computing in the country.

https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/cyber-security-market

About P&S Market Research

P&S Market Research is a market research company, which offers market research and consulting services for various geographies around the globe. We provide market research reports, industry forecasting reports, business intelligence, and research based consulting services across different industry/business verticals.

As one of the top growing market research agency, were keen upon providing market landscape and accurate forecasting. Our analysts and consultants are proficient with business intelligence and market analysis, through their interaction with leading companies of the concerned domain. We help our clients with B2B market research and assist them in identifying various windows of opportunity, and framing informed and customized business expansion strategies in different regions.

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LAS VEGAS, March 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VITALIBIS, INC. (OTCPINK:VCBD) a technology-based seller of premium, full spectrum CBD products, along with personal care and nutritional products formulated with premium hemp extracts, today announced a technology integration agreement to license the state-of-the-art newkleus technology to (1) facilitate Vitalibis micro-influencer sales model, and (2) enhance and complement Vitalibis social media strategy.**



The agreement grants Vitalibis an exclusive license for the newkleus patent-pending, user-generated content (UGC) technology for all applications in the rapidly growing cannabis industry. The integration of the newkleus technology allows Vitalibis to create an interactive digital community, while concurrently acquiring valuable user data and content, all of which Vitalibis anticipates will (1) increase customer acquisition and retention and (2) build direct, meaningful and loyal customer relationships.

The integration of Vitalibis and newkleus technologies will also significantly enhance Vitalibis ability to operate digital engagement campaigns, which utilize creative gamification principles and leaderboards to reward user behavior and increase user interaction. These engagement campaigns, centered around a variety of relevant topics, will be hosted within the Vitalibis website and mobile apps, and shared across the full gamut of social media platforms. By hosting its own campaigns, Vitalibis will be uniquely positioned to better understand its customers, as well as gain relevant customer data and authentic user-generated content (UGC). This type of customer data and UGC content is extremely valuable for brands, and is only available to a very limited and select group of social media platforms today.

Steven Raack, CEO of Vitalibis said, Over the past few years, the boom of social media has created powerful, personal brands. Effectively leveraging these micro-influencers is essential to our acquisition and retention strategies. We believe integrating the newkleus platform will further our technology leadership in the cannabis industry, while strengthening our social media engagement. At Vitalibis, we believe getting to know our customers and gathering real-time information about what inspires them is vital to our marketing plan and revenue model. The newkleus technology helps us do just that and will play a key role in helping us build long-term and mutually satisfying relationships with our customers.

** Steven Raack is the inventor and majority owner of the newkleus technology and related patent pending. newkleus is a d/b/a for Votocast, Inc., a California corporation.

About Vitalibis, Inc.

Vitalibis endeavours to be an iconic lifestyle brand, which promotes health and wellness within the rapidly growing medicinal cannabis industry. Vitalibis seeks to utilize a robust technology platform and innovative micro-influencer sales model to market and sell premium, full spectrum CBD products, along with personal care and nutritional products formulated with premium hemp extracts. In addition to leveraging technology and selling high-quality products, Vitalibis will focus on supporting non-profits with environmental and neuro-emotional missions.



For additional information, www.vitalibis.com

Contact:

Vitalibis Inc.

702-944-9620

Info@vitalibis.com

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT

This news release includes forward-looking statements that reflect Vitalibis Inc. current expectations about its future results, performance, prospects and opportunities Vitalibis, Inc. has tried to identify these forward-looking statements by using words and phrases such as "may", "will", "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "should", "typical", "we are confident" or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, prospects of opportunities for the remainder of 2018 and beyond to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements.
PALO ALTO, Calif., March 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gladly, the company behind the charitable browser extension "Tab for a Cause", today announced:

Users of the charity-funding web app, Tab for a Cause, have now raised over $500,000 for charity through their normal web browsing.



The astoundingly simple app transforms an often unnoticed daily activityopening new browser tabsinto a charitable habit. With Tab for a Cause, instead of the default new tab page, users see a beautiful background image, customizable bookmarks and notes, and two small banner ads.

The ads on the new tab page raise money, driving charitable giving to 8 partner charities including Water.org, Save the Children, Action against Hunger, and similar globally impactful nonprofits. It is free for the user.

Tab for a Cause offers an easy solution for people wanting to make a big impact, said Jamie Cross, Vice President, Corporate Partner Marketing at Conservation International. Were proud to be a partner, and beneficiary, in their efforts to engage and inspire action.

Though its effortless to use, the apps total impact is astounding. Water.orgs Water Credit initiative estimates that $12.50 can provide someone a lifetime of access to clean water (LINK). To date, Tab for a Cause has raised about $100k for Water.org, which means nearly 8,000 additional people can access clean water due to nothing more than opening new browser tabs.

Co-founder Alex Groth sees a bit of justice in harnessing advertising for good. Its no secret that most people hate ads. Were thrilled that we can direct advertisers money toward a cause you care about. Its a little like Robin Hood meets Mad Men.

Groth sees a bright future ahead for the apps users, or Tabbers.

Over the last 6 months, word has started to spread about Tab for a Cause. For the first quarter of 2018, Tabbers are on track to raise more than double what we raised this time last year, Groth said. Our goal is to grow the Tabbing community into a charitable force that funds increasingly ambitious and impactful charitable projects.

With online advertising spend reaching $200B in 2017, theres a lot of money to go around. Just by surfing the web, Tab for a Cause users are making sure some of it goes toward the causes we care most about.

About Tab for a Cause

Tab for a Cause is a browser app that lets you give to charity just by opening browser tabs. Whether youre low on time, strapped for cash, or are just starting to flex your inner philanthropist, saving the world is as easy as surfing the web.

About Gladly

Gladly is transforming the Internet experience by turning online advertising into a charitable action. Tab for a Cause -- Gladly's core service -- provides users with an effortless way to help support their favorite causes. With Tab for a Cause, users raise money for charity simply by opening new tabs from their favorite Internet browser. Whether youre low on time, strapped for cash, or are just starting to flex your inner philanthropist, saving the world is as easy as surfing the web. Founded in 2013, Gladly is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. For more information, visit http://tab.gladly.io .

Contact

Name: Alex Groth

Phone: 1-262-203-1185

Email: alex@tabforacause.org
PHILADELPHIA, March 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Liberty Institute and attorney Cory Liu today filed a friend-of-the-court brief at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in the case of Freedom From Religion Foundation v. County of Lehigh. Recently, a federal district court reluctantly declared the seal and flag of Lehigh County unconstitutional because they contain an image of a cross amidst images of a heart, bison, cement silos, an oil lamp set on two books, a courthouse, flags, buntings, and more.



In light of the history of Lehigh County, the mere presence of a cross on its seal and flag does not establish a religion, said Stephanie Taub, Senior Counsel. As the district court recognized, it defies common sense to say that the appearance of a cross, along with other symbols that are significant to the community, would compel citizens to practice a religion.

Since 1944, the seal and flag of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, have included several symbols of particular historic significance to the community, including a cross.

There is a longstanding tradition in the United States of referencing religion in the seals, flags, and names of localities. That tradition dates back to our nations Founding, and Lehigh Countys seal and flag fit squarely within that tradition, explained Liu.

According to the brief, the inclusion of religious symbols in government seals and flags is consistent with the First Amendment and our nations long tradition of acknowledging the role of faith in the lives of citizens. The brief explains that many different faith traditions have been recognized in this way. The seal and flag of New Mexico include Aztec and Zia religious symbolism. Oklahomas seal contains a mix of Native American and Christian symbols. And many of the cities in the thirteen original colonies have seals, flags, and names that contain references to divinity.

To read the brief, click here.

About First Liberty Institute

First Liberty Institute is the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.



To arrange an interview, contact Lacey McNiel at media@firstliberty.org or by calling 972-941-4453.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7b414b56-aec9-49a8-bdca-83a046ad2701
TORONTO, March 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Partners Value Investments Inc. (the Company) announced today its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2017. All amounts are stated in US dollars.



The Company generated net loss of $14 million ($0.19 per common share) for the year ended December 31, 2017 compared to $56 million ($0.76 per common share) in the prior year. The loss is primarily driven by the recognition of our outstanding warrants as a financial liability causing our net income to drop by $81 million. Adjusting for the warrant liability valuation loss, net income for the year was $67 million.

The market price of a Brookfield share increased from $32.96 to $43.54 during the year.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

For the years ended December 31

(Thousands) 2017 2016 Investment income Dividends $ 87,666 $ 61,942 Other investment income 2,142 5,228 89,808 67,170 Expense Operating expenses (13,418 ) (15,269 ) Financing costs (5,358 ) (2,116 ) Retractable preferred share dividends (27,341 ) (25,289 ) 43,691 24,496 Other items Investment valuation gains (losses) 87,784 72,967 Warrant liability valuation gain (loss)1 (80,908 ) (141,553 ) Amortization of deferred financing costs (2,473 ) (1,834 ) Change in value of fund unit liability  (896 ) Income taxes (20,059 ) (22,394 ) Income from equity accounted investment 253  Foreign currency gains (losses) (42,347 ) 13,509 Net loss $ (14,059 ) $ (55,705 )

Warrant liability valuation loss relates to the mark to market of warrants during 2017.





Financial Profile

The Companys principal investment is its interest in 86 million Class A Limited Voting Shares (Brookfield shares) of Brookfield, representing a 9% fully-diluted interest as at December 31, 2017. In addition, the Company owns a diversified investment portfolio of marketable securities.

The information in the following table has been extracted from the Companys Statement of Financial Position:

Statement of Financial Position

As at

(Thousands, US dollars) December 31,

2017 December 31,

2016 Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 29,794 $ 5,544 Accounts receivable and other assets 6,443 20,881 Investment in Brookfield Asset Management Inc. 1 3,737,431 2,829,156 Other securities Available for sale investments 288,306 231,277 Marketable securities 462,161 381,457 Equity Accounted Investment 13,643  Goodwill 3,102  $ 4,540,880 $ 3,468,315 Liabilities and Equity Accounts payable and other liabilities $ 103,096 $ 119,196 Preferred shares2 575,620 521,155 Warrant liability 233,958 139,526 Deferred taxes3 468,040 340,470 1,380,714 1,120,347 Equity Common equity 3,160,166 2,347,968 $ 4,540,880 3,468,315

The investment in Brookfield Asset Management Inc. consists of 86 million Brookfield shares with a quoted market value of $43.54 per share as at December 31, 2017 (December 31, 2016  $32.96). Represents $585 million of retractable preferred shares less $9 million of unamortized issue costs as at December 31, 2017 (December 31, 2016  $529 million less $8 million). The deferred tax liability represents the potential future income tax liability of the Company recorded for accounting purposes based on the difference between the carrying values of the Companys assets and liabilities and their respective tax values, as well as giving effect to estimated capital and non-capital losses.

Chief Executive Officer Appointment

Partners Value Investments Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Brian D. Lawson as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, effective March 20, 2018. Mr. Lawson will be replacing George Myhal who has held the position since 2015.



For further information, contact Investor Relations at ir@pvii.ca or 647-503-6516.





FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian provincial securities laws and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities regulations. The words potential and estimated and other expressions which are predictions of or indicate future events, trends or prospects and which do not relate to historical matters, identify forward-looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements with regard to the Companys potential future income taxes.

Although the Company believes that its anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information are based upon reasonable assumptions and expectations, the reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond its control, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to: the financial performance of Brookfield Asset Management Inc., the impact or unanticipated impact of general economic, political and market factors; the behavior of financial markets, including fluctuations in interest and foreign exchanges rates; global equity and capital markets and the availability of equity and debt financing and refinancing within these markets; strategic actions including dispositions; changes in accounting policies and methods used to report financial condition (including uncertainties associated with critical accounting assumptions and estimates); the effect of applying future accounting changes; business competition; operational and reputational risks; technological change; changes in government regulation and legislation; changes in tax laws, catastrophic events, such as earthquakes and hurricanes; the possible impact of international conflicts and other developments including terrorist acts; and other risks and factors detailed from time to time in the Companys documents filed with the securities regulators in Canada.

The Company cautions that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on the Companys forward-looking statements and information, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements and information, whether written or oral, that may be as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISEMMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Skeena Resources Limited (TSX.V:SKE) (OTCQX:SKREF) (Skeena or the Company) is pleased to announce that the best efforts private placement financing previously announced on March 13, 2018 (the Offering) is now oversubscribed and as a result the Company has upsized the Offering. The Offering will now consist of the sale of approximately 9,139,451 units (the Units) and approximately 4,223,572 flow-through common shares (the FT Shares) of the Company to raise aggregate gross proceeds of approximately C$8.4 million.



The Units will be offered at a price of C$0.60 per Unit. Each Unit shall consist of one common share of the Company and one-half of one transferable non-flow-through common share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant shall be exercisable into one additional non flow-through common share of the Company for a period of two years from the closing of the Offering at an exercise price of C$0.90. The FT Shares will be offered at a price of C$0.70 per FT Share.

The closing of the Offering is now anticipated to occur on or around March 29, 2018 and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

About Skeena

Skeena Resources Limited is a junior Canadian mining exploration company focused on developing prospective precious and base metal properties in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia, Canada. The Companys primary activities are the exploration and development of the past-producing Snip mine and the recently optioned Eskay Creek mine, both acquired from Barrick. In addition, the Company is performing preliminary exploration on the past-producing Porter Idaho silver mine and has completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment on the Spectrum-GJ copper-gold porphyry project.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Skeena Resources Limited,

Walt Coles Jr.

President & CEO



Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

Certain statements made and information contained herein may constitute forward looking information and forward looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation, including, among other things, information with respect to the expected size and terms of the Offering, the expected timing for closing of the Offering and the expected use of proceeds of the Offering. These statements and information are based on facts currently available to the Company and there is no assurance that actual results will meet managements expectations. Forward-looking statements and information may be identified by such terms as anticipates, believes, targets, estimates, plans, expects, may, will, could or would. Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and other matters. While the Company considers its assumptions to be reasonable as of the date hereof, forward-looking statements and information are not guarantees of future performance and readers should not place undue importance on such statements as actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or information except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Suite 650, 1021 West Hastings Street

Vancouver, BC, Canada V6E 0C3

Tel: (604) 684-8725 Fax: (604) 558-7695


South Americas Pink Tide in Transition



By Allison Fedirka





Leftist governments are staging a comeback in South America, right? The talk surrounding upcoming elections throughout the continent seems to suggest they are. Nostalgia for the days of economic prosperity in Brazil has lent credence to the notion that former president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva will run for president again. In Argentina, unpopular and painful economic reforms championed by President Mauricio Macri have breathed new life into rumors that citizens would prefer the populist policies of the previous administration. Other examples abound, but suffice it to say, the pink tide  South Americas peculiar brand of leftism  is in vogue again.



Or is it? Its true that the left is alive and well. But the pink tide began to recede in 2015, and despite statements to the contrary, its still on its way out, not on its way in.



One Extreme to the Other



The pink tide came to be in the early 21st century. South America leaders mixed elements of populism and socialism into their governments. They lauded the working class, maintained a presence in many aspects of the daily lives of their subjects and regulated the economy. It was not a return to red communism; it was a paler shade of socialism. Hence the name pink tide.



The rise of the left was a result of two things: disillusionment with the ruling governments and higher commodity prices. The political climate of the time gave governments a mandate to more actively try to improve their citizens quality of life, renew economic activity and buck the country that so often told them what to do: the United States. Higher commodity prices gave these governments the money to fund large-scale social programs and spurred economic growth. With strong public and economic backing, leftist governments grew more popular, taking hold just about everywhere except Colombia.



But this newfound fervor would not last. Indeed, the political history of the past century suggests that countries tend to swing from one political extreme to the other. Policies that reflect whichever mode of government is in place are felt most acutely in economic management, and their economies depend largely on commodities. Indeed, commodities  particularly metals, grains and more recently, oil  are the ties that bind South America to the rest of the world. In the 1920s, the region traded openly and primarily with the U.S. and Europe. Commodity prices tanked when the stock market crashed in 1929, and countries began to seek other ways to nurture their economies. World War II complicated things for these countries, since South America traditionally purchased finished manufactured goods from Europe and the U.S. With their industries going offline or reverting to the production of wartime materials, the region had limited access to manufactured goods, and what did arrive was extremely expensive.



It was during this time that countries of the region began to look inward for solutions. They subsequently adopted import substitution models to manage their economies. This model requires a strong hand to regulate the import of finished goods, provide production subsides to increase domestic consumption and devise other programs that facilitate the development of national industry.



But the model never fully performed as advertised. Instead, it led to high government spending, debt and distorted markets. This continued into the heady days of the Cold War in the 1970s. Afraid that this would give communism a foothold in the Western Hemisphere, the United States countered leftist movements at nearly every turn, exiling, imprisoning or killing their members. The movements weakened accordingly.



By the time the Cold War ended in 1991, right-wing governments began to assume power throughout the region. Many South American economies had been in a precarious state. They were very far in debt, which they had trouble servicing, and in need of loans and investment. In what became known as the Washington Consensus, institutions such as the U.S. Treasury Department, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank encouraged and promoted the adoption of fiscal reforms, privatization, market deregulation and opening to trade and investment in exchange for loans and investments. They honored the end of the agreement, but they were ultimately unsuccessful in transforming their economies. The right-wing, U.S.-friendly governments soon fell out of favor.



Conditions were ripe for a return to the left, a return we now call the pink tide. The era lasted roughly 10 years, which, uncoincidentally, were years of high commodities prices. It ended near the end of 2015.



Transitions



After that, open-market, internationalist, reformist governments came to power in several countries with center-left governments  most notably Argentina, Brazil and Peru. The trend continued last year in Chile, where right-leaning former president Sebastian Pinera was re-elected for a second term.



Few countries have been able to withstand the swing to the right. In 2017, Ecuador elected as president Lenin Moreno, who had served as vice president under President Rafael Correa.



Correa himself was a leftist, but Moreno has already distinguished himself from his predecessor. He inherited an economy in disarray after the collapse of oil prices, so he adopted new fiscal policies and a more pragmatic approach to managing the economy rather than continuing with hefty government spending and protectionism. He has also tried to align the economy with global markets by re-negotiating the countrys previously preferential oil contracts with China.



Bolivia held out a little longer than others, mostly because Bolivias economy managed to grow despite low commodity prices. Its primary commodity is natural gas  which accounts for about half the countrys exports  and the price of gas remained high when oil tanked in 2014. (It started to decline only toward the end of 2015.) The public didnt start to turn against President Evo Morales until 2016. There had always been opposition to his rule, but the opposition gained a lot of momentum when Morales traditional allies in Venezuela and Brazil, preoccupied as they were with their own problems, were no longer strong enough to support him. The opposition held a referendum that banned Morales from seeking re-election in 2019, though the Supreme Court would not uphold the results. Protests subsequently broke out, and though Morales is still in power, the rising social discontent, the declining natural gas production and ideological isolation are challenging the governments hold on power.



Then there is Venezuela, where government this month announced that presidential elections will be held in May, after the initial April 22 date was rejected by opposition parties. Mounting pressures are pushing the country toward some solution that involves the end of the current leftist regime headed by Nicolas Maduro. The most recent dialogue with the opposition has failed, and neighboring Colombia and Brazil have both beefed up border security to help prevent any more spillover of desperate populations moving to border towns and depleting supplies meant for the local populations.



Later this month the government will also start the first phases of its cryptocurrency, designed to help circumvent the U.S. sanctions that are restricting the governments (and the national oil companys) ability to conduct business and to access imports and U.S. dollars. Colombia already wants to propose a financial recovery plan for Venezuela that would be in line with carefully opening and deregulating the economy. Meanwhile, the United States has not ruled out further oil sanctions against Venezuela.



At GPF, we are not in the business of predicting elections; we are in the business of predicting geopolitical trends. So while we cant say exactly when Venezuela and Bolivia will succumb to the pressures that felled their neighbors, we can say that eventually they probably will. After all, political transitions do not happen overnight.
During his tour of Armavir Province, Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan visited an ostrich farm in the community of Pstavan and extolled the venture launched in 2008.

In addition to raising 500 ostriches, the farm also produces dried meats (basturma and soujoukh) marketed exclusively in Armenia.

Karapetyan also visited the community of Artamet, where Iranian-Armenian investors have launched a large-scale pistachio farm.

According to the government press release, some US$10 million has been invested to grow pistachios on the 590-hectare site.

The prime minister then toured the Voskeni Wines plant in Sardarapat.
The following statement was released by the Council of Europes Directorate of Communications

A new draft law amending the Law of the Republic of Armenia On Freedom of Conscience and on Religious Organisations is a welcome improvement of the existing legal framework in terms of compliance with international standards on freedom of religion or belief; it is well-structured and addresses most issues such legislation should regulate. However, some clarifications should be made, said the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe and the OSCE/ODIHR in the joint opinion published today.

The opinion welcomes improvements proposed in comparison to the existing Law, in particular, the inclusion of the provisions guaranteeing the right of conscience and religion for every person, and not only for Armenian citizens; as well as references to the freedom to change ones religion, faith or belief, to manifest it and to act according to it in daily life. The document also implies that religious/belief communities may exercise their rights without state registration.

However, the non-mandatory character of state registration is not stated explicitly, and experts recommend to Armenia providing an open-ended list of the rights enjoyed by all religious/ belief communities. The Draft Law should also allow religious or belief groups to acquire a legal personality status, for instance to be registered as an association or a foundation.

One of the key recommendations of the opinion is to refer systematically not only to religion, but also to belief, in order to eliminate the differential treatment between religious and belief organisations where the latter may not benefit from the same rights and guarantees.

The opinion noted that the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church is conferred the exceptional mission by the Constitution and is subject to a special legislation prevailing over the Draft Law in question. The Council of Europe and OSCE/ODIHR experts recommend ensuring that privileges enjoyed by the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church are objectively justified and are not thus discriminatory.

The limitations on the manifestation of freedom of religion or belief should be narrowed down and qualified more strictly. Notably, the reference to state security should be replaced with the term public safety, or at least this term should be given the narrow interpretation compatible with the European standards.

The removal of the vaguely worded limitation grounds, particularly the references to illegal or immoral acts, religious fanaticism and mercenary purposes should be considered. At the same time, the incitement to violence on religious grounds or the advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence may be prohibited. Besides, improper proselytism, including improper pressure exerted on people in distress or in need, may be prohibited as well.

It is recommended to remove provisions which deny registration to religious groups which are not based on a historically canonized holly book or which are not a part of the system of worlds contemporary religious communities. The Draft Law should ensure that reporting requirements are not too burdensome and are brought in line with those applicable to NGOs.

The joint opinion also encourages Armenia reconsidering the blanket prohibition on foreign funding of religious organisations. It is specifically recommended to define more precisely the meaning of gross violation of the law and introducing a system of warnings and gradual sanctions to be applied prior to imposing suspension or dissolution which should be the last resort measure.

The report was adopted at the Venice Commissions plenary session on 17 March. Its full text will be published on the Commissions website by the end of the day today.
AK AL AS AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA GU HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA PR RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VI VA WA WV WI WY
"What happened between January and now? YOU did," Ives wrote. "Thanks to your support, weve been surging in the polls. Now its go time. With just hours until Election Day, we have to keep fighting."

"Two months ago, Bruce Rauner was beating us by 44 points," Ives said in an email. "Now hes only up by SEVEN  with 23% of voters still undecided.

WHEATON - Last week, GOP gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives said she was within 10 points of upsetting Governor Rauner Tuesday. Last night, an email sent out to Ives supporters narrowed the gap to 7 points.

The Ives campaign didn't respond for more details on the poll Ives was referring to, but several media sources have been pointing to the Ogden & Fry polling group owned by once-IL GOP Executive Director Tom Swiss.

Swiss told Illinois Review to refer back to the Ives campaign for more details, and did not confirm whether his company indeed had found a seven-point gap. No one other than the Ives campaign has seen the polling, thus the accuracy cannot be verified.

"This race is about Rauner vs. the people he betrayed. Its about holding our elected officials to their word," Ives said in Sunday's email. "President Trumps victory in 2016 proved that we never have to accept the status quo. We can fight for the future WE want. We owe the establishment nothing. They exist to serve us.

"So with just a few hours to go, Im asking you to take a stand against the swamp. Im asking you to fight for the future YOU want," she said.

As reported by ABC 7 last week:
The legality of abortion and the extent to which taxpayers should have to subsidize abortions are both important policy topics. However, often overlooked by politicians from both major parties is the quality and detail of abortion statistics reported by state health agencies.

Abortion has been a very salient issue in the upcoming Illinois primary elections. Representative Dan Lipinski (D-IL), one of the few pro-life Democrats in Congress, is facing a primary challenge from Marie Newman, who supports legal abortion. On the Republican side, state representative Jeanne Ives has mounted an aggressive primary challenge to incumbent Governor Bruce Rauner. Rauners decision last September to sign HB 40, which calls for taxpayer funding of abortion through the state Medicaid program, has been a key element in Ives campaign.

At the federal level, abortion reporting requirements are very weak. The most recent abortion surveillance report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) includes data from 2014. Three states failed to report any data; California has not reported any abortion data to the CDC since 1997.

At the state level, the timeliness, quality, and detail of the abortion data provided varies. A new Charlotte Lozier Institute report nicely summarizes the quality of data reported annually by the Illinois Department of Public Health, which breaks down abortion statistics into a variety of useful categories including the womans marital status, her age, and the gestational age of the unborn child. The most recent data is from 2016. Reports dating back to 2005 are available online.

There is still room for improvement. The Department of Health fails to report the number of abortions paid for by Medicaid. This is unhelpful for policymakers, public health professionals, journalists, activists, and other concerned citizens. HB 40 took effect in January and there is considerable misinformation about what has changed. A recent Politifact article claims Medicaid already covered certain elective abortions before HB 40, citing a 1994 ruling by a Cook County Judge.

However, separate reports from the Guttmacher Institute and the Illinois Department of Public Aid have typically found that in previous years, less than one percent of all abortions in Illinois were paid for by Medicaid. In other states where abortion is covered, the percentage paid for by Medicaid is significantly higher  frequently over 50 percent in some states such as California and Washington. The number of abortions in Illinois has been going down, but with enactment of HB 40, I estimate there could be as many as 3,800 more abortions each year.

Furthermore, the state reports no information whatsoever on abortions after 24 weeks, which makes it impossible to prove or disprove claims about how many late-term abortions occur and why. We do know that in 2016, at least 134 abortions were performed between 20 and 23 weeks. A number of academic studies show late-term abortionspose health risks.

Transparent, timely, and accurate data have the potential to inform a number of important public policy debates, including the extent to which taxpayers fund abortion and the impact of HB 40 on state abortion rates, as well as the impact of other pro-life laws, contraception programs, and sex education programs. Illinoisans deserve to know how their tax dollars are being spent, and with what outcome. Elected officials should collaborate across the partisan aisle on legislation that would improve the data reported by the state.

##

Michael J. New is an Associate Professor of Economics at Ave Maria University and an Associate Scholar at the Charlotte Lozier Institute. Follow him on Twitter @Michael_J_New
Stop Disarming Willing Teachers



Faculty Administrator Safety Training & Emergency Response (FASTER) training

By Jeff Knox. March 15th, 2018

Buckeye, AZ ---(Ammoland.com) - Disarming willing and qualified teachers and other school staff is stupid.

There has been a lot of talk about "arming teachers" recently, but that's really never been the issue. The real issue is about disarming teachers who would like to be carrying.

Like any other controversial subject, any discussion of school safety must begin with some agreement on basic facts and mutual understanding of terms and definitions.

We can't come to a consensus on solutions if we can't agree on what the words we are saying actually mean.

When gun owners and politicians talk about "arming teachers," we are not talking about giving guns to people who would not be comfortable with them. Nor are we talking about teachers or other school staff racing to the sound of gunfire to stop an attack. What we're talking about is ending policies that disarm teachers who would prefer to be armed, and empowering them to take appropriate action if the need to do so were to arise. That means providing free - possibly paid - training, and some liability protections for school personnel who are qualified and volunteer for the program. .......

This is an aspect that seems to have been almost totally or conveniently ignored, seeing as there can well be many teachers already trained, competent and capable of safe carry. It could well be regarded as an existing resource, without having to look further. Needless to say, having armed personnel in schools is hardly a definitive answer to school mass murders, but it could go a long way towards greatly reducing the possibility of a large scale tragedy.

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You just have to love freedom.

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85 houses destroyed in fire

At least 85 homes were destroyed in a fire that broke out at the Batar settlement in Barahachhetra Municipality Ward No 11 in Sunsari on Saturday night.
Adventure tourism expo on March 23

The Global Adventure and Mountaineering Conference and Expo 2018 is scheduled to be held on March 23 in Kathmandu.
Court defers ex-chief justice hearing

The single bench of acting Chief Justice Deepak Raj Joshi has postponed the hearing on a contempt of court case against ex-chief justice Gopal Prasad Parajuli because of time constraints.
Court remands Gyan Kunja principal to five-day custody

The Lalitpur District Court on Sunday remanded Gyan Kunja Boarding School Principal Shiva Karki to five days custody to investigate the case of molestation filed against him.
Disabled persons call for inclusive info technology

A two-day seminar on Accessible and Inclusive ICTs for Person with Disabilities concluded in Kathmandu on Saturday.
Interference in bureaucracy unacceptable

Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba has said political interference in bureaucracy under any pretext would be unbearable for the party.
Interpol hunts for fugitive Manange

Police have issued a Red Notice against fugitive Rajiv Gurung alias Deepak Manange, an independent provincial lawmaker and a gangster.
Justices should disclose property details: Law Minister Tamang

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sher Bahadur Tamang has remarked that the property details of justices cannot be kept secret.
LBU Dean Bajracharya passes away

Dean of Lumbini Buddhist University Dr Bhadra Ratna Bajracharya passed away Saturday night. He was 72.
Grievances of Migrant Workers: Minister Bista orders daily hearing of cases

Newly appointed Minister for Labour and Employment Gokarna Bista has vowed to give highest priority to address the grievances of migrant workers being cheated while pursuing employment opportunities in foreign lands.
Missing boy found murdered

A missing boy, aged 8, was found murdered at Kamala Municipality in Dhanusha district on Sunday. Police said Raman Sah, the son of Pramod Sah, resident of Kamala-8, was found dead a day after he was reported missing.
Nepals economic growth will form the crux of our engagement with foreign governments

What is the primary foreign policy emphasis of the government of the left alliance headed by KP Oli?
PM orders civil staff to report for work

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has insisted civil servants should report for work at the places where the government has assigned them.
Police hunt two men for trying to murder pregnant woman

Morang police are hunting for two men over the attempted murder of a pregnant woman who they had allegedly raped multiple times.
Putin wins another six years at Russia's helm in landslide victory

Russian President Vladimir Putin won a landslide re-election victory on Sunday, extending his rule over the worlds largest country for another six years at a time when his ties with the West are on a hostile trajectory, Reuters reported.
South Asian ministers emphasise on intra-regional trade, investment

Political issues, which have held South Asias development agendas as hostage, will prevent the region from achieving its growth potential in the coming days, unless the private sector intervenes and promotes trade and investment to spur economic growth.
SSF-N to join govt only after charter amendment deal

A meeting of the Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal working committee on Sunday decided to join the government only after a written agreement with the left alliance on constitution amendment.
Woman donates Rs 4m to child home

An octogenarian woman from Gilung village in Lamjung district has donated Rs 4 million to a Besisahar-based child home.
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

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These are the musings, ramblings, rantings and observations of Houston DWI Attorney Paul B. Kennedy on DWI defense, general criminal defense, philosophy and whatever else tickles his fancy.
By Ruth Anderah

Makindye General Court Martial has set 23rd April 2018 to start hearing the unlawful possession of firearms case against Boda-Boda 2010 chairman Abdullah Kitata.

Kitata and 12 other people are charged in the Army court with 6 counts including unlawful possession of firearms, live ammunition, Military head gears and uniforms.

The setting of a trial date comes shortly after lead prosecutor Maj. Rapheal Mugisha informed the 7 member court chaired by Lt. Gen Andrew Gutti that investigations into the matter are complete and that its ready to present witnesses.

Kitata faces 5 separate charges of being in unlawful possession of an SMG gun, 3 pistols and 50 rounds of live ammunitions which Prosecution says are only a monopoly of the UPDF.

The rest of the accused are said to have connived with Kitata to unlawfully possess Military head gears and uniforms that were allegedly found on them on January 18th 2018 in a Motor vehicle at Vine Hotel in Wakaliga within Kampala city.
By Benjamin Jumbe.

Education expert Fagil Mande has expressed support for Makerere University Councils decision to scrap evening lectures

This comes days after the vice chancellor of the University Prof Barnabas Nawangwe made the announcement about the development which has since drawn mixed reactions from various circles

Now speaking to Kfm Fagil said the move taken was a step in the right direction arguing that the program cannot guarantee the quality of education with tired lecturers and tired students

He also condemned the reaction by the former vice chancellor Prof Venancious Baryamureeba
"Looking for Neuroethics in Japan" by Maxence Gaillard has been published in the most recent issue of Neuroethics.

Abstract:

Neuroethics is a dynamic and still rather young interdisciplinary field involving neuroscience, philosophy, or bioethics, among other academic specialties. It is under a process of institutionalization on a global scale, although not at the same pace in every country. Much literature has been devoted to the discussion of the purpose and relevance of neuroethics as a field, but few attempts have been made to analyze its local conditions of development. This paper describes the advancement of neuroethics in Japan as a case study on the ups and downs of the institutionalization of a new academic field. As one of the peculiarities of neuroethics is the diversity of its constituent subject areas, which range from ethics of neuroscience to neuroscience of ethics, the analysis relies on a framework delineating its different aspects. The discussion of the Japanese case study is embedded in several interpretations of the significance of the field proposed by various actors, proponents, or detractors of neuroethics. The history of neuroethics in Japan can be read as a contribution to meta-neuroethics by those interested in definitions of neuroethics, and as a study in science policy by those interested in the Japanese system of research.
By Lee Min-hyung





Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono

Japan has asked South Korea to request the repatriation of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea during its upcoming talks with Washington and Pyongyang, according to reports Sunday.



The issue was brought up Saturday in a meeting between Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Japanese counterpart Taro Kono. Both sides agreed to cooperate with each other in resolving the repatriation of a number of Japanese citizens kidnapped in the 1970s and 1980s.



"We are going to establish a close alliance with Japan in settling the issue," Kang said during the meeting in Washington.



Japan is going all-out to use Pyongyang's planned summits with Seoul and Washington as opportunities to resolve the abduction issue.



Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his determination to normalize diplomatic relations with North Korea by solving such pending problems as the regime's nuclear and missile threats and repatriation of Japanese nationals.



In a telephone conversation with President Moon Jae-in, Friday, Abe asked for Moon to discuss the issue during the upcoming inter-Korean summit scheduled in late April.






69 million tenge is planned to be spent for strengthening the National Preventive Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture, 106 million tenge for services to monitor the observance of human and civil rights and freedoms, and current administrative expenses - 77 million tenge.
Working through my ignorance with your help.
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07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (6) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (7) Sep 26 (4) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (5) Sep 23 (8) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (6) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (7) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (5) Sep 09 (7) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (7) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (4) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (2) Sep 01 (2) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (4) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (4) Aug 21 (4) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (10) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (5) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (5) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (5) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (5) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (7) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (5) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (3) Jul 12 (2) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) 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(7) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (7) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (7) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (5) Mar 31 (5) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (6) Mar 27 (5) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (6) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (6) Mar 18 (6) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (5) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (5) Mar 11 (4) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (4) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (2) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (2) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (6) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (9) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (4) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (2) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (3) Jan 25 (4) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (2) Jan 22 (2) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (4) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (3) Jan 11 (2) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (2) Jan 07 (2) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (2) Jan 04 (2) Jan 03 (2) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (2) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (2) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (2) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (2) Dec 21 (2) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (2) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (2) Dec 16 (2) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (2) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (5) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (2) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (2) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (2) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (2) Nov 22 (2) Nov 21 (2) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (2) Nov 17 (2) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (4) Nov 13 (2) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (2) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (2) Nov 08 (2) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (6) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (5) Nov 03 (5) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (5) Oct 31 (7) Oct 30 (5) Oct 29 (4) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (2) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (2) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (2) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (5) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (5) Sep 30 (2) Sep 29 (2) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (6) Sep 26 (2) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (2) Sep 22 (2) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (2) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (2) Sep 15 (4) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (5) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (2) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (2) Aug 25 (2) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (2) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (5) Aug 13 (2) Aug 12 (2) Aug 11 (2) Aug 10 (2) Aug 09 (2) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (5) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (2) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (2) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (2) Jul 29 (2) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (2) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (2) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (2) Jul 21 (3) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (2) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (2) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (2) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (2) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (2) Jul 03 (2) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (2) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (1) Jun 24 (2) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (2) Jun 19 (2) Jun 18 (2) Jun 17 (2) Jun 16 (2) Jun 15 (2) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (2) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (2) May 26 (2) May 25 (2) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (2) May 19 (2) May 18 (4) May 17 (7) May 16 (2) May 15 (3) May 14 (4) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (4) May 10 (4) May 09 (3) May 08 (2) May 07 (2) May 06 (2) May 05 (1) May 04 (2) May 03 (4) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (1) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (2) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (2) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (2) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (1) Apr 03 (1) Apr 02 (1) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (2) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (2) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (2) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (2) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (1) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (2) Mar 15 (1) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (1) Mar 12 (2) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (1) Mar 07 (1) Mar 04 (2) Mar 02 (2) Feb 28 (1) Feb 24 (1) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (3) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (2) Nov 15 (3) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (4) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (3) Nov 05 (5) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (3) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (4) Oct 30 (3) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (4) Oct 16 (3) Oct 15 (3) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (4) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (3) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (3) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (3) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (5) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (3) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (4) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (5) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (3) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (5) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (5) Jul 11 (4) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (3) Jul 01 (6) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (5) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (5) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (3) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (5) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (4) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (5) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (4) May 23 (4) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (4) May 19 (3) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (1) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (4) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (6) Apr 30 (3) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (5) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (4) Apr 16 (3) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (3) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (3) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (3) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (3) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (3) Mar 28 (4) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (3) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (3) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (3) Mar 17 (3) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (3) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (3) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (3) Mar 07 (3) Mar 06 (4) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (3) Mar 01 (3) Feb 28 (3) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (3) Feb 25 (3) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (3) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (3) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (3) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (4) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (4) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (3) Jan 21 (4) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (5) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (3) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (3) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (2) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (2) Nov 05 (2) Nov 04 (3) Nov 03 (2) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (2) Oct 30 (6) Oct 29 (5) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (5) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (5) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (4) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (3) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (2) Oct 11 (2) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (2) Oct 07 (2) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (3) Oct 04 (2) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (4) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (2) Sep 26 (2) Sep 25 (2) Sep 24 (1) Sep 23 (1) Sep 22 (2) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (1) Sep 19 (1) Sep 18 (1) Sep 17 (2) Sep 16 (1) Sep 15 (2) Sep 14 (2) Sep 13 (1) Sep 12 (1) Sep 11 (2) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (1) Sep 08 (1) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (1) Sep 05 (1) Sep 04 (2) Sep 03 (1) Sep 02 (1) Sep 01 (1) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (1) Aug 29 (1) Aug 28 (1) Aug 27 (1) Aug 26 (1) Aug 25 (1) Aug 24 (1) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (1) Aug 21 (1) Aug 20 (2) Aug 19 (1) Aug 18 (1) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (1) Aug 14 (1) Aug 12 (1) Aug 09 (1) Aug 08 (1) Aug 07 (1) Aug 05 (1) Aug 04 (1) Jul 31 (1) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (5) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (4) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (4) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (6) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (6) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (3) Jun 19 (6) Jun 18 (5) Jun 17 (5) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (5) Jun 03 (5) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (4) May 30 (4) May 29 (4) May 28 (5) May 27 (5) May 26 (5) May 25 (4) May 24 (5) May 23 (4) May 22 (4) May 21 (3) May 20 (6) May 19 (4) May 18 (4) May 17 (4) May 16 (5) May 15 (3) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (3) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (3) May 06 (3) May 05 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Thousands Gather in Londons Speakers Corner to Hear Tommy Robinson LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: kaput

03-19-2018 02:07 AM











Post: #1 Thousands Gather in Londons Speakers Corner to Hear Tommy Robinson

Advertisement



http://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/03/...ts-speech/



LONDON, United Kingdom  Thousands of free speech enthusiasts, alongside a handful of hard-left and Islamist opposition, gathered at Speakers Corner in Londons Hyde Park this afternoon to hear a speech written by Generation Identitys Martin Sellner, delivered by former EDL leader Tommy Robinson.



Sellner was banned from entry by the UK government earlier this month, for daring to lead a right-wing organisation which sheds light on Islamic extremism and mass migration on the continent of Europe.



Robinson  formerly of the Rebel Media  delivered the speech to thousands who gathered in the snow at the historic Speakers Corner, the home of free speech in London for hundreds of years.



Marx, Lenin, Orwell, and others have famously given speeches at Speakers Corner, which is what drove Sellner and Robinson to pick the spot to deliver the speech (below).



Thousands listened to the speech live in person, while tens of thousands watched online.



Robinson told Breitbart London: The true battle for free speech started today. This is just the start." This was the speech Martin Sellner was going to give but he and Brittany Pettibine were banned for the UK after 3 days of 'detention'.LONDON, United Kingdom  Thousands of free speech enthusiasts, alongside a handful of hard-left and Islamist opposition, gathered at Speakers Corner in Londons Hyde Park this afternoon to hear a speech written by Generation Identitys Martin Sellner, delivered by former EDL leader Tommy Robinson.Sellner was banned from entry by the UK government earlier this month, for daring to lead a right-wing organisation which sheds light on Islamic extremism and mass migration on the continent of Europe.Robinson  formerly of the Rebel Media  delivered the speech to thousands who gathered in the snow at the historic Speakers Corner, the home of free speech in London for hundreds of years.Marx, Lenin, Orwell, and others have famously given speeches at Speakers Corner, which is what drove Sellner and Robinson to pick the spot to deliver the speech (below).Thousands listened to the speech live in person, while tens of thousands watched online.Robinson told Breitbart London: dig

Registered User

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 02:10 AM



Posts: 4,553









Post: #2 RE: Thousands Gather in Londons Speakers Corner to Hear Tommy Robinson







The day a Christian nation cannot walk in peaceful protest, holding crosses aloft, in it's own capital, without being badgered by Muslims, that become so belligerent that they shut it down, is the day democracy died.



Democracy



As if that was ever a thing. I do not necessarily agree with what you say but I'll defend your right to say it.The day a Christian nation cannot walk in peaceful protest, holding crosses aloft, in it's own capital, without being badgered by Muslims, that become so belligerent that they shut it down, is the day democracy died.DemocracyAs if that was ever a thing. (This post was last modified: 03-19-2018 02:15 AM by dig .) dig

Registered User

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 02:18 AM



Posts: 4,553









Post: #3 RE: Thousands Gather in Londons Speakers Corner to Hear Tommy Robinson

I'm #1 so why try harder.







(This post was last modified: 03-19-2018 02:22 AM by dig .) LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 02:43 AM











Post: #4 RE: Thousands Gather in Londons Speakers Corner to Hear Tommy Robinson

If only people truly understood the significance of today. And the events leading up to it. They may then be able to understand the consequences of not understanding, or even bothering to try. Tommy Robinson is a hero that the same people will one day wish they had paid attention to. His heart is, and has always been, in the right place, for the right reasons. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 03:04 AM











Post: #5 RE: Thousands Gather in Londons Speakers Corner to Hear Tommy Robinson





LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 03:07 AM











Post: #6 RE: Thousands Gather in Londons Speakers Corner to Hear Tommy Robinson

LoP Guest Wrote: (03-19-2018 02:43 AM) If only people truly understood the significance of today. And the events leading up to it. They may then be able to understand the consequences of not understanding, or even bothering to try. Tommy Robinson is a hero that the same people will one day wish they had paid attention to. His heart is, and has always been, in the right place, for the right reasons.

He is the Alex Jones of Europe a Sell Out Shill. He is the Alex Jones of Europe a Sell Out Shill. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 03:17 AM











Post: #7 RE: Thousands Gather in Londons Speakers Corner to Hear Tommy Robinson

LoP Guest Wrote: (03-19-2018 03:07 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (03-19-2018 02:43 AM) If only people truly understood the significance of today. And the events leading up to it. They may then be able to understand the consequences of not understanding, or even bothering to try. Tommy Robinson is a hero that the same people will one day wish they had paid attention to. His heart is, and has always been, in the right place, for the right reasons.

He is the Alex Jones of Europe a Sell Out Shill.

You spelled Warrior Against the Globalist Agenda wrong. You spelled Warrior Against the Globalist Agenda wrong. spo snouou

Vocem sine nomine audivit!

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 03:30 AM



Posts: 67,592









Post: #8 RE: Thousands Gather in Londons Speakers Corner to Hear Tommy Robinson

LoP Guest Wrote: (03-19-2018 02:07 AM) hard-left and Islamist opposition

Fck me you losers are getting desperate..











get into your extremist fallaciously brainwashed heads, once and for all



Islamic's are you. it isn't even a paradox.. they are far-right and are controlled by religious circular logic and twisted violent hate for minorities and anyone that defies their beliefs about reality.



Every time you and your propaganda try and use that link you look stupid and ignorant... it couln't be more simple. Fck me you losers are getting desperate..get into your extremist fallaciously brainwashed heads, once and for allIslamic's are you. it isn't even a paradox.. they are far-right and are controlled by religious circular logic and twisted violent hate for minorities and anyone that defies their beliefs about reality.Every time you and your propaganda try and use that link you look stupid and ignorant... it couln't be more simple. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 03:36 AM











Post: #9 RE: Thousands Gather in Londons Speakers Corner to Hear Tommy Robinson

spo snouou Wrote: (03-19-2018 03:30 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (03-19-2018 02:07 AM) hard-left and Islamist opposition

Fck me you losers are getting desperate..



[img=400x200]https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQI0358zcSzhggyi0t16PvSq4f60jNMWIgYVGNIEvATCQi9uHFT







get into your extremist fallaciously brainwashed heads, once and for all



Islamic's are you. it isn't even a paradox.. they are far-right and are controlled by religious circular logic and twisted violent hate for minorities and anyone that defies their beliefs about reality.



Every time you and your propaganda try and use that link you look stupid and ignorant... it couln't be more simple.

You really don't get it.



Stick your thesaurus up your arse and



fallaciously brainwashed? You really don't get it.Stick your thesaurus up your arse andfallaciously brainwashed? LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 03:57 AM











Post: #10 RE: Thousands Gather in Londons Speakers Corner to Hear Tommy Robinson

spo snouou Wrote: (03-19-2018 03:30 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (03-19-2018 02:07 AM) hard-left and Islamist opposition

Fck me you losers are getting desperate..



[img=400x200]https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQI0358zcSzhggyi0t16PvSq4f60jNMWIgYVGNIEvATCQi9uHFT







get into your extremist fallaciously brainwashed heads, once and for all



Islamic's are you. it isn't even a paradox.. they are far-right and are controlled by religious circular logic and twisted violent hate for minorities and anyone that defies their beliefs about reality.



Every time you and your propaganda try and use that link you look stupid and ignorant... it couln't be more simple.

TRIGGERED! TRIGGERED! LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 04:26 AM











Post: #11 RE: Thousands Gather in Londons Speakers Corner to Hear Tommy Robinson

spo snouou Wrote: (03-19-2018 03:30 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (03-19-2018 02:07 AM) hard-left and Islamist opposition

Fck me you losers are getting desperate..



[img=400x200]https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQI0358zcSzhggyi0t16PvSq4f60jNMWIgYVGNIEvATCQi9uHFT







get into your extremist fallaciously brainwashed heads, once and for all



Islamic's are you. it isn't even a paradox.. they are far-right and are controlled by religious circular logic and twisted violent hate for minorities and anyone that defies their beliefs about reality.



Every time you and your propaganda try and use that link you look stupid and ignorant... it couln't be more simple.

Well the people that were opposing TR speaking today were Islamists and the far left, that's just a fact, you can see a number of Islamist youtube videos of the event with far left present.



Are the far left and Islamist natural bedfellows? Yes of course they form political alliances and even joint political parties like the UK's Respect party, an alliance of the Socialist Workers Party and The Muslim Association of Britain, even returning an MP to parliament. Well the people that were opposing TR speaking today were Islamists and the far left, that's just a fact, you can see a number of Islamist youtube videos of the event with far left present.Are the far left and Islamist natural bedfellows? Yes of course they form political alliances and even joint political parties like the UK's Respect party, an alliance of the Socialist Workers Party and The Muslim Association of Britain, even returning an MP to parliament.
















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Page: 1 2 3 BREAKING: Taiwan Travel Act Signed into Law DownWithTheCCP

lop guest

User ID: kaput

03-19-2018 04:20 PM











Post: #1 BREAKING: Taiwan Travel Act Signed into Law

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https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/press-r...comes-law/



This is huge news for US-China foreign relations, and a strange development considering that the President had silently called a halt to US ships challenging Chinese ships who were breaking international law, leading some to speculate about a back room sellout deal between Trump and Xi.



Is the TTA for show, or will it have teeth? On March 16th, 2018, the President signed into law the Taiwan Travel Act (H.R. 535). Championed by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), the bipartisan legislation encourages visits between the United States and Taiwan at all levels.This is huge news for US-China foreign relations, and a strange development considering that the President had silently called a halt to US ships challenging Chinese ships who were breaking international law, leading some to speculate about a back room sellout deal between Trump and Xi.Is the TTA for show, or will it have teeth? LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 04:26 PM











Post: #2 RE: BREAKING: Taiwan Travel Act Signed into Law

And now we'll get to see the difference between the other place and here, as far as how many hundreds of Chinese government sockpuppets are camped out waiting to launch 168 one-stars. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 05:16 PM











Post: #3 RE: BREAKING: Taiwan Travel Act Signed into Law

trump stabbing his base and america in the back on a nonstop basis now, and gop wonders why they keep losing red states LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 06:03 PM











Post: #4 RE: BREAKING: Taiwan Travel Act Signed into Law

Sounds like an avenue for more innappropriat immigrants.

:( LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 06:15 PM











Post: #5 RE: BREAKING: Taiwan Travel Act Signed into Law

LoP Guest Wrote: (03-19-2018 06:03 PM) Sounds like an avenue for more innappropriat immigrants.

:(

OMG Taiwanese are the BEST thing that could happen to America - no one better to sniff out the literally thousands of Mainland Chinese agents stashing themselves away here as we speak.



The mainlanders come over as "grad students" and even "professors," and quietly conduct nonstop espionage.



Taiwanese allies in-country here would be a vital, vital weapon for us to finally start pushing back on what is already a deadly situation. OMG Taiwanese are the BEST thing that could happen to America - no one better to sniff out the literally thousands of Mainland Chinese agents stashing themselves away here as we speak.The mainlanders come over as "grad students" and even "professors," and quietly conduct nonstop espionage.Taiwanese allies in-country here would be a vital, vital weapon for us to finally start pushing back on what is already a deadly situation. #1 Doomologist

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 06:33 PM











Post: #6 RE: BREAKING: Taiwan Travel Act Signed into Law



For my new restaurant...

I'm gonna get out in front of this and start collecting dogs...For my new restaurant... LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 06:49 PM











Post: #7 RE: BREAKING: Taiwan Travel Act Signed into Law

#1 Texan Fan... Wrote: (03-19-2018 06:33 PM) I'm gonna get out in front of this and start collecting dogs...

For my new restaurant...



Way to be proactive. Way to be proactive. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 06:57 PM











Post: #8 RE: BREAKING: Taiwan Travel Act Signed into Law

#1 Texan Fan... Wrote: (03-19-2018 06:33 PM) I'm gonna get out in front of this and start collecting dogs...

For my new restaurant...



Ha I've got the feral cat meat market all sewn up. kittie al king anyone? Ha I've got the feral cat meat market all sewn up. kittie al king anyone? LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 06:59 PM











Post: #9 RE: BREAKING: Taiwan Travel Act Signed into Law

mmm dogs. Tasty. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 08:49 PM











Post: #10 RE: BREAKING: Taiwan Travel Act Signed into Law

Aside from post #5, no one here has a clue about Taiwan. Do some research before you spout nonsense. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 08:51 PM











Post: #11 RE: BREAKING: Taiwan Travel Act Signed into Law

Why are trips allowed?

Whitelist.

Q RiskyRob

( Lop V.I.P.)

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 09:17 PM



Posts: 8,137









Post: #12 RE: BREAKING: Taiwan Travel Act Signed into Law

LoP Guest Wrote: (03-19-2018 04:26 PM) And now we'll get to see the difference between the other place and here, as far as how many hundreds of Chinese government sockpuppets are camped out waiting to launch 168 one-stars.

There are lots of Chinese nationals all over the world who are loyal to China, but I doubt they do LoP. There are lots of Chinese nationals all over the world who are loyal to China, but I doubt they do LoP.  Ascended Master RiskyRob

( Lop V.I.P.)

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 09:18 PM



Posts: 8,137









Post: #13 RE: BREAKING: Taiwan Travel Act Signed into Law

LoP Guest Wrote: (03-19-2018 06:15 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (03-19-2018 06:03 PM) Sounds like an avenue for more innappropriat immigrants.

:(

OMG Taiwanese are the BEST thing that could happen to America - no one better to sniff out the literally thousands of Mainland Chinese agents stashing themselves away here as we speak.



The mainlanders come over as "grad students" and even "professors," and quietly conduct nonstop espionage.



Taiwanese allies in-country here would be a vital, vital weapon for us to finally start pushing back on what is already a deadly situation.

I agree. I agree.  Ascended Master SevenThunders

Registered User

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 09:39 PM



Posts: 3,742









Post: #14 RE: BREAKING: Taiwan Travel Act Signed into Law

Taiwan is the real China. It's time for Taiwan to reclaim the mainland. The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number,

and mighty is the army that obeys his command.

The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it? LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-19-2018 10:14 PM











Post: #15 RE: BREAKING: Taiwan Travel Act Signed into Law

SevenThunders Wrote: (03-19-2018 09:39 PM) Taiwan is the real China. It's time for Taiwan to reclaim the mainland.





Spoken like a true delusional bibletard. Spoken like a true delusional bibletard. Advertisement


















RSCI chief executive officer Irwin Lee with Irish Ambassador Geoffrey Keating and Irelands Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government John Paul Phelan

While other Irish celebrated St. Patricks Day with alcohol, some Irish government delegates in the Philippines had a glass of Irelands no. 1 milk brand Avonmore. The famous milk brand, which has full cream, low fat, and skimmed variants, is now available exclusively at Marketplace by Rustans and Rustans Supermarket branches. Irish Ambassador Geoffrey Keating and Irelands Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government John Paul Phelan, TD, were delighted to find one of their countrys most beloved brands on the shelves of a supermarket some 7,000 miles away from Ireland.Its like seeing a bit of home, enthused Keating. I havent seen Avonmore in the Southeast Asian region before. This is a first and its a very nice feeling to walk into the store and see the display. Keating and Phelan were warmly received by Rustan Supercenters, Inc. chief executive officer Irwin Lee during the event and joined by a group that included Rustans Commercial Corporation president Donnie V. Tantoco, Rustans Supercenters Inc. assistant vice president for Marketing Ana Punongbayan, RSCI wine import manager David Brissonnaud, Consul General and Vice-Consul of the Irish Consulate Philippines Robert F. Trota, Irish Food Board Southeast Asia director Ciaran Gallagher, and Avonmore representatives Maria Victoria Fuentes and Ramon Fuentes.Lee said looks forward to continue forging a solid partnership with Ireland, one that will hopefully see the arrival of its other world-class goods and brands in these shores. Nicknamed Emerald Isle, Ireland boasts a lush, green terrain that supports its thriving meat, fish, dairy, fruit, vegetable, and cereal industries. Marketplace by Rustans is known for its wide variety of international products, and we want to keep expanding the selection for our customers, said Lee, who is in talks with the Irish Food Board. Avonmore is the no. 1 milk brand in Ireland and is our first Irish grocery product, so were proud to be able to make it available to our shoppers and offer them a better experience at our stores. For more info, visit www.rustansfresh.com.
PRESIDENTIAL SABER. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte presents the Presidential Saber Award to Philippine Military Academy Alab Tala Class of 2018 Valedictorian and Baron Jaywardene Hontoria during the PMA commencement exercises at Fort General Gregorio H. del Pilar in Baguio City on March 18, 2018. Presidential Photo

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday urged other nations to follow his move to quit a treaty underpinning the International Criminal Court, which is examining his deadly drug war. Duterte lashed out at the war crimes tribunal two days after his government officially notified the United Nations of his decision to pull the Philippines out of the Rome Statute.I said withdraw simply because to announce to the world and I will convince everybody now who [is] under the treaty: get out, get out. It is rude, Duterte said in a speech before Philippine Military Academy graduates. It is not a document that was prepared by anybody. Its an EU-sponsored [treaty], he added, as he criticized the court for going after blacks. The Hague-based ICC announced last month it was launching a preliminary examination of Dutertes bloody anti-drug crackdown that has drawn international concern. Duterte, 72, won elections in mid-2016 vowing to launch an unprecedented drug war in which tens of thousands of people would die. Police say they have killed nearly 4,100 drug suspects as part of the campaign, while rights groups claim the toll is around three times the numbers given by authorities. Opened in 2002, the ICC is the worlds only permanent war crimes court and aims to prosecute the worst abuses when national courts are unable or unwilling. On Friday, the Philippines formally notified the UN that it was withdrawing from the ICC saying the stand was against those who would politicize and weaponize human rights. The tribunal had urged Manila to reconsider its decision, with the president of its governing body saying he deeply regretted the move. A state party withdrawing from the Rome Statute would negatively impact our collective efforts towards fighting impunity, said Assembly of State Parties president O-Gon Kwon. Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said Dutertes decision now put the country in the same boat as the United States. In spite of its reputation as the global champion of human rights, America has spurned the ICC. So we are now in a similar situation. The only difference is that while the US was never a party to the Rome Statute, we are a party to the treaty who has decided to quit, Pimentel said.Our departure from the ICC does not make us less devoted to the protection of human rights, in the same manner that Americas snub of the tribunal does not make that country less dedicated to human rights, Pimentel, chairman of the House good government and public accountability committee, said. The US has opted not to ratify the Rome Statute out of concern that it might be put in a quandary once American soldiers and their commanders are investigated, prosecuted and put on trial before the ICC for purported war crimes committed while operating in foreign lands, Pimentel said. This is why you will never hear the White House or the US State Department passing judgment on our withdrawal from the ICC, Pimentel said. President Duterte enjoys the prerogative to pull the Philippines out of the ICC, Pimentel said. As chief executive, the President is also our lead foreign policy architect. He is in fact our chief diplomat, Pimentel said. Duterte, who has waged a brutal war on illegal drugs, is under investigation by the ICC for supposed crimes against humanity in connection with the alleged extrajudicial killings of thousands of drug suspects. The Philippines withdrawal from the ICC would reduce to 122 the number of countries that are parties to the Rome treaty and members of the permanent international tribunal founded in 2002 to bring to justice the perpetrators of the worst crimes known to humankindwar crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Shortly after Duterte announced his decision to leave the ICC, Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Friday submitted Manilas letter of withdrawal from the Rome Statute. In its letter dated March 15, the Philippines said that its decision to withdraw from the treaty was a principled stand against those who politicize and weaponize human rights. Under Article 127 of the Rome Statute, a state party may withdraw from the treaty through a written notification addressed to the UN secretary-general. The withdrawal will take effect a year after the date of receipt of the notification. The other states that have not ratified and have not become parties to the Rome Statute include China, India, Indonesia, Israel and Sudan. AFP
DIBULLA, ColombiaThe guaimaro, a highly prized tree bearing nutritious fruit, once abundant throughout South America, is slowly being coaxed back from near extinction in Colombia. Widely adaptable, the tree is resistant to droughtthough not, sadly, to man. Deforestation has decimated the bountiful tree, whose leaves and fruit have for centuries sustained animals and humans alike. Without trees, there is no water, and without water, there are no trees. People cut it, burn it for cultivation, for their livestock. Wood is scarce and the rivers are drying up, lamented Manuel Duran. With a weary hand, the 61-year-old farmer raised his straw hat and wiped the sweat from his brow. A searing sun beat down on the dry forest near Durans home outside Dibulla, in the foothills of the majestic Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains. Here, in Colombias northeastern Guajira region, new life is being breathed back into stocks of the beloved tree. More than 900 kilometers away, in Medellin, hundreds of global experts are gathered around the planets sickbed this week. The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services will make its diagnosis later this month on the health of the worlds fauna, flora and soil. Conscious of the damage caused by rapacious agricultural practices, Duran has joined in a reforestation program run by a French-Colombian NGO. The guaimaro is a magic tree, said Daisy Tarrier, the 39-year-old director of the NGO Envol Vert. She enthusiastically lists the qualities of its fruit, a sort of orange nut rich in nutrients. Brosimum alicastrum, to give the tree its scientific name, grows from Mexico to Brazil. Depending on the country, it is known variously as ramon, campeche, ojoche, mewu or, in English, as maya nut. It was as essential to pre-Colombian civilization as corn, and still is for a number of indigenous communities. But its qualities have been forgotten by many farmers. In order to revive valuable knowledge in the fight against malnutrition with local food sources, Envol Vert organizes cooking workshops using the fruit. The fruit contains as much protein as milk, four times more potassium than bananas, as much iron as spinach, four times more magnesium than kidney beans, said Tarrier. Biologists have discovered the evergreen tree balances acidic soils, and even secretes the greenhouse gas carbon monoxide into the soil. Unlike most trees when they die, it never releases it into the atmosphere.It can grow to a height of 50 meters (165 feet), and its taproot sinks just as deep into the earth. That makes it very resistant to both drought and hurricanes. It even has phoenix-like qualities, scientists say, as it readily regrows after a fire. This tree has a great ability to adapt to different climates and can withstand various types of soils, humidity, altitude, temperature -- and many animals feed on its fruit. It is an important species for conservation, said Colombian biologist Monica Florez. But the lust for hardwoods for housebuilding and furniture-making, as well as deforestation to clear land for cattle breeding and for crops such as oil palms, has taken its tollnot to mention the effect of Colombias coca plantations to feed the demand for cocaine. We are still facing a huge challenge related to the control of deforestation, Colombias minister for environment and sustainable development, Luis Gilberto Murillo, said last month. But he pointed out that the rate of deforestation was decreasing, from more than 282,000 hectares in 2010 to about 170,000 hectares in 2017. Working with nearly 200 families, including 87 from Santa Rita de la Sierra, a village for displaced people near Dibulla, Envol Vert has contributed since 2011 to planting more than 30,000 trees across some 20 species, including 6,000 guaimaros. Nurseries are entrusted to communities who raise trees there to be transplanted in their own plots. Ive always loved guaimaro because it gives shade, and when the leaves fall, they are eaten by the goats and by the cattle. Its roots strengthen the soil, keep the moisture, and its fruits are good for animals and for us humans, said Maria Alarcon, 64, who lost two brothers and a son in the countrys decades-long war. A guaimaro will produce about 180 kilos (400 pounds) of fruit a year across a lifespan of some 100 years. The fruit is consumed raw and in juices, soups or mashed like potatoes. It can even be grilled and ground to powder to make infusions, with the look and flavor of chocolate coffee. Indigenous communities use guaimaro sap for medicinal purposes: for asthma in Central America, anemia in Mexico, or rheumatism in Peru. Maria Alarcon, her hands in the earth, is all too aware of the damage already done, and of the long road to recovery. We will have to plant a lot to replace all the trees that have been lost, she warned.
SEOULNorth Korea is in talks with the US and Sweden to release three Americans held in the North, reports said, as diplomatic activities gathered pace ahead of Pyongyangs planned summits with Washington and Seoul. The release of the three Korean-Americansall held in the North after being separately charged with unspecified hostile acts against the regimeis under discussion through multiple channels almost two weeks after President Donald Trump agreed to meet the Norths Kim Jong Un, reports said. While Pyongyang has yet to confirm it even made the summit offerrelayed by Seoul envoys who had met Kim in Pyongyangthe stunning announcement has triggered a race to set a credible agenda for what would be historic talks between the two leaders. Seoul-based MBC TV station reported Sunday that Pyongyang and Washington had practically reached a final agreement on the release of Kim Hak-song, Kim Sang-duk and Kim Dong-chul. They are hammering out details over the timing of the release, it quoted an unnamed South Korean diplomatic source as saying. The negotiation was held through the Norths mission to the United Nations and the US State Departmentan unofficial avenue of communication dubbed the New York channel, the source said. CNN said the prisoners release was also discussed at three-day talks in Stockholm between the Norths Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho and Swedish counterpart Margot Wallstrom that ended Saturday. Sweden represents Washingtons interests in talks with the North. It raised the issue of American detainees to move things in the right direction, CNN quoted one source as saying. Any movement on the issue of these detainees would be a huge deal for the US, said the source. Kim Dong-chul, a South Korea-born American pastor, has been detained by the North since 2015 when he was arrested for spying. He was sentenced to 10 years of hard labor in 2016. Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang-dukor Tony Kimwere both working at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, founded by evangelical Christians from overseas, when they were detained last year on suspicion of hostile acts.Reports on the detainees possible release come amid a flurry of diplomatic activities involving Pyongyang, Seoul, Washington and its allies. During a visit to Pyongyang by Seouls envoys earlier this month, Kim reportedly offered to meet Trump, with the US president subsequently agreeing to talks by May although no specific time or venue has been set. Kim also agreed to hold a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in next monththe third ever between the two Koreasaccording to the envoys. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said in an interview aired Sunday that Kim was taking stock after Trumps surprise decision to accept the invitation, but that a channel of communication had been established. The Stockholm talks overlapped with another meeting among the top national security advisors of the US, South Korea and Japan. US National Security Advisor HR McMaster, the Souths Chung Eui-yong and Japans Shotaro Yachi met in San Francisco over the weekend and vowed close policy coordination for the weeks ahead, Seouls presidential office said. They agreed that peace on the flash point Korean peninsula hinges on the success of the two planned summits, vowing not to repeat the failure of the past, it said in an apparent reference to previous botched nuclear disarmament negotiations with the North. Also on Sunday, a senior North Korean diplomat arrived in Finland for talks on peninsula issues with former officials and academics from the US and South Korea. The sudden rapprochement comes months after the North staged its most powerful nuclear test and test-fired missiles capable of reaching the US mainland. Kim and Trump traded colorful threats of war and personal insults, which heightened global concerns of another conflict on the peninsula once brought to ruins by the 1950-53 Korean War.
Posted Monday, March 19, 2018 6:00 am

The Webster County chapter of the Missouri Retired Teachers and School Personnel Association (MRTA) met March 5 at Central Bank in Marshfield. Thirty members attended and received a 2018 directory of upcoming programs, legislator addresses and member contact information.

After president Harlene Bramer led in the Pledge of Allegiance, David Steward (Superintendent of the Marshfield R-1 School District) presented facts of interest about an upcoming school bond and levy issue. The bond issue would not increase taxes, yet will repair extensive roof problems, HVAC systems and paving needs throughout the district. A possible 49-cent levy increase would allow Marshfield students to again attend Ozark Technical Community College (OTC), and would raise salaries for classified employees and non-administrators. Steward expressed concern over the loss of quality school employees to better-paying jobs in Springfield or area schools.

Nicholas Inman then spoke about the upcoming local Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival, scheduled for the last weekend in April. Now in its 13th year, the festival honors famous Missourians and hosts descendants of U.S. presidents. Attendees will also get to see the premiere of an original readers theater production, Dear Mrs. Lincoln. The festival boosts Marshfields economy and benefits local organizations.

Prior to the chapters business meeting, Freda Gentry shared a brief motivational message. Brenda Cologna, legislative chairman, then urged members to contact their state senator to oppose SB612. Lucille Cogdill offered techniques to avoid computer scams, and Linda Grigsby explained the status of PSRS pension investments.

The MRTA chapter will meet next on Monday, April 9. Refreshments will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the community room of Central Bank in Marshfield, followed by a program and meeting at 10 a.m. All retired teachers and school personnel are welcome to attend.
Posted Monday, March 19, 2018 4:45 am

The Missouri Department of Transportation is once again looking for someone to take over the Gasconade River Bridge, located on historic Route 66 near Hazelgreen in Laclede County.

MoDOT had been in negotiations with Workin Bridges, a private organization that works to save old bridges from demolition, to take ownership of the 90-year-old bridge in its existing location. However, Workin Bridges recently indicated it had decided not to pursue the project.

That means the transportation department is once again looking for a new owner for the old bridge. Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, MoDOT is accepting proposals through March 15, 2019, from parties interested in preserving the current structure.

Due to liability issues and limited funds, we will have to remove the bridge unless an outside entity steps forward to take ownership of and maintain the bridge, said MoDOT Central District Engineer David Silvester. We know thats not what folks want to hear, but its the reality of the situation. We are hopeful some entity will step forward with a proposal to preserve the existing structure.

The bridge, which carries the Interstate 44 outer road and historic Route 66 over the Gasconade River, has been closed to traffic since December 2014 due to extensive deterioration.

This setback will not affect the plans for building a new bridge on new alignment adjacent to the existing structure. Bids for building the new bridge will be opened in April, and the project is scheduled to be awarded to a contractor in May. Construction is set to start in July, and MoDOT is expecting to have traffic on the new bridge by the fall of 2019.

Anyone interested in taking ownership of the old bridge can contact Karen Daniels, Senior Historic Preservation Specialist, at 573-526-7346 or Karen.Daniels@modot.mo.gov.
Posted Monday, March 19, 2018 5:30 am

Most of us had guns when I was in high school in the early 1960s, but I dont recall anyone being shot in a classroom.

Thats not to suggest it never happened. It just didnt happen at Fair Grove, and it seldom happened anywhere else. A little research will reveal infrequent shootings in schools throughout our nations history, the earliest in 1764 when four Lenape tribesmen killed a schoolmaster and nine students in Pennsylvania.

At Fair Grove in the 1960s, though, we werent much worried about Indian uprisings or violence of any sort. The shootings I recall happened during gas station and liquor store robberies, and kids were not the victims.

We didnt carry our rifles and shotguns into school. Ive no doubt some of the older students may have had guns in their cars in the school parking lot, but pickup trucks with gun racks in the back window werent too common in the early 1960s. The number of students who could afford cars couldve been counted on fingers and toes.

A couple of decades later, student pickups with deer rifles in plain view were common in school parking lots, but I dont recall writing a single story about a teen deer hunter carrying his .30-.30 into the school. If it happened, we didnt hear about it.

As for me, I didnt have a rifle of my own until I was 16 or a car until after high school. Up until that time, I used my dads single-shot .22 rifle to shoot rabbits, squirrels, possums and coon. It never even crossed my mind to shoot anything else, except maybe sparrows, and at a penny per shell, I didnt do much of that, either. Dad was stingy with his .22 shorts. He never even put one in the chamber until he was ready to shoot  and he never needed more than that one.

We didnt rely on guns to settle our differences when we were kids. Blackened eyes and bloodied noses were more often the evidence of disagreements, not gunshot wounds.

As far as I can recall, nobody ever got shot when I was a boy at Fair Grove. I dont know if anyone has yet.

Im not sure what to make of the school shootings of recent years. Theyre just one manifestation of a host of modern-day evils I cant fully comprehend. Following the Florida school shootings my granddaughter was afraid to go to school. We never experienced that kind of fear when I was in school.

I understand the emotional rush to condemn firearms; I understand the need to blame someone or something for the senseless deaths of innocent kids. Ive lived for nearly 27 years with the inconsolable loss of a child.

As for the assault rifle debate, Ive never personally thought I needed one, but I have responsible, mature friends who love theirs, and I dont see them as a threat to anyone. But theirs are not the faces we see behind the sights of assault rifles on the 6 oclock news.

No question about it  the image of a teenage gunman carrying an AR-15 down a school sidewalk is terrifying. But restricting firearms is pointless if we dont address the reasons people spray bullets into classrooms. Evil always finds a way.

I dont have an answer, but my gut tells me the fault lies in the poisoned minds of shooters, rather than the weapons. Some folks blame it on a broken society and decline of the family unit.

Whatever it is, somethings different from when I was a boy. We all had guns then, too, but my classmates were never intentionally shot  not even at just a penny a shell.

Copyright James E. Hamilton 2018

Jim Hamilton is a freelance writer in Buffalo. Contact him at jhamilton000@centurytel.net.
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The Israeli police arrested last month a French driver working at the French consulate in East Jerusalem, suspected for using the missions vehicles, with diplomatic number plates, to smuggle weapons on several occasions from Gaza to the West Bank.

The French citizen known as Romain Franck, according to Israeli investigators, was arrested last month alongside eight Palestinians including a colleague of Franck; a security guard at the consulate, Israeli news website Ynetnews reported.

Investigations have found out that the French national transported 70 handguns and two rifles from Gaza to the West Bank while taking advantage of less strict security checks at Erez border.

The guns were given to Franck by a Palestinian in the Gaza strip who works at the French cultural center and were delivered to another Palestinian who sells the weapons to arm dealers, Ynetnews notes.

Franck is believed to have conducted the transactions for money. His activities were unknown to officials at the French mission who vowed full collaboration.
Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman said in an interview with US-based CBS Sunday that Saudi Arabia annually loses around $20 billion because of graft practices and that the November purge directed at top officials and business tycoons was necessary.

An anticorruption campaign overseen by the Crown Prince rounded up in November over 200 people including several princes and dozens of the kingdoms top officials and businessmen.

The campaign, which ran until early February, enabled the recovery of around $107 billion according to the Saudi attorney general, after most detainees, among whom Prince al Waleed bin Talal, signed monetary agreement in exchange for their freedom.

Speaking to anchor Norah ODonnell in his first interview during his first US trip as Crown Prince, Mohamed bin Salman defended the campaign saying it was extremely necessary. He noted that it did not have any other motive.

The amount exceeds $100 billion, but the real objective was not this amount or any other amount. The idea is not to get money, but to punish the corrupt and send a clear signal that whoever engages in corrupt deals will face the law, he said.

Analysts warn that the purge may scare investors at the time the kingdom is looking to diversify its economy as way to reduce dependence on oil revenues.

Last week, king Salman approved the establishment of legal units to investigate and prosecute corruption related cases.
South Sudan government has protested the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudans (UNMISS) in the war-stricken country.

According to Information minister and government official spokesperson Michael Makuei, the Security Council decision was unfair and totally unacceptable. He said Juba was not consulted on the matter.

The UN Security Council last weekend renewed the peacekeeping missions mandate until March 15, 2019, with the passing of resolution 2406.

The resolutions tasks UNMISS to continue its work to protect civilians, through the proactive deployment of its peacekeeping troops across the country. The mandate authorizes UNMISS to support the implementation of the 2015 peace agreement and current peace processes, including through the High Level Revitalization Forum.

The resolution maintains the overall force levels of UNMISS, with a ceiling of 17,000 troops, including the Regional Protection Force (RPF).

Currently, UNMISS has approximately 18,000 personnel serving at 17 locations across the country. More than 15,000 of these personnel are uniformed (about 13,500 troops and 1,500 police officers). More than 2,600 are civilian staff working in diverse areas such as human rights, logistics, child protection, gender, political and civil affairs.

South Sudanwhich gained independence from Sudan in 2011has been engulfed by a civil war since 2013. It regularly sees accusations of crimes against humanity, including gang rapes and beheadings, by both government and rebel forces.
The Canadian government will send troops, helicopters and medical staff, to terrorism-stricken Mali later this year as part of a United Nations peacekeeping mission, a senior Canadian government source said.

The helicopters presumably would replace a German contingent, which has been conducting transport and medical evacuation missions in the West African nation. Germanys Bundeswehr has supported the UN mission in Mali for nearly four years.

According to The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is on vacation in Florida, spoke by phone on Friday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Mark Rutte, the prime minister of the Netherlands.

Trudeau promised in 2016 to send up to 600 troops to UN peace-keeping operations in Mali, where soldiers under the UN are fighting Islamist militants.

The Canadian PM unveiled a package of measures, which include offering up to six helicopters and two transport aircraft, plus their associated pilots and support personnel, as well as a 200-strong quick reaction force.

The UN mission in Mali is considered one of the worlds most dangerous. More than 120 blue helmets were killed in the past four years. About 4,000 French soldiers are part of a larger counterterrorism and anti-smuggling operation in the Sahel region known as Barkhane.
Three Judges of the Trial Chamber IV at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have been assigned the withdrawn cases against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto.

In a press release on its website, the Presidency of The Hague-based Court says it has recomposed a number of chambers and assigned cases to various chambers.

The cases against the two leaders had collapsed after key witnesses withdrew and others recanted their evidence.

Deputy President William Ruto is being tried over unrest that followed 2007 elections. About 1,200 people were killed in the violence.

Ruto, one of the most senior government officials to be tried by The Hague-based court since its formation more than a decade ago, denies the charges of crimes against humanity.

In 2014, the ICC dropped similar charges against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, alleging that witnesses had been intimidated to make them change their testimony.

The rulings of the court in recent years have deepened tensions between the court and African leaders who accuse it of unfairly targeting their continent. The African Union last year, called for the mass withdrawal of member states from the court.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has been wanted by the court since 2009 for allegedly orchestrating atrocities in Darfur.
The Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) will hold an extraordinary meeting this week for the official launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in Kigali, the Continental bloc said in a statement.

The 250-page agreement that seeks to create the largest free-trade area in the world is expected to significantly increase intra-Africa trade.

As part of the African Union Agenda 2063, the AfCFTA aims at removing tariff barriers between African states. This would ultimately generate an annual profit of about $35 billion by 2021, according to experts.

The agreement will create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business, persons and investments, and thus pave the way for accelerating the establishment of the Continental Customs Union and the African customs union.

The AfCFTA will, amongst others, reduce the vulnerability of the continent to external shocks, and will also enhance the participation of Africa in global trade as a respectable partner, thereby reducing the continents dependence on foreign aid and external borrowing.

The AfCFTA will reach an African market of 1.2 billion people, representing a gross domestic product (GDP) of $2500 billion in all 55 AU member states.

The agreement has been tailored to ensure that it is not in contravention of any international trade rules and is compatible with existing trade agreements in the eight regional economic zones.

Nigeria has however announced it was suspending its participation in the CFTA.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari announced on Sunday that he would not attend the extraordinary AU summit, which is scheduled to sign the CFTA.

The decision was made because some Nigerian shareholders have said they have not been consulted, according to a statement from the presidency.
C.T. Park Claims Tbilisi Govt Actions Will Hamper Investments

By Tea Mariamidze

Parking regulatory company C.T. Park owners say Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladzes decision to abolish the contract with the company will negatively influence the Georgian investment climate.The company owners  David Pila and Natan Shorer - released the statement on March 14, saying the Mayors decision is an illegal, premeditated political act and the latest example of how the Georgian government treats foreign investors. The entire state apparatus, including various branches of government, have been used in a well-coordinated, concerted effort to unlawfully drive CT Park out of Georgia, the statement read.David Pila and Natan Shorer say the authorities have acted in bad faith and disregarded continuous communications from the investor as well as the fact that there are two pending court cases of the company.The authorities have attempted to create an illusion of legal process where the end result (illegal termination of contract due to the interests of certain groups standing above the law and the judiciary) was predetermined, the statement stressed.The company owners claim they will consider all options and remedies available under Georgian and international law to fight for their interests.C.T. Park owners will also bring this information to the attention of Israeli and international business community. This will no doubt reflect negatively on the Georgian investment climate, which apparently does not concern powerful bureaucrats acting in self-interest, the company stated.Itsik Moshe, the President of the Israel-Georgia Chamber of Business and the founder and Chair of Israeli House, says C.T. Park has not entered Georgian market through the Israel-Georgia Chamber, adding he does not know the details of the agreement between Tbilisi City Hall and the company.However, Moshe says he is ready to get involved in the dispute, if necessary.I also need to highlight that before this case, Tbilisi City Hall has been supporting Israeli companies all the time, he added.The contract between City Park and Tbilisi Mayors Office was signed in 2007 and envisaged the company to manage parking services in Tbilisi until 2022. According to the international auditing company Ernst & Young, the annulment of the agreement will cost the Mayors office 25 million GEL to pay for the compensation.However, Deputy Tbilisi Mayor, Irakli Khmaladze said the Mayors Office will not have to pay any compensation as it has grounded arguments that the company was not properly fulfilling its obligations.Mayor Kaladze announced about the termination of the contract on March 12, adding the company fails to meet the obligations undertaken by the contract.
What is Main Message of Margvelashvilis US Trip?

By Vladimer Napetvaridze

In the framework of his working visit to the United States, Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili continues discussing local and regional security challenges with American politicians. At the meeting with Congressman Gerry Connolly, Margvelashvili thanked the US politician for supporting Georgias territorial integrity and the countrys Euro-Atlantic aspirations: We are grateful for his strong support of Georgias territorial integrity and Euro-Atlantic way. Consolidation of international support about Russian occupation and integration process is crucial for Georgi, stated Margvelashvili on his official Instagram page.During the meeting with Senators Bob Menendez, Bob Corker and Jeanne Shaheen, the President of Georgia discussed Georgias security environment and preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit in Brussels and the security situation in the region as well as the importance of strengthening cooperation and strategic partnership between Georgia and US in the field of security. He also stated that Georgia aims at becoming a NATO-member state, but also mentioned the frozen conflict with Russia over its two breakaway regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali, as one of the main barriers for Georgia to join the Euro-Atlantic organization. Margvelashvili also condemned the death of the Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili, as one of many tragic results of the Russian occupation. At the end of the meeting, senators expressed their support to Georgia and noted Georgias immense contribution to the international missions.The President held an important meeting with Nancy Pelosi- Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, who thanked Margvelashvili for Georgias contribution in the international peacekeeping missions.In return, Giorgi Margvelashvili thanked the congressman for support and said that the non-recognition policy of the breakaway territories of Georgia, that is strengthened by the legislative mechanisms, is an important message that will ensure the success of non-recognition policy. The President of Georgia briefed the congressman about the situation in the occupied territories and informed her with the last details about the Archil Tatunashvili's case.Margvelashvili noted that it is necessary to take effective steps to ensure the stability of the region and prevent the Russian aggression, which is important not only for Georgia but also for the whole Black Sea region and European security. Consequently, in such tense political situation, it is crucial to consolidate international support and express it at NATO's upcoming summit.It is noteworthy that Georgia-U.S. relations have deepened and become more effective in recent years:-In July 2017, the US Senate received a bill, which condemns the actions of Russia against Georgia and implies a new sanction.-August 2017- the visit of the Vice President Mike Pence and his statements for supporting Georgia's territorial integrity was important political message.-August 2017-the biggest military drills-Noble Partner 2017 were held in Georgia and the American military participants of the mentioned drills made a special march, visited the military bases and the cities which were occupied by the Russian troops in 2008.-September 2017 - SSA Marine becomes the investor of Anaklia port.-In the framework of Georgian-American partnership, in 2017, Georgia bought one of the most sophisticated anti-tank missiles and strengthened its military potential.Georgia remains as an important partner for the U.S. and support of Georgian territorial integrity and non-recognition policy of Georgias breakaway regions is important international political message in the given tense political situation. Therefore, on one hand, the visit of the Georgian President in the U.S. had a huge political significance for the country, and on another, such a political activism of Margvelashvili could be a message about his participation in presidential elections.
Ambassador of Belarus S.Aleinik meets the Minister of State for Trade Policy of the Department for International Trade of the United Kingdom

19-03-2018



On March 19, 2018 the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Sergei Aleinik, met with the Minister of State for Trade Policy of the Department for International Trade of the United Kingdom, Greg Hands.



During the meeting, the sides discussed current issues of development of economic, trade, scientific and technical cooperation, diversification of export and investment flows, enhancing contacts between the Department for International Trade and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus.



For reference: The United Kingdom is among 5 top trading partners of Belarus with a volume of bilateral trade of more than 2,65 bln US dollars in 2017 (growth  214,4 percent), exports to the UK  2,4 bln USD (growth 223 percent), imports  249 mln USD (growth  156,4 percent). The UK is also ranked second among top investors in our economy with total volume of 2,6 bln USD in 2017.



   







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Ambassador of Belarus V.Kurdyukov meets the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic

19-03-2018



On March 16, 2018 the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Czech Republic, Valery Kurdyukov, met with the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, Co-Chair of the Belarusian-Czech Joint Commission for Economic, Industrial, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, Eduard Muricky.



During the meeting, the sides discussed current state of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, as well as preparation for the 10th meeting of the Belarusian-Czech Joint Commission on Economic, Industrial, Scientific and Technical Cooperation to be held in May 2018 in Belarus.



Eduard Muricky stressed that the development of economic cooperation with Belarus is a longstanding priority for the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic. He also noted a strong potential which exists in this sphere.



   

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Ambassador of Belarus O.Paferov meets the Vice-President of Venezuela

19-03-2018



On March 16, 2018 the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Venezuela, Oleg Paferov, met with the Vice-President of Venezuela, Ricardo Menendez.



During the talks, the sides discussed current state and prospects for the development of bilateral cooperation, including the implementation of the agreements reached during the visit of the President of Venezuela to Belarus and the meeting of the Joint Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation held in Minsk in 2017. Particular attention was paid to the implementation of the activities stipulated by the Road Map of Bilateral Cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for the Short-term and Long-term Perspectives.



The sides also discussed the issues related to the next meeting of the Joint Commission to be held in 2018.



   



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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Five members of the University of Michigan water polo team contributed a takeaway from this past weekend. The Wolverines went 4-0 at the LMU Invitational and extended their winning streak to 15 games.

Here are the five takeaways from Team 18:

1. Snowball Effect  Christina O'Beck

We are in the process of rolling the snowball down the hill and it is getting bigger and bigger each game we play. Our momentum is stifling and is what has carried us to finish this tournament 4-0 and make it 15 straight wins. Now we go back to work and fine tune to get even better before conference play starts.

2. Team Bonding  Kim Johnson

There is something about this tournament. Our team always bonds a lot. We had tons of fun this weekend and really came together. I'm excited to see how this will grow our chemistry in the water as well.

3. Push for 32 Minutes  Sofie Pontre

We kept pushing throughout every game until the very end in order to break down teams schematically. Once we broke them down, we kept pushing harder to keep our momentum going.

4. Fire and Energy  Maddy Johnston

We brought fire and energy, putting teams on their heels at the start of each game this weekend. Everyone brought it, not just one or two girls. Setting the tone is really important as we want teams to have to respond to us, not the other way around.

5. Ending Nonconference  Kathy Rogers

I think that is was a lovely way to end our trips to California, coming away with four wins. The team continued to develop in and out of the water and we feel we are prepared for conference. It was also delightful to work on our suntans!

Michigan will begin conference play on Saturday, March 31, when it travels to Indiana for an 11 a.m. start.
Miami University students will spend their spring break participating in various programs to serve, learn and explore at home and abroad.

The following is a sample of programs and activities students will participate in during the week of March 19-25.

BOOM: Break Out of Miami

Last spring: Miami students in Washington, D.C. (above) and serving orphaned youth in the Dominican Republic (below).

The student organization Break Out of Miami, otherwise known as BOOM, will travel to Savannah, Georgia, to volunteer in community projects.

CRU in Panama City Beach and Montenegro

CRU, a Christian student organization on campus, travels to Montenegro for its fourth spring break service trip.

Members of the organization also have the opportunity to travel to Panama City Beach for Big Break, a conference designed to educate and help students share their faith.

Government Relations Network

Students will travel to both Columbus and Washington, D.C., with the Miami University Government Relations Network to participate in a conference that will give them experience in the world of government legislation.

They will get to discuss important issues like research, higher education in Ohio, budgetary matters and their Miami experiences with legislators and staff.

JOY to the Dominican Republic

The Justification of Youth (JOY) will travel to Santo Domingo to serve at-risk and orphaned youth for one week this spring break. Students will work in care centers and schools.

Local involvement

Alternative Breaks are unique, student-led, multiday immersion experiences focused on the important community challenges. The program aims to engage participants in community service, educational opportunities, daily reflections, leadership development and topical discussions.

Students have the opportunity to travel to Columbus, Ohio, for a six-day trip to discuss the reality of food insecurity. Participants will volunteer in service through local partnerships and community building.

Students also have a three-day opportunity in Oxford and Butler County to explore how poverty and homelessness affects fellow community members. Participants will engage in a Cost of Poverty Experience and volunteer with organizations that address poverty and/or homelessness.

These programs are sponsored by the office of community engagement and service and international student and scholar services.

Opt-outside: Adventures in nature

The Outdoor Pursuit Center will lead two trips this spring break.

Students have the opportunity to backpack 50 miles of the iconic Appalachian Trail in Northern Georgia and North Carolina. This nine-day trip will begin with an introduction to basic backpacking techniques.

Students can also experience a seven-day sailing adventure in the Bahamas where they will take part in sailing the boat, preparing meals and other activities.
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Vous etes confrontes a une infestation par la puce, la punaise de lit ? Voici plusieurs actions qui sont a mettre en uvre pour faire []
Why did you decide to do it in Kenya away from home Tanzania?

I came to launch the album here in Kenya because I hate it when people picture me as a Tanzanian musician. My goal has been to prove to people that Im an African entertainer.

I could have launched it anywhere: Uganda, Nigeria or wherever as long as Im representing Africa because we have always wanted to have that vision of One Africa.

And that vision is about pushing the African vibe to the rest of the World and not only the Tanzanian one where I come from. Apart from that, Kenyans have been supporting my music ever since I started out and I wanted to thank them for that by launching my album here.

Sometime back, you said the launch would be graced with several international stars but we only saw American rapper Omarion? Omarion is always ready to work with me. He is always there for me, we have a great connection and you can see that has brought him here.

There are other several artistes that I approached to grace my launch as well but they were not willing to. In fact, one of the songs weve collaborated on features in the album.

Just few weeks ago, two of your songs Waka and Hallellujah were banned from airplay by the Tanzanian Government through its music regulatory agency BASATA that termed the songs as dirty and raunchy. Could you comment on that?

To date, I m yet to receive official communication from BASATA as to why the songs were banned because that is the standard procedure before such an action is taken. I pay taxes to the government and if they are to ban my source of income then they have to at least explain to me why.

What is the difference between Lala Salama and A Boy From Tandale ?

The latest one is what I can consider as a proper album from me because the experience I have had right now is very different from what I had with the previous album. You can see how big it is from the way its being marketed, the launching plans put in place and things like that which never happened previously.

A Boy From Tandale has 20 songs and if I am to be honest it was supposed to have had even more. This is because there are songs that I did early before Universal Music Group came on board that I felt they were special too.

I requested Universal to let me include those songs as well but they advised we stick to only 20 songs.

Before you launched your label Wasafi Classic Baby, you said you can never sign to any label but today we see you on board Universal Music Group?

That still stands bro. Im not signed to any label besides Wasafi. What youre referring to is a a partnership between WBC and Universal. The partnership will ideally help us push Wasafi music to the rest of the World via distribution.

About Wasafi TV and Wasafi Radio fans have been waiting far too long than anticipated for its launch?

Everything has a plan and as you know this is not a small venture. Its just the other day we received the license from the government to go on air.

Besides that, we have been going round the country to try and get presenters as well as other workforce. With all such activities going on I am not so sure when we will be going on air but my guess is it could be on 25th of this month or the next one.

How has being a father impacted your career?

Well, it doesnt change anything because I was already Diamond Platnumz before I got the kids. I wanted to have kids early but first I had to learn how I would handle that with the pressure that comes with what I do and I can say its been easy for me. I try my level best to divide time for my kids and work which I think Im handling it pretty well.
Comedian Owago Onyiro has addressed rumors circulating online that he is going through a tough financial period. According to unverified reports, the comedian was kicked out of his house in South C over rent arrears.

However, Owago, who has been off the limelight for a while now, says he is still living in his mansion. He dismissed the broke reports as crazy rumours, saying he is doing well.

I dont know who started the crazy rumours because I am doing really well and cant complain.

I still live in my four-bedroom mansion in South C, Im not homeless. People will always talk, but I am doing fine, he said.

Last year, word on the street had it that he had quit comedy to concentrate on gambling and had won Sh800,000. He has denied these claims too.

The comedian is said to be working on a project with Akothee in Kisumu, which is set to be released soon.
In honor of AmeriCorps Week, four Napa County nonprofits, Community Resources for Children, Cope Family Center, ParentsCAN and UpValley Family Centers are celebrating the impact two local women have had on the local community.

Annually, more than 75,000 AmeriCorps members help communities tackle pressing problems by their work with nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations at 21,000 locations across the U.S.

Paula Freire, a certified psychologist originally from Chile, is working with staff and volunteers at Community Resources for Children and ParentsCAN. She divides her time between the two organizations where she is using her extensive experience working with children with autism to provide neuropsychological evaluations, and design and implementing workshops.

I feel very fortunate to share the experience with a group of professionals who work for the quality of care of the children and strengthening the role of parents and caregivers," she said. "I am very motivated to contribute in this mission and give the community the best so that the children of Napa can develop their maximum potential.
Pastor Julie Webb of Napa Valley Lutheran Church and Rabbi Goldstein will explore the themes of rebirth and renewal in their respective faith traditions. The holy periods of Passover and Easter, along with the advent of spring, will serve as a backdrop for their discussion.

It is my aim with this series not only to bring into Napa, through Congregation Beth Shalom, a fascinating array of thought leaders from different cultures and faith traditions, but also to develop a more expansive sense of what it means to be Jewish in contemporary America," Goldstein said. "Our community, like Napa itself, must strive to look beyond itself in order to become its best self. It is only through respectful dialogue and interaction with those who are not like us that we gain a better perspective on who we are and what sort of people we might be.
The other locally available ricotta that I admire comes from Calabro, a small Connecticut producer with Italian roots. Although the company packages some of its cows milk ricotta in tubs, and it is tasty, I much prefer the hand-packed version. Scooped into tall perforated metal tins and mounded on top like an ice cream cone, Calabro hand-packed ricotta is moist, fluffy and milky-sweet. Youll want to eat it right out of the tin.

Fresh ricotta is just about the most perishable cheese you can buy. Try to purchase it shortly after its delivered to the store (check the sell-by date) and to use it within three or four days of opening. Sooner is better. Ricotta quickly loses its sweetness and starts to taste a little sour.

Enjoy it for breakfast with fresh fruit or poached prunes. Drizzle with honey or spoon some jam on top if you like a sweet start to the day. Spoon it into an asparagus omelet for lunch. One of my favorite memories from a long-ago trip to Naples revolves around a bowl of rigatoni with tomato sauce and a big dollop of ricotta on top. I did what everyone around me was doing and stirred the ricotta into the dish, where it instantly made a creamy sauce.

Kick-start your spring cooking with these two simple dishes that put the spotlight on fresh ricotta.

Inside-Out Cannoli
They added, some of the church members were frequently annoyed by the rattling of chairs and other discordant sounds proceeding from the prisoners apartment.

Regarding those prisoners, all three of the local courthouses originally contained county jails. Apparently, the second courthouse had some security issues with its jail due to a design flaw. Authors Tille Kanaga and W.F Wallace provided an example within their 1901 History of Napa County book.

On the night of November 8th, 1865, the prisoners in the County Jail, four in number, succeeded in making their escape. During the day the cells had been scrubbed out, and the prisoners were left in the corridor that night. They removed a stone 10x20 inches in size, which allowed them to pass out easily. These stones were supposed to be dovetailed, so that they could not be removed, but this one did not seem to be.

The second courthouse was also the final scene of a sensational case. Kanaga and Wallace continued, One of the most interesting events of 1857 was the trial of the then famous Ned McGowan.

His fame came from his ability of evading arrest. The authors wrote, All the old settlers of California will well remember what a great excitement there was over the attempted capture of Ned McGowan, by a vigilance committee in San Francisco.
On a day that Gov. Jerry Brown ordered the flags over the Capitol flown at half-staff, family members, friends and the community prepared to gather in Yountville Monday evening to honor the three woman killed March 9 by a former Pathway Home client who had been decorated for his army service in Afghanistan.

A Celebration of Life was to begin at 6 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at Lincoln Theater on the Veterans Home grounds in Yountville.

Anticipating that the theater, which holds 1,200 people, would be at capacity, organizers arranged for remote viewing at the Yountville Community Center, 6516 Washington St., Yountville.

A live broadcast of the event was planned at www.napatv.org. Napa County residents could also watch on Comcast Cable Channel 28. The program will also be livestreamed on Facebook at VHC-Yountville page.

The flags will be flown at half-staff over the Capitol in honor of Pathway Homes executive director, Christine Loeber, staff psychologist Dr. Jennifer Gonzales Shushereba and her unborn daughter, Cecilia Rose Shushereba, and therapist Dr. Jennifer Gray Golick.
Thefts from at least three Napa stores Saturday afternoon led to the arrests of three women from San Francisco, according to police.

Officers first responded to a shoplifting report at 2:15 p.m. at the Kohl's at 1116 First St., but could not find the suspects, according to Sgt. Todd Shulman. An attempted theft took place 30 minutes later inside the Ralph Lauren outlet of Napa Premium Outlets on Freeway Drive, where a worker gave police the description of the suspects and a getaway vehicle, Shulman said.

Police stopped the vehicle on Highway 29 near the intersection with Highway 221 (Napa-Vallejo Highway), and discovered merchandise that had been taken from the Kohl's as well as the Nike and Zumiez shops at Napa Premium Outlets, according to Shulman.

Three women inside the vehicle were arrested: 26-year-old Debrina Charnelle Espinoza, 26-year-old Shannon Renae Gladys Hill and 28-year-old Britney Jelaine Bynum. They were booked into the Napa County jail for investigation of grand theft, criminal conspiracy and misdemeanor shoplifting.
But Smith said more than 100 people die each day on U.S. roads in crashes of human-driven vehicles.

"That's a real contrast that we should keep in mind about this," he said. "We should be concerned about automated driving. We should be terrified about human driving."

The federal government has voluntary guidelines for companies that want to test autonomous vehicles, leaving much of the regulation up to states.

Many states, including Michigan and Arizona, have taken a largely hands-off approach, hoping to gain jobs from the new technology, while California and other states have taken a harder line.

California is among states that require manufacturers to report any incidents during the autonomous vehicle testing phase. As of early March, the state's motor vehicle agency had received 59 such reports.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey used light regulations to entice Uber to the state after the company had a shaky rollout of test cars in San Francisco. Arizona has no reporting requirements.

Hundreds of vehicles with automated driving systems have been on Arizona roads.

Ducey's office expressed sympathy for Herzberg's family, and spokesman Patrick Ptak said: "Public safety is our top priority."
Lawmakers say PG&E lobbyists in Sacramento are pushing for legislation that could help the company avoid paying fire damages, so long as it isnt found negligent in the maintenance of its equipment.

The legislation and lawsuits may seem premature, given that Cal Fires official investigation remains open. The California Public Utilities Commission, PG&Es regulator, is also conducting an investigation.

In the months since the fires erupted, no evidence has emerged in public pointing to any explanation other than power lines swaying, arcing and falling in the wind. Absent another likely cause, policymakers and investors are assuming that PG&Es equipment had at least something to do with the catastrophe  and theyre moving on to the next steps.

All the reports are not in now, but there are telltale signs that it was our power grid causing a lot of these fires, said state Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, whose district covers much of the North Bay.
Attorneys for Pacific Gas and Electric Co. blamed local government entities in the North Bay for possibly causing or exacerbating October's devastating wildfires in a court filing Friday -- deflecting blame as lawsuits pile up against the utility giant.

The court filing, one of several submitted Friday by PG&E, comes in response to the numerous lawsuits seeking to hold the utility liable for the catastrophic fires. While scores of private citizens have sued PG&E, several counties, including Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino, have also filed legal action against the utility.

PG&E's attorneys shot back at the government jurisdictions Friday, saying in court papers that it was the "lack of reliable timely and coordinated awareness" from the counties affected by the fires that "may have, and likely did, cause or exacerbate any alleged injuries, losses or damages."

The California Office of Emergency Services found as much last month in a report that said emergency managers in Sonoma County were unprepared to warn people when the firestorm hit.

Investigators have yet to determine the cause for the swarm of wildfires that broke out in California's Wine Country and beyond on Oct. 8, but public attention has focused on PG&E and its equipment as the possible cause.
Importantly, this includes the economy. Republicans hope to sell the idea that the economy is improving, thanks to the Trump/GOP tax cuts. The idea is that Trumpian chaos may be an unfortunate distraction, but people should overlook it and vote their wallets instead, since he's delivering, even as the media plays the elite parlor game of obsessing over insider trivia. But the tax cuts also threaten huge long-term deficits that jeopardize our future and could mean deep cuts to programs for the middle class. Democrat Conor Lamb just apparently won while emphasizing this point - deep in Trump country.

Meanwhile, Trump's tariffs also threaten to cost more jobs than they gain and could unleash a trade war with untold destructive consequences. Everyone knows Trump did this largely on a whim with little understanding of the most cursory policy basics; here the "chaos" presidency could hurt the economy. Republicans fear this as well but have little appetite for blocking the tariffs, making Republicans complicit in that possible outcome. Though it will depend on local factors, some Democratic candidates may be able to emphasize this as a very real threat.
On Wednesday, March 14 the ancient French Burh bed stone from the Chiles Mill was given a new home, to become a part of the historic interpretive display in the Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park.

The stone was the gift of Harold and Katherine Schooler, and Sandy Shepard in remembrance of their close friend Mrs. Peggy Chiles, the last descendant of Joseph B. Chiles.

The millstone was accepted into the State Park museum collection because of its value in helping to tell the story of the importance of gristmills to the Spanish and European settlers of the area. According to the donors, Peggy Chiles took great pride in her heritage as the great granddaughter of Joseph B. Chiles.

Joseph B. Chiles (1810-1885) was an early pioneer and settler to the remote area east of present day St. Helena. He became a Mexican citizen in 1841, and in 1844 received an 8,546 acre land grant from the Mexican government called Catacula Rancho. That area today is known as Chiles Valley.

Its perhaps ironic that the value of the French Burh bed stone was once more than the value of Catacula Rancho itself, in that  according to author Thomas Jefferson Gregory in History of Solano and Napa Counties, California, published in 1912  all Chiles paid for this princely domain was $5 for the paper on which to write the deed.

Chiles built his mill between 1845 and 1846 making it contemporary with Dr. Edward Turner Bales grist mill which was built in 1846. According to the Society of California Pioneers Historical Landmark plaque Number 547 which now sits on the site where the Chiles mill once stood, it was the first American flour mill in Northern California.

On Wednesday the Chiles mills heavy bed stone, sturdily mounted on a pivoting iron hoop, was lifted and carried into the Bale Mills granary by a team of volunteers using planks as a litter. It required four people to carry the stone. Its permanent location now sits beneath two historic photographs of the Chiles Mill with a small plaque describing its significance.

According to Steve Harle, a miller at the Bale Grist Mill, imported French Buhr Millstones such as the Chiles mill stone were rare and expensive, and remains today highly sought after by stone millers around the world.

We hope that the donation of this millstone will serve to teach about the achievements of this true pioneer and keep his memory alive, donor Sandy Shepard said.

The stone will be on display at the Bale Grist Mill, which is itself the last functioning gristmill that is open to the public in the State of California.

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Naval Group has formally signed a Design Services Subcontract (DSSC) with local engineering company, KBR, to assist with the concept design of the proposed Future Submarine (SEA1000) construction yard at the Osborne Naval Shipbuilding precinct in South Australia.

Naval Group has formally signed a Design Services Subcontract (DSSC) with local engineering company, KBR, to assist with the concept design of the proposed Future Submarine (SEA1000) construction yard at the Osborne Naval Shipbuilding precinct in South Australia.

Artist impression: RAN future submarines. Naval Group image.



The submarine construction yard concept design will include the facilities and infrastructure required to construct a fleet of twelve regionally superior Future Submarines for the Royal Australian Navy.

Through the DSSC, KBR will support Naval Group to deliver the concept design for the Future Submarine yard to the Commonwealth of Australia in July 2018.

We will be utilising Naval Groups extensive experience building and maintaining nuclear and conventional submarines for the French, Brazilian, Malaysian, Indian and Chilean navies to ensure that the facility is appropriately equipped to build Australias Future Submarine fleet said Brent Clark, Interim CEO, Naval Group Australia.

Naval Group Australia has partnered with KBR to support the design of the Future Submarine Construction Yard, a vital piece of the Osborne Naval shipbuilding precinct.

A team of KBR and Naval Group Australia engineers will undertake design workshops within Australia and France in February 2018 to inform the concept design and facilitate knowledge transfer. The team will draw on Naval Groups international experience as a reference point for Australias Future Submarine yard.

KBR is excited to be providing our expertise to Naval Group for this nationally significant project that will deliver a world-class future submarine facility, a significant component of the infrastructure enabler of Australias Naval Shipbuilding Plan. Having designed the original Collins submarine facility in South Australia in the 1980s and more recently the Air Warfare Destroyer shipyard, KBR brings extensive local defence infrastructure engineering and program management experience to this important project said Greg Conlon, KBR President Asia Pacific.

We anticipate this contract will employee around 100 South Australians and we look forward to working with Naval Group and the Australian Government to maximise opportunities for local industry, added Conlon.

Naval Group are committed to the involvement of Australian industry in the Future Submarine Program, recognising that it is of vital importance to the construction and sustainment of the submarine fleet into the future, creating job opportunities across Australia.

Video on Australia's future submarine



Australia's Future Submarine Program:

The Australian Government selected Naval Group (then known as DCNS) as its preferred international partner for the design of 12 Future submarines for the Royal Australian Navy. The announcement was made on April 26 2016 by the Australian Prime Minister the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull, the Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon. Marise Payne, The Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, the Hon. Christopher Pyne and The Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Tim Barrett. DCNS was competing with the Shortfin Barracuda design against TKMS' Type 216 and Japan's Soryu class designs. Based on the French Navy Barracuda SSN currently in final stage of construction, Australia's future submarine will be will be 97 meters in length and 8.8 meters in diameter.



In September, Lockheed Martin was selected as the preffered combat system integrator. All 12 submarines are expected to be built in Adelaide (South Australia) with technology transfer from Naval Group.
During DIMDEX 2018, the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference (DIMDEX), CAE was awarded a subcontract from Leonardo Helicopters to provide the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) with a comprehensive NH90 helicopter training solution. The contract is valued at more than C$150 million.

During DIMDEX 2018, the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference (DIMDEX), CAE was awarded a subcontract from Leonardo Helicopters to provide the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) with a comprehensive NH90 helicopter training solution. The contract is valued at more than C$150 million.

The Qatar Emiri Air Force will use CAEs world-class simulation technologies for NH90 helicopter training



The QEAF signed a contract with Leonardo Helicopters to acquire a fleet of both NH90 tactical transport helicopters (TTH) and NH90 NATO frigate helicopters (NFH). CAE was selected by the QEAF to provide the comprehensive NH90 training solution, including training centre facility, suite of simulators and training devices, and training support services.

We are honoured to serve as the training systems integrator to lead the overall design and development of a comprehensive training solution for Qatar Emiri Air Force NH90 helicopters, said Ian Bell, CAEs Vice President and General Manager, Middle East/Asia-Pacific. We will leverage our unmatched helicopter training and simulation experience to deliver a world-class training solution that cost-effectively prepares Qatars NH90 pilots, aircrews, and maintenance technicians for mission success.

CAE will lead the design and building of a new training centre facility in Qatar. Housed in the training centre will be a suite of training devices, including:

CAE 3000 Series NH90 TTH full-mission simulator;

CAE 3000 Series NH90 NFH full-mission simulator;

NH90 NFH rear-crew trainer for training tactical coordinators (TACCO) and sensor operators, and capable of networking with the full-mission simulators to provide full-crew mission training;

CAE Simfinity NH90 integrated procedures trainers for the TTH and NFH configurations;

NH90 winch and door gunner trainer;

NH90 virtual maintenance training system (VMT) classroom.

Following delivery of the training centre facility and NH90 training devices in 2021, CAE will commence providing training support services, including classroom and simulator instructors. CAE will also design and develop a Tactical Control Centre to be used for managing networked mission training exercises.

The CAE 3000 Series NH90 full-mission simulators, which will be certified to Level D, the highest qualification for flight simulators, will feature a range of CAEs core simulation technologies. These technologies include: six degree-of-freedom (DOF) electric motion system and high-performance vibration platform to replicate vibration cues critical to helicopter pilots; a high-fidelity CAE Medallion-6000XR visual system; and a direct projection 220-degree by 88-degree extreme field-of-view dome display. The NH90 simulators will also feature the Open Geospatial Consortium Common Database (OGC CDB) architecture, an international standard for the creation of synthetic environment databases. This common database software and standardization will enhance synthetic environment database re-use and interoperability across the Qatar Armed Forces.
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Civil rights icon Andrew Young and renowned portrait artist Ross Rossin, Emorys Schwartz Artist-in-Residence, will meet for a public conversation, titled Ultimately Human, on March 27 at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts.

Former ambassador and civil rights icon Andrew Young and renowned portrait artist Ross Rossin, the Schwartz Artist-in-Residence at Emory University, will meet for a public conversation, titled Ultimately Human, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, at Emorys Schwartz Center for Performing Arts.

Admission is free, but attendees are asked to register in advance.

Rossin will display onstage many of his extraordinary portraits, while he and Young use them to reflect on questions of identity, how it informs our view about others, the creative process, artistic meaning and the beauty in diversity.

Young served as director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr. He was elected to three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, was appointed by President Jimmy Carter as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and served two terms as mayor of Atlanta. Rossins photorealistic portrait of Young debuted in 2009.

The March 27 program also will feature poet and spoken word performer Tavares Stephens, and cellist/filmmaker Okorie Johnson, who performs under the name OkCello.

Rossins residency at Emory coincides with FACE, the Frankenstein Anniversary Celebration at Emory, a year-long university-wide celebration of the 200th anniversary of the novel, and is part of the Ethics and the Arts Program at Emorys Center for Ethics.

Last fall, Rossin began his residency and helped launch the Frankenstein bicentennial on campus by unveiling a compelling portrait of a new interpretation of Dr. Frankensteins creation, described by Mary Shelley in her 1818 novel.

The event is the first of the newly renamed Rosemary Magee Creativity Conversations, a series of public conversations on campus highlighting creativity and imagination as essential to every discipline and enterprise. By putting distinguished visiting thinkers and creators in conversation with one another and members of the Emory community, Rosemary Magee Creativity Conversations give audiences access into the innovative minds and creative processes of leaders in a wide range of fields.

Turner Classic Movies is the exclusive corporate sponsor of this event and is a corporate partner of the Ethics and the Arts Program at Emorys Center for Ethics. The Schwartz Center for Performing Arts is located at 1700 North Decatur Road, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322.
Just days before the African Continental Free Trade Area Treaty is set to launch in Rwandan capital, Kigali, Nigeria's president Muhammadu Buhari has pulled the country out of the trade deal -which is much like that of the European Union.



The African Continental Free Trade Area Treaty would remove trade barriers and eventually allow free movement, creating a common market but Nigerian labour unions have objected to the trade deal saying it would be bad for the economy and eventually lead to job losses.



The president's decision to pull out of the deal at the last minute is a setback for the pan-African trade treaty as Nigeria, alongside South Africa and Angola are the continent's largest economies.



It is thought that with elections just a year away, the government is looking to avoid clashing with the country's labour unions and business leaders who all oppose the African Continental Free Trade Area Treaty.



An economic analyst from the University of Abuja, Dr Nazifi Darma, told BBC Newsday that "free trade is an idea that is long overdue" but he fears that global companies could take advantage of the treaty: "You have to have an economic structure that is competitive enough to enable trade in a equal relationship, not on the basis of a subservient relationship."



If bigger, European companies will contract their production in Africa, and set up production facilities that will over-dominate the Nigerian market... Certainly it is against our national interests."



We must be able to look at every aspect of that agreement and make sure that it will wholeheartedly facilitate free trade between African countries."





BBC










Zimbabwe will be holding its presidential and parliamentary elections in July -the first without the name of former president Robert Mugabe on the ballot following his long rule over the country- as announced by interim president Emmerson Mnangagwa, after a meeting between him and his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday night.



This will be the first major test for the new leader, following his replacement of Mugabe after a de facto military coup forced the 94-year-old to resign.



"As a nation, party and government, we are looking forward to very peaceful, transparent and harmonised elections in July this year," Mnangagwa said



Mnangagwa expressed his desire to ensure the elections take place without violence which has marred previous ones. "I have already invited all political parties in Zimbabwe to a round table where we all commit ourselves to non-violence," he added.



A European Union pre-election team was expected in Harare on Monday, as Mnangagwa said an invitation would be given to Western observers, banned under Mugabe's rule.



Phillipe Van Damme, EU's head of mission in Zimbabwe, told the Sunday Mail it would meet the president, political party leaders, and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
23:43

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Varun Gandhi on Monday suggested an "external body" to decide the salary and allowances of MPs which, he claimed, were raised 400 per cent in the last six years, and questioned whether "we really earned this massive increment".

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He said the authority to determine one's own salary was not in line with the morals of democracy.

Speaking at an interactive programme titled "Ideas for a new India" with students of the Navrachna University in Vadodara, he said the rise in emoluments of MPs was happening despite the number of days when Parliament ran going down.

"The MPs' salaries were increased 400 per cent in six years, but Parliament runs only for 50 days a year compared to 130 days during 1952-72. Have we really earned this massive increment," the MP from Uttar Pradesh's Sultanpur said.

He said he had written a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan suggesting her to start a "movement" asking "rich lawmakers" to forego their salaries for the remainder of their term.

"There are 180 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 75 MPs in the Rajya Sabha who have shown their income as Rs 25 crore and above. If they forego their salaries, it will help the exchequer save several hundred crore rupees," he said.

Gandhi said growing inequality was detrimental to society and public representatives should be seen as more "responsive" to the socio-economic realities of the country.

He said the United Kingdom, where salaries of lawmakers saw a rise of 13 per cent in the same period, had an external body called the "Review Body on Senior Salaries" to advise the government on emoluments and pensions of lawmakers.

Supporting people's right to recall elected representatives, Gandhi said he had proposed an amendment to the Representation of People Act to fix parameters under which such a right could be exercised.

He said these parameters would have to be fixed after a proper public discourse.

The BJP MP said that reservation for women in Parliament must be encouraged to promote the entry of ordinary women like teachers, advocates and doctors. He said such reservation, however, should not be extended to the wives, daughters and relatives of politicians. -- PTI
SIU to host forum on rural health careers March 24

Southern Illinois University Carbondale is hosting a forum Saturday that focuses on careers in rural health. The Rural Health Careers Forum is open to college students, high school upper classmen and anyone who is looking to change careers.

The event is from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Student Centers Mississippi Room and includes a complimentary lunch. The forum is free, but participants must register by Thursday on the Illinois Rural Health Association website. For more information, contact Margaret Vaughn, the organizations executive director, at staff@ilruralhealth.org.

Forum will provide insight into health care careers

Vicki Brown, a junior in SIUs Health Care Management program from Coulterville, is helping plan the forum. She is the first SIU health care management student appointed to the IRHA board.

The purpose of the forum is to expose students to a diverse variety of careers in high demand in the rural health arena, Brown said. There will be a panel discussion with top healthcare administrators, IT experts, mental health professionals, clinicians, and graduate students, who will provide insight on what their careers entail and offer students advice on the best way to get there.

Panel discussion starts at 11 a.m.

The panelists are:

Cheri Kelly, associate professor, family and community medicine, SIU Physician Assistant Program

Douglas Toole, public health administrator, Vermilion County Health Department

Kathy Swafford, rural physician, Union County Hospital

Jan Farmer, family medicine administrator, SIU Family and Community Medicine, Carbondale-School of Medicine, Springfield

Jennifer Hammonds, licensed clinical social worker, SIU Family and Community Medicine Carbondale-School of Medicine, Springfield

Heather Ferguson, health information supervisor, Shawnee Health Service

Beth Heaney, psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner, Shawnee Health Service

Nathan Devenney, third-year medical school student, University of Illinois

About the Illinois Rural Health Association

The IRHA, organized in 1989, is a collaboration of more than 725 health care providers, including hospitals, rural health clinics, public health departments, public officials and students whose mission is to strengthen rural healthcare systems.
Southern Illinois Regional History Fair is March 24 at SIU

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill.  High School and junior high students by the hundreds will converge on Southern Illinois University Carbondale for the annual Southern Illinois Regional History Fair on March 24.

Conflict and Compromise is the theme of this years event, which takes place in the Student Center Ballrooms and J. Corker Lounge. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and performances, which are open to the public, start at 9 a.m. The day wraps up with an awards ceremony at 2:30 p.m.

Media Advisory

Reporters, photographers and news crews are welcome to cover the Southern Illinois Regional History Fair on March 24 at the Student Center. Contact Natasha Zaretsky at 618/453-7876 for participating schools in your area.

Diverse historical topics will be featured

The fair will feature numerous performances, focusing on a wide variety of historical themes and people  from the Shawnee National Forest to Virginia Marmaduke, the acclaimed breakthrough female journalist.

Presentations will also highlight topics including:

The Lincoln Douglas Debates,

the Lager Beer Riot,

the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago,

the radium girls, and

numerous other interesting topics.

In addition, the event serves as a showcase for exhibits, media projects and research papers created by the students. Last year, nearly 200 high school and middle school students participated.

The 2018 theme asks participants to examine history through multiple perspectives, investigating why conflict occurs, how compromises and resolutions come about and what happens if nothing is resolved or if solutions prove to be short-term.

Participants will vie for prizes and the chance to advance

Superior, excellent and good awards will go to noteworthy fair entries. The top presentations will also advance to the statewide Illinois History Day in Springfield on May 3, where theyll vie for top honors against entries that advanced from four other regional history fairs.

Numerous awards and cash prizes are presented at Illinois History Day.

Winners from the state event can compete at the Kenneth E. Behring National History Day contest in June at the University of Maryland in College Park.

Learning experience for SIU students

SIU history students assist with the events judging, giving them the chance to see what topics intrigue junior high and high school students and how the youths interpret and present those subjects.
Illinois voters have strong views on major issues facing the state: Simon Poll

CARBONDALE, Ill.  Illinois voters support vigorous government action regarding two major issues on Illinois policy agenda. That is the conclusion of a recent statewide poll of 1,001 registered voters released by Southern Illinois University Carbondales Paul Simon Public Policy Institute.

Voters see a need for criminal justice reform

The first issue relates to the criminal justice system and possible reforms for it.

A total of 55 percent of respondents agreed with the statement that The criminal justice system is biased against black people. There were 35 percent of voters who disagree.

Where respondents live had a large impact on their views:

63 percent of Chicago residents strongly agreed or somewhat agreed.

60 sixty percent of suburban Cook and the collar counties agreed or somewhat agreed

42 percent of downstate residents agreed and 48 percent disagreed.

Partisanship, including political affiliation and race, also had a strong association with the responses:

73 percent of Democrats and 29 percent of Republicans agreed, overall.

Among white voters, 50 percent agreed while 40 percent disagreed, overall.

Among black voters, 79 percent agreed while 15 percent disagreed, overall

Among Hispanics, 63 percent agreed while 29 percent disagreed, overall.

Clearly race, party and place of residence are driving forces in shaping the voters views on bias in the criminal justice system, said John Jackson, a visiting professor at the institute and one of the directors of the poll. It is obvious that many Illinois voters live in two different worlds when it comes to matters of race and contact with the criminal justice system.

Voters favor removing barriers that make it hard for people to find jobs after incarceration

Respondents were asked to agree or disagree with the following: The State of Illinois should remove barriers that make it more difficult for people who have been incarcerated to find jobs. Overall, 76 percent of those responding agreed and only 15 percent disagreed.

Among geographic areas of the state, the breakdown was:

Among Chicago voters, it was 80 percent to 10 percent who agreed

Suburban Chicago and collar counties voters agreed by a 77-16 percent margin

Downstate, the margin was 71 percent agreed and 17 percent disagreed.

There was also widespread agreement from political parties: with 84 percent Democrats, 83 percent Republicans and 76 percent of Hispanics also in favor of the state removing barriers.

Race also was not a factor in this question: 76 percent of white people, 77 percent of Hispanics and 83 percent of black voters agreed or strongly agreed.

Poll also shows dramatic call for change in corrections policies

The poll shows 73 percent of the states voters overall chose the option of currently, we spend too much money on incarceration and not enough on alternatives such as education and treatment.

The next most popular choice at 12 percent was currently, the balance of spending between incarceration and alternative sentencing programs is about right.

Only 8 percent chose the third option of currently we spend too much money on alternative education and treatment programs and not enough on incarceration.

Support to increase funding for education and treatment alternatives was statewide

The Chicago voters were the most liberal and downstate voters were the most conservative with the suburban voters in between, but the differences were small.

There were party differences with 85 percent of Democrats, 76 percent of Independents and 54 percent of Republicans believing more should be spent on alternatives to incarceration.

It seems that if maybe not a clear consensus, a heavily majoritarian view has developed among Illinois voters that what we have been doing on corrections policy is not working and that more emphasis should be placed on alternative approaches such as more education and treatment programs, said John Shaw, institute director.

Poll reflects importance of safe water supplies

Keeping a constant supply of safe, dependable water is one of the most crucial functions of state and local government. Illinois is blessed with abundant water supplies, but faces the constant threat of contamination from old supply pipes and runoff from agricultural and industrial sources.

The poll included three questions focused on the publics perception of their water supplies.

The first question was, I personally worry about the pollution of drinking water.

The public was almost evenly divided on this issue, with 48 percent saying they worried a great deal or a fair amount about pollution of drinking water. Exactly one-half of those responding said they worried about their water supplies only a little or not at all.

Those who worry about the pollution of their water may be reflecting the notoriety this matter got in the Flint, Michigan crisis of 2016, said Kara Lawrence, a Howard Foundation Fellowship holder at the institute who is doing research on this issue. The 50 percent who dont worry much about water quality may show that state and local governments are generally doing a good job of ensuring that the demand for safe water is usually met.

Majority rate their water supply as excellent or good

69 percent rated their drinking water as excellent or good, 28 percent rated their supply as fair or poor. Only 3 percent dont know how they rate the quality of their drinking water.

There were no large differences based on geographic location or party identification on this issue. However, there were racial differences, with 19 percent of African-Americans rating their water quality as poor, compared to 6 percent of whites and 13 percent of Hispanics.

There is a division on trusting state government on water quality:

47 percent of respondents overall said they trust state government to do what is right about water quality always or most of the time;

34 percent trust the government to do what is right only some of the time;

15 percent said none of the time.

There were marginal regional differences with Chicago voters being the most trusting and the downstate voters the least trusting with suburban voters in between. There were no essential differences by party.

These results show that on the matter of providing safe and dependable water supplies, Illinois voters are more positive about the job the state is doing than one might expect from the generally negative reviews one often finds Illinois government getting, Jackson said.

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 on criminal reform and water quality 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.
The number of new print magazines started in the U.S. fell by more than half in 2020 to 60, compared t
The Fisheries Agency plans to reduce next season's quota for small Pacific bluefin tuna that can be caught off Hokkaido and Kagoshima Prefecture effectively to zero, and greatly reduce the quotas for Iwate and Kochi prefectures, as these prefectures have significantly exceeded their quotas for this season.

Japan has been criticized for not adhering to fishing quotas it promised internationally to uphold, so the agency is adopting a tough approach to prefectures that have been too lenient toward management of this resource.

Small Pacific bluefin tuna weigh less than 30 kilograms. The next season runs from July this year until June 2019.

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission decides on Pacific bluefin tuna quotas for each of its 26 member nations and regions, including Japan. Catching small tuna, which will lay eggs in the future, will have a significant impact on the future health of this resource.

Japan's quota of small tuna for this season was set at 3,424 tons, which is less than 10 percent of the volume of bluefin tuna consumed in the nation. However, Japan has already exceeded 98 percent of this quota, making it extremely likely the nation will go over its limit for a second consecutive year.

Small bluefin tuna are caught by methods including fixed fishing nets that catch many kinds of fish and round haul nets used by fishing vessels targeting the tuna. The agency sets the quota for individual prefectures.

Hokkaido, where fixed nets caught many fish, netted 783 tons of small bluefin tuna this season, greatly eclipsing its quota of 112 tons. Kagoshima Prefecture had a quota of 8 tons but reeled in 24 tons.

From July, for prefectures that exceeded their quota this season, the agency will subtract the excess catch from their quota for the year. Consequently, Hokkaido and Kagoshima will effectively be allocated a quota of zero tons after their excess catch is subtracted from this season's haul. Iwate and Kochi prefectures, which caught significantly more than their upper limit, will have smaller quotas next season. - the-japan-news.com